American rider Garrett Gerloff has extended his current contract with the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team to race the Ninja ZX-10RR in the 2026 FIM Superbike World Championship season.
Gerloff, now 29 years of age, came to WorldSBK after a successful MotoAmerica career, which saw him finish third in the Supersport category in 2015, securing two race wins on the way. His prowess and even greater potential was made clear by his successive MotoAmerica Supersport Championship wins in 2016 and 2017.
Promoted to the Superbike category in MotoAmerica in 2018, he would race there for two seasons. He progressed from fifth in year one to third in year two, before he was picked up by an officially supported WorldSBK satellite team for the 2020 season.
Having ridden for two different manufacturers before joining Kawasaki in 2025, Garrett has scored eight podiums in all, with this total including two second-place rankings.
Since he became the ‘Lone Star’ in the new Puccetti Racing-operated Kawasaki WorldSBK Team this season, the Texan rider has made progress in what is one of the most closely contested WorldSBK line-ups in a decade or more.
The continuation of an official Kawasaki entry in WorldSBK on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR demonstrates in a very public way not only Kawasaki’s relentless focus on the Ninja brand through all levels of production-derived racing, it also underlines a desire to continue the success that has been achieved by several iterations of the Ninja ZX-10R and ZX-10RR including seven WorldSBK Rider Championship wins.
Despite being new in the WorldSBK entry list this season, the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team is already well established in the paddock.
The current season is at the exact halfway point right now, making the signing of Gerloff for the 2026 campaign at such an early stage a strong vote of confidence on what the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team thinks can be achieved alongside Garrett – not just in the second half of 2025 but next year as well.
Garrett Gerloff stated: “I am very happy to have signed again with the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team for the 2026 season. I have been confident in the team and everything we have been doing. We are moving forward, even if it has been tough at times. I am happy with the team, the progress that we have made in the first half of the season, and their belief in me. They have been great at not putting undue pressure on me. I can see that they believe in the project and they also believe in me. We all want to keep investing and developing the bike. I am excited to build on what I have come to know about the Ninja ZX-10RR. It’s going to be nice to continue with the same project, the same people, and while not having to re-learn anything fundamental. For 2026, I am sure that is going to be positive for us.”
Manuel Puccetti, Team Principal, stated: “It is a pleasure to continue to work with Garrett because, for us, he is a real top rider, the same level as the front guys. I think we will have better and better results. Our collaboration started this year, together with our new Kawasaki supported team, in WorldSBK. This achievement makes me incredibly proud. It is also a big responsibility to do our best for a wonderful brand that we have worked with for more than 20 years, in one form or another. We have continuously improved with Garrett this year, and I am quite positive that for next year, we will make a good step and have better and better results. We are super-pleased to work with Garrett as he is such a nice guy. I saw in the history of Kawasaki’s collaboration with new riders that they only improve in their speed, progression, and performance.”
Mr Manabu Shinobu: Senior Manager – Marketing Department – Kawasaki Motors, Ltd., stated: “We are sure Ninja fans will be enthusiastic about Garrett Gerloff extending his agreement to ride for the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team into 2026. From a factory perspective, his feedback helps us to continually develop our Ninja machines for riders everywhere. The Ninja brand has a global significance – including in Garrett’s USA homeland where the Ninja concept was originally conceived. We join all Kawasaki fans wishing him good fortune in 2026.”
©Words/Images above are from an official press release posted courtesy of the team
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