Howard Paul Lynggard Jr., a resident of Bellflower, CA, passed away unexpectedly on July 22, 2021 at the age of 71 at USC Keck Hospital.
Howard is survived by his sisters, Charlene McGuirk and Denise Hetherinton (Mike); his children: Graham Lynggard (Desiree), Kirsten Lynggard, Gavin Lynggard, and Carly Lynggard; his grandchildren: Keagan, Jaxon, Hudson, Addison, and Evin. He is predeceased by his parents.
Howard was born in California on April 29th, 1950 to Howard and Melva Lynggard. Graduated from Duarte Highschool; he was wise beyond his education, and people sought his advice and benefited from his counsel. In 2017, he retired as a Vice President of Schultz Mechanical Contractors, Inc., where he worked for 36 years.
Howard was happiest riding a motorcycle, and in his early years raced professionally for Yamaha. In 1971, he competed in the AMA races and won every Novice National 250cc race on a Yamaha TD250, and in 1972, rode for the Yamaha factory team. In 2001, after a hiatus of 30 years, Howard started racing again for fun on his Yamaha YZF-R1. He usually won the Formula 50 races and was competitive in the Open Modified Production and the Open Superbike events.
The great outdoors was his heaven on earth. He was an avid fly fisherman, an accomplished soccer and softball player, skydiver and a cycling enthusiast. Howard was a lover of books, bonsai trees, and animals. He was a spiritual man who worshipped God, was involved in church activities and the fellowship of A.A.
Howard dearly loved his family, and was a devoted and supportive father and grandfather. He will be remembered for his teasing jokes, his philosophical discussions, his charming smile, and his unfailing work ethic. He could fix anything but broken hearts and the crack of dawn.
His memory will be cherished and he will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him. Friends are invited to celebrate Howard’s life for a funeral service Tuesday, August 10, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Rose Hills Memorial Park – Memorial Chapel, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601. A reception will be held after the service from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at St Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 6201 Willow St, Long Beach, CA 90815. Food will be served from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Please, come and share your memories.
MotoAmerica will not be racing as part of the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas MotoGP event October 1-3, 2021, at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Originally, MotoAmerica’s Superbike class was to race in support of the MotoGP event when it was scheduled to take place April 16-18, 2021, but then the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas was postponed due to pandemic-related issues.
To make up for the loss of the two Superbike races it planned to run at COTA, MotoAmerica announced that each of the final two rounds of its 2021 season, September 10-12 at New Jersey Motorsports Park and September 17-19 at Barber Motorsports Park, would include three Superbike races instead of the normal two.
Then in June, MotoGP announced that it was rescheduling the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas for October 1-3, 2021, which was after the conclusion of MotoAmerica’s announced 2021 schedule and begged the question of whether MotoAmerica would be part of the rescheduled MotoGP event.
That answer came in the form of a bulletin emailed to teams on August 8. That bulletin stated MotoAmerica would not be participating in the MotoGP event at COTA in 2021 and would end its season in September at Barber Motorsports Park.
“As much as we would like to be part of the MotoGP program,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland, “the way that the paddock was going to be laid out, where we would have to pit, the expense of doing the event, there just wasn’t a lot of upside for us, especially when we’re going to go back again when they come back again next April.
“We just decided to stick with what our original plans were, finish at Barber, have our banquet on the following Monday, and go from there.”
YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP IS BACK IN BUSINESS FOR 9TH EDITION
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy are set to return with a renewed Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, held from 18 – 22 August 2021. The ninth edition rider line-up is perfectly suited for the programme’s high-level and full-on racing training as they are all taking part in Yamaha’s bLU cRU programme.
The long wait is over for Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy. After a year of waiting, the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is ready to open its doors to the ninth-edition participants, who will be training at Valentino Rossi‘s VR46 Motor Ranch from 18 – 22 August 2021.
