Geoff Crust has over 20 years experience working with the top race teams across the world and now the former Yamaha Grand Prix team manager is lending his expertise to the WD-40 team in the MCE British Superbike series.

Crust has joined as a team advisor to Barry Burrell in BSB, Ben Young in the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 championship and Tarran Mackenzie in the Stock 600’s. Team owner Brent Gladwin called on Crust last year, when American Tommy Aquino joined the setup.

The former crew chief, who also worked with Kevin Schwantz, helped out with the Superstock 1000 bike, and after the sad death of the American rider this year Crust didn’t want the team’s hard work go to waste and said he would continue on assisting the team in a permanent capacity for 2014.

“Brent is a good friend of mine, and I didn’t want to see all the work that we did last year go to waste after all the hard work with Tommy. Brent rang me and we chatted about Barry [Burrell] coming into the team and I wanted to help him, as I felt he hasn’t had a real chance to have a crack in this class. The bike has now come together which I'm happy with, from now my relationship with Barry is that I'm 200 precent behind him, and he’s giving me the feedback to progress with the bike – which we are doing at Oulton Park,” said Crust, speaking to bikesportnews.com from the team truck.

“I work with Barry, Tarran and Ben as I told Brent that I would help all the riders. I have worked in Grand Prix’s for 20 years so I know I have the experience to help them. I know the technical side of things -  as I went from mechanic to crew chief in GP’s then team manager for Yamaha for many years so I have a wide experience so I can help the boys with little things if they want the advice.

“I used to race in the early 80s, alongside the likes of Niall Mackenzie. Then I stopped racing because of a lack of funds. Then Niall asked me to work for him in the Armstrong team in 1986, and that was my start in GPs so one year went to 20 years.

“Then I went to Suzuki for the factory team, and worked with Niall again for Lucky Strike Suzuki as his crew chief. Then I moved to Yamaha and joined with Wayne Rainey and ran the team alongside him, and I carried on as team manager after Rainey retired, then stayed there all the way until Valentino.

“With the WD-40 team I want Barry to have this best year ever in BSB, I just want the second half of this season for him to be competitive. I want him to be in the top ten consistently, and if he goes higher than that – then that’s a bonus. I have told Brent that I will be with the team for all of this season, which will be good.”

Barry Burrell appreciates having someone like Crust in the team and is already benefitting from advice he has given him – now they are concentrating on developing the bike.

“It’s great having someone like Geoff here, and he has taught me a different way to approach racing, and with his experience he’s provided some great advice to me and the team,” said Burrell, speaking to bikesportnews.com.