Kakeru Okunuki clinches Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship at The Bend
There was joy for 17-year-old Kakeru Okunuki in South Australia, as he sealed the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship by taking a convincing victory in Race 1, while his closest rivals for the title didn’t make it to the podium. It was his fifth win of the season, and followed equally dominant performances in free practice and qualifying. His first error came when he crashed out of the lead in Race 2, which left spectators gripped by a thrilling battle between 13-year-old wildcard Hunter Corney and contenders for the number two spot in the standings.
Championships are rarely won easily, however, and served up plenty of challenges its 22 young hopefuls. Kakeru’s journey was one of the hardest, putting on display the grit, courage and persistence needed to triumph over the arc of a full season against some of the best young riders in Asia and Oceana. He had to overcome a nasty crash which broke his pelvis in Round 2, as well as superb performances from Australia’s Ryan Larkin, Thailand’s Tanakit Pratumtong and Sakchai Kongduangdee, and New Zealand’s Haydn Fordyce. So, the title was by no means a foregone conclusion when the series arrived in Australia. Kakeru handled the pressure with maturity, learned the circuit quickly and converted his first match point in Race 1 to become champion.
Riders in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship all improved their riding during the season.
There had been a taste of racing in Europe too. Before the last round, the organizers sent Kakeru and Sakchai to Estoril for the bLU cRU European SuperFinale at Estoril, during the penultimate round of the World Superbike Championship. Kakeru acquitted himself particularly well, qualifying sixth and looking like a possible winner in Race 1, before being speared from behind and taken out by another rider. He recovered well to finish 10th in Race 2.
The big prize for the newly-minted champion is two seasons of full support to compete in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup, which is held in conjunction with the FIM Superbike World Championship. From there lies a path to World Supersport 300 and onwards to Superbikes.
Every rider in the championship has improved over the season, benefiting from coaching by top racers and data engineers. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship has caught the attention of riders and team managers from all over the region and is set for another spectacular year in 2025.
The second round of the CVMA 2024/2025 Winter Series held at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway last weekend (November 16-17) featured awesome weather, ultra-competitive racing, and a great dinner provided by the club on Saturday evening.
On Friday, the New Racer School graduated eight racers, adding to the club’s already popular amateur ranks. All the racers got a ton of track time during Friday practice which was re-organized to provide three racer-only practice sessions and one session for track day riders, allowing for plenty of quality practice.
Saturday Qualifying
With a record number of racers attending the series’ second round, Saturday morning dawned clear, calm, and cool, but things heated up quickly on track with the start of qualifying.
The fastest of all in Saturday morning qualifying, Bryce Prince topped the field of open-class bikes turning a 1:45.090 lap time.
Brenden Ketelsen was fastest on a middleweight, turning a 1:46.550 lap time.
Justin Bordonaro was fastest on a lightweight bike with a 1:51.566 lap time.
Alex George was fastest on an ultra-lightweight bike with a 1:55.206 lap time.
David Lancaster was fastest on an American Twin with a 2:21.835 lap time.
Alexander Calloway was fastest on a CVMA Hooligan bike with a 2:00.278 lap time.
Saturday Races
Multiple race winners on Saturday included Justin Bordonaro, who won both the Formula Twins and the Formula 2 race on his lightweight-class bike. Alexander Calloway won the CVMA Hooligans and American Thunder races.
Sunday Shootouts
In the premier race of the day, the Stock 1000 Shootout, Corey Alexander got the holeshot and led through the first turn at the start. Alexander was followed closely out of turn one by Jason Uribe. The two traded positions a couple of times in the first few corners. At the end of the first lap, Alexander was leading, followed by Uribe in second and Michael Gilbert in third. Alexander and Uribe ran nose to tail for the first half with no more than a few tenths between them. Gilbert was further behind in a lonely third position. On the final lap, Alexander put his head down and turned the fastest lap of the race to hold off the charging Uribe for the win. The final order was Alexander for the win, Uribe in second, and Gilbert on the box in third.
The Formula Lightweight Twins Shootout started with Alfonso Califono leading through turn one at the start with Mallory Dobbs second and Justin Bordonaro third. Bordonaro was able to quickly take second position away from Dobbs with an inside pass into turn four. He then passed Califono in turn 14 to lead the first lap. On the second lap, Gio Alvarez was able to get around Dobbs for third. Alverez and Dobbs traded positions a couple of times throughout the remainder of the race. At the finish, Bordonaro took the win, Califono second, and Alvarez rounded out the podium in third.
At the start of the Formula Ultra Lightweight Shootout, Alex George led with Quin Swift second and youngster Sawyer Lafayette third. The running order remained the same until the last two laps when a battle between Wesley Lakis and Lafayette erupted and the two riders traded spots back and forth on the last two laps. At the stripe, it was George for the win, Swift second, and Lakis securing third.
Josh Hayes (4) leads Owen Williams (2) in the CVMA Middleweight Shootout at Chuckwalla. Photo by Caliphotography.com.
In the final shootout race of the day, the Middleweight Shootout, Owen Williams was able to lead through turn one at the start with Josh Hayes second and Corey Alexander third. Hayes made his move on lap two and took the lead with Williams running close behind for the next few laps. Hayes later extended his lead inching away from Williams. David Anthony took third position away from Alexander on the fourth lap with an inside pass entering turn four. Anthony and Alexander were both able to pass Williams on the eighth lap. Anthony made every effort to close the gap to Hayes in the remaining laps but came up about one second shy. At the finish, Hayes was first, Anthony second, and Alexander third.
Next Round. Come out and join us for the next round of the CVMA 24/25 Winter Series on December 6-8, 2024.
CVMA offers two full days of racing every race weekend and also includes Saturday qualifying for grid position in all classes, amateur, and expert, as well as a wide variety of classes to choose from.
CVMA offers free reciprocity as a means of encouraging racers from other clubs to come out and compete. CVMA also offers a New Racers School for those starting in racing on the Friday before each race weekend. Log on to www.cvmaracing.com to sign up or for more information.
CVMA. Built for racers by racers and offering the best racing experience around!
CVMA would also like to thank the 2024/2025 Winter Series Sponsors: Support Moto Racing, Apex Assassins, Ryder Gear, CaliPhotography, Racers Edge/Dunlop, RoadRace City/Bridgestone, Del’s Flooring, The California Superbike School, Ride HMVC, First Team IT, Yamaha, CT Racing/Pirelli, Compact Octane Trackdays,
NRS Sponsors: Alpinestars, 6D Helmets, Five Gloves, and Racers Edge/Dunlop
The FIM has released the provisional entry lists for the 2025 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship. As expected, the biggest change in MotoGP in terms of entries is the increase of Yamaha YZR-M1s on the grid, from two to four, with Pramac Racing running Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira on the machines next year.
Ducati’s presence drops from eight bikes to six, as Pramac gives up its factory-spec Desmosedicis to race factory-specification Yamahas. Ducati also will drop from four current year factory-specification machines to three, which will be allocated to factory Lenovo riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing’s Fabio Di Giannantonio. Three 2024-spec machines will be raced by Di Giannantonio’s teammate Franco Morbidelli and the Gresini Racing teammates of Alex Marquez and MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer.
Ai Ogura (79).
