WEC: TM squad announces rider line-up

Electraction TM has announced its driver line-up for the 2010 World Enduro Championship.

The British-based team has named Phillip McLaughlin and Australian Joshua Green to its full-time line-up, while Gordon Clarke will also take part in selected rounds.

McLaughlin will move into the E1 class in 2010 where he will ride the new TM 250 Fi and is searching for more consistency this season, just 18 months after switching to the discipline from Motocross.

“I have had a number of very good results followed by some bad ones where I made some mistakes and had some really bad luck …I ran out of fuel , punctured casings, crashed , all when good results were there for the taking,” McLaughlin said.

“Both myself and the team have learned from this and we must try to avoid those problems in the future. I have ridden the 450 F for the last two seasons and the bike has been awesome but a change to the smaller 250F may be better suited to my physical size and as it’s a new bike I am stoked to be riding it …. Roll on 2010”.

Green will be making his first foray into Europe having enjoyed success Down Under on two wheels, winning the Australian Junior MX Championship and representing his country in the Junior ISDE team.

“I live in the same town as Stefan Merryman and want to follow him to be world champion,” said the 19-year-old.

“This is an opportunity I could not afford to miss and I am looking forward to the challenge. It will be different , Australia is dry , Europe can be wet so I need to learn and I have never ridden a 2 t but I have been out practicing on the TM 300 and already my times are faster than I was on the 450 Kawasaki .

“The wet will for sure be different and daunting but Stefan has been giving me advice and is helping me train. I will be trying and can’t wait to get started “

Clarke’s selected outings will again be fitted around the semi-pros work commitments.

“It’s difficult for me juggling work and riding at WEC level but I enjoy the experience,” he said “If I could ride full time of course I could get faster but I can’t so I can only do what I can with the time available to train.

“You ride at home and its fine but then when you go to a WEC it’s a different level … you need to be there all the time 2010 should be good for the team , Phillip had improved and Josh seems a good prospect . We will do some wet training in January and see how that goes. The bikes have been super and very reliable so no issues there.”

Watch highlights of every WEC round and the ISDE on Motors TV in 2010.


Andy Wilkinson