Parkalgar Honda has scrapped its plans to graduate to the World Superbike Championship in 2011 after confirming it will strive for next year's World Supersport Championship with a new rider.
The British-based, Portuguese-backed team had mooted a possible switch to the Superbike ranks in 2011, albeit only if it could retain its WSS title-challenging rider Eugene Laverty.
However, with Laverty having been confirmed as moving to World Superbikes with the factory Yamaha team, Parkalgar Honda has chosen to commit itself to the World Supersport Championship for another year.
Once more entering a two-rider team, Miguel Praia will embark on his fourth season with Parkalgar Honda as he looks to break into the top six overall for the first time, while team boss Simon Buckmaster has high hopes of attracting a rider with the calibre to match the soon-to-depart Laverty.
“Eugene has proved how good our Parkalgar Honda race bike is and it is right that he moves on and we wish him well. From the team's perspective I am already talking with a number of obvious and not so obvious choices for 2011 with a view to retaining our position as a Championship challenging and race winning team.
“We are honest when we say we believe we have the best motorcycle package in the Championship and we want a rider to help us win the 2011 title and help to develop Miguel into the top six finisher he has shown he is capable of. We will be confirming our final rider line-up soon.”
PTR – which has raced under the Parkalgar banner since 2008 - has established itself as a Supersport front-runner in recent seasons, first with the late Craig Jones and then Laverty.
In less than two seasons with the team, Laverty has notched up 11 WSS wins, an overall runners-up spot in 2009 and is currently in the midst of a title battle with Kenan Sofuoglu for this year's title.
Praia, 32, meanwhile has shown steady improvements in 2010, scoring a career best result of sixth this season at Silverstone.
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