Team Hero EBR to contest the 2015 World Superbike Championship with Pegram and Canepa
Ahead of 2014 World Superbike, American fans rejoiced Team Hero EBR joined the grid with former AMA SuperBike pilots Geoff May and Aaron Yates.
Results were anything but spectacular as the Erik Buell Racing team began to develop its 1190RS. Neither rider scored a single point all season, though much work was completed on the bike.
But EBR did score its first and only points of 2014 SBK at the Laguna Seca round. The man at the controls of the 1190RS? Ohio-native Larry Pegram.
And on Wednesday, Team Hero EBR reported that Pegram has joined the team for its assault in 2015 World Superbike. Pegram will be joined by the man who piloted the Althea Ducati 1199 Panigale R in 2014 SBK – Niccolo Canepa. For 2015, both riders will pilot 1190 RX machinery.
Besides riding, Pegram – star of the “Superbike Family” reality-television show – will also take the role of overall team manager.
“This coming season is something very special for me and I can’t wait to get started. Moving to the EBR motorcycles for me was a big deal, as I have wanted forever to see an American brand in performance motorcycles,” team rider/manager Pegram says.
“Although there were only a few AMA races in 2014, my team and I learned the EBR quickly. Our points finish in WSBK at Laguna, and podium finish in the last AMA race weekend show the potential of this motorcycle, and also convinced me and EBR that Pegram Racing could play a major role in moving the EBR World Superbike effort forward.”
As for Canepa, he has a wealth of experience, racing in World Superstock class, where he took the title in 2007, and World SBK, where he finessed second in the EVO class this year. He also spent considerable amounts of time testing at a MotoGP level.
“I’m delighted to join with Team Hero EBR for 2015 in the World Superbike championship. This is the perfect opportunity for me to combine my development and my racing skills,” Canepa says.
“Being on track with the EBRs in 2014, it was very exciting for me to see an American motorcycle in our championship, and by the end of 2014 the 1190RX was getting quite fast. They came a long way from mid-season and really got my attention! I am looking forward to being part of the next step up in performance.”
EBR also continues its partnership with Hero MotoCorp. Based out of Delhi, India, Hero MotoCorp is the largest-volume manufacturer of two wheelers. EBR reports that even in the midst of a highly-competitive market in India, Hero MotoCorp has retained clear leadership in the domestic motorcycle market with well over 50 percent market share.
Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd says, “We are delighted to again be partnering with EBR in the World Superbike championship this year. Hero is the first Indian two-wheeler brand to be associated with the World Superbike series. It has been a long-term commitment for Hero to be involved at the highest level of different sports, and participation in World Superbike, which is the premier class for production based motorcycles, fits our style.
“It also is in perfect sync with brand Hero’s fast-paced global expansion into new international markets. We do look forward to some exciting times at the championships this year, and to bringing the personal story of the team and team members to all of our customers through videos during the season.”
Erik Buell also responded: “We are delighted to be able to participate in the 2015 World Superbike championship. 2014 was a learning year for us, and we thank very much all the members of the 2014 team for their hard work. It was an incredible task to take on last year, having riders and motorcycles new to the circuit, and team members with no experience on our bikes.
“But it was part of a long term plan. Since we had a wide range of new people from different backgrounds, we did a large amount of experimentation during the 2014 season to capture a matrix of results from inputs of different team members. Many suggestions did not work out, but all were good for learning.
“For 2015, based on what we learned last year, we have made many changes and look forward to seeing how these all play out. At the highest level of competition like this, everything has to gel and we think we have the right combination to address what we learned last year.
“Larry Pegram will not only be riding, but will also be the team manager. Based on our experience with Pegram Racing in the US, including the wild card WSBK round, we feel that Larry will bring a strong connection between the factory and paddock and his calm under pressure will be just what we need.
“Niccolo will be a super addition with his tremendous combination of winning performance and testing experience on the SBK tracks. We also will be bringing the exciting new experience of Larry and his family doing World Superbike to all the fans of the Superbike Family TV show and to new fans around the world. My personal and grateful thanks go out to Hero Motocorp for continuing as our primary sponsor, and to AMSOIL for their sponsorship and technical support.”
About Erik Buell
Erik Buell was the founder and former Chairman/Chief Technical Officer of the Buell Motorcycle Company. He is a pioneer of innovative modern sport motorcycle technology as well as the founder of Erik Buell Racing and the new EBR motorcycle brand. EBR Motorcycles is delighted to be able to bring Erik’s passion onto the world stage. Former racer Buell has himself competed against some of the greats in the past and is equally excited and optimistic about the challenge ahead.
