Pirelli Kicks Off 2019 Monster Energy Supercross Season

Expanded Product and Technical Support will be Available to
Racers Throughout the Entire 17-Round Season

ROME, GA – January 5, 2019 – (Motor Sports Newswire) – The talented roster of Pirelli racers will ring in the New Year this Saturday, January 5 as the Monster Energy Supercross Championship kicks off at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, for the first of 17 highly-contested rounds. When the gate drops, all of Pirelli’s support teams and riders will be competing aboard the championship-winning SCORPION™ MX tires that have captured victories in the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and FIM Motocross World Championship.

Pirelli welcomes the return of the TPJ/FLY racing team that has expanded its presence for the new season. Team riders Ben Lamay and Austin Politelli will be competing in the premier 450SX Class. Lamay returns for his second season with the TPJ team, while Politelli joins the team full-time for 2019. TPJ will field John Short, Jimmy Weeks, and Tanner Basso in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class beginning at the Minneapolis round on February 9.

The newly formed Phoenix Racing Honda team will feature three riders showcasing Pirelli tires as it makes its supercross debut in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class. Jace Owen will lead the charge as he makes the transition back to supercross following a successful stint in the AMSOIL Arenacross Championship. Isaac Teasdale and Swedish rider Fredrik Noren will complete the lineup alongside Owen.

A Pirelli-sponsored partner since 2012, Team Faith will field Dawson Newby competing in the complete Eastern Regional 250SX Championship. BarX/Chaparral/FLY/Suzuki will field their first professional rider with Ecuador’s Martin Castelo in the Western Regional 250SX Class.

Team Faith amateur rider Larry Dean and the entire BarX/Chaparral/FLY/Suzuki amateur team of Lance Kobusch, Dilan Schwartz, Austin Black, McClellan Hile, and Jack Fowler will compete in the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship in an effort to qualify for the Monster Energy Cup Amateur Championship at Sam Boyd Stadium in October.

In addition to assisting 450SX and 250SX teams, Pirelli technicians will be on-site offering technical support at each of the 17 rounds for all Pirelli riders, including Sunday’s Supercross Futures event. Any professional racer that purchases a set of Pirelli tires and qualifies for the night program will receive a free set of Pirelli tires at the following round.

Supercross action from Angel Stadium gets underway on Saturday, January 5 at 7 p.m. PT and can be viewed on NBC Sports Network. Check local listings for channel information to see your favorite Pirelli riders on track.

CLICK HERE to submit your application for the 2019 rider support program.

To learn more about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit www.pirelli.com

ABOUT PIRELLI

Pirelli was founded in Milan in 1872 and today stands as a global brand known for its cutting edge technology, high-end production excellence and passion for innovation that draws heavily on its Italian roots. With around 30,000 employees, Pirelli is a major player in the tire industry and the only global player focused solely on the Consumer tire market, which includes tires for cars, motorcycles and bicycles. Pirelli is now concentrating on High Value tire markets, delivering innovative tires and developing Specialties and Super Specialties for its comprehensive product portfolio. Pirelli has a long link with motorsport and it sustains its technological excellence by bringing innovations developed within the motorsport arena into its consumer products. The company currently supports over 460 car and motorcycle sport events and has been the exclusive tire supplier to the Formula One™ World Championship since 2011. Such a strong presence in motorsport enables Pirelli to transfer a series of avant-garde solutions to its day-to-day operations providing the final consumer with the maximum levels of performance and safety.

Pirelli Tire North America (PTNA) services NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) member countries through its Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) facility and research and development center at its Rome, Georgia headquarters, its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Silao, Mexico and its New York City, Montreal and Mexico City sales and marketing offices. The company manufactures, distributes and markets original equipment and replacement tires for export and domestic car/motorcycle applications (US, CA, MX) and Agro/Heavy Truck platforms (MX).

Source: Pirelli Tire North America