More, from a press release issued by American Racing Team:
History maker: Beaubier on pole position at the Grand Prix of the Americas!
Cameron Beaubier. Photo courtesy American Racing.
American Racing makes history with the first American rider on an American team to take Moto2 pole position in the USA!
Back on home soil, Cam quickly adapted to the mostly resurfaced Circuit of The Americas as the Californian ended the combined practice sessions comfortably within the top ten to secure his direct passage into Q2. Keeping his head down, Cam put in the work in front of his home crowd to give the Texan crowd something to cheer about as he delivered a faultless lap to snatch his maiden pole position in Moto2, and the new all-time lap record.
On the other side of the garage, it was a difficult start to Sean’s home race weekend. The rookie suffered a heavy crash at turn eleven in FP2, picking up an injury to his hip but he gritted his teeth and soldiered on as he continues to find his feet in the Moto2 class. Struggling against his injury, Sean ended qualifying in 28th as he prepares to put on a show for the home fans tomorrow in the race.
So put on your red, white and blue, and cheer all you’ve got for the boys in tomorrow’s Grand Prix of The Americas!
Cam Beaubier #6 – 1st
“I was not expecting pole. My goal was just to qualify on the first two rows, that way I can have a clean start tomorrow but I just felt hooked up. The American Racing Team boys have been working so hard this year and especially this weekend. I know this track has been good for me, it was last year and I knew we could put on a good showing this year. Obviously, it’s just qualifying so I don’t want to get too excited, but it feels so good after the struggles we went through last year, there were definitely a lot more lows than highs but we’re trucking along and this year, we’ve been riding around the top 10, floating thereabouts and it definitely motivated me coming here.
Rolling around the track on the cool down lap and seeing the fans go crazy, it means everything to me to be riding in front of the home crowd and, to put it on pole, it feels pretty dang good! I’ve miss wearing this yellow Dunlop cap, I didn’t think I would but it’s been a couple of years so it’s going to have a special place at home.
My quiet goal coming into the weekend was, at minimum, a podium but we’ll see. It’s going to be a long race as 18 laps around here is no joke. Canet and Vietti are riding incredible right now, especially Vietti to come through Q1 after a tough day yesterday and put it on the front row, it’s pretty incredible stuff. They’re riding on another level but I feel really good here this weekend and I think we could have a good race here tomorrow.
Shout out to the American fans! It’s incredible to see how many people have turned out just for Saturday to cheer us on and I’m wearing the red, white, and blue proudly!”
Sean Dylan Kelly #4 – 28th
“It was definitely a challenging day. I’m happy I was able to get back on the bike. We need to look at the positives: I’m in one piece, I got through qualifying and I’ll be in the race tomorrow but it was definitely a challenging day after yesterday. The hip is feeling very sore and unfortunately, I had some other issues as well today so it just made it a challenging day but we just need to absorb these tough moments. I knew we were going to have some hard days this year and this is one of them. I just need to keep my head up and, going into tomorrow, hopefully we get to the chequered flag so we can give the American fans a big thank you.
I’m super stoked for the entire team and Cam! I think that everyone really deserved that, I think Cam definitely deserved that after a tough year so I’m excited to see what he can do tomorrow.”
John Hopkins, Sporting Director –
“American Racing getting a pole position on home soil is honestly a dream come true. Honestly, I feel better about this than I ever did about my entire racing career. To be able to give back, give that advice and help these riders maximise their potential and see the differences and then also get the appreciation and respect back from them. I really love this job.
Cam was calm, collected. I’ve never seen him so focused in my life. I just sat with him right before the start and I leant down and said ‘look Cam, treat this like any other MotoAmerica race. You’re here in America, you’ve got all your American guys around you, treat this exactly like you did all those times you showed up at Superbikes, knowing you could beat the rest of the field. You’ve been in the top three all weekend, you’ve already done the work, you’ve already taken care of the hard stuff, just go out there and keep doing what you’ve been doing all weekend and you can make it happen.’ He was calm, he was focused and he had that mental edge, that mental confidence that you need. This championship is so tight, it’s so close, we’re talking tenths, they make such a huge difference so just having that mental confidence is all he needed to make that next step and I think that we’re going to see the new Cam Beaubier in the Moto2 Championship for the rest of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:
Italtrans Racing Team to Start American Rodeo from Rows 6 and 9
No break for the MotoGP World Championship which moved from Termas de Rio Hondo to the United States, in Texas, for the Americas Grand Prix.
The fourth round of the season will be race at COTA, the Circuit Of The Americas: a very challenging track, built under the supervision of German architect Hermann Tilke, well-known designer of many F1 tracks. Home race for Joe Roberts, who is more motivated than ever to do well in front of his home crowd.
Close to the top positions in all the free practices, once again the Malibu rider went directly into Q2. Unfortunately, due to a mistake during his fast lap, Joe did not catch the top ten, finishing the qualifying 16th. Tomorrow he will start the home GP from the sixth row of the grid for a comeback race.
Tough weekend for Lorenzo Dalla Porta, who faces this hard track, so demanding for his left shoulder. Consistent in his pace, the Tuscan rider stopped at Q1 with a best time of 2’11”288 and will start the Americas Grand Prix 25th.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
25th 2’11”288
“I knew it was going to be a tough track for my shoulder and in fact I am struggling a lot. We are looking forward to better times and in the meantime I will try to give my best tomorrow”.
Joe Roberts
16th 2’10”32
“I made a mistake on my fast lap, which cost us a good qualifying position. Tomorrow is what’s important and our race pace is good. Looking forward to it”.
Franco Brugnara, Lorenzo Dalla Porta’s Crew Chief:
“We are trying to help Lorenzo to face this Grand Prix in the best way possible, without putting too much stress on his injured shoulder. We know it’s a difficult weekend, he has to find the grit”.
Giovanni Sandi, Joe Roberts’ Crew Chief:
“Unfortunately, Joe didn’t shine in qualifying. He couldn’t find his pace and his times are below his potential. I think he could do a lot more, but he is under a lot of pressure, especially here at his home race”.
Editorial Note: This post (originally written in 2021 and recently updated) is meant to help racing fans who may not be riding the leading edge of technology. Which means they may not see this on the internet. So, please share this post and information with anybody you think may benefit from it, and yes, that may include printing it out and mailing it to them.
It may seem like a difficult time for those trying to watch motorcycle road racing on their TV. Different series are shown on different networks, some live, some tape-delayed, and some not at all. But the truth is there has never been a better time to be a fan of motorcycle road racing, thanks to streaming video.
A screenshot of streaming video coverage of a MotoGP race with a picture-in-picture alternate view of a start via MotoGP’s Video Pass. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Yes, MotoAmerica can still be watched on TV networks like FOX Sports and MAVTV and MotoGP and World Superbike races can been seen on NBC, MSNBC, and USA Network* using a regular television receiving programming via a relatively basic cable or dish setup. Compared to streaming video, however, watching motorcycle racing over cable or dish is like trying to ride a motorcycle that only runs when it wants to, only on certain roads, with no way of fixing it – at least not until your contract expires.
(*Dorna is working on getting us detailed broadcast times and locations for 2022 MotoGP and World Superbike races on NBCUniversal’s family of TV networks, so stay tuned.)
Sometimes broadcast times change, or races switch between networks at the last minute, or the races get pre-empted by coverage of some other sport, or a race runs late due to a red flag and you don’t get to see the finish because the network cuts to the next scheduled program. It can be very frustrating.
American Joe Roberts (16) leading the Moto2 race in Portugal in 2021. Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing Team.
