Kingston University’s motorcycle racing team is desperately looking for a sponsor to help them compete in the 2010 championship, building on last years achievements.

The group of eight motorcycle engineering design students need around £9000 to finance a serious championship challenge. 

Owen Gilbert, one of the founding members of the current squad, said: “We are on the hunt for sponsors - major companies in the sport, local companies, anyone who is willing to back us."

 In 2009, a lack of funds meant the team - based at Kingston's Roehampton Vale campus -  could only contend five of the nine rounds, and dropped crucial points by overusing parts to save costs.

Mr Gilbert said: “We are having to make do with what we have at the moment. We did not change vital parts, we made sets of tyres last two race weekends when we should have a fresh set every weekend and it affected our performances.”

The team is running a nine-year old Suzuki with outdated components and technology, significantly down on power and therefore vulnerable on straight sections to newer machines.

Rider Harry Hardi, originally from Indonesia where he started racing in 1999, said: “The lack of power does not make too much difference in the corners but out on the straights other riders just come by, which is so frustrating.”

In spite of these setbacks, the team managed a respectable 12^th position overall out of 25 last year, the highlight of which was the Indonesian’s inspired performance in the wet at Donington Park, taking Kingston “tantalisingly” close to a podium position at the MotoGP support race. 

The team will have their preseason test on March 6 before the series kicks off on March 13 at Mallory Park.