Coastal Racing announced its 2017 lineup today for both motorcycles and ATVs. On the motorcycle side of the news, former pro supercross and motocross rider and ISDE overall gold medal winner Ryan Sipes will return to the team after missing part of the 2016 season with an injury.The team will also see the return of Craig DeLong, Layne Michael, and the addition of the 125cc World Enduro Champion, Jack Edmondson, to compete in the newly created XC3 class. You can view the full press release below.
WAYNESBURG, Pa. – Coastal Racing is pleased to announce its seven-rider motorcycle and ATV lineup for the 2017 racing season. Contesting the full Grand National Cross Country (GNCC) Series and other select off-road events across the country, the Coastal Racing ATV and motorcycle race team will compete for national championships at the highest levels of professional off-road racing.
On the two-wheeled side, ISDE Overall Gold Medalist and Kentucky native Ryan Sipes will return to the Coastal Racing team to compete in the XC1 Open Pro class aboard a Husqvarna FX350. Sipes, who sat out half of the 2016 season due injury, is healthy and ready to contest a championship title this season.
Pennsylvania's Craig DeLong joins the Coastal Racing Husqvarna-backed team for the second-consecutive season where he will compete in the XC2 250 Pro (16-24) class aboard a Husqvarna FX250. In 2016, DeLong finished 2nd overall in the class with one victory and seven podium finishes.
West Virginia native Layne Michael will once again line up alongside his teammate DeLong in the XC2 250 Pro class, where he will also compete aboard a Husqvarna FX250. Michael finished 3rd in the series in 2016 with three total wins and six additional podium finishes under his belt.
The Coastal Racing team welcomes the addition of 125cc World Enduro Champion Jack Edmondson to its 2017 lineup. Edmondson, a native of Great Britain, made his U.S. racing debut at the final round of the GNCC Series in 2016 where he ran inside the top five before succumbing to problems late in the race. Edmondson will compete full-time in the all-new XC3 125 Pro-Am class aboard a Husqvarna TC125.
On the ATV side, Ohio native Brycen Neal will contest the XC1 Pro Championship aboard a Yamaha YFZ450R. Neal rounded out the 2016 season with the National No. 5, where he captured six podium finishes throughout the season.
Neal is once again joined by teammate Eli Kiger, who will make the jump to College A (16-21) this season. Kiger was forced to sit out the end of last season due to injury but the Pennsylvania native is ready to go for the 2017 season aboard his Yamaha YFZ450R. Coastal Racing's newest recruit is Tennessee's Drew Landers, who will compete alongside Kiger in the College A class aboard a Yamaha YFZ450R.
The 2017 Grand National Cross Country Series kicks off March 4 and 5 in Union, South Carolina.
