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/1547449
Savatgy To Ducati, TLD J oey Savatgy has signed a multi-year deal with the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Fac- tory Racing team as the team's second rider for the 2027 season. Savatgy is a veteran in the 450 class and joins RJ Hampshire as the team adds two new riders to its lineup in the years to come. Both Justin Barcia and Dylan Ferrandis have departed the team after their debut season in 2026. Savatgy recently rode for the Quad Lock Honda team but left that deal to join a full-factory team like Ducati on a multi-year contract. "I am very excited for this change and honored for this op- portunity," said Savatgy. "I had a good year, and to have a factory team look in my direction and reach out is rewarding. Consid- ering the last few years haven't been the greatest for me, I think we showed a lot this year and proved that, with the right team around me, we're able to achieve good results. To be back on a factory team is exciting, and I think the resources we have are a huge advantage. There are a lot of doors we can open, things we can experiment with, and opportunities to find what works best. I'm excited to get the ball rolling, have a full offseason boot camp, so to speak, and get to know everybody on the team. It's going to be a good year." "We are very excited to wel- come Joey to the team," said team manager Josh Wisenor. "He has demonstrated proven results in the 450 class, showcasing impressive speed, strength and consistency in Supercross last season. We look forward to pro- viding Joey with a comprehensive racing program that allows him to compete throughout the entire Supercross, Pro Motocross and SMX seasons. Having Joey and RJ both committed to multi-year deals is a significant step forward for our program. The opportunity to work with both riders over multiple seasons will allow us to better understand their individual strengths, abilities and needs, while continuing to develop the program and build on our prog- ress heading into the future." CN VOLUME ISSUE NOVEMBER , P37 Joey Savatgy has signed with the TLD Red Bull Ducati 450 team, joining RJ Hampshire. Nichols Switches Teams F ormer 250SX East Champion Colt Nichols has found a new home for the 2027 season, joining the ROKiT Partzilla PRMX Yama- ha effort. The team is switching from Kawasaki to Yamaha and adding a big name like Nichols to its roster for the coming year. "I've been talking to the team and working with Julien [Per- rier] for several months, and I'm happy we have been able to put a deal together that gets me back on a Yamaha where I've had a lot of success," Nichols said. "I'm happy to be back on the Yamaha, and this new YZ450 feels like home already." "We are excited to have a rider of Colt's caliber, and we think he will fit right in with the team," added team owner Julien Perrier. Nichols won the 2021 250SX East Coast Championship before jumping to the 450 class with Honda HRC. He then signed with the Factory Beta squad and most recently raced for the Twisted Tea Suzuki team alongside Ja- son Anderson. CN