Joey Savatgy Signs Multi-Year Deal With TLD Red Bull Ducati for 2027

Joey Savatgy has a factory ride again. Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati Factory Racing announced on Thursday morning, October 29, that it has signed Savatgy to a multi-year contract, putting him on the Desmo450 MX next to R.J. Hampshire for the full 2027 Supercross, Pro Motocross and SMX schedule, per the team statement published by Supercross Live.

Two weeks ago he was a 450 rider with a contract that had just evaporated. When we wrote about Quad Lock Honda letting him go after World Supercross folded, the open Ducati seat was the obvious place for him to land. Vurbmoto calls it the "long rumored" deal, and now it's done. For a rider who has spent most of his 450 career bouncing between programs, a multi-year factory contract is a big deal.

An all-new lineup in red

Ducati's American team will look nothing like it did in its first season. Justin Barcia signed with HEP Suzuki and Dylan Ferrandis retired from professional racing this off-season, as Vurbmoto notes, so the Savatgy signing completes a full changeover. Hampshire was the first piece, signed back on October 7 after Rockstar Energy Husqvarna shut down, and Barcia's move back to yellow opened the second seat.

That first year was a tough one for continuity. NBC Sports recalls that Barcia was hurt on the opening lap of the main event at the team's Anaheim debut, which left Ferrandis carrying most of the development load. Ferrandis finished ninth in that opener and went on to score two top-fives and 21 top-10s across the SuperMotocross divisions, while Barcia added a top-five and six top-10s after he came back. Now neither of them is on the team, and the 2027 Desmo450 MX goes into year two with a fresh pair of riders.

Why Ducati wanted Savatgy

The team's case rests on a strong 2026 Supercross season. According to the release, Savatgy scored five top-five finishes and 12 top-10s, including a fourth at the Philadelphia Supercross, and he finished inside the top 10 in the 2026 Supercross standings. That's steady, front-half speed, and Cycle News and MX Vice both lead with those numbers too.

The longer resume backs it up. Savatgy is from Thomasville, Georgia, and turned pro in 2013. He finished runner-up in the 2016 250SX East Championship and spent several years racing at the front of the 250 class before moving up to 450s in 2019, when he was named 450SX Rookie of the Year. Since then he has collected 13 career top-five finishes in the premier class, per the team.

He's also been around. NBC Sports points out that his first pro race came in 2013 on a KTM in 250 West, and that he has raced five different brands for multiple teams since. Ducati adds another to the list, and this time the deal runs longer than one season.

What Savatgy said

Savatgy didn't pretend the last few years went to plan, and he sounds like a rider who knows what this opportunity means:

> "I am very excited for this change and honored for this opportunity. I had a good year, and to have a factory team look in my direction and reach out is rewarding. Considering the last few years haven't been the greatest for me, I think we showed a lot this year and proved that, with the right team around me, we're able to achieve good results."

He's already thinking about the work, too:

> "To be back on a factory team is exciting, and I think the resources we have are a huge advantage. There are a lot of doors we can open, things we can experiment with, and opportunities to find what works best. I'm excited to get the ball rolling, have a full offseason boot camp, so to speak, and get to know everybody on the team. It's going to be a good year."

That "full offseason boot camp" line is worth noticing. With a full winter of testing ahead, he isn't scrambling onto a new bike a few weeks before the gate drops.

What team manager Josh Wisenor said

Team manager Josh Wisenor, named by Cycle News, focused on Savatgy's Supercross form and on keeping both riders for more than a year:

> "We are very excited to welcome Joey to the team. He has demonstrated proven results in the 450 class, showcasing impressive speed, strength, and consistency in Supercross last season. We look forward to providing Joey with a comprehensive racing program that allows him to compete throughout the entire Supercross, Pro Motocross, and SMX seasons."

> "Having Joey and RJ both committed to multi-year deals is a significant step forward for our program. The opportunity to work with both riders over multiple seasons will allow us to better understand their individual strengths, abilities, and needs, while continuing to develop the program and build on our progress heading into the future."

Read between the lines and the message is stability. Year one had a rider hurt in the first main and a lineup that didn't come back. Locking both riders in for multiple seasons gives the team a chance to build a bike around two people who'll still be there next year.

How Savatgy and Hampshire fit together

On paper the pairing makes sense. Hampshire brings outdoor speed: NBC Sports notes he finished fifth in the 2026 Pro Motocross series and seventh in the SMX Playoffs. Savatgy's case was built in Supercross. If both of them hold that form, the team should have someone near the front in both halves of the year.

The release also commits Savatgy to the full Supercross, Pro Motocross and SMX schedule. That matters for a team still learning its bike, because every race weekend is more data for the development side.

Sexton is still the big question

With Ducati's lineup set, the biggest name still on the market is Chase Sexton. Vurbmoto opened its story by noting that everyone is still waiting to see where he lands, and as of Thursday nothing has been announced since his split with Kawasaki. With Ducati's two seats now taken, one possible home for him is off the list.

The clock is running for everyone. The 2027 Supercross season opens at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on January 9, roughly ten weeks from now.

Rider takeaway

Savatgy went from losing his 2027 ride to signing a multi-year factory deal in about two weeks, and he earned it with a 2026 Supercross season that put him in the top 10. Ducati gets a consistent 450 rider to pair with Hampshire and a lineup it can keep for more than one year. The question for 2027 is whether a second-year Desmo450 MX and a full winter of testing can turn Savatgy's top-fives into podiums.

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