And that’s not to mention that all of the races (or classes) in a series are not always televised, live or tape-delayed. Anyone who has tried to watch World Superbike or the Moto2 World Championship lately knows what I’m talking about.
This is why making the investment in time, energy, and a few pieces of technology to switch over to streaming video is worth it and may even save money in the end.
Watching races via streaming video requires three things: A subscription to the streaming service of your choice, an internet connection, and a device that’s connected to the internet to watch it on.
Subscriptions:
MotoAmerica, MotoGP, and World Superbike all offer streaming video subscriptions.
A screenshot of MotoAmerica Live+.
You can currently purchase an annual MotoAmerica Live+ subscription for $89.99 (or $109.99 after March 1, 2022), or you can purchase the streaming video service for $12.99 per event. MotoAmerica currently has 11 events scheduled in 2022, but the subscription allows you to watch all previous MotoAmerica races and feature content as well.
On MotoGP’s Video Pass streaming service you can watch four different video feeds simultaneously. Photo courtesy Dorna.
MotoGP offers its 2022 Video Pass for an annual fee of $156.80 (139.99€), which runs from now until the first race of 2023. And again, the subscription allows you to watch all classes, meaning this may be the only way you can watch Americans Cameron Beaubier, Sean Dylan Kelly, and Joe Roberts racing in Moto2. The MotoGP Video Pass also gives you access to tons of cool features, like multi-screen views, plus all of MotoGP’s archived content dating back to 1992. Care to watch a Wayne Rainey vs. Kevin Schwantz battle?
Kevin Schwantz (34) on his way to victory at Assen in 1993. Photo courtesy Suzuki.
The 2022 World Superbike Video Pass is available for $78.29 (69.90€) and that includes video race reviews back to 2006 and video season reviews back to 1993. If you’re a fan of American Garrett Gerloff this is your best way to follow him, because NBC Sports Network didn’t show all the World Superbike races in 2020 or 2021.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
Internet Connection:
Internet service is required to use live streaming. One way to find out what internet service is available and works well in your area is to ask your neighbors what service provider they have, and how they signed up.
When you sign up for internet service make sure to get a wireless router or hub from the internet service provider so the internet signal is projected throughout your house and accessible by your devices (smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, smart TV, Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) without cords.
An AT&T wireless internet “Home Base.” Photo courtesy AT&T.
The faster the connection speed, the better for smooth-running video without lag or interruption. If you already have wireless internet service and you need more powerful service to accommodate streaming video, your service provider may be able to turn up your speed remotely, for a fee.
When you’re having new internet service installed, the technician may help you get one or more of your devices connected to your new wireless internet service, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Whether you do or do not have internet service in your home, you probably can watch streaming race videos right now on your smart phone (a phone with a touch screen instead of buttons, like an Apple iPhone), which is likely already connected to the internet via its cellular signal. All cellular signals around the country are not equal and your results may vary, but if you have a relatively new smart phone and are relatively close to a sizeable city you should be able to stream race videos on your phone.
MotoGP Video Pass as seen on a smart phone and tablet. Image courtesy Dorna.
You may also be able to use the mobile hot spot feature on your smart phone to project a wireless internet signal that can be used by a tablet, laptop computer, or “smart” TV to connect to the internet and stream video of races. However, this will not produce optimum results.
Viewing Devices:
We’ve covered how to watch streaming video on a smart phone, tablet, or computer, so now let’s focus on how to watch streaming video on your TV. This is an overview and not a step-by-step how-to, but it’s really not that difficult. It’s not like rebuilding an engine. You’re not going to blow up your TV if you get it wrong.
Hopefully, you already have a “smart” TV. A smart TV can, among other things, connect directly to a wireless internet signal. Which means you can use your TV screen and TV remote to find your video streaming provider, log into your subscription, and start streaming race action live or on-demand, i.e. whenever you want.
A Hisense Roku 4K smart TV showing the home screen and a menu and available streaming services, like Netflix. Photo courtesy Hisense.
If you do not have a smart TV, you can still connect a regular TV to your wireless internet signal by using a video game console like a Microsoft Xbox or Sony PlayStation connected to your TV with cables.
A Roku TV video streaming device that plugs into your TV and the remote control to operate the system. Photo courtesy Roku.
Another way to connect a standard TV (albeit one with a USB or HDMI plug-in) to a wireless internet signal and your streaming video subscription is to use a streaming video player like an Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku TV, or similar device. These devices are available for purchase online and at big box stores for as little as $29. Once you plug the device into your TV and connect it to the internet, you’ll have to do a little searching via the device’s menus to find your video streaming subscription service, but again, you’re not going to blow anything up.
MotoGP’s Video Pass has its own apps, making it even easier to find on several popular video streaming devices. Image courtesy Dorna.
You can also log into your video streaming service on your laptop computer and then connect the laptop to your TV via a USB or HDMI cable and then use your TV simply as a larger computer screen.
And depending on the capabilities of your devices, you may also be able to wirelessly “cast” the streaming video from your smart phone or laptop computer onto your TV screen, but this may be a bit advanced for beginners.
But for beginners, once you get set up watching motorcycle road racing on your TV via streaming video, you will probably start watching all of your TV programming via streaming video, and it will change your world. Streaming video players come with some free channels and big packages of channels cost as little as $35 a month. Then you can add individual channels, rent movies on demand, and still have access to your local TV news and sports channels with the right service provider and plan.
And the best part about streaming video is there are usually no contracts. You can usually start, stop, and restart subscriptions and programming packages whenever you want, 24 hours a day, right on your device screen without even talking to a human.
This is known as “cutting the cord.”
A grainy screenshot from Speedvision’s 1998 Season Review, which is available for viewing on YouTube.
Some fans lament about how difficult it is now to find and watch motorcycle road racing on TV and how good it was back in the day when we watched motorcycle racing on channels like Speedvision or Prime. Well, I’m old enough to remember those days, and I don’t remember them fondly.
I remember having to stay up until 2:00 a.m. sometimes to watch the first airing of a motorcycle race that happened days if not weeks earlier. And if I didn’t want to stay up all night, I had to try to program my VCR (Video Cassette Recorder, for you younger folks) to record the race, hope I got it right, and hope I didn’t record over another race that I had yet to watch.
Yeah, I remember those so-called good ol’ days, and now that I watch motorcycle road racing via high-definition streaming video, they don’t seem as great as some people think they were. Now is the golden age of watching motorcycle road racing on TV thanks to streaming video services!
Editorial Note: Defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne suffered a problem with a sensor on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 that prevented him from doing any lap times, according to his Team Owner Richard Stanboli.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Rea wins an intense battle with Bautista to take his first victory of 2022
0.090s separated Rea and Bautista at the finish line of the Pirelli Aragon Round, with Razgatlioglu finishing 5.4s behind the pair.
Jonathan Rea (65) won World Superbike Race One Saturday at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed his first win of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. It’s the fifth time of his career that he has won the season-opening race. Rea was able to defend the victory from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) despite the Ducati rider trying to make a move into the final two corners: “I had to work as hard I’ve had to for a long time. It was such an exciting race. I knew it was going to be tough from the beginning with both Toprak and Alvaro. We were right on the border line with the tyre choice. I was not really sure. Honestly in the past, we’ve never made the SCX tyre works in these kinds of conditions. I was able to manage pretty well.”
Bautista crossed the finish line in second just 0.090s behind the winner and claimed his first podium with Ducati since Losail 2019. He had a great start getting the holeshot into Turn 1. After battling with both Razgatlioglu and Rea, Bautista had a huge moment which allowed Rea back through into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 10.
