APRILIA RACING MOTOGP PROVIDES AMERICAN-BORN ROSSI MOOR AN APRILIA RSV4 FACTORY FOR TRAINING
Aprilia Racing MotoGP, directed by Massimo Rivola, is providing 17-year-old American-Hungarian Rossi Atilla Moor with a training bike to prepare for the 2025 FIM JuniorGP Moto2 racing season.
Aprilia Racing MotoGP has partnered with Team MMR to support the young Hungarian-American with a brand new Aprilia RSV4 Factory prepared by the Aprilia MotoGP racing team based in Noale, Italy. The new Aprilia RSV4 Factory is built for racing; with more than 220 horsepower, it is a monster in its class.
The Aprilia Racing team did not ignore a single detail during the preparation of the bike, starting with the engine, and including Aprilia MotoGP electronics, Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, and SC exhaust, which are all technical partners of Aprilia MotoGP.
Rossi will train with this bike and use it to learn next year’s JuniorGP racetracks. On Sunday, he rode the bike for the first time at the Cartagena circuit.
During Sunday’s practice day, Rossi was also able to take part in a race held at the venue by the organizing club, and won. To his great surprise, many people recognized him and took photos with the talented 17-year-old member of the Révész Racing Next Generation Riders team. Rossi will end the year with a two-day training session scheduled for December 28 at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia.
Rossi Moor on top of the podium after a race held during the practice day. Photo by Revesz Racing NGRT.
Rossi thanks the Aprilia Racing department and Massimo Rivola for providing and preparing the bike; MMR team owner Massimiliano Morlacchi, who supports this project; to Bálint Révész, who continues to support Rossi’s career path aimed at Moto2 and ultimately, with luck, MotoGP.
MMR Racing team owner Massimiliano Morlacchi (left) and Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola pose with the RSV4 practice bike provided to Rossi Moor by Aprilia. Photo by Revesz Racing NGRT.
Rossi Attila Moor:
“I can’t find the words to describe how happy and very proud I am that Aprilia Racing, with the approval of Massimo Rivola and the collaboration of Massimiliano Morlacchi, is giving me the opportunity to prepare as well as possible for next season’s races, in the JuniorGP Moto2 category with Team MMR.
“Now it’s up to me to work hard to be ready to get the best possible results. I would also like to thank my supporter Bálint Révész and my manager Stefano Favaro, who are always helping me chase my dream!”
Lorenzo Savadori renews his commitment to Aprilia Racing, continuing in his role as official tester for the 2025 and 2026 MotoGP seasons. The Italian rider – an integral part of the Aprilia Racing project in MotoGP – will pursue the invaluable job of developing the RS-GP, which will include the entire official and private testing programme, as well as a series of participations as a wild card in the MotoGP Championship, as provided for by the regulations.
The relationship between Aprilia Racing and Lorenzo Savadori began in 2015 with the FIM Superstock 1000 title astride his Aprilia RSV4 RF and it later continued in the World Superbike Championship. In 2020, Savadori took on the role of Aprilia Racing test rider in MotoGP, becoming a key figure in the project and contributing to the RS-GP’s growth. The tests and the wild cards, during which Savadori and the Aprilia Racing Test Team often took innovative solutions onto the track, currently cover a fundamental role in an increasingly more competitive and demanding MotoGP Championship.
Savadori, in addition to his work on the RS-GP for MotoGP, will also continue to develop of all the “track ready” products from the Noale-based Manufacturer in order to make not only the performance, but also the technology of racing bikes available to all enthusiasts.
With this renewal, Aprilia Racing consolidates yet another essential anchor on its team, reconfirming for the next two years the importance of the tie with Lorenzo Savadori for the present and future of the MotoGP project.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“I am extremely happy to continue this adventure and to pursue my work along with Aprilia Racing for the next two seasons. In recent years, we have done an outstanding job, and I am certain that we will continue to improve more and more. Our growth has been consistent, step by step, with a rather clear goal that we always have at the forefront of our minds: contributing to taking the RS-GP to the top of MotoGP. I can’t wait to start the season!”
APRILIA RACING CEO MASSIMO RIVOLA
“We are proud to confirm that Aprilia Racing will continue working with Lorenzo Savadori, one of the pillars of our project which, along with the Test Team, has allowed for the extraordinary development of recent years. Sava also represents continuity for us – a fundamental aspect of working with a highly trusted test rider, especially in such an important year where two new riders will be joining the Factory Team. He will also be a valuable resource at some Grands Prix, where we will continue to see him as a wild card with experimental solutions.”
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing are delighted to announce that experienced MotoGP rider Augusto Fernández will be reinforcing the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team for the 2025 season.
Fernández has two years of experience in MotoGP (2023-2024) and six years in Moto2 (2017-2022), including a Moto2 World Championship title achieved in 2022, making him a well-established name amongst motorsports fans and someone very familiar with the MotoGP paddock.
Starting from the upcoming MotoGP shakedown test (scheduled in Sepang, Malaysia from 31 January – 2 February), Fernández will start his new testing job, riding the YZR-M1.
Throughout 2025, he will take part in Official IRTA Tests and private Yamaha tests as well as various wildcard events with the aim of helping Yamaha’s engineers with their MotoGP bike development programme.
“I’m very happy and super excited to join Yamaha as a test rider for 2025. It’s a huge honour to be part of the Yamaha family, and I want to thank everyone who made it happen.
“In this amazing new project, I will do my best to help Yamaha to be back where they deserve to be.
“Can’t wait to start our journey together!”
— Augusto Fernández, Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider
“I am delighted to confirm that Augusto Fernández is officially joining Yamaha for the 2025 season as a Yamaha Factory MotoGP Test Rider. Bike development is a priority for Yamaha as we challenge to return to winning ways at the earliest opportunity.
We have signed Augusto to be our second Yamaha Test Rider alongside Cal Crutchlow. Cal was unfortunately unable to fulfil all his testing duties in 2024 and it became obvious that we needed to recruit a second rider to assist us with completing all essential activities for 2025.
We believe Augusto will be a good fit for both the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team and the YZR-M1 bike. Augusto is young and is fast, and he can test alongside Cal and learn the special methodology required from a full-time test rider.
Our current performance ranking permits us to take full advantage of the maximum limit for the testing programme. In addition to the tests, we have the idea to participate at up to six wild-card rides, and Augusto will also be the go-to replacement rider in case any one of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team riders or Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders are unable to race at any time in 2025. The many riding opportunities should allow Augusto to maintain his racing speed while he proceeds with the intensive testing obligations.
Augusto has already started to work with us off track and his first real test participation will be at the shakedown test in Sepang at the end of January 2025.
In the meantime, we are following closely Cal’s improving physical condition after his arm issues this year, and we hope he will be able to return as soon as possible to resume his testing duties.”
— Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
We Are The Champions: Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Troy Herfoss
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
It’s a well-known fact that you win championships on your bad days, not your good ones. For Troy Herfoss there were two bad days in his 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship run, and they came in succession in race two at Brainerd International Raceway and in race one at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Herfoss crashed in both, remounted in both, and scored nine points and five points, respectively, in the two races, points that would prove to be valuable at season’s end.
It wasn’t quite rock bottom, but it was vastly different from how his season began with nine consecutive podium finishes (four wins, four seconds and a third) in the first nine races on his S&S/Indian Motorcycle Challenger. He’d started like Superman but was suddenly Clark Kent. Still, the unflappable Aussie didn’t panic. He just went home to Australia’s Gold Coast to get his mojo back.
“I was in terrible physical shape, so I knew that I wasn’t getting the most out of the bike because I had been sick and then a little bit injured,” Herfoss said. “Things weren’t going great for me. At that point, I just kept showing up and putting my best foot forward and riding the wave. You’ve got ups and downs in this sport and what goes up must come down. I knew I wasn’t going to be down forever. I just needed to get through those few rounds as good as I could and ride the wave. That’s what I did. I got home and got healthy, and that showed when I got back to Mid-Ohio.”
With three straight Australian Superbike titles, an AMA Supermoto title and an Australian flat track championship, Herfoss is no stranger to racing success. Did winning the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship have the same feel or was it different?
“They’re all the same in that moment when you cross the line, I guess,” Herfoss said. “That feeling, especially in a championship as close as the one this year, the surprise I guess and the anticipation, buildup and everything. The excitement is always the same. Once you reflect on it all, I guess some mean more than others. It’s all about the hard work you put in. For me, it’s about doing something that, when the odds are against you, it makes it more exciting. That was probably the thing that separated this championship from others – being in there with the odds sort of against me a little bit. Trying to learn a new series and new bike, new tires and tracks and everything. So that made it more exciting.”
Herfoss made his MotoAmerica debut at Daytona International Speedway of all places. He admitted at the time that those first laps around the high banks of one of the most famous racetracks in the world scared him.
Troy Herfoss found Daytona International Speedway to be a bit daunting, but he finished a close second in both races in what was the opening round of the championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
“It was really daunting,” Herfoss said. “It was super scary for me to go around the banking in the first set of practice knowing that I had 20 minutes to learn the track and then go into qualifying. You definitely skip a few levels. When I go to a new track, it’s always nice to have a day of testing and you can work out the runoff areas on the track and where you can push and can’t push safely. To go to Daytona and not have any practice really, just straight into it, I just rode the track for what it was. It wasn’t until after the session when I think I spoke to you on camera briefly and I’m like, ‘Shit, that was dangerous.’ You’re doing such high speeds, and I didn’t pay any thought to anything except going as fast as I could. It makes it exciting, but at my age it’s about keeping the brain active and interested in the sport and going to new tracks. So that one definitely gave me huge motivation and then satisfaction to be competitive.”
