Aiden Wagner left high and dry in Europe
Intermoto Pony Express team owner missing and all team equipment locked up by Czech Police
Aiden Wagner’s tilt in World Supersport has come unstuck with Intermoto Pony Express team assets seized by Police, including all of Wagner’s riding gear, and all team riders essentially left high and dry.
The Brisbane 20-year-old starred on his Superbike debut with Team Honda at Sydney Motorsport Park earlier this year, whilst standing in for the injured Jamie Stauffer.
Wagner won the first Superbike race he ever contested, prompting Team Honda Racing’s Paul Free to find enough sponsorship to offer Wagner a ride with Team Honda for the remainder of season 2015.
Wagner, however, had long had his sights for making a step into the European arena, to test his mettle on a bigger stage in 2015. Thus Wagner turned down the plum domestic ride in favour of putting some of his own funding and backing into a World Supersport campaign, with the Intermoto Pony Express Team. On paper, at least, everything looked good, the bikes ridden by other riders in the team, Lucas Mathias and PJ Jacobsen, had proven competitive. Countryman Andrew Pitt knew the team, and had helped orchestrate the deal to get Wagner on board.
As for so many young Australians before him, Wagner’s European dream has quickly turned to a nightmare.
“Obviously I am not happy at all with the situation that intermoto have put me in as they now owe me money. And I’m left without any ride. All my gear is locked up in the truck which isn’t going to Portimao because the team owner, Josef Kubicek, is missing and Czech police have everything locked for investigation.” commented Aiden to MCNews.com.au overnight from Portugal.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel however, with Pitt managing to get Wagner a seat on a FIM Superstock GSX-R1000 Suzuki this weekend in Portugal.
“I arrived in Portimao thinking I had no ride, when Andrew Pitt called and said he has organised a World Superstock 1000 ride with Suzuki for me for the weekend.
“That gets me back on a bike for this weekend but I am still left without any plans after this weekend.
“Its really a shame because we were starting to make great progress in the Supersport class and were showing we had the pace to run in the top-ten by our second race.
“I really hope something else comes up in that class because this year was about showing everyone, including other teams, what we can do, and on the back of that, hoping to secure a competitive ride for next year.
“It now makes it hard with getting back on to a 1000, and changing brands, but I’m sure we can still have a good go this weekend on the Suzuki.
“I will, as always, give it 110 per cent.”
It will indeed be a Herculean effort for Wagner to again adapt his riding style to a 1,000cc machine. However, with FIM Superstock 1000 rules fairly much aligned to the basic race race preparation permitted in the Australasian FX Superbike Championship category, Wagner’s experience on the Team Honda Fireblade SP at Eastern Creek earlier this year will be invaluable. The lightly treaded Pirelli control tyre will also test Wagner’s adaptability, but as he showed on his Australasian FX Superbike debut, the Queenslander can adapt quickly to new challenges.
With Wagner due to turn 21 on the 14th of this month, we can only hope that a birthday present in the shape of a competitive ride comes his way…
