British Superbikes: Aaron Zanotti on Hydrex Honda for final two rounds

British Superbikes privateer Aaron Zanotti switches to a Hydrex Honda alongside regular rider Karl Harris for the final two rounds of the series but is not leaving the SMT team he has raced for this year.

The aim, according to SMT’s Alec Tague, is to get 25-year-old Aaron Zanotti up to speed on the Honda he’ll be racing in 2008 in SMT’s colours.

Alec Tague said: “There’s lots of rumours flying around that Aaron has quit SMT but they are way off the mark. SMT team owner Robin Croft has already agreed with Shaun Muir’s Hydrex team to buy two of their bikes for us to run in 2008.

“You’ll see a much bigger SMT presence in 2008 but it will still be a one-man BSB effort with Aaron, but with a pair of Dunlop-shod Hondas.”

To ensure he gets of a good test on the bike in readiness for next season, Zanotti will have 2008-spec engines for Donington and Brands rather than the fully-tuned engines that Harris has been running this year.

But SMT will continue to field their Pirelli-shod Yamaha R1 in British Superbikes, drafting their national superstock rider Johnathan Ingram (32) into the superbike berth.

Alec Tague however scotched rumours the SMT team will sign John McGuinness to ride an SMT Yamaha in British Superbikes and on the roads in 2008.

Tague admitted they had been approached by Rob McElnea to field the 13-times TT winner but had decided it was too much, too soon for the new-for-this-year British Superbik outfit to take on.

John McGuiness said at Scarborough he was still open to offers for next year but current British Supersport backer Clive Padgett has already told him there’s a CBR600 sat there for the major international road races should he need it.