Hayden Gillim is now in Sidi boots! Motonation is glad to announce that one of America’s up and coming top road racers, Hayden Gillim has established a relationship with Sidi boots for the 2012 season and beyond. Hayden has championship blood in his veins (cousin to Nicky, Tommy and Roger Hayden) and will be one of the favorites to score podiums in the AMA Pro West Coast SuperSport series on his RoadRace Factory Yamaha R6 wearing Sidi Vortice boots! Motonation exclusively represents Sidi in the USA. See the complete line at www.motonation.com More, from a press release issued by Team RidersDiscount.com: Holland, MI Team RidersDiscount.com is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring WERA expert #177 Virginie “Frenchie” Massing for the 2012 season. This is the second year that Frenchie will be riding under the Team RidersDiscount.com banner. Frenchie will be representing Team RidersDiscount.com in the WERA North Central division, where she won the Women’s Superstock Expert title two seasons in a row. She is aiming for a third Women’s Superstock Expert title and more top finishes in Senior Superbike Middleweight as she takes on the competition with her Team RidersDiscount.com liveried Yamaha R6 Virginie “Frenchie” Massing – “I am very excited to be working with my friends at Riders Discount again this season. The help that Riders Discount provided last year was great, and it made a big difference having that kind of support. I had to do a lot of things on my own before, but now I can focus more on the racing. I feel blessed to have this kind of support at my age. I can’t wait to get back out on the track to fly the Riders Discount colors again!” About RidersDiscount.com: RidersDiscount.com is an online retailer of quality powersports gear, apparel and accessories. A company founded by racers, RidersDiscount.com ships equipment for every riding style to customers worldwide backed by a knowledgeable sales team and excellent customer service. More, from a press release issued by Chris Burns’ publicist: BURNS RETURNS TO DUTCH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP CHRIS Burns will return to the ONK Dutch Superbike Championship this season after signing a deal to remain with the GS Racing Team with official support from Ten Kate Racing. The Newcastle rider finished third in his rookie season of The Netherland’s leading motorcycle series in 2011 on board the team’s Honda, but this year has unfinished business as he returns with his eyes firmly on the title. This year his machine will be built by Ten Kate Racing and the team will also receive extensive support from Dunlop following a successful partnership in 2011 where Burns was consistently the highest-placed Dunlop finisher. “I am going out there hell-bent on winning the championship, second or third place doesn’t interest me,” he said. “Last year we had some good results together and turned the bike into a race-winning machine which was always up at the sharp end. This year we all want the same thing. We all want the title.” The team, headed by Gijsbert Spilt, has been working hard over the winter to secure the deals with Ten Kate Racing and Dunlop, and Spilt believes he has found the winning combination with his British rider. “This is a very exciting year for us. We have our bikes being built by Ten Kate and we are receiving a lot of support from Dunlop and with Chris on our bike we have all the tools to win,” he said. “Chris is such a good rider, he is the man who can get the most out of this and I really believe he will be the man to watch this year. To be working so closely with Ten Kate and Dunlop is a great opportunity for us all at GS Racing Team and we want to be the leaders in 2012.” Burns and his new team-mate Dutchman Peter Politiek will get their first taste of their new Honda CBR1000RR machines in a two-day test at Valencia this Friday and Saturday, before heading to Aragon next Monday and Tuesday for an official Ten Kate test. “The Valencia test is with Dunlop so we’ll get a chance to get some early work done before we go to Aragon with Ten Kate,” Burns added. “I’m really looking forward to getting on track with the World Superbike Honda team because we can probably learn a lot from them. “The deal we’ve got this year gives us our best chance yet to win a Superbike title and I’m determined not to squander it. I want to be ready for when the season starts next month because I want to be leading from the front from the start.” The 2012 ONK Dutch Superbike Championship season begins at Assen on April 9, and the team also plan to enter the Assen round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in September with a bike built to BSB-specification as well as enter a round of the IDM German Superbike Championship later this year. More, from a press release issued by Philip Wain: Simpson and Weeden to line up for Trickbits FBM Performance in 2012 The Trickbits FBM Performance team are delighted to announce that John Simpson and Tom Weeden will be leading their attack on two major Championships in 2012. The young pairing will spearhead the team’s assault on their first foray into Europe with the squad targeting success in the European Superstock 600cc Championship on Triumph 675R machinery. Simpson will also challenge for glory in the British Supersport 600cc Championship. 21-year old Simpson dominated last year’s British Supersport Cup, taking no less than 9 race wins and 16 podiums before clinching the crown with a round to spare, whilst he was also a regular points scorer in the Championship proper. The Northern Ireland youngster is expecting to be amongst the front runners on the domestic scene whilst also looking to make a major impression on the European Championship with the long term aim of moving onto the World stage. He will be joined in the Trickbits FBM Performance squad by former GP125 rider Weeden who will focus his efforts on the European Superstock 600cc class. The Maidstone rider finished 8th overall in last year’s Triumph Triple Challenge and, after finishing 11th in the final round of the National Superstock 600cc Championship, he’s now relishing the opportunity to further his career in the 600cc division and on the European circuits. In what promises to be an extremely busy season, the duo will also be contesting selected road races during the year with Aberdare Park and the International Gold Cup at Scarborough featuring heavily. Simpson dominated the Welsh meeting in 2011 and also impressed on his Oliver’s Mount debut so is eagerly looking forward to furthering his real road racing credentials whilst Weeden will be aiming for a solid debut on the public roads. The team will be heading out to Imola on the 16th March for testing in readiness for the first round of the European Championship at the Italian circuit at the end of the month. In between, there’ll also be out on track at the two official BSB tests at Brands Hatch and Snetterton on the 21st and 22nd of March. Speaking about the year ahead, team principal Paul Jinks commented; “We’re delighted to have John and Tom on board for 2012 and moving into Europe is the next logical step for us to take. We’ve secured some good support the year and are extremely pleased to be continuing with FBM Performance again who helped us to win the Supersport Cup in 2011. Kevin Brown’s engine work and technical knowhow will be a great benefit to us in Europe and with John and Tom, we believe we have two excellent riders who can carry us to the forefront in both of the Championships we’re contesting.”