The Spanish rider managed to stay in the fight for victory until the last two corners as Rea claimed victory: “Fighting again for the top positions again after the last two seasons was very important for me. With Jonathan, I passed him many times, but I didn’t want to risk much more. I tried to until the last corner because I could overtake him on the long straight but then I missed a lot of acceleration in every corner and especially in the last corner he could close a bit better the line.”
Reigning WorldSBK Champion Razgatlioglu was in third place 5.4s behind Rea: “It has not been an easy race for me. After my pole position, I tried my best. I was fighting for the win in the first laps. But during the last nine laps, I started to dropped positions. My front tyre was dropping, and I started sliding. Tomorrow, I’ll try again to fight for top positions.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth in Race 1 as he finished around five seconds back from Razgatlioglu. The Italian had been fighting in the lead group in the first half of the race but soon found himself on track on his own: “In the end, fourth place is a good result. I struggled all the race to ride the bike, so we have to improve the settings of the bike, especially turning because I struggle when the tyre drops, and I have less grip. I was able to stay with the top guys for half of the race but then I could not risk too much.”
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fifth place as he finished five seconds behind Rinaldi: “This track is not easy for us. We need to work a little for tomorrow to try to stay close and to try to be on the podium.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) completed the top six in his first WorldSBK race: “Really good start here in Superbike. I didn’t expect this sixth position. The goal was to be P7 or P8. The pace I had in the first laps, I was not expecting it. I learned a lot during the race. I tried to follow Locatelli, but he was faster than me. The bike has lot of potential. We need to work and keep improving.” Teammate Xavi Vierge finished in seventh place on his WorldSBK debut.
Illia Mykalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the first BWM rider in eighth place on his first WorldSBK race.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
A strong first showing for Team HRC in the opening WorldSBK race of 2022
Team HRC has competed in today’s opening race of the 2022 Superbike World Championship at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain, with factory riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, both rookies in the production-derived series, crossing the line a strong sixth and seventh in their debut WorldSBK race.
Having made a few final adjustments during the morning’s final practice session, the two Team HRC riders then got their first taste of the Superbike qualifying phase, the all-important Superpole. With just 15 minutes in which to secure the best possible grid position, Lecuona and Vierge did their best to exploit the limited track time and, by the end of the brief phase, had set a best of 1’49.329 and 1’49.655 respectively. This meant that they qualified on the third and fifth row of the grid respectively, in seventh and thirteenth position.
The lights went out on the first race of the 2022 season at 2pm CET. Lecuona made a very strong start and was straight up to fifth through the first turns. Vierge made a similarly rapid start, making up five places through the first corners to place eighth at the end of lap one. Losing just a little ground in the opening stages, Lecuona maintained a strong pace and sixth place throughout the central part of the race, just ahead of his team-mate Vierge, who dealt with the pain and fatigue caused by recent injury to defend an impressive seventh place. The Team HRC pairing ran a consistent race from there on in, holding sixth and seventh all the way to the line to score solid points in their first official WorldSBK outing with the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES.
The Team HRC riders will now prepare for tomorrow’s action, with the Tissot Superpole race taking place at 11am CET followed by the second and final Superbike race at 2pm CET.
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Iker Lecuona 7
P6
“I’m really very happy, as we’ve made a very good start in Superbike today. The first target was to complete a consistent race and then, of course, to score as strong a result as possible. I didn’t know what to expect in this morning’s qualifying, as it was totally new for me with these tyres, but it went very well, honestly. I lapped alone and finished seventh, not a bad position at all. Then in the race I didn’t expect P6 to be honest, but I made a very good start and was able to overtake a couple of guys in the first corner, so I immediately realised I had good pace. At a certain point, I lost the leading group but throughout the race my team-mate and I were able to gain a few seconds on those chasing us. We must continue to work and improve of course, but the bike has strong potential. It’s also great to be racing at home and have the fans back here supporting us. Feeling this support is fantastic. Tomorrow we have another great opportunity, so we’ll analyse today’s data and see what we can do in the next two races.”
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Xavi Vierge 97
P7
“I’m really happy because we started this weekend having no idea whether we could finish the race. I broke a rib in testing at Barcelona only a couple of weeks ago and so to finish this first race, and with a good result too, represents a great start for us. I struggled a lot this morning to be honest and then in the race, I just focused on staying calm and trying to ride smoothly in order to reach the line. So this is important, because I’ve understood how to go fast without overdoing things physically speaking. Now we’ll check the data and see if we can take another small step tomorrow. Everything is new for me with the Honda of course, but we’ve improved with each exit and, step by step, I’m learning how to exploit the bike’s potential, so I’m very pleased. I want to thank my physiotherapist for helping me get here today and my team for supporting me in every way.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Scores Fantastic Race One Win
Jonathan Rea took his KRT Ninja ZX-10RR to victory in the first race of the 2022 season after 18 laps of constant battling with first two, and then one, of his expected championship rivals. KRT rider Alex Lowes was in a comfortable fifth place but fell on lap seven and no scored.
The anticipation was high for a classic battle to start the first race weekend of the 2022 WorldSBK season at the 5.077km long Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain, and the action up front delivered from the first to the last lap.
Having secured third place in Superpole qualifying earlier in the day, Rea started alongside pole man Toprak Razgatlioglu and second placed qualifier Alvaro Bautista.
The three leading riders fought hard in the early laps, with Rea leading, then being re-passed by Razgatlioglu, with Bautista sitting behind until joining in the three-way fight for the first full points score of the season.
In the final lap, with Razgatlioglu slowing, Rea had to fight Bautista for the what was to be a famous win. Jonathan led onto the back straight but was passed by the Spanish rider as they approached the braking zone. Rea made a decisive move on the inside line into the final corner, holding his advantage on the exit and winning by just 0.090 seconds. With Bautista second, Razgatliolgu was third, 5.416 seconds behind Rea.
Misfortune struck for Lowes as he was sitting in a strong fifth place, at the head of the riders chasing the leading group. He fell at Turn 12 on lap seven and could not restart. Alex had qualified fifth in Superpole and started the race from the second row of the grid.
Two more WorldSBK races remain at Motorland – the ten-lap Superpole Race at 11.00 local time and the 18-lap Race Two on Sunday 10 April.
Jonathan Rea (65) leads Alvaro Bautista (19) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) during Race One. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It was a nice race and an exciting one. I really enjoyed the battle. I think we really showed the strength of our bike. It was very agile, stable on the brakes, and I could change direction. The work we did in the off-season, focusing on the softer tyres in the SCX family, is really bearing fruit now. I was able to be very fast until the end with a soft tyre, in a very cool temperature. Even before the race we were thinking, ‘OK, we have done all this work but we had never, ever made this SCX work in 24°C of track temperature’. So big credit to my team, Kawasaki and Showa because it was a really big win for us to do that. Not just to win the first round of the championship but the way we did it. We have two more opportunities tomorrow that we have to maximise. But today I am really happy.”
Alex Lowes (22) leads Andrea Locatelli (55), Xavi Vierge (97), Eugene Laverty (50), and others during Race One. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “The race was obviously disappointing, even more so because we have worked all winter on used tyres and being consistent. I think we just made some mistakes with the setting on the bike. It is frustrating really that with the experience we have got we ended up where we are. We all have to take responsibility. Congratulations to Jonathan and all his crew because it was a mega race win for KRT, so it was nice for us to start the year with a win. We have a lot to do to get me feeling comfortable, as right now we are not working as I expect. We have work to do.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) placed 14th in the season opener, with
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 22nd and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) 23rd.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Exciting Race-1 for Bautista (P2) who fights for the victory until the last corner. Convincing 4th place for Rinaldi. Bulega finishes 5th after a precious comeback on his WorldSSP debut
The first Saturday of the 2022 WorldSBK season brought plenty of excitement to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.
