British duo for CLS Kawasaki in 2011!
Team Pro Circuit Kawasaki CLS will have two new faces next year. The British Tommy Searle en Max Anstie are returning from the States and will man the official Kawas in the MX2 World Championship.
CLS had a strong season this year with Steven Frossard in particular, who gave the team its very first GP victory in Sweden, the Frenchman is also still in the running for the MX2 final podium. Due to the rule regarding the age limit from next season, Frossard will switch to the MX1. Tommy Searle became vice world champion in MX2007 in 2008 and 2. The young Englishman was unable to really make waves in the US. Searle was very happy with this new challenge: “I am very excited to be competing for Team CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki. Pro Circuit has already shown how competitive they are in the US and Europe. They gave me the opportunity to do it in the US West Coast Supercross championship and then the MX2 World Championship,” said the 20-year-old Englishman, who started his career ten years ago on a Kawasaki and had his breakthrough in 2006 with the Molson Kawasaki team of the Church family.
Searle's teammate will be Max Anstie. Anstie is undoubtedly one of the greatest young talents and the 17-year-old son of former GP winner Mervyn even started his professional career in the US. Max also has a Team Green past in Europe. He had great weather in the SX of Goes and won the prestigious Supercross of Bercy twice on a Kawasaki 85cc. Max will ride exclusively in GPs in 2011 and signed a two-year contract with CLS Pro Circuit Kawasaki.
For team owner Jean-Jacques Luisetti the arrival of Searle and Anstie marks a new chapter: “When we started the team five years ago it was mainly a French affair, but thanks to Kawasaki we have continued to evolve. Our partnership with Pro Circuit has taken us one step further. It's very exciting to be able to work with someone like Mitch Payton! We are proud to see that Tommy will be racing for us on both sides of the Atlantic next season. With Max we have one of the fastest boy pilots. Moreover, I am convinced that after two years in the USA they are ready to fight successfully in the World Championship and the French MX2 Championship.”
Also Pro Circuit owner and team manager of the most successful MX2 team in the US Mitch Payton looks to the future with confidence: “I am very happy that we have Tommy in the team. With him we have a good chance of winning the world title. It's great to see how we're working together with Harry Nolte and the CLS people in Europe to make this project a success. We have already achieved good results during our first year of collaboration. I am sure we will be even stronger in 2011.” This announcement also seems to have cleared the way Jeremy Van Horebeek who would switch to Red Bull-KTM.
Photos credit: Supercross.com/ Ray Archer
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