Former racer Barrie Baxter, Chairman of the Torrens Trophy Nominations Committee said: “It gives us enormous pleasure to award the 2023 Torrens Trophy to Triumph for its amazing work in the Moto2TM World Championship, motorcycling’s number two grand prix series. The company has provided engines for the entire Moto2 grid for the past five seasons, proving to the world that its engineering and technology can thrive in arguably the toughest bike racing series of them all”.

It doesn’t really need to be said that these riders demand everything and more from their engines, which must therefore be capable of surviving serious abuse. During Triumph Racing’s five years in Moto2 its three-cylinder 765 engines have covered more than one million kms, achieving 95 race and outright lap records, enabling 21 different riders to win a Moto2 race. 

Triumph Racing has thus done a great service to the MotoGP paddock and to the Triumph name, proving that a renowned brand has risen again to prove itself at the very forefront of high-performance motorcycling.

Nick Bloor, Triumph Motorcycles CEO added: “This award is a real honour, and a tribute to the hard work and passion of our Triumph Racing team. Our world-class engineers are always looking at new ways to enhance the engine performance, from speed, power and torque, to revs, cylinder pressure and compression ratio. This has enabled us to deliver improvements on track each season, from shorter race times to faster top speeds, which has contributed to closer, even more exciting, racing.  

“Moto2 is also an excellent platform to showcase the durability, reliability and class-leading performance of our 765 triple engines on the road. Over the last five years we’ve used the race engine programme to drive enhancements and gain insights that we’ve used to further develop and evolve our new Street Triple 765 range, which has successfully driven demand and sales across the world. It’s a partnership that we are excited to be continuing until 2029.” 

Triumph’s five Moto2 champions since 2019 are Alex Marquez, Enea Bastianini, Remy Gardner, Augusto Fernandez and Pedro Acosta. Four of these riders will be in MotoGP this year and almost half the current MotoGP grid has scored grands prix victories on Triumph-powered Moto2 bikes – another massive testament to the power of Triumph.

This year Triumph Racing will also enter the motocross world championships for the first time, while also attacking the hugely popular American Supercross and Pro Motocross championships.

Five Previous Torrens Trophy winners

• 2022 Mike Trimby, for his tireless work to improve circuit safety and represent the riders, teams and commercial side of MotoGP.
• 2021 The Crescent Yamaha team for winning the riders’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in the FIM World Superbike Championship.
• 2020 Emma Bristow for claiming her seventh consecutive FIM Women’s Trial World Championship.
• 2019 Peter Hickman for his three Isle of Man TT victories and for setting the world’s fastest road race lap record of 136.415mph at the Ulster GP.
• 2018 Tai Woffinden for being the most successful British speedway rider in history.
• 2017 Jonathan Rea MBE for being the first rider to win three consecutive World Superbike Championships.

The Torrens Trophy
The Royal Automobile Club has always had a close association with the motorcycling world.  The Club formed the Auto Cycle Club in 1903, which went on to become the Auto Cycle Union in 1947.  The first motorcycle race was held on the Isle of Man in 1905 for cars – two years before the first Tourist Trophy for motorcycles.  

The Torrens Trophy recognises an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of safe and skilful motorcycling in the United Kingdom, or to have made an outstanding contribution of technical excellence to further the cause of motorcycling in the UK, or to have shown outstanding skill in international motorcycling sporting events in the United Kingdom.

The Torrens Trophy was first awarded in 1978 in memory of Arthur Bourne, a motorcycling journalist who wrote a column under the name ‘Torrens’. Arthur Bourne was also a Vice-Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club. It is awarded only when the Club feels that the achievement justifies it.

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To build on the success so far and to further improve the performance and capability of the engine, Triumph will also develop a full new race gearbox, which will make its debut in the 2025 season. Some improvements are already underway, with the engineering team testing parts after use in this year’s Moto2 rounds in order to make improvements in gear selection for the 2024 season.

Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer, Triumph Motorcycles: “Moto2 continues to be an excellent platform to showcase the performance and capability of our 765 triple engines, driving demand for our new Street Triple 765 range. Over the last five years, we’ve used the race engine programme to drive enhancements to the 765 engine, and gain insights and learnings that we’ve used to further develop and evolve our Street Triple 765 range. Our reputation for bulletproof durability, reliability and class-leading performance has grown, which in turn, drives our global sales.

