This week in an exciting development it has been announced that Jack Nixon will be joining the Santander Salt team for the 2018 season.

Roger Body announced the structure of his Santander Salt team for 2018. The familiar RKB-F1 truck, adorned in Santander Salt livery will house a twin-pronged attack on the British Sidecar Championship, and in a new departure, a very talented young rider to carry the flag into the prestigious HEL Motostar British Championship.

2017 runners-up Steve Kershaw and Stuart Clark will spear-head the challenge on their 1000cc ZX10 Kawasaki LCR.

The duo were in fine form towards the end of last season, running Champions Tim and Tristan Reeves very close in the finale at Brands Hatch.

Fifteen visits to the podium, and collecting eleven runner-up spots along the way, was indeed an impressive tally for the Scots. But for five “DNF’s” the statistics would have been even more stylish.

The Reeves Brother’s absolute dominance of the series was amazing in itself, but has served only to stiffen the resolve of the men from North of the Border, who bring with them their long-time sponsors Blinkbonny Quarry of Kelso, Express Tyres of Lockerbie and KCP Ltd.

Add to this the team lubricant sponsor Fuchs Silkolene, the security of the Santander Salt backing, and this is the best opportunity yet for Kershaw to become the most successful Scottish Sidecar racer since the days of Jock Taylor.

In the 600cc Cup class, astonishing newcomer Todd Ellis will once again be partnered with the experienced Charlie Richardson in defence of his title. In a close run thing at the final round, Ellis and Richardson stole a two point march on the Birchall Brothers to claim victory. The GBM Honda CBR600 LCR carried the pair to five race victories and fourteen podiums in what was an immaculate debut season.

2018 carries an added opportunity for Ellis to shine, as under new rules, 600 Cup contenders also earn points towards the main Championship, based on their actual race position. This, at the the end of the seaason will give a true reflection of how the 600’s fared against their bigger brothers.

Finally, in a departure from pure sidecar activity, we will see a Hel Motostar Championship machine raced by former KTM RC390 Cup runner-up Jack Nixon.

The sixteen year-old from Kent enjoyed a modicum of support from Roger Body and Santander Salt during his 2015/2016 seasons, but this involvement has now moved to the next level. Son of former Sidecar Grand Prix racer Bryan Nixon, brother of Supersport runner Ryan Dixon and cousin to BSB star Jake Dixon, the young Jack has no shortage of mentors. His 2017 campaign brought him five victories and a plethora of podiums, and certainly he has proved his worth on the KTM.

A former moto-crosser from the age of six, Nixon has two full years tarmac experience, and is relishing the prospect of mixing it with a much bigger, and faster grid. This is yet one more step towards integration of the BSB paddock and the popular sidecar series, with a real chance of seeing Jack Nixon running at the head of the pack.