Szoke outlasts Dumas, Young to grab pivotal victory in race two of three at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – The Pro Superbike tripleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park delivered another new winner in race two, as reigning champion Jordan Szoke claimed a crucial victory after another thrilling battle on Sunday.
Szoke’s weekend had previously been off to a rocky start, as unusual circumstances left him ninth in qualifying before he struggled to sixth in race one. However, the Canada General Warranty Kawasaki rider demonstrated why he is a 14-time national champion in race two, methodically picking his way through the lead four-rider battle before sealing the win with a penultimate lap pass on championship leader Alex Dumas.
The much-needed win slightly trims Szoke’s deficit to the top of the standings, as his title defence now sits 41 points away with three races to go, though Dumas again executed his ability to limit the damage with a strong second-place finish.
The rookie teenager was briefly shunted to third with three laps to go as Young and Szoke renewed their storied rivalry out front, but he only needed one more lap to place his Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School Suzuki back into the top two spots.
Race one winner Young desperately tried to catch Dumas at the line, but he ultimately settled for third as his deficit increases again to 13 points. The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider will be looking to settle the score in race three this afternoon, knowing Dumas will have one hand on the trophy if he enters the final round with a points lead.
Sebastian Tremblay continued his stellar dual-threat season with another stellar fourth-place finish, as the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike championship leader ran behind the lead trio for the entire race and seemed poised for a podium spot before ultimately settling for crucial points inside the top-five.
Rounding out the five best finishers was race one podium finisher Trevor Daley, who got scrappy with the frontrunner on lap one but ultimately couldn’t replicate his pace from earlier in the day, settling for fifth after a thrilling battle with Dewildt Honda’s Steven Nickerson and a charging Tomas Casas.
Casas’ efforts were enough to secure him the second FAST Riding School Hard Charger award of the day, as the Parts Canada Yamaha rider slipped as far back as 16th on the opening lap before storming his way to sixth across the line.
Szoke’s win and Tremblay’s top-four result will see Kawasaki make a massive jump in the Constructors Championship, as they leapfrog BMW for second in the overall table, though Suzuki retains a 47-point gap atop the standings thanks to Dumas and Daley.
The full results from race two can be found here, while race three – the final leg of the historic tripleheader – is set to get underway at roughly 4 p.m. EST.
Young holds off Dumas in thrilling race one battle at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Bowmanville, ON – The first leg of Sunday’s action-packed Pro Superbike tripleheader did not disappoint, as Ben Young held off title rival Alex Dumas in a sensational battle in race one at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Young’s pole position start was quickly negated by Dumas, as the championship leader stormed off the line to grab the holeshot and pace the eight-rider lead group through the opening laps.
After a few pass attempts were denied by Dumas early on, Young finally made the decisive move on lap six, putting his Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW at the front of the pack with numerous challengers close behind.
Dumas nearly spoiled Young’s charge as the duo renewed their battle on the final lap, but the 2019 champion ultimately closed the door and sealed a crucial victory as he trims his title deficit to just six points.
Despite the unsuccessful pass attempts, Dumas was able to hang on for an equally important second-place finish, as the Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School rookie escaped race one of three with a championship lead intact.
Completing the podium was fellow Suzuki rider Trevor Daley, who benefited from a late red-flag incident that pushed the results back to the previous lap. Daley had been running third for much of the race, but ultimately lost the position to Sebastian Tremblay on the final lap – though Tremblay was pushed back to fourth due to the unfortunate last-lap red flag.
Completing the top five was Tomas Casas, who was forced to start from seventh after Friday’s qualifying crash but managed to work his way back into the lead group. After running briefly inside the top three, Casas ran into late trouble and faded back aboard his Parts Canada Yamaha, settling for a solid fifth at his home circuit.
One of the biggest movers – both up and down the leaderboard – was reigning champion Jordan Szoke, who quickly made up for his unfortunate ninth-place qualifying position by joining the lead group early on.
However, after running as high as third and briefly putting pressure on the leaders, Szoke ran into problems of his own in the closing stages, fading well off the pace and mustering only a distant sixth – his worst finish on track since 2008.
Steven Nickerson battled through injury to claim a solid seventh in race one, scoring the first points for Honda this season aboard his Dewildt Powersports machine, as the SOAR Regional champion recovered from a crash earlier this week to briefly run with the lead group early on.
Launching his way up the grid to eighth was rookie Samuel Guerin, who struggled with mechanical difficulties on Friday to only qualify in 12th for the EFC Group BMW team but fixed the issue on Sunday, as he was lapping similarly to the podium finishers en route to his first points finish of the season.
In the process, Guerin secured the first FAST Riding School Hard Charger award of the weekend, which is given to the rider in each Superbike race deemed to have produced the best effort in the context of that race, specifically one who overcame certain challenges across the weekend.
Despite Young’s victory, the double-podium for Suzuki boosts their hopes of securing the inaugural Constructors Championship, with Dumas and Daley providing them a 36-point cushion over BMW entering race two and three this afternoon.
Championship leader Mackenzie Weil extended his advantage in the Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight class, fending off a thrilling battle throughout the race to continue his perfect season.
A four-rider group broke away quickly and maintained that gap throughout the contest, before a crash promoted Weil to the front in the late stages, handing him the lead for good with three laps to go as he held off fellow Kawasaki challenger Jacob Black across the line.
Weil’s biggest challenger, Jean-Francois Croteau, overcame a grid penalty that forced him to start from the back, powering his way to fifth as he salvaged enough points to maintain second in the championship.
The points lead changed hands early in the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike category, however, as former championship leader Anthony Bergeron crashed out on lap one as a lead group broke away.
The incident allowed title rivals Pascal Bastien and Alex Cleary to gain an advantage over the rest of the field, with Bastien leading the rest of the way for the victory despite relentless pressure from Cleary in second.
As a result, Bastien will take over the championship lead entering race two on Sunday, while Cleary jumps to fourth overall and just a handful of points behind Bergeron, who will aim to fix his bike in time for the second leg of their doubleheader this afternoon.
Brad Macrae moved one step closer to clinching the Amateur Sport Bike title, winning race one in dominant fashion after rival Matthew Simpson crashed out.
