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beginning of 2016 and immediately proved himself as a threat for the championship by going undefeated at the first round of action. Claudio Corti, Valentin Debise, and Mathew Scholtz also brought their international experience to MotoAmerica in 2016, apparently motivating more riders to make the journey to the States for the 2017 season. The newest import to the series this year is Sylvain Barrier, a two-time FIM Superstock 1000 World Champion and FIM World Endurance competitor.
Not only has the swift progression of the series attracted a lot of new faces to the series, but it’s provided our top riders an opportunity to mix it up on the world stage. Cameron Beaubier was afforded the opportunity to wildcard at Donington Park in the UK in the WSBK class as a replacement for Sylvain Guintoli
last year, scoring a top ten finish on a foreign bike and a different brand of tires. The rules have been altered for the 2017 season in order to match the regulations of WSBK -- another crucial step in order to help the series grow in the right direction. Suzuki has developed a brand new GSX-R1000 and has placed a lot more effort towards MotoAmerica, Honda is beginning to dip their toes back into the championship, and Yamaha continues to put forth the world class effort that has seen them stand out as one of the most successful manufacturers in the class. The field is deep,
the support from the manufacturers is growing, and the future is bright for MotoAmerica. The train is leaving the station; it’s time to get onboard or get left behind.
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