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Quantum Leap for KTM Grand
Prix Road Racing Activities for 2008
KTM will be omnipresent in the
paddock and the track in the 125 cc and 250 cc classes of international
road racing in the 2008 season; it has been announced by the
company's headquarters in Mattighofen, Austria.
"In keeping with our well-known policy to be always "Ready
to Race", we are making a dramatic increase in our international
road racing activities for the 2008 season, "said Winfried
Kerschhaggl, head of KTM Motor Sports. "This indicates our
firm commitment to be active and successful in major road racing
competition and is in keeping with our market move into the road
bike sector."
Effective immediately, KTM will not only run the Red Bull KTM
factory team in the 125cc and 250 cc classes of the premiere
class MotoGP Road Racing World Championship; the company now
extend its activities to include support and the supply of KTM
motorcycles to a number of private teams.
KTM Factory Riders
Under the expert guidance of KTM racing director Harald Bartol,
the 250 cc Factory Team for 2008 includes the experienced Hiroshi
Aoyama (Japan) and Mika Kallio (Finland) both of whom made
their mark in 2007 and have the potential to be winners in their
class.
Switzerland's Randy Krummenacher, a 125 cc KTM factory rider
within a new one-man team configuration, races under the banner
Red Bull KTM 125 Team in 2008.
Many more riders on KTM machines in 2008
From now on KTM actively supports a range of private teams, which
the company believes is an excellent way of supporting young
talent and allowing promising riders to contest races on high
performance machines. KTM's Konrad Hefele has been appointed
to oversee the operational activities with the various private
teams.
Team Repsol KTM
KTM is particularly thrilled that in 2008 the riders of Alberto
Puig's Team Repsol will be onboard the machines from Mattighofen.
Not only is Puig one of the great racing personalities; he moved
off the track to become an influential talent spotter and mentor
to developing riders. Team Repsol's decision to go with KTM machines
in both the 125cc and 250 cc classes underlines the depth of
this valuable sponsorship partnership and the importance of the
new, radically expanded team structure.
Under Puig's astute guidance, Spain's Julian Simon, who was a
full factory rider for KTM in the 2006 season, contests the 250
cc class and retains full factory status. KTM is particularly
pleased to have Simon again onboard their racing machines. Completing
the Team Repsol KTM racing stable are two very promising young
riders Spanish riders in Esteve Rabat and Marc Marquez on the
Repsol KTM 125 cc machines. Alberto Puig has now also opted to
use KTM 125 race bikes for his activities in the rookies program
of the MotoGP Academy.
KTM supports Team Valsir Seedorf
The popular Japanese rider Tomoyoshi Koyama, who raced in the
Red Bull KTM factory team in 2007, also stays onboard a KTM machine,
racing for Team Valsir Seedorf. He will be joined in the team
by 20-year old Italian Lorenzo Zanetti who contested his first
full 125 cc world championship season in 2005.
Scot Racing Team 125cc onboard KTM machines
This private team will field two 125cc riders in 20-year old
Italian rider Raffaele De Rosa who enters his third season in
the top level of 125 cc racing. His team-mate will be 27-year-old
Spanish rider Pablo Nieto, who won his first GP in 2003, Nieto,
nicknamed "El Chiquitin", is the son of the legendary
racing star Angel Nieto.
Red Bull Rookies Cup
This unique competition continues in Europe for 2008, while a
second series is also being contested in the USA. Twenty three
talented young riders have made it through the selection process
for each of the competitions and all 46 will race on identical
KTM machines. The decision to run a parallel competition for
young riders in the USA is an indication of the success of the
inaugural series in 2007, of KTM's commitment to support young
riding talent and of the growing significance of the KTM brand
road bikes in the USA.
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