Macrae will take a 42-point lead over fourth-place finisher Nathan Playford in the title fight, with his first chance to secure the trophy coming in race two this afternoon.
Race two and three of the Pro Superbike tripleheader are slated to run this afternoon at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, while the results from the other national classes can be found online at the series’ official website at csbk.ca.
MotoAmerica Supersport Championship Point Standings (after 14 of 18 races):
Kelly, 320 points
Escalante, 259
Lochoff, 163
Landers, 156
Smith, 148
Mesa, 143
Olmedo, 82
Soltisz, 82
Nassaney, 76
Thermiotis, 66
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Kelly, Scott And Lewis Show Why They Lead The Way At Pitt Race
The Three MotoAmerica Championship Leaders Win On Day Two At Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex
WAMPUM, PA (August 15, 2021) – Just when it looked like momentum had swung away from championship points leaders Sean Dylan Kelly and Tyler Scott in the Supersport and SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championships, respectively, on Saturday, it swung back right back to the duo on Sunday at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Kelly was beaten on Saturday by his championship rival Richie Escalante, but on Sunday it was Kelly doing the beating as he won his 10th Supersport race of the season to take firm control of the championship.
In the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship, Ben Gloddy made big inroads into Scott’s lead in the title chase on Saturday, but the latter was able to stop the bleeding with a bounce-back victory on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jake Lewis won his fourth Stock 1000 race of the season to take full advantage of an off day by Corey Alexander to stretch his points lead to 20 as the series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 10-12. Supersport: Kelly Turns The Tables
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) and Richie Escalante (1) fly in formation at the front of the Supersport pack on Sunday at PittRace. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sunday’s Supersport race was a chance for either HONOS HVMC Racing Kawasaki rider Richie Escalante to do the double and get his second win of the weekend or for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly to resume his winning ways after Escalante broke Kelly’s six-race winning streak on Saturday. That’s because Kelly or Escalante had won all but one of the 13 races prior to Sunday. And, as it turned out, it was Kelly who got the win, which was his 10th of the season.
As usual, it was far from easy, though, as Escalante shadowed Kelly throughout the entire race. Kelly led 12 laps of the 16-lap event, but Escalante took over the lead on lap 12 and held the position almost to the end. On the final go-around, Kelly, who had been carefully studying Escalante’s racing lines, overtook Escalante in the only place he thought he could make it stick. And he was right. Kelly took the checkered flag by just .064 of a second over Escalante.
Benjamin Smith, who was in third place for most of the race, faded back in the pack as the race approached its conclusion, and Landers Racing/Tyrant Designs/Yamaha/Yamalube’s Rocco Landers emerged as the third rider to stand on the podium.
“Something about this one felt pretty extra special,” Kelly said. “It was a really good day. Yesterday was tough. Honestly, I think I ran a really good race yesterday. I did everything I could. I think Richie (Escalante) just played it a little smarter and was having a good pace behind me and was just able to read me and study me a bit more and get me on the last couple of laps. I made a mistake, so I wasn’t able to get by him again yesterday on the last lap. Today definitely different strategies, a few different things. It played out well. I led most of the race, but I tried different rhythms there with my pace to see how Richie would react, and I saw he was with me the whole time. About five laps to go, he went by me again and at that point I said, ‘Okay, I’m going to try and do the studying this time.’ It worked out well. Richie was going really fast. He did some really consistent mid-43’s, which was really fast. I was able to push my bike to that same pace. I was able to study him. Honestly, that first flier he did, I had a little gap at first, but I was able to gather it and get right behind for the last couple laps. I knew, with two laps to go, exactly where I was going to do the pass the final lap. I’m pretty proud of that pass. Proud that I was able to defend the last few corners after that because that’s where he was able to get me yesterday in the last few corners. I was able to get it done, and honestly it just felt so good. I think I did the right work from yesterday to today. Just considering where we are in the season and where we are standing in the championship, this is really important for us. I’m just really excited to be going into New Jersey feeling like this with these races. Obviously, it’s an important win for us for many, many reasons. It just feels good to get this done.” SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup: Scott Rebounds!
Tyler Scott (70) beat Ben Gloddy (72) by just 0.061 of a second to win the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race two was similar to Supersport race two in that the two combatants at the top of the championship continue to battle back and forth, and each of those protagonists took race wins at Pitt Race.
Landers Racing Kawasaki rider Ben Gloddy, who had won Saturday’s race while Scott Powersports/KTM rider Tyler Scott faded and finished fourth, faced a much stronger challenge from Scott in race two. In fact, after Scott overtook Gloddy on lap two, the pair swapped the lead back and forth until three laps from the end of the 10-lap race when Scott stabilized his lead despite Gloddy trying everything he could to get around him. Gloddy made one more attempt to take the lead on the final run to the checkers, but Scott ultimately took the victory by .061 of a second.
Bauce Racing/Cybersafe Solutions/JL62 Racing Kawasaki rider Joe Limandri Jr., who recorded his first podium of the 2021 Junior Cup season with a second-place finish on Saturday, finished third on Sunday to make it a double podium for him at Pitt Race.
“It was pretty disappointing yesterday because we lost a bunch of championship points,” Scott said. “We kind of fell back this weekend in the championship. We still have the lead. Yesterday I didn’t have the same aggression as I did today, and I kind of fell back right there at the end. I didn’t have enough laps to get back to the front and get crucial points that I needed. Today was a great race. The pace was definitely a lot faster, and I gave it my all. I knew I had to get to the front and try and pull away on the last lap.” Stock 1000: Lewis Gets His Fourth
Jake Lewis (85) beat Travis Wyman (10) to win the Stock 1000 race on Sunday. Michael Gilbert (55) and Ashton Yates (22) finished fourth and seventh, respectively. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Coming into this weekend, Altus Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Lewis had said that he was looking forward to Pitt Race because it’s one of his favorite tracks. And in Sunday’s Stock 1000 race, the current championship leader showed exactly why it’s a favorite racecourse for him. Lewis started from the pole and led every lap of the 10-lap race to notch his fourth win of the season and extend his championship lead to 20 points over Corey Alexander.