2024 Moto2 World Champion Ai Ogura and Moto2’s Somkiat Chantra will move up to MotoGP as well.
In the Moto3 class, there are two TBA slots listed, one for Leopard Racing and one for FleetSafe Honda – Mlav Racing.
FIM Grand Prix World Championship
2025 Provisional entry lists, 20 November
MotoGP:
5 Johann Zarco French CASTROL Honda LCR Honda i
10 Luca Marini Italian Honda HRC Honda
12 Maverick Viñales Spanish Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM i
20 Fabio Quartararo French Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team Yamaha
21 Franco Morbidelli Italian Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati i
23 Enea Bastianini Italian Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM i
25 Raul Fernandez Spanish Trackhouse MotoGP™ Team Aprilia i
33 Brad Binder South African Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
35 Somkiat Chantra Thai IDEMITSU Honda LCR Honda i
36 Joan Mir Spanish Honda HRC Honda
37 Pedro Acosta Spanish Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
42 Alex Rins Spanish Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team Yamaha
43 Jack Miller Australian Prima Pramac Yamaha Yamaha i
49 Fabio Di Giannantonio Italian Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati i
54 Fermin Aldeguer Spanish Gresini Racing MotoGP™ Ducati i
63 Francesco Bagnaia Italian Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati
72 Marco Bezzecchi Italian Aprilia Racing Aprilia
73 Alex Marquez Spanish Gresini Racing MotoGP™ Ducati i
79 Ai Ogura Japanese Trackhouse MotoGP™ Team Aprilia i
88 Miguel Oliveira Portuguese Prima Pramac Yamaha Yamaha i
89 Jorge Martin Spanish Aprilia Racing Aprilia
93 Marc Marquez Spanish Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati
i = Independent Team rider
Moto2:
3 Sergio Garcia Spanish MT Helmets-MSI Boscoscuro
4 Ivan Ortola Spanish MT Helmets-MSI Boscoscuro
5 Jaume Masia Spanish Preicanos Racing team Kalex
7 Barry Baltus Belgian Fantic Racing Kalex
10 Diogo Moreira Brazilian Italtrans Racing Team Kalex
11 Alex Escrig Spanish KLINT Forward Factory Team Forward
12 Filip Salač Czech Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro
13 Celestino Vietti Italian SpeedUp Racing Boscoscuro
14 Tony Arbolino Italian Pramac Yamaha Moto2™ Boscoscuro
15 Darryn Binder South African Gresini Moto2™ Kalex
16 Joe Roberts American OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex
17 Daniel Muñoz Spanish Preicanos Racing team Kalex
18 Manuel Gonzalez Spanish Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex
21 Alonso Lopez Spanish SpeedUp Racing Boscoscuro
24 Marcos Ramirez Spanish OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex
27 Daniel Holgado Spanish CFMOTO Aspar Team Kalex
28 Izan Guevara Spanish Pramac Yamaha Moto2™ Boscoscuro
43 Xavier Artigas Spanish KLINT Forward Factory Team Forward
44 Aron Canet Spanish Fantic Racing Kalex
53 Deniz Öncü Turkish Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex
64 Mario Suryo Aji Indonesian Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex
71 Ayumu Sasaki Japanese RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP Kalex
75 Albert Arenas Spanish Gresini Moto2™ Kalex
80 David Alonso Colombian CFMOTO Aspar Team Kalex
81 Senna Agius Australian Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex
84 Zonta van den Goorbergh Dutch RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP Kalex
92 Yuki Kunii Japanese Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex
95 Collin Veijer Dutch Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex
96 Jake Dixon British Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro
99 Adrian Huertas Spanish Italtrans Racing Team Kalex
Moto3
5 Tatchakorn Buasri Thai Honda Team Asia Honda
6 Ryusei Yamanaka Japanese MT Helmets – MSI KTM
8 Eddie O’Shea British FleetSafe Honda – Mlav Racing Honda
10 Nicola Carraro Italian Rivacold Snipers Team Honda
12 Jacob Roulstone Australian Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM
14 Cormac Buchanan New Zealand BOE Motorsports KTM
18 Matteo Bertelle Italian LEVELUP – MTA KTM
19 Scott Ogden British CIP Green Power KTM
21 Ruché Moodley South African BOE Motorsports KTM
24 Tatsuki Suzuki Japanese Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM
28 Maximo Quiles Spanish CFMOTO Aspar Team KTM
31 Adrian Fernandez Spanish Leopard Racing Honda
36 Angel Piqueras Spanish MT Helmets – MSI KTM
54 Riccardo Rossi Italian Rivacold Snipers Team Honda
55 Noah Dettwiler Swiss CIP Green Power KTM
58 Luca Lunetta Italian SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda
64 David Muñoz Spanish Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM
66 Joel Kelso Australian LEVELUP – MTA KTM
71 Dennis Foggia Italian CFMOTO Aspar Team KTM
72 Taiyo Furusato Japanese Honda Team Asia Honda
73 Valentin Perrone Argentinian Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM
82 Stefano Nepa Italian SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda
83 Alvaro Carpe Spanish Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM
99 Jose Antonio Rueda Spanish Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing has released its 2025 schedule, including a four-round WERA National Endurance Series with events held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Roebling Road Raceway, Nelson Ledges Road Course, and Barber Motorsports Park.
The Superbike Commission, composed of MM. Gregorio LAVILLA (Dorna, WorldSBK Executive Director), Paul KING (Director of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission), Biense BIERMA (General Secretary of the MSMA), coordinated by Paul DUPARC (Manager of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission & Secretary of the SBK Commission), in the presence of Jorge Viegas (FIM President), Ludovic REIGNIER (FIM WorldSBK Technical Director), Dominique HEBRARD (FIM Technical Manager), Pierre-Alexandre GALLOIS and Svetlana NAZAROVA (FIM CCR Coordinators) met successively at the circuit of Jerez on 19 October and at the circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya on 15 November.
Among the discussions held, the following decisions were taken for the 2025 season:
Sporting Regulations:
With the recently introduced rules on the minimum age of riders to compete in the FIM Supersport World Championship, it has been decided to grant exemptions for:
– the top 3 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship;
– the top 3 of the FIME Moto2™ European Championship;
– the top 3 of the FIME Stock European Championship;
of any season to compete in the 2025 Supersport World Championship, even if the rider has not reached the minimum age.
However, for these exceptions to apply, the minimum age of 17 years is required.
The insurance policy covering any possible liability of the FIM and the organiser to third parties will be increased to 10 millions euros (with the exception of the USA and Canada, where the cover shall be different).
For the WorldSBK class, there is a restriction on testing that has been set to reduce development costs. A clarification of the authorised test days has been made.
Although the current rules regarding yellow flags/lights provide for sanctions if they are not respected, the SBK Commission has decided to tighten the rules in order to protect track marshals even more. From now on, riders must slow down sufficiently to ensure the safety of other riders and trackside personnel. A rider who does not slow down in a yellow flag situation could be sanctioned more severely than currently.
For the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, the minimum time to achieve for being Qualifyed was fixed at 110% of the fastest rider of the class.
A WorldWCR race that has started in dry conditions may be interrupted if the weather conditions change and the track becomes wet.
For all the FIM classes competing in during the FIM Superbike World Championship rounds, the use of rider safety equipment (and in particular airbags) has been redefined.
