Seeing Raffaele de Rosa’s name on the 2012 WSBK provisional entry list roster was a suprise and seeing that Pro Ride Motorsports is finally going to be on the grid was another big surprise.
de Rosa competed in Moto2 for the last two years and has had a hard time coming to grips with the 600cc bikes.
In 2010 he was the top crasher when he was riding for Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 Moto2 team and in 2011, after just four races was axed by the Desguaces La Torre G22 team run by the Nieto brothers and replaced by Carmelo Morales who was more appealing to their sponsors (G22 has now pulled out of the championship).
The Italian rider, who was one the late Marco Simoncelli’s BFFs (he used to drive Marco around when he had his driving license suspended twice for speeding) the spent the rest of the season playing substitute rider for Sag Racing, Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 team and then went to ride for NGM Forward Racing.
Now de Rosa is looking ahead to the new challenge and a completely new championship:“I am very happy to be part of this project, I like the way Marco Nicotari thinks and I believe in the way he wants to manage the team and on the conditions his company offered to me.
I found at Pro Ride a family rapport and this is something elementary but unusual inside the pit garage and until now this was missing element for me.
Changing championship does not scare me at all.
I do not expect to be fast at the very first moment, but for sure I am looking for results and satisfaction.
I would like to be one of the first among the “rookies” of 2012 and honestly I think this can be done.
But as the World Superbikes is a new situation for me, I do not have much idea of the way the other bikes behave and the challenges I’ll face ahead.
But I believe that Marco, with all his experience, together with the team, will be able to help me to take the best from our Honda.
It would be perfect if Honda, with whom I made my best results on the 250gp – could give us some support.
I am ready to Phillip Island: as it is one of my favorite tracks, I am coming motivated to take the best of my Fireblade!” As we mentioned yesterday, Pro Ride has tried to enter the World Superbike championship twice, but never found the right sponsor to back them and had to turn to help manage MZ Racing’s Moto2 effort in 2011, now it seems that they are finally ready to put a Honda CBR 1000 RR on the WSBK grid.
“After 3 long years of hard working, we are finally able to start the Team Pro Ride Motorsports where I wanted, in the World Superbikes.
We made a different road last year with the Moto2 – that brought a new experience to my company, but we are finally here.
At this moment there is not much to tell but much to be done.
We are coming back to where Pro Ride has been created and with a lot of energy to represent our way of making races: bike and its development at first place.
Raffaele is the rider we were looking for, a young man full of talent, values and strength.
We re-start in a humble way, from the beginning and aiming to reach results, be professionals and for sure work together with our technical sponsors, brands that are with us for such a long time and have never left us during the hard times.
We are happy with the possibility of making a precise job and giving Raffaele the working environment that he wanted.
At Phillip Island we will see the way our bike will behave and we will then be able to make an accurate strategy for the season.
It won’t be easy, the level is really high, but there are a lot of motivation.
I feel at home.
I would like to thank INFRONT represented by Paolo Ciabatti, the SBK Commission represented by Giulio Bardi and Pirelli, represented by Giorgio Barbier for the respect, the welcoming and mainly the professionalism,” said team manager Marco Nicotari.
Nicotari also stated that Pro Ride will have the the factory support of brands like Giannelli, GB Racing, Carbonin, Mechanix, Beta, Rizoma, DID, Nissin, Showa, Valter Moto, Motorex and many others.
The project has also the sponsorship of some Italian companies and the main sponsor is Real Game, a Lombard company from the bets and electronic games area.