KTM Announces AMA Superbike Team – Will Compete Full 2012 Season

KTM announced it will compete in its first full AMA Superbike season, with Chris Fillmore riding the KTM 1190 RC8 R Race Spec.

The Austrian manufacturer made its AMA Superbike debut last year, entering two events, with Fillmore riding the RC8 R for the KTM/HMC team. KTM‘s presence in 2012 was initially in doubt, but the team confirmed it is returning to compete the full season with Fillmore and the HMC team.

“We were very proud of what HMC and Chris accomplished in 2011, entering the highly competitive Superbike class in the middle of the season,” says John Hinz, KTM product line manager. “We feel confident in our HMC program, Fillmore and the RC8 R that we will see even more success during the 2012 season.”

Fillmore finished seventh and ninth in KTM’s AMA Superbike debut at the Mid-Ohio round, last July in Lexington, Ohio, and added 18th and 22nd place finishes at the season-ending New Jersey Motorsports Park round in September.

“I have been testing the RC8 since it first arrived in the states and the Race Spec bike is very competitive,” says Fillmore. “I am very excited to be racing in the Superbike class again and am looking forward to competing in a full season and improving on our success from last year.”

Fillmore also won the 2011 AMA XR1200 Championship but it’s not clear yet whether he will defend his title in 2012.

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KTM to Make AMA Superbike Series Debut
2011 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Champion Chris Fillmore

By Dennis Chung