Richie Morris Racing’s Richie Morris announced today that his team has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with Geico Powersports and will enter a factory-supported Buell 1125R in the AMA Daytona SportBike class with rider Michael Barnes.
Morris made the announcement in a press conference Friday morning at Daytona International Speedway, where AMA Pro Racing is testing with control tire supplier Dunlop for the next three days.
The press conference was a star-studded affair attended by AMA Pro Racing President Roger Edmondson, Buell Motorcycle Company President Jon Flickinger, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson/Buell’s Bruce Rossmeyer and Rossmeyer’s daughter Shelly Rossmeyer Pepe.
The Rossmeyers are a long-time and continuing sponsor of Richie Morris Racing.
Morris said he was negotiating with the Rossmeyers for additional support for a second rider, who will run different sponsorship on another Buell.
Buell has established a new racing support crew to back Richie Morris Racing. That crew is being led by former American Honda factory Crew Chief Dave McGrath.
More, from a press release issued by Penni Nicolai, on behalf of Richie Morris Racing:
RICHIE MORRIS RACING ANNOUNCES A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 2009 AMA PRO ROAD RACING SERIES
Elkhart Lake, Wis., Richie Morris Racing is pleased to announce the signing of a three year contract with GEICO Powersports to sponsor their team in the 2009 AMA Pro Road Racing Series.
“We are definitely thrilled to have formed a partnership with this outstanding company,” says Morris. “It is an honor for us and for the entire motorcycle industry to have the backing of a company of their caliber and we are looking forward to a great season.”
“We are excited to be working with Richie Morris Racing again as they compete in the AMA Daytona SportBike class,” said Eric Vaden of GEICO Powersports. “We were involved with Richie Morris and the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson SunTrust Moto-ST team last season and they did an outstanding job for us. This is a great opportunity with a winning team and we are very pleased with how well this all came together.”
Flying the GEICO Powersports colors aboard the Buell 1125R will be top-ranked riding ace Michael Barnes. A resident of Boca Raton, Fla., Barnes comes to the team with a long list of credits and accolades, including podium finishes in AMA Superstock, Supersport, Superbike and Formula Xtreme. In 2007 Barnes raced a limited season, but earned a podium finish in the Daytona 200 AMA Formula Xtreme race. The year prior (2006) he earned five podium finishes in AMA Supersport and also competed in AMA Formula Xtreme, taking seven top-five finishes.
Just back from the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix where he took fifth, Barnes also raced for the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Buell team in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series taking the win at Heartland Topeka and a third at the 8 Hours At Daytona.
“This is awesome,” said Barnes. “I can’t wait for the season to get started. “Richie runs a great team and the 1125R is a incredible bike. I’m really honored to be carrying the GEICO Powersports banner and am eager to show their colors on the podium.”
Well versed in what it takes to have a winning team, Richie Morris has been involved in motorcycle racing since he was eight years old. A familiar name at many local and regional motocross and dirt tracks, Morris moved into road racing in 1991 and began carving a name for himself. In 1994 he signed with Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley- Davidson, the largest Harley-Davidson dealer in the world. Flying the Rossmeyer colors, he continued to race until a horrific crash in 2004 forced him to retire from competition.
“While I knew I couldn’t compete anymore, I had no intention of retiring from the motorcycle industry itself,” explains Morris. “When I heard that Roger Edmondson and the France family were starting a new series, the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series, I immediately began talking to Bruce about putting together a team.”
Teaming up with the Buell Motorcycle Company Morris entered a team in 2007 in the GrandSport Twins class. With well-know racers Shawn Higbee and Dan Bilansky piloting the No. 8 Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson/Ocean Deck sponsored Buell XB12, the team took home three wins and ended the season in second in class.
“In July of 2007,” continues Morris, “I learned that Buell would be introducing their new 1125R model and that it would meet the specifications for the premier class in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series, the Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport Twins class. I talked to Bruce and with his help we put together a team and an incredible sponsorship package which included Buell, GEICO, Eagle Riders, Coca-Cola and Toyota.”
Starting off the season with a new bike, it took the team just two races to work out a few minor bugs and by race three they captured their first victory at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
“It was totally awesome to take our first win in Buell’s own backyard which is also our hometown track,” said Morris. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”
Continuing on through the season, the team took another win and three more podium finishes to end the year in third place overall.
“We have three months before the AMA Pro Racing Series begins,” continues Morris. “Our whole crew will be working full force to make sure everything is in place and we will definitely be ready in March when the Green Flag waves at Daytona International Speedway for the famed Daytona 200.