Firstly, the riders showed good teamwork in a convincing qualifying session (P2 for Alvaro Bautista and P4 for Michael Rinaldi) then they took part in an electrifying Race-1 at the Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain).
Alvaro Bautista fought a spectacular duel first with Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) and then with Rea (Kawasaki). From the middle of the race, the battle with the Welshman got more exciting thanks to an endless series of overtakes and counter-overtakes. At the final corner, Bautista made a decisive attack but he was eventually unable to contain Rea’s response, finishing just 90 thousandths of a second behind him at the chequered flag.
Michael Rinaldi confirmed in the race the fourth place obtained in qualifying. The Italian rider stayed with the podium group until lap 10, trying to push to attack Razgatlioglu. In the end, however, his race pace was not enough to fight for the podium and he secures a valuable fourth place.
Alvaro Bautista (19) leads Jonathan Rea (65) during WorldSBK Race One at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“I’m very very happy with this race. If have to be honest, winning wasn’t my only goal. After two years that weren’t easy, I needed to rediscover those sensations that you only get when you’re fighting for the win. I immediately felt that feeling which allowed me to try until the end. The battle with Toprak first and then with Jonathan was exciting. I had a lot of fun and I hope I was able to entertain my fans as well. We just need a small step forward for tomorrow”.
Alvaro Bautista (19) and Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I’m pretty happy with the way we started the season. I was sure I could have a good race and I felt good in the first few laps. Unfortunately, when the rear grip dropped, the feeling with the bike dropped and I couldn’t stick with the podium group. We already know what we can do to improve and for this reason I’m very confident ahead of tomorrow’s races”. WordSSP
Nicolò Bulega’s start (P4 on the grid after this morning’s qualifying) was not the best and compromised his chances of fighting for the podium. The Italian rider, however, had the merit of staying focused and after passing in 10th position at the first corner, he made up ground to finish fifth under the chequered flag.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati WSSP Team #11)
“Unfortunately I made a mistake at the start by releasing the clutch in the wrong way. It’s something we have to work on to make sure it doesn’t happen again. In the first laps, I had a hard time overtaking the guys in front of me because we don’t have the same acceleration performance as our rivals. It a good fifth place, all things considered. Tomorrow we will try to do better”.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
GYTR GRT YAMAHA WorldSBK Team Top Independent in Aragón Race One
In the opening race of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship season in Aragón, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Garrett Gerloff recovered to a ninth-place result, with Kohta Nozane finishing just outside of the points.
Following the first free practice sessions of the year on Friday, Gerloff and Nozane returned to the MotorLand Aragón circuit for Free Practice 3. The American placed seventh in the morning, with Nozane 22nd.
Then came the Tissot Superpole qualifying session, which saw Gerloff go 11th fastest on a 1’49.541, while teammate Nozane was 19th (1’51.098).
In Race 1, Gerloff dropped a couple of places on the start, and had to fight his way back through. In the closing stages, the 26-year-old managed to climb back inside the top 10 with strong late pace, eventually finishing ninth as the Top Independent Rider.
In typical fashion, Nozane made an excellent start, gaining five positions to run in the points-paying positions. After that, the #3 rider battled with those around, but he struggled with the grip in the latter stages, eventually finishing 18th.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will analyse the data from Race 1 to improve their performance tomorrow in the Superpole Race at 11:00 (CET) and Race 2 at 14:00.
Garrett Gerloff was the top-finishing Independent Team rider in Race One. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: P9 – Top Independent Rider
“I’m disappointed with the qualifying because we’ve been top five all winter, so I was expecting to be in the first two rows. Because of that, I had a difficult beginning of the race, but the bike was feeling good and I had strong pace at the end, finishing inside the top 10. I want more than that, but I’m happy to be top Independent Rider for my GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, and now we have a clear plan for tomorrow, where we’ll try to push more.”
Kohta Nozane (3) leads a group of riders during Race One. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: P18
“I was surprised with FP3 and qualifying, I didn’t expect to be as far down the order as I was. Luckily, in Race 1, I got a good start and I was able to overtake a lot of riders. Then I tried to push to maintain my position. Lap after lap, I tried to keep a constant pace but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to stay inside the points. We took away some positives and we’ll work on it to improve the performance tomorrow.”
More, from another press release issued by Yamaha:
Record-Breaking Pole Position and Race One Podium for Razgatlıoğlu at Aragon
Toprak Razgatlioglu finished third in Race One. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider and defending champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu made a positive start to his 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign with a stunning pole position lap and third-place podium in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon today.
The 25-year-old Turkish rider smashed the all-time record with a stunning 1’48.267 around the 5.077 km circuit, a lap that impressed many but just 0.006s clear of nearest rival Alvaro Bautista (Ducati). Teammate Andrea Locatelli completed a strong qualifying amongst stiff competition to put his R1 WorldSBK on the second row of the grid in sixth place.
Race 1 then set the stage for another “must watch” WorldSBK season ahead, as three manufacturers battled for the lead in the opening laps. Razgatlıoğlu led the way initially from Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea and Bautista, as the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK #1 set the fastest lap of the race on lap three – those at home would have also enjoyed watching the protagonists brake three wide into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 6!
By the middle of the race however, front tyre degradation hampered Razgatlıoğlu’s ability to fight for the win and he chose to bank the podium points available for third.
Locatelli maximised the performance of his package today, managing available grip with consistent pace throughout the 18-lap feature race to deliver a solid fifth-place finish – all despite a hectic opening lap which saw him initially slip to eighth.
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK will take to the track again tomorrow for the final day at Aragon, in the same format as 2021, with a short 15-minute Warm Up at 9:00 (UTC+2) that precedes the 10-lap Superpole Race at 11:00 and main 18-lap Race 2 at 14:00.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P3
“For me not an easy race but after a good pole position, I tried my best. Normally for Yamaha this is not the strongest track, but I am fighting in the first laps for the win. But, in the last laps I start to drop back because the front tyre grip had a big drop and I start to feel the front sliding. But, third position is okay for today, even if I want more! The championship is very long, you know. Also, we take good points for the championship and tomorrow I will try again for a good position. Every day we are improving and we will try to find a bike set up that improves the front grip.”
Andrea Locatelli: P5
“It’s a good result for us to start the season in the top five – it’s not so bad, but I am not really happy about today because in the start of the race I lost a lot of places. So, I had to try and recover and I wanted to be able to try and close the gap with the front group but in the end it was not possible. We need to work a little bit more for tomorrow, but for sure we have seen that this track it is not easy for us. Now we will try to improve the bike set up to stay close to the front and see if we can fight for the podium tomorrow. We have a lot of data from the first race so let’s see what we can do.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:
“Not a bad way to start the season, with a pole position and a podium for Toprak at probably our most challenging circuit. Toprak was competitive and very much in the fight for victory, but we suffered with front tyre degradation and the target will be to find a solution that gives him a more comfortable feel entering the corner and the opportunity to look after the front tyre. On Loka’s side, a very solid start indeed! Second row in qualifying was perfect and although a poor start and some clashes in the first part of the race meant the front group was gone, he maximised his potential to finish fifth and we couldn’t have asked for a lot more than that given the start. It was certainly an exciting opening WorldSBK race of the year and tomorrow we will try to be part of that excitement right until the end!”
More, from a press release issued by American Racing Team:
History maker: Beaubier on pole position at the Grand Prix of the Americas!
Cameron Beaubier. Photo courtesy American Racing.
American Racing makes history with the first American rider on an American team to take Moto2 pole position in the USA!
