May 17, 2021 – Who is FUELL? That’s a great question. FUELL is an innovative manufacturer serving the electric urban mobility revolution across a full range of form factors and technologies. FUELL is led by two leaders with real experience and the drive to change urban mobility. The two visionaries moving FUELL into the future are Erik Buell and Francois-Xavier (aka “FX”) Terny.
FUELL Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. Photo courtesy FUELL.
Erik Buell founded the Buell Motorcycle Company in 1983. Known as a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology, a world-class engineer and an inventor, with over 130,000 motorcycles with his name on them. He brings a wealth of ideas, a proven team, and decades of experience.
FUELL CEO Francois-Xavier “FX” Terny. Photo courtesy FUELL.
F-X Terny, FUELL’s CEO, is a serial entrepreneur, expert in driving new design and approaches to manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution. He brings design directions, disruptive thinking and operational management.
A FUELL Flluid-1S electric bicycle (left) and a FUELL Fllow electric motorcycle (right). Photo courtesy FUELL.
Erik Buell and F-X Terny have brought together an inspiring vision for FUELL that focuses on three main areas: Urban, Electric and an American Brand.
Urban
FUELL is focused on macro-mobility: the “commuters”.
FUELL develops solutions with the best features in the market.
Electric
FUELL designs vehicles from scratch, rethinking each and every feature and component. Not just slapping an electric powertrain into a conventional machine.
An American Brand
FUELL builds best-in-class products made to be strong, sturdy, dependable and unwaveringly high quality.
The key component and first stage of this innovative FUELL vision is the Flluid-1S. The Flluid-1S E-bike is a beautiful and efficient urban mobility vehicle featuring elegant design, premium components, and built to deliver low maintenance and ease of use. Available in dark grey, blue, or silver, the Flluid-1S delivers a wonderful and unique riding experience for the rider in a variety of settings.
FUELL Flluid-1S electric bicycles. Photo courtesy FUELL.
The Flluid-1S comes standard with two large 504Wh Lithium batteries, for a total of over 1kWh, a torque sensing 500w mid motor, and a Gates Carbon belt drive with an internally geared hub. This exceptional E-bike provides incredible efficiency, a sleek modern look and a range of up to 125 miles. Additionally, the Flluid-1S is available for new FUELL dealers to order now as part of the new FUELL Powersports Dealer Program, and FUELL dealers can earn up to 25% margins.
To sign up to become a new FUELL dealer contact FUELL at [email protected] and to learn more about FUELL vehicles, head to www.FUELL.US
Progressive American Flat Track Back at Cal Expo After Two-Year Hiatus
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 17, 2021) – Spectacular Mile flat track motorcycle racing action returns to the legendary Sacramento Mile at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds after a two-year absence with its first-ever doubleheader weekend on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12, as part of the Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) season.
Known as America’s Original Extreme Sport, producing two-wheel legends like Joe Leonard, Mert Lawwill, Kenny Roberts, Scott Parker, Bubba Shobert and Chris Carr, flat track racing brings the nation’s finest dirt track competitors, racing at 140-mile-per-hour speeds, to the famed Cal Expo dirt oval for the track’s 55th and 56th AFT feature events.
The Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation will again be promoted by SDI Racing, LLC, a five-time Cal Expo motorcycle organizer who brings the Progressive AFT divisions of Mission SuperTwins, AFT Production Twins and AFT Singles to the high-speed, daredevil two-wheel specialists. The Doubleheader weekend will feature events on Saturday night under the lights and Sunday afternoon.
The flat track motorcycle athletes will converge on Cal Expo with a variety of two-wheel machinery including Indian Motorcycle, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Royal Enfield and others and will feature the likes of Progressive AFT national champions Jared Mees, Briar Bauman and Bryan Smith (a seven-time Sacramento Mile champion).
The Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile dates back to 1959 on the former California State Fairgrounds oval track and is now hosted at the current Cal Expo site since 1978.
“We are extremely happy to bring the Progressive American Flat Track Series back to Cal Expo this year,” said Steve DiLorenzi, president and CEO of SDI Racing, LLC. “With COVID-19 restrictions, it was very difficult to host the Legendary Sacramento Mile and we needed to wait to the proper time. Now, those restrictions lifting, the great flat track action can return to the West Coast and continue the legacy of the Cal Expo sensational racing. We hope our fans will enjoy the first-ever doubleheader weekend on Sept. 11-12 at Cal Expo with the Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation.”
The Sept. 11-12 weekend will mark the 15th and 16th events on the 17-race 2021 Progressive American Flat Track circuit. The last Sacramento Mile program was run on August 10, 2019 when Mees secured his second consecutive Cal Expo feature win in the Mission SuperTwins class.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to have the Sacramento Mile back on the Progressive American Flat Track schedule in 2021,” said Michael Lock, CEO of Progressive American Flat Track. “With a two-year absence of Progressive AFT on the West Coast due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe the riders, teams, sponsors and fans are excited to return to Cal Expo and its historic dirt oval. The legacy of the Sacramento Mile has established its lore as one of the greatest mile motorcycle tracks ever.”
Tickets for the Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation will go on sale the first week of June and please visit the link at the Cal Expo, SDI-Racing.com and ETix websites.
About the Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation:
The legacy of the Sacramento Mile travels back to 1959 when Grand National champion Carroll Resweber captured the first main event on his Harley-Davidson. Since that historic event, every top flat track motorcycle racer in the world has compete at the California Capitol City dirt oval. Names like Joe Leonard, Bart Markel, Dick Mann, Mert Lawwill, Gene Romero, Kenny Roberts, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Bryan Smith, Jared Mees and Briar Bauman have battled at speeds of 140 miles per hour at Sacramento. Now, with its 55th and 56th feature events in 2021, the Sacramento Mile at Cal Expo has been established as one of flat track racing’s greatest venues and the 2021 Progressive America Flat Track Series will return to the historic track in 2021 for the 15th and 16th races on the 17-event tour.
Ben Young Racing unveils stunning new livery for the upcoming 2021 Canadian Superbike season. Young’s BMW S1000RR bike, designed by C17 Media features some new sponsors, as well as some recognizable, long-standing supporters.
As previously announced, Van Dolder’s Home Team has signed on as title sponsor for the 2021 Canadian Superbike Championship. Ben is excited to have the local, family-owned business on board in a bigger capacity this year. Parts Canada also joins as a new sponsor, keeping Ben safe with Alpinestars gear and HJC Helmets. Motul North America will provide lubricants for the team.
Scot-build Developments Inc, custom home builders from the Thornbury area, will continue their long-time commitment to Ben in his 5th full season of racing in CSBK. Another returning sponsor is Barrie Trim and Mouldings. Clearlite Excavation also hops on board – another local company within Young’s hometown of Collingwood, Ontario.
Additional sponsors include Hindle Exhaust, Wood Craft Technologies, DNA Filters, DP Brakes and Bickle Racing.
Ben Young in his new 2021 livery. Photo by Tim McGill Photography, courtesy Ben Young Racing.
“It’s great to have so many returning sponsors this year, but also exciting to have some new faces along for the ride. Despite the questionable year ahead, everyone has been very supportive, and we’re all looking forward to getting back to the track”.
To keep up-to-date on Ben Young throughout the year visit; www.BenYoungRacing.com, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter and Instagram: @benyoung_86.
The wait is over: WorldSBK returns for Round 1 from MotorLand Aragon
216 days will have passed since the last round of WorldSBK action, but now it’s game on at Aragon.
It’s finally here, the moment we’ve all waited for: the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship fires back into life this weekend for Round 1 of the season, coming from the MotorLand Aragon venue in Alcañiz, Spain. For the first time since 2004, the Championship starts in Europe and with new names, new bikes and refreshed team line-ups all playing a part, we could be in for one of the most unpredictable seasons yet. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) may be the reigning six-time World Champion, but this may well be the hardest challenge yet.
Jonathan Rea has a sparkling record at MotorLand Aragon. He’s never missed the podium since joining Kawasaki in 2015, a run of 17 a record on its own. He’s also aiming for a 100th win in WorldSBK, which would make him the first motorcycle racer in an FIM Road Racing World Championship to win 100 races in one class. He took three wins at Aragon in 2020 and aims to start his quest for a seventh title strongly. His teammate is Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who, despite a preseason testing injury, is ready to make a step in 2021. Rea and Lowes have the new Kawasaki ZX-10RR at their disposal, which features a new fairing and more powerful engine.
The charge to toppling Kawasaki comes from Ducati and they’ve got a strong line-up in 2021. 2020 runner-up Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) remains for a second season, with charismatic Italian sensation Michael Ruben Rinaldi alongside him. Redding took two wins at MotorLand Aragon last year, whilst Rinaldi took a first of his career before going on to take two more podiums throughout the rest of the Teruel Round. Both have tested extensively in preseason, including at Aragon, and with Ducati being the most successful manufacturer at the venue in terms of victories, it may add a different dynamic and complexion to the start of 2021.
The next-best manufacturer in 2020 was Yamaha, with Turkish-ace Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) taking fourth overall last year with three wins. Toprak struggled at Aragon in 2020, breaking into the top five only once from six races at the track, a venue which has been tricky for Yamaha in recent years. Razgatlioglu will have a new teammate for 2021 with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) stepping up, having dominated World Supersport last year, taking 12 wins – of which four were at Aragon. He’s been chipping away in testing, whilst Yamaha have a modified front fairing for 2021 and an evolved engine, as well the new Brembo front brake calipers. Are these steps enough to start the year in competitive fashion?
