Monster Energy Dixon Racing Team Kawasaki will have two riders in the 2017 MX2 FIM Motocross World Championship after capturing the services of highly rated American Darian Sanayei.
The squad initially gave the 20-year-old his first taste of motocross on this continent with a European Championship wildcard in 2015 and after the racer from Washington state contested the full 2016 EMX250 and won three rounds on the way to second in the series they have moved to provide #457 with his full-time Grand Prix shot on the KX250F.
Sanayei has shone on the Bud Racing Kawasaki this season and will make his very first Grand Prix appearance next week at the Americas round at Charlotte. Dixon swooped for the rider to partner Russian Vsevolod Brylyakov and continue the British team’s advanced engine development project with the KX technology. It means the crew are likely to have three athletes under the awning with Tommy Searle contracted for another year of MXGP on the KX450F.
Dixon enjoyed success with his last American rider – Zach Osborne taking Grand Prix victory, podiums and a British Championship title – and by signing Sanayei will double the USA’s presence in the class with Thomas Covington the only representative of the ‘stars and stripes’.
“When I came over here I had the plan to stay over here – I did not want to come and go straight back,” Sanayei said. “The plan is still the same: I want to go for a world title in MX2. Next season I’m really happy with my choice of team. I think it is the best deal and I hope I can do well in MX2.”
“Our team is complete now and our focus is to go forward and spend the winter concentrating on the finer details of the 250 and also have a 450 effort that compliments the two factory riders at KRT,” said Dixon. “Each manufacturer is fielding three good riders now and we can be competitive.”