“Just as the Moto2 teams make every lap count, our engineers have used every opportunity to enhance every dimension of the engine performance, from speed, power and torque, to revs, cylinder pressure and compression ratio. This has enabled us to deliver improvements on track each season, achieving shorter race times, faster top speeds and lap times, more winners and closer racing. The new race gearbox will make a big difference to the results that riders can achieve on track in Moto2, and in advance of this, our engineering team is already testing and developing improvements in gear selection, testing parts after use in this year’s Moto2 rounds.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer, Dorna Sports: “Our first five years working with Triumph are proving to be a real success, with great racing, riders achieving new Moto2 records across the board and impressive reliability from the off. We wanted this collaboration to help to define that step between Moto3 and the MotoGP class, and I think Triumph have achieved just that. We’re really happy with the way the partnership is evolving as well, with more innovation and development still to come, and we’re looking forward to five more exciting years together.”

As competition for the Triumph Triple Trophy heats up, the winner’s bike, an exclusive Street Triple 765 RS, was also unveiled at Silverstone on the Day of Champions in a special press conference announcing the new contract. Steve Sargent, Chief Product Officer of Triumph Motorcycles, was joined by Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer of Dorna Sports, as well as Moto2 riders Jake Dixon (Tensite GASGAS Aspar Team) and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp).

The Triumph Triply Trophy is designed to recognise impressive performances throughout the field and the 2023 competition has been fiercely fought so far. Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) incredible lap times see him at the top of the leaderboard with 26 points, closely followed by rookie Dennis Foggia (Italtrans Racing Team) in 2nd place with 21 points, thanks to his excellent race progression. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) share 3rd place on 17 points.  This year’s winner will follow in the footsteps of Moto2 greats Jeremy Alcoba, Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi. Follow the competition at Triumph.

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This landmark new Triumph Racing Team has been set-up in partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, one of the sport’s most experienced and successful team owners, who will field two of Triumph’s all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 MX2 class and will add an entry into the 450cc MXGP class in 2025.

Under the new Triumph Racing banner, which will now cover all of Triumph’s racing-related activities including Moto2 and Supersport racing, the partnership between Triumph and Thierry will encompass his well-established and highly successful team structure and facilities. Triumph also say they’re pleased announce that his long-standing Team Manager, Vincent Bereni, will continue leading the team with a full crew of highly experienced technical staff all focused on bringing Triumph to the pinnacle of motocross racing performance. 

Triumph say new long-term partnership between the brand and Thierry reflects a shared goal and commitment to build depth and success into Triumph Racing’s approach to competition. As a part of Triumph Racing’s portfolio of commitments, Thierry and Vincent’s team will focus on the FIM Motocross World Championship – in MX2 and MXGP, together with development of technology and talent to build Triumph’s future strength in international motocross racing.

Thierry and Vincent’s past racing record speaks for itself – with over 80 MXGP World Championship victories and a huge reputation for technical and preparation excellence. Backed by Triumph’s in-house motocross design engineering department, which is responsible for the concept and development of its all-new MX and Enduro motorcycle range, Triumph Racing is committed to building its resources and performance capability with world-class knowledge and experience.

Triumph Racing is based at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK, where the brand’s research, design, engineering development and prototype build are located, and the Motocross World Championship team will be based at Thierry’s race facility near Eindhoven in Holland, where race team personnel, operations and competition development will be housed. Engineering groups at the Triumph factory and the race team are working closely together on continuously enhancing chassis and engine performance through an intensive testing schedule underway in the US, UK and mainland Europe, building towards the first MX2 Grand Prix of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Testing of the new Triumph motocross and enduro bikes is well underway and information on the specifications, performance characteristics and components of each model will be released in due course, along with more news on Triumph Racing’s entry into further top-tier Championships.

