- Moto3 racing series to be discontinued due to low take-up
Munich: The ADAC Northern Europe Cup (NEC) for the Moto3 class will not be contested in the 2018 season. Due to low interest from participants the series is to be discontinued. Over the past few months, a shift of focus in the industry and among teams to other classes and series has meant that there has been limited interest. This is despite the fact that the framework conditions for the 2018 season had been put into place very early.
The NEC was inaugurated in 2016 with the support of MotoGP rights holder DORNA to coincide with the end of the IDM Moto3 class and following a successful pilot event in 2015. The aim was to create a development platform for talented juniors in the Moto3 class in Northern Europe. The field of riders was 27 strong in the debut season (2016) and 26 last year. They were divided into two categories – Standard and Grand Prix. The races themselves were contested in the context of high-profile events and mainly on Grand Prix circuits.
The decision to discontinue the NEC has no effect on the 2018 ADAC Junior Cup powered by KTM which goes into its 26th season as planned this year. It will be even more systematically geared towards the promotion of up-and-coming riders in the future.