The five selected up-and-coming talents are all currently riders for Yamaha Motor Europe‘s 2021 WorldSSP300 teams or competing in Yamaha Motor Europe‘s 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup. They are skilled and hungry for good results – the perfect traits for aspiring Master Camp graduates.
The new Master Camp students include Yamaha MS Racing teammates Unai Orradre (aged 17, from Spain) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (aged 17, from Turkey), participating in the WorldSSP300 championship, as well as Humberto “Torquinho” Maier (aged 15, from Brazil), Fenton Harrison Seabright (aged 19, from the UK), and Iker Garcia Abella (aged 17, from Spain) who are Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup riders.
Much like the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, a competition that takes place over six rounds, the Master Camp programme is especially designed to nurture talent. The Master Camp is designed by racing and fitness professionals and aims to give young Yamaha stars a boost by enchancing their riding skills and professionalism, thus enabling them to make a further step in their racing career.
To improve the bLU cRU riders‘ skills, they will have a chance to learn from three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli at the VR46 Motor Ranch (on YZ250Fs), and they will also receive soft cross training (on YZ125s). Furthermore, the youngsters will be riding at the Circuit di Pomposa (on YZF-R3s, made possible by Yamalube, Akrapovič, and Pirelli), at the mini Supermoto Jeepers Park (on MiniGP YZ85 bikes), work out at the Fisio Gym with fitness trainer Carlo Casabianca, and practise throttle control with Yamaha EX Deluxe and Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunners at the beach (made possible by Yamaha Marine Europe and Yamaha Marine Italy). The up and coming riders will be joined by their VR46 Academy seniors every session for some personal coaching. Moreover, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Lorenzo Daretti (aka Trastevere73) will be a guest lecturer this series for MotoGP eSports classes (made possible by MSI Gaming Italy), to teach the riders tricks many professional racers use to refamiliarize themselves with the MotoGP circuits on the calendar.
Moreover, the ninth-edition riders will be provided with new Yamaha VR46 Master Camp outfits for on and off-track wear (made possible by Oakley, Alpinestars, and VR46).
News, images, videos and updates from the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp will be posted regularly on its dedicated media channels throughout the ninth edition:
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING
“First of all, we are thrilled that the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is back after a year of waiting due to the ongoing global pandemic. This edition has been long awaited, but that makes it all the more exciting and satisfying that MC9 is actually happening in less than two weeks from now.
“On behalf of Yamaha Motor Co, Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing, I would like to thank Valentino and VR46 for their support and efforts to strengthen our special partnership throughout the years, which has led to many rewarding moments. As so many young talents have already benefitted from this unique training programme, the Master Camp is now highly anticipated and monitored by Yamaha markets all over the world. The already coveted spots in the Master Camp, five or six of them per edition, are becoming more and more sought after, as all Yamaha distributors wish to let their respective best talents train with MotoGP stars in an effort to boost their chances of an international career.
“For the young riders attending this particular edition of the Master Camp, we aim to provide them with all the tools and skills they need in the WorldSSP300 championship and Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup whilst respecting and following all Covid-19 safety rules. I would like to take this moment to thank the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp sponsors – Monster Energy, Yamalube, Akrapovič, Oakley, Alpinestars, Pirelli, MSI Gaming Italy, Yamaha Marine Italy, and Yamaha Marine Europe – for making this event possible and helping to give those young Yamaha riders‘ careers an extra push.”
ALESSIO SALUCCI
DIRECTOR, VR46 RIDERS ACADEMY
“We are so happy to welcome riders to the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp again after a year of absence. It took a while, but we finally are able to host the ninth edition of this fun and very meaningful event.
“We are always looking for improvements to make this programme even more successful and fitted to the young riders‘ needs. We know that the riders competing in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Challenge are all very talented and keen on a challenge, so we have taken this into consideration when we developed our training plan for this upcoming edition.
“As always, we expect the riders to work hard and act in a manner that we can expect from professional riders, but it‘s equally important that they will enjoy themselves during the training. We want the riders to have fun and at the same time pick up some skills that will aid them in their future racing careers – it‘s the combination of passion, professionalism, and the feeling of excitement during racing and training that makes great racers.
