BETA’S BRITISH HOPE

At the end of 2015, the Beta Factory team snapped up a young British talent called Steve Holcombe – who’d just stepped up from the Enduro Junior (under 23) class – and signed him to a one-year contract to race the E3 class aboard their 300cc two-stroke machine. While Beta’s Team Manager, Fabrizio Dini, expected great things from his young star, he couldn’t possibly have known just what Holcombe would deliver the Italian brand in season 2016.

“Even we were surprised by Steve’s season, as 2016 was supposed to be a learning year in his new class and new team,” Dini said. “But Steve’s performances throughout the eight Grand Prix were astounding. And he brought us an E3 World Championship title, which we’d dreamed of for a very long time!”

So it comes as little surprise that Beta has just re-signed the superb young talent. What is surprising is that they’ve signed him or further three years because, as Dini points out, “Contracts of more than two years are very rare in our sport.”

In 2017, Holcombe will contest the EnduroGP class aboard Beta’s RR300 two-stroke, and will team up once again with former Enduro World Champion, Italy’s Alex Salvini. Salvini will also ride in the EnduroGP class, but aboard Beta’s RR350 four-stroke. The Beta team has not extended the contract of Frenchman and multiple Enduro World Champion, Johnny Aubert, but with Holcombe and Salvini, the 2017 Beta outfit boasts a strong combination of youth and experience, and is well poised to defend their Manufacturer title in EnduroGP next season.

For an insight into Holcombe’s title-winning Beta RR300, check out the feature article about the bike in Issue #17 of Enduro Illustrated