Bradley Smith to race Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup at Silverstone as wildcard
Former Moto3 race winner and MotoGP podium finisher Bradley Smith will once again be taking part in his home MotoGP event.
Bradley Smith will return to racing at the British Grand Prix this summer after being confirmed as a wildcard entry for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup round at Silverstone on August 7 to 9.
The former MotoGP rider, who now competes for Harley-Davidson Factory Racing in the American King of the Baggers championship, will ride a second bike entered by ParkinGO alongside full-time Bagger World Cup rider Filippo Rovelli.
The Silverstone appearance marks Smith's first outing in the inaugural FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup, which forms part of the support programme for selected MotoGP weekends this season.
To mark the championship's first visit to the UK, Smith's race bike will carry a one-off Silverstone livery.
Although Smith races as a factory Harley-Davidson rider in the United States, he'll compete under ParkinGO colours in Britain using the same technical package available to every other team in the championship.
Smith said the opportunity to race in front of a home crowd again was too good to turn down.
"When the ParkinGO Team and Harley-Davidson approached me about Silverstone, it was a very easy decision to make. This will be my 14th British Grand Prix, and the opportunity to race in front of home fans is always extremely special. I've really enjoyed this new adventure with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers and this wildcard gives me the chance to experience the motorcycle back on the world stage.
"The Bagger World Cup has already shown to be very competitive, with many of my friends and rivals racing [in it]. Silverstone is a circuit I know extremely well and one that produces great racing. There will be few things to learn at Bagger World Cup, especially the different tyres. But these boys are stepping onto my home turf, so pride is at stake and the battle is on. Racing a Harley-Davidson in front of a home crowd at Silverstone makes this an opportunity to good to ignore. I'm looking forward to seeing you all there with your Britsh Flags."
Smith enjoyed a lengthy Grand Prix career before moving stateside, finishing runner-up in the 2009 125cc World Championship and third in the 2011 Moto2 championship. He went on to spend eight seasons in MotoGP, taking two podium finishes before later becoming a test rider.
Since switching to Harley-Davidson's factory King of the Baggers programme, the Oxfordshire rider has established himself as a regular front-runner in the heavyweight V-twin series.
Silverstone hosts the fourth round of the inaugural Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup season and the first time the championship has visited the UK. The series races as part of the British MotoGP weekend, with Harley-Davidson also running its fan village, dedicated grandstand and open paddock experience throughout the event.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
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