Maria Costello on Pr1mo Kawasaki at TT

Leading female competitor Maria Costello MBE will ride a Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki ZX10R at the Isle of Man TT in June.

The Northamptonshire-based motorcycle racer will use the Pr1mo/Bournemouth liveried Kawasaki in the Royal London 360 Superstock 1000, Dainese Superbike and PokerStars Senior classes at the TT and at other selected road race events, with full back-up from the BSB Elite Superbike team.

Maria said: "I'm so pleased to have been given this great opportunity from a local company such as Pr1mo. This association has already brought onboard another local sponsor ESM and with the continued support of my existing sponsors the 2012 season is looking really busy.

"The TT is going to part of a great year and I'm feeling really excited about all the racing ahead of me. I'm especially thrilled about contesting the new TT Lightweight class on my 'pizza race bike' Supertwin, that I built with my boyfriend."

Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing Team Owner Peter Extance added: "We are very pleased to be able to back and work with Maria on a Pr1mo BKR ZX10R for 2012. The team has a big presence on the roads with James Hillier and it will be great to be able to support Maria with her road racing this season.

"Maria will, I'm sure, be really happy with the awesome power and handling of the Kawasaki ZX10R and she will certainly be able to improve her lap times with this bike and the back-up and assistance we're able to provide. As with our British Superbike assault we would like to thank Joe Giammasi and Enzo Chiarelli of Pr1mo for helping make this happen."

Maria is no newcomer to the Isle of Man TT races having competed in a race around the TT course almost every year since making her debut at the Manx Grand Prix in 1996.

She became the first woman to finish on the podium in a race around the TT course on a Honda RVF400 at the Manx Grand Prix in 2005 and was also the fastest female to lap the circuit (114.73mph) until that record was taken by Jenny Tinmouth in 2009.

Costello will also ride in a series of Classic races this year on the Team Classic Suzuki XR69 in the CRMC short circuit championship and Manx Grand Prix and a Bob Jackson Suzuki T20 at the Cookstown 100, Pre & Post TT races and Manx Grand Prix.