Dennis Hobbs has set his sights firmly on a concerted title push in the 2008 Maxxis British Supersport Championship – after seeing his 2007 challenge derailed by a broken collarbone at Cadwell Park back in August that left him down in third place overall at the close of play.

The 25-year-old has agreed terms to compete with Centurion Honda next year – his fourth in British Supersport since 2001 – and is clearly relishing the challenge.

“We're all set and ready to go,” he told Crash.net Radio. “The boys are underway with the bikes at the moment, and everyone at Centurion seems to be doing a really good job at getting everything prepared for next season. It's all looking good.

“There's James [Westmorland] and Dan Cooper as well, so it's going to be fairly hectic for the team with three riders. Both are young lads and good 125cc racers, and both had a few decent results last year in 600cc. I'm sure as a team we'll work well together and all pull along nicely.”

Hobbs competed for Padgetts Honda in 2007, claiming three victories and a brace of lap records en route to his final championship position. At the end of the season he then took part in the annual riders' pilgrimage to Macau – though it was not, he is keen to stress, with any great ambitions of success.

“Macau was good,” he said. “I just struggled a bit at first, with getting used to riding on that kind of circuit again. It was a new bike to me and we were back on slicks again. I'd have preferred to have done it on a 600cc – I know I probably would have gone faster and felt safer – but in the end I just had a bit of fun, pulled a few wheelies and had a laugh. I never went there to have a serious race.”

The Guisborough ace is, however, very much serious about his 2008 campaign, what he hopes will be the prelude to a move into World Supersport the following year. He has previously only competed on the World Superbike support bill in one-off meetings at Brands Hatch in 2002 and 2005.

“There were a few reasons [to change teams],” he underlined. “Obviously I've had a good couple of seasons with Padgetts, and Clive [Padgett] has done a lot for me over the past few years. It was just time for a change.

“The plan is to go to World Supersport in 2009 with Centurion, and that was probably one of the biggest sways in the decision. I've actually been offered quite a few different things both since and previous, but this seemed to me the best thing on paper.

“I don't want to go to British Superbikes or even World Supersport on something that's not competitive, so to stay in British Supersport and have a chance of winning that and then move onto the world stage with a team that I'll have worked with for a year seemed the best option.”