Triumph Racing confirmed that it has signed Ivan Tedesco as a full-time test rider for the Triumph Racing SuperMotocross World Championship Team on Thursday. In addition, the team announced the signing of Clément Desalle as a test rider for its MXGP/MX2 Team.
Ivan Tedesco (‘Hot Sauce’) began racing motorcycles at the age of eight years old and turned Pro in 1999, with a career that spanned 14 years. In his racing career, Tedesco won the AMA 125cc West Coast Supercross series twice (2004 and 2005), the AMA 125cc National Motocross series (2005) and the Motocross of Nations three times with Team USA (2005, 2006 and 2009).
After his retirement from professional racing in 2014, Ivan turned his talents to coaching up and coming racers and becoming one of the very best manufacturer development test riders of the current era.
“I’m super excited to be part of the new Triumph racing program and to be working with Ricky [Carmichael] and Bobby [Hewitt] again,” said Tedesco. “To have the opportunity to work with a new brand in our sport, to take a new bike and develop it to a race ready package, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“The team that Triumph is assembling to compete in the SuperMotocross championship is second to none, and together with the support of the engineers at the Triumph Factory, I’m confident we will line up with a competitive bike for Anaheim 1 in 2024.”
“I’ve known Ivan for many years now, as a multi-time AMA SX Champion and AMA MX Champion who has raced at the highest level including being a member of Team USA multiple times at the Motocross of Nations,” said Triumph Racing Team Principal Bobby Hewitt. “Adding someone with his experience to the program adds another layer of quality and racing experience to an already strong foundation at Triumph Racing here in the US. In 2014 I had the privilege to have Ivan as a team member and pro-rider on one of my previous racing programs before he retired. During that time, I personally had the opportunity to work with him as a rider, experience his attention to detail as a test rider, and more importantly see first-hand how he works and would mentor upcoming riders.
“Today is a great day and I’m very excited to add “Hot Sauce” to the program. I truly believe this is another example that the future here at Triumph Racing is very bright!”
“This is so exciting,” added Triumph Off-Road Ambassador Ricky Carmichael. “It’s just another example of Triumph’s dedication to the development of the off-road line of motorcycles. I have no doubt, that with guys like Ivan Tedesco and Clément Desalle and the knowledge they bring to the table from an R&D standpoint, that these bikes will be top of the line, from a race bike perspective as well as a production model. These guys know what it takes to win at the highest level and will be a huge asset to the development of a great product!”
Triumph Motorcycles will enter the Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross World Championship at the start of the 2024 season, with a fully supported factory race program established in the United States to run motocross operations under the all-new global Triumph Racing banner.
Set-up and operated in partnership with Bobby Hewitt, this new Triumph Racing team will field three of Triumph’s all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship West and East Coast series before entering the 450cc premier class in 2025.