“I would like to thank Yamaha and the sponsors and partners who have helped VR46 organise the Master Camp project despite global pandemic restrictions. It will be a very happy moment for us all when these young riders can start their Master Camp training.”
Unai Orradre (10). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
UNAI ORRADRE
2019 ESBK Superbike Junior champion Unai Orradre made his FIM Supersport 300 World Championship Wildcard debut in 2019, and in 2020 the Spanish youngster stepped up to contest his first full season with the Yamaha MS Racing WorldSSP300 Supported Team.
That year, the then 16-year-old became the youngest ever winner in the WorldSSP300 championship, after storming to a dominant victory in the opening race of the 2020 season at Jerez.
Orradre picked up two further podium finishes, taking second at Portimao and third at Aragon on his way to a seventh place in the riders‘ standings.
His performances and potential earned him another year as part of the bLU cRU programme in the WorldSSP300 class alongside Bahattin Sofuoglu, and in 2021 he remained with the Yamaha MS Racing team with goals of challenging for the title.
WorldSSP300 Record
Races: 21 (as of Assen, 2021)
Wins: 1 (Jerez Race 1, 2020)
Podiums: 4
Pole positions: 0
Fastest laps: 2
Bahattin Sofuoglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
BAHATTIN SOFUOGLU
Bahattin Sofuoglu brought the name made famous by his cousin, five-time WorldSSP Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, back into world championship motorcycle racing in 2018, making a wildcard appearance in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship and going on to participate in eight races the following year.
In 2020, he joined Yamaha’s bLU cRU programme, racing for the Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300 Supported Team. Sofuoglu won on his first weekend of the season, following fellow bLU cRU rider Unai Orradre’s Race-1 success with a victory on Sunday.
The Turkish rider won from pole position at Aragon, stepping on the podium again that weekend with a third place in Race 2. Sofuoglu scored another top-three finish at Magny-Cours and ended the season third in the championship as the top Yamaha racer.
In 2021, he is contesting another WorldSSP300 year as a bLU cRU rider, and will look to convert his rapid pace into race victories to mount a serious championship challenge.
WorldSSP300 Record
Races: 30 (as of Assen, 2021)
Wins: 2 (Jerez Race 2, 2020, Teruel Race 1, 2020)
Podiums: 4
Pole positions: 2
Fastest laps: 1
Humberto Maier (12). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
HUMBERTO MAIER
Humberto Cesar Maier Neto is a Brazilian rider currently contesting the inaugural Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup. At 15 years old, he‘s already a winner in the series and brings a lot of success from his racing in South American countries.
Having started racing at just seven years old, following in his father‘s footsteps, the youngster went on to win the Yamalube R3 Cup Brazil Stock category in 2019, as well as the GP3 de Las Americas, before being crowned the overall champion in the 2020 Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Cup Brazil.
His win at Assen in 2021 saw him climb to seventh in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup standings, with his goal for next year being in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship.
Fenton Harrison Seabright (47). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
FENTON HARRISON SEABRIGHT
Fenton Harrison Seabright has already announced himself as a championship contender in the 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, with a victory at Donington Park to his name. The British rider from Essex has been on the podium in every championship he‘s contested, including in the FIM CEV Championship.
Starting out racing go-karts before switching to motorbikes aged 12 after wanting more of an adrenaline rush, the 19-year-old idolised Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner growing up and has dreams of one day becoming world champion.
As of Assen, Seabright currently sits second in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup championship standings, with three podiums, a win, and a pole position to his name.
Iker Garcia Abella (2). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
IKER GARCIA ABELLA
Born in Les Cases d’Alcanar, Spain, Iker Garcia Abella currently races the #2 Yamaha R3 in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, and is already stretching out a lead in the riders‘ standings.