Travis Wyman Racing BMW rider Travis Wyman started second on the grid and maintained his runner-up position all the way to the checkered flag, finishing 1.442 seconds behind Lewis. The surprise of the podium was third-place finisher Hayden Gillim who replaced Jason Farrell aboard the Franklin Armory/Disrupt Racing Kawasaki. Gillim had competed in the three-round King Of The Baggers Championship, but he hasn’t competed in any of MotoAmerica’s sportbike race classes for nearly two years. Also, he had to work on Friday before driving to Pittsburgh, so he missed Stock 1000 first practice and provisional qualifying. Given all that, it was remarkable that Gillim finished third.
“It was a good race, Lewis said. “That was my plan to get out front and try to go. I felt like I had a little bit of pace on these guys all weekend to do 43’s pretty easy. This race was so tough because my pit board, I wasn’t getting a gap. I was just pushing honestly as hard as I could. I looked back once there. I was telling Travis (Wyman), I didn’t know who it was when I looked back. I was just trying like heck to break him. I was honestly a little tired. I was trying to relax my arms and stuff and focus on breathing. I was just focused on putting down those 43’s. But it feels good to win. I didn’t know where Corey was, if he crashed, or where he finished, but it’s a nice points weekend for us, especially in the Superbike cup and this class, as well. It’s a good weekend.”
Fortune favours the brave: Binder pulls off an all-time great on KTM home turf
The South African gambles big and takes the house with a stunning wet win on slicks in Spielberg
Sunday, 15 August 2021
Brad Binder. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fortune favours the brave! That certainly rings true this Sunday but it takes more than bravery to wrestle a MotoGP™ bike around a wet track on slicks, with a race win on the line, in your factory’s home race. It also takes some serious skill and talent. But Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had the perfect mixture of each to take victory in the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the South African disappearing down the start finish straight alone to hold his nerve as those around him peeled into pitlane in an all-time classic flag-to-flag. He somehow pulled it off for a second premier class win and the first for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team on home turf: Sunday rider, on many occasions, is the highest of compliments.
Behind the sheer daring of the man in the lead, the fight for second was instead an electrifying charge from those who made the opposite gamble. In the end, it was won by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian put on a show that, on nearly any other Sunday, would have likely delivered him a maiden MotoGP™ win. And behind him, Styrian GP winner and rookie Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) found some more magic, another who switched to wets and charged through to make it work.
It started well for the Spaniard too and it was Martin took the holeshot, the rookie once again solid under the added pressure of pole, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) getting a little too close for comfort and heading wide – allowing Bagnaia through into second. And as the White Flag came out to show some spots of rain, meaning riders were allowed to change bikes, Bagnaia took over at the front and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) found himself the sole Honda in a Ducati armada at the front. Quartararo dropped down to sixth behind Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), although he did hit back as Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) watched on behind that duel.
Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin trying to attack but losing out from the move. So Bagnaia it remained, with Quartararo charging back through into second and even taking the lead as the rain flags came out… again. But Bagnaia muscled back through at Turn 1, and Marc Marquez homed in on El Diablo to boot.
Bagnaia, Quartararo, Marquez, Martin and Zarco marched on, with Mir then battling past Miller to become the man on the chase. And soon enough the top three started to pull away, Mir reeled in the Pramac riders, and the Brad Binder Sunday charge was well underway as the South African homed in on Miller. From tenth on the grid, the number 33 was on the way.
Suddenly, drama then hit for a frontrunner as Zarco crashed out. Sliding off at Turn 9, the Frenchman’s Championship charge took a dent as he couldn’t get back on either. And not long after, Quartararo headed a little wide… allowing Marquez to get back on the chase after Bagnaia. And with 7 to go, the eight-time World Champion struck for the first time. Bagnaia hit back, but a few cards were on the table.
With five to go, and the rain flags still out, the first gamble: Miller and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pitted, rolling their dice earlier than the rest as Bagnaia continued on at the front. But what had started to seem a clear trio was fast becoming a six-man freight train as Martin and Mir homed in, and the Jaws music could start to fade in: Binder was coming. The South African didn’t win on on one gamble.
With 4 to go, Binder was on the scene, Martin was already past Quartararo for third, and Bagnaia headed wide at Turn 1, giving Marc Marquez the lead. In the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin screeched up the inside of Bagnaia, and then Quartararo pulled off the perfect dance between madness and excellence to shoot past both, back into second. The shuffle continued, and the rain got heavier and heavier. By the time the six-rider train reached the pit entry, there was a clear decision for five of them: it was time to change. So Marquez, Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo and Mir headed in to swap… and a lone KTM swept round the final corner and tucked in down the main straight. Binder was going all in.
Out of pitlane, the five were Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia – and both immediately hammering it – with Martin next up, Mir in fourth of the group and Quartararo losing out slightly at the rear of the train. But Bagnaia headed in hot at Turn 3 and lost out to Martin… and then Marc Marquez slid out. A lowside at Turn 1 saw the number 93 lose a shot at the podium, with Bagnaia leading Martin and both taking over in the fight back through. Mir and Quartararo also headed well wide, with the clock ticking and just under 2 laps to go.
When he made the decision to stay out, Binder had been a few of seconds ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who also gambled on slicks and was in second. By the time the number 33 crossed the line to start the penultimate lap, the South African was 7 clear. Starting the final lap, the gap was over 11.
Bagnaia and Martin, meanwhile, started that final lap in eighth and ninth. And by halfway round, the two were cutting through Binder’s fellow gamblers like there were two categories on track. Second and third were locked down well before the final corner, with the two pushing to perfection to cut the gap.
Ahead of them, though, arguably the wrong decision was turned into the perfect hand in the right hands. Binder’s final lap saw him suffer a couple of moments, but he had somehow pulled it off. In the rain, in KTM’s backyard, with the brakes suffering in the conditions and the tyres the opposite of the weather, the South African made a little more history. And this time around, it wasn’t a statistical milestone, it was pure, instant legend: add bravery and stir.
Behind Binder’s miracle ballet and Bagnaia and Martin’s charge to the podium, there was plenty to sort out. Mir made it home in a solid fourth place to make some good gains in the standings, with Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) making some magic for fifth place on slicks. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) had been ahead of both and in podium contention but dropped to sixth, the Spaniard getting a little less reward for his earlier bravery than he likely hoped for, but he did hold off Quartararo as the Championship leader came home seventh.
Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was in podium contention too before the final lap and he finished eighth, but some good points for the Doctor, who was also highly entertained by the shuffle and the challenge. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) took ninth, with Aleix Espargaro ultimately completing the top ten.
Miller’s early gamble didn’t pay off and he finished in P11, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) by almost nothing. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was next up, with Rins a little further out of touch behind.
The final point went to Marc Marquez, who may have gambled and lost, but still very much didn’t give up.
And so a new legend is written into the history books, with another win on home turf for KTM and a second premier class victory for Binder. How they did it, and how the South African forced fortune to favour the brave, will be a long time in the memory of MotoGP™ fans, and likely a few of the number 33’s rivals.
Quartararo remains the points leader, Bagnaia gains ground and Zarco loses some… as Mir moves onto equal points with Pecco in second. What will Silverstone bring? We’ll find out in two weeks….
Brad Binder: “When I saw everyone tipping into the pits, I saw an opportunity and I decided I’d rather risk it and crash rather than maybe get top five. It’s a big Grand Prix for us, for KTM, for Red Bull. I’ve won here in Moto2 and I know what it’s like to win here at their home GP. To do it in MotoGP is an unbelievable feeling. Huge gamble, but I’m really glad it paid off.
“I knew when there were 3 laps to go, if I didn’t come in when they did I wasn’t going to come in at all. And yeah, I made it to the end somehow! The biggest problem was no brakes, the carbon brakes were cold and as soon as the rear tyre cooled off I couldn’t open the throttle either. Somehow I made it round the track, and a couple of times I thought it was over but I kept it up straight. So happy, so happy this gamble paid off.”
Luciano lays down a marker with Race 1 win at Assen
The Belgian bounces back with a victory, with Moor and Gurecky completing a podium of usual fast suspects
Saturday, 14 August 2021
Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) was back on the top step in style at the TT Circuit Assen, the Belgian pulling away for a vital win in the standings and another victory in the Netherlands. Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) and Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) completed the podium after a close fight for second, all taking vital points as the countdown to the finale continues… and Gurecky sets his sights on the Cup in Race 2.
Moor took the holeshot, but it didn’t take long for Luciano to take over in front. Moor wouldn’t go down without a fight though, and the two had Noel Willemsen (MCA Racing Team), Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) and points leader Gurecky for close company near the front of a huge group fight.
Bit by bit, however, Luciano was able to edge away, leaving Moor to battle it out with Hosciuc, Willemsen, Gurecky and Dustin Schneider (PrüstelGP Junior Team). And bit by bit thereafter, the fight for second became a three-way battle as Moor, Gurecky and Hosciuc pulled away. Schneider also crashed out.
As Luciano crossed the line in some clear air for another impressive win, the Geert Timmer chicane showdown between those on the chase saw Moor head in first and, somehow, the Hungarian defended it. He took second, with Gurecky able to close the door on an attack from Hosciuc to complete the podium, leaving the Romanian fourth.
Willemsen completed the top five ahead of another group led by Stepan Zuda (Motoracing23 Klub V ACR), with Kevin Farkas (Agria Racing Team), Jonas Kocourek (JRT Brno Circuit), Allesauto Racing’s Jordan Bartucca and Tibor Varga (Forty Racing) completing the top ten… although Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) was within 0.034 in P11.
That’s it from Race 1, with Gurecky 44 points clear at the top. Can he take the Cup in Race 2? 51 points or more of advantage guarantees it…. so tune in for more at 15:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
David Alonso dominates great Austrian GP Rookies Race 1
David Alonso, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup leader, put in another perfect performance to take victory over arch rival David Muñoz and Tatchakorn Buasri. The 15-year-old Colombian replicated his very cool and classy Race 2 victory from the previous weekend at Spielberg, winning by 3.8 seconds.
It had been an incredible early battle with a huge pack of KTMs chasing across the Austrian countryside. Alonso settled himself in and then put the pressure on. Once he got away, the chasing pack could do nothing and for the last handful of laps it came down to a 5 rider chase group with Muñoz and Buasri swapping places with Taiyo Furusato, Dani Holgado and Matteo Bertelle.
On the penultimate lap Holgado bumped Furusato wide leaving Buasri and Muñoz to get away. The Spanish 15-year-old was more controlled and took 2nd ahead of the 20-year-old Thai.
David Alonso faster and faster
“It is so good to get another win. I am surprised because in the second weekend all riders got faster and we knew it was going to be hard.”
“In the first laps, like the other race, I warmed things up, made sure the tyres were good. Then I tried a little bit harder. The first laps I ran alone were not so good but the pace was good so 4 of us got away.”
“I was putting in a lot of effort, I kept pushing and there were some mistakes from the riders behind. That let me go by one second and from that it was much easier. I pushed every lap and was trying to be faster and I managed it.”
“I’m super happy because the feeling with the bike and the pace was incredible. Starting the second weekend like this is very positive.”
“Tomorrow will be even harder so we are prepared.”
David Muñoz only half happy
“The race was very good, it was again a very fast race. My feeling with the bike is very good, better than last weekend. Alonso was very fast today.”
“Tomorrow is another day, a new opportunity. It is very difficult for me, I know that finishing behind Alonso is not good enough, I have to change that, I am only half happy, I have to find something more.”
“This was a step forward from last weekend, I need to find another step tomorrow.”
Tatchakorn Buasri not happy with mistakes
“For me it was a very difficult race, I made a lot of mistakes, first lap to last lap. I made a mistake with maybe 6 laps left then I stayed in position. Then I pushed again and got up to 2nd but made a mistake on the last lap in that fight and finished 3rd but I am so happy.”
“I am happy to be battling at the front but I need to stop making mistakes, tomorrow I want to try to win, I will push again.”
Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.
Race 2 is on Sunday at 16:30, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.
Canadian Superbike competitors Ben Young (86), Alex Dumas (23), Jordan Szoke (1), and Sebastien Tremblay (24) in action. Photo by Damian Pereira, courtesy CSBK.
Szoke outlasts Dumas, Young to grab pivotal victory in race two of three at CTMP
Bowmanville, ON – The Pro Superbike tripleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park delivered another new winner in race two, as reigning champion Jordan Szoke claimed a crucial victory after another thrilling battle on Sunday.
