Showing posts with label KTM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KTM. Show all posts

Friday, May 24, 2013

AMA Pro Flat Track: Waters Auto Body KTM/Project K Racing Signs GE Capital as 2013 Sponsor
























The Waters Auto Body KTM/Project K Team with rider Steve Murray has announced a new addition to their sponsorship program for their 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season. 

GE Capital, one of the leading consumer and business lending services in North America, will be onboard with the Albion, NY-based team throughout the 2013 season as one of their associate sponsors to the team's efforts.

With riders Steve Murray, AMA Grand National #51 and new signee Ryan Wells, AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles #94B, the team is the lone KTM-sponsored representative in the AMA Pro Flat Track tour. There has been a couple of riders over the course of the last few seasons that have worked with KTM-based machines, but the Waters Auto Body KTM team is the lone-sponsored and only true KTM-repped of the eight or nine manufacturers that have qualified for an AMA Grand National in the last few seasons.

In the shot above, rider Steve 'Murrdizzle' Murray rolls out for the final qualifying session at the Indy Mile during round 10 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on August 18, on the team's #51 Waters Auto Body/KTM North America/Bell Helmets/Arlen Ness-sponsored LC8-based Twins Series mount.

You can check out the details of this new announcement below, straight from Dave and Rhonda Waters, owner-operators of the Waters Auto Body KTM team, with their official press release on this great effort in bringing in another high-profile outside-the-industry sponsor to The Rolling Thunder Show and their great efforts in fielding an AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship team.


Press release courtesy of the Waters Auto Body KTM/Project K Racing AMA Grand National Championship team

GE Capital on Board for 2013


May 23, 2013 -- Albion, NY -- Project K Racing LLC is proud to announce teaming up with GE Capital Financial Services for the 2013 season.   A chance introduction last year was a clear cut case of being at the right place at the right time. 
 
In Pomona at the final round in 2012, a curious group of onlookers peeked team owner Rhonda Waters interest after a short conversation during the open paddock.  “After introducing themselves as KTM lovers and supporters we followed up on it during the off season and secured a sponsorship from GE Capital,” states Dave Waters.

 












Photo by and courtesy of the Waters Auto Body KTM/Project K Racing AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship team.



This truly shows how important it is when the fans and teams are allowed to meet and converse.  It allows teams to showcase their riders, equipment and also the people behind the scenes and helps build loyalty that grows our fan base.  This “out of the industry” sponsor is a huge step for the team and for the sport of flat track racing in general.
 
Project K Racing riders are Steve Murray #51 in the Twins division and Ryan Wells 94B in the Pro Singles series.

”GE Capital's Retail Finance business provides financing services, enabling consumers to make purchases through a range of flexible financial products and across a broad network of businesses and retailers.”

For more information on GE Capital Financial Services visit their website at www.gogecapital.com.













Sunday, December 9, 2012

AMA Road Racing: KTM/HMC Superbike Team Signs Taylor Knapp as Team Mate to Chris Fillmore in AMA Superbike for 2013 Season























KTM/HMC Superbike Racing's KTM RC8R superbikes sit on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP in August 2012.  Chris Fillmore's #11 and Stefan Nebel's #12 adorn the KTM display that also featured many of the company's other wares throughout the weekend.

In the first full season for the team in the 2012 AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship Fillmore took the #11 KTM/HMC Superbike Team's machine to three top-5 finishes, two of which came at the season-ending round at New Orleans (4th/5th-place) and also managed to pull-out nine top-10s in a season that saw the former AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series winner sit out three races due to a broken hand suffered at the Mid-Ohio round in July.  Tally all of that together and Fillmore still pulled out an 11th-place overall finish in the superbike standings.

German team mate Nebel, a former 2-Time IDM German Superbike Champion and IDM Superstock Champion, also competed in nine races with the team with two top-10 finishes.  At the end of the season, Nebel was ranked as the 17th-place rider in the overall championship standings.