It was decided that the solution found in 2024 to provide an FIM Insurance to the riders for the Official WorldSBK Test at Phillip Island will be repeated.
In the WorldSBK category, a logistical measure to reduce the number of tyres used during the event was introduced.
The FIM is using, since 2024, an electronic platform to distribute information such as Championship Regulations, Race Direction nnformation, notification of decisions and FIM WorldSBK Stewards daily reports. The use and personal logins of electronic platform will become compulsory for the teams in 2025 in order for FIM WorldSBK Stewards and Race Direction to communicate to the Teams and Riders when necessary during the event. The idea is to do away with the official notice board, and to replace it with this new “official electronic notice board”.
Technical Regulations:
For the WorldSBK class, a limitation of the fuel flow will be put in place to limit the performance of the engines. From 2025, the starting fuel flow limit for all manufacturers is defined at 47 Kg/H. A tolerance of 2 grams per lap beyond the 47 Kg/H limit was defined. For 2026, the limit will be decided at the end of July 2025 after analysis of the first part of season, according to the roadmap shared with the manufacturers.
For the WorldSBK class, the worldwide availability of the Superbike Kit Systems has been redefined (minimum stock and lead time).
The rules applied in MotoGP™ regarding the attachment of winglets/aerodynamic appendices will be applied: under normal operating conditions, the attachment must have a maximum deflection of 10 mm at any point, when a vertical load of 50 N is applied downwards with a 20 mm radius spherical steel indenter.
In WorldSBK class, the marking of a new “virgin” frame part is free, but it must contain the model code registered at the FIM Homologation of the motorcycle. It was decided that the reading procedure of the new marking must be declared by each manufacturer to the FIM Technical Director prior to the season starts.
The SBK Commission is continuously working on the introduction of a new entry class to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2026, marking a significant evolution in the racing landscape. This new class will replace the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship (WorldSSP300), which has successfully served as a feeder class since its inception in 2017. The progress of the work, the choice of the eligible machines and their homologations were discussed.
Wearing an airbag has been mandatory for several years. From 2025, the airbags used will have to be type 1 or 2 (in accordance with the FIM Criteria).
Various other clarifications were also carried out and will be reported on the 2025 Regulations.
The resolutions of this Superbike Commission have been approved by the Permanent Bureau.
Cameron Petersen is leaving the Attack Performance Progressive Racing Yamaha MotoAmerica superbike team, the rider announced on social media.
“Thank you to @yamaharacingusa for giving me the opportunity to be part of their family,” Petersen posted. I had an amazing time on the team for the past 3 years, I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish … Unfortunately, with injuries and some other stuff I was never able to make a real run at the title even though I showed I was capable of doing just that!
“For now I’m excited to see what the future has in store for me. But no matter what I will be ready to roll in 2025!!!”
Petersen took three Superbike victories in 2024, finishing sixth in the Championship standings.
An ASRA Midwest Region grid at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Photo by Phil Sberna.Riders (from left) Jake Jansen (196), Jason Farrell (86), and Hayden Diedrich (15) with trophies at an ASRA Midwest Region event at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Jansen will accept his Overall Expert #1 plate at the Midwest Region Award Banquet. In his first year road racing, Diedrich turned Expert mid-season, then took third in this ASRA Sportbike race. Photo by Phil Sberna.
Atlantic / Mid-Atlantic Region Banquet
February 1st 2025
Kathedral Event Center
499 S. Egg Harbor rd.
Hammonton, NJ 08037
Fun in the pits during an ASRA Atlantic/Mid-Atlantic region event at Summit Point. Photo by Mark Leinhard.
Black Friday Sale
The wait is almost over! Get ready to kick your 2025 season into high gear with ASRA’s Black Friday Sale on race licenses. PLUS, be the first to see the brand-new 2025 race schedule!
Will there be some surprises? Yes.
Here’s What’s Coming: Black Friday Sale: Discounts on all ASRA race licenses for the 2025 season!
Discounted race credits for sale, you will see…
📅 2025 Race Schedule Release: New locations, epic tracks.
Your race license comes with a 1 year subscription to Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
If you have an existing subscription, it will be extended 1 year.
When:
🗓️ Sale Starts: Thursday, November 28, 2024 at midnight
🗓️ Sale Ends: December 1, 2024 at midnight
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or gearing up for your first race, this is the perfect chance to lock in your license and start planning for the 2025 season!
That was the verdict delivered by 250cc Grand Prix World Champion Marco Melandri, Randy Mamola, (a 13-time 500cc Grand Prix race winner), and Simon Crafar, (also a 500cc Grand Prix race winner), after lapping on Harley-Davidson Road Glide MotoAmerica-spec King of The Baggers machines at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The demo laps were organized by the company as part of an announcement that Harley-Davidson and Dorna would be working together in the future. The collaboration is designed to increase the visibility of Harley and MotoGP around the world.
The trio were joined by MotoAmerica competitors Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli, as well as former MotoGP, World Superbike and British and AMA Superbike racer John Hopkins. After several laps, Melandri, Mamola and Crafar held a news conference to talk about their experience.
“From the outside, it looks like a game,” said Melandri. “But when you are on it, it’s a racebike. And the engine is powerful, like a Honda V5.” (Melandri raced a Honda RC211V in MotoGP, taking the V5 machine to five victories.)
Marco Melandri (33).
Crafar said that in 1989, he had raced in a BEARS series – the name indicates that the eligible bikes are British, European or American in origin – on a racebike with a Harley-Davidson engine in a dedicated racing chassis. He remembers the bike fondly, but loved the power of the King of The Baggers machine, and the sound as well. “The engine is so good, I want one!” he said.
Randy Mamola (2).
Mamola said his bike fit him perfectly, and that his expectations of a hard-to-manage beast proved unfounded. He was pleasantly surprised at the power, the braking and the shifting, as well as the lack of vibration. “Everything was in a perfect zone,” Mamola said.
The only real downside was getting going from a dead stop. The machines are so tall and heavy that even the tall, lanky Crafar had to shift his body off the machine to get one foot down, and that was critical because, as Mamola said, “If it starts falling, you’re not going to catch it!”
The other downside, Melandri said, was that they told him just before he started out exactly how much one of the Bagger racebikes cost, and that meant he was very nervous about crashing. When asked how much the bike cost, Melandri said only, “Too much!”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY RACING TESTS AT BARCELONA-CATALUNYA AFTER MOTOGP
Kyle Wyman, James Rispoli, and Special Guest Riders Demonstrate the Performance of Race-Prepared Road Glide Motorcycles
MILWAUKEE (November 20, 2024) – Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing put the thundering performance of its race-prepared 2024 Road Glide® motorcycle on display in a test conducted in conjunction with DORNA and MotoGP at Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). MotoGP is one of the most exciting motorsport championships in the world. The race was moved to Barcelona after the disastrous flooding in the Valencia region. Harley-Davidson donated a Road Glide motorcycle to be auctioned off for MotoGP’s relief efforts.
The test was the first European track appearance of the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide motorcycle that is raced in the U.S. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing riders Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli piloted their bikes on Monday following the MotoGP race on the 4.657 km (2.894 mi) 16-turn circuit. Additional guest riders included former MotoGP and World Superbike pilots, Simon Crafar, John Hopkins, Randy Mamola, and Marco Melandri.
