Neil Hodgson to race Corona Honda

Neil Hodgson will ride a Corona Honda in the 2009 American Superbike Championship.

The decision to put the former World Superbike champion on a Superbike, rather than the Erion Honda Daytona SportBike, was made art the weekend and hands the American Honda race team to Corona Honda, with the squad being run out of the American Honda race shop in Torrance, California.

Corona will get the technicians under contract to Honda, Hodgson, motorcycles, and some spare parts. American Honda road race boss Ron Heben will manage the team.

Confirmation of the deal is expected later today when Hodgson’s entry arrives in Daytona for the season-opening Superbike race on March 5.

Hodgson had been linked to a ride with Erion Honda but it would have been in the Daytona SportBike class on a CBR600RR where Hodgson’s preference was to remain in the Superbike class.