Supercross and motocross race debut this weekend for the Triumph TF 250-X in the US and Spain. How will they go?
This weekend, Triumph is revving up to make motorsport history. On Saturday, February 3, the Triumph TF 250-X motocross bike will make its competitive debut at the Detroit round of AMA Supercross in the USA. The momentum doesn’t stop there, with the MX2 World Championship team lining up for their first gate-drop at the pre-season MX race in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, just one day later.
Lining up for Round 1 of the 250SX East category, riders Jalek Swoll (#33) and rookie Evan Ferry (#751) are excited to finally stop the testing and complete some race laps aboard their new machines under the lights of the huge Ford Field stadium in Detroit; this weekend’s event will mark the first ever entry into Supercross competition for Triumph Racing. Having both had little race time during the previous season, the Triumph Racing riders are fired up and hungry for the challenge. The aim during the Supercross season is to improve week-by-week, gaining valuable feedback aboard the Triumph TF 250-X.
Over in Europe, the Monster Energy Triumph Racing duo of Mikkel Haarup and Camden McLellan, who are preparing to compete in the FIM MX2 World Championship this season, will enjoy their first gate-drop with the Triumph TF 250-X at the first round of the Spanish Championship. Regarded as one of the pre-season ‘warm-up’ races with a host of Grand Prix riders in attendance, the event allows the team to gauge their preparations ahead of the first FIM Motocross World Championship event in Argentina in early March.
Motocross is a completely new segment for the British brand and 2024 represents a historic year with the launch of the Triumph TF 250-X and a fully committed racing programme on demanding dirt. In less than two years after announcing its intentions to build, sell, and race a motocross bike, Triumph has created a dedicated programme operating on both sides of the Atlantic and boasting some of the most successful names in the sport to bring it to the pinnacle.
The OEM bike, available in dealers soon, will enter the heat of the battle in the SuperMotocross World championship incorporating the AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Series in the 250 categories. With the homologation ruling in place for the US-based series, it means the majority of components on the race bikes have to be those sold on the mass market; although both series naturally require the OEM product to be at the absolute highest level, making it the toughest yet most ideal development ground for Triumph’s off-road lineup.
Nick Bloor, Triumph Motorcycles CEO:
“This weekend marks a historic moment for Triumph. Our brand-new TF 250-X will be making its debut in the first round of the East Coast 250 SuperMotocross World Championship, while our MX2 team will be competing in their first pre-season race in Spain.
“Seeing this bike on the start line, will be the culmination of years of hard work from both our world class engineering teams, and our racing teams, who have all shared the same passion and ambition to develop the bike into a competitive package.
“Our athletes have all adapted to the bike quickly, enabling them to be laser-focused in their race preparations, and we are all excited to see what Camden, Evan, Jalek and Mikkel can do with the bike, in the heat of competition.
“This is an important milestone for our Triumph Racing programme, which has expanded enormously for 2024, both on and off road. Building on our rich racing history and our success as the official engine supplier to Moto2, this season is going to see us in more competitions than ever before. We can’t wait to see what the year will hold for Triumph.”
Bobby Hewitt – Triumph Racing Team Prinicpal (US):
“Right now, I’m feeling very calm and confident about the team, the riders, our bike, and I try not to think too much about the significance of what Saturday means to me, but more importantly, what it means for Triumph Motorcycles. We, just like every other team, have been working 24/7 making sure we have everything we need before the race rig leaves for Detroit, although I don’t think many people truly understand the countless hours of dedication, sacrifice, and commitment that is required to get to this point.
“I’m very grateful for all the hard work and long hours Triumph and the team have been putting in, to make sure we are prepared to go racing. For all of those involved in this project, February 3rd, 2024 will mean so much more than having the opportunity to watch a professional supercross race. To each of them, including myself, it will be a day in history, that none of us will ever forget.
“I’ve been very happy with how our bike development has gone thus far, I’m sure we will continue to make improvements to the Triumph TF 250-X as the season goes along. Going into this first race, the message, and expectations I have set are very simple: for everyone to be the best they can be on Saturday and then let’s work our ass off during the week to be better the following Saturday. It’s a new team, new bike and new program, and our goal is to improve week-upon-week with our riders. If we do that, everything else will fall into place.”
Jalek Swoll (#33)
“We are finally here! It’s been a long preparation and a lot of hard work from everyone, but I’ve been putting in the work with Mike Brown on my riding and we’ve been fine tuning the bike to be comfortable.
“To be on a brand new bike and be one of the first to race it is super exciting. My expectations are to be up there and fighting and if we leave with a top five on Saturday, I’ll be happy and we can build the rest of the season from there.”
Evan Ferry (#751)
“I am really excited to get behind the gate in my first ever supercross race. It will become a dream come true to line up with the best in the world, and with a brand like Triumph it will be the cherry on top knowing that I was one of the first people to drop the gate on the bike.
“The preparation has gone well. I think as a rookie on a new bike in a new team you always wish you could have had more time, but we have left no stone unturned and no minute unused. There isn’t a whole lot of expectation for me, just doing all the laps and staying healthy. We plan on getting just a little better at each race and hopefully be there by the end of the year.”
After the nine-round 250SX East series finishes, the team will be boosted by Joey Savatgy joining the line-up to tackle the AMA Pro Motocross 250 series starting May 25 at Fox Raceway, California, alongside Swoll and Ferry. For the 2025 season Triumph will additionally field its new 450cc bike in the SuperMotocross World Championship.