Pirelli Continues to Expand its Presence On- and Off-Track Heading into 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship

ROME, Ga. (January 13, 2021) – With the highly-anticipated 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Championship quickly approaching, Pirelli Tire North America has announced plans to expand on its presence in the paddock by adding new faces to the brand’s #PirelliNation rider support program. Beginning at the season opener at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on January 16, Pirelli will have its 18-wheeler race transporter on-site to provide technical support and trackside assistance to all racers competing on Pirelli SCORPION™ MX products. Pirelli continues to take pride in the motto “we sell what we race, we race what we sell” meaning that anyone can purchase the exact tires used by its professional race teams.

Muc-Off Racing Honda has partnered with Pirelli for the 2021 season and will field riders in both 250SX and 450SX Classes. | Photo: Muc-Off Racing Honda

“Expanding our presence on the racetrack and taking trackside support to the next level is what we’ve set out to achieve,” said Nick Walton, off-road race manager, Pirelli. “For 2021 we’ve added quite a few new teams and riders to the roster. It’s exciting to have a strong lineup, ranging from recent race winners in both the 250 and 450 Classes, to rookies, and the privateers at the grassroots level of the sport. The SCORPION™ MX range is race-proven throughout the world and we are looking forward to helping our riders reach new goals for this upcoming season.”

Pirelli has added several new race teams to its lineup that includes Muc-Off Racing Hondaled by veteran rider Justin Brayton in the 450SX Class and 250SX Class riders Mitchell Harrison and Mitchell Oldenburg. Brayton has had a long history with the Pirelli brand, which has seen the two achieve podium results together throughout the years.

Justin Brayton will look to continue his success on SCORPION™ MX tires. | Photo – Muc-Off Racing Honda

“I’ve had great success with Pirelli, including my first Australian championship in 2017,” said Brayton. “The team at Pirelli America are passionate and professional and working alongside them is a benefit to our entire program. The Muc-Off Honda Racing team is new to the 450 class in America and we are looking forward to the 2021 AMA Supercross Championship with Pirelli tires.”

Also new to the Pirelli family for 2021 is FXR/Chaparral Honda Racing who is set to compete with rising rookie Carson Mumford and Coty Schock as well as Club MX with a three rider lineup featuring 2020 Daytona race winner Garrett Marchbanks, Jace Owen, and Joey Crown. Martin Castelo and Carson Brown are slated to be under the JMC Motorsports Racing tent. All three teams will compete in the 250SX Class.

Returning with the brand includes longtime partner TPJ Racing that continues to set the bar for supporting privateer riders and dedicating themselves to the grassroots level of the sport. BarX/Chaparral/Ecstar Suzuki Racing will expand its amateur efforts into the professional ranks with Dilan Schwartz, Derek Drake, Sean Cantrell, and John Short in the 250SX Class.

Madd Parts/Double Eagle MX/Namura Technologies Kawasaki will field a three-rider team in 2021. | Photo: Jason Watkins

“We have had tremendous success with Pirelli in Australia, winning our first motocross and supercross championship with Pirelli and I’m confident in their product,” said Yarrive Konsky, team owner, Muc-Off Racing Honda. “Tim Gajser also wrapped up the 2020 MXGP Championship with Pirelli. Their tremendous record in WSBK, MXGP, and in Australia through our program gave me the confidence to partner with them globally for 2021.”

The SCORPION™ MX range consisting of the SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Soft, SCORPION™ MX32™ Mid Hard, and SCORPION™ MX Soft tread patterns are available in a variety of sizing options and will be used by all Pirelli riders at each of the 17 rounds.

2020 Pirelli Race Teams

Muc-Off Honda Racing 

• Justin Brayton
• Mitchell Harrison
• Mitchell Oldenburg

FXR/Chaparral Honda Racing

• Carson Mumford
• Coty Schock

BarX/Chaparral/Ecstar Suzuki Racing

• Dilan Schwartz
• Derek Drake
• Sean Cantrell
• John Short

Club MX

• Garrett Marchbanks
• Joey Crown
• Jace Owen

TPJ Racing

• Kevin Moranz
• Mason Wharton
• Matt Hubert
• Blaine Silveira
• Corbin Hayes

HRT Racing

• Kyle Cunningham
• Austin Politelli

PR-MX Kawasaki

• Cade Clason
• Joshua Cartwright
• Ludovic Macler
• Dakota Alix
• Luke Neese
• Ryan Surratt
• Devin Simonson

JMC Motorsports Racing

• Carson Brown
• Martin Castelo

Madd Parts/Double Eagle MX/Namura Technologies Kawasaki

• Bubba Pauli
• Joan Cros
• Logan Karnow

Team Faith

• Todd Bannister

Privateers

• Freddie Noren
• Chase Marquier
• Alex Nagy

Pirelli was founded in Milan in 1872 and today stands as a global brand known for its cutting edge technology, high-end production excellence and passion for innovation that draws heavily on its Italian roots. With around 30,000 employees, Pirelli is a major player in the tire industry and the only global player focused solely on the consumer tire market, which includes tires for cars, motorcycles and bicycles. In particular, Pirelli is a global leader in the production of racing and high performance motorcycle tires both for on and off road applications. Pirelli has a long link with motorsport and the multitude of successes include a record of seventy-two world titles gained in the FIM Motocross World Championship thanks to the performance of its mx product range. In road-racing, since 2004 Pirelli has made the FIM Superbike World Championship for production-based motorcycles the ideal proving ground to develop not only the products used in competition, but also tires used daily by motorcyclists all over the world. Inspired by the philosophy now become a motto “We sell what we race, we race what we sell”, Pirelli has managed to bring to fruition all the experience acquired in this championship, applying some of the patents and materials developed for racing activity to the product portfolio dedicated to road use.