Aaron Yates To AMSOIL Hero EBR Team
Cycle News Staff | January 28, 2013
Photography: Andrea Wilson
Erik Buell Racing has made it official: Aaron Yates will race an EBR 1190RS in the 2013 AMA Superbike Series on the AMSOIL/Hero side of the team that will also feature the returning Geoff May on the Team Hero EBR.
Yates, who suffered a badly broken lower right leg/ankle when he crashed and was run over by another rider during qualifying for the AMA Superbike doubleheader at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, on March of 2010, returned to racing last year, riding a GP Tech GP212 CRT bike in the Indianapolis round of the MotoGP World Championship and riding an EvanSteelPerformance.com BMW in four AMA Superbike rounds. The Georgian’s best result came in the final round of the series at NOLA Motorsports Park when he finished fourth.
Yates tested the EBR at Jennings in Florida in December along with May and former Yoshimura Suzuki rider Blake Young and impressed Erik Buell and Co. enough to earn the ride.
“We are very happy to announce that Hero MotoCorp will be returning as the title sponsor for the Team Hero EBR 1190RS in the 2013 AMA Pro Racing American Superbike series,” said Erik Buell in a team release. “This year the Team Hero entry will be for the #99 with Geoff May riding. Geoff will have Mike Fitzgerald as crew chief, with last year’s crew of Ryan Kelly and Grant Singley. Expect to see several Hero technicians working with the team while sharpening their expertise for future racing in India.”
Yates team, meanwhile, will feature Evan Steel as his crew chief.
“Joining EBR to help put American motorcycle in the front of AMA Superbike is a dream job for Phil [Allison], Willie [Vass] and myself” said Steel. “We have been passionate about sportbikes and racing for a long time, but what EBR has done is really special, and something we truly respect. Aaron [Yates] is such a talented rider and a friend as well, so this is going to be a great year.”
Rick Kress will manage both teams.
