The Moto Rapido Ducati team progressed to the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in 2010 after a campaign in the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship with Scott Smart the previous year.
Moto Rapido Racing, was a small dealer based team and has grown since it was started by owner Steve Moore, who has been involved in club level racing with Ducati since 2003. They moved to national level racing in 2009 when Smart raced in the Superstock 1000 class before moving into the Evo class in 2010. Last year Smart ended in fifth place with podium finishes and race wins in the Evo class.
In 2012 the Moto Rapido Ducati team will field a pair of the much-anticipated Ducati 1199 Panigales.
The team continue to develop the new Panigale round by round and with Smart's vast experience, scoring points at his home round of Brands Hatch. The team has the potential to be regular points scorers despite this being the first time the Panigale has raced in the championship.
The playing field for 2012 is level and it has never been more level in the history of the series. We have one of the most experienced riders on the grid who is also a British champion. With Ducati's help and the backing of our main sponsor Solent Scientific, there is no reason we can't be giving last year's frontrunners a hard time. The move up to the BSB championship is a big one and something I am very proud of. We were very happy to become an Elite team for 2012. The new team rules require us to have two riders, this has sparked several partnerships already. This is great progress, There are many teams who would normally be restricted to just one rider who are now joining resources and expertise to become stronger and more stable. For us, the Saudi Falcons team partnership was an ideal solution and allowed us to progress the team. We welcome their rider.