Competitive he was and he won his first MotoAmerica race in his first go, taking the first of two Mission Super Hooligan National Championship races on Friday and a fighting fifth on Sunday. And in the big show – the Mission King Of The Baggers races – Herfoss was second in both behind the man he would fight for the championship all season long, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman.
Was it important for Herfoss to start fast to let the competition know he was for real?
“At my age, and at the level I think I can ride a bike at, it was important,” Herfoss said of his fast start. “Not a lot of guys can do that, can go and race in a new championship and win straightaway. So, I knew if I could do that, that would create some interest. It was a special feeling to be able to be competitive right away. It was a lot of fun, to be honest. I always pride myself on being well-prepared and always putting a big effort in. It’s taken me a lot of years to get out of Australia to do a bit of riding internationally and show what I’ve got, but it was really exciting and nerve-racking for me to get through Daytona. There was always that little bit of doubt in your mind of whether you are actually good enough or not. So, I backed myself at the end of 2023 and it all paid off. It was exciting to go to Daytona and almost win in my debut (on the Bagger), but not quite good enough.”
Fast forward to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park. It was another new track for Herfoss to learn, but it didn’t faze him. He had an air of confidence that went against the grain of the challenges he was facing. He was seven points behind Wyman heading into the two races in Jersey.
In race one, Herfoss came out second best in a battle with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s impressive class rookie Rocco Landers (with Wyman third), In race two, Herfoss went out and won the race with Wyman third. And just like that, he was the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion.
Troy Herfoss at speed at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
“I really had no reason not to be confident,” Herfoss said of his mental state heading to the series finale. “Just because I knew by the time we got to the last round that I could adapt to tracks really quickly. I knew there had been a surface change there at the track, so it wasn’t going to be exactly the same for everybody else. The weather did put some doubts in my mind. I definitely was very nervous when I rode out to the start of the first race, having it be my first actual dry laps on the track. But I feel like I just enjoy the big game days. It’s really the main reason I go racing is for that really competitive feeling and that high-pressure moment when something is going to happen. It’s interesting to see how people react in situations, and I sort of have made my career on winning those close battles. I was definitely confident I was going to be able to do it, but the weather did throw a curveball at me. The way it all turned out; I definitely feel like I executed the plan with the confidence I came in with.”
With three Aussie Superbike titles under his belt, it’s obvious that Herfoss is a Superbike racer. Coming here to race the Baggers was a massive challenge, but one that he enjoyed. He also got the chance to throw his leg over Cameron Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR Superbike at Brainerd while Beaubier was recovering from injury. Riding a Superbike in addition to his Bagger commitments was a big ask, especially at a difficult racetrack like Brainerd International Raceway.
“I don’t regret it,” Herfoss said of taking the option to ride the BMW. “I want to ride Superbikes. I love racing Superbikes. I know I’m competitive on a Superbike and I just finished out the year in Australia with a win in the final (Superbike) race of the year. I bit off a lot going to Brainerd, and at the time I didn’t know the track was as quirky as it was, and the grip level was so quirky. It was a lot. You’re walking into one of the, if not the best bikes on the grid, replacing the best rider on the grid. Here’s the bike, here’s the track, and good luck. It was just a lot. I’m 100 percent certain if there had been a Thursday test, or I got to ride the bike at any other track, my results would have been a lot better (he was eighth and seventh in the two races). A few things happened. It was a deal where I thought I was going to be on the bike for two rounds, for sure, possibly three rounds. So, it was just let’s just work into it. The way the weekend started with that crash on the Bagger, I had to be a little bit careful. Then after the weekend obviously Cam (Beaubier) made a comeback, which I was happy to see. I didn’t want him to be off the grid any longer than he had to be, but that meant that I couldn’t get another weekend on the bike. I didn’t get to show anywhere near my potential on a Superbike, but I don’t regret doing it. It was a lot of fun to work with a new team and ride a bike like that. But I didn’t get to put my best foot forward. That’s for sure.”
Although nothing has been finalized, it’s likely that Herfoss will be back in the MotoAmerica paddock in 2025 racing for the same S&S/Indian Motorcycle team with which he won the title. He will be back with his wife, his two little girls, traveling the country with his fifth-wheel trailer.
“I think I’ll fly in and fly out for the races like I did this year and travel with the camper,” Herfoss said. “It’s just easier to do that when testing comes up or when we’ve got to stay a bit longer. It’s a much more affordable way to do it. It was kind of fun to travel around the States a bit. There was a lot going on this year trying to set it all up. Obviously, I’ve got a plan to be in America for a couple of years and hopefully seeing my years out racing in MotoAmerica would be nice. So, it was important to get set up early and really commit to it. I think if you don’t commit to something, you leave too many excuses not to get the result you’re after. I was all-in. Get the camper set up, get the family over here. All-in, all the time.”
When asked if there was a particular race that he was most proud of, Herfoss paused briefly.
“There were a lot of moments that I was really proud of and happy about, but no real win sort of stands out,” he said. “They’re all so fun and intense. I guess the last race of the year, really, is probably my proudest moment just because there were two guys going for a championship. I holeshotted the race and I was able to pass Kyle (Wyman) and make a gap and ride a flawless few laps, no mistakes, on his home track. It was sort of a weird feeling, to be honest, riding around the track with so little time. It just felt like I was so comfortable and so at home doing it. It was a lot of fun.”
As far as the training goes, road racing is not motocross, it’s not Supermoto and It’s not Supercross. But the mental side is difficult, and, in turn, it makes a high level of physical fitness a must.
My question on the subject went like this: I don’t know if you’re the fittest guy in the paddock, but you’ve got to be one of them. Does it bring confidence to you when you’re racing with somebody and you’re in a battle and you can think, “I know I’ve done more than this guy and I know I’m in better shape?” Or is that not important?
Uh, oh. I should have known better.
“It’s important,” Herfoss said, before taking a jab. “It’s funny, you don’t know whether I’m the fittest guy in the paddock. I’d be 99 percent sure I am. That makes a huge difference. Everyone is struggling at the end of the race no matter how hard you’re pushing. Knowing when that guy looks across at me with two laps to go and he’s already hurting and he knows the level of fitness I’m at, not only is my fitness going to get me to the line but my opponent knowing how fit I am is going to help me, as well.
“I’ve always made sure I’m at a high aerobic level. Unlike motocross, we don’t need to be super strong and super fit to go fast on a road bike, but you need to be able to make decisions at 300k an hour and hit the same few feet of tarmac from 200 or 300 meters of braking every lap. When your heart rate is 20 or 30 beats lower, it’s a lot easier to do that. For that reason, you do still need to be in really good physical shape. That’s why, for me a huge aerobic fitness is so important. Probably more so than the strength of riding a Superbike. There’s a lot of really fit guys out there. I think all motorsports are very underrated. I bet if you tested the top 10 Superbike guys in MotoAmerica versus some of the best football players in the country in an all-around fitness test, you’d be surprised how strong and fit a Superbike rider is.”
Winning the Mission King Of The Baggers title brought a lot of attention to Herfoss and to MotoAmerica and its Bagger class. Not just in Australia, but internationally, as well. Herfoss was surprised at the amount of attention people were paying to the series and the class.
“Yeah, it really surprised me,” he said. “It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of it. Internationally I’m sort of, I wouldn’t say a nobody, but I’m a lesser-known international rider. So, to come in and start racing in that championship and get the response I did, it was super refreshing. Even coming back to Australia, I’d say a lot more people recognize me than ever, even in Australia, just because the Baggers is such a cool series. I guess there’s the surprise factor of winning in my first year. I just find the King Of The Baggers fans are really old-school fans and they get right in amongst it there at the track. They’re passionate. The rivalry was like none other to me. The Harley fans, they almost wanted to hate the Indian and the Australian guy, but that was my job to be as good an opponent as I could to make sure they can’t hate me. So, it was sort of a fun dynamic, really. You’re trying to have a rivalry but you’re also there having fun racing bikes. It’s funny. We’re all at the track together and there was a big rivalry, but I can tell that every guy that rides a Bagger, whether it’s an Indian Challenger or the Harley, they all want to hang out really at the end of the day. So, it was a really fun atmosphere. One of the most enjoyable years I’ve had with spectators and fans.”
Herfoss checked another box in 2024 when he competed in the Melbourne Marathon and completed it in under three hours – two hours and 53 minutes. Photo courtesy of Herfoss
In 2021, Herfoss suffered a crash that nearly ended his career. His right humerus (upper arm) was broken, his right hip was smashed, and his right tibia (lower leg) was also fractured. He underwent six hours of surgery and spent the next month in a wheelchair. Herfoss was able to come back from that to win the 2023 Australian Superbike title.
Yeah, but could he run a marathon?
The answer is a resounding yes, and the marathon box was checked shortly after he won the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship. 1.3 million people run a marathon every year, which is just 0.17 percent of the population. Just a tick over four percent of those who do manage to finish the 26.2-mile marathon complete the race in under three hours. Herfoss did it in 2 hours and 53 minutes. That’s a 6:35 average mile time for 26.2 miles, and it placed him 307th out of the nearly 9000 runners who started the race.
