American Racing Team is thrilled to announce the signing of the 19-year-old American Sean Dylan Kelly for two-year deal with the team in the Moto2 World Championship.
Misano, San Marino (Sep 18, 2021) — The newly crowned MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Sean Dylan Kelly clinched the title with M4 ECSTAR Suzuki with two races remaining, amassing 11 wins in 14 races.
“SDK” Will become the first member of the specially formed American Racing Academy to be promoted onto the world stage.
This won’t be SDK’s first time appearing on the Moto2 grid, as the American was a late replacement for Iker Lecuona in the final round in Valencia 2019, after the Spaniard was called up to MotoGP.
SDK will join his countryman Cameron Beaubier in the American Racing Team for the 2022 season under the guidance of John Hopkins, who will continue as the Team Racing Director.
The duo is aiming to take their collective championship winning knowledge and translate it into Moto2 success with the same level of passion and determination.
Eitan Butbul – Team Principal
I’m very happy to have Sean ride for the team next season. I have known Sean since his time in Red Bull Rookies Cup and been working with him since we started the Academy project. Sean is an incredibly talented rider, hard worker, “never give up” and a positive person.
After three successful seasons in MotoAmerica with M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, Sean will be the first rider from our American Racing Academy program to join the team and complete our goal to have 2 American riders at the American Racing team.
The project between the Academy and the team is to build a platform and a clear path for talented American riders to give them the opportunity to compete at world level. For me, to have an all-American team is something special and the entire team will do the best to bring the best results and to represent the US at its best.
John Hopkins – Racing Director
The entire team and I are very excited to finally announce Sean Dylan Kelly will be joining us next season making American Racing an all-American team!
I strongly believe he has the talent, determination and motivation to make the step up and be competitive within his first season in the Moto2 World Championship. I also believe he’ll have a Championship-contending teammate within Cameron Beaubier, who will help play a crucial role in speeding up Sean’s development throughout his first season.
On top of this vital piece to the competitive puzzle, the whole team and I are 100% committed in helping Sean make a successful transition and will give him all the tools he needs to go out and show the world his true talent and potential
Sean Dylan Kelly
First of all I want to thank Eitan, John Hopkins and the American Racing Team for believing in me and giving me the incredible opportunity.
Making it to the World Championship is a dream come true for my family and I’m really excited to get back into MotoGP paddock as a Moto2 rider.
It makes me proud that this will make us a complete American Team, teaming up alongside Beaubier. I’m ready for this next step in my career and I’m thankful for all of the people who made this possible!
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:
TEAM HAMMER THANKS SEAN DYLAN KELLY FOR THREE GREAT SEASONS
Team Hammer would like to thank 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport champion Sean Dylan Kelly for three successful seasons and congratulate him on his next opportunity in racing as he moves to the international stage.
Kelly has signed with American Racing to contest the 2022 Moto2 campaign and becomes the latest in a line of racers who have moved on to compete in World Championships after spending their formative years with Team Hammer.
Kelly joined Team Hammer (racing as M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) in 2019 as a 16-year-old and quickly showed his ability and skill. The dynamic Floridian won two races in his MotoAmerica rookie year and finished on the podium seven times as teammate to championship winner Bobby Fong.
2020 saw Kelly finish on the podium in 16 of the season’s 18 races, winning five times and finishing as runner-up in the points. Although disappointed he did not win the title, Kelly fought to the very end and focused on making himself a better racer throughout the year.
‘SDK’ showed further improvement this season as he clinched to title with one round to go. Kelly won 11 times and finished on the podium in 15 out of 16 races in a collection of dominating performances. Although Kelly has always shown a tremendous amount of drive and heart, the 2021 season has seen Kelly’s superb racecraft and consistency move to the forefront.
“This is the completion of three years of hard work,” said Team Hammer’s Chris Ulrich. “Sean has matured as a racer and earned this. We feel like he’s had a good education while riding for Team Hammer and we are proud to launch another rider into the Grand Prix paddock. We’ll be rooting for him as he continues his career on the world stage.”
About Team Hammer
The 2021 season marks Team Hammer’s 41st consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 125 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 327 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
