The British Talent Cup will be one of the showcase support races when the Bennetts British Superbike Championship gets underway at Donington Park from the 7th to the 9th of August. After a long break from racing obliged by the Covid-19 pandemic, the action can’t begin soon enough – and the Cup has joined forces with Honda UK as a title partner. The new collaboration is fully focused on developing the stars of the future in the Road to MotoGP™️ programme and gives the Honda British Talent Cup a new look for 2020.
The inaugural BTC season took place in 2018 and it moves into an exciting new era this year following an agreement between MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna Sports (Dorna) and British Championship promoter and organiser MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR). The series is open to riders between 12 and 17 years of age and the technical regulations mirror the highly-successful Dorna-promoted European Talent Cup, which specifies the exclusive use of an essentially standard specification Honda NSF250R motorcycle. That makes it an even playing field for the sole British Moto3™ Championship class – and a perfect partner for Honda UK.
Racing is at the heart of Honda’s DNA, and the marque has a strong history of success since first entering motorcycle Grand Prix racing in 1959. In 2019, Honda completed a triple crown of title victories, with Marc Marquez dominating in MotoGP™, Tim Gajser winning the MXGP World Championship and Toni Bou taking to the top in the Trial World Championship. In January, Honda rider Ricky Brabec also won the Dakar Rally 2020, giving Honda its first Dakar victory since 1989.
The Honda British Talent Cup will not only be a fight for points on the track, but will also feature a prize fund awarded to the top 10 finishers in each race. The series’ tyre partner Dunlop is also offering the prize of front and/or rear tyres for riders who finish on the podium, and there will be an end of season prize fund presented to the top three riders in the final overall standings.
Additionally, Dorna will select a rider from the British Isles to compete in the 2021 FIM Moto3™️ Junior World Championship, another step forward on the Road to MotoGP™️.
Stuart Higgs, Bennetts British Superbike Championship Series Director: “The British Talent Cup has evolved this season and the new partnership with Honda UK shows this country’s combined commitment to working with Dorna to find the UK’s newest potential MotoGP talent.”
Neil Fletcher, Head of Motorcycles at Honda UK: “We are proud to be announced as the Title Partner for this key support championship to the highly popular British Superbike race series. The British Talent Cup series provides a fantastic platform for young riders to put themselves on the road to stardom with the ultimate target of racing in the MotoGP World Championship.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are very happy to see Honda take on this important role in the British Talent Cup. Honda are such an incredible force in motorcycle racing, and we have already had the pleasure of partnering with them in a number of Road to MotoGP programmes. It makes me proud to see our relationship strengthen once again, this time as part of the British Talent Cup as we work to create more solid foundations for the champions of the future.”
Don’t miss the season opener for the Honda British Talent Cup from the 7th to the 9th of August as the new era begins at Donington Park.
