TOP Totton biker John Crockford has been signed up by the Suzuki GSX-R Racing Team for the 2001 British Championship road-racing season.

Crockford will ride the all new GSX-R 1000 in the British Superstock Championship, a highly competitive series which runs alongside the British Superbike Championship.

It's a sought-after ride and well earned by the Hampshire youngster after his performances on the Performance House Suzuki in the British Superbike Championship last year when he led the privateers' class right up until the final two rounds when injuries put paid to his title hopes.

Crockford is joining a top-notch outfit. The Suzuki GSX-R Racing Team will be run by Christchurch-based Crescent Racing - the team that fielded Chris Walker who had an epic battle with Ducati's Neil Hodgson for the British Superbike title.

Crescent were hoping to move up to the World Superbike Championship with Walker, plans which have been shelved after the Nottingham rider's sensational switch to the Shell Advanced Honda Team for next year's World Championship 500cc Grands Prix.

Joining Crockford in the Crescent team will be twice British Supersport champion John Crawford, who will again ride for them in the Superbike series, and the 1999 European Superstock champion Karl Harris, who has returned from the World Supersport Championship to ride the all new 600.

It is a massive vote of confidence for 26-year-old Crockford, who is still a relative newcomer to the sport. Next season will be only his third in a major national series after making his bow in the British SuperCup in 1999.