With last weeks news that a new British motocross team will line-up on the start gate in 2025, the continued building of Triumph in our sport makes another step in the right direction. Of course, Triumph racing in the GPs and AMA supercross and motocross began this year, but the involvement with the Dirt Store Triumph team in England next year and selected GP's is really the big news. Below is the history of this famous brand.

• First established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles has a glorious racing history, competing in and winning races in almost every class and field of motorcycle sporting achievement. From winning the second ever Isle of Man TT in 1908, through to 1960s road and track domination in Europe and America, right up to contemporary racing achievements, Triumph has enjoyed success across the decades. In more recent times, Triumph’s racing accolades include the Triumph triple powered 2014 and 2015 Supersport titles and World Supersport racing, Isle of Man Supersport TT wins in 2014 and 2019, courtesy of Gary Johnson and Peter Hickman, plus an average speed of over 130mph in 2023 by Hickman on his Triumph STR765, and a thrilling last-lap victory at the legendary Daytona 200 by Brandon Paasch on the Street Triple 765 in 2022.
• A few notable points in Triumph’s Racing history: 1966 Buddy Elmore won the Daytona 200 race of all time on a 500cc Tiger starting from the back of the grid. In 66’ the Gyronaut X-1 streamliner, powered by two Triumph 650cc engines, set a world-record speed of 245mph during the Bonneville Speed Week. In 1967 Gary Nixon won the Daytona 200, John Hartle brought Triumph success in the Isle of Man Production TT. 1969 – Malcolm Upill won the Production TT on a Bonneville, recording the first ever lap on a production motorcycle faster than 100mph. Uphill repeated the win the following year on a 750cc Trident. In 1975 Triumph celebrated its fifth consecutive victory in the production TT. In 2003 Bruce Anstey won the Junior 600 TT aboard the Daytona 600 and Triumph won the British Supersport Championship with Glen Richards on a Daytona 675. 2014 – Gary Johnson won the Isle of Man Supersport TT and Billy McConnell won the British Supersport Championship both aboard a Daytona 675R, Danny Eslick won the Daytona 200 on the Daytona 675R, the first win there in 47 years.
• Triumph’s racing legend continues as the exclusive engine supplier to the FIM Moto2™ World Championship since the start of the 2019 season. Triumph Motorcycles provides all the teams with race-tuned 765cc triples, each of which is based on the class-leading Street Triple RS powerplant. Redefining the class, Triumph broke record after record in the inaugural year, including the first ever +300km/h Moto2™ top speed. Reflecting these great successes, the wonderful feedback, and partnerships that Triumph have had with the riders and their teams, and the incredible response from Triumph fans across the world, Triumph and Dorna, decided to extend the relationship in 2021 and again in 2023, signing a new contract for another five years of racing: 2025 – 2029.
• In 2021 Triumph announced its forthcoming entry into the Motocross and Enduro worlds with the single-minded ambition and commitment to develop a championship winning team.
• In 2022 PTR Triumph enjoyed their first ever World Supersport victory aboard the Triumph 765 Street Triple RS with Stefano Manzi in Portimão, round nine of the series, and the first of the ‘Next Generation’ formula.
• In 2022, the appointment of Team Principal Bobby Hewitt and Team Manager Stephen ‘Scuba’ Westfall was announced. The team will be located at a dedicated new state-of-the-art private race facility in the USA.
• In 2023, Triumph announced its intention to compete in the 2024 MXGP/MX2 and SuperMotocross World Championships and confirmed the appointment of two top class riders to lead its race development testing. Clément Desalle joined as test rider for the Triumph Racing MXGP/MX2 Team, run by Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, and Ivan Tedesco joined as full-time test rider for the Triumph Racing US SuperMotocross World Championship Team, led by Bobby Hewitt.
• In September 2023, Triumph’s new 250cc motocross bike was revealed in public for the first time, at the SuperMotocross World Championship Final at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in California.
• In October 2023, Monster Energy was unveiled as the title sponsor of the MX2 team, named ‘Monster Energy Triumph Racing’ and the race bike was unveiled at the Motocross of Nations. In November the riders Mikkel Haarup and Camden McLellan were announced.
• At the end of 2023 Triumph announced a new line-up in the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2024 with factory team, PTR Triumph who will field Tom Booth-Amos and Ondrej Vostatek. A Triumph supported team, WRP – RT Motorsports by SKM – Triumph will also join the series with riders Jorge Navarro and John Mcphee. In the British Supersport Championship Macadam Triumph Racing will field Luke Stapleford and Max Wadsworth. All Superport riders will compete aboard Triumph Street Triple 765 RS machinery. Macadam Triumph Racing also supporting a number of riders in the new National Sportbike Championship aboard the Daytona 660 with Aaron Silvester, Katie Hand and Jayden Martin lining up in the 2024 series.
• In January 2024, the Triumph Racing SuperMotocross team line-up was announced with Jalek Swoll and Evan Ferry racing the 250SX East Supercross series, while Joey Savatgy joins them for the Pro Motocross series later in the year.
• In February 2024, Triumph Racing competed at its first ever Supercross event in Detroit in the 250SX East category with its new Triumph TF 250-X marking a very historic moment – February 3rd – for the British manufacturer. The Monster Energy Triumph Racing team also lined up for the first time on February 3rd in Spain at a pre-season race event. The team has competed in a number of pre-season races, and will line-up for the first FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship event on March 10 in Argentina.

Story Triumph image Ray Archer/Triumph