“Like a lot of people that have bad injuries, you get sort of the thought that you won’t be able to do a few things that you used to be able to do and one of those things was running,” Herfoss said. “It was going to be maybe hard for me. About 18 months ago, I started doing a few 20- to 30-minute walk/runs to try and see if my body would hold up. One thing led to another, and I was running further and further and faster and faster. I wanted to tick the marathon off the list, and I wanted to do it before my injury, as well. Before my injury, I sort of joked that it would be easy to do a sub-three-hour marathon. But it definitely wasn’t easy. I’m glad I was able to do it in the end. It was a lot of fun.”
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing heads into 2025 ready to battle for the MotoAmerica Superbike crown with three-time champion Jake Gagne and new recruit Bobby Fong
MARIETTA, Ga. – December 16, 2024 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is pleased to announce Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s formidable two-pronged title threat in the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with returning three-time premier class champion Jake Gagne and new recruit Bobby Fong. The championship-winning program looks to add a fifth title aboard the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1s as they head into the sixth season as YMUS’ official Superbike team.
Gagne returns in 2025 back to full fitness and is looking to make a comeback after a tough 2024 season with arm issues. Entering his sixth season with the team, he has enjoyed a lot of success aboard the YZF-R1 during his tenure, including three successive titles in 2021-2023, an impressive tally of 41 race victories, and multiple track records. Gagne currently sits fourth on the all-time AMA Superbike win list and looks to add more to the tally in 2025 in his efforts to reclaim the crown.
After a rough 2024 season, 3-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne is healed up and ready for 2025. Yamaha photo.
Fong joins the team for 2025 and is eager to get the season started with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. In addition to the 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, the talented rider from Stockton, California, has multiple victories across the support class categories, as well as five in Superbike. Last year, he was a contender in the hotly contested title fight and advanced to the championship lead after his double victory at Brainerd International Raceway, ultimately finishing the season third overall with two wins and a total of eight podiums aboard the Aussie Dave Racing/Wrench Motorcycles YZF-R1.
Attack Performance, one of the sport’s leading manufacturers of high-performance components and services for modern sportbikes, has carried on the winning tradition of the Yamaha R1 since the partnership began with YMUS in 2020. As the official Superbike team, the program has enjoyed a resounding success with four titles and 63 victories in the premier class. Progressive Insurance also returns for 2025 to support the championship-winning program. The team would like to thank its partners for their continued support: Progressive, Yamaha Financial Services, Yamalube, Akrapovic, Braking, TrackDaz, Podium Club at Atessa, Suter, OZ, DID, NGK-NTK, Zero Gravity, and Full Spectrum.
The 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike season gets underway at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on April 4-6.
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“Yamaha Racing is excited to get back in the fight for the Superbike Championship with our racing partner Attack Performance. After a tough 2024 season with arm problems, Jake Gagne will be back to fight for his fourth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Team. He will be joined by Bobby Fong, who had a very impressive 2024 Superbike season finishing the season third in points on his ADR / Wrench YZF-R1.
“Not one to rest on his laurels, team owner Richard Stanboli and his crew have been very focused on making performance gains to make sure Jake and Bobby have the best possible chance for success in this highly technical and competitive premier class.”
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We watched Bobby last year on the Yamaha Superbike and he was determined to go to the front every race, and never gave up. We have known him for a long time and I personally worked with him in the past. Bobby is a very positive rider with a lot of potential, and I think he will fit well under our awning.
“We are glad to have Jake return, fully fit and ready to ride. We have been working on some upgrades and will test vigorously to make sure the riders and machines are competitive. We are also working with the WorldSBK team closely to make sure we leave nothing on the table. We look forward to our first event at Barber Motorsport Park.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #32
“I’m really excited to get back racing in 2025! After a rough 2024, I’m lucky to work with such an awesome team. We’re going to work hard and get back in the fight.”
Bobby Fong – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #50
“It’s a dream come true to join the Attack Yamaha team. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this my whole life, to have a factory ride in Superbike, so I’m really looking forward to the season and to do a good job for Yamaha. We’re putting in the work, on and off the bike, and I’m just excited to get going next year with these R1s.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Strack Racing to head YMUS’ MotoAmerica Supersport effort and lead the development of the all-new YZF-R9 with an exciting championship-proven two-rider line-up in 2025
MARIETTA, Ga. – December 16, 2024 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is proud to announce Strack Racing as the Official Yamaha MotoAmerica Supersport Team aboard the all-new YZF-R9 as it makes its debut in the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. The team looks to make another title run in the class with a powerhouse line-up of multi-time Yamaha champions – returning rider and reigning MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Mathew Scholtz and new recruit Blake Davis, the 2024 MotoAmerica Rookie of the Year.
Fresh off of his stellar MotoAmerica Supersport title run, Scholtz is eager to defend his crown in 2025. The South African brings with him a wealth of experience and a championship-proven history with the Yamaha brand. In addition to the 2017 Superstock 1000 Championship, he has multiple Superbike wins aboard the YZF-R1. Last year, Scholtz joined the Strack Racing team to lead their campaign in Supersport aboard the YZF-R6. It was a stellar debut season, with eight wins and a total of 15 podiums en route to securing the crown a race early in New Jersey. Scholtz looks forward to the new bike and aims to keep the number-one plate firmly attached to his all-new YZF-R9 in what promises to be another exciting season of racing.
New to the team for 2025 is the young Davis. The 18-year-old is one of the sport’s top up-and-coming riders and already has an impressive resume. In addition to back-to-back MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championships in 2022 and 2023 aboard the YZF-R7, Davis enjoyed a successful rookie season in Supersport aboard the YZF-R6 last season. He finished the season in style at New Jersey Motorsports Park, scoring his first win in the class and ending the year third in the championship with a total of seven podiums. He was also named the 2024 MotoAmerica Rookie of the Year for his achievements. Davis is excited for this new chapter with the team and the all-new YZF-R9 and sets his sights on adding more victories and titles to his accomplishments.
Under the leadership of Team Owner Peter Strack, Strack Racing has cemented its reputation as a top competitor in the MotoAmerica paddock. Newly rebranded in 2024, the young team enjoyed a successful season with Yamaha and the YZF-R6 and looks to build on that in 2025 as they develop the YZF-R9. The 2025 MotoAmerica season gets underway at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on April 4-6.
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“Yamaha Racing is proud to be supporting Strack Racing to compete for the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport title on the new YZF-R9. This young, talented team took home the 2024 Supersport Championship with Mathew Scholtz riding the YZF-R6 to victory, closing its amazing championship history. Joining Mathew for 2025 is two-time Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis, who was very impressive in his Supersport Rookie season in 2024, already scoring his first win. Team Owner Peter Strack has put together a fantastic crew to support Mathew and Blake in their run for the 2025 Supersport title, and we’re excited for the upcoming season.”
Peter Strack – Strack Racing Team Owner
“Racing is challenging, especially this year, as we assist in developing the R9, but we proved last year that our team is resilient. Mathew’s championship performance and Blake’s fresh talent exemplify the spirit of Strack Racing. With Yamaha’s trust in our team, we’re ready to rise to the occasion and deliver another unforgettable season.”
Mathew Scholtz – Strack Racing #1
“I couldn’t be happier to announce my return with Strack Racing and Yamaha. I’m excited to be able to defend the Supersport title. This upcoming season will be 10 years on board Yamaha machinery for me. From the R1 to the R6, and now the highly awaited debut of the R9, it is an honor for me to be in this position. I know with Strack Racing I have a proven team that is fully invested in myself and the R9. We have shown that we work well together, and I know we will be competing at the front of the field. Thanks to everyone who was behind us this season.”
Blake Davis – Strack Racing #22
“I am very excited to join Strack Racing, and knowing that we can win a championship and be competitive in every race throughout the season! Being on the new R9 is going to be such a great experience. I’m looking forward to the season and can’t wait to go racing!”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Ducati Island will return at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas on March 28-30, 2025, in Austin, TX! Join us for the biggest celebration of motorcycle racing and cheer on our two-time World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia, who will be joined by Marc Márquez during his debut as an official Ducati Lenovo rider.
Park your Ducati trackside alongside Ducati Island’s home on the Front Straight overlooking the grid and start/finish line. Cheer on the team from your grandstand seat, take your Ducati for a lap of the Circuit, and enjoy a light “Taste of Italy” sampling of Italian antipasti served by Ducati senior managers.
The Ducati Island Ticket Package Includes:
3-Day Grandstand Ticket in the Main Grandstand or Turn 1
Exclusive Ducati-Only parking at Ducati Island*
Access to Ducati Caffè Hospitality unit for Italian espresso
“Taste of Italy” small plate appetizer of authentic Italian antipasti (Sunday)
Exclusive Ducati-Only Parade Lap (must ride a Ducati to participate)
We Are The Champions: MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
Hands down, Alessandro Di Mario has the coolest name in the MotoAmerica paddock. Say it to yourself slowly and let it roll off your tongue… Alessandro Di Mario. The kid could be a gondolier, piloting narrow boats up and down the canals of Venice. Fortunately, however, MotoAmerica has him and Italy does not.
