KTM Announces 2016 FMF KTM Factory Racing Team
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 | 9:00 AM
KTM Motorsports is excited to announce the 2016 FMF KTM Factory Racing Team which includes: Taylor Robert, Cody Webb, Kacy Martinez, Charlie Mullins, Kailub Russell, Russell Bobbitt and Ivan Ramirez.
Robert and Webb will both race the FIM SuperEnduro Series. After the SuperEnduro Series, Robert will switch over to the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team in Europe and compete in the FIM Enduro World Championship under the technical support and management of Fabio Farioli. Webb, the newest member of the factory team and the reigning AMA EnduroCross Champion, will stay in the states and defend his title in that series.
Martinez and Mullins will both race in the GNCC and AMA National Enduro Series. Martinez won the WXC GNCC Championship in 2016 and also won the only National Enduro race she competed in. She is looking forward to defending her GNCC title and working toward a new goal of competing in the National Enduro Series and securing a championship this season. Mullins, who was recovering from injury for the 2015 season, is back and healthy for 2016. He will return to the GNCC and National Enduro Series where he has won championships in the past and is hoping to battle for the title once again.
Russell, named Cycle News Rider of the Year and the reigning GNCC and National Enduro Series Champion, will compete in the GNCC Series only for 2016. Russell injured his knee at the 2015 ISDE event and will not be recovered in time to make the first round of the National Enduro Series. Since he would miss the opening event, the team has decided to have him not participate for 2016 and focus on just the GNCC races.
Bobbitt, the 4-time AMA National Enduro Champion, will return to that series to go after his fifth title. Bobbitt was a top contender mid-year last season but had a back injury cause him difficulty near the end of the season. He is now recovered and looking forward to adding more wins to his belt.
Ramirez won his first-ever AMA National Hare & Hound Championship in 2016. He will return to compete in that series and work toward defending that title.
The factory team, managed by Antti Kallonen, will continue to have FMF as the title sponsor. “FMF has been a solid supporter of our factory off-road team for many years,” stated Kallonen. “We are grateful for their continued support of the team and looking forward to strengthening our relationship in 2016 and winning even more championships for our title sponsor.”
The team has picked up two additional partnerships for 2016 with the new support of Red Bull and Troy Lee Designs. Red Bull has come onboard as part of their global racing contract to sponsor KTM factory teams worldwide while Troy Lee Designs will be the new gear sponsor that each factory rider will use. All remaining sponsors from the previous year will remain the same.