2012 World Supersport
After two years in the AMA Daytona Sportbike class, the American PJ Jacobsen will join the World Supersport Championship, competing on the PTR Honda.
The 18-year-old Jacobsen, who had multiple podiums in 2011 AMA Sportbike while competing aboard the Celtic Racing Ducati, a team run by Eraldo Ferracci, will be the sole American in World Supersport (as of this writing).
He’ll compete on the PTR Honda, the same organization behind the Parkalgar Honda Race
teams, which finished runner-up in the World Supersport Championship in
2009 and 2010.
Besides his AMA experience, Jacobsen is also a product of the MotoGP Academy, which gave him first-hand knowledge needed to compete on the European tracks in World Supersport.
Jacobsen, of Montgomery, New York, will have his first outing on the PTR Honda CBR600RR during a private test in Europe following the New Year, and further testing at Phillip Island before the season-opener at the same Australian track Feb. 26.
PJ Jacobsen (PTR Honda CBR600RR World Supersport) says: "I’m very excited about returning to Europe to race in the World Supersport class with my new team PTR Honda. I have always loved riding Hondas, and the 600 in particular is a fantastic bike. I know the reputation of PTR and Parkalgar, and I am proud to have the opportunity to ride with such an excellent team on such an incredible bike.
"I feel that the timing of this move is perfect. My experience and training so far have opened up this path for me to follow. But also, I know that in many ways I’ll be starting from the beginning again. There will be new people, new tracks, and new styles. There will be a lot to learn, but I intend to be competitive straightaway. I’ll need to work very hard to achieve success for myself and my team, but I know that I will have the complete support of Simon and the entire team.
"Thanks to everyone on both sides of the Atlantic who made this deal happen. I can’t wait to head over to the UK to begin!"
Simon Buckmaster (PTR Honda Team Manager) says: "PJ is one of the most exciting and promising racers in the world right now and we are delighted he has joined the PTR family. He’s young but with incredible talent, we cannot wait to work with him in the 2012 World Supersport Championship."
PJ Jacobsen Bio:
Patrick "‘PJ" Jacobsen is an 18-year-old professional motorcycle racer from Montgomery, in upstate New York. He has just completed his second year as an AMA Pro racer in the Daytona Sportbike Class.
Jacobsen has spent almost his entire life in the seat of a motorcycle. His father, a former pro racer, guided PJ in motorcycle racing from the time that he was only three years old. Impressively, Jacobsen earned his first National Grand Championship at only five years old! This title for the 50cc class was the first of over 30 National Championships that he would earn before racing professionally.
At only 12-years old, Jacobsen entered into the Moto GP Academy. PJ was the first American to be selected for a spot in the Moto GP Academy.
After the Academy, Jacobsen would return to the US to race with Jorge Martinez and Team ASPAR. PJ would become youngest American to race in the 125 Moto GP race at the famous Indianapolis Speedway. Jorge’s interest in PJ grew, and he offered Jacobsen a position on his world class team to return to Europe a second time to race in the CEV Spanish Championship. PJ earned many pole positions, then put the Aprilia 125 on the podium, winning 5th in the Championship.
Jacobsen would return back to the States to race one race for Barry Gilsenan of Celtic Racing aboard a CBR600 in 2009. PJ qualified on the pole his first ever AMA Supersport race.
In 2010, Jacobsen would race his rookie year in the AMA Daytona Sportbike class and contend at the front against many veteran racers. Despite the busy road racing schedule, PJ continued to compete in the AMA Dirt Track series. At age 16, Jacobsen would qualify and finish 6th in his first ever Grand National Championship. Though this is substantially different skill than Sportbike Road Racing, PJ remains so impressively competitive that he earned the prestigious Saddlemen’s Rookie of the Year award for his Dirt Track efforts during the 2010 season.
Jacobsen raced for Celtic Racing and the legendary Eraldo Ferracci during the 2011 season. He would podium with 2nd and 3rd place finishes several times during the season.
Ending the year in grand style, Jacobsen earned two National Championship titles at the CCS Daytona Race of Champions XXIV.
