Hodgson's efforts rewarded with Ducati gift.

As a result of his outstanding contribution to this year's British Superbike Championship, GSE Racing's Neil Hodgson was rewarded with a gift of a 996 Biposto Ducati at the recent 2000 BMP Awards Dinner in London.

Hodgson won this year's MB4U.com British Superbike Championship in the final race of the 24 round series, capping an outstanding year for the GSE Racing rider that included five British Superbike pole positions and 17 podium finishes, including seven wins. In addition, the 27-year-old from Burnley won two Superbike World Championship races as a wildcard entrant and
qualified on pole position twice.

The Ducati 996 Biposto race replica machine was presented to Neil Hodgson by Ducati UK's Managing Director Piero Guidi.

"In recognition of Neil's outstanding results on a Ducati this year and the contribution he has made to motorcycle sport in this country, we were only too pleased to present him with a 996."

"This was a totally unexpected surprise, but a pleasant one nonetheless," a delighted Hodgson admitted, "I'm very grateful to Ducati for their support and encouragement. This has been the best year of my career to date, and to be presented with this machine really is the icing on the cake. There's no way I could have achieved all of this without the support of GSE Racing and I am delighted to be staying with the team as we move up to the Superbike World Championship next year."

Hodgson and new team-mate James Toseland will take the GSE Ducati challenge into the WSBK in 2001, riding factory-prepared machinery against the likes of Honda's reigning champion Colin Edwards, Aprilia's Troy Corser and Hodgson's former team-mate at GSE, Troy Bayliss, who now rides for the Ducati Corse squad.