Cycle News Staff | December 9, 2021
Earlier in the week, Husqvarna formally announced their off-road racing rider line up for the 2022 season. A new team manager, Anthony DiBasilio, has also been named as Timmy Weigand has officially joined the KTM off-road effort. DiBasilio joins the team after nearly 15 years with the KTM Group, notably wrenching for the late Kurt Caselli. The rider line up looks familiar for ’22 as Colton Haaker, Thad Duvall, Craig DeLong, Trevor Bollinger, and Austin Walton return to the team. The Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team will contest in a variety of series; Haaker taking on EnduroCross and extreme enduros, Duvall, Bollinger, and DeLong enlisting in the GNCC XC-1 class, and Austin Walton handling the west coast off-road scene.
The 2022 Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Off-Road Racing Team
The official press release can be found below.
Together with the announcement of Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s 2022 off-road racing team lineup, Husqvarna Motorcycles North America, Inc. is pleased to also welcome Anthony DiBasilio as Team Manager of the highly accomplished program.
DiBasilio started working under the KTM Group umbrella in 2008, taking on many roles within the company’s off-road racing division including rider mechanic, chief engine builder, assistant race-team manager and service technician/manager at the Husqvarna Motorcycles’ dealership level. With nearly 15 years of trusted experience in the off-road motorsport world, DiBasilio looks forward to accepting a new challenge with the familiar Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team.
Anthony DiBasilio – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager: “I am extremely thankful for this opportunity to be with the Husqvarna Motorcycles brand. Both professionally and personally, I am forever inspired by my time and work as a mechanic with Kurt Caselli. Being a Team Manager for the off-road race team has long been a goal of mine and I am excited to now bring my experience and knowledge to the table. I feel confident stepping into this role and know together we can continue to build on the already successful platform and keep pushing boundaries.”
Coming into the 2022 season with a No. 1 plate proudly displayed aboard his FX 350, five-time AMA EnduroCross Champion Colton Haaker will look to defend his title and attempt to become the most decorated champion in the series with a sixth-career championship. Haaker is already off to a solid start for 2022 as he secured a third-place result at the opening round of FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in Poland over the weekend. The three-time World Champion will contest the entire series once again as he looks to re-mount the No. 1 plate aboard his TE 300i.
Colton Haaker: “I am excited for another couple years with the team. We’ve had a lot of success since joining in 2015 and that comes from each member truly enjoying the process. It is fun and rewarding to work together towards a goal and whether achieved or not, the effort and the journey are the parts we look back most fondly on!”
Colton Haaker
Also returning to the team is veteran Thad Duvall, who is looking to build upon his strong finish to the 2021 season where he claimed victory at the final round of the GNCC Series. DuVall battled injury earlier in the season but with a clean bill of health, the 32-year-old is ready to continue his title fight aboard the FX 350. DuVall will also compete in the AMA National Enduro Championship this season, where he is set to contest his first title in that series as well.
Thad DuVall: “I think 2022 will be a great year and I’m really looking forward to racing GNCC and getting back to the National Enduro Series!”
Thad Duvall
After a successful championship-winning run in the Pro2 division, Craig DeLong will fully make the jump into the premier class in 2022, racing aboard the FX 350 in both GNCC and National Enduro. He made a strong effort to defend his GNCC XC2 250 Pro title last season with a runner-up finish in the championship, while also putting a strong foot forward with fourth overall in his rookie season of NE Pro1 competition. For 2022, DeLong will set his sights on being a consistent front-runner alongside the sport’s elite racers.
Craig DeLong: “I’m really looking forward to jumping up to GNCC’s XC1 class and racing the big names of the sport right now. Being back with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing is awesome, too, and I’m really excited to be working with all the guys again!”
Craig Delong
Trevor Bollinger heads into the 2022 season healthy and fully recovered from a long road of knee injuries. Bollinger will join his teammates DuVall and DeLong in the GNCC and National Enduro series this season, racing both aboard the FX 350. Bollinger came on strong towards the end of the 2021 season, claiming a podium finish in the National Enduro series, along with fifth overall in the championship standings. For 2022, Bollinger aims to be a consistent podium contender in both series.
Trevor Bollinger: “I’m excited to be coming into the 2022 season healthy. Last season was challenging but I’m ready to come out swinging and make myself a regular on the podium.”
Trevor Bollinger
Austin Walton will represent the team’s efforts on the west coast once again in 2022, competing in the World Off-Road Championship Series (WORCS) and the AMA National Grand Prix Championship on the FX 450. Walton missed a large portion of the season in 2021 due to injury but he came back strong at the final rounds to show great potential for the 2022 season.
Austin Walton: “I am happy to have some time off from the races to be able to work on my bike skills and fitness, as there were some things that could be better towards the end of the 2021 season. I am looking forward to progressing some key details of my program and to be ready for the 2022 season and to hit it even harder this year! I’m also very happy to be working with the same team this year as their help is huge in my success and I look forward to paying it back with championships!”
Austin Walton
Antti Kallonen – Director of Offroad Racing, KTM Group North America: “The 2022 season is looking to be strong for the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team and I’m looking forward to seeing what our new Team Manager, Anthony DiBasilio, can do and contribute with his expertise and a fresh set of ideas for the team to advance to even higher levels. They will have a full powerhouse on the east coast with a three-rider lineup for GNCC XC1. Thad, Trevor and Craig are all championship contenders and we’re looking forward to having the team up on the podium regularly in GNCC and National Enduro. On the west coast, Austin has been a proven race-winner and we look forward to continue working with him on the WORCS and NGPC series. Colton Haaker, who is the veteran on the team and the most accomplished rider, will round out the team’s effort in extreme off-road and I’m expecting him to carry the torch to guide and lead the team to more championships in 2022.”
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