Szoke’s weekend had previously been off to a rocky start, as unusual circumstances left him ninth in qualifying before he struggled to sixth in race one. However, the Canada General Warranty Kawasaki rider demonstrated why he is a 14-time national champion in race two, methodically picking his way through the lead four-rider battle before sealing the win with a penultimate lap pass on championship leader Alex Dumas.
The much-needed win slightly trims Szoke’s deficit to the top of the standings, as his title defence now sits 41 points away with three races to go, though Dumas again executed his ability to limit the damage with a strong second-place finish.
The rookie teenager was briefly shunted to third with three laps to go as Young and Szoke renewed their storied rivalry out front, but he only needed one more lap to place his Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School Suzuki back into the top two spots.
Race one winner Young desperately tried to catch Dumas at the line, but he ultimately settled for third as his deficit increases again to 13 points. The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider will be looking to settle the score in race three this afternoon, knowing Dumas will have one hand on the trophy if he enters the final round with a points lead.
Sebastian Tremblay continued his stellar dual-threat season with another stellar fourth-place finish, as the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike championship leader ran behind the lead trio for the entire race and seemed poised for a podium spot before ultimately settling for crucial points inside the top-five.
Rounding out the five best finishers was race one podium finisher Trevor Daley, who got scrappy with the frontrunner on lap one but ultimately couldn’t replicate his pace from earlier in the day, settling for fifth after a thrilling battle with Dewildt Honda’s Steven Nickerson and a charging Tomas Casas.
Casas’ efforts were enough to secure him the second FAST Riding School Hard Charger award of the day, as the Parts Canada Yamaha rider slipped as far back as 16th on the opening lap before storming his way to sixth across the line.
Szoke’s win and Tremblay’s top-four result will see Kawasaki make a massive jump in the Constructors Championship, as they leapfrog BMW for second in the overall table, though Suzuki retains a 47-point gap atop the standings thanks to Dumas and Daley.
The full results from race two can be found here, while race three – the final leg of the historic tripleheader – is set to get underway at roughly 4 p.m. EST.
Ben Young (86) held off championship leader Alex Dumas (23) in a thrilling race-long battle at CTMP. Photo by Damian Pereira, courtesy CSBK.
Young holds off Dumas in thrilling race one battle at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Bowmanville, ON – The first leg of Sunday’s action-packed Pro Superbike tripleheader did not disappoint, as Ben Young held off title rival Alex Dumas in a sensational battle in race one at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Young’s pole position start was quickly negated by Dumas, as the championship leader stormed off the line to grab the holeshot and pace the eight-rider lead group through the opening laps.
After a few pass attempts were denied by Dumas early on, Young finally made the decisive move on lap six, putting his Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW at the front of the pack with numerous challengers close behind.
Dumas nearly spoiled Young’s charge as the duo renewed their battle on the final lap, but the 2019 champion ultimately closed the door and sealed a crucial victory as he trims his title deficit to just six points.
Despite the unsuccessful pass attempts, Dumas was able to hang on for an equally important second-place finish, as the Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School rookie escaped race one of three with a championship lead intact.
Completing the podium was fellow Suzuki rider Trevor Daley, who benefited from a late red-flag incident that pushed the results back to the previous lap. Daley had been running third for much of the race, but ultimately lost the position to Sebastian Tremblay on the final lap – though Tremblay was pushed back to fourth due to the unfortunate last-lap red flag.
Completing the top five was Tomas Casas, who was forced to start from seventh after Friday’s qualifying crash but managed to work his way back into the lead group. After running briefly inside the top three, Casas ran into late trouble and faded back aboard his Parts Canada Yamaha, settling for a solid fifth at his home circuit.
One of the biggest movers – both up and down the leaderboard – was reigning champion Jordan Szoke, who quickly made up for his unfortunate ninth-place qualifying position by joining the lead group early on.
However, after running as high as third and briefly putting pressure on the leaders, Szoke ran into problems of his own in the closing stages, fading well off the pace and mustering only a distant sixth – his worst finish on track since 2008.
Steven Nickerson battled through injury to claim a solid seventh in race one, scoring the first points for Honda this season aboard his Dewildt Powersports machine, as the SOAR Regional champion recovered from a crash earlier this week to briefly run with the lead group early on.
Launching his way up the grid to eighth was rookie Samuel Guerin, who struggled with mechanical difficulties on Friday to only qualify in 12th for the EFC Group BMW team but fixed the issue on Sunday, as he was lapping similarly to the podium finishers en route to his first points finish of the season.
In the process, Guerin secured the first FAST Riding School Hard Charger award of the weekend, which is given to the rider in each Superbike race deemed to have produced the best effort in the context of that race, specifically one who overcame certain challenges across the weekend.
Despite Young’s victory, the double-podium for Suzuki boosts their hopes of securing the inaugural Constructors Championship, with Dumas and Daley providing them a 36-point cushion over BMW entering race two and three this afternoon.
Championship leader Mackenzie Weil extended his advantage in the Super Sonic Road Race School Lightweight class, fending off a thrilling battle throughout the race to continue his perfect season.
A four-rider group broke away quickly and maintained that gap throughout the contest, before a crash promoted Weil to the front in the late stages, handing him the lead for good with three laps to go as he held off fellow Kawasaki challenger Jacob Black across the line.
Weil’s biggest challenger, Jean-Francois Croteau, overcame a grid penalty that forced him to start from the back, powering his way to fifth as he salvaged enough points to maintain second in the championship.
The points lead changed hands early in the AIM Insurance Amateur Superbike category, however, as former championship leader Anthony Bergeron crashed out on lap one as a lead group broke away.
The incident allowed title rivals Pascal Bastien and Alex Cleary to gain an advantage over the rest of the field, with Bastien leading the rest of the way for the victory despite relentless pressure from Cleary in second.
As a result, Bastien will take over the championship lead entering race two on Sunday, while Cleary jumps to fourth overall and just a handful of points behind Bergeron, who will aim to fix his bike in time for the second leg of their doubleheader this afternoon.
Brad Macrae moved one step closer to clinching the Amateur Sport Bike title, winning race one in dominant fashion after rival Matthew Simpson crashed out.
Macrae will take a 42-point lead over fourth-place finisher Nathan Playford in the title fight, with his first chance to secure the trophy coming in race two this afternoon.
