Tom Toparis is the first rider confirmed by Benro Racing for the 2020 season. The Australian competed for the Dutch team last year and made a strong impression in the IDM Supersport 600. Back home Toparis became dominant champion of the 2019 Australian Championship. The 19-year old will ride all of the European rounds of the World Supersport Championship in 2020.
In 2019, Tom Toparis competed in his first season in Europe with Benro Racing in the IDM Supersport 600. The young rider combined his European racing with the Australian Supersport championship. Toparis became ASBK Champion, completely dominating the class. He finished with only one second place and won all other fifteen races. The long-haired Aussie also left a strong impression in the IDM. Despite the fact that all circuits were new for him, he managed to score five podium finishes including a win at Lausitzring. He also achieved a podium in second place in a British Supersport wildcard at the TT Circuit Assen. Benro Racing believes that Toparis is ready for the next step up and are supporting him to compete with the team in the European races of the World Supersport championship in 2020. The first race of the FIM Europe Supersport Cup will be held on the circuit of Jerez during the weekend of 27 to 29 March. The second event is the team's home race at the TT Circuit Assen. In March the team will have two tests in Valencia and Aragon to prepare for the start of the season. Benro Racing hopes to announce their second rider shortly. Tom Toparis: "I’m so happy to finally announce that I’ll be with the Benro Racing Team again, but this time on the world stage. I’m so grateful and lucky to get this opportunity. I know what to expect after a number of wildcards, so hopefully I can start out with solid results and build as the season progresses. With the Benro team and our experience last year racing IDM, I’m feeling confident we can learn all the new tracks quickly. I’m looking forward to an exciting step up to the World Supersport class in 2020.” Team manager Sraar van Rens: "I'm glad we can finally announce that Tom Toparis will stay with Benro Racing in 2020. We have been speaking with Tom for a long time about this step, he is definitely ready for it and so we are proud that we can confirm our cooperation for 2020. Last year Tom did an excellent job and I think that we as Benro Racing have shown that we’re ready for the next step as well. With our experience over the last few years, we enter the WorldSBK paddock with a lot of confidence and I hope we prove it with some surprising results in the coming season!” |
