Final lap for Diablo

From Diablo Performance Racing

MONTREAL, QC -- Diablo Performance Racing, Canada's most successful motorcycle road racing team in 2005, will cease operations.

After winning the Canadian Superbike number one plate with Francis Martin on Suzuki, the Canadian 600 Sport Bike number one plate with Steve Crevier on Honda and being named "Team of the Year" in the 2005 Parts Canada Superbike Championship, Diablo Racing will not field any professional riders in the 2006 season.

Despite having completed its most successful season to date, with a track record of constantly contributing to the sport of motorcycle racing in Canada, the team was unable to secure any significant support from the industry manufacturers.

"I am not the one pulling the plug, it's the circumstances that are forcing us out of racing," explained team owner and former amateur racer Richard Italia.

In its five years of existence, Diablo Racing's involvement in Canada benefited a large number of racers. The team not only fielded the largest privateer effort that Canada has ever seen, but it also contributed at the grassroots level of Canadian racing. As the main sponsor of the Diablo Can-Am 125 GP Challenge and the Diablo Suzuki SV Cup, the team not only assisted many professional and amateur racers but also helped develop highly qualified technicians and engineers. Beyond simply putting bikes on the track, Diablo was also actively involved in the purchase of an air fence system, which has undoubtedly protected many Canadian racers over the years.

The Diablo Performance Racing team would like to thank all of the sponsors, riders and personnel who have helped contribute to its success. Most importantly, the team would like to thank all of the fans who have supported it throughout the last five seasons.