Whilst Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) and teammate Leon Haslam remain with Honda for 2021 and achieved an identical points tally in 2020, there’s still plenty of big talking points at HRC for 2021. The first is ex-WorldSBK star Leon Camier is the new team manager, having retired from racing after an injury-hit 2020. The other major change is the technological advances with the motorcycle, such as an upgraded engine, new exhaust system and seat unit, not to mention a swingarm that had been trialled in testing. The HRC engineers back in Japan have invested a lot of time into making the Fireblade CBR1000RR-R SP a constant front-running contender and with Aragon being the scene of the bike’s first podium in 2020 and the scene of plenty of preseason testing, it could be a strong start. After all, Bautista did win three races at the venue back in 2019, when he was a rookie…
The last of the five factories is BMW, who come out fighting in 2021 with an all-new M 1000 RR, the first Superbike derived from their M-series department. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) starts a third season with the German manufacturer and the season starts where he achieved the first front row for the manufacturer on their return in 2019. Sykes has more poles than anyone else at Aragon, whilst new teammate Michael van der Mark was a consistent front-runner in 2020 across both Aragon weekends. Still adapting to the new bike, which features winglets, a new engine and a whole host of other advances, van der Mark hopes to start 2021 in solid fashion.
Now to the Independent stars: the undisputed King of Aragon is Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), who gets started with his new team. Seven wins and eight other podiums, Davies – the highest point-scorer of all riders from the final three rounds of 2020 – may be in the fight this weekend. Another top Independent threat comes from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), who took two podiums at the final round of 2020 and has the 2021-spec Yamaha for this year. Lots of testing, including at MotorLand Aragon, Gerloff should be at the front. Three other familiar names with Independent teams in 2021 are Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse), who debuts with the new team, Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), with the Argentinean-ace starting a new challenge and Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha), who brings the iconic Alstare name back to WorldSBK.
There’s lots of rookies in Independent teams in 2021, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) being the fastest coming into the season, whilst ex Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) joins the grid from MotoGP™. 2017 WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) graduates and Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) brings his radical riding style to WorldSBK to fly the flag for Japan. Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) steps up to the class, whilst one of the youngest teams on the grid is the TPR Team Pedercini Racing squad, with 22-year-old Belgian Loris Cresson and 23-year-old Italian Samuele Cavalieri. Finally, the youngest rider on the grid is Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who has made a solid first impression during testing.
MotoGP™ remains at the Sachsenring for another five years
The classic German track will remain on the MotoGP™ calendar until at least 2026
Dorna Sports and the ADAC are delighted to announce that the Sachsenring will remain the home of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The ADAC and MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna will continue their successful partnership until at least 2026, establishing a long-term basis for the continued existence of one of the largest individual sporting events in Germany.
The motorcycle spectacle at the iconic circuit near Hohenstein-Ernstthal has been one of the highlights of the sporting year in Germany since 1998. Each year, roughly 200,000 fans flock to the Sachsenring to watch the world’s best motorcycle riders.
Hermann Tomczyk, ADAC Sport President: “I am delighted that the ADAC, together with Dorna Sports and the support of the Free State of Saxony, will continue to stage the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring for the next five years. In these difficult times, it was important for us to lay the foundations for this in good time, and to give the Sachsenring – a Mecca for motorcycles – a long-term prospect. MotoGP at the Sachsenring has been a highlight of the season for motorcycle fans for a long time and is an established major event on the sporting calendar in Germany.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are very proud to announce the Sachsenring will remain part of the MotoGP calendar for a further five years. The German Grand Prix is a huge event for motorsport in the area, region and country, and Germany has a long and rich history within motorcycle racing. It’s a vital stop on our calendar and we’re delighted to secure the future of the event, returning to the unique Sachsenring until at least 2026.”
The 2021 German GP will take place behind closed doors due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, before the Sachsenring hopes to welcome fans back in future – a future now confirmed until at least 2026.
Gurecky checks out for stunning wet weather win at Le Mans
The Czech rider was in a league of his own, with Luciano and Hosciuc completing the podium after a dramatic Race 2
The start of Northern Talent Cup Race Two at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 16 May 2021
After just losing out on Saturday, Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) hit back in Race 2 in serious style. Getting to the front early, the Czech rider then checked out in more tricky wet conditions for the Northern Talent Cup, taking his first win of the season by a whopping 17.891 seconds. Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) took a solid second place to stay equal on points, however, with Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) completing the podium to bounce back from his Race 1 disappointment.
Off the line it was Luciano taking off in the lead as Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) took it steadier on take two, but Gurecky was up there despite the damp – as was his teammate Jonas Kocourek as the race began in an almost as-you-were from Race 1.
It didn’t take long for Gurecky to strike for the lead. A perfectly pitched move nearing Turn 1 saw the number 59 hit the front, and he never looked back from there. Pulling out tenths and then seconds, he looked imperious throughout with constant fastest laps coming in. Lapping everyone nearly up to the top ten, he crossed the line alone after a stunning performance to take the Championship lead.
Luciano kept it clean for a solid 20 points, the Belgian escaping one out-the-seat moment out of Turn 14 that caught out a huge number of riders. Kocourek crashed out of the podium fight, as did Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team), with Hosciuc learning from his Saturday excursion to calmly come home in third.
Niklas Kitzbichler (Racing-Team-Kitzbichler) impressed once again to take fourth place, the Austrian keeping it clean and tidy on Sunday for his best finish. Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) completed the top five despite a crash, the Dutchman recovering incredibly, as did Swiss rookie Lenoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) in another impressive race day showing. Rio Olofsen (Team KNMV) wasn’t far off in seventh either.
Jordan Bartucca (Allesauto Racing) stormed through to take a impressive P8, ahead of Korbinian Brandl (RBR – Racing) as he found some Sunday redemption. Polish rider Mateusz Molik (Speed Day Junior Racing Team) completed the top ten.
A wet weather double at Le Mans gave us an intriguing start to 2021, and there’s no time at all before Round 2. Get ready for Oschersleben and the scene of pre-season testing as we get back on track next weekend!
Toronto, ON – The Canadian National Superbike Championship, CSBK, have announced a variety of updates given the Ontario Provincial Government’s revised Pandemic guidelines from Thursday, May 13. At their most recent briefing yesterday, Ontario’s leadership indicated that the Province would not start to ease current strict restrictions until Wednesday, June 2, at the earliest.
It is unlikely that there will be any spectator events in Ontario this summer, however CSBK and our partners are prepared to operate as we did in 2020.
CSBK will not conduct 2021 National events until the border with Quebec opens and allows Quebec-based competitors to race outside their home province.
CSBK have cancelled the planned opening of the National tour, a Pro Superbike only event originally set for Calabogie Motorsports Park on June 5. The first-ever Pro 6 GP Race Series round, scheduled for the same time at Calabogie, has also been cancelled. Pro 6 is exploring an alternate date later in the season at Calabogie Motorsports park to maintain their 4 race championship series.
The current plan has the full CSBK National tour starting at Grand Bend Motorplex in western Ontario June 11-13. Grand Bend will be the first event to offer 2021 coverage on The Sports Network, TSN, with separate episodes devoted to each of two Pro Superbike Feature races.
However, there is concern that a possible extension of travel restrictions due to COVID-19 might affect this initial Grand Bend National date.
CSBK staff aim to provide further scheduling information as soon as the Ontario Provincial government have updated guidelines for restrictions, likely in late May. In the meantime, the rest of the 2021 Schedule remains to be confirmed, awaiting these updates on Provincial rules and stay-at-home guidelines.
The first round of the new Pro 6 GP regional Race Series is rescheduled to July 10-11, also likely combined with a CSBK National date at Calabogie Motorsports Park, south west of Ottawa, ON.
The Pro 6 TRAC School schedule for Calabogie Motorsports Park, May 22-23, will be rescheduled for the first appropriate later date. Many planned TRAC School participants are aiming to race in the Pro 6 GP and CSBK events in 2021.
Gloves off: Granado defeats Zaccone and Casadei in an electrifying showdown at Le Mans
A freight train fight at the front sees the Brazilian seal the deal at the final corner, with even more drama to come after the flag
Eric Granado (51) takes victory in the MotoE race at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 16 May 2021
The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup race at the SHARK Grand Prix de France was an instant classic, with One Energy Racing’s Eric Granado emerging victorious after a last lap and last corner attack on Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE). Even more drama came after that, with Zaccone crossing the line second but then demoted a place for track limits and classified in third. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was promoted to second, the Italian’s stunning ride up from the fifth row of the grid to the podium boosted even more.
There was drama from the off as even before the start of the race, both Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) – who was scheduled to start from P2 – and Andrea Mantovani (Indonesian E-Racing MotoE) crashed on their out-laps, causing them to miss the race.
Once the lights went out though, polesitter Granado got the best getaway but it was Zaccone who was bravest into Turn 3, the Jerez race winner into the lead. The Italian was out of shape as he squeezed on the power but he held on, with everyone else safely negotiating the tricky Turn 3 and 4 chicane on Lap 1 as well. Zaccone was then wide at Turn 8 though and that allowed Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) to take over at the front. Granado was shoved down to P6 on the opening lap, the Brazilian taking it steady early on.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) was into P2 from 10th on the grid, and the Japanese rookie was into the lead at Turn 7. It was a sensational start to the race but drama was about to unfold at Turn 3 on the third lap between two rookies: Okubo and Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team). Coming into the chicane hot, Aldeguer was up the inside and both he and Okubo went down, riders ok.
Zaccone was then back in the lead at Turn 11 on Lap 3, as a MotoE™ freight train battled it out in spectacular fashion at Le Mans. The top eight were locked together but Granado was picking his way back through the pack, up to P3 and then swiftly P2 on the penultimate lap, passing Aegerter at Turn 13 – a move we’d see again a couple of minutes later…
Zaccone was the race leader on the last lap but went slightly deep into Turn 3, and that cost him a good exit heading down the hill into Turn 6. Granado pounced. In doing so though, he went wide and left a gap, which Zaccone gobbled up to gain the lead once more. Aegerter nearly tagged the back of Granado at Turn 7 as he and Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) were forced slightly wide, and that allowed Casadei to move into P3.
