James Rispoli BSB News
For 2016, another American rider will join the MCE Insurance Bristish Superbike Championship – James Rispoli.
The 24-year-old New York native has competed on Keith Flint’s Team Traction Control in British Supersport for the past two years. He completed six podium finishes while in Supersport, and now moves to the Superbike class with the Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha team, which will run yellow Yamaha 60th Anniversary colors on its YZF-R1 in 2016.
Rispoli is a multi-time AMA National dirt track champion, set mutliple land-speed records, and won two AMA Pro Supersport Championships. He will now join the other American in British SBK, John Hopkins (Ducati).
James Rispoli says: “I’m really pumped for 2016! I’m really pleased to sign with Anvil Hire Yamaha for the new season, they’ve already put a lot of work into 2016, and for me to go home to America, and signed for the new season, onboard a championship-winning bike is really awesome.
“I think to have the chance to join the championship with a great package with the Yamaha should make the transition easier, although I am under no illusions that it will mean a lot of hard work from me and the team in my rookie year. I’m really happy that Rob and Tracy have given me the platform to develop my career to the next stage and I really want to be the top rookie at the end of the season, especially with so many of us moving up from Supersport for next year.
“This is a huge opportunity for me and something that I have been working towards for a few years. Racing in the British Championship in Supersport has done wonders for me and I think the whole experience has really toughened me up and I am really determined to never give up on my goals. For me to have come over from America and now to be moving into the premier class in the toughest domestic series in the world is a huge accomplishment.
“I’ve put two years into Supersport, and I’ve shown that I can run at the front at that level at pretty much every weekend, and that was my biggest goal. From that my popularity has grown massively in the UK, and it’s time for me to move up. The fans and everyone around will be excited about this, it’s really cool to be the next American in the series alongside John Hopkins, and hopefully in the future I can be the top American in the series.
“I have no doubt that it is going to be an extremely tough season; the times were on lap record pace and so close this season and there are so many top calibre riders out there but I feel we are up for the challenge. We are riding a championship-winning bike and I believe we have the package to be fighting for the top six at the end of the season if we take it step-by-step to start.
“We have to set realistic goals, but Luke [Mossey] set the bar with two podium finishes in his first season after Supersport, so if we can be consistently in the top ten to begin with and then aspire to move forward towards the top five then that is the end goal next year. I think consistent points build a championship so that is what we are aiming for – the Rispoli Revolution is coming!”
