MONTEREY, Calif. (July 3) — New opportunities arise for GEICO Motorcycle Honda Superbike rider Chris Ulrich, who will now compete in the GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, July 11-13, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Instead of competing in Round 4 of the AMA Pro Road Racing Series season as originally planned, Ulrich has decided to try his luck on a larger stage in Round 9 of the World Superbike Series. This change comes at a time when both series will be racing Laguna Seca on the same weekend.
“I’m excited to be able to race against so many different riders from across the world,” Ulrich said. “And I’m really excited to compete in the FIM Superbike World Championship Series.
“I’m going to give this race my best effort and I want to positively represent GEICO. They are the title sponsor of the race weekend, which gives me an extra push of momentum to do well. We’ve made a lot of gains on the bike this year already, so I feel like we have a good chance at a solid day.”
With a few struggles throughout the 2014 AMA Pro Superbike season, Ulrich has had two DNFs, which have him mired back in the points.
“I hate it for the guys that we aren’t in a situation to finish higher in the Pro Superbike championship this year,” Ulrich said. “They’ve worked really hard, week in and week out, to get the bike right for me and for the conditions we’ve experienced. Unfortunately things happen in this sport, and with two DNFs already, the focus has shifted to developing the bike, improving our finishes each weekend and maximizing sponsor exposure.
“Racing in a round of World Superbike is a huge deal for any rider and I’m happy to have the chance to do it.”
Racing action begins July 11 with a full day of practice starting at 10:30 p.m. PT. Road racing continues on July 12 with practice at 10 a.m., followed by two rounds of Superpole at 1 and 1:25 p.m. The following day, Sunday, July 13, will feature two Superbike races, one at 11 a.m. and the other at 2:45 p.m. Live racing coverage of World Superbike Superpole and Races 1 and 2 from Laguna Seca will be broadcast on beIN Sports.
