Ten Kate Racing
Encyclopedia
Ten Kate Racing is a motorbike racing team, currently competing in the Superbike World Championship
and the Supersport World Championship under the name Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
.
rider, who like many undertook his own mechanics. After semi-retirement from his own career, he guided his nephew Ronald ten Kate through regional motocross series to fourth place in the Dutch national championship. Having founded a workshop undertaking mechanics for other riders during his career, it was noticed that Ronald's bike was fast, which resulted in Gerrit expanding his workshop to the point where he was selling and maintaining 50/60 bikes per annum.
In 1993, Gerrit gave up his own motocross activities to concentrate on developing his motorcycle dealership Ten Kate Motorcycles in Nieuwleusen
, near Zwolle
in the north of Holland. Soon after foundation, local road racing
rider Harry van Beek came to the showroom looking for help, so Gerrit fixed it. Van Beek got a wildcard entry in the European Superstock round at Hockenheim
, where he found he had the fastest bike. As a result, from 1994 Ten Kate entered road racing maintenance.
The team first entered the Supersport World Championship full time in , using Honda CBR600F4i
motorcycles. In Ten Kate rider Fabien Foret
won the championship, Honda's first in Supersport.
The team went on to win all of the last six Supersport World Championships using the Honda CBR600RR
. In Chris Vermeulen
won the title, followed by Karl Muggeridge
in , Sébastien Charpentier
in , who retained his title in , the first rider ever to do so, and Kenan Sofuoğlu
who won the championship in . Also in 2008 Ten Kate wins with Andrew Pitt.
In the team also moved up to the Superbike World Championship
using the Honda CBR1000RR
and Chris Vermeulen
as its singe rider. Despite being a privateer entry with no support from Honda
who had withdrawn its support from the Superbike World Championship
, Chris Vermeulen finished fourth in the championship with four wins and was in contention for the title until the final round of the season.
The team expanded into a two motorcycles operation in with Karl Muggeridge
joining Chris Vermeulen. Vermeulen managed 6 wins and finished the championship runner-up while Muggeridge had a poorer season and finished 11th.
Chris Vermeulen moved to MotoGP in and was replaced by Superbike World Champion James Toseland
. Toseland finished the season runner-up with 3 race wins, while team mate Karl Muggeridge
once again had a poorer season finishing 12th.
In James Toseland was joined in the team by Roberto Rolfo
. Toseland got 8 race wins and won the championship in the final race of the season by a margin of 2 points. Rolfo finished 8th overall.
For the team continues to use Honda motorcycles, CBR1000RR in Superbikes, and CBR600RR
for Supersport.
With James Toseland moving to MotoGP, former MotoGP rider Carlos Checa
and 2 times British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari
join the team, while Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoğlu
will ride a third motorcycle under the banner of Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr.
Kenan Sofuoglu and Supersport World Champion Andrew Pitt
ride for the team in the 2009 Supersport World Championship.
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
and the Supersport World Championship under the name Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
.
Foundation
Gerrit ten Kate was a full time motocrossMotocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
rider, who like many undertook his own mechanics. After semi-retirement from his own career, he guided his nephew Ronald ten Kate through regional motocross series to fourth place in the Dutch national championship. Having founded a workshop undertaking mechanics for other riders during his career, it was noticed that Ronald's bike was fast, which resulted in Gerrit expanding his workshop to the point where he was selling and maintaining 50/60 bikes per annum.
In 1993, Gerrit gave up his own motocross activities to concentrate on developing his motorcycle dealership Ten Kate Motorcycles in Nieuwleusen
Nieuwleusen
Nieuwleusen is a town in the Dutch province of Overijssel with 5,913 inhabitants as of 1 January 2007. At the 2001 municipal reform, most of the former municipality of Nieuwleusen was incorporated into the municipality of Dalfsen...
, near Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
in the north of Holland. Soon after foundation, local road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
rider Harry van Beek came to the showroom looking for help, so Gerrit fixed it. Van Beek got a wildcard entry in the European Superstock round at Hockenheim
Hockenheim
Hockenheim is a German town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, about 20 km south of Mannheim. It is located in the Upper Rhine valley on the touristical theme routes Baden Asparagus Route and Bertha Benz Memorial Route...
, where he found he had the fastest bike. As a result, from 1994 Ten Kate entered road racing maintenance.
Road Racing
From 1995, the team entered its own team in regional Dutch road racing. Managed by Ronald ten Kate, each season Ten Kate Racing has increased in scope and size, and now takes a team of 28 - including technicians, administrative staff and four riders - to contest the World Superbike and Supersport champ:The team first entered the Supersport World Championship full time in , using Honda CBR600F4i
Honda CBR600F4i
The Honda CBR600F4i was a sport bike produced by Honda from 2001 to 2006.-History:For the 2001 model year Honda released an upgraded version of the popular CBR600F4 with intentions of becoming more competitive in the middleweight sport bike class...
motorcycles. In Ten Kate rider Fabien Foret
Fabien Foret
Fabien Foret born in Angoulême, France, is a professional motorcycle racer currently competing in the Supersport World Championship. As of the end of 2008, he has had 24 podium finishes including 11 wins, and 12 pole positions...
won the championship, Honda's first in Supersport.
