Tyco Suzuki's Josh Brookes has confirmed he will make his road racing debut at this year's North West 200 alongside team-mate Guy Martin.
The Bringelly man, who will also be a rookie at TT 2013, will race in Superstock and Superbike events at the nine-mile triangle in Northern Ireland but says he will use it as a learning experience and isn't going there believing he can win.
"Initially, when I thought about road racing, I didn't have the North West 200 in mind. My priority was to go to the Isle of Man. If I only ever did one road race, the Isle of Man is what I wanted to do but seeing as I spend most of the year in Northern Ireland, and I have been to the race a few times, I have got the bug to do it," said Brookes, speaking to bikesportnews.com this evening.
"If I was there as a spectator this year, I would be itching to ride. I want to be part of the event and a lot of people have been saying that I could do really well at the North West even in my first year whereas the TT needs to be a long-term project if you want to get results there.
"I also have the idea of doing the North West with the same attitude. I'm not of the mindset that I am going to rock up there and win. It's still a road race and still something I have never experienced before so it would be stupid of me to go thinking I could win.
"Other people have the opinion that I could, that it would be possible but that's not what I think, it's not my idea. I will do everything I can to learn the track as fast as possible and learn from the guys around me. If I can get a result, than that's excellent but the roads this year is a learning process.