The never-ending saga over where (or if) multi AMA Supercross and Motocross Champion Ryan Villopoto will compete in 2015 is very close to resolution.
Kawasaki Motor Europe Racing Manager Steve Guttridge – who oversees the company’s competitive activities for the bulk of the FIM series including World Superbike and also MXGP – has commented that key meetings between the rider and Kawasaki staff are taking place this week, which means a communication over Villopoto’s decision and contract is likely to be announced in the next seven to 10 days.
The latest talk to emerge from the United States yesterday (Tuesday) is that the last contractual wrangles have been completed and Villopoto may soon set a date to start a transfer over to Europe where he has already located a house and training base, said to be in Belgium and possibly near Lommel.
“I believe it is all down to the last details of the contract for MXGP,” said Guttridge. “Ryan’s knee condition might have affected him for the start of the supercross season but it is supposed to be fine to allow him to be fully fit for the start of MXGP.”
Official news is pending but it has been a tense time for the factory Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team who have lost Gautier Paulin and look set to replace Steven Frossard with Tyla Rattray for 2015.
If Villopoto had decided against trying to crown an immense AMA career with FIM World Championship success then KRT would have been struggling to find an athlete capable of winning in MXGP. “We have been saying this all the way through but we obviously have to wait for a decision to be made and then the rest can fall into place,” Guttridge affirms.
The Brit also commented that the chess pieces moved to accommodate a possible Grand Prix place for Villopoto was not dependent on the recent work by Kawasaki to tie reigning World Superbike Champion Tom Sykes to a new contract. The rider recently inked a two year deal to stay Green in WSB. “It involved the same group of people and our priority was to get our champion tied up for the next two years and also a winner; that winner being Ryan,” states Guttridge. “The deals for each rider did not really interfere.”
With Rattray heavily tipped for the second KRT slot then Kawasaki could be moving from a period of worrying uncertainty to having arguably one of the strongest possible teams for 2015.
Guttridge: “The first rider has tended to be more Kawasaki’s say and about who we want and who is our main target. The second rider is more down to the team and who we feel can blend well with the group and who might also satisfy the sponsor’s wishes.”
