Kyle Cunningham Joins JGR Suzuki
Steve Cox | March 8, 2017
Kyle Cunningham Joins JGR Suzuki: Veteran 250cc contender Kyle Cunningham began his 2017 250cc East campaign racing for the Blue Buffalo Yamaha team, but announced prior to the Toronto supercross last week on his Instagram page that he was parting ways with the team. But also last week, AutoTrader.com/Monster Energy/JGR Suzuki’s Matt Bisceglia, who had already missed the first couple rounds of the 250cc East with a foot injury (which is why the team had Kyle Peters filling in for them in the East), broke his lower leg (tibia/fibula).
Kyle Cunningham Joins JGR Suzuki
AutoTrader.com/Monster Energy/JGR Suzuki has added 250cc veteran contender Kyle Cunningham to the team starting at this weekend’s event in Daytona. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JGR
Peters’ time with the team came to a close following the Toronto round last weekend due to prior commitments to race for Suzuki in Australia. Cunningham, though, represents veteran racing abilities and speed, so once he gets the bike sorted out how he likes it, he should be in the mix.
Bisceglia’s injury is the latest for the team that has been beset by them all year. First, there was Justin Barcia missing the beginning of the season with a wrist injury, and the team hired Jake Weimer to fill in for Barcia in the meantime. Then, as the team as the team was reportedly considering allowing their relationship with Weimer to come to a close due to Weimer’s mediocre results and the return of Barcia to the fray, 450cc racer Weston Peick went down at the beginning of a muddy practice in Arizona and destroyed his wrist (dislocated and fractured, according to reports). This kept Weimer on until at least the end of the West swing of the series, at which point the team was reportedly considering having 450cc veteran Phil Nicoletti – who was riding the 250cc West for the team – jump back up to the 450cc class back east. But then Nicoletti injured his ankle/heel pretty badly on press day prior to the Arlington Supercross, knocking him out for the season, and once again insuring that Weimer will be able to remain with the team.
All of this means that, of the four racers signed by JGR prior to the season, comprising Justin Barcia, Weston Peick, Phil Nicoletti and Matt Bisceglia, Barcia is the only one left, and even he had to miss the opening handful of rounds this year as his wrist healed. It’s safe to say the JGR team could use a fair bit of luck right about now.
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