Andy DiBrino is one of the most versatile motorcycle racers in the country. He’s competed in road racing, motocross, flat track, Supermoto, and even Red Bull Straight Rhythm. Located in Tualatin, Oregon, DiBrino is a three-time Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA) #1 plate holder.
He is also one of the “OGs” of the Roland Sands-conceived Super Hooligan racing discipline, and he was winning races and championships in Super Hooligan even before it debuted as a road racing class at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Incidentally, DiBrino led both practice sessions and qualified in the pole position for that inaugural Super Hooligan road race at Laguna. He ultimately finished as runner-up in the race to long-time KTM factory rider Chris Fillmore, who had stalked him throughout the weekend.
As Super Hooligan grew on the asphalt, adding more venues over the subsequent years, and becoming the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship (MSHNC), DiBrino remained one of the frontrunners in the highly popular race series.
Last year’s MSHNC began with great promise and anticipation at Daytona International Speedway for DiBrino. He was fast and poised for a great season in the unique, high-handlebar, naked-bike race class. But then, in race one, DiBrino was involved in an on-track incident. He crashed hard and suffered both a concussion and a badly broken tibia and fibula in his right leg. The leg injuries were complicated and not quick to heal, and they sabotaged almost his entire Super Hooligan season. DiBrino did return to action at Circuit of The Americas for the final round of the MSHNC, but he was still nowhere near 100% healthy.
As Daytona International Speedway and round one of the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship loom large on the horizon, Andy DiBrino is back and ready to resume racing at the same track where it all went wrong a year ago. For his return to Daytona and to the MSHNC, DiBrino is racing for the same team, and with the same sponsors—Competition Werkes Racing—but he’s on a new brand of motorcycle: the Triumph 765RS. By most accounts, the 765RS is expected to be an absolute weapon in Super Hooligan and is should give the Harley-Davidson Pan America, winner of last year’s MSHNC at the hands of Cory West, a serious run for its money.
We had a few questions for DiBrino as he prepares to make his way from the Pacific Northwest to the Atlantic Southeast for next week’s season opener at Daytona:
Q:
How excited are you to be back racing in Super Hooligan this year after your injury last year at Daytona?
DiBrino:
I’m really excited. I’ve been part of this championship since 2017. I had only ever missed one race prior to getting hurt last year, so it felt really weird watching for most of the year.
Q:
Do you have any apprehension about returning to Daytona, considering what happened to you last year?
DiBrino:
No apprehension, really. I think, last year, I was just over-riding my old bike, and it got me. This time around, I just want to get through the weekend on two wheels and in one-piece, and have a solid foundation to build on going into Road Atlanta (round two of the MSHNC). With recovering from the second surgery I had this past November, I haven’t been able to ride until this past weekend at Buttonwillow where I got about a day and a half of testing in. Lots to learn and develop but I feel way more confident coming into Daytona this year as opposed last year.
Q:
How do you like the Triumph, and do you think it will put you at the pointy end of this championship?
DiBrino:
I’m in love with the Triumph. It’s really refreshing to be on a new bike, and I’m back with EDR Performance who I’ve worked with my whole career, essentially. I was supposed to have something newer and more competitive last year, and unfortunately, it didn’t come together due to reasons out of my control. I do want to shout out and thank Gray Area KTM, who did an awesome job for me for what we had to work with last year. But this Triumph has been a major shock of encouragement to me to get back in the series and try to be back in my 2023 form and fighting up front. The sound of the triple-cylinder engine is incredible, and the package all around feels stronger than I’ve had previously. We will see how it performs in a race scenario against all the heavy-hitters, but I think the 765RS platform has potential to be the best bang for the buck in the class as far as being an affordable bike that is easy to set up and take racing competitively.
Q:
What do you think of Super Hooligan as a championship, especially with such a diversity of bikes and 10-plus different motorcycle brands?
DiBrino:
I’ve been part of this series since 2017 when it was a flat track-only championship. So, I’ve seen it evolve over the years, and I have evolved with it. I like the customization we get to do with the bikes. It’s not a cookie-cutter class. You look at any bike on the grid, and you’re going to see some custom-made parts. You’ll see the same model bikes but they’ll all look completely different based on how people did their build. On my Triumph in particular, EDR Performance had to prototype a lot of 3D-printed parts to relocate the dash, make number-plate mounts, make an intake scoop, etc. I have always had a hand in my bike builds, and I enjoy that part a lot as far as making it look how I want. I still need to figure out how to mount some lead weight onto the bike to meet the class minimum weight, though (laughs).
Q:
You badly broke your leg last year, and it took quite a bit of time to recover. Are you 100% healthy at this point, and how is your fitness. Have you been able to train?
DiBrino:
I just saw the doctor last week, and we are really happy with how my leg looks after the recent surgery. It’s not 100% but I feel 100% better than I did when I raced at COTA in September. I had switched doctors just prior to COTA, and he expressed some concern with my leg then, but I was already riding at that point. My previous doctor honestly probably set my whole recovery back three months just due to a lack of care and attention. At this point, it’s not something I’m even thinking about when I ride. I am starting to train again. Fortunately, our races are short, and I’ll be able to build up the fitness fairly quickly.
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