DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Royal Enfield has announced Australian racer Max Whale as its newest addition to the Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield Team for this year, following Johnny Lewis retirement.

Whale rode a strong 2024 debut in Mission AFT SuperTwins, where he notched multiple top-10 finishes. Now poised for success in the top level of the Progressive American Flat Track ranks with a distinguished team built by Lewis, Whale becomes Royal Enfields first international rider. Known for his aggressive riding style, Whale made an impact early in his career, turning pro in 2018 and securing back-to-back runner-up finishes in the AFT Singles presented by KICKER Championship in 2020 and 2021.

Weve been impressed with what Max has been able to do on the track for a number of years, and we cant wait for him to be part of Royal Enfields next chapter, said Adrian Sellers, Head Custom & Motorsport at Royal Enfield. Max is a young, aggressive racer with tons of skill, but most exciting to us is uncorking the potential weve seen. With Johnny taking an integral role in bike and rider development, we strongly believe this tandem will take this team to the next level.

Lewis spent five years as Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfields lead racer, team manager, and bike developer. Beyond race day, Lewis was critical to ultimately making a winner of Royal Enfields Twins FT racebike a role he will continue in 2025 as he focuses on maximizing Whales talents.

Its been an amazing ride with this group, and I am very proud of the team and bike weve built alongside Royal Enfield, Lewis said. I couldnt be more excited to continue my work with this team, this bike, and now working with Max in this next chapter of our careers. There are some similarities between him and I that we think will lend to a really smooth transition and a really successful 2025 season.

In Lewis first year at the helm in 2020, he scored a Mission AFT SuperTwins win and led the team to two podiums in the Royal Enfield Twins FTs debut season. Over the next four years, he would develop a bike that would secure two more victories at the prestigious Lima HM and Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, respectively, stand atop three more podiums, and earn 10+ top-five finishes.

In 2024, with Lewis sidelined with an injury, the team brought in Dalton Gauthier to fill in for a number of races. Joining mid-season, Gauthier was able to turn in a number of impressive finishes and take the third step of the podium at the Orange County Half-Mile.