After his father bought him his first motorbike when he was six, the now 17-year-old won the Spanish Moto4 Championship in 2018, and has also scored victories in the FIM CEV Repsol and European Talent Cup classes. Additionally, he contested two WorldSSP300 rounds at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In 2021, the Spaniard has already won two Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup races and stepped onto the podium five times in six races, which has given him a 39-point lead in the championship heading into Round 4, held this weekend. Garcia Abella is hoping for title glory this year to earn him a spot on the WorldSSP300 grid next season.
NOTES
ABOUT THE YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP
In an effort to support young Italian riders aiming to become world-class racers, Valentino Rossi decided to put his vast experience and knowledge from his many years of racing to good use in 2014 and established the VR46 Riders Academy.
In March 2016, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. entered into a formal three-year partnership agreement with the VR46 Riders Academy as an Official Partner and also as its Official Motorcycle Supplier. The programme‘s three-year contract was extended by a further three years at the end of 2018.
In July of 2016, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy staged the inaugural Yamaha VR46 Master Camp with the goal of helping selected young Yamaha talent make their way in the racing world by increasing their skills and experience in various racing disciplines.
Since then the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp has put on eight subsequent training events. The participants so far have been 37 mostly teenage riders, who race in various championships on bikes like the YZF-R25 and YZF-R3, and hail from 14 countries in all: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, and the United States. Turkey will be added to this list with the upcoming edition.
Thailand‘s Keminth Kubo who took part in the fifth edition of the programme and Malaysia‘s Kyle McKinley from the eighth edition are currently participating in the CEV Repsol Moto2 Championship as VR46 Master Camp riders.
With a marine activity being added in 2019, the students will be riding Yamaha YZ85, YZ125, YZ250F, and YZF-R3 bikes, and Yamaha EX Deluxe and Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunners during their stay in Tavullia.
The riders for the ninth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp were selected by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Europe. A place in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp can’t be bought, nor can riders apply for a placement – riders are to be put forward by Yamaha distributors.
Dumas and Suzuki chasing more history as Award battles continue at CTMP next weekend
Toronto, ON – While the main title standings capture the headlines in the Canadian Superbike Championship, the separate Award races have been equally as exciting to begin the 2021 campaign, and that trend will continue into the first ever Pro Superbike tripleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend, August 13-15.
The newest campaign will see four side championships handed out this summer, a major overhaul from years past when only the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year Award was offered to the feature class.
The additional awards will feature the first ever Constructors Championship, the Yuasa Batteries sponsored Pole Position Championship, and – new to this weekend – the FAST Riding School Hard Charger Award.
Leading the Rookie of the Year standings in historic fashion is teenage sensation Alex Dumas, who became the first ever rider to win his Pro Superbike debut before winning again in race two to sweep the opening round at Calabogie.
Dumas could clinch the award as early as this weekend, with a 65-point lead already in hand and 160 points on offer at CTMP. The Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School Suzuki rider is chasing one of the best rookie seasons in CSBK history, as he aims to capture the Pro Superbike feature title in just his first year north of the border.
Trailing Dumas in the fight for second will be Jordan Royds and fellow Suzuki rider Guillaume Fortin, with Royds taking a four-point advantage into round two aboard his IBEW-sponsored BMW.
Dumas’ round one performance also bolstered a surprising start for Suzuki in the new Constructors Championship, as they lead BMW by 30 points entering the tripleheader event at “Old Mosport.” A pair of victories and a pair of fourth place finishes from OneSpeed’s Trevor Daley has given the Hamamatsu factory an early advantage, but one that won’t be without a challenge in round two.
BMW and Kawasaki have split every race win at CTMP since 2014, with Suzuki’s last victory at the circuit coming in 2013, and the track has been especially kind to reigning champion Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) and 2019 champion Ben Young (BMW) over that span as they look to close the gap for their respective factories in round two.
The weekend will also see the return of Dewildt Powersports rider Steven Nickerson and with it the reunion of Honda to the feature class grid, who have not scored a point since 2019 and will look to make up for lost ground in the Constructors standings.
