The masked crusader has left Moto2, as Antonio Banderas’ Jack&Jones team has lost its marquee sponsorship. With no way to fund the team, this move by Jack&Jones leaves Kenny Noyes and Gabor Talmacsi high and dry for a ride in the 2011 season. Unless Noyes can find another ride in the four months leading up to the start of next season, Moto2 will be out its only American rider. Noyes had mediocre results during the 2010 season, finishing 24th in the Moto2 World Championship, with some Moto2 commentators attributing that result to his Harris chassis, which wasn’t on par with the FTR, Moriwaki, and Suter packages.
“This was probably the hardest decision I’ve ever taken in the ten years I’ve been in the paddock,” said Team Manager Dani Devahive to Motociclismo. “Antonio Banderas and I both had high hopes for this project, but the lack of a viable economic future forced us to take this hard decision.” At one point Banderas and his team had hopes of entering MotoGP in a few year’s time. With this news, that dream seems to be exactly that.
Unfortunately for all motorcycle racing, this story is being told all too often. With companies still struggling to stay afloat, the budgets to sponsor large motorcycle teams are just not materializing in this economic climate. With a grid of 40+ riders, Moto2 is an especially hard environment for a team to make a living out of, as Championship points are harder to come by, and the spec motor leaves the outcome hanging on other factors like chassis design, and mid-season revisions.
Source: MotoMatters
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