Slaw Dog
Welcome to Morning Espresso where we recap some news from around the world.
Jett Joins Hunter with Alpinestars Deal
We told you doggies about this last week, but it’s now official: Jett Lawrence has signed with Alpinestars, joining his older brother, Hunter, who has also signed a deal with the brand.
Jett and Hunter will be under the Honda HRC tent in 2021 (expect an official announcement about that soon) after the closing of GEICO Honda earlier this year. Expect another announcement regarding Jett soon, but we can’t spill the beans on that one. You’ll have to wait, but make sure to credit Slaw once it’s announced.
JGR Done
While 2020 has seen a boom in sales in the powersports industry, it has not translated well into the professional ranks, as GEICO Honda and JGRMX, two powerhouse teams in the industry, have both closed this year.
The Factory Connection deal was strange, as long-time sponsor GEICO pulled the plug very late in the year, not allowing any time for the team to find a new title sponsor. I’ve heard that they were close to a new one but didn’t want to hold up the riders and team members that would have to find new homes for 2021. JGR, meanwhile, was unable to find a title sponsor as well, and with Suzuki reportedly cutting back on their budget, the team was unable to put anything together for next year. This sucks and a big problem for the sport. Remember, it wasn’t long ago that RCH closed its doors. That’s three major teams pulling the plug in recent years.
Our man Jason Weigandt, one of the most thoughtful and plugged in journalist in the sport, had some good thoughts on his recent Weege Show.