“Racing is a core pillar of the Harley-Davidson brand, showcasing our commitment to performance and innovation,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, of Harley-Davidson. “Partnering with DORNA/MotoGP, we aim to expand our racing footprint globally, fueling the passions of our customers and fans. This MotoGP Test is a pivotal step in realizing these ambitions and demonstrating our dedication to racing excellence.”
“We were riding alongside our heroes, and were able to share our body of work with people we respect so much,” said Wyman. “These are special moments, and memories I’ll not soon forget. I want to thank DORNA, Harley-Davidson and all of the staff who worked tirelessly to put on this event in the most challenging circumstances of recent events.”
(Above, From Left) Randy Mamola, James Rispoli, Marco Melandri, Kyle Wyman John Hopkins and Simon Crafar. MotoGP photo.
Rispoli added, “What an amazing day for Harley-Davidson. To be on track at the same weekend as MotoGP was incredible. And to share this project with some legends of the sport was unreal. Their reactions after riding our bikes were priceless.”
While overcast and cool conditions prevented outright lap time attacks, Wyman and Rispoli reached measured top speeds of over 171 MPH (275 KPH) on the fastest sector of the track
(From Left), Americans Kyle Wyman, Randy Mamola, John Hopkins, James Rispoli. MotoGP photo.
.After Wyman and Rispoli warmed up the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glides, Crafar, Hopkins, Mamola, and Melandri each took sessions on the bikes and were impressed with the power and performance of the bagger racing motorcycles.
Simon Crafar: “I was just enjoying it, and trying to figure out how it works. It’s so different. It takes a lot to get your head around it. The engine is just amazing, and I really like the sound. The engine is so good. It’s unreal, and I want one as a street bike.”
John Hopkins: “Man, that was so fun. It was so good. Just getting the feeling of it. I was riding tight. But it handles so good. It’s so wild.”
Randy Mamola: “The torque is amazing, and the smoothness. This is why I’ve loved motorcycles since I was 12 years old. It’s a motorcycle. And it’s a freaking race bike. Everything is so sweet about the bike. Everything is in the right place. It stops really well. The transmission is insane, and it’s smooth. She’s just a big [bike].”
Marco Melandri: “My laps were better and better as we go. Once I tested the lean angle, I feel much better. It’s not so heavy, and not so big when you ride it. And the engine and the torque is amazing.”
The Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide competes in the U.S. in the Mission Foods King Of The Baggers series, which offers exciting road-course competition between American V-Twin touring motorcycles prepared for competition and equipped with a fairing/windscreen and saddlebags. For the 18-race season, Wyman won six races and finished on the podium fourteen times.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide racing motorcycles utilize a stock frame and engine cases. Weight is reduced to approximately 620 pounds (281 KG) through the use of carbon fiber bodywork and lightweight components. The motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition intake and exhaust and Dunlop race tires.
Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing is partnered with Mission® Foods, Rockford Fosgate®, Brembo®, Öhlins®, Akrapovic®, Protolabs®, SYN3® lubricants, and Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts and Accessories.
Alex Marquez was quickest in the post-season MotoGP test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Gresini Racing team got its hands on the Ducati GP24 that Jorge Martin took to the Championship this year, and Marquez quickly adapted. He tested briefly with the GP23 he had raced this season, and quickly understood that the GP24 had a much easier time extracting the maximum performance from this season’s Michelin tires. “This bike was built around these tires,” he said at the end of the day.
Fabio Quartararo (20).
Fabio Quartararo was second after testing a new chassis and new engine. Quartararo says the new chassis turned in better on the brakes, but the bike now needs to drive out of corners better. “The improvements will not happen overnight,” he said, but was pleased by the army of engineers from Japan and Italy in the factory garage. The factory team alone had six bikes to try between Quartararo and Rins, and the Pramac Racing team had two bikes each for Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira.
Francesco Bagnaia (63).
Two-time World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was third and said the new Ducati GP25 was better in fast corners and was stronger in the engine department, but it was lacking in braking compared to the GP24 he raced to second in the Championship with 11 wins in 2024. However, he was pleased, saying that the bike was very good for this stage of its development.
Marc Marquez (93).
Marc Marquez spent very little time on a Ducati GP24 and instead jumped straight into the development process of the factory GP25 he will race next season. He called the handling of the 2025 model different but not better or worse than the 2023 machine, but said the engine was much stronger.
Jorge Martin.
2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin was not able to talk to the media after the test because he is still contracted to Ducati. Martin took a development Aprilia RS-GP to 11th after a small crash in the middle of the day.
Pedro Acosta (37).
Pedro Acosta said that KTM tried several different aerodynamic devices, looking for a way forward. Note that this configuration does not use the ducts on the lower front fairing that the RC16 has used in the past. Acosta said his final configuration made the bike calmer, because in 2024 it would get “crazy” and shake the handlebars. The only rookie on the grid in 2024, Acosta said he completely understood why all three of the 2025 rookies crashed within a few laps, and said it was normal as they switched from the Pirellis in Moto2 to the Michelins in MotoGP.
Three MotoGP rookies got their first taste of the firebreathing literbikes that make up the series’ premier class racebikes, and several riders got their first outings on new machines and in new livery at the first post-2024 MotoGP test in Barcelona.
It was a tough start for the rookies, as all three crashed early in the day as they started to come to grips with racebikes that were heavier, much more complicated and made twice the horsepower of the Moto2 machines they raced in 2024.
At mid-day, the three were lumped together at the bottom of the time sheet, with Fermin Aldeguer just ahead of Somkiat Chantra and Ai Ogura.
Pedro Acosta (37) moved from the satellite GASGAS Tech3 team to the factory Red Bull KTM squad.Fermin Aldeguer (54) on the Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24.Aleix Espargaro (41) started his career as a test rider for Honda.Enea Bastianini (23) moved from the factory Ducati to the Tech3 KTM.Marco Bezzecchi (72) left the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team to take the factory Aprilia ride.Somkiat Chantra (35) replaced Taakaki Nakagami at the LCR Honda team.Maverick Vinales (12) moved from the factory Aprilia to the Tech3 KTM team.Miguel Oliveira (88) moved from Trackhouse Racing’s Aprilia to Pramac Racing’s new Yamaha.Ai Ogura (seated on scooter) was one of the first to crash.Jack Miller (43) got the other Pramac Yamaha ride. The team opted for experienced MotoGP racers for the first year with Yamaha.Marc Marquez (93) rode for the factory Ducati team in red but without sponsor decals on the bike. Contracts are complicated things at the eight-time World Champion level.
Kakeru Okunuki clinches Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship at The Bend
There was joy for 17-year-old Kakeru Okunuki in South Australia, as he sealed the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship by taking a convincing victory in Race 1, while his closest rivals for the title didn’t make it to the podium. It was his fifth win of the season, and followed equally dominant performances in free practice and qualifying. His first error came when he crashed out of the lead in Race 2, which left spectators gripped by a thrilling battle between 13-year-old wildcard Hunter Corney and contenders for the number two spot in the standings.