After only running a handful of events in the 2011 season, the team is now geared up to run it's second full season in the series, and announced on Friday that they had signed rider Taylor Knapp to compete alongside Fillmore for the 2013 AMA Superbike Championship.  Knapp had previously competed in the superbike, supersport and Daytona SportBike classes in the previous few seasons and brings another fresh and young face to the HMC squad.

You can check out the full press release below along with some other links to what and how the KTM-based team will be moving forward for the 2013 season.


Here's the official press release from KTM/HMC Racing thanks to AMA Pro Road Racing on the signing of Taylor Knapp to the squad for the 2013 season:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/news/index.cfm?cid=55293

SpeedTV.com's Evan Williams talks about the signing in this article and the bright outlook for the team in the upcoming season:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-sbk-ktm-poised-for-breakthrough-season/

AMA Pro Road Racing talked with team owner Mitch Hansen back at the end of November about the team's off-season testing and keeping rider Chris Fillmore onboard:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/news/index.cfm?cid=55258

And you can check out the KTM/HMC Racing team's link from the AMA Pro Road Racing site here:

http://amaproracing.com/rr/teams/team.cfm?tid=2283

Friday, June 22, 2012

AMA Pro Flat Track Rider Spotlight on Waters Auto Body KTM Rider Jeremy Higgins


Round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw the Waters Auto Body KTM team socializing in their pit area during the break in the on-track action at the Springfield Mile I event on May 27.  The New York State based team had an impressive set-up for the fan walk part of the program, with two of the team's bikes on display along with their riders, and the rest of the team on-hand to talk to the fans and show-off their impressive fleet of KTM LC8-based Twins Series mounts, which the team has obviously benefitted from with the factory backing of KTM North America.

In the shot above, back row you can see team patriarch Dave Waters, Jack and Michelle Higgins, and Rhonda Waters.  Sitting at the table talking with the fans are riders Jeremy Higgins #82 and new-to-the-team for the 2012 season, Steve Murray #51.  One of the team's techs (who I apologize for not having his name) looks over the surroundings on the right side of the team's awning.  The team had a steady flow of fans checking out their line-up during the fan walk and throughout the day overall.

Out front sit the teams massive-looking KTM LC8s, Jeremy's #82 and Steve Murray's #51, both of which are sponsored by KTM North America/Waters Auto Body Racing/Bell Helmets/Arlen Ness and Silkolene Oils.  Both machines have been re-worked since the 2010 and 2011 seasons, most noticeably with newly re-routed exhausts and new paint schemes, among other subtle changes since last season.

The team is getting much closer with the addition of KTM North America this year of making more of the Twins Series National main events, which was evidenced in both riders' top-37 showings in practice and qualifying at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval.  With a tough field of competition, neither Higgins or Murray made the main in the first Twins Series event of the year, but showed great improvement throughout the day's events to help propel them further along in the year of making the show on a regular basis.  In all fairness to both, Higgins had suffered from a fractured wrist in the previous night's TT event at the Multipurpose Arena, and it was Murray's first full-day of competition on the new-to-him LC8 after having ridden XR750s for the last couple of seasons.  With Higgins in his third year with the team, and Murray's veteran leadership, 2012 could be the year that we see the KTM team in a National main more often.


I got a few minutes to talk with the enthusiastic team at Springfield on May 27, and in this shameless self-plug shot of me shaking hands with the head man in charge at the Waters Auto Body KTM North America team, Dave Waters.  It was really a pleasure to talk with them for the few short minutes we had, but they are a great bunch of hard-working folks to be around, and have obviously done a super job of putting a great looking team together in the process of having a good time doing it.

The team is looking forward to the rest of the 2012 season, and they are sure to improve this year as the season goes on, and with the factory backing of KTM North America things are really looking up for the new year.  Waters Auto Body KTM team photo provided by Rhonda Waters.


A big thanks to the Waters Auto Body KTM team for taking time out of their very busy day at Springfield to talk with Stu's Shots, and we're looking forward to seeing more out of this great group of folks in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  Thanks guys and as always, good luck this year!

