‘Jonsey’, as he is more commonly known to his fans, who dominated the last race of 2004 to take his début win in the Supersport class on board Jack Valentine’s Triumph. With Triumph pulling out of racing, Northpoint Honda Racing soon scooped the 20-year-old up for the ’05 season. The talented youngster has made serious progression through the rankings over recent years, and he will surely be one of the hot favourites for the title this year.

Speaking with Jones, he said, “It’s great to have signed a deal with Northpoint Honda Racing, as I think they are a really strong team. The bike’s certainly a proven tool, and I know that I can have a really good year this year. There are still a few alterations to make on the bike, and I also slightly need to alter my riding style to adjust to the Honda. It’s a great team and a really good bunch of people. I’m feeling strong and looking forward to the race season starting.”

Northpoint will continue to run 19-year-old Cal Crutchlow, who set the fastest time in the recent British Superbike launch at Donington Park. Crutchlow, who completed his first season in the Supersport class in 2004, and gained a very creditable 10th place overall in the championship - despite injuries he sustained earlier in the season. Crutchlow, who finished second in the R6 cup in 2003, joined Northpoint Ekerold Honda for the 2004 season and improved dramatically as the season progressed.

The likeable Coventry based rider is looking forward to some strong results for the season, and do not be surprised to see him visiting the podium on a number of occasions. “I’m really looking forward to this year. The bike has a lot more power, and I’m really content with the way things are going. I can’t wait for the season to get started and, although the competition is tough, I’m confident of some positive results,” commented Crutchlow.

The second bit of news is that Northpoint Honda Racing have secured a deal with Nokia N-Gage as their main sponsor for 2005. Not only now can you have a smart mobile phone, but it also transforms into a mini games console to keep everyone entertained for hours. For more information see www.n-gage.com.

Commercial Manager, Gary Ekerold, is extremely excited by the new season, saying, “We’ve got a fantastically competitive team this year, and the bikes have proved that they can win races and championships. What’s more important is we’ve got the structure and balance of our team right this year. Cal and Craig are extremely talented guys, and with them still only being young they have the motivation to win, and of this I have no doubt. We have a long season ahead of us, and it all starts next weekend at Brands Hatch. It will be a fantastic championship without a doubt, and the full Northpoint Honda Racing team are raring to go. We’re over the moon to have gained support from Nokia UK to promote a truly international brand, and we’ve also made one other significant change in that we’ve moved from Bridgestone to Metzeler tyres for the 2005 season.”

The team undertake their first race meeting next weekend at the Kent based circuit of Brands Hatch. The practice day is Saturday, qualifying on Sunday, and race day on Easter Monday. Tickets on the gate are £25, or book online at www.motorsportvision.co.uk.

The race schedule is as follows:

2005 British Supersport Calendar
Rnd1, Brands Hatch Indy, 28th March
Rnd2, Thruxton, 10th April
Rnd3, Mallory Park, 24th April
Rnd4, Oulton Park, 2nd May
Rnd5, Mondello Park, 15th May
Rnd6, Croft Circuit, 5th June
Rnd7, Knockhill, 26th June
Rnd8, Snetterton, 10th July
Rnd9, Silverstone, 21st August
Rnd10, Cadwell Park, 29th August
Rnd11, Oulton Park, 11th September
Rnd12, Donington Park, 25th September
Rnd13, Brands Hatch GP, 9th October

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