A move for the race lead didn’t come until Turn 13. Just as he did a lap earlier, Granado sliced his way up the inside, and this time Zaccone was the victim for the lead. The Italian snapped straight back though and shoved it up the inside at the final corner, but he was wide and Granado slipped back through. That was that and the Brazilian takes a stunning first win of the year after battling through in style. Zaccone crossed the line second, ahead of Casadei, but then the timing screens changed: the number 61 had a one position penalty and would take 16 points. Track limits, for which he’d already had a warning, bit late.
Zaccone is nevertheless still the points leader and now has an eight-point advantage, with Casadei level on points with fourth place finisher Aegerter now after his P2. Granado’s win beings him right back into the title frame having crashed in Jerez.
Reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and sixth place Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) finished less than a second away from the win, and Tulovic crossed the line in seventh after having held P3 in the latter stages but getting sent wide. Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) made a mistake at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap that cost him a chance at fighting for a first rostrum of the year, the 2019 World Cup winner finished P8.
Corentin Perolari (Tech3 E-Racing) and Maria Herrera (Openbank Aspar Team) rounded out the top 10, with Kevin Zannoni (LCR E-Team), Andre Pires (Avintia Esponsorama Racing), teammate Xavi Cardelus, Jasper Iwema (Pons Racing 40) and Aldeguer completing the points.
So that’s that, arguably the best MotoE™ race there has been so far as 2021 continues in dazzling style. The next time we’ll see the MotoE™ riders heading into battle is at the Catalan GP at the start of June, so it’s not long to wait!
MotoE™ podium
1 Eric Granado – One Energy Racing – Energica – 14:33.776
Eric Granado: “I’m very happy! I made a mistake in Jerez and I really wanted redemption here. The weekend was good for me in dry and wet, yesterday I had a nasty crash. Today I was trying to take it easy. In the first laps I had some movements on the rear, I was really calm after that and trying to do clear overtakes and be consistent. Finally, it was good, I had a little more possibility than the others in the braking and I could overtake. I am very happy, this result is really special for me, after so many races with problems so yes very happy. I want to say thank you to my team, for trusting me in my job.”
Score settled! Miller wins wild flag-to-flag in France
Zarco and Quartararo complete the podium on home turf, but Miller reigns supreme as Le Mans delivers a flag-to-flag thriller
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 16 May 2021
It says Thriller on the back of his helmet and twice on the bounce that’s now been a fitting moniker for Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). This time round at the SHARK Grand Prix de France it was a flag-to-flag spectacular that saw him come out on top, overcoming two Long Lap penalties to become the first Australian since Casey Stoner in 2012 to win back-to-back races in the premier class. He said on Thursday he had a score to settle with Le Mans, and settled it now very much is. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) hunted down compatriot Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in the latter stages to take second place, with the French riders completing the podium on home turf and Quartararo now back in the points lead to boot.
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Ahead of lights out for the premier class, the race was declared dry. No rain had fallen since Warm Up but there were some looming dark clouds in the surrounding area, and tensions were understandably palpable on the grid. The entire field had selected the soft-soft slick Michelins to begin the race on, with some forecasts suggesting there might be some rain on the way…
It was dry for the time being though and as somewhat expected, Miller propelled his Ducati off the line for the holeshot from third on the grid, with both Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Quartararo holding firm ish to stay inside the top three. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had two bites of the cherry for P4 against Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), first at Turn 7, then Turn 8.
Fabio Quartararo (20) and Jack Miller. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Not long after coming out of Turn 10, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) then had a huge moment. The Spaniard stayed on but it gave Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and his teammate Franco Morbidelli a look up the inside at Turn 11, but three into one didn’t go and the door was closed on Morbidelli as the Italian ran wide before crashing in the gravel. That caused Rossi and Pol Espargaro to lose places too, with Morbidelli able to re-join but at the back.
Meanwhile at the front, Miller, Viñales and Quartararo were the top three, with fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Marc Marquez inside the top five… but the rain had started falling. It was light to begin with and Quartararo made a phenomenal two-in-one move on Viñales and Miller at Turn 3, but then it got heavier. On Lap 5, the heavens properly opened and it was time for the field to come into pitlane for a bike swap. For the first time in four years, we had a flag-to-flag.
Miller ran wide at Turn 11 as the riders struggled to finish the lap on slicks, and reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) sadly found that out. The number 36 crashed on Lap 5 when the rain started bucketing down, and more drama followed elsewhere in pitlane. Both Miller and teammate Francesco Bagnaia were handed two Long Lap penalties each for speeding in pitlane, and Quartararo pulled into Viñales’ box slot by accident to earn himself a Long Lap. After that, Marc Marquez emerged as the race leader in the shuffle…
Rins was second as the riders re-entered the track too, but at Turn 4, the Spaniard was down. That left Marc Marquez and Quartararo clear of Miller at the front, but the eight-time World Champion was then down at the final corner in another bout of drama not long after. The 93 did manage to get back on track but that put Quartararo back in front as the race leader again. Miller was rapidly closing in but the Australian had two long laps to take. He did so quickly on Laps 9 and 10, getting back out and setting his sights back on Quartararo, soon able to home back in.
On Lap 12, Quartararo dived through the Long Lap penalty area but still came out in P2. His advantage over third place, who then was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), was 12 seconds and Miller was in the groove at the front to pull out a four second lead over Quartararo. Zarco was coming though, and the Pramac rider soon grabbed P3 from Nakagami at Turn 3. The Frenchman then started to close down compatriot Quartararo at a high rate of knots as well, nearly two seconds a lap as dry lines started to appear. There was no rain falling either, so could we actually see the riders come into pitlane for another bike swap?
Marc Marquez then crashed again at Turn 6, his second of the race, and he was out on Lap 18. We then saw Miller kick his right leg out on the front straight – was he signalling to get the dry bike ready? He and Quartararo were on the soft and Zarco on the medium, and the Pramac rider was reeling in his compatriot at least with the gap down to 2.5s with seven to go…
Astonishingly, the sun was shining too. Zarco was 1.8s quicker than Quartararo once again, as Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) got the better of Nakagami for P4 and P5 respectively, relegating the Japanese rider to sixth. Bagnaia was on his own charge too after a terrible start and two Long Laps, and he overtook the Japanese rider with six to go.
Further up the road, Zarco had arrived on the scene and blasted past Quartararo on the home straight to take P2, seven seconds behind Miller. In turn, Quartararo had 12 seconds in his pocket to Alex Marquez, so it seemed the podium could be decided, barring any more drama.
Five to go and Zarco was hunting Miller, and there wasn’t time left to come into pitlane, head back out and use the slick tyre advantage – not for the leaders anyway. Miller was holding on with a cracking effort though, his lead was staying just above the five second mark as Bagnaia climbed his way to P4 just down the road.
Three to go. Miller’s lead was 4.9s, Zarco was holding Quartararo at bay by nearly seven seconds, and Bagnaia was eight seconds off the final podium place in fourth. Heading onto Lap 26 of 27, the gap was down to 4.3s between the leading duo and Bagnaia was cutting the gap to Quartararo by nearly two seconds a lap. By the final lap though, it remained Miller’s to lose, his advantage still above the four second mark. Quartararo’s gap to Pecco was 3.4s, and so that was all she wrote after a tense, taught and fairly dramatic French GP.
After banishing the early season demons in Jerez, Miller now sits just 16 points away from the title lead as Zarco returns to the podium following a trickier couple of races in Portugal and Spain. He and Quartararo make it two Frenchman on the podium at the French GP – not bad from the latter who underwent arm pump surgery after the Spanish GP and faced heartbreak at the venue in the wet last year. Bagnaia’s fourth was a uper ride and result after his two Long Lap penalties and a P16 start that saw him lose a few places off the line to boot. He may have lost his World Championship lead, but only by a point…
Petrucci has had a tough start to life as a KTM rider, but the 2020 Le Mans race winner delivered by far his best ride of the season to finish in an impressive P5. LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez also grabs his best result of the season at a circuit he scored a podium at last year, the double World Champion leading teammate Nakagami over the line in sixth and seventh for LCR. Pol Espargaro equals his best finish of the campaign in P8, with Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) snatching P9 off Viñales on the last lap to land a morale-boosting P9. Viñales had to settle for P10 at the chequered flag, a muted result after leading the race in the early stages.
Rossi lost some valuable time in the early stages and The Doctor wasn’t able to make up ground when the rain fell, taking P11 at Le Mans. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) was 10 seconds behind his half brother in P12, and the Italian comfortably beat 13th place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) after a tough weekend for the South African. Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) and Tito Rabat (Pramac Racing) were the final point scorers, with Morbidelli managing to finish the race but in a lonely P16.
Both Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate Lorenzo Savadori suffered mechanical issues on Sunday afternoon, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) joined the Suzukis and Marc Marquez in crashing out.
That was another absolutely breathtaking MotoGP™ race, and our first flag-to-flag in four years. An unbelievable afternoon in northern France sees the top four in the title race sit just 16 points apart, and it’s now Quartararo leading the way from Bagnaia, Zarco and Miller. Next up: the spectacular Mugello… Ducati home turf.
MotoGP™ podium
1 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 47:25.473
Jack Miller: “Hectic, very hectic, I mean, it was perfectly still just before but halfway through the race when the rain came, the wind came with it and it was…. honestly, as I came down pitlane, the barrier blew into pitlane and I said they are going to red flag this for sure, but then it dropped off relatively quickly. The first couple laps were dodgy on the wet tyres, but I got going and then I had the long laps, I wasn’t sure why, apparently for speeding. I generally do get speeding tickets in France, not the ones I want! I was able to bosh them out pretty quickly and get to work on Fabio and I got in front of him and I just felt comfortable to be honest, I was just riding into the conditions, I saw Johann was coming so I had to up her a bit for the last five laps but the track was pretty much dry again. I was thinking do I pit or not, because it such a long pit road here and you lose a lot of time so I was just counting down the laps but, yeah, absolutely amazing I can’t believe it. Back to back wins is just fantastic and I can’t thank the team enough, they’re awesome and yeah!”
A Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2, Bezzecchi in third and a dramatic crash out for Lowes sees Le Mans mix up the standings
Raul Fernandez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just continues to impress in the intermediate class, with the Spanish rookie taking a second Moto2™ win in by-now signature style at the front. Teammate Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) kept him honest in the latter stages for another consistent top finish, with Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the podium to continue his rostrum run. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out in an early DNF.
With no rain falling since Moto2™ Warm Up, the circuit had a clear dry line after the Moto3™ race. That meant everyone was starting on slicks, and it was Bezzecchi who pounced into the lead from the start as Raul Fernandez managed to cement P2, the field safely negotiating Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 1. There was contact between Gardner and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), but disaster was avoided. Not for Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) though, who was making early progress before the Spaniard went down hard at Turn 9 on the opening lap, rider ok.
Lap 2 saw Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crash out of the top three as Raul Fernandez bridged the early gap that Bezzecchi had pulled on the field. World Championship leader Gardner and then-nearest challenger Lowes were P9 and P8 respectively, with the top three – Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) – enjoying a second lead over the gaggle of riders from P4 to P11.
Lap 4 then witnessed three riders all go off the road at Turn 8 – including Lowes. Up the inside of Vierge, Lowes tucked the front as both went down, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) running wide just ahead of the duo. Unable to get going again, Lowes’ French GP was over. Then, running P2, Roberts was down at Turn 9 after running in too hot on the brakes and clipping Bezzecchi. meanwhile, Raul Fernandez picked up the baton and took over at the front after a dramatic opening handful of laps in the Moto2™ race.
Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was occupying P3 with Gardner now up to 4th, but he had hard-charging rookie Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) on his tail. More drama hit just behind too, as Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) crashed out from P6 at Turn 11 with a little helping hand from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), the Italian handed a Long Lap penalty. Which he took quickly but overcooked so had to do a second.
At the front though, Raul Fernandez was edging his lead up to a second over Bezzecchi, the latter slowly falling into the grasps of the Bendsneyder, Gardner and Arbolino squabble. The leading quintet were six seconds ahead of sixth place Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), the German entangled in a fight with rookies Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and his teammate Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), up from well down on the grid.
Raul Fernandez was keeping his advantage around the one second mark, with Bezzecchi pulling nearly a second clear of the trio behind him. On Lap 14, the race leader set a 1:36.993 to stretch his lead to 1.2s over Bezzecchi. However, a lap later it was back down to below a second as Fernandez’s teammate Gardner poached third off Bendsneyder at Turn 11 – the Aussie then 2.2s behind the race leader. A lap later, Arbolino then slipped past Bendsneyder too.
Now in clean air, the Gardner charge was on. A fastest lap of the race came in from the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider but it was only narrowly quicker than Bezzecchi ahead of him, the gap separating the top three set at 1.7s with seven to go. Bezzecchi then made a mistake at Turn 8, running wide onto the green, allowing Gardner to stroll through into P2. With the bit between his teeth, Gardner started to reel in teammate Fernandez by four tenths on Lap 20 of 25, setting up a very intriguing final five laps between two title contenders.
Undeterred though, Raul Fernandez was holding his nerve. As he clocked another lap and headed onto Lap 23, the Spaniard set his fastest lap of the race and his lead was now 1.8s. And with one lap remaining in France, it went up another tenth. No mistakes were made from the rookie sensation on the final lap, and Fernandez crossed the line to win his second race of 2021. Gardner made it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 as a single point splits Gardner and Raul Fernandez in the overall standings, and Bezzecchi pockets his second podium in a row with a solid P3 ride.
Arbolino landed his best Moto2™ result with a fantastic P4 at Le Mans, just ahead of an impressive ride from Bendsneyder as the Dutch rider earns his best result of the season, the same can be said for sixth place Schrötter. Ogura cements another top 10 in P7 as three rookies finish inside the top 10, Di Giannantonio took P8 after his two Long Laps, a solid salvage job.
Veteran Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) produced his best ride of the season to finish P9, with Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) completing the top 10. Somkiat Chantra, Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing), reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) and Hafizh Syahrin (NTW RW Racing GP) are the remaining point scorers.
Beaubier crashed out of sixth place at Turn 3 in the latter stages, Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was another rider to crash out of the points.
And so it’s another day that belongs to Red Bull KTM Ajo, as Gardner and Raul Fernandez now sit P1 and P2 in the World Championship. Lowes loses crucial ground as Bezzecchi keeps tabs on his title rivals, with the latter’s home race at Mugello now next up. Tune in for more in a fortnight!
Moto2™ podium:
1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 40:46.101
2 Remy Gardner- Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +1.490
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – +4.599
Raul Fernandez: “It was a really difficult race, especially the second sector was wet, the front tyre was too cool at the start and I waited four or five laps behind Marco. When I thought the tyre was warmer I pushed a bit more, overtook Marco and pushed like in FP2, and it was really good. In the end I could do a good race and I’m really happy. It’s amazing to win again and in difficult conditions. I like this track a lot I remember I got second in the Junior World Championship here in 2018. Incredible, I want to thank my team as they keep me calm in difficult moments and that’s the most important.”
More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:
Best performance in Moto2 for Lorenzo Dalla Porta.
Joe Roberts crashes out fighting for the victory.
Fifth round of the season for the MotoGP World Championship, today on track at Le Mans on the Bugatti Circuit, well known throughout the world for the historic 24 Hours.
A tough French Grand Prix due to the uncertain weather conditions, with positive prospects for Italtrans Racing Team, third in qualifying with Joe Roberts.
Starting from the first row, the American rider immediately searched the lead, but unfortunately he crashed after only four laps while he was 2nd and was pushing to catch the lead.
Best performance in Moto2 for Lorenzo Dalla Porta. Starting 21st on the grid, the Tuscan rider was consistent, riding a comeback race until the 6th position. Unfortunately, in the last five laps, some problems to his arm made him slow down and finish 11th, close to the top ten.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta (19). Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
11°
“Today the top 6 was within our reach: I was 7th but problems with my arm made my slow down. It’s a shame because the weekend started badly, but it was finishing better. I still got some important points. Now let’s think about our home race”.
Joe Roberts (16) battling Marco Bezzecchi (72) and Raul Fernandez for the lead in the Moto2 race at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing.
Joe Roberts
nc
“It’s a pity for today. I felt really strong and from the first lap we had the pace to try win the race. I was trying to get close to Bezzecchi to make a pass but he broke a little bit more than I expected and I had to avoid him losing the front. It’s a big shame. We have to take the positive side from this weekend, because we showed we can turn the tide. I’m looking for the test we have in Barcelona and the race in Mugello”.
Giovanni Sandi, Technical Director
“We were better than the others, but Joe made a mistake. On the other hand, Lorenzo had a good race starting from the back and rose to 6th place. It’s a shame about his forearm problem, otherwise he would have had the top six. Today we could have done more: we go home reflecting on these results and preparing for the home GP”.
More, from a press release issued by American Racing Team:
Cameron Beaubier crashes out of top six Moto2 finish in France
Marcos Ramirez earns valuable championship points at Le Mans
LE MANS, France (May 16, 2021) — American Racing faced an uphill battle at Le Mans after Marcos Ramirez and Cameron Beaubier qualified deep in the 31-rider field for the Grand Prix of France, Round 5 of the FIM Moto2 World Championship.
Located southwest of Paris, the 2.6-mile Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix Race Circuit has 14 corners, nine rights and five lefts. Beaubier, who last raced at Le Mans in 2009, struggled to reacquaint himself with the track amid rapidly changing weather conditions.
“It’s been pretty wild—wet, dry, wet, dry,” said the 28-year-old American. “That made it a little bit tough to learn the track in dry conditions, because everyone just lays the hammer down when it’s full dry. I’m just trying to improve step by step.”
Following the cold, wet morning warmup, partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the low 60s and a light wind greeted riders on the starting grid for the 25-lap race. The track surface was drying quickly, and all the three-cylinder Triumph 765-powered machines were fitted with Dunlop slicks.
Cameron Beaubier (6). Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Beaubier took advantage of early attrition, marching quickly from his 23rd starting spot into the top 15. By lap 7, he was ninth. Three laps later, the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion was seventh.
Beaubier was sixth, leading a group of five and lapping in the low- to mid-1:38s, when he crashed at Turn 3 with five laps remaining in the race.
“Thanks to the team,” he said, “I’ve been getting more comfortable on the bike and making some progress, but sorry at the same time, because we were so close to a good result.”
Marcos Ramirez (42). Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Ramirez didn’t move forward as quickly as his teammate, even going backward in the opening laps. The 23-year-old Spaniard steadily worked his way into the top 20 and all the way to 14th at the checkers, dipping into the 1:37s on the final lap.
“After some problems yesterday for the qualifying, I’m happy about taking two points,” said Ramirez. “The race was strange: I lost so much time in the beginning. Then, I started to recover a lot. The last 10 laps were so good.”
KTM Ajo rider Raul Fernandez won the race. His teammate, Remy Gardner, was second and leads the title chase by one point. After five rounds, Beaubier is 16th in the championship standings. Ramirez is 21st.
Round 6 of the FIM Moto2 World Championship, the Grand Prix of Italy at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, is May 28-30.
About the American Racing Team
The American Racing Team is owned by Avner Kass and Eitan Butbul and competes in the FIM MotoGP World Championship. Based in California, the team fields two riders in the Moto2 class: American Cameron Beaubier (No. 6) and Spaniard Marcos Ramirez (No. 42). American Racing has grown under Butbul’s guidance and is a respected member of the MotoGP paddock.
A rider on a FUELL Flluid-1S electric bicycle. Photo courtesy FUELL.
Who is FUELL?
May 17, 2021 – Who is FUELL? That’s a great question. FUELL is an innovative manufacturer serving the electric urban mobility revolution across a full range of form factors and technologies. FUELL is led by two leaders with real experience and the drive to change urban mobility. The two visionaries moving FUELL into the future are Erik Buell and Francois-Xavier (aka “FX”) Terny.
FUELL Chief Technical Officer Erik Buell. Photo courtesy FUELL.
