South Australian David Johnson will make a one-off wildcard appearance in the opening round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, this February 24-26. The 28-year-old will compete on a BMW S 1000 RR under the Rossair AEP Racing Team banner. The S 1000 RR is a full blown ex-British Superbike machine, which Johnson (photo 2Snap) will ride for the first time at a Phillip Island test session on January 30.

"My primary goal at the world supers is to try and get into the points in both races," said Johnson, "and I'd love to be the first Aussie home, too. I'm familiar with the S 1000 RR, I've assembled a strong team to help me out, and I know Phillip Island like the back of my hand, so I am confident of making a strong impression. Troy Corser and Steve Martin, who are real BMW experts, have also offered to help me out over the weekend, which will be a great help."

Johnson was a former junior BMX champion before he started motorcycle racing at the age of 17 in 2000 on a 125 GP bike before graduating to larger capacity four-strokes, first in Australia and then overseas. Other than a two-year period racing in the Netherlands, Johnson has raced in the UK since 2002, with his best finish a fifth place in 2005 Superstock. Last year was a difficult one as he battled problems on a number of fronts, including injuries.