At just 15 (he turned 16 on December 9), Di Mario was already a class champion in MotoAmerica and not in the Junior Cup class. Di Mario is the 2024 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, taking the title in his rookie season in the class and just his second season in the MotoAmerica Championship. The title, however, didn’t come easy for the soft-spoken and modest Di Mario as he had to steal the title from his friend Rocco Landers in the final two races of the season at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
So how did this kid get from Italy to Lexington, Kentucky, and from a 10-year-old racing for the first time to a MotoAmerica Champion in just his second season.
Let’s start with the how. Di Mario’s father, Luigi (easily the second-best name in the paddock) got the opportunity with his work to move to America and he jumped at it. Young Alessandro was just 10 when the family picked up and crossed the Atlantic to make their new home in Lexington, Kentucky.
MotoAmerica 2024 Twins Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
It was there that Di Mario was able to get back to riding and racing motorcycles, something he’d started doing at the tender age of four on a pocketbike in Italy’s CIV series. As a 10-year-old, Di Mario started his U.S. racing career with his debut coming in 2019. Yes, 2019.
Di Mario tasted success almost immediately. In 2022, he won the coveted Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award as well as earning the North America Talent Cup Championship, the now defunct series that used spec Aprilia RS250 SP2s.
When he was old enough, in 2023, Di Mario made the jump to MotoAmerica and its Junior Cup class, where he finished eighth in his rookie season with two podiums and a best finish of second at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Although his season wasn’t sensational, it was hard not to notice Di Mario – and not just because of his name. He was polite, well-spoken, down to earth… and fast.
Armed with a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, Di Mario’s 2024 campaign started with a fourth and a third at Daytona. At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Di Mario was third behind Rocco Landers and Rodio Racing teammate Gus Rodio in the dry, but he struggled in the rain of race two, tiptoeing to ninth. It was his worst result of the season.
In race one at Barber Motorsports Park, it rained again. This time Di Mario looked to have the best of the miserable conditions. Right up until the point when he didn’t. Di Mario crashed out of the lead, remounted and finished seventh. The next day he won the first MotoAmerica race of his career. And from there… well, it was nothing but success with four second-place finishes in a row. Unfortunately for Di Mario, Landers won three of those four races, and he led the class rookie in the title chase going into the final round.
The margin? 19 points.
It would have taken a brave soul to bet on Di Mario with a 19-point deficit to Landers. As it turns out, the brave soul would have been a rich brave soul. Di Mario was fast all weekend and he won both races. Landers, who didn’t have to do much to take the title even with Di Mario winning both, surprisingly didn’t do enough. In fact, he sort of snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. As crazy as it sounds, Landers didn’t score a single point in the final two races of the season as he crashed out of both.
Although the points margin was large going into the Texas Showdown, Di Mario took a little from Jim Carrey’s character in the movie Dumb And Dumber “So you’re telling me there’s a chance…”
Alessandro Di Mario (27) leads Rossi Moor (92) and Rocco Landers (97) in the Twins Cup finale at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.New Twins Cup Champion Alessandro De Mario on the podium with Rossi Moor (left) and Dominic Doyle (right) after the final Twins Cup race of 2024, at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
“Honestly, yes, I thought I had a chance,” Di Mario, a high school Junior, said. “I made one mistake (in the title chase) and that’s why I was behind him, so I was like, ‘he hasn’t made a mistake yet.’ I thought he might make a mistake in the last round so I was pretty confident. I just knew I had to win both races and I knew it was going to be hard, but I couldn’t control any of that. I was just going out there to go as fast as possible and try to win both races. What he did was up to him.”
Alessandro Di Mario on the podium with team owner Kevin Rodio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
The best weekend of his life?
“It’s probably up there as one of my best weekends,” Di Mario said. “It’s up there with Barber because I love Barber, and I got my first win there.”
If you’re not sure how young 15 is, think of it this way: 19-year-old Rocco Landers is actually a hero to Di Mario.
“I met Rocco when I was racing WERA and I would go to watch MotoAmerica and I was like, ‘I’m going to be like those kids one day.’ I was watching Rocco, and I was like, ‘this guy is faaassst.’ When I met him, I was like, ‘whoa… Rocco Landers.’ It was like Valentino Rossi.’ ”
And Landers is also a Di Mario fan.
“Even at Barber when I was trying to win and I think he didn’t know if he had the pace, he told me that if he didn’t win it, he would be happy that I did,” Di Mario said. “At the time I was like third or fourth in the championship, so I didn’t matter that much.”
For a 15-year-old, Di Mario has a good grasp of the history of the sport he is now a champion of. At the final Twins Cup round at COTA, Di Mario was spotted with his parents stargazing at 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz. Di Mario was waved over and had his photo taken with the Texan. And he was in heaven.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been watching the races,” Di Mario said. “Since I was like four. I’ve watched everything and since then, on YouTube, I’ve really just watched everything… any type of racing I would watch for hours. Just watching races. People like that… I mean it’s Kevin Schwantz so it’s like an idol.”
Di Mario obviously has a bright future ahead of him and if he has his druthers, he will make the move to the Supersport class in 2025.
“I’d like to go to Supersport next year because the level is really high,” Di Mario said. “If you can battle with those guys… well, the faster the guys you race with, the faster you get.”
Professional racers Brandon Paasch and Gus Rodio, long-time friends who both run #96 in MotoAmerica Superbike and Twins Cup, respectively, have teamed up to hold 96 Academy Supermoto Camps in Florida. Paasch, who has won the Daytona 200 twice and also won the 2024 AMA Supermoto Championship when not racing with MotoAmerica, and Rodio are partners and instruct at the camps, which Paasch calls “the Supermoto experience.”
Rental bikes are available at 96 Academy events. 96 Academy photo.
The camps will be held at Bushnell Motorsports Park in Bushnell, Florida with two rental bikes available per school and a maximum of four students per school.
The 2025 dates are:
January 11-12
January 25-26
February 8-9
February 15-16
March 22-23
To get more information or make a reservation, [email protected] or @96academy on Instagram.
Brandon Paasch (96) sliding a Supermoto Suzuki during a 96 Academy camp. 96 Academy photo.
At the end of the 2024 season, things were starting to click for American Mallory Dobbs. Six straight top-10 finishes in the inaugural World Women’s Circuit Racing series gave her the confidence that she needed after a tough start to the season. Dobbs, a former club racer and MotoAmerica Supersport competitor, said the 12 races over six rounds in Europe were a learning experience, a challenge, and something she can’t wait to do again.
Mallory Dobbs in the World Women’s Circuit Racing paddock at Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis.
“It’s been really cool, for me, to get a chance to race in Europe that I would never have gotten otherwise,” Dobbs said in the paddock at the season-ending round in Jerez.
Crashes and disappointing finishes marked the early part of the season. Dobbs retired from four of the first eight races, and most of her finishes were 15th or lower.
“It’s been a tough season. We’ve been taken out a couple of times. I’ve had a couple of small crashes on my own. It’s been a really big learning experience – the bike type, all these racetracks I’ve never been to before, new countries, new languages, new team, all of that. All the new things thrown at me all at one time. So it’s been a challenge. The results aren’t as good as I wanted them to be,” Dobbs says.
“But at the end of the season, we’ve been ramping up, getting better results, clicking off some top-10s, just kind of working our way up. That definitely brings up the confidence a bit for next year.”
Dobbs was thrown into the deep end. Not only was she learning to race the spec Yamaha YZF-R7 that the series uses, she was visiting tracks that she’d never turned a wheel on. And her competition was quick. She was up against racers like Supersport300 World Champion and WWCR World Champion (and former Moto3 and Moto2 racer) Ana Carrasco and Moto3, Supersport 300 and MotoE competitor Maria Herrera. And teams like Forward Racing, which has been in the MotoGP paddock for years, and Evan Brothers Racing, former Supersport World Champions.
Mallory Dobbs (14) leads Jessica Howden (52) in Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Dobbs was chasing pace from the start and building consistency into it, as grid position turned out to be critical.
“I was learning a racetrack, not really getting a lot of ride time. We get 25 minutes of practice before we go out to qualify. And you’ve gotta do good in qualifying, because if you don’t, you’re in mid-pack, and there’s a lot of different ranges of experience, and that’s where you get taken out. Getting out in the front (in qualifying) is almost the more important race of the weekend, right? Getting the Superpole session well.
“When you’re learning a racetrack that you’ve never been to before, it’s hard to do that, especially when some of these girls have been riding all winter. Some of these girls and their teams have been testing since October.”
After four round-trip flights across the Atlantic and six straight weeks in Europe, Dobbs was ready to head back home to Washington state. And she said she was applying to race in the series next season.
“The best thing about this series is that it is giving an opportunity for women across the world to showcase their skills. Obviously, a lot of the Spanish girls have a lot of pace and are really talented. But we’re also seeing girls race from other countries, and without this, you would never see or hear about them otherwise.
“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my racing career, and it’s definitely been the hardest, but I’ve learned so much about me as a racer, and as a team manager and rider – it’s been good.”
American Rossi Moor poses with his race-prepped Aprilia RSV4 practice bike. He'll use it to learn the tracks the FIM JuniorGP Moto2 series will run on in 2025. Photo by Revesz Racing NGRT
APRILIA RACING MOTOGP PROVIDES AMERICAN-BORN ROSSI MOOR AN APRILIA RSV4 FACTORY FOR TRAINING
Aprilia Racing MotoGP, directed by Massimo Rivola, is providing 17-year-old American-Hungarian Rossi Atilla Moor with a training bike to prepare for the 2025 FIM JuniorGP Moto2 racing season.