Leading the Yuasa Batteries Pole Position Championship into Friday’s qualifying session will be Young, who showed zero signs of rust in his return to the series at round one as he blitzed the field to pole position and ten points in the award standings.
The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider has captured pole twice before at CTMP and will aim for the hat trick to begin the weekend, though Dumas, Szoke, and second-place qualifier from round one Tomas Casas all figure to be in the mix during qualifying.
Szoke sits third in the Pole Position standings after qualifying in the same spot at Calabogie, while Dumas will aim to fix the lone blemish on his season so far and improve upon his fourth place standing in round two.
The newest entry to the awards showcase, the recently announced FAST Riding School Hard Charger Award, will go to the rider “deemed to have produced the best effort in context of that race, specifically overcoming a potentially wide range of challenges.”
While there will be no season-long standings in the awards battle, the added incentive may provide for some thrilling racing in the midfield, as the weekend is sure to provide plenty of drama throughout the grid amidst all three races.
The second round of the CSBK season is set to get underway on Friday, August 13, with five National classes stealing the spotlight alongside the awards battles. Tickets are still available for the event, which will take place just an hour east of Toronto, ON.
Farkas fights his way to fantastic first NTC victory
The Hungarian impresses for a maiden win, with Kocourek taking second and Moor on the podium once more
Sunday, 08 August 2021
Take two at the Red Bull Ring saw the Northern Talent Cup deliver another Spielberg masterpiece, with Kevin Farkas (Agria Racing Team) taking to the top step on Sunday after another impressive race at the front. The Hungarian fought off polesitter Jonas Kocourek (JRT Brno Circuit) and Race 1 winner Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) to take his debut victory, getting his elbows out to come out on top by half a tenth.
Hungarian-American Rossi Moor (92) during Northern Talent Cup Race Two in Austria. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Kocourek once again got away well from pole position, but once again it was a big group fight from the off – with even more riders in the mix on Sunday. At times though it did seem like a replay from Race 1, with Farkas and Moor going toe-to-toe at the head of the race, the numbers 92 and 28 switching positions in the battle for the lead.
Points leader Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) also made a good start on Sunday and was up in the fight a little earlier than in Race 1, with Lenoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) initially the missing presence from Saturday. The Swiss rookie bombed down through the order to much nearer the back of the freight train, and it was a tough start for Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) too as he struggled to get in the same postcode as the podium fight.
It was a battle for the ages but Farkas and Moor were both constants at the front, and there were some standout moves – and moments – from the likes of Leo Rammerstorfer as the Austrian Junior Cup rider made his mark. By the latter laps the likes of Phommara and Luciano were back in the mix though, both making up some serious ground – but drama then struck for the Belgian rider. After making it from P16 to second at one point, Luciano then overcooked it and headed into the gravel – staying upright but rejoining in P16 once more, out of the points and with almost no time left to find some redemption.
Up ahead there was less drama, and heading onto the final lap it was the familiar number 28 in the lead. Turn 3 would, however and of course, cause a shuffle though. Moor was the man on the move and the number 92 threw it up the inside and made it stick, with Kocourek taking over in second too. But Farkas got good drive and down into Turn 4, he struck back to take the lead once more.
The hammer going down at the front for the number 28 meant there was less final corner shuffling on Sunday and Farkas headed in first and out first, keeping tucked in for the drag to the line and staying ahead to take a hard-fought first NTC win. Kocourek kept it clean to take second and get back on the podium after a more difficult Race 1, with Rossi Moor retaining some good momentum with another podium.
It was close just behind but Gurecky did another solid job to take fourth, again off the podium but extending his lead as Luciano failed to score. Phommara’s fight back got him good rewards in fifth too. Loris Veneman (Kahuna Security Racing) took P6 and another good finish from his impressive front row start, and Rammerstorfer made an impression with seventh on Sunday, the top AJC runner.
