Last weekend we learned that Pennsylvania´s Gavin Towers will join VRT Yamaha to race in the EMX250 class, starting this weekend at the fifth round in Teutschenthal, Germany. Nowadays seeing American riders in Europe is not a common move, especially in the EMX250 class as the amateur program in the USA are well-recognized worldwide.
Like Towers, there were a few cases of American riders heading to Europe to race in the EMX250 class before their pro debuts on home soil.
DARIAN SANAYEI
His pro career really started in Europe after a successful amateur career in the USA. In 2015 Sanayei was invited by Monster Energy to race the opening round in Matterley Basin, impressing the paddock with a moto win on his first attempt. Next year, he signed with Bud Racing Kawasaki to race the entire 250 European Series. He recorded some great results with six moto wins, two overall event wins, and a second overall in the ten rounds series. Then moved to the MX2 class where he grabbed a couple of podiums.
Fact: Sanayei only raced four Pro Motocross rounds during his career. One in 2015 and three in 2020.
TRISTAN CHARBONEAU
A curious story here. Charboneau joined the late GEICO Honda team in 2014. After two years in the amateur ranks, he made his pro debut at the opening round of the AMA Pro Motocross in Hangtown in 2016, finishing on a decent 9th overall. However, a broken collarbone kept him out until round eight, making an impressive debut with a 10-10 in Unadilla. Despite those good results, GEICO Honda had other plans by signing Jeremy Martin, which meant no room for Charboneau. In 2017 he moved to Europe under the tent of Bud Racing Kawasaki. On his first EMX250 campaign, he finished fifth overall in the final standings, winning five motos in the nine-round calendar.
Charboneau stayed one more season overseas but this time with ASTES4-TESAR Yamaha, finishing 5th in the standings with five moto wins and three overalls. But all of a sudden, Charboneau decided to step away from the sport. Now he works in his garage restoring cars.
MARSHAL WELTIN
Michigan’s Marshal Weltin was considered an underdog during his amateur days. He never grabbed a Loretta Lynn´s title, and once his amateur campaign ended, he decided to hit the rode as a privateer. In 2017 he received an offer from Europe to race in the EMX250 class with BUD Racing Kawasaki alongside Tristan Charboneau. Weltin raced only one single season, finishing 6th in the standings with a 3rd overall in Portugal as his best results.
In 2018 he signed with F&H Kawasaki for the MX2 class, and after a 21st in the standings on a season full of ups and downs, Weltin´s adventure overseas came to an end as Yousthream decided to enter the 23-age limit for the EMX250 and MX2 classes. Weltin now has a lot of supercross and motocross seasons in the USA under hilt belt.
GAVIN TOWERS
Hailing from Pennsylvania, USA, Towers is best known for his performances in AMA Supercross in which he has celebrated six phenomenal podium finishes. With the support of Yamaha Motor USA, Star Racing and Monster Energy, Towers has gained an opportunity to test his skills against the best motocross riders in the world.
“I’m so happy for this opportunity. I’ve always wanted to come and try out racing in Europe, and when the opportunity came about I had to jump at it. Some close people in my corner helped me get this together and I couldn’t be happier about it. It means a lot to me to come over here and have these amazing people help me out. My expectations are to go out and learn as much as I can. It’s going to be quite an adjustment but I’m ready for it!”