Back on home soil, Cam quickly adapted to the mostly resurfaced Circuit of The Americas as the Californian ended the combined practice sessions comfortably within the top ten to secure his direct passage into Q2. Keeping his head down, Cam put in the work in front of his home crowd to give the Texan crowd something to cheer about as he delivered a faultless lap to snatch his maiden pole position in Moto2, and the new all-time lap record.
On the other side of the garage, it was a difficult start to Sean’s home race weekend. The rookie suffered a heavy crash at turn eleven in FP2, picking up an injury to his hip but he gritted his teeth and soldiered on as he continues to find his feet in the Moto2 class. Struggling against his injury, Sean ended qualifying in 28th as he prepares to put on a show for the home fans tomorrow in the race.
So put on your red, white and blue, and cheer all you’ve got for the boys in tomorrow’s Grand Prix of The Americas!
Cam Beaubier #6 – 1st
“I was not expecting pole. My goal was just to qualify on the first two rows, that way I can have a clean start tomorrow but I just felt hooked up. The American Racing Team boys have been working so hard this year and especially this weekend. I know this track has been good for me, it was last year and I knew we could put on a good showing this year. Obviously, it’s just qualifying so I don’t want to get too excited, but it feels so good after the struggles we went through last year, there were definitely a lot more lows than highs but we’re trucking along and this year, we’ve been riding around the top 10, floating thereabouts and it definitely motivated me coming here.
Rolling around the track on the cool down lap and seeing the fans go crazy, it means everything to me to be riding in front of the home crowd and, to put it on pole, it feels pretty dang good! I’ve miss wearing this yellow Dunlop cap, I didn’t think I would but it’s been a couple of years so it’s going to have a special place at home.
My quiet goal coming into the weekend was, at minimum, a podium but we’ll see. It’s going to be a long race as 18 laps around here is no joke. Canet and Vietti are riding incredible right now, especially Vietti to come through Q1 after a tough day yesterday and put it on the front row, it’s pretty incredible stuff. They’re riding on another level but I feel really good here this weekend and I think we could have a good race here tomorrow.
Shout out to the American fans! It’s incredible to see how many people have turned out just for Saturday to cheer us on and I’m wearing the red, white, and blue proudly!”
Sean Dylan Kelly #4 – 28th
“It was definitely a challenging day. I’m happy I was able to get back on the bike. We need to look at the positives: I’m in one piece, I got through qualifying and I’ll be in the race tomorrow but it was definitely a challenging day after yesterday. The hip is feeling very sore and unfortunately, I had some other issues as well today so it just made it a challenging day but we just need to absorb these tough moments. I knew we were going to have some hard days this year and this is one of them. I just need to keep my head up and, going into tomorrow, hopefully we get to the chequered flag so we can give the American fans a big thank you.
I’m super stoked for the entire team and Cam! I think that everyone really deserved that, I think Cam definitely deserved that after a tough year so I’m excited to see what he can do tomorrow.”
John Hopkins, Sporting Director –
“American Racing getting a pole position on home soil is honestly a dream come true. Honestly, I feel better about this than I ever did about my entire racing career. To be able to give back, give that advice and help these riders maximise their potential and see the differences and then also get the appreciation and respect back from them. I really love this job.
Cam was calm, collected. I’ve never seen him so focused in my life. I just sat with him right before the start and I leant down and said ‘look Cam, treat this like any other MotoAmerica race. You’re here in America, you’ve got all your American guys around you, treat this exactly like you did all those times you showed up at Superbikes, knowing you could beat the rest of the field. You’ve been in the top three all weekend, you’ve already done the work, you’ve already taken care of the hard stuff, just go out there and keep doing what you’ve been doing all weekend and you can make it happen.’ He was calm, he was focused and he had that mental edge, that mental confidence that you need. This championship is so tight, it’s so close, we’re talking tenths, they make such a huge difference so just having that mental confidence is all he needed to make that next step and I think that we’re going to see the new Cam Beaubier in the Moto2 Championship for the rest of the season.”
More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:
Italtrans Racing Team to Start American Rodeo from Rows 6 and 9
No break for the MotoGP World Championship which moved from Termas de Rio Hondo to the United States, in Texas, for the Americas Grand Prix.
The fourth round of the season will be race at COTA, the Circuit Of The Americas: a very challenging track, built under the supervision of German architect Hermann Tilke, well-known designer of many F1 tracks. Home race for Joe Roberts, who is more motivated than ever to do well in front of his home crowd.
Close to the top positions in all the free practices, once again the Malibu rider went directly into Q2. Unfortunately, due to a mistake during his fast lap, Joe did not catch the top ten, finishing the qualifying 16th. Tomorrow he will start the home GP from the sixth row of the grid for a comeback race.
Tough weekend for Lorenzo Dalla Porta, who faces this hard track, so demanding for his left shoulder. Consistent in his pace, the Tuscan rider stopped at Q1 with a best time of 2’11”288 and will start the Americas Grand Prix 25th.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
25th 2’11”288
“I knew it was going to be a tough track for my shoulder and in fact I am struggling a lot. We are looking forward to better times and in the meantime I will try to give my best tomorrow”.
Joe Roberts
16th 2’10”32
“I made a mistake on my fast lap, which cost us a good qualifying position. Tomorrow is what’s important and our race pace is good. Looking forward to it”.
Franco Brugnara, Lorenzo Dalla Porta’s Crew Chief:
“We are trying to help Lorenzo to face this Grand Prix in the best way possible, without putting too much stress on his injured shoulder. We know it’s a difficult weekend, he has to find the grit”.
Giovanni Sandi, Joe Roberts’ Crew Chief:
“Unfortunately, Joe didn’t shine in qualifying. He couldn’t find his pace and his times are below his potential. I think he could do a lot more, but he is under a lot of pressure, especially here at his home race”.
Watching motorcycle road racing via streaming video is the way to go for passionate fans. Image courtesy MotoAmerica.
FIRST PERSON/OPINION:
By David Swarts
Editorial Note: This post (originally written in 2021 and recently updated) is meant to help racing fans who may not be riding the leading edge of technology. Which means they may not see this on the internet. So, please share this post and information with anybody you think may benefit from it, and yes, that may include printing it out and mailing it to them.
It may seem like a difficult time for those trying to watch motorcycle road racing on their TV. Different series are shown on different networks, some live, some tape-delayed, and some not at all. But the truth is there has never been a better time to be a fan of motorcycle road racing, thanks to streaming video.
A screenshot of streaming video coverage of a MotoGP race with a picture-in-picture alternate view of a start via MotoGP’s Video Pass. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Yes, MotoAmerica can still be watched on TV networks like FOX Sports and MAVTV and MotoGP and World Superbike races can been seen on NBC, MSNBC, and USA Network* using a regular television receiving programming via a relatively basic cable or dish setup. Compared to streaming video, however, watching motorcycle racing over cable or dish is like trying to ride a motorcycle that only runs when it wants to, only on certain roads, with no way of fixing it – at least not until your contract expires.
(*Dorna is working on getting us detailed broadcast times and locations for 2022 MotoGP and World Superbike races on NBCUniversal’s family of TV networks, so stay tuned.)
Sometimes broadcast times change, or races switch between networks at the last minute, or the races get pre-empted by coverage of some other sport, or a race runs late due to a red flag and you don’t get to see the finish because the network cuts to the next scheduled program. It can be very frustrating.
American Joe Roberts (16) leading the Moto2 race in Portugal in 2021. Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing Team.
And that’s not to mention that all of the races (or classes) in a series are not always televised, live or tape-delayed. Anyone who has tried to watch World Superbike or the Moto2 World Championship lately knows what I’m talking about.
