One of the leading young contenders in the British Championship is to make his debut at this summer’s TT.

Lincolnshire’s Rhys Stephenson is set to tackle the event’s new Sportbike class on the Rocket Racing team’s Triumph Daytona 660.

The 20 year old first made his mark in the British Talent Cup in 2021, scoring points in 14 of 18 races in his debut season before a breakthrough 2022 campaign brought four second-place finishes, two thirds and fourth overall in the standings.

He remained a competitive presence the following year before stepping into the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship in 2024, adapting quickly to the class and securing a best finish of second at Thruxton on his way to eighth overall.

In 2025, he built further momentum with multiple podium finishes, lap records and a pair of pole positions.

Although bad luck ultimately affected his championship challenge, the season again underlined both his speed and consistency.

For 2026, however, Stephenson’s attention is firmly on the TT. He said: ‘In my first year, I’m hoping to learn the course and build confidence around the island.

‘I’m going in with no expectations. I just want to enjoy my time on the bike and learn as much as I can.

‘I’ve been over to the island numerous times already to make sure I’m well prepared for my first laps and I’ll definitely be heading over to do more laps with Milky [Quayle] and John [Barton].

‘I’m super excited to get out on the road and go down Bray Hill for the first time.’

Stephenson’s 2026 campaign will again be backed by an established group of sponsors, with Pell Plant Hire, Micrometric, Mark Mortgages, Doughty Cakes, DRC Leathers, Slipstream Motorcycles Skegness, Vivid Graphics and Pete Dalton Silkolene all supporting the team’s first TT effort.