Aprilia Racing MotoGP has partnered with Team MMR to support the young Hungarian-American with a brand new Aprilia RSV4 Factory prepared by the Aprilia MotoGP racing team based in Noale, Italy. The new Aprilia RSV4 Factory is built for racing; with more than 220 horsepower, it is a monster in its class.
The Aprilia Racing team did not ignore a single detail during the preparation of the bike, starting with the engine, and including Aprilia MotoGP electronics, Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, and SC exhaust, which are all technical partners of Aprilia MotoGP.
Rossi will train with this bike and use it to learn next year’s JuniorGP racetracks. On Sunday, he rode the bike for the first time at the Cartagena circuit.
During Sunday’s practice day, Rossi was also able to take part in a race held at the venue by the organizing club, and won. To his great surprise, many people recognized him and took photos with the talented 17-year-old member of the Révész Racing Next Generation Riders team. Rossi will end the year with a two-day training session scheduled for December 28 at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia.
Rossi Moor on top of the podium after a race held during the practice day. Photo by Revesz Racing NGRT.
Rossi thanks the Aprilia Racing department and Massimo Rivola for providing and preparing the bike; MMR team owner Massimiliano Morlacchi, who supports this project; to Bálint Révész, who continues to support Rossi’s career path aimed at Moto2 and ultimately, with luck, MotoGP.
MMR Racing team owner Massimiliano Morlacchi (left) and Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola pose with the RSV4 practice bike provided to Rossi Moor by Aprilia. Photo by Revesz Racing NGRT.
Rossi Attila Moor:
“I can’t find the words to describe how happy and very proud I am that Aprilia Racing, with the approval of Massimo Rivola and the collaboration of Massimiliano Morlacchi, is giving me the opportunity to prepare as well as possible for next season’s races, in the JuniorGP Moto2 category with Team MMR.
“Now it’s up to me to work hard to be ready to get the best possible results. I would also like to thank my supporter Bálint Révész and my manager Stefano Favaro, who are always helping me chase my dream!”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy Aprilia Racing.
Lorenzo Savadori renews his commitment to Aprilia Racing, continuing in his role as official tester for the 2025 and 2026 MotoGP seasons. The Italian rider – an integral part of the Aprilia Racing project in MotoGP – will pursue the invaluable job of developing the RS-GP, which will include the entire official and private testing programme, as well as a series of participations as a wild card in the MotoGP Championship, as provided for by the regulations.
The relationship between Aprilia Racing and Lorenzo Savadori began in 2015 with the FIM Superstock 1000 title astride his Aprilia RSV4 RF and it later continued in the World Superbike Championship. In 2020, Savadori took on the role of Aprilia Racing test rider in MotoGP, becoming a key figure in the project and contributing to the RS-GP’s growth. The tests and the wild cards, during which Savadori and the Aprilia Racing Test Team often took innovative solutions onto the track, currently cover a fundamental role in an increasingly more competitive and demanding MotoGP Championship.
Savadori, in addition to his work on the RS-GP for MotoGP, will also continue to develop of all the “track ready” products from the Noale-based Manufacturer in order to make not only the performance, but also the technology of racing bikes available to all enthusiasts.
With this renewal, Aprilia Racing consolidates yet another essential anchor on its team, reconfirming for the next two years the importance of the tie with Lorenzo Savadori for the present and future of the MotoGP project.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“I am extremely happy to continue this adventure and to pursue my work along with Aprilia Racing for the next two seasons. In recent years, we have done an outstanding job, and I am certain that we will continue to improve more and more. Our growth has been consistent, step by step, with a rather clear goal that we always have at the forefront of our minds: contributing to taking the RS-GP to the top of MotoGP. I can’t wait to start the season!”
APRILIA RACING CEO MASSIMO RIVOLA
“We are proud to confirm that Aprilia Racing will continue working with Lorenzo Savadori, one of the pillars of our project which, along with the Test Team, has allowed for the extraordinary development of recent years. Sava also represents continuity for us – a fundamental aspect of working with a highly trusted test rider, especially in such an important year where two new riders will be joining the Factory Team. He will also be a valuable resource at some Grands Prix, where we will continue to see him as a wild card with experimental solutions.”
Augusto Fernandez, second from right, joins the Yamaha MotoGP effort as test rider. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing are delighted to announce that experienced MotoGP rider Augusto Fernández will be reinforcing the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team for the 2025 season.
Fernández has two years of experience in MotoGP (2023-2024) and six years in Moto2 (2017-2022), including a Moto2 World Championship title achieved in 2022, making him a well-established name amongst motorsports fans and someone very familiar with the MotoGP paddock.
Starting from the upcoming MotoGP shakedown test (scheduled in Sepang, Malaysia from 31 January – 2 February), Fernández will start his new testing job, riding the YZR-M1.
Throughout 2025, he will take part in Official IRTA Tests and private Yamaha tests as well as various wildcard events with the aim of helping Yamaha’s engineers with their MotoGP bike development programme.
“I’m very happy and super excited to join Yamaha as a test rider for 2025. It’s a huge honour to be part of the Yamaha family, and I want to thank everyone who made it happen.
“In this amazing new project, I will do my best to help Yamaha to be back where they deserve to be.
“Can’t wait to start our journey together!”
— Augusto Fernández, Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Rider
“I am delighted to confirm that Augusto Fernández is officially joining Yamaha for the 2025 season as a Yamaha Factory MotoGP Test Rider. Bike development is a priority for Yamaha as we challenge to return to winning ways at the earliest opportunity.
We have signed Augusto to be our second Yamaha Test Rider alongside Cal Crutchlow. Cal was unfortunately unable to fulfil all his testing duties in 2024 and it became obvious that we needed to recruit a second rider to assist us with completing all essential activities for 2025.
We believe Augusto will be a good fit for both the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team and the YZR-M1 bike. Augusto is young and is fast, and he can test alongside Cal and learn the special methodology required from a full-time test rider.
Our current performance ranking permits us to take full advantage of the maximum limit for the testing programme. In addition to the tests, we have the idea to participate at up to six wild-card rides, and Augusto will also be the go-to replacement rider in case any one of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team riders or Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders are unable to race at any time in 2025. The many riding opportunities should allow Augusto to maintain his racing speed while he proceeds with the intensive testing obligations.
Augusto has already started to work with us off track and his first real test participation will be at the shakedown test in Sepang at the end of January 2025.
In the meantime, we are following closely Cal’s improving physical condition after his arm issues this year, and we hope he will be able to return as soon as possible to resume his testing duties.”
— Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
He came, he saw, he conquered: Troy Herfoss won the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship in his rookie season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
We Are The Champions: Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Troy Herfoss
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
It’s a well-known fact that you win championships on your bad days, not your good ones. For Troy Herfoss there were two bad days in his 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship run, and they came in succession in race two at Brainerd International Raceway and in race one at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Herfoss crashed in both, remounted in both, and scored nine points and five points, respectively, in the two races, points that would prove to be valuable at season’s end.
It wasn’t quite rock bottom, but it was vastly different from how his season began with nine consecutive podium finishes (four wins, four seconds and a third) in the first nine races on his S&S/Indian Motorcycle Challenger. He’d started like Superman but was suddenly Clark Kent. Still, the unflappable Aussie didn’t panic. He just went home to Australia’s Gold Coast to get his mojo back.
“I was in terrible physical shape, so I knew that I wasn’t getting the most out of the bike because I had been sick and then a little bit injured,” Herfoss said. “Things weren’t going great for me. At that point, I just kept showing up and putting my best foot forward and riding the wave. You’ve got ups and downs in this sport and what goes up must come down. I knew I wasn’t going to be down forever. I just needed to get through those few rounds as good as I could and ride the wave. That’s what I did. I got home and got healthy, and that showed when I got back to Mid-Ohio.”
With three straight Australian Superbike titles, an AMA Supermoto title and an Australian flat track championship, Herfoss is no stranger to racing success. Did winning the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship have the same feel or was it different?
“They’re all the same in that moment when you cross the line, I guess,” Herfoss said. “That feeling, especially in a championship as close as the one this year, the surprise I guess and the anticipation, buildup and everything. The excitement is always the same. Once you reflect on it all, I guess some mean more than others. It’s all about the hard work you put in. For me, it’s about doing something that, when the odds are against you, it makes it more exciting. That was probably the thing that separated this championship from others – being in there with the odds sort of against me a little bit. Trying to learn a new series and new bike, new tires and tracks and everything. So that made it more exciting.”
Herfoss made his MotoAmerica debut at Daytona International Speedway of all places. He admitted at the time that those first laps around the high banks of one of the most famous racetracks in the world scared him.
Troy Herfoss found Daytona International Speedway to be a bit daunting, but he finished a close second in both races in what was the opening round of the championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
“It was really daunting,” Herfoss said. “It was super scary for me to go around the banking in the first set of practice knowing that I had 20 minutes to learn the track and then go into qualifying. You definitely skip a few levels. When I go to a new track, it’s always nice to have a day of testing and you can work out the runoff areas on the track and where you can push and can’t push safely. To go to Daytona and not have any practice really, just straight into it, I just rode the track for what it was. It wasn’t until after the session when I think I spoke to you on camera briefly and I’m like, ‘Shit, that was dangerous.’ You’re doing such high speeds, and I didn’t pay any thought to anything except going as fast as I could. It makes it exciting, but at my age it’s about keeping the brain active and interested in the sport and going to new tracks. So that one definitely gave me huge motivation and then satisfaction to be competitive.”
