British Supersport star Sam Hornsey will make the jump to lightspeed in 2016 when he joins Jack Kennedy in Brent Gladwin’s Team WD-40 to contest the MCE British Superbike series.

Hornsey was a podium finisher in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship last season, narrowly missing out at Knockhill before claiming third places at the final two rounds of his campaign at Silverstone and Brands Hatch.

The Bucknell-based contender is now gearing up for the new challenge and his first experience of the Team WD-40 Superbike as the team look ahead to their pre-season test programme ahead of the opening round of the season at Silverstone on April 10.

“I am really excited to be moving into Superbike; it is the premier class and it has been something I have aspired to for the past ten years. I wanted to finish on the podium in Supersport this year and I achieved that so I feel that this is now my next challenge and a new chapter for me,” said the youngster.

“I believe I have shown that we could run a strong pace in Supersport and we were all running at lap record pace so I hope that we can be where we are aiming for initially straight from the off. Everyone has seen what Luke Mossey has done this season and that is almost a carrot for me because it shows what a rider moving up from Supersport can do.

“My aim for next season is to be the top rookie, I think Glenn [Irwin] also making the step up is a good target for me, so I want to learn and then keep pushing on through the season - I don’t want to be there just to make up the numbers.”