This is why making the investment in time, energy, and a few pieces of technology to switch over to streaming video is worth it and may even save money in the end.
Watching races via streaming video requires three things: A subscription to the streaming service of your choice, an internet connection, and a device that’s connected to the internet to watch it on.
Subscriptions:
MotoAmerica, MotoGP, and World Superbike all offer streaming video subscriptions.
A screenshot of MotoAmerica Live+.
You can currently purchase an annual MotoAmerica Live+ subscription for $89.99 (or $109.99 after March 1, 2022), or you can purchase the streaming video service for $12.99 per event. MotoAmerica currently has 11 events scheduled in 2022, but the subscription allows you to watch all previous MotoAmerica races and feature content as well.
On MotoGP’s Video Pass streaming service you can watch four different video feeds simultaneously. Photo courtesy Dorna.
MotoGP offers its 2022 Video Pass for an annual fee of $156.80 (139.99€), which runs from now until the first race of 2023. And again, the subscription allows you to watch all classes, meaning this may be the only way you can watch Americans Cameron Beaubier, Sean Dylan Kelly, and Joe Roberts racing in Moto2. The MotoGP Video Pass also gives you access to tons of cool features, like multi-screen views, plus all of MotoGP’s archived content dating back to 1992. Care to watch a Wayne Rainey vs. Kevin Schwantz battle?
Kevin Schwantz (34) on his way to victory at Assen in 1993. Photo courtesy Suzuki.
The 2022 World Superbike Video Pass is available for $78.29 (69.90€) and that includes video race reviews back to 2006 and video season reviews back to 1993. If you’re a fan of American Garrett Gerloff this is your best way to follow him, because NBC Sports Network didn’t show all the World Superbike races in 2020 or 2021.
Garrett Gerloff (31). Photo courtesy GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
Internet Connection:
Internet service is required to use live streaming. One way to find out what internet service is available and works well in your area is to ask your neighbors what service provider they have, and how they signed up.
When you sign up for internet service make sure to get a wireless router or hub from the internet service provider so the internet signal is projected throughout your house and accessible by your devices (smart phone, tablet, laptop computer, smart TV, Xbox, PlayStation, etc.) without cords.
An AT&T wireless internet “Home Base.” Photo courtesy AT&T.
The faster the connection speed, the better for smooth-running video without lag or interruption. If you already have wireless internet service and you need more powerful service to accommodate streaming video, your service provider may be able to turn up your speed remotely, for a fee.
When you’re having new internet service installed, the technician may help you get one or more of your devices connected to your new wireless internet service, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
Whether you do or do not have internet service in your home, you probably can watch streaming race videos right now on your smart phone (a phone with a touch screen instead of buttons, like an Apple iPhone), which is likely already connected to the internet via its cellular signal. All cellular signals around the country are not equal and your results may vary, but if you have a relatively new smart phone and are relatively close to a sizeable city you should be able to stream race videos on your phone.
MotoGP Video Pass as seen on a smart phone and tablet. Image courtesy Dorna.
You may also be able to use the mobile hot spot feature on your smart phone to project a wireless internet signal that can be used by a tablet, laptop computer, or “smart” TV to connect to the internet and stream video of races. However, this will not produce optimum results.
Viewing Devices:
We’ve covered how to watch streaming video on a smart phone, tablet, or computer, so now let’s focus on how to watch streaming video on your TV. This is an overview and not a step-by-step how-to, but it’s really not that difficult. It’s not like rebuilding an engine. You’re not going to blow up your TV if you get it wrong.
Hopefully, you already have a “smart” TV. A smart TV can, among other things, connect directly to a wireless internet signal. Which means you can use your TV screen and TV remote to find your video streaming provider, log into your subscription, and start streaming race action live or on-demand, i.e. whenever you want.
A Hisense Roku 4K smart TV showing the home screen and a menu and available streaming services, like Netflix. Photo courtesy Hisense.
If you do not have a smart TV, you can still connect a regular TV to your wireless internet signal by using a video game console like a Microsoft Xbox or Sony PlayStation connected to your TV with cables.
A Roku TV video streaming device that plugs into your TV and the remote control to operate the system. Photo courtesy Roku.
Another way to connect a standard TV (albeit one with a USB or HDMI plug-in) to a wireless internet signal and your streaming video subscription is to use a streaming video player like an Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku TV, or similar device. These devices are available for purchase online and at big box stores for as little as $29. Once you plug the device into your TV and connect it to the internet, you’ll have to do a little searching via the device’s menus to find your video streaming subscription service, but again, you’re not going to blow anything up.
MotoGP’s Video Pass has its own apps, making it even easier to find on several popular video streaming devices. Image courtesy Dorna.
You can also log into your video streaming service on your laptop computer and then connect the laptop to your TV via a USB or HDMI cable and then use your TV simply as a larger computer screen.
And depending on the capabilities of your devices, you may also be able to wirelessly “cast” the streaming video from your smart phone or laptop computer onto your TV screen, but this may be a bit advanced for beginners.
But for beginners, once you get set up watching motorcycle road racing on your TV via streaming video, you will probably start watching all of your TV programming via streaming video, and it will change your world. Streaming video players come with some free channels and big packages of channels cost as little as $35 a month. Then you can add individual channels, rent movies on demand, and still have access to your local TV news and sports channels with the right service provider and plan.
And the best part about streaming video is there are usually no contracts. You can usually start, stop, and restart subscriptions and programming packages whenever you want, 24 hours a day, right on your device screen without even talking to a human.
This is known as “cutting the cord.”
A grainy screenshot from Speedvision’s 1998 Season Review, which is available for viewing on YouTube.
Some fans lament about how difficult it is now to find and watch motorcycle road racing on TV and how good it was back in the day when we watched motorcycle racing on channels like Speedvision or Prime. Well, I’m old enough to remember those days, and I don’t remember them fondly.
I remember having to stay up until 2:00 a.m. sometimes to watch the first airing of a motorcycle race that happened days if not weeks earlier. And if I didn’t want to stay up all night, I had to try to program my VCR (Video Cassette Recorder, for you younger folks) to record the race, hope I got it right, and hope I didn’t record over another race that I had yet to watch.
Yeah, I remember those so-called good ol’ days, and now that I watch motorcycle road racing via high-definition streaming video, they don’t seem as great as some people think they were. Now is the golden age of watching motorcycle road racing on TV thanks to streaming video services!
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Editorial Note: Defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne suffered a problem with a sensor on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1 that prevented him from doing any lap times, according to his Team Owner Richard Stanboli.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Rea wins an intense battle with Bautista to take his first victory of 2022
0.090s separated Rea and Bautista at the finish line of the Pirelli Aragon Round, with Razgatlioglu finishing 5.4s behind the pair.
Jonathan Rea (65) won World Superbike Race One Saturday at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed his first win of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. It’s the fifth time of his career that he has won the season-opening race. Rea was able to defend the victory from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) despite the Ducati rider trying to make a move into the final two corners: “I had to work as hard I’ve had to for a long time. It was such an exciting race. I knew it was going to be tough from the beginning with both Toprak and Alvaro. We were right on the border line with the tyre choice. I was not really sure. Honestly in the past, we’ve never made the SCX tyre works in these kinds of conditions. I was able to manage pretty well.”
Bautista crossed the finish line in second just 0.090s behind the winner and claimed his first podium with Ducati since Losail 2019. He had a great start getting the holeshot into Turn 1. After battling with both Razgatlioglu and Rea, Bautista had a huge moment which allowed Rea back through into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 10.
