Although details are not available, the Umoto Aprilia 250cc Grand Prix World Championship team has encountered financial difficulties, and left Jeremy McWilliams and teammate Katja Poensgen scrambling for rides. Aprilia announced that McWilliams will now ride factory Aprilia RSW250s with young Italian Riccardo Chiarello for the RSC Aprilia team. McWilliams will be reunited with Team Manager Gianni Cantanella, who worked with McWilliams in 2000 when McWilliams rode the works Aprilia RSW-2 500cc V-Twin GP bike.

Meanwhile, Poensgen, 24, showed up for the recent IRTA tests at Jerez without a bike to ride. “They (the Umoto team) now have money troubles,” Poensgen told reporters. “No machine was ready at the Umoto Team,” wrote Poensgen on her website, www.katja-poensgen.de. Poensgen was able to borrow Alexander Hofmann’s spare bike to ride and turned the 19th-fastest 250cc time at the test, some eight seconds off the pace set by the fastest rider.

Poensgen gave up her last year of European Superstock Series eligibility to switch to Grand Prix race; the Superstock Series has a maximum age limit of 25 years.