MotoGP arrives at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during 22 – 24 July, and along with it comes the FIM ePower International Championship. That event will also feature two riders for CRP Racing’s electric motorcycle race team, one of which will be American Shelina Moreda.
CRP Racing and Shelina Moreda
CRP Racing is an Italian-based team which developed the notable eCRP electric racing motorcycle for taking on the TTXGP World Championship in Europe, where they took the title, and in North America. At the grand final for that season in Albacete, Spain, the CRP Racing team put their eCRP 1.2 on the second step of the podium to become ‘Vice World Champion’. In 2011, they will be the only Italian team to take part in the FIM ePower race at Laguna Seca.
Alessandro Brannetti, the eCRP 1.4 electric bike’s standard companion, will be coming to the U.S. with CRP Racing as well. Since he is the pilot who stepped on that Spanish podium at the end of last year, it makes perfect sense. Branetti will be joined by young rider Shelina Moreda for the Laguna round as part of an effort to expand both the sport and the appeal of the CRP Racing product. They are even providing her with a one-off livery consisting of red, white and blue colors and the ever-popular stars and stripes. CRP obviously wants Moreda to stand out in the field.
Shelina Moreda
Shelina Moreda was chosen to join Brannetti on the CRP Racing eCRP 1.4 for many reasons, but her experience and passion for the sport were certainly at the top of that list. Moreda grew up on her family dairy farm outside of Petaluma, California, and that was where she began her two wheeled career. Those early years on off-road machines led to her starting to road race in 2009, where she picked up her pace quickly and earned her professional racer card early the next year. You better believe that CRP Racing knows this story and Moreda’s capabilities well.
Of course, the fact that Shelina Moreda is a woman makes a bit of a difference here, and adds some significance to the selection by CRP Racing. Even the FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission supports Moreda’s participation; Director Beauleh Schoeman has actually referred to the coming event as, “…the start of a new era for motorcycling and for the FIM.” Team leader Giampiero Testoni seems to love the idea as he stated,”The common goal is to promote electric motorbikes and the presence of women riders on track.” CRP Racing has a good lead on the future of two-wheeled motorsport.
Pushing the ePower Boundaries
It seems that everyone is excited about CRP Racing giving Moreda a ride on the eCRP 1.4 alongside their seasoned vet Branetti. What will be on display at that July weekend’s event will be something special and deserving of serious attention from all race fans. At the very least, Moreda is sure to put on a fantastic show on that high-tech electric wonder bike. CRP Racing and Shelina Moreda, though, are simply demonstrating the team’s overall philosophy of “No Boundaries.”
