Spaniard Javier Orellana, the 2015 European Junior Cup Champion, and Canadian Braeden Ortt, a MotoAmerica KTM RC390 Cup race winner and KTM RC390 Cup World Final podium finisher in 2015, will race in the 2016 FIM Supersport World Championship for Racedays Honda.
Racedays Honda is part of the group that organizes the European Junior Cup (EJC) Powered by Honda Racing, which is similar to MotoGP’s Red Bull Rookie Cup and designed to identify and cultivate young riding talents and help them earn opportunities for advancement within the FIM Superbike World Championship paddock.
The FIM Superstock 600 European Championship class was eliminated for the 2016 season, and now the next step in the ladder in the WSBK paddock is the FIM Supersport World Championship.
“I would like to give a big thank you to the EJC for this fantastic opportunity,” 18-year-old Orellana was quoted as saying in a press release issued by Racedays Honda. “I am very grateful to my team and sponsors Europfood as well as Honda, Dorna and Pirelli. My team and I will work hard to give all of our best and get the best results possible!”
Orellana had surgery on January 19 in Spain to repair damage to the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his left knee, the result of a crash while training on a dirt bike in December 2015.
“Racing in World Supersport is an incredible opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m really looking forward to working with Jeremy and some of the other people I met while racing in the European Junior Cup,” Ortt, who is recovering from a broken left forearm he suffered while snowboarding two weeks ago, was quoted as saying in the same press release. “I know this series is a big step up and I will have a big challenge ahead of me, but I’m really looking forward to making gains and racing this Championship. I have a lot of people to thank for this opportunity and I can’t wait to get on the new Honda.”
According to a press release issued by Racedays Honda, Ortt will become the youngest rider to ever compete in the FIM Supersport World Championship when he lines up for the season-opener February 26-28, shortly after his 16th birthday on February 20.
”We’re looking forward to an exciting new season with two very talented young riders,” said former 500cc Grand Prix racer and current Racedays Honda Team Manager Jeremy McWilliams. “I’ve been lucky to work with both of them at the Honda European Junior Cup in the past and know they are very determined to impress in World, as they have predominantly been the riders setting the standard in their previous class. We have a great support package from WIL Sport and Honda, and with a comprehensive test program planned we know they’ll be well prepared for this challenge.”