KARSSEMAKERS CONTINUES WITH DRT KAWASAKI IN 2027

The Dixon Racing Team heads into its thirteenth season with Kawasaki Motors Europe confident of yet more success after agreeing terms to continue with Dutch talent Kay Karssemakers and increased support from long-time partner SWP Concrete Solutions who step up as team title sponsor in 2027.

Karssemakers joined Steve Dixon's team midway through 2025 and the partnership has blossomed this year with a succession of top-ten results in the ultra-competitive FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship. The Dutch youngster is currently eleventh in the series standings with three rounds remaining and has every chance of moving into the top-ten by the end of the season as he has regularly shown top-five pace through the recent rounds of the series.

DRT has now been associated with Kawasaki Motors Europe in the motocross world championships for twelve years and both parties look forward confidently to further success together in 2027 and beyond. The impressive success of the relationship throughout this period is emphasised yet further as SWP Concrete Solutions, already a long-term partner, will step up next year as title sponsor of the team

Steve Dixon (DRT team owner): "This is brilliant news for all of us. We started together with Kay in 2025 with some support; we were impressed by his efforts and took him full-term this year. It's been an up-and-down season in some ways but Kay has been regularly in the top-ten and he deserves a good shot next year. We will have a good bike and good equipment and we're really happy with Kay; he works hard and all of the sponsors like him. He's been a really good ambassador for all of us. It's been hard against the factory teams but our target was to keep a level head and reach the end of the season with no injuries. All of the riders at the top are good and the pace is really high; you can be fast and still not win championships if you get hurt. Kay has shown he has the speed to race top-five and, with even more support from our title sponsor SWP Concrete and Kawasaki, we're looking forward to being up at the front in 2027. It's great to continue with Kawasaki again; this will be our thirteenth season together and it's been a successful relationship for both us. So now we can look forward to finishing out the season in style and then start testing for 2027."

Steve Guttridge (KME Race Planning Manager): "It’s great news that Kay has chosen to remain with Kawasaki next season and in doing so gets to see out his successful time spent in the MX2 class with us as part of our Team Green programme. Since joining the team, he’s developed himself as a true professional in all areas and is always fully committed to take the best from the KX250 in achieving regular top-ten results in the world championship!"

Kay Karssemakers: "I'm really happy to sign with Steve Dixon and Kawasaki again for 2027; everyone is in the right frame of mind and looking forward positively. I'm confident we can have a good season together in 2027; I trust in the team and Kawasaki and will give 110% this winter and next season, my final year in MX2, to repay their belief in me. I'm looking to finish these last three GPs on a high and then have a good winter with lots of testing. My thanks to Kawasaki, to Steve Dixon, to all of the sponsors and my trainer Willem for their support."

Jason Barrow (CEO, SWP Concrete Solutions): “SWP Concrete Solutions have been proud long-term sponsors of DRT Kawasaki for the past fifteen years, so stepping up to become title sponsor for the 2027 season is a really exciting move for us.
I’ve personally been a long-time friend of Steve’s and we’ve got huge respect for what he puts into this sport. The pressure he puts on himself to make this team succeed is something very few people could appreciate; he lives and breathes racing, and you can see just how much it means to him. We wanted to step up because we believe in Steve, we believe in Kay, and we believe in what DRT Kawasaki can achieve. Kay has serious talent, and he’s got the commitment and hunger to match it. With a full winter of development and the right support behind him, I genuinely believe we can come out of the gate in 2027 ready to fight at the front. For SWP Concrete, this isn’t just about putting our name on the bike. We want to be part of the journey, support the team properly and help give Steve and Kay every opportunity to challenge for the MX2 World Championship. We’re excited for 2027 — and we’re going into it with one goal; to fight at the front from the very first gate drop.”