Nick Bloor – CEO, Triumph: “Our new partnership with Thierry demonstrates Triumph’s long-term commitment to competing at the highest levels of racing. We share a passion for delivering world-class performance, and the experience Thierry and his team bring will prove invaluable in our ambition to make our mark on a very competitive championship. Our entry into the FIM Motocross World Championship with a Factory supported Triumph Racing team signifies a landmark moment at the beginning of our new top-tier off-road racing campaign”.

Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni – Triumph Racing Team Owner (MX2 and MXGP): “Triumph have made a major commitment to build an MX bike and go racing in the FIM World Motocross Championship. I am happy that my team is going to be the official Triumph Racing Team in MX2 and MXGP. Nick Bloor and the Triumph Board of Directors have made their long-term ambitions for the project very clear and I see a huge amount of passion from everyone at the Factory. I am happy with progress on the bike, it looks great, has speed on the track and Vincent and my staff are working with the engineers at Hinckley on building it into a competitive package for entry into the MX2 Championship in 2024. MXGP continues to grow around the world, I am very happy to be back and looking forward to going racing with Triumph”. 

David Luongo – CEO, Infront Moto Racing: “It is a great news! Probably one the most important in recent years. Infront Moto Racing will welcome a new manufacturer in the MX2 and MXGP World Championship. We are talking about one of the most emblematic motorcycle brands in the world. Triumph will join our championship from 2024 with a full program in MX2 and MXGP categories. This is a very important announcement and is a fantastic sign about the interest and the importance of MXGP in the international motorsport scene. During the last 20 years, MXGP has been growing and has established globally. With an average of 19 events per year, it gives the best platform for manufacturers to develop their bikes, components and to advertise them worldwide. From Asia to South America, going through Europe, MXGP is covering all the different markets and is touching most of the off-road fans in the world. It is with a great pride and excitement that we welcome Triumph to MXGP and we wish them a lot of success in the years to come and a great competition with the other Factory Teams already present!”

Jeremy Appleton – Global Racing Manager, Triumph: “The launch of Triumph Racing is a pivotal step in our journey to bring Triumph to the pinnacle of racing across an even wider range of disciplines. Building on Triumph’s success as the sole engine supplier to the Moto2 World Championship and our participation in Supersport racing, the move into MX2 and MXGP opens the door on a strategically important new chapter in top-tier off-road racing. We well know the demands of World Championship competition and that is the reason for forming the partnership with Thierry. Together with Vincent, their approach to racing and development of performance is impressive and we are looking forward to building the project together and adding to the success that they have already achieved in the Motocross World Championship”

Ricky Carmichael – Global Off-Road Ambassador, Triumph: “I’m really excited about today’s news. It’s been a long time coming. Since the start of this project with Triumph, I have been amazed at just how hard everyone has been working. It must not go without mentioning, the whole R&D and engineering group that have been a part of the development of the motorcycles have done an absolutely incredible job. From the first stages of the prototypes, I was really taken back at how well the performance was, since then, being in the UK testing the newest developments, I can tell you that it has the capabilities of winning at the highest level and I personally believe the riders, from professional to amateur, across the entire range of off-road models, will really like what has been developed!”

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Paasch started P4 and made it a Triumph 1-2 across the stripe first time around, and confidently keeping with the lead pack for the duration of the race. The Triumph 765 triple engine didn’t break a sweat as it endured the 57-lap, 200-mile race to keep Paasch in the sweet spot. Coming out of the final pit-stop Paasch found himself in fourth, and a couple seconds outside of the lead pack. To catch up with the front three, putting himself in position for the win, Paasch set the fastest lap of the race at 1:49:959.

On the final turn of the final lap, Paasch who was patiently waiting for his opportunity, twisted the throttle and trusted the draft and the triple Triumph engine to power him to the win by 0.007 of a second at the chequers.

Danny Eslick, who started P8, left the grid with a terrific start, and led the race by the end of the first lap. From there Eslick ran with the lead pack until the red flag. Mid-race, as a result of fighting the high-winds and spending a good amount of the race without the benefit of a draft, Eslick lost ground and his race-lead as he drifted into the pits on fumes. Coming out of the pit, Eslick was able to re-gain significant ground, ending the race with a 6th place finish.

