In October when Erik Buell Racing announced that it would be making the move into the World Superbike Championship, the American sport bike company wasn’t saying much about its racing program.
Geoff May soon intoned his participation with the team, confirming his presence in WSBK to Greg White on Greg’s Garage, though May’s teammate was unknown at the time.
That mystery seems to be over, as World Superbike media front-man Michael Hill has released a list of confirmed entries for the 2014 World Superbike season, with Yate’s and May’s names listed for the Erik Buell Racing entry.
The news shouldn’t be terribly surprising to race fans, as Erik Buell Racing had been tipped to keep its all-American lineup as it stepped onto the world stage in WSBK. With an American team and two American riders in the series now, hopefully the premier production motorcycle racing series will have some more appeal to American viewers — something the World Superbike Championship needs desperately.
What remains to be seen is how the EBR 1190RX will go against the top production bikes from Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, and Suzuki. Despite AMA Pro Racing’s recent proposal for rule changes, Erik Buell Racing is still moving into a championship with a very different rules package — one that isn’t terribly friendly to two-cylinder engines.
Also it will be interesting to see if Erik Buell Racing will continue to field a squad in AMA Pro Road Racing, now that its A-team is departing for World Superbike. Or, if like Michael Jordan Motorsports, EBR is just another defection from the American racing series.
Source: Michael Hill Promotions (Facebook)
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