KAWASAKI,Blake Young to Ride Attack Performance CRT

Blake Young to Ride Attack Performance CRT

Blake Young may not have a full time AMA Superbike ride this season but he will get the chance to compete in some high-profile races. CycleNews reports the former Yoshimura Suzuki rider will race for Attack Performance on its Kawasaki-powered CRT racebike at the three U.S. MotoGP rounds.

Young was runner-up to Josh Hayes in the last two AMA Superbike campaigns. In 2011, Young trailed Hayes 363-358 at the end of the season but had a 7-3 edge in race wins. This year, Young had three wins but they all came in the first three double-header events before Hayes separated himself from everyone else on his way to a record-setting season. Despite being one of the few racers with a good chance of catching Hayes, Young found himself without a ride after Yoshimura decided to go in a different direction.

Now that he’s landed with the Attack Performance team, Young will be chasing M1s around the track instead of R1s at three MotoGP races. Young will compete in the April 21 Grand Prix of the Americas at Austin’s new Circuit of the Americas, the July 21 U.S. Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif., and the Aug. 18 Indianapolis Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I got a deal with Richard Stanboli and the Attack guys to do the three wild card races on the CRT bike,” Young tels CycleNews. “I’m really excited about it. I think they put forth a really good effort last year and I’m looking forward to getting on the bike and hopefully getting those guys some good results and hopefully finding some more sponsorship for the team.”

Last year, the Attack team and rider Steve Rapp attempted to race at the Laguna Seca and Indianapolis rounds but failed to qualify for the U.S. Grand Prix. The team redeemed itself at Indy, qualifying 21st and finishing 14th to score 2 championship points.

“I think they did a really good job last year and Steve Rapp rode the bike really well and they had a really good effort put forth,” says Young. “They gave me a call and asked if I’d be interested … at this point I’m pretty much interested in anything and I think this is a good opportunity. To be in that paddock and to learn from those guys … I’m fairly young and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Maybe CRT is the future and I’d like to be on an American team at the American rounds.”