Nagashima will receive a wildcard for HRC at the WorldSBK finals

Team HRC will have a third rider on the World Superbike grid as test rider Testusta Nagashima confirms a wildcard appearance in Jerez.

Tetsuta Nagashima will make a wildcard appearance for HRC at the WorldSBK season finale at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain this weekend.

Nagashima has previously competed in World Superbikes. He stepped in to replace the injured Lecuona at the 2022 Australian WorldSBK round. Despite the tricky mixed conditions, a strong performance saw the Japanese rider finish ninth and tenth in the weekend’s full races.

Supported by the HRC test team, Nagashima will rely on his experience with the CBR1000RR-R and his knowledge of the Jerez circuit, from his Moto2 days and tests conducted at the Andalusian circuit.

“I’m really looking forward to taking part in the final round of the WorldSBK Championship in Jerez. I’ve been running WorldSBK tests for a while now and in 2022 I took part in my first and only race weekend in Australia where the results weren’t bad. I’m curious to see how the engine performs now and what we can achieve. I hope to understand the bike better and identify the differences from two years ago. I can’t wait to get back into action.”

Nagashima’s wildcard in Jerez comes after Team HRC returned to a World Superbike podium in Estoril. In the first race of the weekend in the penultimate round of the season, Iker Lecuona finished in third place. The Japanese manufacturer has made big strides in the final stages of the 2024 World Superbike season.

Nagashima won’t be the only Honda rider to receive a wildcard into the final round of the 2024 season. British Superbike rider Tommy Bridewell will make his second wildcard appearance of the year with Honda Racing UK.