Honda has announced it is returning to the British Supersport Championship in 2024, signing four-time title-winner Jack Kennedy to ride the manufacturer’s latest generation Honda CBR600RR.

It will mark the first official BritishSSP entry by the firm’s Louth-based factory team since its title-winning campaign with Steve Plater in 2009.

Leading its charge will be Kennedy, who shifts from a season spent in BSB with Mar-Train Yamaha to target a record-breaking fifth British Supersport title for himself and a first on Honda machinery.

“I am super excited to join this Honda project and return to Supersport, I have full confidence that the factory Honda team is the team to provide me with the best Honda CBR600RR,” said Kennedy, whose four BritishSSP titles have come on Yamaha (2018, 2019, 2022) and Kawasaki (2021) machinery.

“I have never run with a factory team before so this opportunity is fantastic, it’s a super professional outfit and I am looking forward to getting going and beginning to develop this project. To ride for the factory Honda team with the chance to progress if I do the job I think I am capable of doing is super motivating. 

“There’s a lot of excitement around this new CBR which is great to see. The targets are clear, we are there to win. It’s hard not to ignore the pressure of this, it is a factory team and I’ve performed in this class before, but I will take it all on board and I will handle it like I have always done. 

“I will go out there and do my best to deliver results for myself and the team.”

Armed with the newly-updated CBR600RR sportsbike - which itself is returning to the European line-up after the previous generation model was axed for not meeting emissions regulations - Honda will be looking to build on tally of six titles achieved by a roll-call that includes the likes of Cal Crutchlow, Leon Camier and Karl Harris.