FORMER road-racer Wayne Dunford is pinning Hampshire colours firmly to the mast in next year's National Superstock Championship.

Team DRD (Dunford Racing Development) will field two of the area's finest young riders in one of the most competitive classes in UK motorcycle racing.

James Hillier from Winchester and Oliver Wargent from Fair Oak will ride Yamaha YZF R1s in the national series - Hillier after finishing an impressive fourth in Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup.

The R6 Cup is the proving ground for Britain's top young racers and former trials rider Hillier distinguished himself by winning in difficult conditions at Knockhill in Scotland.

The top five in the series are precluded from next year's championship so Hillier was left looking for another ride. And Dunford, son of an ex-racer who runs a motorcycle shop with his wife near Winchester, was the answer to his prayers.

The R1 Yamaha has about 60 more horse power than the bikes he has been riding, but Dunford has high hopes of both Hillier and Wargent in a championship in which Hampshire have a proud record.

John Crockford has twice finished in the top three and Jamie Morley was a front-runner until he was seriously injured in a racing accident at Brands Hatch last summer.

Wargent is older than Hillier at 24 but has built himself a solid reputation on fairly basic machinery in the New Era Championship.

This season he was runner-up in the 600cc Championship on a three-year-old GSXR600R KI. Even in his first season as a clubman on a 1995 Kawasaki, he achieved several top-five novice finishes.

Hillier learned balance and control as a trials rider before racing minitaure motor cycles in the MiniMoto series then graduating to the national Aprilia 125 Challenge in which he took third place.

His inspiration is former Winchester racing pal Guy Farbrother, who was killed in a road accident last year.

The National Superstock series will be televised in 2005 - giving potential sponsors the chance for logo advertising on the bike or leathers as well as the chance to enjoy corporate hospitality, remembering, of course, that the championship is part of the hugely popular British Superbike and Supersport package.

"We want to do a full season and we need to find extra sponsorship," said Dunford, who hopes the opportunity to join a true local team will appeal to potential backers, particularly with two such promising young riders.

Dunford can be contacted on 01982 713022 or mobile 07801 381302.

Dunford's own racing experience started in the hard knock school of motocross before turning to road racing and contesting the New Era and MRO championships only for a serious accident to curtail his career.

The type of R1 Yamaha that the boys will be riding has a great record in Superstock racing. The current world and European Superstock champions rode similar machines.