ThundersportGB has announced it will add a 500cc naked bike class to its series next year, heralding the return of the fabled CB500s to mainstream racing.

Thundersport 500 is the name and it files itself very nicely into the well created stepping stone scheme that director Dave Stewart has designed.
With the main bulk of the class being CB 500’s, you can already understand where the name comes from but it will also include a range of other machines including Kawasaki ER-5s and Suzuki GS500s.

The CB500 series alone is already famous for helping to blossom riders such as James Toseland, Leon Haslam, Simon Andrews, James Ellison and Richard Cooper to name but a few and with its inclusion into Thundersport GB for next year alongside classes such as the illustrious Aprilia Superteens, GP3 and Moto450 it adds yet another class that concentrates on youth development with riders being able to start at just 15 years old on a Clubmans licence.

"The riders from the CB500 series decided that their class needed to be rejuvenated and after negotiations with 3 major clubs, held a ballot that overwhelmingly favoured a move to us and we are delighted to have the Thundersport500 class as part of our package," said Thundersport co-founder Richard Day.

"The riders have taken the responsibility for the future of their class into their own hands and the way in which they have approached the problem of declining numbers and unsatisfactory turn outs has been extremely positive.

"They already have 49 active riders subscribed to their newsletter and even if only half of them ride on a regular basis they will still have a fantastic championship and the impression we’re already getting is that those numbers will swell.

"This class isn’t just aimed at young riders though, there are a number of older riders who want close and competitive racing on a sensible budget (a good bike can be bought for less than a grand!) along with a desire/need to be fit for work on Monday morning."

"There’s much more to come from Thundersport GB in 2009 and this positive and progressive attitude is coming as a breath of fresh air amidst the current doom and gloom to our sponsors and competitors alike." said Ian Newton of IN Competition.

With the range of different circuits that Thundersport GB’s calendar is providing for next year, it’s easy to see why the series is attracting a lot of classes and with the added bonus of heavy TV and media coverage, anyone that ventures into the Thundersport world cannot be disappointed."
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