Race two and three of the Pro Superbike tripleheader are slated to run this afternoon at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, while the results from the other national classes can be found online at the series’ official website at csbk.ca.
MotoAmerica Supersport Championship Point Standings (after 14 of 18 races):
Kelly, 320 points
Escalante, 259
Lochoff, 163
Landers, 156
Smith, 148
Mesa, 143
Olmedo, 82
Soltisz, 82
Nassaney, 76
Thermiotis, 66
More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:
Kelly, Scott And Lewis Show Why They Lead The Way At Pitt Race
The Three MotoAmerica Championship Leaders Win On Day Two At Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex
WAMPUM, PA (August 15, 2021) – Just when it looked like momentum had swung away from championship points leaders Sean Dylan Kelly and Tyler Scott in the Supersport and SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championships, respectively, on Saturday, it swung back right back to the duo on Sunday at Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Kelly was beaten on Saturday by his championship rival Richie Escalante, but on Sunday it was Kelly doing the beating as he won his 10th Supersport race of the season to take firm control of the championship.
In the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship, Ben Gloddy made big inroads into Scott’s lead in the title chase on Saturday, but the latter was able to stop the bleeding with a bounce-back victory on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Jake Lewis won his fourth Stock 1000 race of the season to take full advantage of an off day by Corey Alexander to stretch his points lead to 20 as the series heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 10-12. Supersport: Kelly Turns The Tables
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) and Richie Escalante (1) fly in formation at the front of the Supersport pack on Sunday at PittRace. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sunday’s Supersport race was a chance for either HONOS HVMC Racing Kawasaki rider Richie Escalante to do the double and get his second win of the weekend or for M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly to resume his winning ways after Escalante broke Kelly’s six-race winning streak on Saturday. That’s because Kelly or Escalante had won all but one of the 13 races prior to Sunday. And, as it turned out, it was Kelly who got the win, which was his 10th of the season.
As usual, it was far from easy, though, as Escalante shadowed Kelly throughout the entire race. Kelly led 12 laps of the 16-lap event, but Escalante took over the lead on lap 12 and held the position almost to the end. On the final go-around, Kelly, who had been carefully studying Escalante’s racing lines, overtook Escalante in the only place he thought he could make it stick. And he was right. Kelly took the checkered flag by just .064 of a second over Escalante.
Benjamin Smith, who was in third place for most of the race, faded back in the pack as the race approached its conclusion, and Landers Racing/Tyrant Designs/Yamaha/Yamalube’s Rocco Landers emerged as the third rider to stand on the podium.
“Something about this one felt pretty extra special,” Kelly said. “It was a really good day. Yesterday was tough. Honestly, I think I ran a really good race yesterday. I did everything I could. I think Richie (Escalante) just played it a little smarter and was having a good pace behind me and was just able to read me and study me a bit more and get me on the last couple of laps. I made a mistake, so I wasn’t able to get by him again yesterday on the last lap. Today definitely different strategies, a few different things. It played out well. I led most of the race, but I tried different rhythms there with my pace to see how Richie would react, and I saw he was with me the whole time. About five laps to go, he went by me again and at that point I said, ‘Okay, I’m going to try and do the studying this time.’ It worked out well. Richie was going really fast. He did some really consistent mid-43’s, which was really fast. I was able to push my bike to that same pace. I was able to study him. Honestly, that first flier he did, I had a little gap at first, but I was able to gather it and get right behind for the last couple laps. I knew, with two laps to go, exactly where I was going to do the pass the final lap. I’m pretty proud of that pass. Proud that I was able to defend the last few corners after that because that’s where he was able to get me yesterday in the last few corners. I was able to get it done, and honestly it just felt so good. I think I did the right work from yesterday to today. Just considering where we are in the season and where we are standing in the championship, this is really important for us. I’m just really excited to be going into New Jersey feeling like this with these races. Obviously, it’s an important win for us for many, many reasons. It just feels good to get this done.” SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup: Scott Rebounds!
Tyler Scott (70) beat Ben Gloddy (72) by just 0.061 of a second to win the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race two was similar to Supersport race two in that the two combatants at the top of the championship continue to battle back and forth, and each of those protagonists took race wins at Pitt Race.
Landers Racing Kawasaki rider Ben Gloddy, who had won Saturday’s race while Scott Powersports/KTM rider Tyler Scott faded and finished fourth, faced a much stronger challenge from Scott in race two. In fact, after Scott overtook Gloddy on lap two, the pair swapped the lead back and forth until three laps from the end of the 10-lap race when Scott stabilized his lead despite Gloddy trying everything he could to get around him. Gloddy made one more attempt to take the lead on the final run to the checkers, but Scott ultimately took the victory by .061 of a second.
Bauce Racing/Cybersafe Solutions/JL62 Racing Kawasaki rider Joe Limandri Jr., who recorded his first podium of the 2021 Junior Cup season with a second-place finish on Saturday, finished third on Sunday to make it a double podium for him at Pitt Race.
“It was pretty disappointing yesterday because we lost a bunch of championship points,” Scott said. “We kind of fell back this weekend in the championship. We still have the lead. Yesterday I didn’t have the same aggression as I did today, and I kind of fell back right there at the end. I didn’t have enough laps to get back to the front and get crucial points that I needed. Today was a great race. The pace was definitely a lot faster, and I gave it my all. I knew I had to get to the front and try and pull away on the last lap.” Stock 1000: Lewis Gets His Fourth
Jake Lewis (85) beat Travis Wyman (10) to win the Stock 1000 race on Sunday. Michael Gilbert (55) and Ashton Yates (22) finished fourth and seventh, respectively. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Coming into this weekend, Altus Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Lewis had said that he was looking forward to Pitt Race because it’s one of his favorite tracks. And in Sunday’s Stock 1000 race, the current championship leader showed exactly why it’s a favorite racecourse for him. Lewis started from the pole and led every lap of the 10-lap race to notch his fourth win of the season and extend his championship lead to 20 points over Corey Alexander.
