TRIUMPH RACING SUPERMOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP US TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT

The following info was supplied by way of a press release from Triumph NZ.

Triumph Motorcycles will enter the Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship at the start of the 2024 season, with a fully supported factory race program established in the United States to run motocross operations under the all-new global Triumph Racing banner.

Set-up and operated in partnership with Bobby Hewitt, this new Triumph Racing team will field two of Triumph’s all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship West and East Coast series before entering the 450cc premier class in 2025.

Demonstrating that Triumph’s single-minded ambition and commitment to win is central to this new partnership, Bobby’s former Team Manager, Stephen ‘Scuba’ Westfall, will lead this new Triumph Racing US operation. Bobby and Scuba are a formidable combination, with Supercross championship winning pedigree, and an enviable history of success at Pro and top Amateur level, with a racing record that speaks for itself. Together, they share with Triumph the same long-term vision and commitment to delivering success in competition and racing.

As a significant addition to Triumph Racing’s worldwide portfolio, which also includes all of Triumph’s racing-related activities including the Moto2^TM World Championship and Supersport racing, Bobby and Scuba’s team will focus on the SuperMotocross World Championship with responsibility for development of racing performance and talent to build Triumph’s future strength in motocross across the United States.

The team will be backed by Triumph’s in-house off-road design engineering department, which is responsible for the concept and development of the powertrains and chassis for the all-new MX and Enduro motorcycle range, and will benefit from their commitment to building on the resources, performance capability, and world-class knowledge and expertise.

True to that ethos, Triumph Racing is based at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK, where all of the brand’s research, design, engineering development and prototype build are located, while the SuperMotocross World Championship operation will be based at a dedicated new state-of-the-art race facility in the USA.

This program also incorporates Triumph Racing’s recently announced FIM Motocross World Championship team, created in partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, which is building towards entry into the 250cc MX2 class in 2024, with the 450cc MXGP class to follow in 2025 . Engineering teams from the Triumph factory and both of the 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 also been working together on joint testing of the new Triumph motocross bikes, sharing key data and rider feedback on the specifications, performance characteristics and components with the Factory engineering group. The benefits of this race development information are being fed directly into each model of Triumph new motocross range, the full details of launch being made public in the near future.

Further information about Triumph Racing’s 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.

Nick Bloor - CEO, Triumph:

“Following close on the heels of our recent announcement to enter the FIM Motocross World Championship in 2024, today’s launch of Triumph’s partnership with the incredibly talented team of Bobby and Scuba in the all-new Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship continues our journey to the top tier of off-road competition and racing. I have no doubt, knowing the experience and capability shared between our dedicated in-house design and engineering teams, and Bobby’s hand selected team of racing experts, that this partnership will make an indelible mark on the history of this incredible sport and Triumph’s illustrious brand.”

Bobby Hewitt - Triumph Racing Team Owner (SuperMotocross World Championship and US Amateur MX):

"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 race track in 2024 with our new team and compete for an SMX World Championship!"

Ricky Carmichael - Global Off-Road Ambassador, Triumph:

“It is great to take this next step in announcing our US Triumph Racing Team. Bobby's success in our sport as a championship team owner speaks for itself. The team he has assembled is already working with the factory in Hinckley during these final stages of development. They are some of the best people to have worked in our paddock and this shows the level of commitment, across the board, in this effort to compete for the SMX World Championship. I look forward to working with Bobby and the entire team when we go racing in 2024.”

Jeremy Appleton - Global Racing Manager, Triumph:

“Our entry into the Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship in 2024, with a Factory supported Triumph Racing team, continues to build on our commitment to compete at the highest level of off-road racing. This new partnership with Bobby, Scuba, and their world class team, will bring together all of their extensive knowledge and experience, with our all-new competition motocross machines, to deliver on our shared ambition to write a whole new chapter in the world of Supercross and Motocross.”

Dave Prater – Vice President, Supercross, Feld Motor Sports:

“We are excited to have a manufacturer with the rich history and racing heritage Triumph has, invest in the SuperMotocross World Championship. Triumph has proven they can enter a new racing category with incredible success. They have recently redefined the Moto2 World Championship class with an amazing reliability record. We believe Triumph will quickly make a positive impact on the sport.”

Tim Cotter – Sr Director of MX Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing:

“The announcement by Triumph Motorcycles, to return to the American motocross racing and sporting environment, marks one of the most exciting additions to these programs in the modern competition era. Triumph enjoys a prestigious position in the history of the sport of professional and amateur motorcycle competitions in the US, and this new announcement brings with it the deserved anticipation and high expectations of an excited American motorcycle racing community. It’s an honor for our company to welcome the return of Triumph Motorcycles and to look forward, with great anticipation, as they take on the world’s best riders and teams, on the best tracks, riding against the best assortment of motorcycle brands ever assembled in the history of our sport.”

Mike Pelletier - Director of Racing, American Motorcyclist Association:

“It’s rare when a major manufacturer – especially one with such distinguished competition history over the decades – joins our sport’s premier racing series. I can’t tell you how excited I am – and the AMA is – to welcome Triumph to AMA Supercross, Pro Motocross and SuperMotocross for 2024. I’ve developed a great relationship with Triumph’s newly appointed Team Principal Bobby Hewitt and Team Manager Steve Westfall over the years, and it’s been a pleasure working with Triumph from the very beginning of its path to professional Supercross and Motocross. Triumph’s racing history is monumental, and we can’t wait to watch the newest chapter unfold during the 2024 season and beyond.”