Pro Circuit and CLS Kawasaki Join Forces for the MX2 World Championship

Pro Circuit Team CLS Kawasaki reached a deal and joined forces for the 2010 MX2 World Championship. Both Steven Frossard and Jeremy van Horebeek will line up aboard a Kawasaki Pro Circuit KX250F.

Pro Circuit and CLS Kawasaki join forces for the MX2 World Championship

A dream came true for both riders, who will be able to battle for the World title next season as the Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250F is without any doubt one of the most powerful MX2 bikes available in the world. Thanks to his long experience, company founder Mitch Payton runs the most successful team in the world as his riders collected twenty three American titles in the MX2/lites class during less than two decades.

Thanks to Pro Circuit, Kawasaki Motors Europe, Monster Energy and Thor/Parts Europe involvement, team CLS Kawasaki will lineup in the GP’s a strong field of riders. “Since two years now we’ve been in discussion with Mitch Payton, and since august we came closer to an agreement. This deal wouldn’t have been possible without the support and investment of all the parties, including the riders, and now we have an incredible motivation to prepare next season. We’ve been already testing the material since a couple of weeks, and we’ll do our first appearance on February 21st in Valence” explained Team CLS owner Jean Jacques Luisetti.

The workshop has now moved from Belgium to the Netherlands, where technical manager Harry Nolte is based since several years. Former mechanic of factory riders in Europe and USA, Harry is a long time friend of Mitch Payton and a famous tuner involved since several years in the development of 250 four stroke engines. “I’m working with Mitch on this project since last year, but it took time to find the right partners and I’m glad that we succeed. Now it’s time to prepare next season and the riders as well as the team management and the mechanics are already working to develop the bikes. We’ll use exactly the same bikes as the Pro Circuit riders in the US, but due to different regulations concerning the fuel and noise level in the GP’s we must find the best compromise. The results are already great, and for Pro Circuit there’s only one goal next year: to win the World Championship, and give worldwide exposure to the company and our partners” confirmed Harry who collected in the past several World titles alongside John Van Den Berk, Donny Schmit, Stefan Everts and Grant Langston.

Alongside the two factory riders, who will have famous mechanics with Frenchman Yann Lozano (the former mechanic of Stefan Everts during his last campaigns will work with Steven) and Spaniard David Moreno, the team will have two support riders with Dutch Wesley Maas and French Germain Vincenot. Wesley will focus on the Dutch championship where he will ride alongside Jeremy, while Germain will enter with the support of GT77, a French Kawasaki dealer, the new European 125 two stroke series on a 125 Pro Circuit Kawasaki.

For Kawasaki who collected the MX2 World title three years ago with Christophe Pourcel, this announcement confirms the great cooperation between Kawasaki Motors Europe, Kawasaki US and Pro Circuit.

Steve Gutridge – KME Race Planning Manager:

"The connection now established between team CLS Kawasaki and ProCircuit is a big step forward regarding our future potential for success in this highly competitive class. The noise regulations are getting closer in-line with those in the US and so the ProCircuit development is more relevant to us here in Europe now. Over the past few years the Motocross of Nations events have allowed us to meet and work closely with Mitch on a regular basis and it's clear now that he can put his full technical support behind our official MX2 programme. Christophe Pourcel was our first example to work together to keep the best riders on the best bike and follow their careers. I think in the future this set-up will make this transfer of our riders much easier but importantly now also in the other direction, from the US ProCircuit programme into team CLS Kawasaki!"