McWilliams ‘honoured’ to be involved with British Talent Cup

Former grand prix rider and race winner Jeremy McWilliams has expressed his delight at being a part of the British Talent Cup, a newly-formed initiative designed to bring up the next generation of British MotoGP stars.

The Northern Irishman raced in grands prix from 1993 through to 2005, enjoying moderate success in the 250cc class including a win at the Dutch TT in 2001. In recent years he has been contesting the Supertwins class at the North West 200, winning both races in 2015.

Plans for the BTC were first announced earlier this year, with McWilliams being strongly linked to a role as British Talent Scout. This was confirmed at a launch event in London for the series today.

“It’s fantastic to be part of this project and to play a role in the future of motorcycling in the British Isles,” the 52-year-old said.

“It’s an important project to be involved in and I’m looking forward to getting started and showing what kind of talent we have.”

McWilliams will be keeping a close eye on young riders across all of Britain’s championships with a view to bringing them into the British Talent Cup fold, while also acting as a rider coach.

Britain has a long history of success in motorcycle grand prix racing: the likes of Les Graham, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood, Geoff Duke and Barry Sheene, to name but a few, etching themselves into the history books as some of the sport’s finest.

Success has been patchy over the last few decades, with McWilliams’ Assen victory being one of few highlights. However, recent years have seen a resurgence in British success, and it is this that has brought about the creation of the BTC.

Proud to have formed a small part of Britain’s motorcycle racing history, McWilliams looks forward to helping Dorna re-establish the country as a dominant force in grand prix racing.

“The British Isles has a long history of motorcycle racing and motorsport that I’m proud to have been a part of, and it’s an honour for me to now again play a role in it – just with the difference that this time I’m not on the bike.”

The selection process for the BTC will take place at Silverstone on the week of this year’s British Grand Prix, with the championship debuting in 2018. The application process for riders interested opens on May 5 and runs to June 18.