On Sept. 23, Triumph Motorcycles confirmed plans to compete in the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme and divided into two distinct classes: MXGP and MX2.
Triumph also announced that the company would have a factory-supported race program under an all-new Triumph Racing banner, which will now cover all of Triumph’s racing-related activities, including Moto2 and Supersport racing. This new Triumph Racing Team represents a partnership with successful team owner Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, who will field two of Triumph’s all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 MX2 class and will add an entry into the 450cc MXGP class in 2025.
In addition to partnering with Chizat-Suzzoni, Triumph also announced that his long-standing team manager, Vincent Bereni, will lead the team, backed by Triumph’s in-house motocross design engineering department. Chizat-Suzzoni and Bereni’s past racing record includes more than 80 MXGP World Championship victories and a reputation for technical and preparation excellence. As a part of Triumph Racing’s portfolio of commitments, the team will focus on the FIM Motocross World Championship – in MX2 and MXGP, together with development of technology and talent to build Triumph’s future strength in international motocross racing.
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In a media statement accompanying the announcement, Triumph CEO Nick Bloor said the new partnership with Chizat-Suzzoni demonstrates the company’s “long-term commitment to competing at the highest levels of racing,” and he called Triumph’s entry into the FIM Motocross World Championship a “landmark moment.”
“We share a passion for delivering world-class performance, and the experience Thierry and his team bring will prove invaluable in our ambition to make our mark on a very competitive championship,” Bloor said.
Triumph Racing is based at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK, where the brand’s research, design, engineering development, and prototype build are located, and the Motocross World Championship team will be based at Thierry’s race facility near Eindhoven in Holland, where race team personnel, operations, and competition development will be housed.
Triumph stated that engineering groups at the Triumph factory and the race team are working closely together on continuously enhancing chassis and engine performance through an intensive testing schedule underway in the U.S., UK, and mainland Europe, building toward the first MX2 Grand Prix of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.
Chizat-Suzzoni stated that he was happy with progress on the bike.
“It looks great, has speed on the track, and Vincent and my staff are working with the engineers at Hinckley on building it into a competitive package,” he said. “MXGP continues to grow around the world. I am very happy to be back and looking forward to going racing with Triumph.”
David Luongo, CEO of Infront Moto Racing, which manages the exclusive television, marketing, and promotional worldwide rights of the FIM Motocross World Championship, said the announcement from Triumph was “probably one the most important in recent years,” and he supported Chizat-Suzzoni’s assertion about the popularity of MXGP.
“With an average of 19 events per year, it gives the best platform for manufacturers to develop their bikes, components and to advertise them worldwide,” he said. “From Asia to South America, going through Europe, MXGP is covering all the different markets and is touching most of the off-road fans in the world.”
While breaking into FIM Motocross is new for Triumph, Triumph engines are not new to FIM. Since the start of the 2019 season, Triumph has been the exclusive engine supplier to the FIM Moto2 World Championship, providing all teams with race-tuned 765cc triples based on the Street Triple RS. The success of the Triumph engines in Moto2 was evident by a top speed record and 11 all-time lap records. In 2021, Triumph announced that it renewed its contract as the exclusive engine supplier for FIM Moto2 for three more years.
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Triumph said testing of the new motocross and enduro bikes is well underway and that information on the specifications, performance characteristics, and components of each model will be released soon.
For more information about Triumph Racing, visit Triumph’s website.
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Source: RiderMagazine.com