Erik Buell founded the Buell Motorcycle Company in 1983. Known as a pioneer of modern race motorcycle technology, a world-class engineer and an inventor, with over 130,000 motorcycles with his name on them. He brings a wealth of ideas, a proven team, and decades of experience.
FUELL CEO Francois-Xavier “FX” Terny. Photo courtesy FUELL.
F-X Terny, FUELL’s CEO, is a serial entrepreneur, expert in driving new design and approaches to manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution. He brings design directions, disruptive thinking and operational management.
A FUELL Flluid-1S electric bicycle (left) and a FUELL Fllow electric motorcycle (right). Photo courtesy FUELL.
Erik Buell and F-X Terny have brought together an inspiring vision for FUELL that focuses on three main areas: Urban, Electric and an American Brand.
Urban
FUELL is focused on macro-mobility: the “commuters”.
FUELL develops solutions with the best features in the market.
Electric
FUELL designs vehicles from scratch, rethinking each and every feature and component. Not just slapping an electric powertrain into a conventional machine.
An American Brand
FUELL builds best-in-class products made to be strong, sturdy, dependable and unwaveringly high quality.
The key component and first stage of this innovative FUELL vision is the Flluid-1S. The Flluid-1S E-bike is a beautiful and efficient urban mobility vehicle featuring elegant design, premium components, and built to deliver low maintenance and ease of use. Available in dark grey, blue, or silver, the Flluid-1S delivers a wonderful and unique riding experience for the rider in a variety of settings.
FUELL Flluid-1S electric bicycles. Photo courtesy FUELL.
The Flluid-1S comes standard with two large 504Wh Lithium batteries, for a total of over 1kWh, a torque sensing 500w mid motor, and a Gates Carbon belt drive with an internally geared hub. This exceptional E-bike provides incredible efficiency, a sleek modern look and a range of up to 125 miles. Additionally, the Flluid-1S is available for new FUELL dealers to order now as part of the new FUELL Powersports Dealer Program, and FUELL dealers can earn up to 25% margins.
To sign up to become a new FUELL dealer contact FUELL at [email protected] and to learn more about FUELL vehicles, head to www.FUELL.US
Action from a previous Sacramento Mile. Photo courtesy AFT.
Progressive American Flat Track Back at Cal Expo After Two-Year Hiatus
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 17, 2021) – Spectacular Mile flat track motorcycle racing action returns to the legendary Sacramento Mile at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds after a two-year absence with its first-ever doubleheader weekend on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Sunday, Sept. 12, as part of the Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) season.
Known as America’s Original Extreme Sport, producing two-wheel legends like Joe Leonard, Mert Lawwill, Kenny Roberts, Scott Parker, Bubba Shobert and Chris Carr, flat track racing brings the nation’s finest dirt track competitors, racing at 140-mile-per-hour speeds, to the famed Cal Expo dirt oval for the track’s 55th and 56th AFT feature events.
The Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation will again be promoted by SDI Racing, LLC, a five-time Cal Expo motorcycle organizer who brings the Progressive AFT divisions of Mission SuperTwins, AFT Production Twins and AFT Singles to the high-speed, daredevil two-wheel specialists. The Doubleheader weekend will feature events on Saturday night under the lights and Sunday afternoon.
The flat track motorcycle athletes will converge on Cal Expo with a variety of two-wheel machinery including Indian Motorcycle, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, Royal Enfield and others and will feature the likes of Progressive AFT national champions Jared Mees, Briar Bauman and Bryan Smith (a seven-time Sacramento Mile champion).
The Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile dates back to 1959 on the former California State Fairgrounds oval track and is now hosted at the current Cal Expo site since 1978.
“We are extremely happy to bring the Progressive American Flat Track Series back to Cal Expo this year,” said Steve DiLorenzi, president and CEO of SDI Racing, LLC. “With COVID-19 restrictions, it was very difficult to host the Legendary Sacramento Mile and we needed to wait to the proper time. Now, those restrictions lifting, the great flat track action can return to the West Coast and continue the legacy of the Cal Expo sensational racing. We hope our fans will enjoy the first-ever doubleheader weekend on Sept. 11-12 at Cal Expo with the Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation.”
The Sept. 11-12 weekend will mark the 15th and 16th events on the 17-race 2021 Progressive American Flat Track circuit. The last Sacramento Mile program was run on August 10, 2019 when Mees secured his second consecutive Cal Expo feature win in the Mission SuperTwins class.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to have the Sacramento Mile back on the Progressive American Flat Track schedule in 2021,” said Michael Lock, CEO of Progressive American Flat Track. “With a two-year absence of Progressive AFT on the West Coast due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe the riders, teams, sponsors and fans are excited to return to Cal Expo and its historic dirt oval. The legacy of the Sacramento Mile has established its lore as one of the greatest mile motorcycle tracks ever.”
Tickets for the Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation will go on sale the first week of June and please visit the link at the Cal Expo, SDI-Racing.com and ETix websites.
About the Law Tigers Legendary Sacramento Mile presented by Knauf Insulation:
The legacy of the Sacramento Mile travels back to 1959 when Grand National champion Carroll Resweber captured the first main event on his Harley-Davidson. Since that historic event, every top flat track motorcycle racer in the world has compete at the California Capitol City dirt oval. Names like Joe Leonard, Bart Markel, Dick Mann, Mert Lawwill, Gene Romero, Kenny Roberts, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Bryan Smith, Jared Mees and Briar Bauman have battled at speeds of 140 miles per hour at Sacramento. Now, with its 55th and 56th feature events in 2021, the Sacramento Mile at Cal Expo has been established as one of flat track racing’s greatest venues and the 2021 Progressive America Flat Track Series will return to the historic track in 2021 for the 15th and 16th races on the 17-event tour.
Ben Young and his Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW in new 2021 livery. Photo by Tim McGill Photography, courtesy Ben Young Racing.
Ben Young Racing unveils stunning new livery for the upcoming 2021 Canadian Superbike season. Young’s BMW S1000RR bike, designed by C17 Media features some new sponsors, as well as some recognizable, long-standing supporters.
As previously announced, Van Dolder’s Home Team has signed on as title sponsor for the 2021 Canadian Superbike Championship. Ben is excited to have the local, family-owned business on board in a bigger capacity this year. Parts Canada also joins as a new sponsor, keeping Ben safe with Alpinestars gear and HJC Helmets. Motul North America will provide lubricants for the team.
Scot-build Developments Inc, custom home builders from the Thornbury area, will continue their long-time commitment to Ben in his 5th full season of racing in CSBK. Another returning sponsor is Barrie Trim and Mouldings. Clearlite Excavation also hops on board – another local company within Young’s hometown of Collingwood, Ontario.
Additional sponsors include Hindle Exhaust, Wood Craft Technologies, DNA Filters, DP Brakes and Bickle Racing.
Ben Young in his new 2021 livery. Photo by Tim McGill Photography, courtesy Ben Young Racing.
“It’s great to have so many returning sponsors this year, but also exciting to have some new faces along for the ride. Despite the questionable year ahead, everyone has been very supportive, and we’re all looking forward to getting back to the track”.
To keep up-to-date on Ben Young throughout the year visit; www.BenYoungRacing.com, www.facebook.com/BenYoungRacing and on Twitter and Instagram: @benyoung_86.
The start of a World Superbike race at Motorland Aragon in 2020. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The wait is over: WorldSBK returns for Round 1 from MotorLand Aragon
216 days will have passed since the last round of WorldSBK action, but now it’s game on at Aragon.
It’s finally here, the moment we’ve all waited for: the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship fires back into life this weekend for Round 1 of the season, coming from the MotorLand Aragon venue in Alcañiz, Spain. For the first time since 2004, the Championship starts in Europe and with new names, new bikes and refreshed team line-ups all playing a part, we could be in for one of the most unpredictable seasons yet. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) may be the reigning six-time World Champion, but this may well be the hardest challenge yet.
Jonathan Rea has a sparkling record at MotorLand Aragon. He’s never missed the podium since joining Kawasaki in 2015, a run of 17 a record on its own. He’s also aiming for a 100th win in WorldSBK, which would make him the first motorcycle racer in an FIM Road Racing World Championship to win 100 races in one class. He took three wins at Aragon in 2020 and aims to start his quest for a seventh title strongly. His teammate is Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who, despite a preseason testing injury, is ready to make a step in 2021. Rea and Lowes have the new Kawasaki ZX-10RR at their disposal, which features a new fairing and more powerful engine.
The charge to toppling Kawasaki comes from Ducati and they’ve got a strong line-up in 2021. 2020 runner-up Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) remains for a second season, with charismatic Italian sensation Michael Ruben Rinaldi alongside him. Redding took two wins at MotorLand Aragon last year, whilst Rinaldi took a first of his career before going on to take two more podiums throughout the rest of the Teruel Round. Both have tested extensively in preseason, including at Aragon, and with Ducati being the most successful manufacturer at the venue in terms of victories, it may add a different dynamic and complexion to the start of 2021.
The next-best manufacturer in 2020 was Yamaha, with Turkish-ace Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) taking fourth overall last year with three wins. Toprak struggled at Aragon in 2020, breaking into the top five only once from six races at the track, a venue which has been tricky for Yamaha in recent years. Razgatlioglu will have a new teammate for 2021 with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) stepping up, having dominated World Supersport last year, taking 12 wins – of which four were at Aragon. He’s been chipping away in testing, whilst Yamaha have a modified front fairing for 2021 and an evolved engine, as well the new Brembo front brake calipers. Are these steps enough to start the year in competitive fashion?