Championships are rarely won easily, however, and served up plenty of challenges its 22 young hopefuls. Kakeru’s journey was one of the hardest, putting on display the grit, courage and persistence needed to triumph over the arc of a full season against some of the best young riders in Asia and Oceana. He had to overcome a nasty crash which broke his pelvis in Round 2, as well as superb performances from Australia’s Ryan Larkin, Thailand’s Tanakit Pratumtong and Sakchai Kongduangdee, and New Zealand’s Haydn Fordyce. So, the title was by no means a foregone conclusion when the series arrived in Australia. Kakeru handled the pressure with maturity, learned the circuit quickly and converted his first match point in Race 1 to become champion.
Riders in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship all improved their riding during the season.
There had been a taste of racing in Europe too. Before the last round, the organizers sent Kakeru and Sakchai to Estoril for the bLU cRU European SuperFinale at Estoril, during the penultimate round of the World Superbike Championship. Kakeru acquitted himself particularly well, qualifying sixth and looking like a possible winner in Race 1, before being speared from behind and taken out by another rider. He recovered well to finish 10th in Race 2.
The big prize for the newly-minted champion is two seasons of full support to compete in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup, which is held in conjunction with the FIM Superbike World Championship. From there lies a path to World Supersport 300 and onwards to Superbikes.
Every rider in the championship has improved over the season, benefiting from coaching by top racers and data engineers. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship has caught the attention of riders and team managers from all over the region and is set for another spectacular year in 2025.
Corey Alexander (1) and Jayson Uribe (36x) battled in the featured CVMA Stock 1000 Shootout race. Photo by Caliphotography.com.
The second round of the CVMA 2024/2025 Winter Series held at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway last weekend (November 16-17) featured awesome weather, ultra-competitive racing, and a great dinner provided by the club on Saturday evening.
On Friday, the New Racer School graduated eight racers, adding to the club’s already popular amateur ranks. All the racers got a ton of track time during Friday practice which was re-organized to provide three racer-only practice sessions and one session for track day riders, allowing for plenty of quality practice.
Saturday Qualifying
With a record number of racers attending the series’ second round, Saturday morning dawned clear, calm, and cool, but things heated up quickly on track with the start of qualifying.
The fastest of all in Saturday morning qualifying, Bryce Prince topped the field of open-class bikes turning a 1:45.090 lap time.
Brenden Ketelsen was fastest on a middleweight, turning a 1:46.550 lap time.
Justin Bordonaro was fastest on a lightweight bike with a 1:51.566 lap time.
Alex George was fastest on an ultra-lightweight bike with a 1:55.206 lap time.
David Lancaster was fastest on an American Twin with a 2:21.835 lap time.
Alexander Calloway was fastest on a CVMA Hooligan bike with a 2:00.278 lap time.
Saturday Races
Multiple race winners on Saturday included Justin Bordonaro, who won both the Formula Twins and the Formula 2 race on his lightweight-class bike. Alexander Calloway won the CVMA Hooligans and American Thunder races.
Sunday Shootouts
In the premier race of the day, the Stock 1000 Shootout, Corey Alexander got the holeshot and led through the first turn at the start. Alexander was followed closely out of turn one by Jason Uribe. The two traded positions a couple of times in the first few corners. At the end of the first lap, Alexander was leading, followed by Uribe in second and Michael Gilbert in third. Alexander and Uribe ran nose to tail for the first half with no more than a few tenths between them. Gilbert was further behind in a lonely third position. On the final lap, Alexander put his head down and turned the fastest lap of the race to hold off the charging Uribe for the win. The final order was Alexander for the win, Uribe in second, and Gilbert on the box in third.
The Formula Lightweight Twins Shootout started with Alfonso Califono leading through turn one at the start with Mallory Dobbs second and Justin Bordonaro third. Bordonaro was able to quickly take second position away from Dobbs with an inside pass into turn four. He then passed Califono in turn 14 to lead the first lap. On the second lap, Gio Alvarez was able to get around Dobbs for third. Alverez and Dobbs traded positions a couple of times throughout the remainder of the race. At the finish, Bordonaro took the win, Califono second, and Alvarez rounded out the podium in third.
At the start of the Formula Ultra Lightweight Shootout, Alex George led with Quin Swift second and youngster Sawyer Lafayette third. The running order remained the same until the last two laps when a battle between Wesley Lakis and Lafayette erupted and the two riders traded spots back and forth on the last two laps. At the stripe, it was George for the win, Swift second, and Lakis securing third.
Josh Hayes (4) leads Owen Williams (2) in the CVMA Middleweight Shootout at Chuckwalla. Photo by Caliphotography.com.
In the final shootout race of the day, the Middleweight Shootout, Owen Williams was able to lead through turn one at the start with Josh Hayes second and Corey Alexander third. Hayes made his move on lap two and took the lead with Williams running close behind for the next few laps. Hayes later extended his lead inching away from Williams. David Anthony took third position away from Alexander on the fourth lap with an inside pass entering turn four. Anthony and Alexander were both able to pass Williams on the eighth lap. Anthony made every effort to close the gap to Hayes in the remaining laps but came up about one second shy. At the finish, Hayes was first, Anthony second, and Alexander third.
Next Round. Come out and join us for the next round of the CVMA 24/25 Winter Series on December 6-8, 2024.
CVMA offers two full days of racing every race weekend and also includes Saturday qualifying for grid position in all classes, amateur, and expert, as well as a wide variety of classes to choose from.
CVMA offers free reciprocity as a means of encouraging racers from other clubs to come out and compete. CVMA also offers a New Racers School for those starting in racing on the Friday before each race weekend. Log on to www.cvmaracing.com to sign up or for more information.
CVMA. Built for racers by racers and offering the best racing experience around!
CVMA would also like to thank the 2024/2025 Winter Series Sponsors: Support Moto Racing, Apex Assassins, Ryder Gear, CaliPhotography, Racers Edge/Dunlop, RoadRace City/Bridgestone, Del’s Flooring, The California Superbike School, Ride HMVC, First Team IT, Yamaha, CT Racing/Pirelli, Compact Octane Trackdays,
NRS Sponsors: Alpinestars, 6D Helmets, Five Gloves, and Racers Edge/Dunlop
Jack Miller (43) will ride for the Pramac Racing squad, which switches to Yamaha for 2025. Photos by Michael Gougis.
The FIM has released the provisional entry lists for the 2025 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship. As expected, the biggest change in MotoGP in terms of entries is the increase of Yamaha YZR-M1s on the grid, from two to four, with Pramac Racing running Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira on the machines next year.
Ducati’s presence drops from eight bikes to six, as Pramac gives up its factory-spec Desmosedicis to race factory-specification Yamahas. Ducati also will drop from four current year factory-specification machines to three, which will be allocated to factory Lenovo riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing’s Fabio Di Giannantonio. Three 2024-spec machines will be raced by Di Giannantonio’s teammate Franco Morbidelli and the Gresini Racing teammates of Alex Marquez and MotoGP rookie Fermin Aldeguer.
Ai Ogura (79).
2024 Moto2 World Champion Ai Ogura and Moto2’s Somkiat Chantra will move up to MotoGP as well.
In the Moto3 class, there are two TBA slots listed, one for Leopard Racing and one for FleetSafe Honda – Mlav Racing.
