David Knight signs for factory BMW off-road team

Britain’s leading off-road racer David Knight has joined the factory BMW Motorrad team to race in the 2009 World Enduro Championship.

In addition to the newly-crowned 2008 US Grand National Cross Country Champion returning to the WEC, the Manxman has also extended his association with Red Bull.

After dominating the US GNCC championship and bagging to titles, Knight returns to the World Enduro Championship, a series in which he last raced as a full-time competitor back in 2006.

He said: “This is an extremely exciting time for me. Returning to the WEC means I’m returning to a championship I know well. But competing for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team means I have an exciting new challenge ahead of me.

“Like any rider you have to truly believe in both your machinery and team to perform at your best, and I have absolute faith in BMW. My motivation to win is as strong as ever, and I know BMW are every bit as serious about winning as I am.

“Being able to continue to work with Red Bull is something that’s really important to me. Red Bull has supported me during my two years in the States and knowing that they’re fully behind me on my return to the WEC is great. I know that 2009 is going to be a great year.

“KTM have supported me both in Europe and in the States since 2004 and I’m hugely grateful for their support. The last four years have been amazingly successful having won two WEC and two US GNCC titles, as well as Indoor Enduro World Cup and Endurocross championships and claimed International Six Day Enduro success.”

Knight’s priority for the coming season will be the World Enduro Championship. While the class in which he will compete hasn’t been decided he is keen to add selected extreme and indoor enduro competitions to his schedule, as well as hoping to compete in at least two rounds of the US GNCC series. He also hopes to compete in the International Six Days Enduro, which takes place in Portugal.

Although the complete BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory enduro team line-up hasn’t yet been finalised, Finland’s Juha Salminen and Marko Tarkkala have been named as Knight’s team-mates in 2009, making it one of the strongest teams in the series.