Kay Karssemakers signs with Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee for 2022
By Andrew Hill on 30th Jan 22
MXGP Matterley Basin Conrad Mewse Kay Karssemakers
Kay Karssemakers has signed with Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee for the 2022 FIM Motocross World Championship.
The 17-year-old Dutchman will skip EMX250 as he leapfrogs from EMX125 to contest the MX2 world championship and the British national series.
Karssemakers signing comes less than three weeks before the start of the season, which gets underway at the famous Matterley Basin circuit on February 19-20. While Karssemakers is well aware of the short time he has with the team before the first official race of the year, he is delighted with the chance it offers.
"I am so happy to join the Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee team," he said in a press release. "It is a great opportunity for me, and I'm so happy with it.
"There are great people in the team, and the bikes are so good. I am happy that I got this opportunity and that they believe in me. We have not got long until the season, but we are going to make the best of the time that we have before the first race!"
Karssemakers replaces Conrad Mewse, who recently shocked his fans with the sudden announcement that he would immediately leave the team. Mewse has not yet announced his plans for the season.
The Dutch starlet joins Isak Gifting in MX2, while Cole McCullough will take on the EMX125 series, which also starts its season at Matterley Basin.
While Mewse's exit may have come at an inconvenient time, team owner Roger Magee wasn't going to rush into a decision. "I was approached a few weeks ago regarding the possibility of Kay joining the team for 2022," he said.
Kay Karssemakers
"After some intense research on Kay's previous results and lap times, as well as taking opinions of people within the sport that I trust, I decided that he would be a very good fit in MX2 for Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee.
Although Magee has enjoyed little time to run the rule over Karssemakers, he's already impressed with what he's seen. "Over recent days, it is already obvious he has a very good work ethic for a 17-year-old, and I genuinely believe we can take him to the next level in motocross," he added.
"Our team ethos has always been to give young, talented riders the best of opportunities to make it to the highest level. The riders who 'make it' take the opportunity that they are given, work hard relentlessly, and make the sacrifices required to be a winner. With Kay and Isak, we know that they will do that."
Team manager Bryan Connolly is equally happy. "We are always looking to the future as a team, so signing one of the brightest stars in the MXGP paddock is exciting for all of us at Hitachi KTM fuelled by Milwaukee. Kay Karssemakers has shown a lot of promise at a young age, and we are excited to provide him with all of the tools that he needs to fulfil that potential."
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