Leading TT Privateer Hegarty joins Top Gun Racing

Isle of Man TT Privateer champion Dan Hegarty will ride the new Honda Fireblade in 2017 after joining the Top Gun Racing Team.

Hegarty, who clinched the Privateer crown in 2016 following an impressive run of results including 11th place in the Superstock and Senior races - setting his fastest lap at 128.431mph - will also ride a Honda Supersport machine at the international road races, including the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix. Top Gun Racing, owned by Adrian 'Wurz' Cox, is set to benefit from support from Honda Racing and will be running Maxton suspension.

The team will begin testing in February with their first outing planned for the Spring Cup at Oliver's Mount at the end of April.

Hegarty said: "I am so happy to be riding with Wurz and the Top Gun team in 2017. Wurz is not a salesman - he's a hands-on team manager and a very genuine guy. Already he has under-promised and over-delivered in many ways - my kind of guy! How he has grown the Top Gun team over the last few years is a great story and it will be a real team effort to achieve good results."

Cox, meanwhile, said Hegarty had been his number one target for 2017 after impressing him at the TT.

"Dan was our number one choice for 2017 as his ability and his desire to win are unquestionable. We believe that in Dan and the new Honda Fireblade we have a winning combination."

A former front-runner in the British Superstock and Virgin Mobile R6 Cup Championships, Hegarty made his Mountain Course debut in 2011. In 2013, he rode as part of the factory Norton team and now has six silver and 11 bronze replicas to his name.