The gaps remained tiny and Stepan Zuda (Motoracing23 Klub V ACR) took P8 ahead of another good finish for Allesauto Racing’s Jordan Bartucca in ninth. Martin Vincze (Chrobák Motorsport Egyesület) completed the top ten, with Julius Coenen (Helena und Julius Racing Team) and AJC rider Luca Göttlicher for close company in a top 12 covered by only 1.065 seconds!
And so the curtain comes down on Round 5 for the NTC, and now it’s time to head back north to the TT Circuit Assen for the penultimate race weekend of the season. It’s now a whopping 53-point advantage for Gurecky at the top of the standings, so can Luciano and Moor hit back in the Netherlands? They arrive as the race winners in Round 4 at the same venue! Tune in for more next weekend as we race back-to-back in the NTC.
BACK IN BUSINESS: Redding reignites title challenge with Most Race 2 victory
The Aruba.it Racing Ducati team cheers Scott Redding’s (45) victory in Race Two. Photo courtesy Dorna.
A classy win for the Ducati rider saw him clear off at the front, whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu is now just three points off the Championship lead…
The final race for the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most and the Tissot Czech Round was yet another intriguing spectacle. With Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) first and second on the grid and going for the same tyre combination (standard SC1 front and SCX rear), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had opted for the SC1 front and SC0 rear. After hitting the front, Redding never looked back and beat Razgatlioglu, whilst Rea was a distant third.
OFF AND RUNNING: lights out for Race 2
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) leads Scott Redding (45), Andrea Locatelli (55), and Jonathan Rea (1) during Race Two. Photo courtesy Dorna.
As the race fired up, it was a blinding start from Toprak Razgatlioglu, who grabbed the holeshot from teammate Andrea Locatelli. Scott Redding initially got a poor first phase of his start but recovered to third, whilst Jonathan Rea was down in fourth with teammate Alex Lowes knocking right at his door, with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in sixth. There was a Turn 1 pile-up with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) crashing, taking down Alessandro Delbianco (MIE Racing Honda Team); the incident forced Karel Hanika (IXS-YART Yamaha), Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) to go across the gravel. All riders were on their feet and relatively OK.
Prodding and probing all the time, particularly at Turn 1, Scott Redding finally got ahead of Andrea Locatelli on Lap 3 at Turn 20, placing his Ducati in the middle of the two Pata Yamahas. Jonathan Rea’s SC0 tyre had now come into its own and he was right with the three ahead of him, as teammate Lowes started to drop off. Further down the field, it was a bright start from Leon Haslam (Team HRC), who came up through the order into seventh from tenth on the grid.
PASS FOR THE LEAD: Redding pounces
Lap 5 saw Redding hit the front at Turn 1, passing Razgatlioglu after drawing alongside his rival down the front straight and getting the job finalized in the braking area. Meanwhile, Jonathan Rea wasn’t making the inroads predicted, as he was eight tenths behind Andrea Locatelli and slowly slipping back towards Alex Lowes, just half a second splitting them after seven laps. However, on Lap 8, Locatelli and Lowes made errors, meaning Rea was now back in the fight for third and got ahead of Locatelli on Lap 9 at Turn 20.
THE FIGHT BEHIND: everywhere you look…
It was a tight fight for sixth place as Sykes held position ahead of an inspired Leon Haslam, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was only eighth. After a strong Superpole Race, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was up in ninth from 17th on the grid, whilst Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) having a quiet race in tenth place, but his pace began to pick up as the race evolved. Three laps later and it was all change in a first chicane shuffle, with Rinaldi now sixth ahead of Sykes, van der Mark, Gerloff and Haslam, with the ‘Pocket Rocket’ suddenly dropping back into the clutches of teammate Alvaro Bautista, who eventually got ahead of him with six to go.
