A GUISBOROUGH teenager is set to take a giant step forward this year as boss of his own motorbike racing team.

Rising star Dennis Hobbs, who continued his progress in the British Supersport series last year, will step up a level to ride a brand new Honda Fireblade in the British Superstock Championships, which is just one step down from Superbike racing.

The 19-year-old former trainee accountant said: "The team I was riding for was experiencing financial problems. So I decided to form my own team."

The newly formed Hobbs Racing outfit will need a budget of around £250,000 a season, but Hobbs is determined to make it a success.

"I've been on a business course and I have been trying to learn as much as possible about how to go about it. I'm doing it full time and I have put a lot of time and effort into it."

Widely regarded as one of the brightest emerging stars in the sport, Hobbs has produced an impressive team brochure and has been busy attracting sponsors to help turn his dream into reality.

It promises to be a busy year for young Hobbs, who won the Honda Hornet Championship in 2001 and became the youngest ever winner of the Ken Redfern trophy at Croft.

His two new bikes will be arriving shortly and he plans a testing session in Spain next month, prior to the MRO Powerbike Championships at Brands Hatch on March 10.