FIM Grand Prix World Championship
2025 Provisional entry lists, 20 November
MotoGP:
5 Johann Zarco French CASTROL Honda LCR Honda i
10 Luca Marini Italian Honda HRC Honda
12 Maverick Viñales Spanish Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM i
20 Fabio Quartararo French Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team Yamaha
21 Franco Morbidelli Italian Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati i
23 Enea Bastianini Italian Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM i
25 Raul Fernandez Spanish Trackhouse MotoGP™ Team Aprilia i
33 Brad Binder South African Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
35 Somkiat Chantra Thai IDEMITSU Honda LCR Honda i
36 Joan Mir Spanish Honda HRC Honda
37 Pedro Acosta Spanish Red Bull KTM Factory Racing KTM
42 Alex Rins Spanish Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ Team Yamaha
43 Jack Miller Australian Prima Pramac Yamaha Yamaha i
49 Fabio Di Giannantonio Italian Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati i
54 Fermin Aldeguer Spanish Gresini Racing MotoGP™ Ducati i
63 Francesco Bagnaia Italian Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati
72 Marco Bezzecchi Italian Aprilia Racing Aprilia
73 Alex Marquez Spanish Gresini Racing MotoGP™ Ducati i
79 Ai Ogura Japanese Trackhouse MotoGP™ Team Aprilia i
88 Miguel Oliveira Portuguese Prima Pramac Yamaha Yamaha i
89 Jorge Martin Spanish Aprilia Racing Aprilia
93 Marc Marquez Spanish Ducati Lenovo Team Ducati
i = Independent Team rider
Moto2:
3 Sergio Garcia Spanish MT Helmets-MSI Boscoscuro
4 Ivan Ortola Spanish MT Helmets-MSI Boscoscuro
5 Jaume Masia Spanish Preicanos Racing team Kalex
7 Barry Baltus Belgian Fantic Racing Kalex
10 Diogo Moreira Brazilian Italtrans Racing Team Kalex
11 Alex Escrig Spanish KLINT Forward Factory Team Forward
12 Filip Salač Czech Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro
13 Celestino Vietti Italian SpeedUp Racing Boscoscuro
14 Tony Arbolino Italian Pramac Yamaha Moto2™ Boscoscuro
15 Darryn Binder South African Gresini Moto2™ Kalex
16 Joe Roberts American OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex
17 Daniel Muñoz Spanish Preicanos Racing team Kalex
18 Manuel Gonzalez Spanish Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex
21 Alonso Lopez Spanish SpeedUp Racing Boscoscuro
24 Marcos Ramirez Spanish OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex
27 Daniel Holgado Spanish CFMOTO Aspar Team Kalex
28 Izan Guevara Spanish Pramac Yamaha Moto2™ Boscoscuro
43 Xavier Artigas Spanish KLINT Forward Factory Team Forward
44 Aron Canet Spanish Fantic Racing Kalex
53 Deniz Öncü Turkish Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex
64 Mario Suryo Aji Indonesian Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex
71 Ayumu Sasaki Japanese RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP Kalex
75 Albert Arenas Spanish Gresini Moto2™ Kalex
80 David Alonso Colombian CFMOTO Aspar Team Kalex
81 Senna Agius Australian Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex
84 Zonta van den Goorbergh Dutch RW – Idrofoglia Racing GP Kalex
92 Yuki Kunii Japanese Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex
95 Collin Veijer Dutch Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex
96 Jake Dixon British Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro
99 Adrian Huertas Spanish Italtrans Racing Team Kalex
Moto3
5 Tatchakorn Buasri Thai Honda Team Asia Honda
6 Ryusei Yamanaka Japanese MT Helmets – MSI KTM
8 Eddie O’Shea British FleetSafe Honda – Mlav Racing Honda
10 Nicola Carraro Italian Rivacold Snipers Team Honda
12 Jacob Roulstone Australian Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM
14 Cormac Buchanan New Zealand BOE Motorsports KTM
18 Matteo Bertelle Italian LEVELUP – MTA KTM
19 Scott Ogden British CIP Green Power KTM
21 Ruché Moodley South African BOE Motorsports KTM
24 Tatsuki Suzuki Japanese Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM
28 Maximo Quiles Spanish CFMOTO Aspar Team KTM
31 Adrian Fernandez Spanish Leopard Racing Honda
36 Angel Piqueras Spanish MT Helmets – MSI KTM
54 Riccardo Rossi Italian Rivacold Snipers Team Honda
55 Noah Dettwiler Swiss CIP Green Power KTM
58 Luca Lunetta Italian SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda
64 David Muñoz Spanish Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP KTM
66 Joel Kelso Australian LEVELUP – MTA KTM
71 Dennis Foggia Italian CFMOTO Aspar Team KTM
72 Taiyo Furusato Japanese Honda Team Asia Honda
73 Valentin Perrone Argentinian Red Bull KTM Tech3 KTM
82 Stefano Nepa Italian SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda
83 Alvaro Carpe Spanish Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM
99 Jose Antonio Rueda Spanish Red Bull KTM Ajo KTM
AOD's Hunter Dunham (99) leads AO Rollers' Blake Davis (89) during a 2024 WERA National Endurance Series race at Carolina Motorsports Park. Photo by Raul Jerez/High Side Photography courtesy AOD.
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing has released its 2025 schedule, including a four-round WERA National Endurance Series with events held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Roebling Road Raceway, Nelson Ledges Road Course, and Barber Motorsports Park.
Start of the first Superbike World Championship race at Jerez in 2024. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The Superbike Commission, composed of MM. Gregorio LAVILLA (Dorna, WorldSBK Executive Director), Paul KING (Director of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission), Biense BIERMA (General Secretary of the MSMA), coordinated by Paul DUPARC (Manager of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission & Secretary of the SBK Commission), in the presence of Jorge Viegas (FIM President), Ludovic REIGNIER (FIM WorldSBK Technical Director), Dominique HEBRARD (FIM Technical Manager), Pierre-Alexandre GALLOIS and Svetlana NAZAROVA (FIM CCR Coordinators) met successively at the circuit of Jerez on 19 October and at the circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya on 15 November.
Among the discussions held, the following decisions were taken for the 2025 season:
Sporting Regulations:
With the recently introduced rules on the minimum age of riders to compete in the FIM Supersport World Championship, it has been decided to grant exemptions for:
– the top 3 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship;
– the top 3 of the FIME Moto2™ European Championship;
– the top 3 of the FIME Stock European Championship;
of any season to compete in the 2025 Supersport World Championship, even if the rider has not reached the minimum age.
However, for these exceptions to apply, the minimum age of 17 years is required.
The insurance policy covering any possible liability of the FIM and the organiser to third parties will be increased to 10 millions euros (with the exception of the USA and Canada, where the cover shall be different).
For the WorldSBK class, there is a restriction on testing that has been set to reduce development costs. A clarification of the authorised test days has been made.
Although the current rules regarding yellow flags/lights provide for sanctions if they are not respected, the SBK Commission has decided to tighten the rules in order to protect track marshals even more. From now on, riders must slow down sufficiently to ensure the safety of other riders and trackside personnel. A rider who does not slow down in a yellow flag situation could be sanctioned more severely than currently.
For the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, the minimum time to achieve for being Qualifyed was fixed at 110% of the fastest rider of the class.
A WorldWCR race that has started in dry conditions may be interrupted if the weather conditions change and the track becomes wet.
For all the FIM classes competing in during the FIM Superbike World Championship rounds, the use of rider safety equipment (and in particular airbags) has been redefined.
