The 2008 road racing season is a landmark year in road racing for KTM, the Austrian manufacturer of the world's leading sports motorcycles.
KTM riders in both 250 and 125 cc classes are "Ready to Race" in Jerez, Spain at the first European MotoGP of the season on March 28-30. In addition, the company is fully committed to a whole of racing activities involving junior talent. Following the season's opening night race in Qatar on March 8-9 and successful pre-season testing in Jerez and Valencia, the KTM 250 and 125 cc riders are looking forward to making their mark on the world championship. In 2008, there are more KTM machines on the championship grids than ever before.
 
Strong line-up of talent in 250 cc
In 2008 KTM has three top class riders competing in the 250 cc class of the world championship, all of whom have strong podium potential. Finn Mika Kallio and Hiroshi Aoyama of Japan continue to ride for the Red Bull KTM 250 team and are joined by Julian Simon of Repsol KTM 250 cc. Kallio launched the 2008 season with a podium third in Qatar and he and the other two riders all enjoy the full factory-supported status.
 
Substantial increase in 125 cc
In this landmark season there will be no less that seven KTM factory-supported riders on the grid for the 125 cc class. All enjoy equal factory support from the Mattighofen factory and the KTM 125 Service Team.
 
ISPA KTM ARAN with riders Tomoyoshi Koyama of Japan and Lorenzo Zanetti of Italy.
Onde 2000 KTM with riders Pablo Nieto of Spain and Raffaele de Rosa of Italy.
Red Bull KTM 125 with rider Randy Krummenacher of Switzerland.
Repsol KTM 125 cc with riders Esteve Rabat and Marc Marquez, both of Spain.
 
Monlau KTM riders
Two young Spanish riders, Edgar Garcia and Antonio Alarcos, will this year contest the Spanish National Championship on KTM 125 bikes under the guidance of Emilio Alzamora (World Champion in 125 cc in 1999) of the Monlau Competición, a company that trains and nurtures young riders among many other racing activities. The track record of the program is proven by the fact that Marc Marquez, this year riding in the world championship for the Repsol KTM 125 cc team, came from this fertile training ground.
 
Constantly nurturing young talent in Spanish National Championships
The significant increase in the number of KTM machines in 125 cc is a direct result of the company policy to encourage young talent and nurture tomorrow's champions. This policy has been further extended by engagement in the Red Bull MotoGP Academy where in 2008 all four riders are onboard KTM 125 machines. In 2008 the Academy riders are Jonas Folger of Germany, Johann Zarco of France, winner of the inaugural Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2007, American Cameron Beaubier, who was raced a successful season with the Red Bull Rookies Cup last year and Briton Danni Kent. These young riders, under the guidance of mentor Alberto Puig, himself a former world class 500cc rider, train and compete in Spain. They are groomed both physically and mentally by a team of expert support staff in preparation for top international competition.
 
Second year of engagement for KTM in Red Bull Rookies Cup
KTM is also fully engaged in supporting riders between the ages of 13-16 years for the Red Bull Rookies Cup, now entering its second season. KTM provides all the 125 cc machines for these young riders and supports them with a parallel program for KTM apprentice mechanics, giving both junior riders and technicians a unique experience of top class racing on MotoGP circuits. Successfully launched in 2007, the Red Bull Rookies Cup has in 2008 been extended to include a parallel competition in USA, the Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup. Riders from 17 nations including South Africa, Australia, America and Japan as well as across Europe from Finland and Norway to the Czech Republic and Spain are riding KTMs in the 10-race European championship. The top 10 in both the European and USA competitions will race off in two international events during the season.
 
KTM: the company always "Ready to Race"
KTM, the world leader in the manufacture of sports motorcycles is based in Mattighofen in Austria. Fully committed to their motto "Ready to Race", the company views this massive increase in its commitment to road racing as an investment in the future of the sport. It also underlines their recognition of the sheer exhilaration of motor sports and the pleasure enjoyed by millions of enthusiasts all over the world in onand offroad competition and recreational riding.
 
Team  Rider  Number  Country  Team Homepage  Personal Homepage
Red Bull KTM 250  Hiroshi Aoyama  4  Japan  KTM  Hiroshi Aoyama
Red Bull KTM 250  Mika Kallio  36  Finland  KTM  Mika Kallio
Repsol KTM 250  Julian Simon  60  Spain  Repsol  -
Onde 2000 KTM  Pablo Nieto  22  Spain Onde 2000 KTM  Pablo Nieto
Onde 2000 KTM  Raffaele de Rosa  35  Italy  Onde 2000 KTM  Raffaele de Rosa
ISPA KTM Aran  Lorenzo Zanetti  8  Italy  ISPA KTM Aran  Lorenzo Zanetti
ISPA KTM Aran  Tomoyoshi Koyama 71  Italy  ISPA KTM Aran  Tomoyoshi Koyama
Red Bull KTM 125  Randy Krummenacher  34  Switzerland  KTM  Randy Krummenacher
Repsol KTM 125  Esteve Rabat  12  Spain Repsol  -
Repsol KTM 125  Marc Marquez  93  Spain Repsol  -

 
Team  Rider  Country  Team Homepage
Monlau KTM  Edgar Garcia  Spain  Monlau KTM
Monlau KTM  Antonio Alarcos  Spain  Monlau KTM
Red Bull MotoGP Academy  Jonas Folger  Germany  MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Academy  Johann Zarco  France  MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Academy  Cameron Beaubier  USA  MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Academy  Danni Kent  United Kingdom  MotoGP
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup  -  Europe  Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Red Bull AMA US Rookies Cup  -  USA  Red Bull AMA US Rookies Cup