The Spanish rider managed to stay in the fight for victory until the last two corners as Rea claimed victory: “Fighting again for the top positions again after the last two seasons was very important for me. With Jonathan, I passed him many times, but I didn’t want to risk much more. I tried to until the last corner because I could overtake him on the long straight but then I missed a lot of acceleration in every corner and especially in the last corner he could close a bit better the line.”
Reigning WorldSBK Champion Razgatlioglu was in third place 5.4s behind Rea: “It has not been an easy race for me. After my pole position, I tried my best. I was fighting for the win in the first laps. But during the last nine laps, I started to dropped positions. My front tyre was dropping, and I started sliding. Tomorrow, I’ll try again to fight for top positions.”
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth in Race 1 as he finished around five seconds back from Razgatlioglu. The Italian had been fighting in the lead group in the first half of the race but soon found himself on track on his own: “In the end, fourth place is a good result. I struggled all the race to ride the bike, so we have to improve the settings of the bike, especially turning because I struggle when the tyre drops, and I have less grip. I was able to stay with the top guys for half of the race but then I could not risk too much.”
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fifth place as he finished five seconds behind Rinaldi: “This track is not easy for us. We need to work a little for tomorrow to try to stay close and to try to be on the podium.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) completed the top six in his first WorldSBK race: “Really good start here in Superbike. I didn’t expect this sixth position. The goal was to be P7 or P8. The pace I had in the first laps, I was not expecting it. I learned a lot during the race. I tried to follow Locatelli, but he was faster than me. The bike has lot of potential. We need to work and keep improving.” Teammate Xavi Vierge finished in seventh place on his WorldSBK debut.
Illia Mykalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the first BWM rider in eighth place on his first WorldSBK race.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
A strong first showing for Team HRC in the opening WorldSBK race of 2022
Team HRC has competed in today’s opening race of the 2022 Superbike World Championship at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain, with factory riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, both rookies in the production-derived series, crossing the line a strong sixth and seventh in their debut WorldSBK race.
Having made a few final adjustments during the morning’s final practice session, the two Team HRC riders then got their first taste of the Superbike qualifying phase, the all-important Superpole. With just 15 minutes in which to secure the best possible grid position, Lecuona and Vierge did their best to exploit the limited track time and, by the end of the brief phase, had set a best of 1’49.329 and 1’49.655 respectively. This meant that they qualified on the third and fifth row of the grid respectively, in seventh and thirteenth position.
The lights went out on the first race of the 2022 season at 2pm CET. Lecuona made a very strong start and was straight up to fifth through the first turns. Vierge made a similarly rapid start, making up five places through the first corners to place eighth at the end of lap one. Losing just a little ground in the opening stages, Lecuona maintained a strong pace and sixth place throughout the central part of the race, just ahead of his team-mate Vierge, who dealt with the pain and fatigue caused by recent injury to defend an impressive seventh place. The Team HRC pairing ran a consistent race from there on in, holding sixth and seventh all the way to the line to score solid points in their first official WorldSBK outing with the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES.
The Team HRC riders will now prepare for tomorrow’s action, with the Tissot Superpole race taking place at 11am CET followed by the second and final Superbike race at 2pm CET.
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Iker Lecuona 7
P6
“I’m really very happy, as we’ve made a very good start in Superbike today. The first target was to complete a consistent race and then, of course, to score as strong a result as possible. I didn’t know what to expect in this morning’s qualifying, as it was totally new for me with these tyres, but it went very well, honestly. I lapped alone and finished seventh, not a bad position at all. Then in the race I didn’t expect P6 to be honest, but I made a very good start and was able to overtake a couple of guys in the first corner, so I immediately realised I had good pace. At a certain point, I lost the leading group but throughout the race my team-mate and I were able to gain a few seconds on those chasing us. We must continue to work and improve of course, but the bike has strong potential. It’s also great to be racing at home and have the fans back here supporting us. Feeling this support is fantastic. Tomorrow we have another great opportunity, so we’ll analyse today’s data and see what we can do in the next two races.”
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
Xavi Vierge 97
P7
“I’m really happy because we started this weekend having no idea whether we could finish the race. I broke a rib in testing at Barcelona only a couple of weeks ago and so to finish this first race, and with a good result too, represents a great start for us. I struggled a lot this morning to be honest and then in the race, I just focused on staying calm and trying to ride smoothly in order to reach the line. So this is important, because I’ve understood how to go fast without overdoing things physically speaking. Now we’ll check the data and see if we can take another small step tomorrow. Everything is new for me with the Honda of course, but we’ve improved with each exit and, step by step, I’m learning how to exploit the bike’s potential, so I’m very pleased. I want to thank my physiotherapist for helping me get here today and my team for supporting me in every way.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Scores Fantastic Race One Win
Jonathan Rea took his KRT Ninja ZX-10RR to victory in the first race of the 2022 season after 18 laps of constant battling with first two, and then one, of his expected championship rivals. KRT rider Alex Lowes was in a comfortable fifth place but fell on lap seven and no scored.
The anticipation was high for a classic battle to start the first race weekend of the 2022 WorldSBK season at the 5.077km long Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain, and the action up front delivered from the first to the last lap.
Having secured third place in Superpole qualifying earlier in the day, Rea started alongside pole man Toprak Razgatlioglu and second placed qualifier Alvaro Bautista.
The three leading riders fought hard in the early laps, with Rea leading, then being re-passed by Razgatlioglu, with Bautista sitting behind until joining in the three-way fight for the first full points score of the season.
In the final lap, with Razgatlioglu slowing, Rea had to fight Bautista for the what was to be a famous win. Jonathan led onto the back straight but was passed by the Spanish rider as they approached the braking zone. Rea made a decisive move on the inside line into the final corner, holding his advantage on the exit and winning by just 0.090 seconds. With Bautista second, Razgatliolgu was third, 5.416 seconds behind Rea.
Misfortune struck for Lowes as he was sitting in a strong fifth place, at the head of the riders chasing the leading group. He fell at Turn 12 on lap seven and could not restart. Alex had qualified fifth in Superpole and started the race from the second row of the grid.
Two more WorldSBK races remain at Motorland – the ten-lap Superpole Race at 11.00 local time and the 18-lap Race Two on Sunday 10 April.
Jonathan Rea (65) leads Alvaro Bautista (19) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) during Race One. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It was a nice race and an exciting one. I really enjoyed the battle. I think we really showed the strength of our bike. It was very agile, stable on the brakes, and I could change direction. The work we did in the off-season, focusing on the softer tyres in the SCX family, is really bearing fruit now. I was able to be very fast until the end with a soft tyre, in a very cool temperature. Even before the race we were thinking, ‘OK, we have done all this work but we had never, ever made this SCX work in 24°C of track temperature’. So big credit to my team, Kawasaki and Showa because it was a really big win for us to do that. Not just to win the first round of the championship but the way we did it. We have two more opportunities tomorrow that we have to maximise. But today I am really happy.”
Alex Lowes (22) leads Andrea Locatelli (55), Xavi Vierge (97), Eugene Laverty (50), and others during Race One. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “The race was obviously disappointing, even more so because we have worked all winter on used tyres and being consistent. I think we just made some mistakes with the setting on the bike. It is frustrating really that with the experience we have got we ended up where we are. We all have to take responsibility. Congratulations to Jonathan and all his crew because it was a mega race win for KRT, so it was nice for us to start the year with a win. We have a lot to do to get me feeling comfortable, as right now we are not working as I expect. We have work to do.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) placed 14th in the season opener, with
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 22nd and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) 23rd.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Exciting Race-1 for Bautista (P2) who fights for the victory until the last corner. Convincing 4th place for Rinaldi. Bulega finishes 5th after a precious comeback on his WorldSSP debut
The first Saturday of the 2022 WorldSBK season brought plenty of excitement to the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.
