Melissa Paris Headed for England
Cycle News Staff | August 16, 2011
Melissa Paris will join the exodus to the United Kingdom when she competes in the Fuchs Silkolene British Supersport Cup Championship at the Brands Hatch season finale on the weekend of Oct. 7-9.The HT Moto Yamaha rider, who’s married to Monster Energy Graves Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, will race a Motodex-backed Yamaha R6 motorcycle.
“I am so excited to ride the Motodex Performance First Yamaha R6,” Paris said. “I know that learning a new circuit on the fly will be a challenge but I look forward to it. I owe a huge thanks to HT Moto and Yamaha and all of my sponsors here in the U.S. for being so supportive, as well as Tony Dexter for putting together this incredible opportunity for me.”MotoDex Performance First UGmbH principal Tony Dexter said he was “absolutely delighted to be taking Melissa Paris to the grid for the first time in the last round of the prestigious British Supersport series at Brands Hatch, in our own livery and in our first year of business. We are not just coming to play. We have a totally professional setup, a simply awesome Yamaha R6 and Melissa has proven herself time and again that she can run with the ‘big boys’. Be in no doubt, she is a tough cookie and an out-and-out racer and we’ve put together a stunningly competitive package and support crew for her.”
John Hopkins is currently second in the British Superbike Championship on the Rizla Suzuki, though he may have a difficult next race. Hopkins broke three fingers when he crashed the Rizla Suzuki at Brno and is in a race to fitness to be ready for the Aug. 27-29 round at Cadwell Park.And Jake Zemke competed in four rounds of the championshiop for Team WRF Honda in the EVO class.
