Prumm signs for Yamaha
By TMX Archives on 6th Feb 08
YAMAHA'S roster of world beating riders has been boosted by one with the announcement that reigning FIM Women's World Cup champ Katherine Prumm (pictured above) has defected from the Kawasaki camp to sign for the marque.
The 19-year-old New Zealander will pilot a YZ250F for 2008 and strive to add the very first FIM female world championship to the two World cup titles she claimed in 2006 and 2007.
The Kiwi will work from the Dutch Van Beers Yamaha set-up at the five GP's which will also stage rounds of the women's championship, alongside Aigar Leok (MX1) and Evgeny Bobryshev (MX2), and will use highly sought after Rinaldi parts on her number one plated machine.
‘'The move to Yamaha is really exciting for me,'' said the reigning champ. ‘'It will be a whole new bike and new team and I am really looking forward to being part of the Yamaha environment. Yamaha is behind me 100% and I feel that they can give me the best chance of success in 2008. I cannot wait for the upcoming season and the FIM Women's World Championship where I will try for my third title on my new Van Beers YZ250F,”
‘'Yamaha is happy to see that the number of women riding and racing our machines is growing along with their interest and participation in off-road motorsport,” commented YME Racing Division Manager Laurens Klein Koerkamp. "The upgrade of the FIM Women's World Cup to a World Champion ship is a good example of how the sport is progressing and we are very much looking forward to competing in this new class with Katherine as well as promoting women and motorcycling in general.''
The 2008 calendar will see the ladies in action in Bulgaria, Italy, France, Germany and Holland. The first event will be at the Sevlievo circuit for the Grand Prix of Bulgaria on May 11.