Bridgestone Americas announced it has teamed up with top Canadian Superbike Championship riders Ben Young and Trevor Daley to form Team BATTLAX, which will debut at the 82nd running of the Daytona 200 March 7-9, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway. Team BATTLAX will compete on a pair of identical custom Suzuki Canada GSX-R750 builds featuring Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires.
The Bridgestone-backed Team BATTLAX will feature a unique partnership with Young, the Canadian Superbike champion who is fresh off his third Canadian title, and Daley, who is a Suzuki Canada rider. Race and fabrication shop OneSpeedInc is building a pair of Suzuki Canada GSX-R750s with technical oversight and advice from Young’s longtime crew chief, Willie Vass.
“The Daytona 200 features some of the best professional riders from across the world, and we are thrilled to partner with Ben and Trevor to represent Bridgestone this year,” said Jim Dowell, motorsports and sales manager for Bridgestone Motorcycle Tire business in the U.S. and Canada. “The Bridgestone BATTLAX family of tires has a long history of delivering at the highest levels of racing, and we are looking forward to seeing Team BATTLAX push its performance on track at the Daytona 200.”
The 2023 Daytona 200 marked Young’s first experience racing on Bridgestone tires. Despite several challenges with Young’s equipment on race weekend, a late-race push ultimately saw him running inside the Top 10. The 2024 event will see Young contesting his fourth Daytona 200 and Daley’s first. In addition to Young’s Daytona 200 race experience with Bridgestone tires, Daley has spent significant time as part of a Daytona 24-hour prototype racing team, bringing a wealth of experience for the preparation needed to compete in a demanding endurance racing event.
“In North American motorcycle racing, there isn’t a challenge greater than the high banks of the Daytona 200,” said Young. “To win at Daytona is the ultimate feather in a racer’s cap. I’m ready to take my experience in previous Daytona 200s — and specifically last year on Bridgestone tires — and deliver another strong season of racing that builds upon the success of the last several.”
Young and Daley will be racing on Bridgestone BATTLAX tires following both riders recently completing the inaugural Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship Series, which marked the company’s record-setting first year as the exclusive tire supplier. Team BATTLAX will be fortified trackside by a full slate of Bridgestone engineers, with the entire team taking part in testing preceding the Daytona 200.
“Leading up to the event, our team will be well familiarized with the supersport-spec GSX-R750 and will be able to use valuable information and experience to put us at the sharp end of the grid,” said Daley. “Between our collective experience and riding our own prepared bikes featuring Bridgestone BATTLAX race tires, I feel extremely confident heading into this year’s 200 with Team BATTLAX.”
For more company news, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.
