Earlier this year, after 16 professional seasons, Andrew Short announced that 2016 would be his final year in professional racing. For as much as Short did on the track during his career—9 total wins, 49 podiums, 141 top-fives, and 238 top-tens—he was just as well-known for how he conducted himself off the track. Throughout the year, Short mentioned that he would be taking on a role within the industry after his retirement, but never let on what that role would be.
Today, American Honda announced that Short would be brought on to fill the role of brand ambassador. Short, who rode for Honda from 2005-2010 and then again in 2012, will have a multitude of roles with the brand.
Not only will Short serve as a test rider for the Honda HRC team, he’ll also be “involved in activities promoting Honda’s motorcycle and ATV/side-by-side lineups and will be on hand at select large amateur events to provide advice and guidance to attending Honda riders.” Short has also been named national spokesperson for Ride for Kids, for which American Honda has been the presenting sponsor since 1991. Ride for Kids is a national series of motorcycle events that benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
“Having ridden for Honda for seven years, I’m extremely excited to be continuing my relationship with the company in a different capacity,” Short said in a press release. “My new role is going to be ever-changing throughout the year. I’m really looking forward to helping out the race team and their approach to winning on the new CRF450R. It will be a lot of fun to test the race machines and see the development process during their pursuit of a championship with Cole and Ken. I will also be helping with new product launches, production machine testing and providing support at some amateur races. I’m also looking forward to attending big events like Daytona. To be honest, I’m most looking forward to riding the Africa Twin and the all-new CRF450RX because I’m really passionate about off-road and adventure riding. I hope to ride more now than I did when I was racing!”
“We’re really excited to have Andrew on board as brand ambassador,” said Brandon Wilson, Honda's motorcycle sports supervisor. “He’s an all-around good guy and is exactly what we want in someone representing our brand. He’s motivated to help Honda win championships in racing, and we know he’ll roll that same energy and mindset into the other programs he’ll be involved with. He’ll definitely be a great asset to us, and we look forward to continuing our already great relationship with him.”
