Todd Waters & Dean Ferris both in 2015 Husky MXGP Team
Husqvarna Motorcycles has announced their official line up of riders for the 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship and two Australians have scored official Husqvarna guernsey’s for 2015, Todd Waters and Dean Ferris.
For the coming season, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing will again represent the brand in the MXGP category with Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing contesting the MX2 class.
In a revised line up of riders for 2015, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing is happy to welcome Germany’s Max Nagl as an exciting new addition to the team that will also retain the services of Australian Todd Waters.
At 27 years of age, Nagl has been one of the top performing riders in MXGP since 2008 and will be Husqvarna’s main hope to deliver winning results and championship success in 2015. Runner-up in the 2009 MX1 series and a winning member of Germany’s Motocross of Nations team in 2012, Nagl also claimed five MXGP race wins in 2014. Agreeing a two-year contract Max will compete on the FC 450.
Remaining with Husqvarna for 2015, Waters will put an injury hit 2014 season behind him. Arriving in Europe to compete in his first MXGP season with IceOne Racing, the 24-year-old Australian showed great promise during the opening rounds of the series. Scoring a sixth place result at the GP of Thailand and regularly placing inside the top 10, Todd was one of the top performing rookies of the series. In 2015 Waters is focused on making amends for his misfortune. He’ll also compete on the FC 450.
Adding a third rider to the fold, Great Britain’s 20-year-old Nathan Watson will compete in the MXGP class at all European rounds of the series.
After a solid season focused solely on the MX2 World Championship, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing – managed by former 500cc Motocross World Champion Jacky Martens – will see a revised structure for 2015. The team – while continuing to act as Husqvarna’s factory representative in the MX2 category with Aleksandr Tonkov – will also field Australian Dean Ferris as a supported rider in the MXGP category.
Always an exciting rider to watch, Tonkov – the 21-year-old Russian – has been impressive this year in what was essentially his first season of competition with factory backing. Knocking on the door of a breakthrough result, Tonkov has the ability and now the experience to become a regular podium contender in 2015.
Impressing Husqvarna as a last minute replacement for IceOne Racing’s injured riders, Dean Ferris has been offered the opportunity to stay in MXGP with support from Husqvarna through the Wilvo Nestaan set-up in 2015.
Further strengthening Husqvarna’s presence within the MXGP paddock, Ricci Racing will receive official Husqvarna support for 2015 with riders Rui Goncalves (MXGP), Christopher Valente (MX2), Michael Ivanov (MX2) and Filippo Zonta (EMX125).
Antti Pyrhönen (Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager): “I’m looking forward to the new season ahead. It’s great to have Max as part of our team for 2015. He’s extremely professional in everything he does and I believe that we can offer him exactly everything he needs to bring Husqvarna to the very top of MXGP. It’s great to see Todd back riding again. He’s very focused on the year ahead and will be exciting to watch. Finally we’re very pleased to bring Nathan onboard for 2015. He showed excellent potential during his 2014 performances with us. It’ll be good to see him develop as a rider next year.”
Jacky Martens (Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager): “With Aleksandr racing in MX2 and Dean competing in MXGP as a supported rider, 2015 is already looking very exciting for us. Aleksandr has a lot of fighting spirit on the track and is ready to step things up. We are also very pleased to provide Dean the opportunity to stay in MXGP with Husqvarna. We believe he can fight for the podium.’’
Max Nagl: “It’s always exciting to embark on a new chapter in racing and I’m very much looking forward to joining Husqvarna and Red Bull IceOne Racing for 2015. They are a very passionate and hard working group of people and like myself are focused on winning races. Ending the 2014 MXGP season on a high with race wins and podium results has given me a great boost of confidence heading into the winter. I know that the championship will be tough next year – the competition will be tight. Also we have six overseas races to contend with – but I believe that we can do a very good job.”
Todd Waters: “I’m excited for 2015. It’s my opportunity to set things right from this season. Although 2014 started out very positively things just didn’t go to plan when I suffered some serious injuries to my leg, hip and collarbone. But getting back on a bike as allowed me to put all that bad luck behind me and focus on what’s ahead. I feel like I’ve got a tight bond with the team, I feel settled in Europe and no longer have any nerves entering the races. My goals for 2015 are simple. I want to be at the front of the pack, running inside the top five and pushing for the podium. With IceOne Racing and Husqvarna these results are possible.”
Aleksandr Tonkov: “2014 has been a very useful season, we learned a lot also in terms of training. Together with the Team we modified many things and we found a good setting during the season, because we were a bit behind in terms of setup at the beginning. It was nice to feel that everything we changed started working for me; at the MXoN it was already a different story, it was the highlight of my season. I think it’s better late than never, so we’re really looking forward to 2015. Starting with this good knowledge-base will be very helpful to be where we all want to be”.
Dean Ferris: “I’m really grateful for the opportunity of staying in MXGP for 2015 that both Wilvo Nestaan and Husqvarna have given me. I really enjoyed my return to MXGP in 2014 and it’s fantastic to know that it will continue. The Wilvo Nestaan team are very enthusiastic and motivated for the year ahead and I know that with the FC 350 we can achieve great results.”
Robert Jonas (Head of Husqvarna Motorsport): “We are very excited about the new season and I think we have a very strong rider line-up, especially in MXGP. After a tough 2014 season in MXGP I truly believe that with Todd, Nathan, Dean and Rui we will be in a position to fight for some really good results. With Max on board nearly everything can be possible. We’re very pleased to see Todd back fully recovered and ready to attack the new season. Also, we’re very proud to have Max joining us. Our MX2 factory rider line-up is not as big as in 2014, we are putting all hopes in Aleksandr. Being the ‘number one’ rider in the team seems to give him a boost, which we already experienced at the MXON in Latvia. Both of our factory teams, Red Bull IceOne Husqvarna Factory Racing and Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, are doing a fantastic job and the 2015 race season in general promises to be a very exciting one. We can’t wait to see our riders placing their Huskies behind the start gate.”
Jeffrey Herlings extends KTM contract through 2016-17
KTM Racing has announced that Jeffrey Herlings, the most talented rider in the World Championship Motocross paddock has been signed to ride as a Red Bull KTM factory rider until the end of the 2017 season.
In 2009 Jeffrey rode for JM Racing KTM, his first step to becoming a full factory rider with the KTM team. His opportunity came to move into the MX2 KTM Factory Team at the end of 2009 when, shortly after his fifteenth birthday he had his first factory ride.
Herlings, a Red Bull athlete, rode his first full MX2 season with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2010 and became the youngest ever MX2 GP winner riding in front of his home crowd at Valkenswaard in April of that year.
Since then he has amassed an impressive total of two MX2 World Championship titles (2012 and 2013), 43 GP wins and in 2014 had an unbeaten streak of 18 race wins. He also won all the GPs in which he started in 2014 however an untimely injury prevented him from competing in the next three GPs of the season.
Jeffrey showed immense courage and determination, and the respect of the entire world of motorcycling to return to the final round in Mexico, attempting to seal his third title by racing in the final round while riding with a still injured leg. He finished the championship in second place conceding only in the final race of the season.
Jeffrey Herlings: “I’ve now had five seasons with KTM and I’m very happy that Pit (Beirer) is giving me a chance to stay with the team for another three years. The team has done a great job and I hope we can continue with good news and good wins in the future.”
Pit Beirer, Head of KTM Motorsport: “We are very pleased to have reached agreement with Jeffrey to ride for the factory team through to the end of 2017. Anyone who is a follower of the sport recognizes that he is a rider of passion and exceptional skill and we are very proud that he will be on our bikes and in our factory team in the coming seasons.”
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