KTM in 2008: a landmark year in road racing
The 2008 road racing season is a landmark year in road racing
for KTM, the Austrian manufacturer of the world's leading
sports motorcycles.
KTM riders in both 250 and 125 cc classes are "Ready
to Race" in Jerez, Spain at the first European MotoGP
of the season on March 28-30. In addition, the company is
fully committed to a whole of racing activities involving
junior talent. Following the season's opening night race in
Qatar on March 8-9 and successful pre-season testing in Jerez
and Valencia, the KTM 250 and 125 cc riders are looking forward
to making their mark on the world championship. In 2008, there
are more KTM machines on the championship grids than ever
before.
Strong line-up of talent in 250 cc
In 2008 KTM has three top class riders competing in the 250
cc class of the world championship, all of whom have strong
podium potential. Finn Mika Kallio and Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan
continue to ride for the Red Bull KTM 250 team and are joined
by Julian Simon of Repsol KTM 250 cc. Kallio launched the
2008 season with a podium third in Qatar and he and the other
two riders all enjoy the full factory-supported status.
Substantial increase in 125 cc
In this landmark season there will be no less that seven KTM
factory-supported riders on the grid for the 125 cc class.
All enjoy equal factory support from the Mattighofen factory
and the KTM 125 Service Team.
ISPA KTM ARAN with riders Tomoyoshi Koyama of Japan and Lorenzo
Zanetti of Italy.
Onde 2000 KTM with riders Pablo Nieto of Spain and Raffaele
de Rosa of Italy.
Red Bull KTM 125 with rider Randy Krummenacher of Switzerland.
Repsol KTM 125 cc with riders Esteve Rabat and Marc Marquez,
both of Spain.
Monlau KTM riders
Two young Spanish riders, Edgar Garcia and Antonio Alarcos,
will this year contest the Spanish National Championship on
KTM 125 bikes under the guidance of Emilio Alzamora (World
Champion in 125 cc in 1999) of the Monlau Competición,
a company that trains and nurtures young riders among many
other racing activities. The track record of the program is
proven by the fact that Marc Marquez, this year riding in
the world championship for the Repsol KTM 125 cc team, came
from this fertile training ground.
Constantly nurturing young talent in Spanish National Championships
The significant increase in the number of KTM machines in
125 cc is a direct result of the company policy to encourage
young talent and nurture tomorrow's champions. This policy
has been further extended by engagement in the Red Bull MotoGP
Academy where in 2008 all four riders are onboard KTM 125
machines. In 2008 the Academy riders are Jonas Folger of Germany,
Johann Zarco of France, winner of the inaugural Red Bull Rookies
Cup in 2007, American Cameron Beaubier, who was raced a successful
season with the Red Bull Rookies Cup last year and Briton
Danni Kent. These young riders, under the guidance of mentor
Alberto Puig, himself a former world class 500cc rider, train
and compete in Spain. They are groomed both physically and
mentally by a team of expert support staff in preparation
for top international competition.
Second year of engagement for KTM in Red Bull Rookies
Cup
KTM is also fully engaged in supporting riders between the
ages of 13-16 years for the Red Bull Rookies Cup, now entering
its second season. KTM provides all the 125 cc machines for
these young riders and supports them with a parallel program
for KTM apprentice mechanics, giving both junior riders and
technicians a unique experience of top class racing on MotoGP
circuits. Successfully launched in 2007, the Red Bull Rookies
Cup has in 2008 been extended to include a parallel competition
in USA, the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup. Riders from 17
nations including South Africa, Australia, America and Japan
as well as across Europe from Finland and Norway to the Czech
Republic and Spain are riding KTMs in the 10-race European
championship. The top 10 in both the European and USA competitions
will race off in two international events during the season.
KTM: the company always "Ready to Race"
KTM, the world leader in the manufacture of sports motorcycles
is based in Mattighofen in Austria. Fully committed to their
motto "Ready to Race", the company views this massive
increase in its commitment to road racing as an investment
in the future of the sport. It also underlines their recognition
of the sheer exhilaration of motor sports and the pleasure
enjoyed by millions of enthusiasts all over the world in onand
offroad competition and recreational riding.
Team Rider Number Country Team Homepage Personal Homepage
Red Bull KTM 250 Hiroshi Aoyama 4 Japan KTM Hiroshi Aoyama
Red Bull KTM 250 Mika Kallio 36 Finland KTM Mika Kallio
Repsol KTM 250 Julian Simon 60 Spain Repsol -
Onde 2000 KTM Pablo Nieto 22 Spain Onde 2000 KTM Pablo Nieto
Onde 2000 KTM Raffaele de Rosa 35 Italy Onde 2000 KTM Raffaele
de Rosa
ISPA KTM Aran Lorenzo Zanetti 8 Italy ISPA KTM Aran Lorenzo
Zanetti
ISPA KTM Aran Tomoyoshi Koyama 71 Italy ISPA KTM Aran Tomoyoshi
Koyama
Red Bull KTM 125 Randy Krummenacher 34 Switzerland KTM Randy
Krummenacher
Repsol KTM 125 Esteve Rabat 12 Spain Repsol -
Repsol KTM 125 Marc Marquez 93 Spain Repsol -
Team Rider Country Team Homepage
Monlau KTM Edgar Garcia Spain Monlau KTM
Monlau KTM Antonio Alarcos Spain Monlau KTM
Red Bull MotoGP Academy Jonas Folger Germany MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Academy Johann Zarco France MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Academy Cameron Beaubier USA MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Academy Danni Kent United Kingdom MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup - Europe Red Bull MotoGP Rookies
Cup
Red Bull AMA US Rookies Cup - USA Red Bull AMA US Rookies
Cup
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