Cycle News Staff | December 4, 2012
Steward Baylor will ride for the FMF/KTM Factory Off-Road Team in 2013. Photography by: Shan Moore
KTM recently announced its 2013 Factory FMF/KTM Off-Road Racing Team, which will be made up of seven riders. Most of them are returning riders.
Steward Baylor Jr., who captured the 2012 AMA National Enduro Championship as well as finished second in the XC2 class in the GNCC Championship as a privateer, is now a member of the factory team. He will return to defend his enduro title and will also move up to the XC1 class in GNCC aboard a 250cc two-stroke. He will ride alongside teammates Kailub Russell and Charlie Mullins, both riders returning to the orange team.
Two-time AMA Hare & Hound National Champion Kurt Caselli will attempt a third title and will be joined by Pro 2 WORCS Champion Ivan Ramirez. Caselli and Ramirez, as well as Mike Brown, will also return to Baja for the 2013 SCORE Off-Road Series.
Brown will also return to the AMA EnduroCross Championship, as will four-time EnduroCross Champion Taddy Blazusiak, who competes as a guest rider for KTM in the U.S. Blazusiak competes in Europe for the Red Bull KTM team.
Maria Forsberg will also return to defend her championships in the GNCC Women’s Championship, X-Games, and AMA EnduroCross Women’s Championship.
Former AMA National Enduro Champion Russell Bobbitt moves from the KTM team to Husaberg’s factory off-road effort for 2013.
“I feel we have a very strong team for 2013,” said Factory FMF/KTM Team Manager Antti Kallonen. “We have put together a solid team of riders, each of whom is equally capable of winning a championship. We have a great group of riders and mechanics as well as the best offroad race bikes available and together we hope we have a recipe for success. We are looking forward to the 2013 season and a chance to win all the championships!”
