Moto Rapido Ducati National Superstock rider Scott Smart is looking forward to being a regular podium sitter in 2009, something the former BSB race winner has "been sadly lacking".

Smart, who split with the Hawk Kawasaki squad at the end of 2008 after a long association, will be at the sharp end of the championship and sees Padgett's Honda duo of Steve Brogan and John McGuinness as his main rivals.

"We're going to be battling for podiums every weekend, because that is what has been sadly lacking in recent times. And it's going to be good to be with a team that is capable of putting you there regularly," said Smart.

"Steve and John are the ones to worry about as they are on pretty good bike and they're good riders, both of them. It's most certainly not going to be easy, put it that way."

Smart won races for the Mallory Park-based Hawk but as budgets got tighter and other, larger teams got further ahead in terms of development, it became harder for the 33-year-old.

"Hawk and I had done a few years together and I think it was time for both parties to go their separate ways and try something new. There's no bad feeling there and I wish them well with it.
"The two 1198Ss we have got are straight out of the crate like anyone else's. I know that some people think that out-of-crate Ducatis are different but these are road bikes, pure and simple. There was no special order!

"There isn't a lot you can do to a Superstock bike. You can't strip it, blueprint it, put it back together with the right tolerances, put a head gasket on it to sort the compression out and that's all you can do."

And Smart's official statement on his engagement: "Yes."