Tortelli Explains Stark
Future/Blazusiak
SuperEnduro Absence
T
addy Blazusiak, the five-time
Erzberg Rodeo winner and
five-time AMA EnduroCross
and six-time FIM Super Enduro
Champion, has joined the Stark
Future race team. The Polish
rider joined the electric bike
manufacturer with plans to
compete in the FIM SuperEnduro
and AMA EnduroCross Champi
-
onships, but the team was not
allowed to race at the opening
round of the FIM championship
this past weekend in France.
Sebastien Tortelli, a two-time
FIM Motocross Champion, has
been the primary development
rider for the Stark electric motor
-
cycle and has transitioned to the
race director position while still
helping with the testing depart
-
ment. He filled in Cycle News on
the partnership with Blazusiak
and what transpired with the FIM
that forced them to
sit out the event.
"We started
talking with Taddy
about joining Stark
to help develop
the bike for enduro
competition and
race the SuperEn
-
duro champion-
ship," Tortelli said.
"We contacted the
FIM to ensure that
we would be able to
compete with the
Stark electric bike
and received an
email on October
20 confirming that
we could compete
if we complied with the FIM
rules, which we did. The FIM
had an electric bike provision in
the rules for the SuperEnduro
Championship Prestige class.
We proceeded in signing Taddy
and did some testing. Then we
heard from the promoter for the
SuperEnduro Championship last
week that they were told that
the bike would not be allowed
to race, and we then received an
email from the FIM stating that
the electric bike would not be al
-
lowed to compete due to safety
concerns.
"We tried to address those
concerns and agreed to pay for
a fire marshal dedicated to the
bike, but then 22 hours before
the race, we learned that af
-
ter a special meeting, the FIM
removed the provision allowing
electric bikes to compete.
"We are still working with the
FIM to try to be allowed to com-
pete in the remaining FIM Super-
Enduro Championship races,
which start back up in January.
We also hope to compete in the
AMA EnduroCross Championship
in the U.S. at the end of 2024."
So, for now, it is unclear when
Blazusiak may be able to race
the Stark Varg, but the team will
continue to explore opportuni
-
ties to race and further develop
the bike.
CN
VOLUME ISSUE NOVEMBER , P25
After a long and successful career with KTM and
sister brand GasGas, Taddy Blazusiak has signed
on to help develop and race the Stark Varg electric
bike in SuperEnduro and EnduroCross events.
Unfortunately for the team,
Blazusiak was not allowed to
participate on a battery-powered
motorcycle in the SuperEnduro
opener in France.