It was decided that the solution found in 2024 to provide an FIM Insurance to the riders for the Official WorldSBK Test at Phillip Island will be repeated.
In the WorldSBK category, a logistical measure to reduce the number of tyres used during the event was introduced.
The FIM is using, since 2024, an electronic platform to distribute information such as Championship Regulations, Race Direction nnformation, notification of decisions and FIM WorldSBK Stewards daily reports. The use and personal logins of electronic platform will become compulsory for the teams in 2025 in order for FIM WorldSBK Stewards and Race Direction to communicate to the Teams and Riders when necessary during the event. The idea is to do away with the official notice board, and to replace it with this new “official electronic notice board”.
Technical Regulations:
For the WorldSBK class, a limitation of the fuel flow will be put in place to limit the performance of the engines. From 2025, the starting fuel flow limit for all manufacturers is defined at 47 Kg/H. A tolerance of 2 grams per lap beyond the 47 Kg/H limit was defined. For 2026, the limit will be decided at the end of July 2025 after analysis of the first part of season, according to the roadmap shared with the manufacturers.
For the WorldSBK class, the worldwide availability of the Superbike Kit Systems has been redefined (minimum stock and lead time).
The rules applied in MotoGP™ regarding the attachment of winglets/aerodynamic appendices will be applied: under normal operating conditions, the attachment must have a maximum deflection of 10 mm at any point, when a vertical load of 50 N is applied downwards with a 20 mm radius spherical steel indenter.
In WorldSBK class, the marking of a new “virgin” frame part is free, but it must contain the model code registered at the FIM Homologation of the motorcycle. It was decided that the reading procedure of the new marking must be declared by each manufacturer to the FIM Technical Director prior to the season starts.
The SBK Commission is continuously working on the introduction of a new entry class to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2026, marking a significant evolution in the racing landscape. This new class will replace the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship (WorldSSP300), which has successfully served as a feeder class since its inception in 2017. The progress of the work, the choice of the eligible machines and their homologations were discussed.
Wearing an airbag has been mandatory for several years. From 2025, the airbags used will have to be type 1 or 2 (in accordance with the FIM Criteria).
Various other clarifications were also carried out and will be reported on the 2025 Regulations.
The resolutions of this Superbike Commission have been approved by the Permanent Bureau.
Cameron Petersen is leaving the Attack Performance Progressive Racing Yamaha MotoAmerica superbike team, the rider announced on social media.
“Thank you to @yamaharacingusa for giving me the opportunity to be part of their family,” Petersen posted. I had an amazing time on the team for the past 3 years, I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish … Unfortunately, with injuries and some other stuff I was never able to make a real run at the title even though I showed I was capable of doing just that!
“For now I’m excited to see what the future has in store for me. But no matter what I will be ready to roll in 2025!!!”
Petersen took three Superbike victories in 2024, finishing sixth in the Championship standings.
An ASRA Midwest Region grid at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Photo by Phil Sberna.Riders (from left) Jake Jansen (196), Jason Farrell (86), and Hayden Diedrich (15) with trophies at an ASRA Midwest Region event at Blackhawk Farms Raceway. Jansen will accept his Overall Expert #1 plate at the Midwest Region Award Banquet. In his first year road racing, Diedrich turned Expert mid-season, then took third in this ASRA Sportbike race. Photo by Phil Sberna.
Atlantic / Mid-Atlantic Region Banquet
February 1st 2025
Kathedral Event Center
499 S. Egg Harbor rd.
Hammonton, NJ 08037
Fun in the pits during an ASRA Atlantic/Mid-Atlantic region event at Summit Point. Photo by Mark Leinhard.
Black Friday Sale
The wait is almost over! Get ready to kick your 2025 season into high gear with ASRA’s Black Friday Sale on race licenses. PLUS, be the first to see the brand-new 2025 race schedule!
Will there be some surprises? Yes.
Here’s What’s Coming: Black Friday Sale: Discounts on all ASRA race licenses for the 2025 season!
Discounted race credits for sale, you will see…
📅 2025 Race Schedule Release: New locations, epic tracks.
Your race license comes with a 1 year subscription to Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
If you have an existing subscription, it will be extended 1 year.
When:
🗓️ Sale Starts: Thursday, November 28, 2024 at midnight
🗓️ Sale Ends: December 1, 2024 at midnight
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or gearing up for your first race, this is the perfect chance to lock in your license and start planning for the 2025 season!
MotoGP Legend Randy Mamola wheelies a Harley-Davidson Road Glide King of The Baggers racebike at Barcelona during a demo last November. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Simon Crafar (11).
Smooth, easy to ride, and fast.
That was the verdict delivered by 250cc Grand Prix World Champion Marco Melandri, Randy Mamola, (a 13-time 500cc Grand Prix race winner), and Simon Crafar, (also a 500cc Grand Prix race winner), after lapping on Harley-Davidson Road Glide MotoAmerica-spec King of The Baggers machines at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The demo laps were organized by the company as part of an announcement that Harley-Davidson and Dorna would be working together in the future. The collaboration is designed to increase the visibility of Harley and MotoGP around the world.
The trio were joined by MotoAmerica competitors Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli, as well as former MotoGP, World Superbike and British and AMA Superbike racer John Hopkins. After several laps, Melandri, Mamola and Crafar held a news conference to talk about their experience.
“From the outside, it looks like a game,” said Melandri. “But when you are on it, it’s a racebike. And the engine is powerful, like a Honda V5.” (Melandri raced a Honda RC211V in MotoGP, taking the V5 machine to five victories.)
Marco Melandri (33).
Crafar said that in 1989, he had raced in a BEARS series – the name indicates that the eligible bikes are British, European or American in origin – on a racebike with a Harley-Davidson engine in a dedicated racing chassis. He remembers the bike fondly, but loved the power of the King of The Baggers machine, and the sound as well. “The engine is so good, I want one!” he said.
Randy Mamola (2).
Mamola said his bike fit him perfectly, and that his expectations of a hard-to-manage beast proved unfounded. He was pleasantly surprised at the power, the braking and the shifting, as well as the lack of vibration. “Everything was in a perfect zone,” Mamola said.
The only real downside was getting going from a dead stop. The machines are so tall and heavy that even the tall, lanky Crafar had to shift his body off the machine to get one foot down, and that was critical because, as Mamola said, “If it starts falling, you’re not going to catch it!”
The other downside, Melandri said, was that they told him just before he started out exactly how much one of the Bagger racebikes cost, and that meant he was very nervous about crashing. When asked how much the bike cost, Melandri said only, “Too much!”
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY RACING TESTS AT BARCELONA-CATALUNYA AFTER MOTOGP
Kyle Wyman, James Rispoli, and Special Guest Riders Demonstrate the Performance of Race-Prepared Road Glide Motorcycles
MILWAUKEE (November 20, 2024) – Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing put the thundering performance of its race-prepared 2024 Road Glide® motorcycle on display in a test conducted in conjunction with DORNA and MotoGP at Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). MotoGP is one of the most exciting motorsport championships in the world. The race was moved to Barcelona after the disastrous flooding in the Valencia region. Harley-Davidson donated a Road Glide motorcycle to be auctioned off for MotoGP’s relief efforts.
