Harrison Joins Honda

Manx TT star Nathan Harrison is joining Honda Racing UK and will partner John McGuinness in this year’s TT.

Nathan will also line up alongside McGuinness at the NW200.

Lining up alongside his childhood idol, Nathan enters the team fresh from his first outing at the Senior TT in 2022 where he recorded a 128.087 MPH lap and placed 10th aboard the Isle of Man Steam Packet Fireblade.

Nathan said: ‘To race alongside John and to ride in the Honda Racing UK team has always been a dream of mine. Coming from a Manx family that has always been involved in motorcycling, the TT has always been in my blood.

‘Watching the TT as a child with John and Honda dominating, it made me want to be the next ‘John McGuinness’ and that was my full focus. I can’t thank Havier & Honda Racing UK enough for the opportunity. It’s only my second ever TT, so to be going into it on a great bike, with the best teammate I could ask for, will be an incredible experience.

‘Hopefully, the long-term plan of where John can teach me things I may not know, learning from the team with the experience they have on the Fireblade and then my own progression, we can make small steps on last year to hopefully get me to that top step in the years to come. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my Mum and Dad for all their support and sacrifice over the years, my sponsors and supporters for sticking by me and helping me to get to this position where I have been given the fantastic opportunity.’

John added: ‘Riding a Fireblade again at the TT last year was something special so it only felt right to continue for another year. I couldn’t feel more at home with the Honda team so I need to say a massive thank you to Harv and Neil. Celebrating 100 TT starts with the team and riding with that one-off livery and all of the history that we have was really something else. We also managed to crack the top five last year on the superbike, which was great, but I’m hungry for more. I just want to get started now and go racing again!’

Team boss Havier Beltran said the team is ‘extremely pleased’ to have John lining up for them again and that the team was excited to sign Nathan after his ‘remarkable breakthrough year in 2022’

He added that Nathan has ‘impressed me with the attitude that he has toward his racing. It will be great for him to learn from John and utilise all of his experience and expertise to build step by step. I’m excited to see what we can all achieve together in 2023’.