BRITISH Superbike racer Michael Howarth will make a return to the championship this weekend at Mallory Park after signing to ride with the STP MV Agusta team.

Howarth, from Burnley, hasn’t ridden in BSB since appearing for the Tena for Men team in 2008.

His season ended abruptly when he broke a collarbone in an accident at Croft.

Howarth tested the new bike at Cadwell Park, and after turning in some respectable lap times, agreed to race the bike for the rest of the 2009 season.

“I did about 40 laps on the bike and felt really comfortable on it straight away. It’s like riding a Ducati with an R1 engine in it,” Howarth said.

“It was really only a shakedown so we could get the bars and pegs in the right places but I’m looking forward to getting a proper run out on it at Mallory. We will treat that like a bit of a test and then be on it properly at Brands Hatch.

“I have stayed fit since the last ride, so we should be competitive towards the end of the season.”