“With things the way they are today I feel fortunate to have a company like GEICO on my side,” sums up Morris. “They have a great reputation and could save many motorcycle enthusiasts a great deal of money. In addition the motorcycle industry and its fans are extremely sponsor loyal and are committed to supporting the people who sponsor their sport. Having GEICO involved will certainly be beneficial to motorcyclists across the country.”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
GEICO POWERSPORTS TO SPONSOR RICHIE MORRIS RACING BUELL
TEAM RMR Will Enter Michael Barnes in Daytona SportBike Class for 2009 AMA Season
East Troy, WI (December 5, 2008) GEICO Powersports announced today it will sponsor a Richie Morris Racing Buell 1125R in the 2009 AMA Superbike Championship with veteran rider Michael Barnes. The RMR team will compete in the Daytona SportBike class with plans to participate in the entire 12-race series, beginning with the Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway under the lights on the evening of March 6, 2009.
Wisconsin-based Richie Morris Racing, which revealed its GEICO Powersports-liveried 1125R at Dunlop’s December tire test at Daytona International Speedway today, is making the jump to AMA competition after two successful seasons racing Buell motorcycles in the SunTrust MOTO-ST endurance series.
“We’ve been racing in MOTO-ST because I appreciate the vision and energy Jimmy France and Roger Edmondson of Daytona Motorsports Group brought to that series,” said team owner Richie Morris. “I think they’ll do the same for the AMA Superbike series in 2009.
“We were introduced to GEICO Powersports last season through its support of the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing team,” said Morris. “GEICO was impressed with our performance last year with a first-year motorcycle, and wanted a stand-alone team in a premier AMA Superbike Championship class for 2009. We are honored to have GEICO Powersports join Richie Morris Racing for the coming seasons. The familiar shield of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing will also appear on the motorcycle.”
The Bruce Rossmeyer Daytona Racing No. 8 Buell 1125R entered by Richie Morris Racing won two races and finished third overall in the premier Buell Motorcycle Company SuperSport (SST) class during the 2008 MOTO-ST season. In 2007, the team placed second in the MOTO-ST GrandSport Twins (GST) class, racing a Buell Firebolt XB12R. Richie Morris Racing last competed in the AMA Pro Superbike Series in 1999.
“We are excited to be working with Richie Morris Racing again as they compete in the AMA Daytona SportBike class,” said Eric Vaden of GEICO Powersports. “We were involved with Richie Morris and the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing SunTrust MOTO-ST team last season and they did an outstanding job for us. This is a great opportunity with a winning team and we are very pleased with how well this all came together.”
Michael Barnes, age 40, started racing motorcycles professionally in 1990 and has been an AMA regular since 1994. Barnes finished third in the AMA 750 Supersport class and won the season-finale race at Las Vegas in 1996. Racing for Team M4 Emgo Suzuki in 2006, Barnes had five podium finishes and placed third in the AMA Supersport championship. He has numerous podium finishes in AMA Superstock, Supersport, Superbike and Formula Xtreme classes. Barnes has also raced in the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Pro series, and in 2008 raced for the Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Racing team entered by Richie Morris Racing in the SunTrust MOTO-ST series. Barnes lives in Boca Raton, Florida.
“It’s great to see Buell privateer race teams raise sponsorship like this,” said Buell Chairman and Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. “Richie Morris Racing will also be the first AMA privateer Buell team to benefit from our new race development support program, led by David McGrath, who will work with select privateer teams to develop the 1125R at the track and back at the factory.”
GEICO Powersports has committed to sponsor the team for three seasons. Additional product sponsors will be announced at a later date.
“When we created the Daytona SportBike class, it was always our vision to see a variety of motorcycle brands competing head to head,” said AMA Pro Racing President Roger Edmondson. “It was also our belief that this type of racing program would be attractive to outside the industry sponsors. Congratulations and good luck to GEICO Powersports and Richie Morris Racing in 2009.”
AMA Pro Racing’s new Daytona SportBike class will feature a variety of high-performance motorcycles, with four-cylinder, triple-cylinder and twin-cylinder engines. Models from Aprilia, BMW, Buell, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha have been approved for the class.
To learn more about Buell motorcycles, visit your local Buell dealer today and experience the pure streetfighter attitude, style and performance only found on board a Buell. For the Buell dealer nearest you, pull into www.buell.com.