For the last two seasons, American Jayson Uribe, age 18, has raced for the AGR Team in the Repsol CEV/FIM Moto2 European Championship, placing 11th in points each season with many top-10 race finishes.
Uribe was all set to return with AGR Team and in December 2017 the team even announced Uribe would be teaming up with Edgar Pons, but in the last couple of weeks things fell apart, leaving the Californian without a ride for the 2018 season.
“We’ve come to a small disagreement over the contract, and it’s unfortunate,” Uribe told Roadracingworld.com in a telephone interview Wednesday. “I followed through on my end of the deal. As far as me and my family, we’ve done everything that we’ve been told that we needed to do. It’s just been a bit of a bumpy road these past couple of weeks, and in the end it turned out to be the best for all of us if we parted ways for the rest of this year.
“I’m trying to stay positive about it. Both parties are trying to come out of it in a positive manner. It’s really a bummer. There’s a lot of politics going on in the background. I’m just thankful for the opportunities that they have given me. I’m trying my best in the next year or so I’ll be able to come back with them.”
Uribe said he’s trying to get his feet back under him and working to stay fit while he looks for new opportunities for the 2018 season.
“I’m reaching out to a couple of different people. A couple of different people are talking to me,” said Uribe. “I’m trying to keep my options open. I know where I’d like to be. I’d like to stay on a prototype bike. I’d like to be back in Moto2, but I know that’s not always going to be possible.”
During off weekends in 2017, Uribe made guest appearances in the MotoAmerica Supersport class and finished on the podium in a race at Utah Motorsports Campus. Asked if he would be open to racing in MotoAmerica in 2018, Uribe said, “I had a great time in MotoAmerica last year when I did those two races, and I’d love to be a part of it. I’ve had a couple of different people that I’ve reached out to and vice versa. No one has offered me a ride, of course, but I’m talking to a couple of people. I have an option to jump into Superbike, which may or may not be the greatest idea but it is with a very good friend of mine. I’m just trying to keep my options open.”
On January 29, AGR Team announced via a post on its website that it had done a deal with American Benny Solis, Jr.