AMA Pro Flat Track had their rider spotlight on the Waters Auto Body KTM team's rider, Jeremy Higgins #82 this week.  You can check out their piece on Jeremy here:


And you can keep up with the Waters Auto Body KTM team here via their official site:


Friday, May 4, 2012

AMA Flat Track: Waters Autobody KTM/Project K Racing to get KTM Backing




















Jeremy Higgins' #82B Waters Autobody Racing/Power Sports Institute/Arlen Ness Leathers/Bell Helmets-sponsored KTM LC8-based Twins Series mount sits in the Waters Autobody Racing pit area at round 14 of the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile II on September 5.  The rookie Expert would go on to put the KTM in the field at the Canterbury Park, MN. and Yvapait, AZ. II mile events at the end of the season, earning his National #82 which he wore during the 2011 season. 

Higgins and team mate Chad Cose split time on the KTMs and Suzukis during the '10 and '11 season, which seemed to hold them and the team back in overall results.  Cose announced over the off-season he was starting his own team, Chad Cose Racing, and the Waters Autobody team added Kansas-based rider Steve Murray to their 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season line-up.

Murray and Higgins will now concentrate solely on development with the KTM LC8 Twin motor for the 11 Twins Series events scheduled for this season.  Waters announced they will be putting the Suzukis on the backburner for the time being, allowing them to concentrate further efforts into the big KTM.  And with yesterday's announcement that KTM North America will be helping the team out with sponsorship, it should be a big help to everyone on the New York State-based outfit.

You can read the full press release below on the great news ahead, and you can see Jeremy Higgins #82 and Steve Murray #51 carrying the Waters Autobody KTM livery at the first Twins Series event of the season in 22 days, at the Springfield Mile I on May 27.

KTM Announces 2012 Waters Autobody/Project K Racing AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Twins Sponsorship

Release Courtesy of KTM North America, on Behalf of Team Waters Autobody/Project K Racing:

MURRIETA, Calif. (May 3, 2012) – KTM Motorsports is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Waters Autobody/Project K Racing for the 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Expert Twins division.  The current team riders are Jeremy Higgins and Steve Murray.

Team owners, Dave and Rhonda Waters, have been working diligently to establish a KTM presence in the realm of flat track racing since the team’s inception in 2008.  Being a fledging privateer team among so many well established has proven to be a challenge, but with KTM’s assistance, Waters is confident that the durability and performance of the LC8 motors will be a key factor in the quest for the Grand National Championship. The water-cooled, 4-stroke, 75° V-Twin arrangement is used in the 2012 990 Adventure, 990 Adventure R and 990 Supermoto T.

New York native and team rider, Jeremy Higgins, has been instrumental in developing the flat track machines for the past several years.  He is joined by seasoned veteran Steve Murray from Kansas City, MI.  Murray has the knowledge and experience to provide necessary feedback to further develop the LC8 powered machines.  Dealership support will be provided by Scott PowerSports, Inc. from Coopersburg, PA.
















A pair of Jeremy Higgins' #82B Waters Auto Body KTM LC-8s sit  in the WAB pit area at the Springfield Mile.  Photo courtesy of the Waters Auto Body KTM team.

Brad Hagi, Vice President of Sales for KTM North America, Inc. remarked,  “KTM is very excited to work with the Waters Autobody/Project K Racing Team this season.  We see the amount of hard work they put into creating a successful flat track racing team and we are happy we can help assist their program and are proud to be a key sponsor to their 2012 racing efforts.”

The Waters Autobody/Project K Racing Team will make its 2012 debut at the first AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Twins round at the famed Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on May 27, 2012.

Monday, April 9, 2012

AMA Road Racing: HMC/KTM Team Announces Team Line-Up for 2012 AMA Superbike Championship Assault




























Chris Fillmore's #11 HMC/KTM 1190 RC8 R AMA Superbike sits on display under the KTM awning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 4th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round in August 2011.  Fillmore and the Mitch Hansen-led team had earlier in the season made their debut at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course round in July,  with the eventual '11 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Champion carding 7th/9th-place finishes in the team's debut.  But the team only ran the New Jersey round with Fillmore suffering an injury that kept him off the bike for the better part of the weekend at the season-finale round.

