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American Racing Team is delighted to announce the signing of 19-year-old American Sean Dylan Kelly to a two-year contract with the team in the Moto2 World Championship.
Misano, San Marino (September 18, 2021) – New MotoAmerica Supersport champion Sean Dylan Kelly won the title with M4 ECSTAR Suzuki two races to go, amassing 11 wins in 14 races.
“SDK†will become the first specially trained American Racing Academy member to be promoted to the world stage.
It won’t be the first time SDK has appeared on the Moto2 grid, as the American replaced Iker Lecuona late in the final round at Valencia 2019, after the Spaniard was called up in MotoGP.
SDK will join compatriot Cameron Beaubier in the American Racing Team for the 2022 season under the leadership of John Hopkins, who will continue as Team Racing Director.
The duo aim to leverage their collective knowledge of championship wins and translate them into Moto2 success with the same level of passion and determination.
Eitan Butbul – Team Leader
I’m very happy to have Sean on the team next season. I have known Sean since his time in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and have worked with him since the start of the Academy project. Sean is an incredibly talented runner, a hard worker, “never give up” and a positive person.
After three successful seasons in MotoAmerica with M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, Sean will be the first rider from our American Racing Academy program to join the team and achieve our goal of having 2 American riders on the American Racing team.
The project between the Academy and the team is to build a platform and a clear path for talented American riders to give them the opportunity to compete at the global level. For me, having an all-American team is something special and the whole team will do their best to achieve the best results and represent the United States at their best.
John Hopkins – Race Director
The whole team and I are very happy to finally announce that Sean Dylan Kelly will join us next season, making American Racing an all-American team!
I firmly believe he has the talent, the determination and the motivation to take the plunge and be competitive in his first season in the Moto2 World Championship. I also believe he will have a championship teammate within Cameron Beaubier who will help play a crucial role in accelerating Sean’s development throughout his first season.
In addition to this vital piece of the competitive puzzle, the entire team and I are 100% committed to helping Sean make a successful transition and will give him all the tools he needs to come out and show the world his true talent and its potential.
Sean dylan kelly
First of all, I want to thank Eitan, John Hopkins and the American Racing Team for believing in me and giving me this incredible opportunity.
Qualifying for the World Championship is a dream come true for my family and I am really delighted to be back in the MotoGP paddock as a Moto2 rider.
It makes me proud that this makes us a full American team, alongside Beaubier. I am ready for this next step in my career and am grateful to everyone who made this possible!
More, from a press release released by Team Hammer:
TEAM HAMMER THANKS SEAN DYLAN KELLY FOR THREE GREAT SEASONS
The Hammer team would like to thank 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport champion Sean Dylan Kelly for his three successful seasons and congratulate him on his next racing opportunity as he steps onto the international stage.
Kelly signed with American Racing to participate in the Moto2 2022 campaign and becomes the latest in a line of riders who have moved on to compete at the World Championships after spending their formative years with Team Hammer.
Kelly joined the Hammer team (racing as the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki) in 2019 at the age of 16 and quickly showed her abilities and skills. The dynamic Floridian won two races in his rookie year in MotoAmerica and finished on the podium seven times as a teammate with championship winner Bobby Fong.
In 2020, Kelly finished on the podium in 16 of 18 races this season, earning five wins and finishing second in points. Although disappointed that he didn’t win the title, Kelly fought to the end and focused on improving her performance throughout the year.
‘SDK’ got even better this season as he clinched the title with one trick to go. Kelly has won 11 times and finished on the podium in 15 of 16 races in a collection of dominant performances. While Kelly has always displayed a lot of drive and heart, the 2021 season saw Kelly’s superb craftsmanship and consistency come to the fore.
“This is the completion of three years of hard work,†said Chris Ulrich of Team Hammer. “Sean matured as a runner and deserved it. We believe he received a good education riding for Team Hammer and we are proud to launch another driver into the Grand Prix paddock. We will support him as he pursues his career on the world stage.
About the Hammer team
The 2021 season marks the 41st consecutive year that Team Hammer has operated as a professional road racing team. The racing bikes built and aligned by Team Hammer have won 125 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, finished on the AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 327 times, and won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National championships, as well as two American championships South FIM (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races in total (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 WERA national endurance championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the American record of mileage traveled in a 24 hour race. The team also competed in the 1990’s Formula USA televised National Championship, performing GSX-R1100 “Methanol Monster†Superbikes powered by methanol, and won four F-USA championships.
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