2019

Benro Racing with Australian Toparis to IDM Supersport

Australian talent Tom Toparis will play for Benro Racing in the IDM championship next season. The 18-year-old Toparis already has experience at World Cup level and becomes Milan Merckelbagh’s teammate. Both riders come into action on a Yamaha R6 in the IDM Supersport 600 class.

With the Australian Tom Toparis, Benro Racing has the composition complete for the 2019 season. With Toparis and Milan Merckelbergh, the Yamaha team has two 18-year-old riders in-house, both of whom will ride in the IDM Supersport 600 class. Toparis is seen as a great talent in Australia and has been in the top of the national Supersport championship for two seasons. In 2017 Toparis rode twice a Grand Prix in the Moto3 class. Toparis also scored a World Cup point in 2018 with a wildcard in the World Supersport on Phillip Island. Last year the rider from Goulburn was also seen twice in Europe on Brno and Misano as a substitute in the World Supersport 300 class.

Toparis has a busy schedule in 2019, because he is currently also in the Australian Supersport championship where he wants to go for the title. Toparis scored a nice eleventh place last weekend with a wildcard in the World Supersport. In addition, 18 year old driver managed to win three races in the same weekend for the Australian Supersport championship on Phillip Island. At the end of April, Toparis will come to Europe to try and get in the spotlight in the competitive IDM championship. The arrival of the Australian to Benro Racing was made possible by intermediary Rob Vennegoor. During the season, Toparis will stay with the Merckelbagh family, allowing the two drivers to train perfectly together. The first round of the IDM Supersport class is on the Lausitzring during the weekend from 17 to 19 May.

Tom Toparis: ‘I am very happy to announce that I will be driving in the IDM Supersport class in 2019 on a Yamaha R6 from Benro Racing. I am very grateful for this opportunity. Via RT Racing Support I came into contact with Sraar van Rens. It will be a busy year, because I am going to combine the Australian and IDM championship. My family and I fully focus on racing and my goal is to win this year in Australia. I have not yet defined any goals for the IDM because I do not know what to expect. I will do everything I can to get to know the circuits and engine as quickly as possible, while I also enjoy the lifestyle on the other side of the world. I’m really looking forward to meeting my team and Milan. I want to thank everyone who made this possible, including my sponsors in Australia! ‘

Team manager Sraar van Rens: ‘I am very proud that we can bring this news out! We have been busy with several candidates for the second seat for a while, but we wanted someone who really felt like he wanted to go for it. Since Tom is only 18 years old in combination with what he has shown in recent years and he wants to leave his home country Australia to race with us, we have every confidence that we have the right driver in house. I would like to thank Rob Vennegoor who helped as an intermediary in the negotiations. With Tom and Milan we have a great driver duo in 2019, who can also train together because they live together. I am really looking forward to the start of the season!’