Triumph Motorcycles will enter the SuperMotocross World Championship at the start of the 2024 season, with the single-minded ambition and commitment to develop a championship winning team.
Triumph consulted Global Off-Road Ambassador Ricky Carmichael to achieve the vision. With the input from the greatest Supercross & Motocross racer of all time, Triumph has assembled a veteran team of managers with championship winning experience to helm the all-new United States based Triumph factory race team. The US motocross program, operating under the all-new global Triumph Racing banner, will be led by Team Principal Bobby Hewitt and Team Manager Stephen ‘Scuba’ Westfall. The team will be located at a dedicated new state-of-the-art private race facility in the USA.
The new Triumph Racing Factory Team will field its all-new Triumph 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship, which is comprised of the Monster Energy Supercross World Championship and the Pro Motocross Championship, with three season-ending SuperMotocross rounds. For the 2025 season Triumph will additionally field its new 450cc bike in the SuperMotocross World Championship.
Further demonstrating the team’s commitment to success, Hewitt has recruited a pair of legendary engineers to develop the team’s motorcycles. AMA Hall of Fame inductee Dave Arnold joins the team as Lead Chassis Engineer and Dudley Cramond joins as Lead Powertrain Engineer, each bringing incredible technical experience and talent to the team. All members of the team have an enviable history of success at the Pro and top Amateur level, with a racing record that speaks for itself, and together with Triumph share the long-term vision and commitment to deliver the highest level of success in racing competition.
The US based Triumph Racing Team, along with the recently announced Triumph Racing team based in Europe created in partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, will both collaborate with the Triumph Factory. The latter team will compete in the FIM Motocross World Championship, with entry into the 250cc MX2 class in 2024, and the 450cc MXGP class in 2025. Both teams will be backed by a dedicated in-house off-road design engineering department within Triumph Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK. where all the brand’s research, design, engineering development and prototype builds are located. Engineering teams from the Triumph factory and both new race teams have been working closely together on enhancing chassis and engine performance through an intensive testing schedule underway in the USA, UK, and mainland Europe.
Both race teams have been working on joint testing of the new Triumph motocross bikes. They’re sharing key data and rider feedback on the specifications, performance characteristics, and components with the Factory engineering group responsible for the concept and development of the powertrains and chassis for the all-new MX and dual sport motorcycle range. The insights of this race development information are being fed directly into each model of new Triumph motocross range. Additional launch details of the new Triumph off-road range will be made public in the near future.
This new team competing in the SuperMotocross World Championship is a significant addition to the Triumph Racing worldwide portfolio. Triumph Racing, which is based at the Triumph Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK also features Triumph as the exclusive engine raced in the FIM Moto2™ World Championship and includes Triumph powered teams competing in Supersport racing.
Further information about the Triumph Racing entry into the Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship, with the 250cc bike in 2024 and the 450cc bike in 2025, will be announced next year.
Bobby Hewitt – Team Principal, Triumph Racing, Supercross & Motocross:
“I always knew I would eventually get back into racing but to be able to do it with an iconic brand like Triumph, and to be able to help build this US Triumph Racing team from the ground up is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Triumph Motorcycles have been a part of my family growing up and to have them now decide to enter into professional off-road racing is a tremendous opportunity for our sport and a testament to the growth of the motorcycle industry overall in America. I am also very fortunate to be able to work with Scuba (Steve Westfall) again and add the experience of Dave (Dave Arnold) and Dudley (Dudley Cramond) to our team. I am honored to be working alongside everyone at the factory in Hinckley and cannot wait to get back to the racetrack in 2024 with our new team and compete for an SMX World Championship!”
“Confirming Triumph’s entry into the SuperMotocross World Championship in 2024 here today is a huge step. Announcing Bobby Hewitt, as Team Principal for Triumph Racing to oversee Supercross and Motocross is a clear demonstration of the level of ambition we have in our approach to going racing at the pinnacle of dirt bike competition. Bobby and Steve ‘Scuba’ Westfall have proved that they know how to win and revealing Dave Arnold, an industry AMA Hall of Fame legend in chassis development and Dudley Cramond, with over 25 years of experience of building race winning engines brings the highest level of experience and expertise possible to Triumph. Ultimately, Triumph is focused on building a bike and a racing program to win and we believe this is the team to achieve that goal. The input that Ricky is having into the project is enormously valuable and our thanks are also due to Dave Prater and his team, Tim Cotter from MX Sports Pro Racing, Mike Pelletier and all at the American Motorcyclist Association for their welcome and all their help and support; we look forward to racing with them from January 2024.”
Original Article: Motocross Action Mag
