Fast-growing Chinese manufacturer QJMotor is to make a surprise appearance in the WorldSSP Championship next season in a factory capacity, it has been revealed.

The firm’s plans were revealed for the first time with the unveiling of the official 2024 WorldSSP Championship entry list this week with a single entry under the QJMotor Factory Racing banner listed among 32 ‘provisional permanent’ riders.

It means a remarkable seven different manufacturers will be represented in WorldSSP next season, a significant increase for a middleweight-class that only two years ago boasted just three manufacturers and a field dominated mostly by Yamaha.

Though fairly little is known about QJMotor Factory Racing - namely whether it has teamed up with an established operation or will be working entirely in-house - it does have a confirmed rider in Raffaele de Rosa, who is set to bring a wealth of experience to the new project.

He is down to ride the all-new QJ GSR 800, a new sportsbike revealed at the recent EICMA show in Milan. Understood to be influenced by the Honda CBR650R under the skin, the QJ GSR 800 will nonetheless make use of the firm’s up-to-date 800cc four-cylinder powerplant.

Is this just the beginning for QJMotor?

If you keep up to date with the latest roadgoing motorcycle news then it has been very difficult to ignore QJMotor of late with a litany of new model launches targeted at different markets across numerous categories.

Even if you haven’t heard of QJMotor itself, you’ll likely recognise Benelli, one of the key brands in its expansive group portfolio.

One of Europe’s most storied and historic motorcycle manufacturers, Benelli has flourished in recent years under QJMotor’s ownership, particularly in its domestic Italian market. However, QJMotor is now on a mission to increase its own profile and is currently in the midst of a major model expansion across Europe.

Better still, it has hinted that it will utilise motorsport to increase brand awareness, beginning with its prominent title sponsorship of the GresinI Racing Moto2 team.

Now QJMotor is going it alone with its WorldSSP entry… and it might not end there.

Indeed, the firm is understood to have a 1000cc sportsbike in development using mechanicals and running gear from exotic Italian manufacturer MV Agusta.

Excitingly, a prototype has already been spied wearing the iconic silver and green colours of the Benelli brand, raising speculation it could mount a WorldSBK bid under the Italian marque’s banner more than 20 years after it briefly appeared in the series with a factory-backed Benelli Tornado Tre for Peter Goddard.