Ben Townley announces retirement
Sunday 31 March: Final Round of the Backflips NZ Motocross Champs at Taupo and Ben Townley announced his retirement at the start of Round 2.
After a stellar 12 year
international career that yielded a MX2 World Motocross title in 2004, an AMA
Supercross Lites East Coast title in 2007 and countless national titles,
Carlton Dry Honda Racing’s Ben Townley has confirmed he will retire from full
time racing effective immediately.
Townley’s remarkable journey saw him leave
his home country of New Zealand to take on the world at just 16 years of
age. He spent five years in Europe
and after claiming the MX2 world title in 2004, he finished third in the
coveted MX1 World Championship the following year.
In 2007 he moved on to
America to take on the best Supercross racers in the world and in a clear
display of discipline and dedication, he won the Supercross Lites East Coast
title in his first year of AMA competition.
While Townley will retire
from full time racing he will continue to work with the Carlton Dry Honda Team.
"This decision hasn’t come
easy,” Townley said. "I am yet to finish a full season in five years due to
injuries and unfortunately they have taken their toll. I love racing, it has
been my life for 22 years however I have a wife and two beautiful young sons to
consider.
"While I am retiring from
full-time competition, I will still ride and race at selected events. My
reputation and integrity are of the utmost importance to my family and I. I
told my team that I can’t deliver the championships I promised them injured,
and after this last fall I realised I needed to take time off to fully recover.
"Although I am retiring
from full time competition I am not walking away from the sport. I love
motocross and understand and accept that we can get injured. I am only 28 and I
believe I have a lot I can give the team and the sport.
"I will remain with Carlton
Dry Honda Racing and will be working closely with the team’s riders in an
effort to deliver them a championship.
I might not be twisting the throttle personally, however I believe I can
aide in other ways,” Townley concluded.
Supportive of Townley’s
decision Tony Hinton from Honda Motorcycles wished him well for the future.
"Obviously the timing
of this announcement is not ideal,” Hinton said. "However Honda has complete
respect and understanding for Ben's decision.
"Of course Ben's priority
must be his health and the well being of his family at this time and Honda
wishes him all the best for the coming months."
Carlton Dry Honda Racing
team owner Yarrive Konsky, a former racer who has dealt with many injuries,
understands all too well the impact they can have.
"Ben is a remarkable rider,
a caring husband and father,” Konsky said. "The effort he puts into his racing is outstanding and his
input in the team’s structure over the past year has made a huge
difference. In fact since he joined
the team we have won two championships.
"Ben will continue to
remain involved with the team, he is not quitting the sport, he is not leaving
the team and he is not turning his back on his fans or sponsors.
"Motocross is full of life
lessons. It can teach you about failure, joy, disappointment, excitement,
winning and losing as well as about maturity, teamwork, humility and
selflessness. Nowhere is that more evident than in what I have experienced with
Ben Townley,” Konsky added.