Star Racing hosted six members of the Hungarian-based Sovereign Racing Team last week as they visited Americus, Ga. While the Europeans were in town, Star Racing also held a celebration in honor of the Sovereign Team’s 2011 European Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship win.
The reception, held Friday evening at the Southland Ridge Clubhouse, recognized the success of Sovereign’s 2011 season, in which the team won 6
out of 7 races, and also celebrated the partnership between Star Racing and the European team. The Hungarian team won the European Pro Stock UEM Championship on two Star Racing-prepared, S&S powered American V-twins. Star Racing co-owner George Bryce also traveled throughout Europe with the Sovereign Team as their coach and chief tuner during the season.
As the first Pro Stock team from Hungary, the Sovereign crew was proud to not only take home the championship honor, but racers Jesper Thiel and Rasmus Olesen also set track records along the way.
More than 50 Americus area locals, including members of the Board of Commissioners, Chamber Board and Tourism Board, attended the celebration to congratulate and welcome the Europeans to Americus. The group of visitors included Jeno Rujp, the Sovereign Team owner, and Jesper Thiel, the 2011 European Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion.
During the celebration, Bryce said a few words to the crowd explaining the Sovereign Team’s accomplishments and Star’s association with them throughout the past year.
“We are so thankful for the opportunity to work with Jeno and the Sovereign team this past year,” Bryce said. “They’ve been a great group to work with, and we’re glad they’ve invited us back to work with them again next season. I’ve always dreamed of having an opportunity to race in Europe, and Jeno and his team gave all of Star Racing a chance to go to Europe and race … and win!”
Thiel spoke to the guests about how thankful he was to receive such a welcome from Americus locals. He also shared some of the background of how the Sovereign team came together. Team owner, Rujp, then had the floor and, in his broken English, told the hilarious story of how the championship trophy they had brought from Hungary was too large to be allowed onto the plane from France to the U.S. Rujp acted out his comical version of how, in his frustration at the airport, he had broken off the top medallion on the trophy to bring to Bryce as his token of appreciation in place of the confiscated trophy.
In addition to hilarious anecdotes from Hungarians, the drop-by reception also provided guests the opportunity to meet the Star Racing team and get the latest updates on the Americus Motorsports Complex, which just recently received site plan approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is awaiting the wetlands mitigation process.
Star Racing plans to continue their partnership with the Sovereign Racing Team in the coming year. During the team’s visit, Sovereign owner Jeno Rujp expressed his loyalty toward Bryce as his racing partner by saying, “When George say no race with Jeno; Jeno finished. I no race without George.”
While visiting Star Racing and Americus, Rujp continued previous talks with the Bryces about his potential involvement in the AMC project.
