Gino Rea ecstatic after securing full-time Moto2 ride in 2014

Gino Rea is proof that hard work and persistence pays off after the British rider secured a full-time return to the Moto2 world championship in 2014.

The former World Supersport race winner announced last night that he will ride for the new Texas-based AGT (American Green Technology) squad, which has joined forces with Rea Racing and American-basd World Motors Inc.

The Londoner was without a permanent ride last season after the late collapse of the  ESGP squad, who he had signed to race for after being released by the Gresini squad at the end of 2012.

Rea, who finished third in a rain-hit Moto2 race in Sepang in 2012, kept himself in the shop window throughout 2013 by self-funding wild card appearances in Le Mans, Assen and Sachsenring.

Rea went old school by racing out of an awning and a van with the support from dad Dave and numerous friends of former sponsors. His determination was rewarded when he was picked up by the Czech Republic-based Montaze Bros Racing Team to contest the Brno, Silverstone. Misano, Aragon and Valencia races as a wild card.

He did his hopes of securing a full-time return to Moto2 no harm at all when he raced to 14th place finishes in Phillip Island and the Twin Ring Motegi after being called up by the AGR squad to replace injured Spaniard Alberto Moncayo during last month’s flyway tripe header.

Speaking to MCN, Rea said he felt vindicated that his hard work and commitment to carry on pursuing his GP dream has been rewarded with a permanent ride next season.

He said: “I guess the hard work that myself and so many people put in has paid off. It is brilliant to know that I have got a bit of security and I can go into next season knowing that I am going to be doing the full season. Obviously this year was pretty difficult and I didn’t know if I was going to be racing or not, so it is nice to know that I am definitely going to be racing in an exciting new project. I can’t wait to get started, though we have a lot of hard work ahead to get the team structure in place and get everything organised for the new season.”

Rea explained how his new venture had come about and he added: “Dave Peterson came to watch the race in Misano and at that time I was riding the Montaze Bros team. Dave loves motorsport and he just really liked what we doing in taking on the big budget teams and being reasonably competitive. He liked the fight we had and he wanted to get involved in it and I suppose it is in the last six weeks or so it has really progressed. I had two options for 2014. I could stay with Montaze Bros and just do all the European races as a wild card or partner with the American project and be a permanent team and do the whole series. The amount of wild cards I’ve done this year meant I was granted a full entry, so we took advantage of that and joined with AGT.”

On the provisional 2014 entry list, Rea is pencilled in to ride a British-built FTR frame, but there is no mention in the official AGT statement of which chassis he will campaign next season.