Firstly, the riders showed good teamwork in a convincing qualifying session (P2 for Alvaro Bautista and P4 for Michael Rinaldi) then they took part in an electrifying Race-1 at the Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain).
Alvaro Bautista fought a spectacular duel first with Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) and then with Rea (Kawasaki). From the middle of the race, the battle with the Welshman got more exciting thanks to an endless series of overtakes and counter-overtakes. At the final corner, Bautista made a decisive attack but he was eventually unable to contain Rea’s response, finishing just 90 thousandths of a second behind him at the chequered flag.
Michael Rinaldi confirmed in the race the fourth place obtained in qualifying. The Italian rider stayed with the podium group until lap 10, trying to push to attack Razgatlioglu. In the end, however, his race pace was not enough to fight for the podium and he secures a valuable fourth place.
Alvaro Bautista (19) leads Jonathan Rea (65) during WorldSBK Race One at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“I’m very very happy with this race. If have to be honest, winning wasn’t my only goal. After two years that weren’t easy, I needed to rediscover those sensations that you only get when you’re fighting for the win. I immediately felt that feeling which allowed me to try until the end. The battle with Toprak first and then with Jonathan was exciting. I had a lot of fun and I hope I was able to entertain my fans as well. We just need a small step forward for tomorrow”.
Alvaro Bautista (19) and Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I’m pretty happy with the way we started the season. I was sure I could have a good race and I felt good in the first few laps. Unfortunately, when the rear grip dropped, the feeling with the bike dropped and I couldn’t stick with the podium group. We already know what we can do to improve and for this reason I’m very confident ahead of tomorrow’s races”. WordSSP
Nicolò Bulega’s start (P4 on the grid after this morning’s qualifying) was not the best and compromised his chances of fighting for the podium. The Italian rider, however, had the merit of staying focused and after passing in 10th position at the first corner, he made up ground to finish fifth under the chequered flag.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati WSSP Team #11)
“Unfortunately I made a mistake at the start by releasing the clutch in the wrong way. It’s something we have to work on to make sure it doesn’t happen again. In the first laps, I had a hard time overtaking the guys in front of me because we don’t have the same acceleration performance as our rivals. It a good fifth place, all things considered. Tomorrow we will try to do better”.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
GYTR GRT YAMAHA WorldSBK Team Top Independent in Aragón Race One
In the opening race of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship season in Aragón, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Garrett Gerloff recovered to a ninth-place result, with Kohta Nozane finishing just outside of the points.
Following the first free practice sessions of the year on Friday, Gerloff and Nozane returned to the MotorLand Aragón circuit for Free Practice 3. The American placed seventh in the morning, with Nozane 22nd.
Then came the Tissot Superpole qualifying session, which saw Gerloff go 11th fastest on a 1’49.541, while teammate Nozane was 19th (1’51.098).
In Race 1, Gerloff dropped a couple of places on the start, and had to fight his way back through. In the closing stages, the 26-year-old managed to climb back inside the top 10 with strong late pace, eventually finishing ninth as the Top Independent Rider.
In typical fashion, Nozane made an excellent start, gaining five positions to run in the points-paying positions. After that, the #3 rider battled with those around, but he struggled with the grip in the latter stages, eventually finishing 18th.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will analyse the data from Race 1 to improve their performance tomorrow in the Superpole Race at 11:00 (CET) and Race 2 at 14:00.
Garrett Gerloff was the top-finishing Independent Team rider in Race One. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: P9 – Top Independent Rider
“I’m disappointed with the qualifying because we’ve been top five all winter, so I was expecting to be in the first two rows. Because of that, I had a difficult beginning of the race, but the bike was feeling good and I had strong pace at the end, finishing inside the top 10. I want more than that, but I’m happy to be top Independent Rider for my GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, and now we have a clear plan for tomorrow, where we’ll try to push more.”
Kohta Nozane (3) leads a group of riders during Race One. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: P18
“I was surprised with FP3 and qualifying, I didn’t expect to be as far down the order as I was. Luckily, in Race 1, I got a good start and I was able to overtake a lot of riders. Then I tried to push to maintain my position. Lap after lap, I tried to keep a constant pace but unfortunately that wasn’t enough to stay inside the points. We took away some positives and we’ll work on it to improve the performance tomorrow.”
More, from another press release issued by Yamaha:
Record-Breaking Pole Position and Race One Podium for Razgatlıoğlu at Aragon
Toprak Razgatlioglu finished third in Race One. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider and defending champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu made a positive start to his 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship campaign with a stunning pole position lap and third-place podium in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon today.
The 25-year-old Turkish rider smashed the all-time record with a stunning 1’48.267 around the 5.077 km circuit, a lap that impressed many but just 0.006s clear of nearest rival Alvaro Bautista (Ducati). Teammate Andrea Locatelli completed a strong qualifying amongst stiff competition to put his R1 WorldSBK on the second row of the grid in sixth place.
Race 1 then set the stage for another “must watch” WorldSBK season ahead, as three manufacturers battled for the lead in the opening laps. Razgatlıoğlu led the way initially from Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea and Bautista, as the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK #1 set the fastest lap of the race on lap three – those at home would have also enjoyed watching the protagonists brake three wide into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 6!
By the middle of the race however, front tyre degradation hampered Razgatlıoğlu’s ability to fight for the win and he chose to bank the podium points available for third.
Locatelli maximised the performance of his package today, managing available grip with consistent pace throughout the 18-lap feature race to deliver a solid fifth-place finish – all despite a hectic opening lap which saw him initially slip to eighth.
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK will take to the track again tomorrow for the final day at Aragon, in the same format as 2021, with a short 15-minute Warm Up at 9:00 (UTC+2) that precedes the 10-lap Superpole Race at 11:00 and main 18-lap Race 2 at 14:00.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P3
“For me not an easy race but after a good pole position, I tried my best. Normally for Yamaha this is not the strongest track, but I am fighting in the first laps for the win. But, in the last laps I start to drop back because the front tyre grip had a big drop and I start to feel the front sliding. But, third position is okay for today, even if I want more! The championship is very long, you know. Also, we take good points for the championship and tomorrow I will try again for a good position. Every day we are improving and we will try to find a bike set up that improves the front grip.”
Andrea Locatelli: P5
“It’s a good result for us to start the season in the top five – it’s not so bad, but I am not really happy about today because in the start of the race I lost a lot of places. So, I had to try and recover and I wanted to be able to try and close the gap with the front group but in the end it was not possible. We need to work a little bit more for tomorrow, but for sure we have seen that this track it is not easy for us. Now we will try to improve the bike set up to stay close to the front and see if we can fight for the podium tomorrow. We have a lot of data from the first race so let’s see what we can do.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:
“Not a bad way to start the season, with a pole position and a podium for Toprak at probably our most challenging circuit. Toprak was competitive and very much in the fight for victory, but we suffered with front tyre degradation and the target will be to find a solution that gives him a more comfortable feel entering the corner and the opportunity to look after the front tyre. On Loka’s side, a very solid start indeed! Second row in qualifying was perfect and although a poor start and some clashes in the first part of the race meant the front group was gone, he maximised his potential to finish fifth and we couldn’t have asked for a lot more than that given the start. It was certainly an exciting opening WorldSBK race of the year and tomorrow we will try to be part of that excitement right until the end!”
Reigning Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu's (1) deals with Shoei, Alpinestars, and Red Bull are likely smaller than deals given to similarly successful MotoGP riders. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
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