Source: Supplied.

Australian brand Penrite Oil has been announced as the title sponsor of Honda Racing for the 2017 Australian Supercross Championship, continuing its association with the defending champion organisation.

Penrite has had a longstanding partnership with team owner Yarrive Konsky Honda effort and, after predominately featuring on the team’s SX2 entries last year, will advance to SX1 champion Justin Brayton’s CRF450R this season.

With Konsky fielding a streamlined squad of Brayton and local talent Jesse Dobson in the premier class, current two-time American Arenacross champion Gavin Faith will aim the reclaim the Australian SX2 crown aboard a 2017-spec CRF250R. The all-new 2018 model hasn’t yet arrived in the country.

“Since our inception the team has been very successful and we have worked closely with them to develop our motorcycle oils range,” Penrite Oil general manager Toby Dymond said. “The motorcycle market in Australia is flourishing with over 800,000 registered bikes using our roads and trails. The competition market is equally doing well with over 20,000 riders competing each year across Australia, so it’s important we are involved.”

Penrite Oil will also continue to operate as naming-rights partner of the Penrite CRF Honda Racing team, which fields youthful Australian duo Joel Wightman in SX1 and Kyle Webster in SX2 respectively.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

This year also sees the alignment of All Pro Racing owner and former longtime Suzuki team manager Jay Foreman with Penrite Honda Racing, recruited as team manager of Konsky’s team to lead Brayton, Dobson and Faith throughout AUS Supercross.

Foreman began the 2017 season as contracted team manager of a revamped factory-backed Crankt Protein Honda Racing operation, however he and the team parted ways in the back-half of the nationals. It’s understood that decision was made under immense financial pressures, with the Motologic-run team closing altogether at the conclusion of supercross.

“It’s really good to work with Justin and the entire team,” Foreman told MotoOnline.com.au. “I’m looking forward to round one and it’s a really good working relationship that I have with the team. It was unfortunate how things turned out in the nationals [with Motologic], but I am happy to continue to be involved with Honda and Yarrive’s program. Things fell into place from there.”

Foreman also said the technical alliance with Penrite was an important one: “It’s important we work with technical partners that can provide performance products which give us an edge. Penrite have been forthcoming and supportive of everything we require.”

This year will also see the supercross-only Penrite Honda Racing team transfer from Pirelli to Dunlop tyres for Brayton’s defence of the number one plate, while increased cooperation with Showa in the US will see both of the American teammates equipped with factory-level suspension throughout the championship. Gates drop on Saturday night at Jimboomba X Stadium in Queensland.