CAMERON PETERSEN TO RACE WITH M4 SPORTBIKETRACKGEAR.COM SUZUKI IN 2016
Cameron Petersen has signed a contract with Team Hammer Inc. to contest an M4 SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki GSX-R600 in the 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Supersport Series.
Petersen, who turned 21 last month, was among the genuine revelations of the ’15 MotoAmerica season. The Spanish-born South African displayed increasingly impressive form throughout his rookie season of racing in the States. That season culminated with five top-fives in the season’s final six races, including a punctuating runner-up result earned during the New Jersey Motorsports Park season finale weekend.
Petersen completed his rookie MotoAmerica campaign ranked seventh in the MotoAmerica Supersport championship.
The 2013 South African Supersport champ said, “After my encouraging MotoAmerica rookie season, I can’t wait for the 2016 season to start. It is a real honor to be riding for Team Hammer, one of the most respected teams in the paddock. I’ll have a bit more circuit knowledge, so hopefully can concentrate on getting the best out of the bike. After following Dave Anthony a few times during the past season, I’m looking forward to riding the Team Hammer Suzuki GSX-R600. Thanks to the team for having faith and giving me an opportunity to carry on with my American adventure. And thanks to the people back in South Africa who made this all possible.”
Team Hammer Crew Chief Keith Perry said, “We’re of course excited about having a young up-and-comer like Cam on our Suzuki 600 next year, We watched all year as he made steady progress toward the front in a very tight 600 Supersport field and feel like he will be an asset in continuing to develop our bike. Also, having prior experience racing against his father (Robbie Petersen) back in the FUSA series, we know he has good family support and a good knowledge of what to expect. We’re looking forward to getting things started.”
The 2016 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Championship will kick off on April 8-10 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
This year will mark Team Hammer’s 36th consecutive season of operating as a professional road racing team. During that time, racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 59 AMA Pro National races, have finished on AMA Pro National podiums 138 times and have won five AMA Pro National Championships, (the most recent in 2012), as well as two FIM South American championships. The team has also won 133 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and won 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 the F-USA Championship four times.