Competitive he was and he won his first MotoAmerica race in his first go, taking the first of two Mission Super Hooligan National Championship races on Friday and a fighting fifth on Sunday. And in the big show – the Mission King Of The Baggers races – Herfoss was second in both behind the man he would fight for the championship all season long, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman.
Was it important for Herfoss to start fast to let the competition know he was for real?
“At my age, and at the level I think I can ride a bike at, it was important,” Herfoss said of his fast start. “Not a lot of guys can do that, can go and race in a new championship and win straightaway. So, I knew if I could do that, that would create some interest. It was a special feeling to be able to be competitive right away. It was a lot of fun, to be honest. I always pride myself on being well-prepared and always putting a big effort in. It’s taken me a lot of years to get out of Australia to do a bit of riding internationally and show what I’ve got, but it was really exciting and nerve-racking for me to get through Daytona. There was always that little bit of doubt in your mind of whether you are actually good enough or not. So, I backed myself at the end of 2023 and it all paid off. It was exciting to go to Daytona and almost win in my debut (on the Bagger), but not quite good enough.”
Fast forward to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park. It was another new track for Herfoss to learn, but it didn’t faze him. He had an air of confidence that went against the grain of the challenges he was facing. He was seven points behind Wyman heading into the two races in Jersey.
In race one, Herfoss came out second best in a battle with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s impressive class rookie Rocco Landers (with Wyman third), In race two, Herfoss went out and won the race with Wyman third. And just like that, he was the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Champion.
Troy Herfoss at speed at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
“I really had no reason not to be confident,” Herfoss said of his mental state heading to the series finale. “Just because I knew by the time we got to the last round that I could adapt to tracks really quickly. I knew there had been a surface change there at the track, so it wasn’t going to be exactly the same for everybody else. The weather did put some doubts in my mind. I definitely was very nervous when I rode out to the start of the first race, having it be my first actual dry laps on the track. But I feel like I just enjoy the big game days. It’s really the main reason I go racing is for that really competitive feeling and that high-pressure moment when something is going to happen. It’s interesting to see how people react in situations, and I sort of have made my career on winning those close battles. I was definitely confident I was going to be able to do it, but the weather did throw a curveball at me. The way it all turned out; I definitely feel like I executed the plan with the confidence I came in with.”
With three Aussie Superbike titles under his belt, it’s obvious that Herfoss is a Superbike racer. Coming here to race the Baggers was a massive challenge, but one that he enjoyed. He also got the chance to throw his leg over Cameron Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR Superbike at Brainerd while Beaubier was recovering from injury. Riding a Superbike in addition to his Bagger commitments was a big ask, especially at a difficult racetrack like Brainerd International Raceway.
“I don’t regret it,” Herfoss said of taking the option to ride the BMW. “I want to ride Superbikes. I love racing Superbikes. I know I’m competitive on a Superbike and I just finished out the year in Australia with a win in the final (Superbike) race of the year. I bit off a lot going to Brainerd, and at the time I didn’t know the track was as quirky as it was, and the grip level was so quirky. It was a lot. You’re walking into one of the, if not the best bikes on the grid, replacing the best rider on the grid. Here’s the bike, here’s the track, and good luck. It was just a lot. I’m 100 percent certain if there had been a Thursday test, or I got to ride the bike at any other track, my results would have been a lot better (he was eighth and seventh in the two races). A few things happened. It was a deal where I thought I was going to be on the bike for two rounds, for sure, possibly three rounds. So, it was just let’s just work into it. The way the weekend started with that crash on the Bagger, I had to be a little bit careful. Then after the weekend obviously Cam (Beaubier) made a comeback, which I was happy to see. I didn’t want him to be off the grid any longer than he had to be, but that meant that I couldn’t get another weekend on the bike. I didn’t get to show anywhere near my potential on a Superbike, but I don’t regret doing it. It was a lot of fun to work with a new team and ride a bike like that. But I didn’t get to put my best foot forward. That’s for sure.”
Although nothing has been finalized, it’s likely that Herfoss will be back in the MotoAmerica paddock in 2025 racing for the same S&S/Indian Motorcycle team with which he won the title. He will be back with his wife, his two little girls, traveling the country with his fifth-wheel trailer.
“I think I’ll fly in and fly out for the races like I did this year and travel with the camper,” Herfoss said. “It’s just easier to do that when testing comes up or when we’ve got to stay a bit longer. It’s a much more affordable way to do it. It was kind of fun to travel around the States a bit. There was a lot going on this year trying to set it all up. Obviously, I’ve got a plan to be in America for a couple of years and hopefully seeing my years out racing in MotoAmerica would be nice. So, it was important to get set up early and really commit to it. I think if you don’t commit to something, you leave too many excuses not to get the result you’re after. I was all-in. Get the camper set up, get the family over here. All-in, all the time.”
When asked if there was a particular race that he was most proud of, Herfoss paused briefly.
“There were a lot of moments that I was really proud of and happy about, but no real win sort of stands out,” he said. “They’re all so fun and intense. I guess the last race of the year, really, is probably my proudest moment just because there were two guys going for a championship. I holeshotted the race and I was able to pass Kyle (Wyman) and make a gap and ride a flawless few laps, no mistakes, on his home track. It was sort of a weird feeling, to be honest, riding around the track with so little time. It just felt like I was so comfortable and so at home doing it. It was a lot of fun.”
As far as the training goes, road racing is not motocross, it’s not Supermoto and It’s not Supercross. But the mental side is difficult, and, in turn, it makes a high level of physical fitness a must.
My question on the subject went like this: I don’t know if you’re the fittest guy in the paddock, but you’ve got to be one of them. Does it bring confidence to you when you’re racing with somebody and you’re in a battle and you can think, “I know I’ve done more than this guy and I know I’m in better shape?” Or is that not important?
Uh, oh. I should have known better.
“It’s important,” Herfoss said, before taking a jab. “It’s funny, you don’t know whether I’m the fittest guy in the paddock. I’d be 99 percent sure I am. That makes a huge difference. Everyone is struggling at the end of the race no matter how hard you’re pushing. Knowing when that guy looks across at me with two laps to go and he’s already hurting and he knows the level of fitness I’m at, not only is my fitness going to get me to the line but my opponent knowing how fit I am is going to help me, as well.
“I’ve always made sure I’m at a high aerobic level. Unlike motocross, we don’t need to be super strong and super fit to go fast on a road bike, but you need to be able to make decisions at 300k an hour and hit the same few feet of tarmac from 200 or 300 meters of braking every lap. When your heart rate is 20 or 30 beats lower, it’s a lot easier to do that. For that reason, you do still need to be in really good physical shape. That’s why, for me a huge aerobic fitness is so important. Probably more so than the strength of riding a Superbike. There’s a lot of really fit guys out there. I think all motorsports are very underrated. I bet if you tested the top 10 Superbike guys in MotoAmerica versus some of the best football players in the country in an all-around fitness test, you’d be surprised how strong and fit a Superbike rider is.”
Winning the Mission King Of The Baggers title brought a lot of attention to Herfoss and to MotoAmerica and its Bagger class. Not just in Australia, but internationally, as well. Herfoss was surprised at the amount of attention people were paying to the series and the class.
“Yeah, it really surprised me,” he said. “It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of it. Internationally I’m sort of, I wouldn’t say a nobody, but I’m a lesser-known international rider. So, to come in and start racing in that championship and get the response I did, it was super refreshing. Even coming back to Australia, I’d say a lot more people recognize me than ever, even in Australia, just because the Baggers is such a cool series. I guess there’s the surprise factor of winning in my first year. I just find the King Of The Baggers fans are really old-school fans and they get right in amongst it there at the track. They’re passionate. The rivalry was like none other to me. The Harley fans, they almost wanted to hate the Indian and the Australian guy, but that was my job to be as good an opponent as I could to make sure they can’t hate me. So, it was sort of a fun dynamic, really. You’re trying to have a rivalry but you’re also there having fun racing bikes. It’s funny. We’re all at the track together and there was a big rivalry, but I can tell that every guy that rides a Bagger, whether it’s an Indian Challenger or the Harley, they all want to hang out really at the end of the day. So, it was a really fun atmosphere. One of the most enjoyable years I’ve had with spectators and fans.”
Herfoss checked another box in 2024 when he competed in the Melbourne Marathon and completed it in under three hours – two hours and 53 minutes. Photo courtesy of Herfoss
In 2021, Herfoss suffered a crash that nearly ended his career. His right humerus (upper arm) was broken, his right hip was smashed, and his right tibia (lower leg) was also fractured. He underwent six hours of surgery and spent the next month in a wheelchair. Herfoss was able to come back from that to win the 2023 Australian Superbike title.
Yeah, but could he run a marathon?
The answer is a resounding yes, and the marathon box was checked shortly after he won the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship. 1.3 million people run a marathon every year, which is just 0.17 percent of the population. Just a tick over four percent of those who do manage to finish the 26.2-mile marathon complete the race in under three hours. Herfoss did it in 2 hours and 53 minutes. That’s a 6:35 average mile time for 26.2 miles, and it placed him 307th out of the nearly 9000 runners who started the race.
