Byrne gets dream Camel Honda chance!

Shane Byrne's 2005 season has taken yet another dramatic twist with the news that the unemployed former Team Roberts/KTM rider will replace the injured Troy Bayliss at Camel Honda, for the next two rounds of the MotoGP World Championship.

Shakey's GP future has been in serious doubt since KTM withdrew support for Team Roberts shortly after July's German Grand Prix. Byrne has been unable to race since - and was rumoured to be considering quitting GP racing for a front running WSBK seat, but will now get the dream chance to show what he can do on race-winning MotoGP machinery.

Byrne took just 1-point from his nine races with Team Roberts prior to the KTM pullout and, having also spent his debut 2004 season in an often similarly uncompetitive situation with Aprilia, the Brit hasn't hidden his desire to ride a front running MotoGP machine.

"What wouldn't I give to have a factory Honda?" Byrne told Crash.net earlier this year, when asked what such an opportunity would mean to him. "The reason (I) say that is because there's a lot of guys out there that are just doing the rounds, and you know full well that given the same equipment you would do just as good a job - if not better..."

Byrne will now get the chance to prove just that.

"I am still waiting for something to go wrong and it's an unbelievable chance for me," said a delighted Byrne on Sunday. "I am absolutely made up but I'm under no illusions how tough it will be. Everybody's expectations will be very high but it's a great chance for me after such a tough year."

Bayliss broke his wrist in a motocross accident prior to this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, resulting in former Camel Honda rider Tohru Ukawa being called up at short notice to replace the Australian at Motegi.

However, with Ukawa apparently unavailable for further races due to his HRC testing commitments - and with Troy's injury requiring at least several weeks to heal - Sito Pons has hired former British Superbike champion Byrne to ride alongside Alex Barros at the Malaysian and Qatar GPs.

With the Sepang event starting this Friday, and Qatar beginning less than one week after that, Byrne will have no time to test the RCV prior to the race weekends - but will be giving his all in what could well be the two most important races of his career.

"You never know what is going happen next and I've been given a big chance and I aim to give it my very best shot," declared Byrne.