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The official race report service of Kawasaki Racing Team.

Darian Sanayei

Multiple US amateur champion and European MX2 runner-up Darian Sanayei moves onto the world stage in 2017 in the FIM World MX2 Motocross Championship with Monster Energy DRT Kawasaki.

Riding Number:
57
Class:
MX2
Date of birth:
24 February 1997
Place of birth:
Monroe
Hometown:
Monroe

The 19 year from Monroe in the state of Washington in the extreme north-western corner of the USA is the latest vibrant young American to leave the familiarity of his homeland in search of glory on the world stage. Winner of no less than twenty US titles during a stellar amateur career as a member of Kawasaki Team Green, Darian was strangely overlooked by the leading US professional teams in late summer 2015 but his desire to succeed and explore all avenues was immediately clear as he made successful guest appearances at a Canadian National, the US outdoor finale and, aided by his admirers at Monster Energy, was introduced to the European race scene, scoring a moto win at the British round of the European MX2 championship working out of the DRT awning.

The British team had no European championship programme for 2016, but the Kawasaki and Monster Energy families found a perfect solution as the teenager joined the French Bud Racing team for the year. A back injury sustained at a local race one week before the start of the US supercross season prevented the intended introduction to the world of stadium racing, but Darian, confirming his maturity and commitment, was ready for racing by the start of the European season, a six month spell in which he braved the strange world of multiple cultures and languages from a base in France. Despite facing utterly strange and differing tracks all year the enthusiastic US teenager swept to no less than six podiums and six moto wins on his way to runner-up slot in the series. He was rewarded with his first taste of GP motocross in the season-ending rounds at Charlotte and Glen Helen and responded magnificently with top ten finishes in each event. DRT owner/manager Steve Dixon, already well aware of Darian's talent from their short association the previous year, had already moved decisively to sign the teenager for his rookie GP campaign in 2017.