Factory Connection Honda made the announcement early this morning in which they explained the team was unable to secure a replacement for GEICO in time for next year’s race season.
“We definitely didn’t see this announcement coming and the term, “all good things must come to an end”, just doesn’t seem fitting. After 22 years and 12 championships, we were forced to make the decision of closing down our race team. We were thrown a curveball in August by losing our title sponsor. We have worked tirelessly to try and find a replacement but given this unpredictable year, we ran out of time to get something put together.
“We would like to thank our staff and riders for being as understanding as they can be in this situation. Being forced to close our team doesn’t mean we lose the family we created and no matter where our next chapters take us, our bond will not be broke.
“Thank you to every team member, rider and their families who have come through our operation- we truly could not have done it without you. This sport requires a lot of sacrifices from more than just the rider and we have been lucky to have some amazing support systems behind our guys.
“A huge thank you to our fans! We feel extremely blessed to have so many people stand behind our team and riders through the good and the bad. The dedication and love we have been shown through the years is second to none. Although we all are going our separate ways, please stop and say hi when you see us!
“Last but not least, so many great sponsors have supported us through the years. American Honda and Factory Connection have been there from the beginning and we couldn’t have done this without them! Our hope is that you continue to support those who supported us through the years to come.”
Former GEICO team riders Hunter and Jett Lawrence will most likely be on Hondas next year. As for Jeremy Martin, he’s signed with Star Racing Yamaha.
