CHINO, Calif. – RCH Soaring Eagle/Jimmy John’s/Suzuki Factory Racing will add Jake Weimer to its stable of riders beginning with this weekend’s Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.
Broc Tickle, rider of RCH’s No. 20 Suzuki, was diagnosed with a fractured distal radius in his right forearm following a practice crash at the team’s test facility last Friday and is expected to miss the next four to six rounds. Weimer’s addition to the team will not affect Tickle’s return once he receives medical clearance to compete.
The 2010 Western Regional 250SX Class Champion moves to RCH after spending 2015 and the first three races of 2016 with Team Tedder. He will compete with RCH for the remainder of the 2016 Monster Energy Supercross season aboard the No. 12 Suzuki RM-Z450.
Weimer is a veteran of 53 Monster Energy Supercross 450SX starts and currently sits ninth in points. Over the last six seasons, the Idaho native has earned five podiums, including a career-best second-place finish to complement 12 top five and 31 top 10s.
“It’s a good opportunity for me to be on a team of this caliber,” stated Weimer. “I know most of the guys on the team and have worked with some of them before. I have a lot of respect for both Carey and Ricky so when the opportunity presented itself, it was really something I wanted to do. RCH is a team that I’ve been interested in for the last few years but the opportunity hadn’t come along so when it did, it was pretty easy for me to say yes.”
Prior to 2015, the 28-year-old veteran spent the previous four seasons with Monster Energy Kawasaki where he finished a career-best fifth in points in 2012. That same year, Weimer finished third in Lucas Oil Pro Motocross points, his best season-ending performance to date in outdoor competition.
“As a rider, you want to bring results and hopefully, be a good team member. I want to try and help the team anyway I can. It could be testing and whatever that entails. I enjoy being able to contribute. First and foremost, as a rider, you want to produce results. After that, it’s about being a good teammate and making a contribution.
“As of now, my best finish this year is eighth. I just want to keep raising that bar, grab another gear and try to be a little more competitive with the next little group of guys. This is a big, big change for me. I’ve been on a Kawasaki for the last seven years so this is a huge move for me, but it’s an opportunity I’m excited about and couldn’t pass up.”
With Tickle on the sidelines until further notice, RCH team owners Carey Hart and Ricky Carmichael were pleased to be able to add a veteran rider with Weimer’s talent to the team.
“I think Jake will be a great fit,” said RCH co-owner Ricky Carmichael. “I know he’s worked with several members of our technical group in the past and knows just about everyone on the team so that should make it a smooth transition for everyone. We will give him our best. He’s going to be fun to watch. At the same time, we want to wish Broc a speedy recovery. He had a great off-season and worked his butt off so everyone is really bummed about his injury. We’ll have his bike ready to go when he’s ready to get back after it.”
