ONE of the hottest young racing talents from the USA – Patrick ‘PJ’ Jacobsen – will race in the 2012 World Supersport Championship for PTR Honda. A multi-national Champion in the USA and a product of the MotoGP Academy, who despite being just 18-years of age has a wealth of experience racing in Europe, PJ has raw speed and talent in abundance and is now setting his sights on a full season in World Championship racing. A racer that likes to spend time with the fans, he is joining PTR Honda – the organisation behind the successful Parkalgar Honda and Bogdanka Honda race teams (runner-up in the World Championship in 2009 and 2010). PJ will get his first outing on his PTR Honda early in the New Year at a private test in Europe before a further test at Philip Island in Australia ahead of the opening round of the 2012 Championship at the same circuit on 26th February. For more information and to follow PJ and PTR visit www.patrickjacobsen.com or www.performancetechnicalracing.com. PJ: “I’m very excited about returning to Europe to race in the World Super Sport class with my new team PTR Honda. I have always loved riding Honda’s, and the 600 in particular is a fantastic bike. I know the reputation of PTR and Parkalgar, and I am proud to have the opportunity to ride with such an excellent team on such an incredible bike. “I feel that the timing of this move is perfect. My experience and training so far have opened up this path for me to follow. But also, I know that in many ways I’ll be starting from the beginning again. There will be new people, new tracks, and new styles. There will be a lot to learn, but I intend to be competitive straightaway. I’ll need to work very hard to achieve success for myself and my team, but I know that I will have the complete support of Simon and the entire team. “Thanks to everyone on both sides of the Atlantic who made this deal happen. I can’t wait to head over to the UK to begin!” Simon Buckmaster, PTR Honda Team Manager: “PJ is one of the most exciting and promising racers in the world right now and we are delighted he has joined the PTR family. He’s young but with incredible talent, we cannot wait to work with him in the 2012 World Supersport Championship.” More about PJ… Patrick ‘PJ’ Jacobsen is an 18 year old professional motorcycle racer from Montgomery, in upstate New York. He has just completed his second year as an AMA Pro racer in the Daytona Sportbike Class. PJ has spent almost his entire life in the seat of a motorcycle. His father, a former pro racer, guided PJ in motorcycle racing from the time that he was only three years old. Impressively, PJ earned his first National Grand Championship at only five years old! This title for the 50cc class was the first of over 30 National Championships that he would earn before racing professionally. At only 12 years old, PJ entered into the Moto GP Academy. PJ was the first American to be selected for a spot in the Moto GP Academy. After the Academy, PJ would return to the US to race with Jorge Martinez and Team ASPAR. PJ would become youngest American to race in the 125 Moto GP race at the famous Indianapolis Speedway. Jorge’s interest in PJ grew, and he offered PJ a position on his world class team to return to Europe a second time to race in the CEV Spanish Championship. PJ earned many pole positions, then put the Aprilia 125 on the podium, winning 5th in the Championship. PJ would return back to the States to race one race for Barry Gilsenan of Celtic Racing aboard a CBR600 in 2009. PJ qualified on the pole his first ever AMA Supersport race. In 2010, PJ would race his rookie year in the AMA Daytona Sportbike class and contend at the front against many veteran racers. Despite the busy road racing schedule, PJ continued to compete in the AMA Dirt Track series. At age 16 PJ would qualify and finish 6th in his first ever Grand National Championship. Though this is substantially different skill than Sportbike Road Racing, PJ remains so impressively competitive that he earned the prestigious Saddlemen’s Rookie of the Year award for his Dirt Track efforts during the 2010 season. PJ raced for Celtic Racing and the legendary Eraldo Ferracci during the 2011 season. He would podium with 2nd and 3rd place finishes several times during the season. Ending the year in grand style, PJ earned two National Championship titles at the CCS Daytona Race of Champions XXIV.