© 2017, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. by David Swarts

Spanish-born racer Dakota Mamola, age 22, will not race in the 2017 season, according to an announcement he made today on his Instagram page.

"I am not a person who tends to write or post things like these but I guess I felt like it here…" read the message. "First of all I’d like to announce that today is the start of a new season for me, a different one to last year’s but similar to 2015. Unfortunately I won’t be racing due to some factors but I am more than excited to say that I will be working again for my mate @calcrutchlow. He’s got a great team behind him and know we will fight for those top positions!"

Mamola, the son of four-time 500cc Grand Prix World Championship runner-up Randy Mamola, raced with HB Racing/Meen Yamaha on a YZF-R6 in the MotoAmerica Superstock 600 class in 2016. In spite of not knowing any of the tracks prior to the start of the season and suffering a broken ankle early in the year, Mamola recorded one victory and four podium finishes and placed fourth in the final Championship standings.

In 2015, Mamola told media outlets that he was unable to find enough sponsorship to secure a top-level ride in Moto2, either at the CEV/Spanish National Championship level or the World Championship level, so instead he accepted an offer to work as a personal assistant for MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow.

In 2014, Mamola raced full-time in the CEV/Spanish Moto2 Championship with Aspar Team and filled in for the team's injured rider, Nico Terol, during the Moto2 World Championship round at Silverstone, where he qualified 33rd and finished 30th.