Whilst Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) and teammate Leon Haslam remain with Honda for 2021 and achieved an identical points tally in 2020, there’s still plenty of big talking points at HRC for 2021. The first is ex-WorldSBK star Leon Camier is the new team manager, having retired from racing after an injury-hit 2020. The other major change is the technological advances with the motorcycle, such as an upgraded engine, new exhaust system and seat unit, not to mention a swingarm that had been trialled in testing. The HRC engineers back in Japan have invested a lot of time into making the Fireblade CBR1000RR-R SP a constant front-running contender and with Aragon being the scene of the bike’s first podium in 2020 and the scene of plenty of preseason testing, it could be a strong start. After all, Bautista did win three races at the venue back in 2019, when he was a rookie…
The last of the five factories is BMW, who come out fighting in 2021 with an all-new M 1000 RR, the first Superbike derived from their M-series department. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) starts a third season with the German manufacturer and the season starts where he achieved the first front row for the manufacturer on their return in 2019. Sykes has more poles than anyone else at Aragon, whilst new teammate Michael van der Mark was a consistent front-runner in 2020 across both Aragon weekends. Still adapting to the new bike, which features winglets, a new engine and a whole host of other advances, van der Mark hopes to start 2021 in solid fashion.
Now to the Independent stars: the undisputed King of Aragon is Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), who gets started with his new team. Seven wins and eight other podiums, Davies – the highest point-scorer of all riders from the final three rounds of 2020 – may be in the fight this weekend. Another top Independent threat comes from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), who took two podiums at the final round of 2020 and has the 2021-spec Yamaha for this year. Lots of testing, including at MotorLand Aragon, Gerloff should be at the front. Three other familiar names with Independent teams in 2021 are Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse), who debuts with the new team, Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), with the Argentinean-ace starting a new challenge and Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha), who brings the iconic Alstare name back to WorldSBK.
There’s lots of rookies in Independent teams in 2021, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) being the fastest coming into the season, whilst ex Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) joins the grid from MotoGP™. 2017 WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) graduates and Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) brings his radical riding style to WorldSBK to fly the flag for Japan. Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) steps up to the class, whilst one of the youngest teams on the grid is the TPR Team Pedercini Racing squad, with 22-year-old Belgian Loris Cresson and 23-year-old Italian Samuele Cavalieri. Finally, the youngest rider on the grid is Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who has made a solid first impression during testing.
MotoGP™ remains at the Sachsenring for another five years
The classic German track will remain on the MotoGP™ calendar until at least 2026
Dorna Sports and the ADAC are delighted to announce that the Sachsenring will remain the home of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The ADAC and MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna will continue their successful partnership until at least 2026, establishing a long-term basis for the continued existence of one of the largest individual sporting events in Germany.
The motorcycle spectacle at the iconic circuit near Hohenstein-Ernstthal has been one of the highlights of the sporting year in Germany since 1998. Each year, roughly 200,000 fans flock to the Sachsenring to watch the world’s best motorcycle riders.
Hermann Tomczyk, ADAC Sport President: “I am delighted that the ADAC, together with Dorna Sports and the support of the Free State of Saxony, will continue to stage the Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring for the next five years. In these difficult times, it was important for us to lay the foundations for this in good time, and to give the Sachsenring – a Mecca for motorcycles – a long-term prospect. MotoGP at the Sachsenring has been a highlight of the season for motorcycle fans for a long time and is an established major event on the sporting calendar in Germany.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are very proud to announce the Sachsenring will remain part of the MotoGP calendar for a further five years. The German Grand Prix is a huge event for motorsport in the area, region and country, and Germany has a long and rich history within motorcycle racing. It’s a vital stop on our calendar and we’re delighted to secure the future of the event, returning to the unique Sachsenring until at least 2026.”
The 2021 German GP will take place behind closed doors due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, before the Sachsenring hopes to welcome fans back in future – a future now confirmed until at least 2026.
Gurecky checks out for stunning wet weather win at Le Mans
The Czech rider was in a league of his own, with Luciano and Hosciuc completing the podium after a dramatic Race 2
The start of Northern Talent Cup Race Two at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 16 May 2021
After just losing out on Saturday, Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) hit back in Race 2 in serious style. Getting to the front early, the Czech rider then checked out in more tricky wet conditions for the Northern Talent Cup, taking his first win of the season by a whopping 17.891 seconds. Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) took a solid second place to stay equal on points, however, with Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) completing the podium to bounce back from his Race 1 disappointment.
Off the line it was Luciano taking off in the lead as Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) took it steadier on take two, but Gurecky was up there despite the damp – as was his teammate Jonas Kocourek as the race began in an almost as-you-were from Race 1.
It didn’t take long for Gurecky to strike for the lead. A perfectly pitched move nearing Turn 1 saw the number 59 hit the front, and he never looked back from there. Pulling out tenths and then seconds, he looked imperious throughout with constant fastest laps coming in. Lapping everyone nearly up to the top ten, he crossed the line alone after a stunning performance to take the Championship lead.
Luciano kept it clean for a solid 20 points, the Belgian escaping one out-the-seat moment out of Turn 14 that caught out a huge number of riders. Kocourek crashed out of the podium fight, as did Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team), with Hosciuc learning from his Saturday excursion to calmly come home in third.
Niklas Kitzbichler (Racing-Team-Kitzbichler) impressed once again to take fourth place, the Austrian keeping it clean and tidy on Sunday for his best finish. Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) completed the top five despite a crash, the Dutchman recovering incredibly, as did Swiss rookie Lenoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) in another impressive race day showing. Rio Olofsen (Team KNMV) wasn’t far off in seventh either.
Jordan Bartucca (Allesauto Racing) stormed through to take a impressive P8, ahead of Korbinian Brandl (RBR – Racing) as he found some Sunday redemption. Polish rider Mateusz Molik (Speed Day Junior Racing Team) completed the top ten.
A wet weather double at Le Mans gave us an intriguing start to 2021, and there’s no time at all before Round 2. Get ready for Oschersleben and the scene of pre-season testing as we get back on track next weekend!
Jordan Szoke (101) won both races in the 2020 Canadian Superbike Championship season-opener at Calabogie Motorsports Park, after battling Jeff Williams (7) for the majority of Race Two. Photo by Bob Szoke, courtesy CSBK/PMP.
CSBK Announce 2021 National Schedule Changes
Toronto, ON – The Canadian National Superbike Championship, CSBK, have announced a variety of updates given the Ontario Provincial Government’s revised Pandemic guidelines from Thursday, May 13. At their most recent briefing yesterday, Ontario’s leadership indicated that the Province would not start to ease current strict restrictions until Wednesday, June 2, at the earliest.
It is unlikely that there will be any spectator events in Ontario this summer, however CSBK and our partners are prepared to operate as we did in 2020.
CSBK will not conduct 2021 National events until the border with Quebec opens and allows Quebec-based competitors to race outside their home province.
CSBK have cancelled the planned opening of the National tour, a Pro Superbike only event originally set for Calabogie Motorsports Park on June 5. The first-ever Pro 6 GP Race Series round, scheduled for the same time at Calabogie, has also been cancelled. Pro 6 is exploring an alternate date later in the season at Calabogie Motorsports park to maintain their 4 race championship series.
The current plan has the full CSBK National tour starting at Grand Bend Motorplex in western Ontario June 11-13. Grand Bend will be the first event to offer 2021 coverage on The Sports Network, TSN, with separate episodes devoted to each of two Pro Superbike Feature races.
However, there is concern that a possible extension of travel restrictions due to COVID-19 might affect this initial Grand Bend National date.
CSBK staff aim to provide further scheduling information as soon as the Ontario Provincial government have updated guidelines for restrictions, likely in late May. In the meantime, the rest of the 2021 Schedule remains to be confirmed, awaiting these updates on Provincial rules and stay-at-home guidelines.
The first round of the new Pro 6 GP regional Race Series is rescheduled to July 10-11, also likely combined with a CSBK National date at Calabogie Motorsports Park, south west of Ottawa, ON.
The Pro 6 TRAC School schedule for Calabogie Motorsports Park, May 22-23, will be rescheduled for the first appropriate later date. Many planned TRAC School participants are aiming to race in the Pro 6 GP and CSBK events in 2021.
Gloves off: Granado defeats Zaccone and Casadei in an electrifying showdown at Le Mans
A freight train fight at the front sees the Brazilian seal the deal at the final corner, with even more drama to come after the flag
Eric Granado (51) takes victory in the MotoE race at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 16 May 2021
The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup race at the SHARK Grand Prix de France was an instant classic, with One Energy Racing’s Eric Granado emerging victorious after a last lap and last corner attack on Alessandro Zaccone (Octo Pramac MotoE). Even more drama came after that, with Zaccone crossing the line second but then demoted a place for track limits and classified in third. Mattia Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was promoted to second, the Italian’s stunning ride up from the fifth row of the grid to the podium boosted even more.
There was drama from the off as even before the start of the race, both Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) – who was scheduled to start from P2 – and Andrea Mantovani (Indonesian E-Racing MotoE) crashed on their out-laps, causing them to miss the race.
Once the lights went out though, polesitter Granado got the best getaway but it was Zaccone who was bravest into Turn 3, the Jerez race winner into the lead. The Italian was out of shape as he squeezed on the power but he held on, with everyone else safely negotiating the tricky Turn 3 and 4 chicane on Lap 1 as well. Zaccone was then wide at Turn 8 though and that allowed Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) to take over at the front. Granado was shoved down to P6 on the opening lap, the Brazilian taking it steady early on.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE) was into P2 from 10th on the grid, and the Japanese rookie was into the lead at Turn 7. It was a sensational start to the race but drama was about to unfold at Turn 3 on the third lap between two rookies: Okubo and Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team). Coming into the chicane hot, Aldeguer was up the inside and both he and Okubo went down, riders ok.
Zaccone was then back in the lead at Turn 11 on Lap 3, as a MotoE™ freight train battled it out in spectacular fashion at Le Mans. The top eight were locked together but Granado was picking his way back through the pack, up to P3 and then swiftly P2 on the penultimate lap, passing Aegerter at Turn 13 – a move we’d see again a couple of minutes later…
Zaccone was the race leader on the last lap but went slightly deep into Turn 3, and that cost him a good exit heading down the hill into Turn 6. Granado pounced. In doing so though, he went wide and left a gap, which Zaccone gobbled up to gain the lead once more. Aegerter nearly tagged the back of Granado at Turn 7 as he and Lukas Tulovic (Tech3 E-Racing) were forced slightly wide, and that allowed Casadei to move into P3.