The test was the first European track appearance of the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide motorcycle that is raced in the U.S. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing riders Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli piloted their bikes on Monday following the MotoGP race on the 4.657 km (2.894 mi) 16-turn circuit. Additional guest riders included former MotoGP and World Superbike pilots, Simon Crafar, John Hopkins, Randy Mamola, and Marco Melandri.
“Racing is a core pillar of the Harley-Davidson brand, showcasing our commitment to performance and innovation,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, of Harley-Davidson. “Partnering with DORNA/MotoGP, we aim to expand our racing footprint globally, fueling the passions of our customers and fans. This MotoGP Test is a pivotal step in realizing these ambitions and demonstrating our dedication to racing excellence.”
“We were riding alongside our heroes, and were able to share our body of work with people we respect so much,” said Wyman. “These are special moments, and memories I’ll not soon forget. I want to thank DORNA, Harley-Davidson and all of the staff who worked tirelessly to put on this event in the most challenging circumstances of recent events.”
(Above, From Left) Randy Mamola, James Rispoli, Marco Melandri, Kyle Wyman John Hopkins and Simon Crafar. MotoGP photo.
Rispoli added, “What an amazing day for Harley-Davidson. To be on track at the same weekend as MotoGP was incredible. And to share this project with some legends of the sport was unreal. Their reactions after riding our bikes were priceless.”
While overcast and cool conditions prevented outright lap time attacks, Wyman and Rispoli reached measured top speeds of over 171 MPH (275 KPH) on the fastest sector of the track
(From Left), Americans Kyle Wyman, Randy Mamola, John Hopkins, James Rispoli. MotoGP photo.
.After Wyman and Rispoli warmed up the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glides, Crafar, Hopkins, Mamola, and Melandri each took sessions on the bikes and were impressed with the power and performance of the bagger racing motorcycles.
Simon Crafar: “I was just enjoying it, and trying to figure out how it works. It’s so different. It takes a lot to get your head around it. The engine is just amazing, and I really like the sound. The engine is so good. It’s unreal, and I want one as a street bike.”
John Hopkins: “Man, that was so fun. It was so good. Just getting the feeling of it. I was riding tight. But it handles so good. It’s so wild.”
Randy Mamola: “The torque is amazing, and the smoothness. This is why I’ve loved motorcycles since I was 12 years old. It’s a motorcycle. And it’s a freaking race bike. Everything is so sweet about the bike. Everything is in the right place. It stops really well. The transmission is insane, and it’s smooth. She’s just a big [bike].”
Marco Melandri: “My laps were better and better as we go. Once I tested the lean angle, I feel much better. It’s not so heavy, and not so big when you ride it. And the engine and the torque is amazing.”
The Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide competes in the U.S. in the Mission Foods King Of The Baggers series, which offers exciting road-course competition between American V-Twin touring motorcycles prepared for competition and equipped with a fairing/windscreen and saddlebags. For the 18-race season, Wyman won six races and finished on the podium fourteen times.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide racing motorcycles utilize a stock frame and engine cases. Weight is reduced to approximately 620 pounds (281 KG) through the use of carbon fiber bodywork and lightweight components. The motorcycles are powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight® 131 Performance Crate Engines. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition intake and exhaust and Dunlop race tires.
Harley-Davidson® Factory Racing is partnered with Mission® Foods, Rockford Fosgate®, Brembo®, Öhlins®, Akrapovic®, Protolabs®, SYN3® lubricants, and Screamin’ Eagle® Performance Parts and Accessories.
Alex Marquez (73). Photos by Michael Gougis. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Alex Marquez was quickest in the post-season MotoGP test at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Gresini Racing team got its hands on the Ducati GP24 that Jorge Martin took to the Championship this year, and Marquez quickly adapted. He tested briefly with the GP23 he had raced this season, and quickly understood that the GP24 had a much easier time extracting the maximum performance from this season’s Michelin tires. “This bike was built around these tires,” he said at the end of the day.
Fabio Quartararo (20).
Fabio Quartararo was second after testing a new chassis and new engine. Quartararo says the new chassis turned in better on the brakes, but the bike now needs to drive out of corners better. “The improvements will not happen overnight,” he said, but was pleased by the army of engineers from Japan and Italy in the factory garage. The factory team alone had six bikes to try between Quartararo and Rins, and the Pramac Racing team had two bikes each for Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira.
Francesco Bagnaia (63).
Two-time World Champion Francesco Bagnaia was third and said the new Ducati GP25 was better in fast corners and was stronger in the engine department, but it was lacking in braking compared to the GP24 he raced to second in the Championship with 11 wins in 2024. However, he was pleased, saying that the bike was very good for this stage of its development.
Marc Marquez (93).
Marc Marquez spent very little time on a Ducati GP24 and instead jumped straight into the development process of the factory GP25 he will race next season. He called the handling of the 2025 model different but not better or worse than the 2023 machine, but said the engine was much stronger.
Jorge Martin.
2024 MotoGP World Champion Jorge Martin was not able to talk to the media after the test because he is still contracted to Ducati. Martin took a development Aprilia RS-GP to 11th after a small crash in the middle of the day.
Pedro Acosta (37).
Pedro Acosta said that KTM tried several different aerodynamic devices, looking for a way forward. Note that this configuration does not use the ducts on the lower front fairing that the RC16 has used in the past. Acosta said his final configuration made the bike calmer, because in 2024 it would get “crazy” and shake the handlebars. The only rookie on the grid in 2024, Acosta said he completely understood why all three of the 2025 rookies crashed within a few laps, and said it was normal as they switched from the Pirellis in Moto2 to the Michelins in MotoGP.
Jorge Martin (89) aboard the factory Aprilia RS-GP he will race in 2025. Photos by Michael Gougis.
Three MotoGP rookies got their first taste of the firebreathing literbikes that make up the series’ premier class racebikes, and several riders got their first outings on new machines and in new livery at the first post-2024 MotoGP test in Barcelona.
It was a tough start for the rookies, as all three crashed early in the day as they started to come to grips with racebikes that were heavier, much more complicated and made twice the horsepower of the Moto2 machines they raced in 2024.
At mid-day, the three were lumped together at the bottom of the time sheet, with Fermin Aldeguer just ahead of Somkiat Chantra and Ai Ogura.
Pedro Acosta (37) moved from the satellite GASGAS Tech3 team to the factory Red Bull KTM squad.Fermin Aldeguer (54) on the Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24.Aleix Espargaro (41) started his career as a test rider for Honda.Enea Bastianini (23) moved from the factory Ducati to the Tech3 KTM.Marco Bezzecchi (72) left the Pertamina Enduro VR46 team to take the factory Aprilia ride.Somkiat Chantra (35) replaced Taakaki Nakagami at the LCR Honda team.Maverick Vinales (12) moved from the factory Aprilia to the Tech3 KTM team.Miguel Oliveira (88) moved from Trackhouse Racing’s Aprilia to Pramac Racing’s new Yamaha.Ai Ogura (seated on scooter) was one of the first to crash.Jack Miller (43) got the other Pramac Yamaha ride. The team opted for experienced MotoGP racers for the first year with Yamaha.Marc Marquez (93) rode for the factory Ducati team in red but without sponsor decals on the bike. Contracts are complicated things at the eight-time World Champion level.
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Kakeru Okunuki clinches Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship at The Bend
