Bridgestone Americas has teamed up with top Canadian Superbike Championship riders Ben Young and Trevor Daley to form Team BATTLAX, which will make their debut at the 82nd running of the Daytona 200 on March 7 through 9 at Daytona International Speedway. Team BATTLAX will compete on a pair of identically prepared Suzuki Canada GSX-R750 motorcycles that feature Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires.
Bridgestone-backed Team BATTLAX will feature a unique partnership with Young, who is the 2023 Canadian Superbike Champion and winner of the past three consecutive Canadian Superbike titles, along with his teammate Daley, who is a Suzuki Canada rider. Race and fabrication shop OneSpeedInc is building a pair of Suzuki Canada GSX-R750s with technical oversight and advice from Young’s longtime crew chief Willie Vass.
“The Daytona 200 features some of the best professional riders from across the world, and we are thrilled to partner with Ben and Trevor to represent Bridgestone this year,” said Jim Dowell, Motorsports and Sales Manager for Bridgestone Motorcycle Tire in the United States and Canada. “The Bridgestone BATTLAX family of tires has a long history of delivering at the highest levels of racing, and we are looking forward to seeing Team BATTLAX push its performance on track at the Daytona 200.”
Last year’s Daytona 200 marked Young’s first experience racing on Bridgestone tires. Despite several challenges with his equipment during the race week, a late push in the race itself ultimately saw him running inside the Top 10. For Young, this will be his fourth Daytona 200, while it will be his teammate Daley’s first, however, Daley has spent a significant amount of time as part of a Daytona 24-hour prototype racing team, which brings him a wealth of experience for the preparation needed to compete in a demanding endurance racing event like the Daytona 200.
“In North American motorcycle racing, there isn’t a challenge greater than the high banks of the Daytona 200,” said Young. “To win at Daytona is the ultimate feather in a racer’s cap. I’m ready to take my experience in previous Daytona 200s—and specifically last year on Bridgestone tires—and deliver another strong season of racing that builds upon the success of the last several.”
Young and Daley will be racing on Bridgestone BATTLAX tires following both riders recently completing the inaugural Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship Series, which marked the company’s record-setting first year as the exclusive tire supplier. Team BATTLAX will be fortified trackside by a full slate of Bridgestone engineers, with the entire team taking part in testing preceding the Daytona 200.
“Leading up to the event, our team will be well-familiarized with the Supersport-spec Suzuki GSX-R750 and will be able to use valuable information and experience to put us at the sharp end of the grid,” said Daley. “Between our collective experience and riding our own prepared bikes featuring Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires, I feel extremely confident heading into this year’s 200 with Team BATTLAX.”
Bridgestone’s partnership with Team BATTLAX aligns with the “Emotion” and “Ease” values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment. The Bridgestone E8 Commitment, encompassing eight values all beginning with the letter “E,” solidifies Bridgestone’s dedication to fostering a more sustainable world.
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