The start of a new calendar year is when the entire MotoGP paddock—including Moto2 and Moto3 teams—resets itself ahead of the coming season. During this time of year, new liveries, new riders, and an electric air of possibility seem to permeate every team announcement. Although Moto2’s American Racing Team has only been around a few years, that’s absolutely the case with this team, as we head into the 2022 season.
In late January, ART officially held an unveiling event in Los Angeles, California, with TV’s Barry Weiss hosting as riders Cameron Beaubier and Sean Dylan Kelly took to the stage to show off their 2022 machines. Beaubier is a five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, who completed his first year in Moto2 during the 2021 season. 2022 will mark Kelly’s rookie year in the series, but he comes to Moto2 hot off of winning the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
After a successful launch event, ART set off to several filming locations around southern California, in preparation for a project to be unveiled at a later date. So far, no details about it have been given—but they’ve teased it a bit in various statements, so chances are excellent that we’ll learn more about it soon.
Gallery: American Racing Team Moto2 2022 Bikes
That wasn’t all the news that American Racing Team had in store, though. The team also announced that it’s currently building its own American Racing Academy Farm in Texas. Not just anywhere in the Lone Star State would do, though. This facility is a 10-acre parcel, situated right next to Circuit of the Americas in Austin. The current plan includes a motocross track, oval and TT flat track circuits, and even accommodations available for guests to come and stay at the farm.
“After only three years, we have achieved our mission. In 2018, we started something special, sometimes I say “by mistake” because I didn’t plan to be in the position I am today as a team owner,” ART owner Eitan Butbul said in a statement.
“We didn’t call the team ‘American Racing’ just because we’re from the US. The purpose was to eventually have a team for American riders and build a platform that allows American talent to come into the World Championship, and this year, after many years, it’s finally happened—we have two American riders directly from MotoAmerica,” he continued.
“That’s why we decided to have an ‘unconventional and special’ team launch, let’s say, to celebrate properly, for the first time here in Los Angeles. This is our home and our life and it’s nice to combine what we are doing in our day-to-day life with racing. Also, we are very exciting (sic) for our new project of building the home of the American Racing Academy in Austin, Texas. This is something we’ve been thinking to do ever since we start with the Academy and was a long shot but the opportunity came and we decided to move forward with the project,” Butbul explained.
“The Farm will allow us to have a proper training facility, to have training camps for the Academy riders and the option to invite Pro racers to special events,” he concluded.
