THE TT Legends team finished the 24-hour Bol d'Or race in fifth place at the weekend after 796 laps of the Magny-Cours circuit in France.
The event was the first round of the 2011 FIM Endurance World Championship which the team will contest along with the TT and the Ulster GP.
The Honda team consists of 15-times TT winner John McGuinness, two-times TT winner Steve Plater and TT podium man Keith Amor.
Steve Plater will not be contesting the TT for the team - only World Endurance rounds.
John started the race for the all-new team from seventh on the grid.
He said: "I'm pretty happy with that to be honest. It's strange really because we were so close to the podium and it would have been great to get there, but we've got to be realistic with ourselves.
"We're a brand new team and top five at world level in the first championship race is absolutely brilliant.
"It's been like a war not a battle, incredible really. It's a testament to the Hondas and to the hard work of the team, maintaining the bike through the race.
"The atmosphere here has been amazing, right through the day and through the night – what an event, what a festival and what an experience and the icing on the cake is fifth place."
Steve said: "The whole team has put in a massive effort and worked really hard to get ready for the Bol d'Or.
"It's a very hard, steep learning curve to do a 24-hour first rather than a six or an eight-hour.
"All the guys have done a fantastic job so we've got a good base to progress from.
"We've got an awful lot to learn from this and hopefully we can come back from the next round at Albacete being even more competitive."
Keith said: "Right now I'm feeling relief, just massive relief.
"That was a tough race for me, it was really, really hard.
"The most important thing for me at the end there was to bring the bike over the finish line.
"We didn't have any major problems at all during the race, no stop and goes, no unplanned pit stops – it all ran very smoothly and I think that's why we got fifth. It just shows what the guys can do. Roll on the next one!"
Team manager Neil Tuxworth said: "I'm so happy for everybody in the team.
"Endurance racing more than any other event is a team effort and everyone has played their part tremendously.
"Our main objective was to finish and the second was to place in the top six and we've achieved both of those things so as a new team we are very pleased."
