British Superbikes: Tena for Men Honda new for 2008 BSB grid

A new team featuring reigning privateer champion Tristan Palmer is ready to head on to the 2008 British Superbike Championship grid.

Tena for Men Honda will run Tristan Palmer in the British Superbike Championship while Michael Howarth will be competing in the British Superbike Cup. The team will run third rider Jay Dunn in the Superstock rounds.

The riders will use Honda CBR1000RR motorcycles, which were used by the Stobart Honda team for 2007.

The team has launched from the foundations of Team Howarth Racing, which featured British Superbike privateer Michael Howarth in 2007 but after shattering his leg in a crash at Brands Hatch early last season, he missed most of the year.

The team became involved with 25-year-old Tristan Palmer when he flew back after the AMA Superbike series in Daytona to replace the injured Howarth.

And looking ahead to the 2008 season, Howarth said: “Our goal is for regular podium finishes in both the Championship and Cup series.”

The team is being sponsored by Tena for Men, which has been recently launched to help men with bladder weakness and the partnership also sees a backing for male cancer charity Orchid.

The charity funds research into prostate and testicular cancer.