Michelle Lindsay – TOBC racing owner:
“After the 2018 season, I wasn’t sure we’d be back at the top of the podium again. To win the Daytona 200 on our first race with Triumph is more than I could have ever asked for. I’m proud of Brandon and Danny for their performances today, and very thankful for Triumph Motorcycles and FreedomRoad Financial for helping us even get back on the grid, Boulder Motorsports for helping to build a winning motorcycle. I’m also extremely proud to have such an amazing group of individuals working in my team. Their dedication and work ethic towards getting the 765 on the podium are unparalleled. This win is truly a team effort, and we couldn’t have brought this great crew back together if it wasn’t for the support from our key sponsors Politus & Matovina P.A. Attorneys, Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation, Jay Geeker Studios, Pirelli, and K-Tech.”

Brandon Paasch – 2021 & 2022 Daytona 200 Winner:
“We did it!!! It’s unbelievably surreal to be a 2-time Daytona 200 winner, but I can’t say this race didn’t play out exactly as I imagined it. After last year’s win, I knew I had a winning strategy, and after a full season on the Street Triple RS, I had complete confidence in the bike and in the preparation of the TOBC racing team, to execute it. I’m thankful for FreedomRoad Financial for helping to make this race effort possible, and for the continued support from the Classic Car Club of Manhattan, Evolve GT, and Luxe Star, and am looking forward to celebrating with the team.”

Danny Eslick – 4-time Daytona 200 Winner:
“Today was tough. A couple things didn’t go my way, which kept me off the podium. Thanks to Triumph, FreedomRoad Financial, and TOBC racing, all of the right elements were here for the win. The bike and the team have all the right pieces for success. I’ll just have to wait a year to snag my 5th win.”

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The Triumph Triple Trophy recognises there are more success stories during a GP weekend than simply the race victory, and the updated scoring is designed to reflect the incredible close nature of the competition in Moto2. In both previous years, it wasn’t the World Champion who won the Triumph Triple Trophy, and the changes for 2022 are designed to deepen this search for all standout performances.

The Qatar Grand Prix kicked off the fourth Moto2 season powered by Triumph’s 765cc triple as well as the 2022 Triumph Triple Trophy, with a renewed points structure introduced this season.

For 2022, the points structure has been revised as follows:

• 7 points – Best race progression from start to finish: 7 points for the rider or riders making up the most positions from race start to chequered flag
• 6 points – Pole position: 6 points for the rider who qualifies on pole
• 5 points – Fastest race lap: 5 points for the fastest rider/riders in case of an equal fastest lap

Best race progression rewards the rider who had a great Sunday performance and who finished the race highest relative to their starting position. At the opening round at Lusail International Circuit, it was Celestino Vietti who took the early lead courtesy of a dominant show with pole position and fastest lap.

The winner – the rider who has achieved the greatest number of points throughout the season – will be awarded a Triumph Street Triple RS motorcycle, powered by the 765cc triple engine from which the Moto2 powerplant is derived.

Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer:
“The Moto2 World Championship is incredibly close, and in 2021 the category was redefined again with a total of 16 lap records falling, beating many of those already set using Triumph 765cc power. The 2022 season looks set to follow suit with some modifications to the engine helping to improve performance, as demonstrated by lap records being smashed in pre-season testing. To highlight the closeness and intensity of racing, the Triumph Triple Trophy scoring has been changed this year to reward the rider who makes the biggest improvement from their qualifying performance to their final position in the race.”

“This will help to highlight some great performances from riders who may not be at the front and will really show how competitive Moto2 is throughout the whole field. I’m really looking forward to seeing which riders bring their A-Game to the track on a Sunday and I’m sure the winner of the Triumph Triple Trophy will thoroughly deserve their one-off special Street Triple RS.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports Managing Director:
“We’re very happy to join Triumph in celebrating the close competition in Moto2. The Triumph Triple Trophy is a great way to reward riders who have put in an impressive Sunday, and the Street Triple RS is an impressive prize. We couldn’t be happier with the way Moto2 has evolved over the past few seasons with Triumph powering the class. The collaboration has created fantastic racing in Moto2, and I don’t think riders who progress to MotoGP have ever been better prepared to make the step. We look forward to many more seasons of high calibre racing with Triumph!”

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