Ducati Announces Its Teams

The new "Superbike Racing Unit," headed by Paolo Ciabatti, will run theItalian manufacturer's program with an official factory team, and itcan also count on the support of the satellite team GSE Racing, whichwill run Ducati 998 Factory 2002 bikes...

Paolo Ciabatti, responsible for the Ducati Corse Superbike program,commented:

"Our main aim is to continue Ducati's winning tradition in the WorldSuperbike Championship. Being able to count not only on our officialteam, but also on a satellite structure like the GSE Racing team, willalso allow us to continue with another of our aims, that of being able toproduce up-and-coming talented riders in a highly professional structure.

"We will also continue with our policy towards private teams, which willbe offered highly competitive bikes like the 998 RS."

"The collaboration between Ducati Corse and GSE Racing has producedexcellent results in the last few years," added Ciabatti. "Troy Baylissand Neil Hodgson, British Superbike champions in 1999 and 2000 with theGSE team, are proof of this. For this reason we have decided not only toconfirm but also to increase the support for our satellite team in thefuture."

"In 2003 we will run two riders: following his excellent results withGSE Racing, Neil Hodgson will move to the factory team, while contactswith the other rider are still being defined.

"I am delighted that Ducati Corse has renewed its confidence in ourteam," declared Darrell Healey, GSE Racing Team Principal. "Theimportance of racing for the commercial success of road-going bikes hasled Ducati Corse to continue to directly manage its World Superbike team,but GSE Racing has also been rewarded with a substantially improvedpackage for its endeavours over the past two years. We now see ourselvesas an extension of the factory and are very much looking forward toprogressing our partnership with Ducati Corse into 2003 and beyond."