Red Bull GRC: Ganassi to run two-car Ford team

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CGR GRC infographic.

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams will expand into Red Bull Global Rallycross for the 2015 season, with a two-car Ford team. A full release from the team is below:

Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc. (CGRT) announced today the formation of a two-car team in the Supercar class of Red Bull Global Rallycross (GRC) with new partner Loenbro and drivers Brian Deegan and Steve Arpin. CGRT joins the vibrant and growing series and looks to continue its history of on-track success while also complementing the team’s continued focus on reaching millennials as a vehicle to grow interest in motorsports.

CGRT joins forces with energy services and construction company Loenbro, which serves clients throughout the Rocky Mountain region and beyond, to field the two-car team out of CGRT’s Concord, N.C.-based shop that houses their NASCAR Sprint Cup and XFINITY Series programs. Founding brothers Paul and Jon Leach are entrepreneurs who built a company on a foundation of strong core values and a tireless effort to exceed clients’ expectations, and have had life-long personal interests in the world of motorsports.

The 16-time X-Games medalist Deegan will pilot the No. 38 RockStar Energy Drink Ford Fiesta ST, with teammate Arpin in the No. 00 ENEOS Ford Fiesta ST. Arpin will run the full 12-race calendar, with Deegan competing in seven races. The two will also compete in X Games Austin this summer as it returns to Circuit of the Americas from June 4-7.

Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams: “As a fan of motorsports I’m particularly interested in the GRC cars, their horsepower levels and the absence of traction control but make no mistake about it, we are in this series to win – both on and off the race track. Also, GRC has proven to be a very innovative and fresh take on today’s motorsport product. The series is targeting a new demographic and aligns with ours and more importantly with our partners’ focus on connecting with Millennials.”

Paul Leach, President, Loenbro: “Loenbro is thrilled to partner with Chip Ganassi Racing and to do great things with Steve and Brian behind the wheel. My brother and I have had a passion for racing since we were kids, and many Loenbro employees are big fans of the sport. Chip Ganassi Racing is committed to excellence, innovation and winning with integrity. Our company shares these values and the Loenbro family is proud to join them in this partnership.”

Colin Dyne, CEO, Red Bull Global Rallycross: “Chip Ganassi Racing has been an integral part of the motorsports landscape for the past 25 years. We are proud to have them join Red Bull Global Rallycross for the 2015 season and look forward to racing with them for many years to come.”

Brian Deegan, Driver, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams: “This has been a life-long goal to be partnered with a world class racing organization that has won numerous championships from the Indianapolis 500 to the Daytona 500 to the Rolex 24 At Daytona. I look forward to working with them and building a winning GRC program that can win GRC championships.”

Steve Arpin, Driver, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of such an established team like Chip Ganassi Racing entering GRC with the support of Loenbro and partnership with ENEOS. For me, being a race car driver my whole life, this is the opportunity of a lifetime and one that any driver would dream of. Mr. Ganassi has set a high standard with the way he operates his race teams both on and off the race track, and just through the early stages of preparing for this season it is easy to see why the organization has such long-lasting partnerships and why its employees wear the team’s logo with so much pride.”

Beta Motorcycles joins SuperMotocross in 2024, Benny Bloss named first factory rider

Beta Motorcycles 2024 Bloss
Beta Motorcycles
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Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.