Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Cole Seely will replace Justin Barcia on the Muscle Milk Honda squad next year.
With the unofficial word that Justin “Bam Bam” Barcia will be teamed with current RCH Suzuki rider Weston Peick–the term unholy alliance comes to mind–Team Honda needed to tap a new rider for the open spot alongside the rejuvenated Trey Canard on its factory team. It didn’t have to look far to fill the seat.
Today, Honda announced today that it has signed Troy Lee Designs Honda rider Cole Seely to a multi-year contract on its factory team, which is currently sponsored by Muscle Milk. Seely finished a close second in the 2014 Monster Energy AMA 250cc West Supercross Series, and he also showed his capability on a 450 by filling-in for the injured Barcia in the 450cc class in Supercross. Seely will campaign a Honda CRF450R full-time in the 2015 Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross series.
“I’m really excited to be with the Honda team,” Seely said. “We’ve worked together in the past, and we have great chemistry together. It’s my dream team, and it’s nice to officially be a part of it now. I really like the CRF450R too, ever since they introduced the new chassis. The geometry is great, and I think I fit it well. I know what I’m getting into, and I think it’s going to come down to preparation during the pre-season and getting the bike dialed in right for when Anaheim 1 comes around. Fortunately, I have a great group of guys to help with that.”
Ray Conway, Director of Racing at American Honda, said that the team is excited to welcome Seely into Honda’s factory team.
“While racing a CRF250R with Troy Lee Designs Honda, he (Seely) has shown that he is a talented rider, and he performed well at the top level while willingly stepping in to help out our factory team this year,” Conway said. “He has a solid base and it’s great that he’ll be staying with Honda as he makes this next important step in his career.”
About Cole Seely
Cole Seely’s background as an amateur BMX and motocross racer prepared him well for when he turned pro in 2009, and he signed for Troy Lee Designs Honda for the following season. In 2011, Seely tallied a pair of supercross victories, both in the 250 West class. He added another the following year, and 2013 saw him finish third in the series points standings. This past season is when the Californian came into his own, notching a pair of 250SX West wins and challenging for the class title up until the final round before eventually settling for second. Since 2011, Cole has also occasionally pitched in as a substitute 450 rider for the factory Honda team, and he scored a podium finish in the premier class at Indianapolis this year.
Your Privacy Choices