However, the Wisconsin-based HMC squad got some great news over the winter break when KTM agreed to give the team some formal backing, allowing them to contest the complete schedule for the 2012 AMA Superbike Championship season.  The team also brought in former 2-Time IDM Superbike Champion and former IDM Superstock Champion Stefan Nebel to ride the team's second bike at the Homestead-Miami Speedway tests in March, and have since signed him as a team mate to Chris Fillmore for some select events for the 2012 season.

Starting off in Daytona, the KTM team got off to a slow start, with finishes of 11th/14th for Fillmore at the season-opening rounds.  Heading on to Homestead for the two-day tests, Nebel was able to get the bike within just over 1.7 seconds of fast-man Ben Bostrom with the 12th overall spot, and Fillmore ended the test ranked 14th just over 2.1 seconds behind BBoz. 

The HMC/KTM team released their official team announcement late last week, and you can check out the video below.
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You can check out the HMC/KTM AMA Superbike team announcement from the team's test at Homestead-Miami Speedway here via their official release video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cte-SXIjYY
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Monday, June 28, 2010

The End of The 2-Smokes Is Near in MotoGP.....


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The Red Bull KTM Moto Sport 125cc machines of #16 Cameron Beaubier and #93 Marc Marquez sit in the pitlane at IMS during the Red Bull MotoGP Indy round in August of 2009. With the 250cc class going the way of the Titanic after last year, being turned into the Moto2 class with 600 Honda-based motors and varying chassis manufacturers, the 125cc class in MotoGP racing is the only two stroke-based class left on the world scale. That too, will change now after the 2011 season and the wail of chain saws on acid will forever be gone from the planet..........
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With the demise of the 250cc ring-ding class in MotoGP World Championship racing after the 2009 season, it was announced over the weekend after the rules commitee meeting of the MotoGP technical minds in Assen that after 2011, the 125cc class will also go the way of the Edsel. As has been suspected since the original talks to do away with the 250's, it was only a matter of time before their younger brethren were also cast aside like an old, oily rag. Or wag....

You can read about it here thanks to the excellent MotoMatters.com website and the most excellent helmer of that site, one David Emmett. Mr. Emmett runs a super operation and has a world-class photographer in Scott Jones, as well, to help with all the eye candy that is MotoGP racing. Check them and the news out here:

http://www.motomatters.com/news/2010/06/26/125s_to_be_replaced_by_four_strokes_from.html
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Thursday, October 8, 2009

KTM to Withdraw from 125GP Championship Class after 2009....









The Austrian KTM Factory team announced officially on http://www.motogp.com/ today that
they will not be participating in the 125GP championship MotoGP class effective with
the start of the 2010 season. The team is talking as if they will be participating in 'other
national and international' classes per the press release earlier today.
Below is that official release, as well as the most recent results for the team at the Portugal
round last w/e, as well as their current standing in the 125GP class with 3 rounds remaining.
The shots above are of the team's steeds as sponsored by the Repsol company as they
were on display at the Indy round of the MotoGP Championship the last w/e in August.
They have quite the overall sano effort, so it will be sad to see them leave the mini-
ring ding class as they are quite impressive as to the cleanliness of their efforts. Enjoy!


I also found this link over at www.RoadRacerX.com that mentions they may be going
WSBK racing. You can find that info about half way into this story:

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

They Had a Little Road Race in Indy Last W/E.....











...and you might have already heard a little something about it.
For the second year, the great folks at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway hosted the circus from MotoGP and put on one heck
of a show.
I could get into all the details--Nicky Hayden's #69 Ducati, without the
special paint he ran in the finals, Marco Simoncelli the reigning 250 GP
World Champion--think Boris Said for the hairdo--the Playboy-sponsored
Honda of Randy DuPuniet, and the KTM 125's sponsored by RedBull, or Colin
Edwards' Monster Energy sponsored Tech III Yamaha--but I won't. You can read all that good, technically inspired and professionally written
stuff in the links on the left side of the column or by going to http://www.motogp.com/ or http://www.motogpmatters.com/ or any number of other great sites.
I thought it would be nice to just sit back and enjoy the view.......so enjoy the view!
And thanks for stopping by. Love to have ya!