Moto2: Gino Rea starts own team for 2013 wild-cards

Gino Rea is forming his own team in order to continue in the Moto2 World Championship this season, riding as a wild-card in a proposed eleven events.

The former Gresini rider, who intended to race an FTR for the new ESGP project, was left out of a ride after the team's withdraw due to a lack of funding.

With the World Superbike championship already underway and the final Moto2 test in Spain fast approaching, Rea has been working hard to try and find funding but 'the opportunities available were few and far between unless he could provide a six figure sum to race'.

Recently overlooked as a replacement for the injured Thomas Luthi, Gino and father David Rea are to run their own Moto2 team.

With 'guaranteed backing of FTR', Rea will be riding the latest 2013 machinery from the British chassis constructor, with support from distinguished world championship crew chief Andy Stone.

Championship organisers Dorna and IRTA have given Rea the go-ahead to wild-card at an unlimited number of races and now the Londoner is seeking the financial support to make his Moto2 quest possible.

'Gino Rea Race Team' plans to enter the following eleven races in 2013: Jerez, Le Mans, Mugello, Catalunya, Assen, Sachsenring, Brno, Silverstone, Misano, Aragon and Valencia.

Rea will be testing the FTR at numerous UK tracks, in addition to a three-day test at Jerez prior to the race weekend.

The total cost for each round including the wild-card entry fee will be approximately ?20,000. Rea, a former WSS race winner and podium finisher in his debut Moto2 season with Gresini last year, is looking for sponsors to fund each race.

"I'm really excited about this project," he said. "I wanted to remain in the Moto2 Championship and running our own team was the only option. My father and I will run the team with bike support from the British FTR manufacturer. We will have the only British bike on the grid so every effort will go into getting results.

"Of course, it's going to be difficult to go up against all the big budget teams but I believe we can do it. Our testing schedule will be very limited due to budget but I believe in FTR to build a competitive bike for me.

"Our first race will be at Jerez, the third round of the world championship following Qatar and Austin. It's a shame we can't do these two, but we hope that if we can attract enough sponsors we can fund the rest of the European races at least.

"I want to thank everyone who has supported me so far, both through GinoReaClub.com and individually. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of my supporters and I would love to repay them by being on the Moto2 grid this year."

The failure to source six figure sums lay behind the withdrawal of the proposed ESGP team, whom Rea had agreed to ride for in 2013 (pictured during testing last November).

In response to losing his ride, Rea appealed to all of his supporters by setting up GinoReaClub.com; an online donation page to fund his 2013 race campaign.

After just three weeks, GinoReaClub.com and two individual sponsors have raised enough funds to cover one GP race. Rea now hopes his new project will encourage potential sponsors to get onboard and keep his Moto2 dream alive.