Blake Baggett has agreed to a three-year extension with Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS that will see him remain with the team through the 2021 season. Baggett spent two years with Yoshimura Suzuki (2015-16) before joining the team prior to the 2017 season.
“I am extremely excited to announce my extended partnership with the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC-KTM-WPS team,” Baggett said in a statement. “The past two seasons have been what I was looking for in the 450 class, and I absolutely love the KTM. Working with Rocky Mountain ATV/MC as a title sponsor has brought the family part of racing back to me, and the same goes for the WPS/Fly Racing crew. The entire team has not only given me the tools I need to win, but most of all, the trust and comfort that I know I need to win a 450 championship. I am excited for what the future holds and just can’t thank all the team sponsors enough for putting this deal together.”
“We are very excited with this new chapter for both the team and Blake,” team co-owner Forrest Butler said. “The last two seasons, we have proven to work great together, and this was the next step that all parties involved were ready to take. Our goal, and Blake’s goal, is to get race wins and championships—and that is what this three-year agreement is about for us. We believe in Blake as a rider, and Blake believes in us as a team. Now we can put our heads down for the next three years to go after our goals wide-open.”
That wasn’t the only big announcement for team co-owner Forrest Butler. Rocky Mountain ATV/MC will remain as the title sponsor through 2021. In addition, Western Powersports, along with Fly Racing, will continue as the team’s exclusive distribution and gear apparel sponsor, and KTM will stay on as the official factory-backed OEM motorcycle sponsor.
“We firmly believe in supporting the sport, and it’s hard to find a better way to do that than by serving as the title sponsor for such a strong team,” Dan Thomas, CEO and founder of Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, said. “Of course, there are a lot of components that make up a strong team: good sponsors, strong management, and excellent riders. We’re happy to commit for an additional three years, and we’re excited to see Baggett return as well. The future is bright for Team Rocky Mountain ATV/MC–KTM–WPS!”
“We are proud to continue our long-term relationship with such a great athlete and ambassador to the Fly Racing/WPS brands,” WPS and Fly Racing president and CEO Craig Shoemaker said. “We look forward to many more race wins with Rocky Mountain-KTM-WPS and Blake Baggett in the future.”
“We here at KTM are very happy with the Rocky Mountain Team renewing their agreement with Blake Baggett and for three years,” KTM’s vice president of racing Roger DeCoster said. “With the outdoors coming up soon and knowing how well Blake did last year before his injury at RedBud, the increased commitment from Rocky Mountain should give Blake a lot of confidence moving forward.”
