KTM Racing signs Jeffrey Herlings for 2016-2017
KTM Racing has announced that Jeffrey Herlings, the most talented rider in the World Championship Motocross paddock has been signed to ride as a Red Bull KTM factory rider until the end of the 2017 season.
In 2009 Jeffrey rode for JM Racing KTM, his first step to becoming a full factory rider with the KTM team. His opportunity came to move into the MX2 KTM Factory Team at the end of 2009 when, shortly after his fifteenth birthday he had his first factory ride.
Herlings, a Red Bull athlete, rode his first full MX2 season with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2010 and became the youngest ever MX2 GP winner riding in front of his home crowd at Valkenswaard in April of that year.
Since then he has amassed an impressive total of two MX2 World Championship titles (2012 and 2013), 43 GP wins and in 2014 had an unbeaten streak of 18 race wins. He also won all the GPs in which he started in 2014 however an untimely injury prevented him from competing in the next three GPs of the season.
Jeffrey showed immense courage and determination, and the respect of the entire world of motorcycling to return to the final round in Mexico, attempting to seal his third title by racing in the final round while riding with a still injured leg. He finished the championship in second place conceding only in the final race of the season.
Jeffrey Herlings: “I’ve now had five seasons with KTM and I’m very happy that Pit (Beirer) is giving me a chance to stay with the team for another three years. The team has done a great job and I hope we can continue with good news and good wins in the future.”
Pit Beirer, Head of KTM Motorsport: “We are very pleased to have reached agreement with Jeffrey to ride for the factory team through to the end of 2017. Anyone who is a follower of the sport recognizes that he is a rider of passion and exceptional skill and we are very proud that he will be on our bikes and in our factory team in the coming seasons.”