From Instagram: "I am not going to race in 2019. I do not want to give the full explanation. First I want to say thank you @suzukicycles and @team_hammer_inc for having me the last three years. I'm still having my 100% motivation on riding, and even more racing in @motoamerica. I'm keeping my training (physically and moto) schedule as I always do during this times of the year and make myself ready in case any opportunity show up. Also thank's @michelinmotorsport for still giving me a lot of tyres testing this year. Not what I wanted, but I'm healthy and still enjoying my life. See you soon at the track"
I don’t know who has more drive than Valentin. I can name a few that equal, but not exceed. Hopefully things turn around for him. (Obviously, I’m just a fan without any professional experience.)
We need more dudes with his level of Colin-esque candor during interviews in the paddock. "Zee bike was just a piece of sheet."
I'm sure there's a reason and I know it's above my pay grade why. Sucks but CU and JU had their reasons.
It’d be great if he could get on an R6 and stomp the shit out of the SS class. I’m a GSX-R fanboy, but that old ass bike was holding him back.
No one has more love for the sport than JU and CU do IMO. It is a shame VD won't be back with the team in 2019 but I am sure they considered all options and went in the direction that made the most sense for all parties involved.
Team Hammer has that bike pretty well sorted out. Personally I feel many of the challenges faced in 2018 began when VD interviewed for the open Astronaut position at NASA (fuck that was a huge crash!). Arai sent his helmet up for a little piece we did and it was in rough shape after that impact. VD is tough as nails but IMO no one comes back from shit like that as fast as he did able to operate at 110%. Take that crash out of the mix and there is a very strong chance the 2018 season would have been much different. VD is one hell of a motorcycle racer and I wish him the very best moving forward. He is a ton of fun to watch when he is in race mode and will be missed.
They signed Bobby Fong instead. Could be a money thing. Maybe Bobby was less demanding on pay. Just speculating. I bet VD ends up on something by mid-season.
I think that all of the experts on here should use their vast experience racing and running race teams at the top level of the sport to let Team Hammer know that they are doing it wrong and let their best racer go. There are several guys out there available right now that I would like to see on my theoretical team, Velentine Debise, Josh Hayes and Danny Eslick come to mind. If I had some money, experience and sponsors, I'd put all three on superbike 1000's and win the MA championship. I hope they all get good rides as I think any of them can finish on the podium.
My guess was it was a $$ situation and perhaps a bit of him lacking political correctness. Just speculation of course.
Here is some what ifs for you. What if Debise didn't want to race 600's again, but was insistent on a superbike? What if Team Hammer doesn't have a spare superbike, sponsor and pile of money laying around? What if they are really happy with their current superbike rider and program? Should they have dumped Jake Lewis for Debise? This is nothing but pure speculation based on a strong position of ignorance, but I might be close in some aspects.
Pretty sure he said in an interview at the end of the season he wanted superbike this year or nothing
