Team Hammer has signed Valentin Debise to compete in the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Supersport Series aboard an M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki GSX-R600.
The Frenchman will team with Spanish-born South African Cameron Petersen, a duo that promises to provide an international flair to the 2016 Supersport title fight.
While only 23 years old, Debise already boasts an impressive resume of world and national championship experience. At just 16, he won the French 125cc GP Championship. He graduated up to the world ranks the following season, where he proved to be a regular points-scorer during his rookie season in the 250cc Grand Prix World Championship.
Debise followed that up with a pair of seasons in Moto2 and then transitioned to the Supersport World Championship in 2012, scoring a top-10 result at Donington Park.
Debise demonstrated the speed and skill to be a major player in both the FIM Endurance World Championship and French Supersport Championship early last season, before a shoulder injury sidelined him. Undeterred, Debise battled his way back to health and was victorious in the French Supersport Championship finale at his home track in Albi, France.
“I was looking to do something new for my career,” said Debise. “I was riding in the French Championship for four years, and at the same time I did five consecutive years in the World Championship. I was looking around the world to find which championship I can do, and I selected MotoAmerica because I think it is a series that can grow in a good way. I contacted Team Hammer, and I came here to America and met the team. I saw that our objective was the same, so we did a contract. I am very happy about this and I am looking forward to riding with the other guys.”
Team Hammer Crew Chief Keith Perry said, “It’s clear Valentin has a lot of talent. We’re sure that his talent and his international racing experience will help him get up to speed quickly over here. We think racing in a tough class like Moto2 will translate well to Supersport. We’re looking forward to working with him and getting him what he needs to do well in America.”
The 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Championship will open on April 8-10 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
This year will mark Team Hammer’s 36th consecutive season of operating as a professional road racing team. During that time, racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 59 AMA Pro National races, have finished on AMA Pro National podiums 138 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, (the most recent in 2012), as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 133 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and won 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won the F-USA Championship four times.
