Luis Salom stays with RW Racing GP for 2012 to ride Kalex-KTM
It was already known that RW Racing GP will participate in the new Moto3 class next season, replacing the current 125cc class. Today, the only Dutch Grand Prix team is happy and proud to announce it will race with Luis Salom and Brad Binder in next seasons Moto3 championship.
Team owner Roelof Waninge is pleased to have a top rider as well as a promising talent on board. “We are very pleased with Luis Salom. The cooperation is excellent, Luis has grown tremendously and has demonstrated his qualities with several superb results. The whole team is happy with him.”
The 20 year old Spaniard himself is also excited to extended his stay at RW Racing GP. It will be his third season with the Dutch team and that is not a coincidence. Luis said ‘’I’m very happy with this team. I’ve had some great offers from other teams for next season, but RW Racing GP feels like my family.”
The same applies to Brad Binder. The 16 year old South African was the replacement for the injured Salom at the GP of Indianapolis earlier in the season. It was, after several years in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, his first Grand Prix experience and Brad finished the race in a superb seventeenth place . “I was lucky to be offered the ride with RW Racing GP”, Binder says. “I learned a lot at Indianapolis with RW Racing, the support they gave me was just wonderful. I gained a very good feeling over that weekend. A fter working with some other teams at the close of this season, the choice was not difficult. I feel at home with RW Racing GP and I really think I can develop with this team and become a bette r rider.”
The team also has the same good feeling. “Like Luis, Brad sees us as one big family”, remarked Waninge. “That suits him well, and from our point of view it is the same, he fits well into our team. Brad is a typical racer, mentally strong, in the race he rode with faster times than in qualifying, a real talent. That is one of the reasons I stepped into Grand Prix racing with my own team, to give talented riders the opportunity to develop and grow. Luis has now developed into a top rider, I think we can reach that with Brad too.”
RW Racing GP will run KALEX-KTM bikes next year, with the full support of KALEX. Austrian based KTM has been working on the development its engine for Moto3 for over a year, led by top engineer Wolfgang Felber. The German KALEX company has been active with a chassis in Moto2, with one of their chassis was crowned Moto2 world champion this weekend.
Team owner Waninge and the riders have high expectations. “It is a top machine, with which Luis certainly should be able to achieve good results”, predicts Waninge. “Brad has al ready gained some experience with KTM in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. It all fits together. I believe we have a great package for next year.”
Source: RW Racing GP
