Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York Rider Lineup of Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés to Compete in 2023 MotoAmerica Championship

Ducati North America has announced that Josh Herrin and Xavi Forés will compete in the 2023 MotoAmerica Championship for the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York team. Herrin, the reigning MotoAmerica Supersport champion, will contest the 2023 MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship aboard the Panigale V4 R superbike, and Forés will make his American racing debut, riding the Panigale V2 in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.

Last season, Herrin dominated the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship aboard the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York Panigale V2, earning nine wins and 16 total podiums on the way to giving Ducati its first MotoAmerica Supersport title. Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paulo Ciabatti says that promoting from within the family and rewarding Herrin with a ride on the Panigale V4 R superbike is logical given his success and experience with Dunlop’s MotoAmerica spec tires.

Herrin brings a wealth of experience to the championship and his familiarity with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York team will no doubt prove an asset as he seeks to capture the most coveted prize in American road racing. The 32-year-old Georgia native is the 2013 MotoAmerica Superbike champion, the 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock champion and the winner of the 2010 Daytona 200. Herrin and the Panigale V4 R, a motorcycle that earned 16 podiums from 20 starts in 2022, could prove a formidable pairing.

Repeating Herrin’s success on the Panigale V2 is no mean feat, but there’s no doubt that Xavi Forés has the experience required to meet the challenge. A busy 2022 saw the 37-year-old Spaniard compete in several championships, including the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship for Pramac Racing. He also competed in the Endurance World Championship (EWC) for Team ERC Endurance Ducati and in the final three rounds of the WorldSBK Championship with the Barni Spark Racing Team aboard a Panigale V4 R superbike. He previously raced with Barni Racing Team Ducati in WorldSBK from 2016 to 2018, achieving six podiums. Over his career, Forés has raced a wide variety of machinery in multiple classes, which should be an advantage as he gets acquainted with Dunlop rubber and the unique challenges of American road racing circuits.

Herrin said, “I’m excited to return to the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship and be reunited with the team with whom I enjoyed so much success last year. The MotoAmerica Superbike class is really competitive, but I’m confident that my team can deliver a motorcycle capable of winning. I’m really looking forward to swinging a leg over the factory-prepped Panigale V4 R superbike and wearing Ducati red for another year.”

Forés said, “Competing in MotoAmerica, especially as part of a strong team like Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York, has been a goal of mine for some time. At this point in my racing career, I’d like to score wins and podiums in the most competitive domestic championships. I’m also looking forward to continuing my long relationship with Ducati, a union that has given me many happy memories over the years. It will be a big challenge: Everything — the tracks and the tires, especially — will be unfamiliar, but I think I’m equal to the task. The Panigale V2 won the title last year with Josh Herrin, so I’m excited to be in the same box with him and see if we can replicate some of his success.”

Bobby Shek, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York team principal, added, “Once again, Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York is proud to partner with Ducati Corse and Ducati North America to contest the 2023 MotoAmerica Mediallia Superbike and Supersport championships. We’re excited to have Josh Herrin back for another year and to welcome Xavi Forés to the team. After Josh’s incredible success in Supersport in 2022, we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do on the new Panigale V4 R superbike. We’re sure he’ll put on another show for us all this year! We’re also excited to welcome Xavi to the team. Xavi has been a fixture in world championship racing for many years, and he’s ridden for some of the top teams. His desire to race here shows that the quality of competition in MotoAmerica hasn’t gone unnoticed. That also means we’ll have our work cut out, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Jason Chinnock, CEO of Ducati North America, noted, “We welcome the world-class rider Xavi Florés to the HSBK Racing Ducati New York team,“ said Chinnock. “Xavi’s experience will help him quickly adapt to the U.S. tracks and tires, and we are confident that he will continue the momentum that Josh championed last season. Josh earned his seat for this year’s Superbike program after debuting the dominance of the Panigale V2 in MotoAmerica’s Supersport Championship. We are elated to have him aboard the 2023 Panigale V4 R challenging the most competitive field in U.S. national road racing and putting on a show for our Ducatisti and road racing fans alike. We thank Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York and our colleagues at Ducati Corse as we anticipate another thrilling season.”