“Like a lot of people that have bad injuries, you get sort of the thought that you won’t be able to do a few things that you used to be able to do and one of those things was running,” Herfoss said. “It was going to be maybe hard for me. About 18 months ago, I started doing a few 20- to 30-minute walk/runs to try and see if my body would hold up. One thing led to another, and I was running further and further and faster and faster. I wanted to tick the marathon off the list, and I wanted to do it before my injury, as well. Before my injury, I sort of joked that it would be easy to do a sub-three-hour marathon. But it definitely wasn’t easy. I’m glad I was able to do it in the end. It was a lot of fun.”
Bobby Fong has signed to ride an Attack Yamaha Superbike. Yamaha photo.
Yamaha Announces 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Team
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing heads into 2025 ready to battle for the MotoAmerica Superbike crown with three-time champion Jake Gagne and new recruit Bobby Fong
MARIETTA, Ga. – December 16, 2024 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is pleased to announce Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s formidable two-pronged title threat in the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship with returning three-time premier class champion Jake Gagne and new recruit Bobby Fong. The championship-winning program looks to add a fifth title aboard the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1s as they head into the sixth season as YMUS’ official Superbike team.
Gagne returns in 2025 back to full fitness and is looking to make a comeback after a tough 2024 season with arm issues. Entering his sixth season with the team, he has enjoyed a lot of success aboard the YZF-R1 during his tenure, including three successive titles in 2021-2023, an impressive tally of 41 race victories, and multiple track records. Gagne currently sits fourth on the all-time AMA Superbike win list and looks to add more to the tally in 2025 in his efforts to reclaim the crown.
After a rough 2024 season, 3-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne is healed up and ready for 2025. Yamaha photo.
Fong joins the team for 2025 and is eager to get the season started with Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing. In addition to the 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, the talented rider from Stockton, California, has multiple victories across the support class categories, as well as five in Superbike. Last year, he was a contender in the hotly contested title fight and advanced to the championship lead after his double victory at Brainerd International Raceway, ultimately finishing the season third overall with two wins and a total of eight podiums aboard the Aussie Dave Racing/Wrench Motorcycles YZF-R1.
Attack Performance, one of the sport’s leading manufacturers of high-performance components and services for modern sportbikes, has carried on the winning tradition of the Yamaha R1 since the partnership began with YMUS in 2020. As the official Superbike team, the program has enjoyed a resounding success with four titles and 63 victories in the premier class. Progressive Insurance also returns for 2025 to support the championship-winning program. The team would like to thank its partners for their continued support: Progressive, Yamaha Financial Services, Yamalube, Akrapovic, Braking, TrackDaz, Podium Club at Atessa, Suter, OZ, DID, NGK-NTK, Zero Gravity, and Full Spectrum.
The 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike season gets underway at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on April 4-6.
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“Yamaha Racing is excited to get back in the fight for the Superbike Championship with our racing partner Attack Performance. After a tough 2024 season with arm problems, Jake Gagne will be back to fight for his fourth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on the Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Team. He will be joined by Bobby Fong, who had a very impressive 2024 Superbike season finishing the season third in points on his ADR / Wrench YZF-R1.
“Not one to rest on his laurels, team owner Richard Stanboli and his crew have been very focused on making performance gains to make sure Jake and Bobby have the best possible chance for success in this highly technical and competitive premier class.”
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“We watched Bobby last year on the Yamaha Superbike and he was determined to go to the front every race, and never gave up. We have known him for a long time and I personally worked with him in the past. Bobby is a very positive rider with a lot of potential, and I think he will fit well under our awning.
“We are glad to have Jake return, fully fit and ready to ride. We have been working on some upgrades and will test vigorously to make sure the riders and machines are competitive. We are also working with the WorldSBK team closely to make sure we leave nothing on the table. We look forward to our first event at Barber Motorsport Park.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #32
“I’m really excited to get back racing in 2025! After a rough 2024, I’m lucky to work with such an awesome team. We’re going to work hard and get back in the fight.”
Bobby Fong – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #50
“It’s a dream come true to join the Attack Yamaha team. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this my whole life, to have a factory ride in Superbike, so I’m really looking forward to the season and to do a good job for Yamaha. We’re putting in the work, on and off the bike, and I’m just excited to get going next year with these R1s.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Strack Racing: From left, Mathew Scholtz (1), team owner Peter Strack, Blake Davis (22). Yamaha photo by Andrea Wilson.
Yamaha Announces 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Team
Strack Racing to head YMUS’ MotoAmerica Supersport effort and lead the development of the all-new YZF-R9 with an exciting championship-proven two-rider line-up in 2025
MARIETTA, Ga. – December 16, 2024 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is proud to announce Strack Racing as the Official Yamaha MotoAmerica Supersport Team aboard the all-new YZF-R9 as it makes its debut in the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship. The team looks to make another title run in the class with a powerhouse line-up of multi-time Yamaha champions – returning rider and reigning MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Mathew Scholtz and new recruit Blake Davis, the 2024 MotoAmerica Rookie of the Year.
Fresh off of his stellar MotoAmerica Supersport title run, Scholtz is eager to defend his crown in 2025. The South African brings with him a wealth of experience and a championship-proven history with the Yamaha brand. In addition to the 2017 Superstock 1000 Championship, he has multiple Superbike wins aboard the YZF-R1. Last year, Scholtz joined the Strack Racing team to lead their campaign in Supersport aboard the YZF-R6. It was a stellar debut season, with eight wins and a total of 15 podiums en route to securing the crown a race early in New Jersey. Scholtz looks forward to the new bike and aims to keep the number-one plate firmly attached to his all-new YZF-R9 in what promises to be another exciting season of racing.
New to the team for 2025 is the young Davis. The 18-year-old is one of the sport’s top up-and-coming riders and already has an impressive resume. In addition to back-to-back MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championships in 2022 and 2023 aboard the YZF-R7, Davis enjoyed a successful rookie season in Supersport aboard the YZF-R6 last season. He finished the season in style at New Jersey Motorsports Park, scoring his first win in the class and ending the year third in the championship with a total of seven podiums. He was also named the 2024 MotoAmerica Rookie of the Year for his achievements. Davis is excited for this new chapter with the team and the all-new YZF-R9 and sets his sights on adding more victories and titles to his accomplishments.
Under the leadership of Team Owner Peter Strack, Strack Racing has cemented its reputation as a top competitor in the MotoAmerica paddock. Newly rebranded in 2024, the young team enjoyed a successful season with Yamaha and the YZF-R6 and looks to build on that in 2025 as they develop the YZF-R9. The 2025 MotoAmerica season gets underway at the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama, on April 4-6.
Tom Halverson – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“Yamaha Racing is proud to be supporting Strack Racing to compete for the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport title on the new YZF-R9. This young, talented team took home the 2024 Supersport Championship with Mathew Scholtz riding the YZF-R6 to victory, closing its amazing championship history. Joining Mathew for 2025 is two-time Twins Cup Champion Blake Davis, who was very impressive in his Supersport Rookie season in 2024, already scoring his first win. Team Owner Peter Strack has put together a fantastic crew to support Mathew and Blake in their run for the 2025 Supersport title, and we’re excited for the upcoming season.”
Peter Strack – Strack Racing Team Owner
“Racing is challenging, especially this year, as we assist in developing the R9, but we proved last year that our team is resilient. Mathew’s championship performance and Blake’s fresh talent exemplify the spirit of Strack Racing. With Yamaha’s trust in our team, we’re ready to rise to the occasion and deliver another unforgettable season.”
Mathew Scholtz – Strack Racing #1
“I couldn’t be happier to announce my return with Strack Racing and Yamaha. I’m excited to be able to defend the Supersport title. This upcoming season will be 10 years on board Yamaha machinery for me. From the R1 to the R6, and now the highly awaited debut of the R9, it is an honor for me to be in this position. I know with Strack Racing I have a proven team that is fully invested in myself and the R9. We have shown that we work well together, and I know we will be competing at the front of the field. Thanks to everyone who was behind us this season.”
Blake Davis – Strack Racing #22
“I am very excited to join Strack Racing, and knowing that we can win a championship and be competitive in every race throughout the season! Being on the new R9 is going to be such a great experience. I’m looking forward to the season and can’t wait to go racing!”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Ducati riders on the front straight at Circuit of The Americas. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Ducati Island will return at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas on March 28-30, 2025, in Austin, TX! Join us for the biggest celebration of motorcycle racing and cheer on our two-time World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia, who will be joined by Marc Márquez during his debut as an official Ducati Lenovo rider.
Park your Ducati trackside alongside Ducati Island’s home on the Front Straight overlooking the grid and start/finish line. Cheer on the team from your grandstand seat, take your Ducati for a lap of the Circuit, and enjoy a light “Taste of Italy” sampling of Italian antipasti served by Ducati senior managers.
The Ducati Island Ticket Package Includes:
3-Day Grandstand Ticket in the Main Grandstand or Turn 1
Exclusive Ducati-Only parking at Ducati Island*
Access to Ducati Caffè Hospitality unit for Italian espresso
“Taste of Italy” small plate appetizer of authentic Italian antipasti (Sunday)
Exclusive Ducati-Only Parade Lap (must ride a Ducati to participate)
MotoAmerica 2024 Twins Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario. photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
We Are The Champions: MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
Hands down, Alessandro Di Mario has the coolest name in the MotoAmerica paddock. Say it to yourself slowly and let it roll off your tongue… Alessandro Di Mario. The kid could be a gondolier, piloting narrow boats up and down the canals of Venice. Fortunately, however, MotoAmerica has him and Italy does not.
