Bradley Smith will join the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup grid as a wildcard entry at the upcoming Qatar Airways Grand Prix of Great Britain, adding a home hero to the Silverstone line-up.
Smith, who is a two-time MotoGP podium finisher, currently sits P3 in MotoAmerica’s King of The Baggers series riding for the factory Harley-Davidson outfit and will line up alongside Filioppo Rovelli in the ParkinGO Team for the British GP.
In addition, the 35-year-old will don a special Silverstone livery to celebrate the championship's first visit to the United Kingdom, creating a fitting combination of an iconic British venue and one of the UK’s most recognisable motorcycle racers in recent years.
Jeffrey Schuessler – Director of Global Racing Programs, Harley-Davidson: "Silverstone is the perfect occasion to welcome Bradley into the championship as a wildcard. Having a rider of his calibre competing in front of his home crowd gives British fans someone they immediately recognise and creates an even stronger connection with the event and with the championship itself. From a Harley-Davidson perspective, Bradley's priority remains the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers championship with our Factory Racing Team, but connecting him with the British Grand Prix and the Silverstone Circuit creates a unique opportunity for us to bring our two racing programs even closer together.
“His situation will also be quite unique. While in America he competes as a fully supported Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider, at Silverstone he will race under the ParkinGO banner and receive exactly the same technical package and support available to every other Bagger World Cup rider and team. That's an important part of the philosophy of this championship. This initiative is about much more than simply adding another rider to the grid. It's an opportunity to connect the British motorcycle community with one of the most historic circuits in Grand Prix racing, while further strengthening the collaboration between Harley-Davidson, MotoGP™ and the Bagger World Cup teams."
Bradley Smith: “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. Silverstone is a circuit I know extremely well and one that produces great racing. There will be a few things to learn at Bagger World Cup, specially 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 too good to ignore. I'm looking forward to seeing you all there with your British flags.”
Edoardo Rovelli, Team Manager, ParkinGO Team: “Welcoming a rider of Bradley's calibre into our garage is a great opportunity for the whole team. His experience at the highest levels of motorcycle racing, combined with his current involvement in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers, brings valuable knowledge and a different perspective that will benefit everyone involved. For ParkinGO, this project is also a source of pride. Silverstone is an important event for the championship and being entrusted with operating a second entry in collaboration with Harley-Davidson demonstrates the confidence that has been built between all parties since the beginning of the season. We are looking forward to working with Bradley and seeing what we can achieve together over the weekend."