Multiple-time Australian champion and former World Supersport runner-up Kevin Curtain will make a comeback in the Australian Formula Xtreme Championship this year after signing with the Yamaha Racing Team to replace Bryan Staring.

The news broke this morning on MotoOnline.com.au and was confirmed this afternoon by Yamaha Motor Australia.

“Flying the banner for Yamaha is good, great to be back with them, they’ve always been good to me over the years,” Curtain confirmed this morning.

Curtain looks forward to the challenge of spearheading Yamaha’s factory effort in both the FX1000 and FX600 categories, happy to be returning to the FX series after coming close to retirement this year.

“I like riding the 600 and it’s good that I’ll be riding two bikes – that’s exactly what I like doing,” he continued. “It’s a different atmosphere in FX, one that I’ve won a lot of championships in, so I’m looking forward to it.”

This afternoon, 42-year-old Curtain added to his initial quotes via Yamaha’s official press release.

“I’m stoked to be back on the same awesome team and I know the bikes will perform great,” he continued. “Plus I’m back in Formula Xtreme where I had some top results before I headed over to Europe. So everything is new but really familiar at the same time. I can’t wait to get on the bikes and start racing.”

Yamaha Motorsports manager Ray Howard is pleased to welcome Curtain on board the new team.

“Kevin has more experience than the rest of the paddock put together and he is lightning fast motorcycle racer who is equally at home on big bore 1000cc bikes as he is on the smaller 600s. He can also develop a bike like few others out there. In fact, during the time he spent with Yamaha in World Supersports competition he helped develop the R6 into the race track dominator it is today,” he explained. “We anticipate that Kevin will be a great asset to the Yamaha Racing Team and his vast experience can only help our younger riders Pat Medcalf and Rick Olson.”

It’s believed that Curtain will make his debut with YRT at Phillip Island next Monday and Tuesday, riding the Australian Supersport-spec R6 that he’ll contest the opening round of the ASBK series with on 26-28 February.

Current ASBK Supersport champion Staring opted to leave the YRT team after it was announced the factory Yamaha effort would contest the AASA-sanctioned FX series in 2010, testing at Phillip Island in his debut on the CBR1000RR today.

Stay tuned on MotoOnline.com.au this afternoon for an update on Staring’s progress.