The big news from KTM this week is that their young superstar, Jeffrey Herlings has signed for another two years.
It’s not exactly surprising that Herlings is staying put. I couldn’t imagine the sand master going anywhere else at the moment. He’s clearly happy at KTM – performing at a level so high that he has only lost one moto this season. And he’s on a MX2 mission and is in no hurry to move up to MX1. Herlings recently said on Twitter in reply to @OntrackOffroad: “too young. I’m 18. The average European career age is let’s say 30 without big accidents, why race 12 years MX1. U get me?”
And perhaps Herlings has been a little p*ssed with some of the rubbish being written elsewhere in the media after one of his most recent tweets: The definition of being stupid. Seeing the truth, knowing the truth and still decide to believe all the lies. Happy it’s over #letsgo
Now thanks to the recent 2014 MXGP rule change, Herlings can defend his title for another few years and as soon as that happened it removed any doubt about what Herlings would do. And avoiding another European rider moving States-side not only keeps us Europeans happy but must keep KTM happy too – keeping title contenders in each major mx championship is their strategy and their current team in the US isn’t exactly weak.
The full press release is below.
Pit Beirer, Head of KTM Motorsports has announced that KTM Racing has signed its MX2 factory rider Jeffrey Herlings for another two years. Herlings is considered one of the brightest young talents in the sport and has been a successful part of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team since he was old enough to qualify for the senior international racing competition.
The Dutch rider has delivered astonishing performances on the track since he joined the MX2 class but Jeffrey was already on the KTM radar screen from a very early age when Red Bull KTM Factory team boss Stefan Everts recognized his potential. Jeffrey is widely considered as the world’s best sand rider but in 2013 the current MX2 World Champion has proved to be virtually invincible on all terrain. He has won every Grand Prix so far this season, losing only a single moto to have an impressive current 17-1 scorecard.
Pit Beirer: “Jeffrey is the youngest rider in his class. He is still only 18 and we’ve never experienced such a great talent in someone so young. Such a talent needs special nurturing and we’re confident that in the hands of Stefan Everts and with the support of the entire KTM team, we can guide him carefully through these early years of his already remarkable career. This is also the reason that Stefan strongly recommends that Jeffrey should compete for another season in the MX2 class. He may still be very young but he has already shown everyone involved in our sport that his talent is indisputable. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to extend our agreement with him as he continues to develop and mature as a rider under the guidance of our factory team.”
Beirer said Herlings was an excellent example of KTM’s ongoing commitment to nurture the best and brightest riders from an early age in order to showcase the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team as the apex of the company’s “Ready to Race” philosophy. Herlings will continue to ride for the team in both 2014 and 2015.
