MONTEREY, Calif. — Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion Cameron Beaubier will race in Europe next season.

The 27-year-old California rider will compete for the Moto2 World Championship with the American Racing Team.

Team owner Eitan Butbul made the announcement on Friday. Yamaha released Beaubier from his contract in order for him to accept the ride.

Beaubier will replace Joe Roberts, the former MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, joining Marcos Ramirez at American Racing. Roberts will move to the Italtrans Racing Team for 2021.

“I just want to express how thankful I am for all the great years I had with Yamaha,” Beaubier said. “Tom (Halverson) and Keith (McCarty) took a chance on me when I was a young kid coming back from Europe. It’s been an amazing journey. It’s pretty crazy how fast these nine years have gone by. Truthfully, I’m really excited to go to over and start this new chapter of my career in the MotoGP paddock with American Racing, but I’m just as bummed to leave the family we have created here the past nine years. It’s going to be amazing to look back on all our success because it all went so quick.”