Hizzy to MotoGP - on a modified superbike?

40-year-old British Superbike Champion Steve Hislop, dumped by his Monstermob Ducati team after taking the crown, has been offered an amazing deal to end his career in MotoGP riding a modified superbike for Peter Clifford's ex-Red Bull Yamaha Team.

"It was a wet day in the Isle of Man and I was (going) for a chat with the boys when my mobile went off," Hizzy told Motor Cycle News. "I couldn't even hear who it was because my old Fiat Ducato van was rattling so much in third gear. I had to pull over and I heard 'it's Peter Clifford' and I thought 'f**k me, what's PC want...?'

"He asked me if I'd anything sorted [for next year] and if I'd like a ride in MotoGP. What a bolt out of the blue that was... I never dreamed the offer of a GP ride was around the corner!"

Clifford, who looks set to lose both his current charge - with the news that Garry McCoy has signed for Kawasaki and John Hopkins looks on his way to Suzuki - is now left without riders, sponsor or motorbikes, but it'll take more than that to stop the New Zealand based Brit and his WCM team competing next year.

"[Hislop] comes highly recommended by Niall Mackenzie," Clifford told MCN. "[Steve's] achieved a fantastic amount in racing, maybe he has an interest in going GP racing. If he's interested then I think we can make something happen. I've made no promises and I was very up front about the situation. I think he was pretty shocked but we will see this week where it takes us."

Turning to the surprise revelation of his team entering a modified superbike, Clifford explained that it was the only cost effective method available to the team, with a tuned Suzuki GSX-R1000 or Yamaha R1 the most likely choices.

"The [MotoGP] regulations are that you cannot use crankcases or cylinder heads derived from production machines," Clifford continued. "But if you start by [building] your own you can put whatever you want internally in the engine. Add a full racing chassis instead of a modified road bike version, and carbon brakes, then look at superbike lap times - and this may not be an embarrassment."

"It's the sort of development project I'd love to be part of," declared Hislop. "I might not be in a position to win races but, if we could get the thing into the points, it would make people take notice.

"If I did take the job it might be the foot in the door to the sort of long term development job with a manufacturer I'm looking for when I do finally quit racing. That's how I'm viewing this [offer]."

Hislop beat Valentino Rossi's MotoGP pole position time at Donington Park this year while riding a Ducati Testastretta in the final round of the BSB championship.