The team went on to win all of the last six Supersport World Championships using the Honda CBR600RR
Honda CBR600RR
The Honda CBR600RR is a sport motorcycle that was introduced by Honda in 2003 as a race replica version of Honda's CBRFx series motorcycles. It won every Supersport World Championship title from 2002 to 2008.- Racing roots :...
. In Chris Vermeulen
Chris Vermeulen
Chris Vermeulen is a motorcycle racer, currently competing in the World Superbike Championship for the works Kawasaki team. He originally raced in this class in 2004 and 2005 for the Ten Kate Honda team, finishing as series runner-up in 2005...
won the title, followed by Karl Muggeridge
Karl Muggeridge
Karl Muggeridge born 20 April 1974 in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia is a professional motorcycle racer. He is married to Isobel, and has one son, Ryan Luca...
in , Sébastien Charpentier
Sébastien Charpentier (motorcycle racer)
Sébastien Charpentier is a French motorcycle road racer. He is the only man to have won the Supersport World Championship in successive years, and ....
in , who retained his title in , the first rider ever to do so, and Kenan Sofuoğlu
Kenan Sofuoglu
Kenan Sofuoğlu is a Turkish professional motorcycle racer. He currently competes in Moto2 for the Technomag-CIP team, having made his debut at the end of and will remain with the team for the season...
who won the championship in . Also in 2008 Ten Kate wins with Andrew Pitt.
In the team also moved up to the Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
using the Honda CBR1000RR
Honda CBR1000RR
The CBR1000RR, also known as the Fireblade, is a liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder sport bike that was introduced by Honda in 2004 to replace the CBR954RR.-Racing roots:...
and Chris Vermeulen
Chris Vermeulen
Chris Vermeulen is a motorcycle racer, currently competing in the World Superbike Championship for the works Kawasaki team. He originally raced in this class in 2004 and 2005 for the Ten Kate Honda team, finishing as series runner-up in 2005...
as its singe rider. Despite being a privateer entry with no support from Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
who had withdrawn its support from the Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
, Chris Vermeulen finished fourth in the championship with four wins and was in contention for the title until the final round of the season.
The team expanded into a two motorcycles operation in with Karl Muggeridge
Karl Muggeridge
Karl Muggeridge born 20 April 1974 in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia is a professional motorcycle racer. He is married to Isobel, and has one son, Ryan Luca...
joining Chris Vermeulen. Vermeulen managed 6 wins and finished the championship runner-up while Muggeridge had a poorer season and finished 11th.
Chris Vermeulen moved to MotoGP in and was replaced by Superbike World Champion James Toseland
James Toseland
James Michael Toseland is a former English motorcycle racer. Toseland was the World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. He is one of only two men, the other being Troy Corser, to have won the Superbike World Championship for two...
. Toseland finished the season runner-up with 3 race wins, while team mate Karl Muggeridge
Karl Muggeridge
Karl Muggeridge born 20 April 1974 in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia is a professional motorcycle racer. He is married to Isobel, and has one son, Ryan Luca...
once again had a poorer season finishing 12th.
In James Toseland was joined in the team by Roberto Rolfo
Roberto Rolfo
Roberto 'Roby' Rolfo is a professional motorcycle road racer. He had his best season in 2003, when he finished in second place in the 250cc World Championship...
. Toseland got 8 race wins and won the championship in the final race of the season by a margin of 2 points. Rolfo finished 8th overall.
For the team continues to use Honda motorcycles, CBR1000RR in Superbikes, and CBR600RR
Honda CBR600RR
The Honda CBR600RR is a sport motorcycle that was introduced by Honda in 2003 as a race replica version of Honda's CBRFx series motorcycles. It won every Supersport World Championship title from 2002 to 2008.- Racing roots :...
for Supersport.
With James Toseland moving to MotoGP, former MotoGP rider Carlos Checa
Carlos Checa
Carlos "Charlie" Checa is a professional motorcycle road racer and winner of the 2011 Superbike World Championship. After racing in 500cc and MotoGP for over a decade, mostly on Honda and Yamaha machinery with and without full manufacturer support, he moved to the Superbike World Championship on a...
and 2 times British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari
Ryuichi Kiyonari
is a professional motorcycle road racer. He is the 2006, 2007 and 2010 British Superbike champion, and he currently rides for HM Plant Honda in the British Superbike Championship. He also won the 2008 Suzuka 8-Hour race, teamed with his former WSBK team-mate Carlos Checa...
join the team, while Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoğlu
Kenan Sofuoglu
Kenan Sofuoğlu is a Turkish professional motorcycle racer. He currently competes in Moto2 for the Technomag-CIP team, having made his debut at the end of and will remain with the team for the season...
will ride a third motorcycle under the banner of Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr.
Kenan Sofuoglu and Supersport World Champion Andrew Pitt
Andrew Pitt (motorcycle racer)
Andrew Pitt is a professional motorcycle racer. He is a double World Supersport Champion, and has also won a World Superbike race and competed in MotoGP. He lives in Peel on the Isle of Man.-Early days:...
ride for the team in the 2009 Supersport World Championship.