Kawasaki Team Green Revives West Coast Off-Road Squad with Zach Bell
After announcing a return to off-road racing in 2019 via the Monster Energy/Babbitt's Kawasaki team in the Grand National Cross Country Series, with rider Josh Strang, Kawasaki continues to expand American off-road support with an expanded partnership in the West via the Chaparral Motorsports/Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green effort.
The team will field three riders 2019 WORCS (World Off-Road Championship) and Sprint Hero Series. With this effort, Kawasaki will continue a successful racing relationship with Precision Concepts, where they captured 11 professional off-road championships since inception in 2009. Robby Bell, a former three-time WORCS champion and longtime Kawasaki Team Green racer will lead the charge serving as team manager. During the off-season, the team signed former Kawasaki Team Green amateur rider Zach Bell. Bell, the winner of the AMA Nicky Hayden Amateur Horizon Award during his motocross days, finished second in the 2018 WORCS standings.
Returning to the team for 2019 are Blayne Thompson and recently crowned West Coast GP Pro 2 champion Clay Hengeveld. Bell and Thompson will both pilot the all-new 2019 KX450in the Pro Class, Hengeveld will be aboard the 2019 KX250, in the Pro 2 Class.
“I’m ready for this opportunity and cannot wait to swing a leg over the all-new KX450,” said Bell. “My racing career began in motocross where I rode for Kawasaki Team Green back in the day, and as I have transitioned into off-road racing over the past couple years it is coming full-circle back to where I started. I have big goals for 2019 and with some hard work, a little bit of luck, and this team, I think we have the recipe to achieve them.”
In addition to the Precision Concepts racing effort, Kawasaki Team Green will have plenty to offer off-road racers, including $1.7 million in the Team Green Racer Rewards program. The Team Green trackside support crew, featuring technical assistance and parts sales for customers will attend several rounds of the 2019 WORCS and the AMA National Grand Prix Championship (NGPC) series, as well as other off-road racing events across the country. In addition, racers can visit their Kawasaki Team Green dealer to earn up to a $1,500 rebate for the purchase of a new 2019 KX model. Kawasaki Team Green dealers have until February 15, 2019 to submit Racer Support applications.
“We have been working hard to re-establish our presence in the off-road segment,” said Team Green Manager Ryan Holliday. “Being able to increase our role with the Precision Concepts team and having Zach Bell, Blayne Thompson, and Clay Hengeveld on board gives us confidence to be a championship contender in 2019.”
The Chaparral Motorsports/Precision Concepts/Kawasaki Team Green race team along with the Team Green trackside support crew kick off the season at the Sprint Hero season opener in San Bernardino, California on January 5, 2019.