Lee Johnston (motorcyclist)
Northern Irish motorcyclist (born 1989)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lee Johnston (born March 10 1989) is a motorcycle racer from Maguiresbridge,[1] County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland who currently competes in the British Supersport Championship for Sencat by Swan Racing. He is a successful road racer, having won the North West 200 five times and 2019 Isle of Man TT in the Supersport class.
10 March 1989
Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
| Lee Johnston | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Lee Johnston 10 March 1989 Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Sencat by Swan Racing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
Early career
Johnston first began competing in motorcycle racing as a teenager, winning national championships on Minimoto bikes. He then moved British Superstock, originally in the National Superstock 1000 class and then National Superstock 600, winning the latter category in 2008.[2]
Johnston graduated to the main British Supersport Championship in 2009, and finished 12th overall in the standings with a best result of fifth. For the 2010 season, he contested all but one round of the championship and finished in 13th place. In 2011, he signed a deal with East Coast Construction team, and finished the season in 16th place. Following the 2011 season, Johnston moved primarily to road racing.[2]
Road racing
Johnston first competed in road racing in 2011, when East Coast Construction invited him to North West 200, Isle of Man TT and Ulster Grand Prix, taking a podium in the latter. He competed in the three races for the following eight years, switching to a Honda bike in 2017, on which he finished second at the 2017 North West 200. The following year, he moved back to Yamaha, with East Coast Construction now known as Ashcourt Racing, and won the North West 200. In 2019, he achieved his first victory at the Isle of Man TT in the Supersport race.[2]
Major road races were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
During practice for the 2023 North West 200, Johnston crashed heavily and sustained serious injuries, including a broken femur, shoulder and ribs, along with a collapsed lung.[4] In 2025, BBC released a film titled Ride or Die which partially focused on Johnston's accident and recovery.[5]
Johnston attempted to return to road racing in 2024, but broke his leg during testing in Spain.[6] This left him unable to compete in both the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT. However, he was able to recover in time for the Manx Grand Prix in August, competing in the Lightweight class, and finished in second place.[7][8]
Johnston chose not to return to the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT in 2025, instead focusing on his British Supersport campaign, although he did participate in BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of both events.[9]
Return to British Supersport Championship
Johnston returned to the British Supersport Championship in 2020. Towards the end of the season, he began to struggle with ankylosing spondylitis, a spinal condition that causes inflammation.[10]
In 2023, Johnston was leading the championship standings when he suffered severe injuries during the North West 200, which meant he was unable to compete in the remainder of the season. He finished 17th in the standings with two wins.[11]
In September 2024, Johnston returned to the series following recovery from his 2023 injuries, competing in the final three rounds of the championship. In the same month, he announced that Ashcourt Racing would withdraw from competition following the end of the season.[12] He finished the year in 15th place in the standings.
Johnston remained in the series for 2025, now competing for Sencat by Swan Racing.[13]
Career statistics
Partial British Supersport Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
* Season still in progress
European Superstock 600
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
British Supersport Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)