Toni Elias Headlines Latest Entries To Superprestigio Of The Americas Lineup

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Four more riders have been announced for the Superprestigio of the Americas, which goes down on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Las Vegas Orleans Arena. Headlining the list is former Moto2 world champion, Toni Elias, though the other three riders – Anthony West, Gage McAllister and Taylor Knapp – all have impressive resumes in their own right.

Elias, 32, is a 16-year veteran of Grand Prix racing, having raced in all three class categories of GP racing. He has 17-career GP wins, including a MotoGP victory at Estoril in Portugal. Elias became Moto2 World Champion in 2010, scoring seven Moto2 victories along the way.

Elias is an avid flat track rider. He uses flat track as a training method and raced in the Barcelona Superprestigio last year.

“I’m very much looking forward to racing in the Superprestigio of the Americas,” Elias said. “America is the home of flat track racing and it will be an honor to have the chance to race against some of the very best riders in America.

“My biggest goal is to purchase an American-made steel shoe while I’m there,” Elias grinned. “But I would also like to make the final to be able to race against the best flat trackers on their home ground.”

Anthony West will be no stranger to flat track competition. Like many of his famous Australian predecessors, West cut his teeth racing dirt-track from a young age. By the time he was 15 he had two national titles under his belt and was ready to take his first steps into road racing. West also has world championship race victories to his credit, scoring his first World Championship 250cc Grand Prix win at the Dutch TT in 2003 and then won the Moto2 race there in 2014.

The Superprestigio of the Americas will cap off a busy year for MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion Gage McAllister. The 20-year-old Californian was one of the busier riders in America, as he raced in both the KTM RC Cup and Superstock 600 classes. And at season’s end, McAllister was crowned as the inaugural MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion after winning five of the nine races. Last month he also represented America in the KTM RC World Cup Final at the Silverstone Circuit in Great Britain. Along the way he found time to contest and win the AMA Supermoto Championship as well.

Taylor Knapp was one of the most consistent riders in MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 this year. The Michigander finished runner-up in the series scoring 12 podiums in 16 rounds, including a victory at Virginia International Raceway riding with TOBC Racing.

NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will televise the 2015 Superprestigio of the Americas presented by Yamaha motorcycle race on Sunday, November 29, at 9 p.m. ET /6 p.m. PT.

For additional information go to www.superprestigio.com.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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