News 13 Feb 2020
JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki makes Tickle signing official
Section: Competition
Comeback slated for Tampa’s seventh round of Supercross season.
JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki has signed Broc Tickle as 450SX fill-in rider for his return to Monster Energy Supercross from the Tampa round this weekend.
With both Joey Savatgy and Fredrik Noren currently injured, 30-year-old Tickle will be back aboard the factory RM-Z450 for the remainder of the 2020 Supercross season.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity with the JGRMX Yoshimura Suzuki team,” Tickle commented. “I had a great thing put together, but there were still some missing pieces that on race day can really come into play and JGR has those pieces being the Suzuki effort.
“I’ve had success in the past with Suzuki, so when we got to communicating and putting things together, it just ended up working out and made sense to move forward with the JGR Suzuki program. I’m ready to go racing and looking forward to just getting back in the mix.
“The overall goal is to go out, enjoy it, have fun and do the best I can do. Two years of not racing is a big deal, but I’m up for the challenge and eager to be back on the gate as well as being back to training, riding and doing this at the highest level.”
Tickle has been sidelined following a two-year suspension due to an anti-doping violation that was discovered at the San Diego round of Supercross in 2018 while riding for the Red Bull KTM team.
JGRMX team manager Jeremy Albrecht added: “I’m excited to see Broc back on a Suzuki this weekend in Tampa [after] he has been testing and riding in North Carolina with our team for a couple weeks.
“He will finish out the Supercross season on our team. His speed and fitness are good, so we will see this weekend where he ends up. I’m happy that we have great partners that helped make this happen.”
Michigan native Tickle began his pro career in 2006, earning eight podiums during his 450 career and was also the 2011 250SX West championship winner. He had been training aboard a privateer Husqvarna prior to the opportunity with Suzuki.
Source: MotoOnline.com.au