BSB: TAG Racing joins forces with Honda Racing UK for 2021

TAG Racing will compete in the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SPs after joining forces with Honda Racing UK.

The two parties will work closely together throughout the year, with Dan Linfoot racing the new Fireblade, which enjoyed a fantastic debut year with Andrew and Glenn Irwin. TAG Racing will receive support from Honda, with regards to bike data and, as the year goes on, newer parts – once tested and perfected by the factory team.

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Linfoot will have a race winning base setting from the outset next year and also has a great relationship with Honda after spent four years with the factory team. During that time the Yorkshireman won twice, podiumed a further 12 times and finished inside the Showdown on two occasions.

“I’m really excited for 2021 after what was probably the toughest year of my career in 2020, but I’m fully focussed on getting back on track with the team next season,” Linfoot said. 

“Being back on a Honda is very exciting for me, it goes without saying the new bike is very impressive, what Andy and Glenn did with it last season was very impressive and hopefully we can carry that on into the new season with the support from Harv and the Honda Racing UK team.”

Linfoot enters his third campaign with TAG Racing, however he did spend the second half of 2020 in the Superstock 1000 class with Bathams Racing BMW.

“I can’t wait to get going now, it’s an exciting project to be a part of and everyone in the team is fully focussed on getting back to where we both know we can be,” Linfoot added. “From the conversations I’ve had with Shaun the bike is brilliant out of the box, so I’m very confident the superbike will be even better.”

The switch to Honda machinery is an exciting one and comes at the end of a difficult year. The team withdrew from the 2020 season after round two due to ongoing chatter problems with their Yamaha R1. Despite the team’s best efforts, they were unable to find a solution and instead decided to focus on next year. 

Despite last year’s woes, TAG Racing have previously challenged at the front of BSB. In 2017 they came to within three points of the title with Josh Brookes.

“It’s such an honour for our team to be selected as a Honda Racing UK supported team for 2021, it’s amazing in fact,” team manager Gary Winfield said. “Many people will be asking why we have changed manufacturer and the reason is simple, we want to be competitive again and changing to Honda breaths a fresh new lease of life into our team.

“From our first conversations with Harv [Beltran] and the guys at Honda we knew it was going to be the right choice going forwards. We were shocked when we saw first-hand the numbers of the road bike from our dyno, they are extremely impressive, and it bodes well.”

Shaun Winfield will once again lead the team’s Superstock 1000 efforts. The 27-year-old ended 2020 on the Honda Fireblade at Brands Hatch and has fully recovered from the shoulder injury that hampered his campaign. 

Both Fireblades are now in the final stages of preparation for the 2021 campaign, with the team having worked on them since the end of this season. 

The 2021 season is scheduled to get underway at Oulton Park on the first weekend in May after a series of tests on British circuits throughout April. Currently, 11 rounds appear on the 2021 calendar. 

Read more about TAG Racing’s new partnership with Honda Racing UK in this week’s issue of MCN – Out today (November 9).