Meanwhile, back at the front, Scott Redding was riding the race of his life as he eased clear of Razgatlioglu and broke the Turkish rider’s spirit. With the gap now over three seconds and with Razgatlioglu settling for second, Redding was able to run his own pace. Behind the top two, Rea was a further seven seconds behind whilst Locatelli was keeping him honest in fourth. Alex Lowes, also using the SCX tyre, was being caught by Rinaldi, van der Mark and Gerloff and with two laps to go, Lowes had less than a second back to Rinaldi.
LAST LAP TIME: Redding on fire
Scott Redding rode the perfect race for a first win since Estoril’s Tissot Superpole Race, taking the plaudits of the passionate Czech fans at Most. Razgatlioglu finished second and was now just three points behind Jonathan Rea in the Championship – Rea himself finishing third. Locatelli took fourth in another stunning performance, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi got fifth on the final lap with a pass on Alex Lowes at Turn 1. Yamaha’s strength’s this weekend mean that they are now three points clear of Kawasaki in the manufacturer standings, with Ducati another three further back.
Lowes held on for sixth as he ran out of tyre life at the end of the race, whilst former teammate Michael van der Mark was top BMW in seventh. Garrett Gerloff took a solid eighth as his trademark late-race pace saw him come on strong. Ninth went to Tom Sykes, whilst Alvaro Bautista completed the top ten. Leon Haslam was eleventh ahead of Chaz Davies who fought back after Turn 1-Lap 1 drama.
THE REST: how did it finish down field?
Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team), Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha) completed the points in Race 2. Behind them, Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing), Isaac Viñales, Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz (IXS-YART Yamaha), Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Jayson Uribe – after coming into the pits – completed the final results.
P1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“I was trying hard this weekend! That’s why I was really upset with Race 1 because I put a lot of work in and I felt good. It was a bit aggressive but, come today, I let it go behind and I apologised for being a bit hot-headed. I like to retaliate in style and that was, for me, a really good race. In the Superpole Race, I was trying but I didn’t have the pace at the beginning. I said before there’s one race to go and I’ll try to win it. Managed to get a really good rhythm. I felt really good with the bike, it was working really well. I was just ticking off laps, I felt really good. I saw the gap growing behind and that put me a little bit more at ease so I could enjoy the last few laps. It was great to do it with the helmet for Brad, so I’m really happy that I can do that and give him as much energy as possible.”
P2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
“This weekend has been a very good weekend because we have taken many points for the Championship. Also, in the last race, I was fighting for the win. But Scott was very fast, and I felt the rear tyre dropping. I am fighting again but I thought it was better not to because I need many points for the Championship. Second position is good. I’m very happy.”
P3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I woke up a little bit delicate this morning. Yesterday was a big crash. I felt good on my bike. I really feel like I took the best out of our Ninja ZX-10RR this weekend. Really pushing on the limits. Just in this race, I didn’t have enough grip. I opted to go for the harder tyre. I hadn’t done a lot of work with the soft SCX tyre throughout the weekend, so it was a little bit of a gamble for us. I was a battling third, unfortunately not with the front group. Congratulations to those guys, they had a great race and a great weekend.”
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a new MotoGP™ winner in town! From injury to pole position to top step of the podium, comeback stories don’t get much better than Jorge Martin’s (Pramac Racing) first weekend back from the summer break. The Spaniard broke the lap record for pole on Saturday and then put in an imperious performance to outpace reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on Sunday, taking his first premier class win and becoming the first Independent Team rider on a Ducati to win a MotoGP™ race. And for Pramac Racing, the wait is over as that victory with Ducati finally comes their way.
Mir took second and his best result of the season so far, with Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the rostrum to do some impressive damage control in the standings at a tougher venue for Yamaha.
The first race start of two saw Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) take the holeshot as Mir and Martin slotted in behind, but it wasn’t long before a huge moment of drama would interrupt proceedings. A couple of laps later, MotoGP™ Legend and wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) slid off out of Turn 3 – and his bike was then struck by Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Both riders were up and ok after the crash, but the bikes burst into flames and the Red Flag came out immediately – leaving a clean-up job to do.
