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WSBKWSBK Moto-eGagne bags full-time Honda ride
AMERICAN RIDER JAKE Gagne
is the final piece of the Red Bull
Honda Team WSBK puzzle. The
24-year-old has been confirmed
to ride alongside Leon Camier
in the two-rider squad for the
2018 season.
The up-and-coming 25-year-
old Californian was drafted in to
replace the late Nicky Hayden
on three occasions during the
2017 season and impressed
with three 12th-place finishes,
despite never having ridden at
two of the three circuits.
“It’s really a dream come true
to have the chance to contest
a full World Superbike season
with the Red Bull Honda World
Superbike Team,” Gagne said.
“I cannot thank Red Bull, Honda
and Ten Kate enough. I have
learned so much from them and
I got to know them quite well, so
I’m looking forward to getting
going again. I feel I’m ready for
the challenge ahead!”
Gagne will be one of
two American riders in the
Superbike category after it wasannounced PJ Jacobsen will
be the sole rider in the newly
formed TripleM Honda WSBK
squad. KBbriefsbi fsMonza Rally record
for Rossi
Nine-time world champ
Valentino Rossi has won an
unprecedented sixth Monza
Rally after he and co-driver
Carlo Cassina finished ahead
of factory-backed World
Rally Championship stars
Thierry Neuville and Andreas
Mikkelsen.
Rossi and Cassina copped
a 10-second penalty for being
underweight ahead of the
penultimate stage but went on
to eventually win the event by
5.7sec.
Marco Bonanomi finished
third ahead of nine-time world
MX champ Tony Cairoli.What’s next
for Guintoli?
French rider Sylvain Guintoli is
so far without a ride for 2018,
with all British Superbike and
World Superbike berths signed
and sealed for the year.
“I will be racing next year, I
can say that,” the 2014 WSBK
champ told MCN’s BSB reporter
Oli Rushby. “I can’t say any
more, but I’ll definitely be
racing.”
Some are tipping the
35-year-old to switch
to the World Endurance
Championship, while others
reckon a handful of MotoGP
wildcards on board an Ecstar
Suzuki might be more likely.Westy back in WSS
ANTHONY WEST HAS announced he will field a self-
funded Kawasaki ZX-6R in this year’s 2018 World
Supersport Championship. Riding under the EAB
Antwest Racing banner, the 36-year-old Aussie
has support from his former team boss, EAB’s
Ferry Schoenmakers, and will run the team out of
Schoenmakers’ Dutch-based workshop.
West will be joining Aussie World Supersport
regular Lachlan Epis in the paddock this year, with
the Sydney-born 18-year-old switching to the Team
GoEleven Kawasaki squad alongside Italian Michael
Canducci for the 2018 season.
“I am very happy to be in a professional
environment with a lot of knowledge and
experience in the paddock,” Epis said. “ I believe
that we can achieve some great results and this is
extremely motivating for me.”
The third Aussie in the SBK paddock will be
Tommy Edwards, who is making his debut this
season in the highly competitive Supersport 300
championship. According to the series’ entry list,
the 16-year-old from Newcastle will be the sole
Australian in the 36-rider 300SSP line-up, riding for
the Benjan - Kawasaki squad. KB
MOTOGP HEAD HONCHO Carmelo Ezpeleta has
named Italian firm Energica as the sole supplier
for the 2019 Moto-e World Cup, which will form a
support category at selected rounds of the 2019
MotoGP World Championship.
A race-spec version of its Ego roadbike will be
used in next year’s series. It is claimed to produce
108kW and, while the potential top speed is not
known, reports say the bikes will be limited to
around 240km/h in a bid to last race distance.
“We believe in excellence, quality and
performance and we cannot think of a better
collaborator with whom to launch the FIM Moto-e
World Cup,” Ezpeleta said.
A production Ego competed in the 2017 Zero
TT at the Isle of Man in the hands of Adam Child.
He finished seventh overall from eight entrants,
including purpose-built prototypes, with an
average speed of 78.848mph (127km/h).Energica named as sole
Moto-e supplier for 2019