Britain’s fastest female Jenny Tinmouth has received a shock call-up to the Honda Racing MCE British Superbike squad and will share a garage with Dan Linfoot and Jason O’Halloran for 2015.

Tinmouth, who is used to riding and fettling her own, ageing Fireblade, will be on equal machinery to her team-mates after Honda boss Nick Campolucci decided to extend the firm’s reach that also includes motocrosser Natalie Kane and Dakar rider Laia Sainz.

“I’ve been bursting to tell people but haven’t been able to say a word. I couldn’t believe it, chuffed to bits. It is a proper dream come true. Before I spoke to Harv (Beltran, team manager), I had been to see Nick (Campolucci, Head of Motorcycles at Honda (UK)) and really only thought I would get help with a few parts and that sort of thing. I wasn’t expecting anything like this,” said Tinmouth, speaking to bikesportnews.com.

“Harv then said that if they were going to do something, they would be doing it properly because just having the bike wouldn’t be much benefit as we wouldn’t be able to get the best out of it on our own.

“It’s absolutely mental to be in this situation, being able to be just a rider and not have to do anything else. I will be able to discuss things about the bike with team-mates, and other stuff I have never had before, it’s going to be ace. I am going to run into this and grab the opportunity. There is no pressure on me from Harv, the only pressure there will be is what I will put on myself.”

For more on this story, see tomorrow’s issue of Bikesport News.