NZ Insider No.72: Townley to Suzuki?

Transmoto’s weekly web-exclusive column, the NZ Insider, penned by Chris Ritchie.

Let’s dig deeper into the rampant rumours doing the rounds over the past week surrounding Ben Townley and a return to the MXGP series in 2016 with the new-look Suzuki outfit, led by ten-time World Champion, Stefan Everts.

Speaking to BT straight after his monumental performance at the Motocross of Nations in Ernée, he mentioned that he had been talking with a number of teams in the MXGP paddock, but at that point nothing had come of it. Also, although they were not publicly announced at that point, the majority of the factory seats were already filled, making it tougher for BT to find an opening.

^ Townley exceeded all expectations at the 2015 MXoN. Image: MXGP

Then, after pushing recently crowned MXGP champ, Romain Febrve, to the wire at the MXoN, as well as most of the current MXGP field, this all changed. All of a sudden, after one weekend, people around the MXGP paddock were speaking about one man – Ben Townley, and there were still question marks on who Stefan Everts would be choosing for his revamped Suzuki team, the only factory team who had not already locked down its rider line-up for 2016.

Longtime Belgian Suzuki rider, Kevin Strijbos, will remain with the team in 2016, but with his teammate Clement Desalle taking the Kawasaki seat vacated by the retirement of Ryan Villopoto, there is a door open for BT.

Other candidates for the seat were Belgian rider, Ken De Dycker, having been shown the door by KTM after a disappointing 2015 season, Steven Frossard, still recovering from an almost career-ending injury, and Yamaha’s Valentin Guillod splitting with his Standing Construct team. De Dycker has signed with 24MX Honda, Frossard’s MXGP future is still up in the air, and Guillod looks set to remain with Yamaha, but on another team, putting BT in the box seat for the ride.

^ Everts and Townley exchange words at the 2015 MXoN. Image: Chris Ritchie

We understand the situation developed significantly post-MXoN, to the point where Everts and Suzuki are very close to signing the 30-year-old Kiwi, and with his return to Europe scheduled for January to begin 2016 preparations.

It will be a fairytale return to the MXGP series for the 2004 MX2 World Champion, getting his mojo back in 2015, thriving in his return to competitive racing, and now set to make a full-time comeback in Europe. The motocross fraternity in NZ has been buzzing with the gossip this past week, and the rumours are getting stronger by the day, and an announcement could be imminent! Watch this space!

In other news, the Acerbis 4-Hour Enduro was won by the Husqvarna pairing of Hadleigh Knight and Liam Draper near Taupo over the weekend, fending off challenges from Honda’s Scott Birch and Peter Broxholme, and Yamaha multi-time enduro and cross country champions, Adrian Smith and Adam Reeves. Birch and Broxholme finished six seconds behind the Husky-mounted duo, narrowly edging out Smith and Reeves in third Outright.