Polish motorcycle racing is clearly looking up. After many years of almost total absence from the world stage, Poland now has not one but two racers active in World Championships, as well as a Polish-backed team. In the World Supersport class, the Bogdanka PTR team will be fielding Pawel Szkopek alongside veteran British rider James Ellison. And on Saturday, it was announced that Lukasz Wargala would be contesting the 2011 Moto2 championships, riding alongside Rafaelle de Rosa in the G22 team.
The signing of Wargala is something of a surprise. When Fonsi Nieto announced he would be retiring from racing, it was widely expected that his seat would go to Gabor Talmacsi, the Hungarian still being highly regarded in the paddock. Instead, adding a Polish rider to the grid appears to have been more important to Dorna, to help cement the TV deal with Polish broadcaster SportKlub. The deal will have been at least partially motivated by funding, as it was believed that the G22 squad was short of funds, which was one factor behind Nieto's retirement. The G22 team needed a rider who could help pay his way, and it seems likely that Wargala was better able to do that than Talmacsi.
Below is the press release from Wargala's management:
Lukasz Wargala and G22 join forces in Moto2
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