In partnership with Team Hammer and Suzuki Italy, Michel Agazzi, the 2025 Suzuki GSX-8R Cup Champion, will compete as a wild card entry in the opening round of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship at Daytona International Speedway this March.

In 2025, Suzuki Italy launched the GSX-8R Cup—a single-make championship that quickly became a breakout success. Designed to be accessible and competitive, the series attracted both experienced riders and emerging talent across five rounds in Italy, offering significant prizes for a modest investment and putting the Suzuki GSX-8R at the center of the action. At the fourth round at Modena Circuit, Michel Agazzi clinched the championship title. His reward? A wild card entry in the opening round of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship at the legendary Daytona International Speedway.

A Racer’s Journey

Michel Agazzi started racing in 2019 at the age of 18, making his debut in the MotoEstate Championship. He then competed in several single-brand trophies and later in CIV 300, while in 2024, he participated as a substitute in four races in the World 300 Championship and Spanish Championship.

Off the track, Michel works as an electrician and electrical designer alongside his father and brother—a family trade that keeps him grounded between race weekends. Victory was his goal for the first edition of the Suzuki GSX-8R Cup, seeking greater consistency and less explosiveness than in previous years. However, he admits he would have been happy just to finish in the top five. Instead, he dominated the series and earned his ticket to Daytona.

The Story Behind #24

Michel has a curious story behind the number he races with. When he first started racing, he debuted with #111, derived from the position of the initials of his first and last name in the alphabet (M is the eleventh letter, A is the first).

In 2021, he switched to #11 when he entered the Italian 300 Championship, on the advice of his team manager who didn’t particularly like three digits. Michel thought that, by winning the championship, he could eliminate another 1 the following year, but unfortunately, he was unable to do so. After a year away from racing, he returned with #24 as a wild card in the CIV 300 at Imola Circuit and achieved an excellent second place. From that day on, 24 became his definitive number—and the number he’ll carry at Daytona.

Memorable Moments

Michel has several fond memories from the track: his first podium at Imola in the 300 Championship, his podium finish at Estoril in the Spanish Championship, and, of course, his first victory in the opening race of the GSX-8R Cup Trophy.

Team Hammer is joining forces with Suzuki Italy to make Michel’s American racing dream a reality this March at Daytona.

About Team Hammer

The 2026 season will mark Team Hammer’s 46th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 135 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 382 times, and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol and won four F-USA Championships.