At just 15 (he turned 16 on December 9), Di Mario was already a class champion in MotoAmerica and not in the Junior Cup class. Di Mario is the 2024 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, taking the title in his rookie season in the class and just his second season in the MotoAmerica Championship. The title, however, didn’t come easy for the soft-spoken and modest Di Mario as he had to steal the title from his friend Rocco Landers in the final two races of the season at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
So how did this kid get from Italy to Lexington, Kentucky, and from a 10-year-old racing for the first time to a MotoAmerica Champion in just his second season.
Let’s start with the how. Di Mario’s father, Luigi (easily the second-best name in the paddock) got the opportunity with his work to move to America and he jumped at it. Young Alessandro was just 10 when the family picked up and crossed the Atlantic to make their new home in Lexington, Kentucky.
MotoAmerica 2024 Twins Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
It was there that Di Mario was able to get back to riding and racing motorcycles, something he’d started doing at the tender age of four on a pocketbike in Italy’s CIV series. As a 10-year-old, Di Mario started his U.S. racing career with his debut coming in 2019. Yes, 2019.
Di Mario tasted success almost immediately. In 2022, he won the coveted Nicky Hayden AMA Road Race Horizon Award as well as earning the North America Talent Cup Championship, the now defunct series that used spec Aprilia RS250 SP2s.
When he was old enough, in 2023, Di Mario made the jump to MotoAmerica and its Junior Cup class, where he finished eighth in his rookie season with two podiums and a best finish of second at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Although his season wasn’t sensational, it was hard not to notice Di Mario – and not just because of his name. He was polite, well-spoken, down to earth… and fast.
Armed with a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660, Di Mario’s 2024 campaign started with a fourth and a third at Daytona. At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Di Mario was third behind Rocco Landers and Rodio Racing teammate Gus Rodio in the dry, but he struggled in the rain of race two, tiptoeing to ninth. It was his worst result of the season.
In race one at Barber Motorsports Park, it rained again. This time Di Mario looked to have the best of the miserable conditions. Right up until the point when he didn’t. Di Mario crashed out of the lead, remounted and finished seventh. The next day he won the first MotoAmerica race of his career. And from there… well, it was nothing but success with four second-place finishes in a row. Unfortunately for Di Mario, Landers won three of those four races, and he led the class rookie in the title chase going into the final round.
The margin? 19 points.
It would have taken a brave soul to bet on Di Mario with a 19-point deficit to Landers. As it turns out, the brave soul would have been a rich brave soul. Di Mario was fast all weekend and he won both races. Landers, who didn’t have to do much to take the title even with Di Mario winning both, surprisingly didn’t do enough. In fact, he sort of snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. As crazy as it sounds, Landers didn’t score a single point in the final two races of the season as he crashed out of both.
Although the points margin was large going into the Texas Showdown, Di Mario took a little from Jim Carrey’s character in the movie Dumb And Dumber “So you’re telling me there’s a chance…”
Alessandro Di Mario (27) leads Rossi Moor (92) and Rocco Landers (97) in the Twins Cup finale at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.New Twins Cup Champion Alessandro De Mario on the podium with Rossi Moor (left) and Dominic Doyle (right) after the final Twins Cup race of 2024, at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
“Honestly, yes, I thought I had a chance,” Di Mario, a high school Junior, said. “I made one mistake (in the title chase) and that’s why I was behind him, so I was like, ‘he hasn’t made a mistake yet.’ I thought he might make a mistake in the last round so I was pretty confident. I just knew I had to win both races and I knew it was going to be hard, but I couldn’t control any of that. I was just going out there to go as fast as possible and try to win both races. What he did was up to him.”
Alessandro Di Mario on the podium with team owner Kevin Rodio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica.
The best weekend of his life?
“It’s probably up there as one of my best weekends,” Di Mario said. “It’s up there with Barber because I love Barber, and I got my first win there.”
If you’re not sure how young 15 is, think of it this way: 19-year-old Rocco Landers is actually a hero to Di Mario.
“I met Rocco when I was racing WERA and I would go to watch MotoAmerica and I was like, ‘I’m going to be like those kids one day.’ I was watching Rocco, and I was like, ‘this guy is faaassst.’ When I met him, I was like, ‘whoa… Rocco Landers.’ It was like Valentino Rossi.’ ”
And Landers is also a Di Mario fan.
“Even at Barber when I was trying to win and I think he didn’t know if he had the pace, he told me that if he didn’t win it, he would be happy that I did,” Di Mario said. “At the time I was like third or fourth in the championship, so I didn’t matter that much.”
For a 15-year-old, Di Mario has a good grasp of the history of the sport he is now a champion of. At the final Twins Cup round at COTA, Di Mario was spotted with his parents stargazing at 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz. Di Mario was waved over and had his photo taken with the Texan. And he was in heaven.
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been watching the races,” Di Mario said. “Since I was like four. I’ve watched everything and since then, on YouTube, I’ve really just watched everything… any type of racing I would watch for hours. Just watching races. People like that… I mean it’s Kevin Schwantz so it’s like an idol.”
Di Mario obviously has a bright future ahead of him and if he has his druthers, he will make the move to the Supersport class in 2025.
“I’d like to go to Supersport next year because the level is really high,” Di Mario said. “If you can battle with those guys… well, the faster the guys you race with, the faster you get.”
Gus Rodio (96) in action during a 96 Academy Supermoto Camp. 96 Academy photo.
Professional racers Brandon Paasch and Gus Rodio, long-time friends who both run #96 in MotoAmerica Superbike and Twins Cup, respectively, have teamed up to hold 96 Academy Supermoto Camps in Florida. Paasch, who has won the Daytona 200 twice and also won the 2024 AMA Supermoto Championship when not racing with MotoAmerica, and Rodio are partners and instruct at the camps, which Paasch calls “the Supermoto experience.”
Rental bikes are available at 96 Academy events. 96 Academy photo.
The camps will be held at Bushnell Motorsports Park in Bushnell, Florida with two rental bikes available per school and a maximum of four students per school.
The 2025 dates are:
January 11-12
January 25-26
February 8-9
February 15-16
March 22-23
To get more information or make a reservation, [email protected] or @96academy on Instagram.
Brandon Paasch (96) sliding a Supermoto Suzuki during a 96 Academy camp. 96 Academy photo.
American Mallory Dobbs (14). Photo by Michael Gougis.
At the end of the 2024 season, things were starting to click for American Mallory Dobbs. Six straight top-10 finishes in the inaugural World Women’s Circuit Racing series gave her the confidence that she needed after a tough start to the season. Dobbs, a former club racer and MotoAmerica Supersport competitor, said the 12 races over six rounds in Europe were a learning experience, a challenge, and something she can’t wait to do again.
Mallory Dobbs in the World Women’s Circuit Racing paddock at Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis.
“It’s been really cool, for me, to get a chance to race in Europe that I would never have gotten otherwise,” Dobbs said in the paddock at the season-ending round in Jerez.
Crashes and disappointing finishes marked the early part of the season. Dobbs retired from four of the first eight races, and most of her finishes were 15th or lower.
“It’s been a tough season. We’ve been taken out a couple of times. I’ve had a couple of small crashes on my own. It’s been a really big learning experience – the bike type, all these racetracks I’ve never been to before, new countries, new languages, new team, all of that. All the new things thrown at me all at one time. So it’s been a challenge. The results aren’t as good as I wanted them to be,” Dobbs says.
“But at the end of the season, we’ve been ramping up, getting better results, clicking off some top-10s, just kind of working our way up. That definitely brings up the confidence a bit for next year.”
Dobbs was thrown into the deep end. Not only was she learning to race the spec Yamaha YZF-R7 that the series uses, she was visiting tracks that she’d never turned a wheel on. And her competition was quick. She was up against racers like Supersport300 World Champion and WWCR World Champion (and former Moto3 and Moto2 racer) Ana Carrasco and Moto3, Supersport 300 and MotoE competitor Maria Herrera. And teams like Forward Racing, which has been in the MotoGP paddock for years, and Evan Brothers Racing, former Supersport World Champions.
Mallory Dobbs (14) leads Jessica Howden (52) in Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Dobbs was chasing pace from the start and building consistency into it, as grid position turned out to be critical.
“I was learning a racetrack, not really getting a lot of ride time. We get 25 minutes of practice before we go out to qualify. And you’ve gotta do good in qualifying, because if you don’t, you’re in mid-pack, and there’s a lot of different ranges of experience, and that’s where you get taken out. Getting out in the front (in qualifying) is almost the more important race of the weekend, right? Getting the Superpole session well.
“When you’re learning a racetrack that you’ve never been to before, it’s hard to do that, especially when some of these girls have been riding all winter. Some of these girls and their teams have been testing since October.”
After four round-trip flights across the Atlantic and six straight weeks in Europe, Dobbs was ready to head back home to Washington state. And she said she was applying to race in the series next season.
“The best thing about this series is that it is giving an opportunity for women across the world to showcase their skills. Obviously, a lot of the Spanish girls have a lot of pace and are really talented. But we’re also seeing girls race from other countries, and without this, you would never see or hear about them otherwise.
“It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my racing career, and it’s definitely been the hardest, but I’ve learned so much about me as a racer, and as a team manager and rider – it’s been good.”
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