MOTORCYCLING ace Jenny Tinmouth has set her sights on re-entering the British Superbike Championship.

But unlike last season when she made history by becoming the first woman to compete in the series, the 33-year-old from Ellesmere Port will be going solo in 2012 rather than riding for a team.

Tinmouth has bought a Honda CBR 1000 and is now racking up the mileage by testing her machine at two of the UK’s top tracks.

“I got a taste for the Superbikes this year and I would really like to get back in the championship as it has always been my ambition,” said Tinmouth, who parted company with Splitlath Motorsport after just one British Superbikes ride.

“It didn’t really work out this year with the team I was at for whatever reason, the bike kept breaking down.

“There was a Honda up for sale at the end of the season so my sponsors, family and friends have helped give me the funds to buy it and now it’s ‘wait and see’ what the organisers say if I can be on the grid.

“Obviously they will approve the top teams first, but hopefully, all being well, I will be confirmed too. For the likes of myself it is easier to enter the championship as there are new cost-cutting rules in place.

“Each bike will have the same electronics so it is cheaper and I should be more competitive.

“I have been testing the new bike at Oulton Park and Silverstone and will be going to as many track days as possible.”

Tinmouth’s hopes of racing in the British Superbikes as a privateer rest on championship organisers deciding the final make-up of the 32-bike entry for the 2012 season.

If she is unable to obtain a full-time ride, Tinmouth says her fallback option would be to return to the British Supersport Championship with a view to getting a handful Superbike ‘wildcard’ entries.

Tinmouth finished the 2011 campaign in fine form with a string of top finishes in the Supersport Championship.

Next year’s British Superbikes series will visit eight UK circuits plus, for the first time, the legendary Dutch track of Assen.

Jenny Tinmouth attended Friday’s Your Champions awards as the recipient of the Ellesmere Port sporting champion of the year. See pages 12 and 13 for more.