Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1178480
IN THE WIND P46 Gerloff To WorldSBK! T wo-time MotoAmerica Super- sport Champion and four-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Garrett Gerloff has inked a deal that will see the young Texan competing in the 2020 WorldSBK Championship aboard a GRT Yamaha YZF-R1. "I want to start out by saying thank you to Yamaha Motor USA for everything that they've done for me, for signing me in the first place so many years ago and really having faith in me," Gerloff said in a Yamaha Motor Europe release. "I wouldn't be where I am now in my career without their help. I'm really excited to say that I'll be continuing in the Yamaha family for 2020, this time with the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team. I'm also really looking forward to representing America overseas. It's something that I've always dreamed of doing and something that I've been prepar- ing for, and I feel like I'm ready to do. I really appreciate Yamaha Europe giving me the opportu- nity to be that guy, to be one of the guys, to represent them and try to go get good results. I also want to say a big thanks to Ben Spies for really helping me out the past few months and getting my name out there and really pushing for me. I have a lot of goals that I really want to ac- complish next year, and I know that with the team's help and the Yamaha R1 that I'll have a great opportunity of reaching them. I know this isn't going to be easy, but I never give up. I'm ready to push myself and continue chas- ing my dream." Gerloff will be joined by Italian Federico Caricasulo on the two- rider team that is based in Italy. Caricasulo is currently second in the 2019 World Supersport Championship and is just eight points out of the champion- ship points lead with one round remaining. Gerloff won the 2016 and 2017 MotoAmerica Supersport titles before switching to the Superbike class in 2018. The 24-year-old Texan finished fifth in his rookie season in 2018 and followed that with a breakout year in 2019 that saw him win four Superbike races and earn 15 podiums en route to third in the championship. "We are very happy to see Gar- rett get this opportunity to chase his dream," said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. "He had a great season in MotoAmerica this year and we think he's picked the perfect time to show his talents to the rest of the world. He was fast all season, won four races and was in the champion- ship battle until the very end. I think Garrett has an advantage in that our rules are in line with those of World Superbike so he can jump on a bike and just go race. When we put MotoAmerica together, we wanted to make sure that when our riders got the opportunity in the World Champi- onship, they would be completely comfortable with the regulations, the technical rules and the proce- dures, so they just have to learn the racetracks." CN Two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Garrett Gerloff is off to WorldSBK next year.