Supermoto racer Chris Hodgson hopes his domestic success will continue on the continent when he races for a top Spanish team in 2018.

Hodgson, of Maryport, will race for TM Racing Andorra next season in the Spanish championship and also hopes to compete in European races, with a view to adding more titles to his already packed trophy cabinet.

The opportunity came up after the 14-time British supermoto champion tested a bike for the team last month and he is now eager to make the most of another chance to prove his worth outside of the UK.

He said: “I’ve done the European championship before but not a full season of it so I went off for a test on the bike, enjoyed it and signed up.

“It’s just a new challenge and it would be nice to show people what I can do.”

“It’s been going for about 10 to 15 years but it’s just never been feasible for me to compete until this year, when everything has fallen into place.

“The good thing is the factory which supports the business heard about the testing and have offered me factory support so I’ll be getting the best stuff.”

Hodgson has previously tackled the American Motorcyclist Association Supermoto National Championship Series but the cost and time off work required proved to be too much.

Thankfully, the impact is much less for the European rounds and Hodgson is due to fly out to Spain early next year to practise and test before the season gets under way in March.

As well as chasing another pair of British titles, Hodgson will also kickstart the Sliders Academy, a project set up by himself, Neil Jay of Supermoto UK and racer Jordan Bannon.

The academy will hold training days at the Three Sisters Circuit near Wigan to cover everything from the basics of taking to the track to shaving crucial seconds off lap times.

Hodgson admitted it was a long-held ambition of his and hopes the move will help nurture the next generation of supermoto stars.

Last week Hodgson picked up the Sporting Hero of the Year award at the West Cumbria Community Heroes Awards ceremony, see inside for more in our 16-page supplement.