A move for the race lead didn’t come until Turn 13. Just as he did a lap earlier, Granado sliced his way up the inside, and this time Zaccone was the victim for the lead. The Italian snapped straight back though and shoved it up the inside at the final corner, but he was wide and Granado slipped back through. That was that and the Brazilian takes a stunning first win of the year after battling through in style. Zaccone crossed the line second, ahead of Casadei, but then the timing screens changed: the number 61 had a one position penalty and would take 16 points. Track limits, for which he’d already had a warning, bit late.
Zaccone is nevertheless still the points leader and now has an eight-point advantage, with Casadei level on points with fourth place finisher Aegerter now after his P2. Granado’s win beings him right back into the title frame having crashed in Jerez.
Reigning World Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and sixth place Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) finished less than a second away from the win, and Tulovic crossed the line in seventh after having held P3 in the latter stages but getting sent wide. Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE) made a mistake at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap that cost him a chance at fighting for a first rostrum of the year, the 2019 World Cup winner finished P8.
Corentin Perolari (Tech3 E-Racing) and Maria Herrera (Openbank Aspar Team) rounded out the top 10, with Kevin Zannoni (LCR E-Team), Andre Pires (Avintia Esponsorama Racing), teammate Xavi Cardelus, Jasper Iwema (Pons Racing 40) and Aldeguer completing the points.
So that’s that, arguably the best MotoE™ race there has been so far as 2021 continues in dazzling style. The next time we’ll see the MotoE™ riders heading into battle is at the Catalan GP at the start of June, so it’s not long to wait!
MotoE™ podium
1 Eric Granado – One Energy Racing – Energica – 14:33.776
Eric Granado: “I’m very happy! I made a mistake in Jerez and I really wanted redemption here. The weekend was good for me in dry and wet, yesterday I had a nasty crash. Today I was trying to take it easy. In the first laps I had some movements on the rear, I was really calm after that and trying to do clear overtakes and be consistent. Finally, it was good, I had a little more possibility than the others in the braking and I could overtake. I am very happy, this result is really special for me, after so many races with problems so yes very happy. I want to say thank you to my team, for trusting me in my job.”
Score settled! Miller wins wild flag-to-flag in France
Zarco and Quartararo complete the podium on home turf, but Miller reigns supreme as Le Mans delivers a flag-to-flag thriller
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 16 May 2021
It says Thriller on the back of his helmet and twice on the bounce that’s now been a fitting moniker for Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). This time round at the SHARK Grand Prix de France it was a flag-to-flag spectacular that saw him come out on top, overcoming two Long Lap penalties to become the first Australian since Casey Stoner in 2012 to win back-to-back races in the premier class. He said on Thursday he had a score to settle with Le Mans, and settled it now very much is. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) hunted down compatriot Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in the latter stages to take second place, with the French riders completing the podium on home turf and Quartararo now back in the points lead to boot.
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Ahead of lights out for the premier class, the race was declared dry. No rain had fallen since Warm Up but there were some looming dark clouds in the surrounding area, and tensions were understandably palpable on the grid. The entire field had selected the soft-soft slick Michelins to begin the race on, with some forecasts suggesting there might be some rain on the way…
It was dry for the time being though and as somewhat expected, Miller propelled his Ducati off the line for the holeshot from third on the grid, with both Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Quartararo holding firm ish to stay inside the top three. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had two bites of the cherry for P4 against Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), first at Turn 7, then Turn 8.
Fabio Quartararo (20) and Jack Miller. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Not long after coming out of Turn 10, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) then had a huge moment. The Spaniard stayed on but it gave Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and his teammate Franco Morbidelli a look up the inside at Turn 11, but three into one didn’t go and the door was closed on Morbidelli as the Italian ran wide before crashing in the gravel. That caused Rossi and Pol Espargaro to lose places too, with Morbidelli able to re-join but at the back.
Meanwhile at the front, Miller, Viñales and Quartararo were the top three, with fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Marc Marquez inside the top five… but the rain had started falling. It was light to begin with and Quartararo made a phenomenal two-in-one move on Viñales and Miller at Turn 3, but then it got heavier. On Lap 5, the heavens properly opened and it was time for the field to come into pitlane for a bike swap. For the first time in four years, we had a flag-to-flag.
Miller ran wide at Turn 11 as the riders struggled to finish the lap on slicks, and reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) sadly found that out. The number 36 crashed on Lap 5 when the rain started bucketing down, and more drama followed elsewhere in pitlane. Both Miller and teammate Francesco Bagnaia were handed two Long Lap penalties each for speeding in pitlane, and Quartararo pulled into Viñales’ box slot by accident to earn himself a Long Lap. After that, Marc Marquez emerged as the race leader in the shuffle…
Rins was second as the riders re-entered the track too, but at Turn 4, the Spaniard was down. That left Marc Marquez and Quartararo clear of Miller at the front, but the eight-time World Champion was then down at the final corner in another bout of drama not long after. The 93 did manage to get back on track but that put Quartararo back in front as the race leader again. Miller was rapidly closing in but the Australian had two long laps to take. He did so quickly on Laps 9 and 10, getting back out and setting his sights back on Quartararo, soon able to home back in.
On Lap 12, Quartararo dived through the Long Lap penalty area but still came out in P2. His advantage over third place, who then was Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), was 12 seconds and Miller was in the groove at the front to pull out a four second lead over Quartararo. Zarco was coming though, and the Pramac rider soon grabbed P3 from Nakagami at Turn 3. The Frenchman then started to close down compatriot Quartararo at a high rate of knots as well, nearly two seconds a lap as dry lines started to appear. There was no rain falling either, so could we actually see the riders come into pitlane for another bike swap?
Marc Marquez then crashed again at Turn 6, his second of the race, and he was out on Lap 18. We then saw Miller kick his right leg out on the front straight – was he signalling to get the dry bike ready? He and Quartararo were on the soft and Zarco on the medium, and the Pramac rider was reeling in his compatriot at least with the gap down to 2.5s with seven to go…
Astonishingly, the sun was shining too. Zarco was 1.8s quicker than Quartararo once again, as Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) got the better of Nakagami for P4 and P5 respectively, relegating the Japanese rider to sixth. Bagnaia was on his own charge too after a terrible start and two Long Laps, and he overtook the Japanese rider with six to go.
Further up the road, Zarco had arrived on the scene and blasted past Quartararo on the home straight to take P2, seven seconds behind Miller. In turn, Quartararo had 12 seconds in his pocket to Alex Marquez, so it seemed the podium could be decided, barring any more drama.
Five to go and Zarco was hunting Miller, and there wasn’t time left to come into pitlane, head back out and use the slick tyre advantage – not for the leaders anyway. Miller was holding on with a cracking effort though, his lead was staying just above the five second mark as Bagnaia climbed his way to P4 just down the road.
Three to go. Miller’s lead was 4.9s, Zarco was holding Quartararo at bay by nearly seven seconds, and Bagnaia was eight seconds off the final podium place in fourth. Heading onto Lap 26 of 27, the gap was down to 4.3s between the leading duo and Bagnaia was cutting the gap to Quartararo by nearly two seconds a lap. By the final lap though, it remained Miller’s to lose, his advantage still above the four second mark. Quartararo’s gap to Pecco was 3.4s, and so that was all she wrote after a tense, taught and fairly dramatic French GP.
After banishing the early season demons in Jerez, Miller now sits just 16 points away from the title lead as Zarco returns to the podium following a trickier couple of races in Portugal and Spain. He and Quartararo make it two Frenchman on the podium at the French GP – not bad from the latter who underwent arm pump surgery after the Spanish GP and faced heartbreak at the venue in the wet last year. Bagnaia’s fourth was a uper ride and result after his two Long Lap penalties and a P16 start that saw him lose a few places off the line to boot. He may have lost his World Championship lead, but only by a point…
Petrucci has had a tough start to life as a KTM rider, but the 2020 Le Mans race winner delivered by far his best ride of the season to finish in an impressive P5. LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez also grabs his best result of the season at a circuit he scored a podium at last year, the double World Champion leading teammate Nakagami over the line in sixth and seventh for LCR. Pol Espargaro equals his best finish of the campaign in P8, with Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) snatching P9 off Viñales on the last lap to land a morale-boosting P9. Viñales had to settle for P10 at the chequered flag, a muted result after leading the race in the early stages.
Rossi lost some valuable time in the early stages and The Doctor wasn’t able to make up ground when the rain fell, taking P11 at Le Mans. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) was 10 seconds behind his half brother in P12, and the Italian comfortably beat 13th place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) after a tough weekend for the South African. Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) and Tito Rabat (Pramac Racing) were the final point scorers, with Morbidelli managing to finish the race but in a lonely P16.
Both Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate Lorenzo Savadori suffered mechanical issues on Sunday afternoon, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) joined the Suzukis and Marc Marquez in crashing out.
That was another absolutely breathtaking MotoGP™ race, and our first flag-to-flag in four years. An unbelievable afternoon in northern France sees the top four in the title race sit just 16 points apart, and it’s now Quartararo leading the way from Bagnaia, Zarco and Miller. Next up: the spectacular Mugello… Ducati home turf.
MotoGP™ podium
1 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 47:25.473
Jack Miller: “Hectic, very hectic, I mean, it was perfectly still just before but halfway through the race when the rain came, the wind came with it and it was…. honestly, as I came down pitlane, the barrier blew into pitlane and I said they are going to red flag this for sure, but then it dropped off relatively quickly. The first couple laps were dodgy on the wet tyres, but I got going and then I had the long laps, I wasn’t sure why, apparently for speeding. I generally do get speeding tickets in France, not the ones I want! I was able to bosh them out pretty quickly and get to work on Fabio and I got in front of him and I just felt comfortable to be honest, I was just riding into the conditions, I saw Johann was coming so I had to up her a bit for the last five laps but the track was pretty much dry again. I was thinking do I pit or not, because it such a long pit road here and you lose a lot of time so I was just counting down the laps but, yeah, absolutely amazing I can’t believe it. Back to back wins is just fantastic and I can’t thank the team enough, they’re awesome and yeah!”
A Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2, Bezzecchi in third and a dramatic crash out for Lowes sees Le Mans mix up the standings
Raul Fernandez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just continues to impress in the intermediate class, with the Spanish rookie taking a second Moto2™ win in by-now signature style at the front. Teammate Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) kept him honest in the latter stages for another consistent top finish, with Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the podium to continue his rostrum run. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out in an early DNF.
With no rain falling since Moto2™ Warm Up, the circuit had a clear dry line after the Moto3™ race. That meant everyone was starting on slicks, and it was Bezzecchi who pounced into the lead from the start as Raul Fernandez managed to cement P2, the field safely negotiating Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 1. There was contact between Gardner and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), but disaster was avoided. Not for Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) though, who was making early progress before the Spaniard went down hard at Turn 9 on the opening lap, rider ok.
Lap 2 saw Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crash out of the top three as Raul Fernandez bridged the early gap that Bezzecchi had pulled on the field. World Championship leader Gardner and then-nearest challenger Lowes were P9 and P8 respectively, with the top three – Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) – enjoying a second lead over the gaggle of riders from P4 to P11.
Lap 4 then witnessed three riders all go off the road at Turn 8 – including Lowes. Up the inside of Vierge, Lowes tucked the front as both went down, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) running wide just ahead of the duo. Unable to get going again, Lowes’ French GP was over. Then, running P2, Roberts was down at Turn 9 after running in too hot on the brakes and clipping Bezzecchi. meanwhile, Raul Fernandez picked up the baton and took over at the front after a dramatic opening handful of laps in the Moto2™ race.
Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was occupying P3 with Gardner now up to 4th, but he had hard-charging rookie Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) on his tail. More drama hit just behind too, as Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) crashed out from P6 at Turn 11 with a little helping hand from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), the Italian handed a Long Lap penalty. Which he took quickly but overcooked so had to do a second.
At the front though, Raul Fernandez was edging his lead up to a second over Bezzecchi, the latter slowly falling into the grasps of the Bendsneyder, Gardner and Arbolino squabble. The leading quintet were six seconds ahead of sixth place Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), the German entangled in a fight with rookies Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and his teammate Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), up from well down on the grid.
Raul Fernandez was keeping his advantage around the one second mark, with Bezzecchi pulling nearly a second clear of the trio behind him. On Lap 14, the race leader set a 1:36.993 to stretch his lead to 1.2s over Bezzecchi. However, a lap later it was back down to below a second as Fernandez’s teammate Gardner poached third off Bendsneyder at Turn 11 – the Aussie then 2.2s behind the race leader. A lap later, Arbolino then slipped past Bendsneyder too.
Now in clean air, the Gardner charge was on. A fastest lap of the race came in from the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider but it was only narrowly quicker than Bezzecchi ahead of him, the gap separating the top three set at 1.7s with seven to go. Bezzecchi then made a mistake at Turn 8, running wide onto the green, allowing Gardner to stroll through into P2. With the bit between his teeth, Gardner started to reel in teammate Fernandez by four tenths on Lap 20 of 25, setting up a very intriguing final five laps between two title contenders.
Undeterred though, Raul Fernandez was holding his nerve. As he clocked another lap and headed onto Lap 23, the Spaniard set his fastest lap of the race and his lead was now 1.8s. And with one lap remaining in France, it went up another tenth. No mistakes were made from the rookie sensation on the final lap, and Fernandez crossed the line to win his second race of 2021. Gardner made it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 as a single point splits Gardner and Raul Fernandez in the overall standings, and Bezzecchi pockets his second podium in a row with a solid P3 ride.
Arbolino landed his best Moto2™ result with a fantastic P4 at Le Mans, just ahead of an impressive ride from Bendsneyder as the Dutch rider earns his best result of the season, the same can be said for sixth place Schrötter. Ogura cements another top 10 in P7 as three rookies finish inside the top 10, Di Giannantonio took P8 after his two Long Laps, a solid salvage job.
Veteran Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) produced his best ride of the season to finish P9, with Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) completing the top 10. Somkiat Chantra, Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing), reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) and Hafizh Syahrin (NTW RW Racing GP) are the remaining point scorers.
Beaubier crashed out of sixth place at Turn 3 in the latter stages, Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was another rider to crash out of the points.
And so it’s another day that belongs to Red Bull KTM Ajo, as Gardner and Raul Fernandez now sit P1 and P2 in the World Championship. Lowes loses crucial ground as Bezzecchi keeps tabs on his title rivals, with the latter’s home race at Mugello now next up. Tune in for more in a fortnight!
Moto2™ podium:
1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 40:46.101
2 Remy Gardner- Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +1.490
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – +4.599
Raul Fernandez: “It was a really difficult race, especially the second sector was wet, the front tyre was too cool at the start and I waited four or five laps behind Marco. When I thought the tyre was warmer I pushed a bit more, overtook Marco and pushed like in FP2, and it was really good. In the end I could do a good race and I’m really happy. It’s amazing to win again and in difficult conditions. I like this track a lot I remember I got second in the Junior World Championship here in 2018. Incredible, I want to thank my team as they keep me calm in difficult moments and that’s the most important.”
More, from a press release issued by Italtrans Racing:
Best performance in Moto2 for Lorenzo Dalla Porta.
Joe Roberts crashes out fighting for the victory.
Fifth round of the season for the MotoGP World Championship, today on track at Le Mans on the Bugatti Circuit, well known throughout the world for the historic 24 Hours.
A tough French Grand Prix due to the uncertain weather conditions, with positive prospects for Italtrans Racing Team, third in qualifying with Joe Roberts.
Starting from the first row, the American rider immediately searched the lead, but unfortunately he crashed after only four laps while he was 2nd and was pushing to catch the lead.
Best performance in Moto2 for Lorenzo Dalla Porta. Starting 21st on the grid, the Tuscan rider was consistent, riding a comeback race until the 6th position. Unfortunately, in the last five laps, some problems to his arm made him slow down and finish 11th, close to the top ten.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta (19). Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta
11°
“Today the top 6 was within our reach: I was 7th but problems with my arm made my slow down. It’s a shame because the weekend started badly, but it was finishing better. I still got some important points. Now let’s think about our home race”.
Joe Roberts (16) battling Marco Bezzecchi (72) and Raul Fernandez for the lead in the Moto2 race at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing.
Joe Roberts
nc
“It’s a pity for today. I felt really strong and from the first lap we had the pace to try win the race. I was trying to get close to Bezzecchi to make a pass but he broke a little bit more than I expected and I had to avoid him losing the front. It’s a big shame. We have to take the positive side from this weekend, because we showed we can turn the tide. I’m looking for the test we have in Barcelona and the race in Mugello”.
Giovanni Sandi, Technical Director
“We were better than the others, but Joe made a mistake. On the other hand, Lorenzo had a good race starting from the back and rose to 6th place. It’s a shame about his forearm problem, otherwise he would have had the top six. Today we could have done more: we go home reflecting on these results and preparing for the home GP”.
More, from a press release issued by American Racing Team:
Cameron Beaubier crashes out of top six Moto2 finish in France
Marcos Ramirez earns valuable championship points at Le Mans
LE MANS, France (May 16, 2021) — American Racing faced an uphill battle at Le Mans after Marcos Ramirez and Cameron Beaubier qualified deep in the 31-rider field for the Grand Prix of France, Round 5 of the FIM Moto2 World Championship.
Located southwest of Paris, the 2.6-mile Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix Race Circuit has 14 corners, nine rights and five lefts. Beaubier, who last raced at Le Mans in 2009, struggled to reacquaint himself with the track amid rapidly changing weather conditions.
“It’s been pretty wild—wet, dry, wet, dry,” said the 28-year-old American. “That made it a little bit tough to learn the track in dry conditions, because everyone just lays the hammer down when it’s full dry. I’m just trying to improve step by step.”
Following the cold, wet morning warmup, partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the low 60s and a light wind greeted riders on the starting grid for the 25-lap race. The track surface was drying quickly, and all the three-cylinder Triumph 765-powered machines were fitted with Dunlop slicks.
Cameron Beaubier (6). Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Beaubier took advantage of early attrition, marching quickly from his 23rd starting spot into the top 15. By lap 7, he was ninth. Three laps later, the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion was seventh.
Beaubier was sixth, leading a group of five and lapping in the low- to mid-1:38s, when he crashed at Turn 3 with five laps remaining in the race.
“Thanks to the team,” he said, “I’ve been getting more comfortable on the bike and making some progress, but sorry at the same time, because we were so close to a good result.”
Marcos Ramirez (42). Photo courtesy American Racing Team.
Ramirez didn’t move forward as quickly as his teammate, even going backward in the opening laps. The 23-year-old Spaniard steadily worked his way into the top 20 and all the way to 14th at the checkers, dipping into the 1:37s on the final lap.
“After some problems yesterday for the qualifying, I’m happy about taking two points,” said Ramirez. “The race was strange: I lost so much time in the beginning. Then, I started to recover a lot. The last 10 laps were so good.”
KTM Ajo rider Raul Fernandez won the race. His teammate, Remy Gardner, was second and leads the title chase by one point. After five rounds, Beaubier is 16th in the championship standings. Ramirez is 21st.
Round 6 of the FIM Moto2 World Championship, the Grand Prix of Italy at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello, is May 28-30.
About the American Racing Team
The American Racing Team is owned by Avner Kass and Eitan Butbul and competes in the FIM MotoGP World Championship. Based in California, the team fields two riders in the Moto2 class: American Cameron Beaubier (No. 6) and Spaniard Marcos Ramirez (No. 42). American Racing has grown under Butbul’s guidance and is a respected member of the MotoGP paddock.
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Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
May 28, 2026
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Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
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Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
