Robertino Pietri to make a special appearance with SGA/YCRS/KATRA Racing for the Daytona 200.
The 26-year-old Venezuelan, Robertino Pietri will be pulling double duty at the Daytona 200 as he runs both the 200 and the Superbike race on March 17th.
“I’m very thankful to John Ulrich and Team Hammer because I am under contract with them for the 2012 Superbike season and they are making an exception in allowing me to race the 200,” said Pietri. “I’m just as grateful to SGA/YCRS(Yamaha Champions Riding School)/KATRA Racing for the opportunity to ride their bike in this famous race. KATRA Team owner Kat Zimpel and I have had a good relationship for years. I’ve assisted her in bike set up and some coaching for local races in Florida and when she mentioned that she had a competitive R6, I immediately threw out the idea to sign up for the Daytona 200 and she was down for it. I’m fortunate to have the support of these teams and Venezuela for this important race, if I can pace myself and keep the bike in good shape I think we will be running up front.”
When asked for comments, KATRA Racing team owner Kat Zimpel said, “Robertino has been with the AMA since 2006 and racing Moto2 for the last 2 years so we know he has the experience and talent to run this race. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when a Moto2 rider comes back to the AMA. We hope that this is the first collaboration of many with Robertino. SGA/YCRS is a great partner, this is going to be an experience that I know I’ll learn from and can apply towards the teams I plan to have in the future.”
SGA/YCRS/KATRA Racing will also have Tommy Aquino on their Graves built Yamaha R6 for the 200 while providing some support for Italian Nico Vivarelli as well. In addition to being a team owner, Kat Zimpel is a competitive Sprint/Endurance racer who ran last season on a V-twin and she’s already stepped up to the 600. Not only will she be on a 600 but she’ll be running the team as she’s in the process of forming a Women’s International Yamaha Endurance team to compete in the 2012 season.