Travis Wyman Racing BMW rider Travis Wyman started second on the grid and maintained his runner-up position all the way to the checkered flag, finishing 1.442 seconds behind Lewis. The surprise of the podium was third-place finisher Hayden Gillim who replaced Jason Farrell aboard the Franklin Armory/Disrupt Racing Kawasaki. Gillim had competed in the three-round King Of The Baggers Championship, but he hasn’t competed in any of MotoAmerica’s sportbike race classes for nearly two years. Also, he had to work on Friday before driving to Pittsburgh, so he missed Stock 1000 first practice and provisional qualifying. Given all that, it was remarkable that Gillim finished third.
“It was a good race, Lewis said. “That was my plan to get out front and try to go. I felt like I had a little bit of pace on these guys all weekend to do 43’s pretty easy. This race was so tough because my pit board, I wasn’t getting a gap. I was just pushing honestly as hard as I could. I looked back once there. I was telling Travis (Wyman), I didn’t know who it was when I looked back. I was just trying like heck to break him. I was honestly a little tired. I was trying to relax my arms and stuff and focus on breathing. I was just focused on putting down those 43’s. But it feels good to win. I didn’t know where Corey was, if he crashed, or where he finished, but it’s a nice points weekend for us, especially in the Superbike cup and this class, as well. It’s a good weekend.”
Fortune favours the brave: Binder pulls off an all-time great on KTM home turf
The South African gambles big and takes the house with a stunning wet win on slicks in Spielberg
Sunday, 15 August 2021
Brad Binder. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fortune favours the brave! That certainly rings true this Sunday but it takes more than bravery to wrestle a MotoGP™ bike around a wet track on slicks, with a race win on the line, in your factory’s home race. It also takes some serious skill and talent. But Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had the perfect mixture of each to take victory in the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, the South African disappearing down the start finish straight alone to hold his nerve as those around him peeled into pitlane in an all-time classic flag-to-flag. He somehow pulled it off for a second premier class win and the first for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team on home turf: Sunday rider, on many occasions, is the highest of compliments.
Behind the sheer daring of the man in the lead, the fight for second was instead an electrifying charge from those who made the opposite gamble. In the end, it was won by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Italian put on a show that, on nearly any other Sunday, would have likely delivered him a maiden MotoGP™ win. And behind him, Styrian GP winner and rookie Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) found some more magic, another who switched to wets and charged through to make it work.
It started well for the Spaniard too and it was Martin took the holeshot, the rookie once again solid under the added pressure of pole, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) getting a little too close for comfort and heading wide – allowing Bagnaia through into second. And as the White Flag came out to show some spots of rain, meaning riders were allowed to change bikes, Bagnaia took over at the front and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) found himself the sole Honda in a Ducati armada at the front. Quartararo dropped down to sixth behind Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), although he did hit back as Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) watched on behind that duel.
Bagnaia pounded on at the front, with Martin trying to attack but losing out from the move. So Bagnaia it remained, with Quartararo charging back through into second and even taking the lead as the rain flags came out… again. But Bagnaia muscled back through at Turn 1, and Marc Marquez homed in on El Diablo to boot.
Bagnaia, Quartararo, Marquez, Martin and Zarco marched on, with Mir then battling past Miller to become the man on the chase. And soon enough the top three started to pull away, Mir reeled in the Pramac riders, and the Brad Binder Sunday charge was well underway as the South African homed in on Miller. From tenth on the grid, the number 33 was on the way.
Suddenly, drama then hit for a frontrunner as Zarco crashed out. Sliding off at Turn 9, the Frenchman’s Championship charge took a dent as he couldn’t get back on either. And not long after, Quartararo headed a little wide… allowing Marquez to get back on the chase after Bagnaia. And with 7 to go, the eight-time World Champion struck for the first time. Bagnaia hit back, but a few cards were on the table.
With five to go, and the rain flags still out, the first gamble: Miller and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) pitted, rolling their dice earlier than the rest as Bagnaia continued on at the front. But what had started to seem a clear trio was fast becoming a six-man freight train as Martin and Mir homed in, and the Jaws music could start to fade in: Binder was coming. The South African didn’t win on on one gamble.
With 4 to go, Binder was on the scene, Martin was already past Quartararo for third, and Bagnaia headed wide at Turn 1, giving Marc Marquez the lead. In the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin screeched up the inside of Bagnaia, and then Quartararo pulled off the perfect dance between madness and excellence to shoot past both, back into second. The shuffle continued, and the rain got heavier and heavier. By the time the six-rider train reached the pit entry, there was a clear decision for five of them: it was time to change. So Marquez, Bagnaia, Martin, Quartararo and Mir headed in to swap… and a lone KTM swept round the final corner and tucked in down the main straight. Binder was going all in.
Out of pitlane, the five were Marc Marquez leading Bagnaia – and both immediately hammering it – with Martin next up, Mir in fourth of the group and Quartararo losing out slightly at the rear of the train. But Bagnaia headed in hot at Turn 3 and lost out to Martin… and then Marc Marquez slid out. A lowside at Turn 1 saw the number 93 lose a shot at the podium, with Bagnaia leading Martin and both taking over in the fight back through. Mir and Quartararo also headed well wide, with the clock ticking and just under 2 laps to go.
When he made the decision to stay out, Binder had been a few of seconds ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), who also gambled on slicks and was in second. By the time the number 33 crossed the line to start the penultimate lap, the South African was 7 clear. Starting the final lap, the gap was over 11.
Bagnaia and Martin, meanwhile, started that final lap in eighth and ninth. And by halfway round, the two were cutting through Binder’s fellow gamblers like there were two categories on track. Second and third were locked down well before the final corner, with the two pushing to perfection to cut the gap.
Ahead of them, though, arguably the wrong decision was turned into the perfect hand in the right hands. Binder’s final lap saw him suffer a couple of moments, but he had somehow pulled it off. In the rain, in KTM’s backyard, with the brakes suffering in the conditions and the tyres the opposite of the weather, the South African made a little more history. And this time around, it wasn’t a statistical milestone, it was pure, instant legend: add bravery and stir.
Behind Binder’s miracle ballet and Bagnaia and Martin’s charge to the podium, there was plenty to sort out. Mir made it home in a solid fourth place to make some good gains in the standings, with Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) making some magic for fifth place on slicks. Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) had been ahead of both and in podium contention but dropped to sixth, the Spaniard getting a little less reward for his earlier bravery than he likely hoped for, but he did hold off Quartararo as the Championship leader came home seventh.
Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was in podium contention too before the final lap and he finished eighth, but some good points for the Doctor, who was also highly entertained by the shuffle and the challenge. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) took ninth, with Aleix Espargaro ultimately completing the top ten.
Miller’s early gamble didn’t pay off and he finished in P11, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) by almost nothing. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was next up, with Rins a little further out of touch behind.
The final point went to Marc Marquez, who may have gambled and lost, but still very much didn’t give up.
And so a new legend is written into the history books, with another win on home turf for KTM and a second premier class victory for Binder. How they did it, and how the South African forced fortune to favour the brave, will be a long time in the memory of MotoGP™ fans, and likely a few of the number 33’s rivals.
Quartararo remains the points leader, Bagnaia gains ground and Zarco loses some… as Mir moves onto equal points with Pecco in second. What will Silverstone bring? We’ll find out in two weeks….
Brad Binder: “When I saw everyone tipping into the pits, I saw an opportunity and I decided I’d rather risk it and crash rather than maybe get top five. It’s a big Grand Prix for us, for KTM, for Red Bull. I’ve won here in Moto2 and I know what it’s like to win here at their home GP. To do it in MotoGP is an unbelievable feeling. Huge gamble, but I’m really glad it paid off.
“I knew when there were 3 laps to go, if I didn’t come in when they did I wasn’t going to come in at all. And yeah, I made it to the end somehow! The biggest problem was no brakes, the carbon brakes were cold and as soon as the rear tyre cooled off I couldn’t open the throttle either. Somehow I made it round the track, and a couple of times I thought it was over but I kept it up straight. So happy, so happy this gamble paid off.”
Arthur Diaz (83) ran undefeated on his Yamaha R6/565 Saturday in the Championship Cup Series Mid-Atlantic event at Summit Point Raceway. Photo by Lisa Theobald, courtesy ASRA/CCS.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to better see all of the race results.
Hungarian-American Rossi Moor (92) leads Lorenz Luciano (81) and the rest of the Northern Talent Cup Field during Race One at Assen in 2021. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Luciano lays down a marker with Race 1 win at Assen
The Belgian bounces back with a victory, with Moor and Gurecky completing a podium of usual fast suspects
Saturday, 14 August 2021
Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) was back on the top step in style at the TT Circuit Assen, the Belgian pulling away for a vital win in the standings and another victory in the Netherlands. Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) and Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) completed the podium after a close fight for second, all taking vital points as the countdown to the finale continues… and Gurecky sets his sights on the Cup in Race 2.
Moor took the holeshot, but it didn’t take long for Luciano to take over in front. Moor wouldn’t go down without a fight though, and the two had Noel Willemsen (MCA Racing Team), Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) and points leader Gurecky for close company near the front of a huge group fight.
Bit by bit, however, Luciano was able to edge away, leaving Moor to battle it out with Hosciuc, Willemsen, Gurecky and Dustin Schneider (PrüstelGP Junior Team). And bit by bit thereafter, the fight for second became a three-way battle as Moor, Gurecky and Hosciuc pulled away. Schneider also crashed out.
As Luciano crossed the line in some clear air for another impressive win, the Geert Timmer chicane showdown between those on the chase saw Moor head in first and, somehow, the Hungarian defended it. He took second, with Gurecky able to close the door on an attack from Hosciuc to complete the podium, leaving the Romanian fourth.
Willemsen completed the top five ahead of another group led by Stepan Zuda (Motoracing23 Klub V ACR), with Kevin Farkas (Agria Racing Team), Jonas Kocourek (JRT Brno Circuit), Allesauto Racing’s Jordan Bartucca and Tibor Varga (Forty Racing) completing the top ten… although Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) was within 0.034 in P11.
That’s it from Race 1, with Gurecky 44 points clear at the top. Can he take the Cup in Race 2? 51 points or more of advantage guarantees it…. so tune in for more at 15:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
David Alonso dominates great Austrian GP Rookies Race 1
David Alonso, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup leader, put in another perfect performance to take victory over arch rival David Muñoz and Tatchakorn Buasri. The 15-year-old Colombian replicated his very cool and classy Race 2 victory from the previous weekend at Spielberg, winning by 3.8 seconds.
It had been an incredible early battle with a huge pack of KTMs chasing across the Austrian countryside. Alonso settled himself in and then put the pressure on. Once he got away, the chasing pack could do nothing and for the last handful of laps it came down to a 5 rider chase group with Muñoz and Buasri swapping places with Taiyo Furusato, Dani Holgado and Matteo Bertelle.
On the penultimate lap Holgado bumped Furusato wide leaving Buasri and Muñoz to get away. The Spanish 15-year-old was more controlled and took 2nd ahead of the 20-year-old Thai.
David Alonso faster and faster
“It is so good to get another win. I am surprised because in the second weekend all riders got faster and we knew it was going to be hard.”
“In the first laps, like the other race, I warmed things up, made sure the tyres were good. Then I tried a little bit harder. The first laps I ran alone were not so good but the pace was good so 4 of us got away.”
“I was putting in a lot of effort, I kept pushing and there were some mistakes from the riders behind. That let me go by one second and from that it was much easier. I pushed every lap and was trying to be faster and I managed it.”
“I’m super happy because the feeling with the bike and the pace was incredible. Starting the second weekend like this is very positive.”
“Tomorrow will be even harder so we are prepared.”
David Muñoz only half happy
“The race was very good, it was again a very fast race. My feeling with the bike is very good, better than last weekend. Alonso was very fast today.”
“Tomorrow is another day, a new opportunity. It is very difficult for me, I know that finishing behind Alonso is not good enough, I have to change that, I am only half happy, I have to find something more.”
“This was a step forward from last weekend, I need to find another step tomorrow.”
Tatchakorn Buasri not happy with mistakes
“For me it was a very difficult race, I made a lot of mistakes, first lap to last lap. I made a mistake with maybe 6 laps left then I stayed in position. Then I pushed again and got up to 2nd but made a mistake on the last lap in that fight and finished 3rd but I am so happy.”
“I am happy to be battling at the front but I need to stop making mistakes, tomorrow I want to try to win, I will push again.”
Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.
Race 2 is on Sunday at 16:30, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.
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as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
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.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
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
