Johnny Aubert renews with KTM Enduro Factory Racing
Tuesday 27 September: KTM Enduro factory rider Johnny Aubert of France has renewed his contract to ride ‘Orange’ for 2012 and 2013. Aubert, recognized as one of the finest Enduro riders in the world, will again contest the E2 class on the KTM 350 EXC-F.
Pit Beirer, Head of KTM Motorsports said he was pleased to have
Aubert stay with the team for two more years. "I am very happy that we
have signed the contract with Johnny to stay with our team, which in
2012 will have a very competitive lineup in all classes. Johnny is one
of the fastest riders in the world. He has a proven record and is a
definite title contender for 2012 in E2.” The KTM Enduro Factory Racing
Team is under the management of Fabio Farioli.
Aubert has just completed a fitness assessment at the Red Bull
Training Center in Austria and although now declared 100 percent fit
will not contest the finale of the Enduro World Championship GP season
in France. "Johnny is fit but he lacks race practice so we would prefer
for him to wait and start the 2012 season in good condition and
completely fresh,” Beirer confirmed.
Meanwhile there is something exciting in store for the French rider
and KTM in January 2012 when Aubert will take a standard KTM 450 Rally
bike and compete in the Dakar Rally, which this year takes in territory
in Peru as well as Argentina and Chile.
"We want to give Johnny a taste of the Dakar and he will ride with
the standard series model 450 rally bike and with the same customer
service package offered to other KTM privateers. We have no expectations
about top results but we are very interested to see how he enjoys and
adapts to this completely different style of competition,” Beirer said.
Johnny Aubert, who grew up with Motocross and then moved to Enduro,
took a world championship title in 2008 then joined the KTM Enduro
Factory Team in 2009 only to win another E2 world title. In 2010 he
contested the E1 class finishing second on the KTM 250 EXC-F after
illness robbed him of two rounds. He won the ISDE in Mexico with the
French team and also won the overall classification on his 450 EXC.
Johnny’s 2011 season was cut short after a nasty crash that resulted in
debilitating injuries in Round 9 of the Enduro World Championship in
Greece. He is widely recognized as one of the most skillful and
balanced riders in the elite Enduro class.