Bimota Alstare BB3 to FIM Superstock 1000
As it waits for homologation in World Superbike, Bimota Alstare reported Wednesday its Junior Team that will compete in the 2014 FIM Superstock Championship (STK1000).
The Bimota Alstare Junior Team will field a BB3 in the Superstock series, with 18-year-old Christophe Pansson.
Pannson was born in Lyon, France, and first rode when he was just three years old – on a Yamaha PW50. A few years later he took up motocross, but at 8-years old he took to the tarmac and won the Belgian Pocket Bike Championship. In 2007, he turned his hands to karting, competing successfully in the Alsace-Lorraine regional championship with Team Guerrero Racing.
A year later, he moved to the south of France to be close to five of France’s great racetracks to follow his dream of a career in motosport. In March 2009, before he was 13, he passed his Certificate d’Aptitude au Sport Mécanique, which also allowed him to race – despite his young age.
Pansson started out on a Kawasaki 250cc, then quickly moved on to a Honda 450cc prototype before trying a Yamaha R6 on a track day in December 2009. At the start of 2010, he made his first laps of Valencia circuit on a Yamaha R6 that had been used in the previous year’s World Supersport Championship.
Last year he tried the STK1000 class for the first time and made steady progress throughout the season, dropping his lap times by nearly two seconds before the end. Having now raced a STK1000 bike, Christophe is ready and waiting for the next stage of his development – with Alstare’s help.
Christophe Ponsson says “I am very happy to be racing for the Bimota Alstare team. Both Bimota and Alstare have great histories and to be involved in this new chapter with them is very exciting and a great opportunity.
“I am looking forward to getting onto the fantastic Bimota BB3 and making progress every time I ride it. I would like to thank Francis and Benjamin Batta for having confidence in me and hope we will have a wonderful season together.”
