Kenny Noyes Gets Spanish Superbike Deal
Cycle News Staff | February 27, 2014
American road racer Kenny Noyes has signed with the importer’s Palmeto Kawasaki team to contest the 2014 Spanish Superbike Championship. For Noyes, who spent the last four seasons riding in the World Moto2 and CEV Moto2 Championships, this will be a return to 1000cc bikes and to the team he last rode with in 2009 (1000cc Extreme Stock) and 2012 (Moto2).
Although the technical rules remain the same, the 1000cc class of the FIM-CEV Repsol International Championship changes its official name from Extreme Stock to Superbike for 2014 and adds the Portimao circuit in Portugal to the nine-race schedule with all races televised live in Spain simultaneously on two major networks, Spain’s largest channel, Tele5 (open broadcast) and Movistar (Pay for view).
Noyes will also compete in the European Superbike Championship. Four manufacturers are entered with importer-backed teams: Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW and Aprilia, in addition to private teams running Honda and Ducati machines.
“The Moto2 experience was good, but last year I had a chance to ride the last three races of the CEV in the 1000cc class and managed two thirds and a fourth place on an unfamiliar bike and tires,” Noyes said in a team release. “I immediately felt at home on the big bike. After that I had several offers but my best choice was Palmeto Kawasaki. My goal in 2014 is to win the FIM-CEV Repsol Superbike title. Palmeto is a strong team backed by Kawasaki Spain and Michelin, and I have a solid technical team and a fast teammate, Venezuelan Robertino Pietri. So the rest is up to me.”
