Australian Motorcycle News — January 03, 2018

14 amcn.com.au

the know

IT HAPPENED SINCE LAST ISSUE

BOTH AMERICA ANDNew

Zealand have confirmed

their line-ups for the AMCN

Island Classic’s International

Challenge this month. Britain

and Australia have already

named strong teams ahead of

the three-day, four-way battle,

and with even more big names

making their Island Classic

debuts the event should

continue to gain momentum

and hopefully attract more

international talent to the

Phillip Island grid.

Jason Pridmore is another

big name of the sport

who has been lured out of

retirement by the iconic

event, confirming his entry for

Team USA. A two-time World

Endurance Champion and

winner of 21 AMA national

races, Pridmore mentored his

younger teammates such as

Ben Spies, Josh Hayes and the

late Nicky Hayden in the latter

years of his Superbike career.

He’s also the son of three-time

AMA Superbike champion Reg

Pridmore.

Joining Pridmore in the

US team will be former AMA

Superbike ace Jake Zemke,

also making his Island Classic

debut. While no longer racing

professionally, Zemke remains

extremely bike-fit. The

41-year-old now runs his own

riding school in California and

will be an asset to the team.

Between Pridmore, Zemke,

two-time WSBK champion

Colin Edwards and the rest of

the Dave Crussel-led team,

the Americans should have

their strongest showing yet

at the Australia Day long

weekend event.

New Zealand has also

named its team, which

will compete in both the

International Challenge

and the Oceania Historic

Road Race Cup – a good old-

fashioned over-the-ditch

battle for bragging rights

between Australia and New

Zealand.

The team will be captained

by Duncan Coutts and will

include multiple Australian

historic champion Glenn

Hindle, Island Classic stalwart

Damien Kavney, as well

as Simon Richards, Trevor

Taylor, Kerry Wilton, Alistair

Wilton and Mat Ineson.

KEL BUCKLEY

Kiwis and

Yanks ready for

International

Challenge

MV Agusta

on board

WITH 15-TIME WORLD

champion Giacomo Agostini

performing demonstration

laps on board legendary

championship-winning MV

Agusta machinery at this

year’s Island Classic, it’s only

fitting the firm has jumped

on board as the naming

rights sponsor of both the

International Challenge and

the event’s Gala Dinner.

Joseph Elasmar, CEO of

Urban Motor Group, which

distributes MV Agusta not only

in Australia and New Zealand

but also in North America and

Canada, said: “Having Giacomo

Agostini, Colin Edwards and

Troy Corser in attendance,

we feel that we have a special

connection and a foot in each

camp as it were, given our

relationship with Italy, USA and

of course Australia and New

Zealand.”

The world title-winning

machinery will be on display

at the Gala Dinner and

includes the 500cc triple on

which Agostini dominated

the championship between

1966 and 1972, as well as the

four-cylinder 350cc on which

he beat all-comers in 1972

and 1973.

The last pieces are in place for a mighty

AMCN Island Classic showdown

GO TO ISLANDCLASSIC.COM.AU OR CALL (03) 5952 2710 FOR TICKET AND GENERAL INFORMATION

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P DATE

26-

JANUARY

2018

SPECIAL GUESTS WILL BE GIACOMO AGOSTINI, COLIN EDWARDS AND TROY CORSER

Historic bike action returns to Phillip Island this January 26-28, with the Australians chasing redemption after

but in 2018 the pressure mounts with Phillip Island masterthree big losses. Jeremy McWilliams and the hard-charging Brits are current International Challenge champs, Troy Corser to head Australia, the USA signing Texas

Tornado, Colin Edwards, and the Kiwis on the attack. Legendary Italian, Giacomo Agostini returns with a bevy

of beautiful MV Agustas to ensure the Classic’s 25th commemorative year is a true celebration.