Savadori headed for a check up and was found to have fractured his right malleolis, therefore out of the restart – but Pedrosa was able to get back out. After a considerable wait for the track to get cleaned and race ready, a new distance of 27 laps was set and the grid lined up again.
But again, more drama hit – this time for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the number 12 couldn’t get away on the Warm Up lap and was forced into pitlane. That left a gap on the grid, and the lights then finally went out for the second time.
This time around, Martin took the holeshot but Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) struck at Turn 3, with Mir slotted into third and a gap back behind the trio already. Quartararo was on the chase, with another – after the same in the first start – moment between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) slightly shuffling the pack just behind as El Diablo took the inside line and the room ran out.
At the front though, Miller led Martin led Mir, but Quartararo was homing in – and closest Championship challenger Zarco was the last man going with the front group. Bagnaia, meanwhile, had dropped behind both LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez and LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami. Another rider of note was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the South African started to ignite his Sunday charge, up into ninth and looking like little would stop further progress.
Up ahead, by the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin was into the lead and past Miller though, and Quartararo and Zarco switched and switched back. Mir then got past Miller to get on the chase for victory, and a gap started to open up behind the leading duo. By 21 to go, Quartararo moved past the Australian too, and Miller responded at Turn 4 before El Diablo elbowed his way back through. With that, the gap to the lead duo only grew…
Quartararo managed to hold on in third, but then more drama hit behind him to assure it. Martin and Mir had disappeared in the distance and Miller was starting to put the pressure on the number 20 in the fight for the podium, but disaster hit for the Australian with 10 laps to go. Suddenly sliding out at Turn 7, his rostrum hopes were over and the Yamaha ahead was released into some solid breathing space.
From there on out, the key question became: Martin or Mir? But as the laps ticked down, the answer became clearer. The number 89 was edging away, and then a mistake from Mir at Turn 3 just took the gap over a second… and that was that. If Martin could keep it clean, his first premier class win was there for the taking.
Keep it clean he did. Mir did too from there on out, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Pramac Racing rider in the lead just pounded on. Over the line, the comeback fairytale was complete and Martin took the flag with a second and a half in hand, making some incredible history with an emotional victory, from a pole position lap record no less. Mir was forced to settle for second but was right back in the hunt – and moved up to third in the standings – with Quartararo a distant but valuable third as Ducati territory didn’t play out that way for his closest challengers in the points.
Fourth place, meanwhile, looked set for much of the race. But Brad Binder had other ideas, and the South African absolutely smashed the final lap. Beginning it behind both Nakagami and Zarco, the KTM rider wanted more than sixth and that’s exactly what he got. Dispatching the Japanese rider AND the Frenchman in just one lap, the number 33 took fourth and the honour of top KTM on home turf. Sunday rider can also be a compliment!
Nakagami then snatched fifth and Zarco was forced to settle for sixth, losing out some ground to Quartararo. Alex Rins slotted into seventh, with Marc Marquez able to salvage eighth after some dramas for the number 93 on Sunday. Alex Marquez faded in the latter stages to ninth but still took a valuable top ten… as did Pedrosa, in the end. Bagnaia was given a time penalty for not taking a Long Lap – he exceeded track limits – and that puts the number 26 back into the top ten in Grand Prix racing. An impressive achievement for any rider, but especially more than two years after retirement.
Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) took P12 and managed to stay ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who in turn held off Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia). Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing), after a stronger start, completed the points in P15.
So that’s all she wrote for Styria… but not for the Red Bull Ring. The stunning venue welcomes MotoGP™ back for more next weekend for the Austrian Grand Prix, and there’ll be a new premier class winner lining up: Jorge Martin. Will the deck shuffle again or can he go back to back? We’ll start to see some answers on Friday!
Jorge Martin: “I can’t believe it, for sure I think I still don’t believe it so I’m still not so excited! What I did today was amazing, I kept a really constant pace throughout the race, in the same tenth, and I was super focused. Even if I made some mistakes, my target was to win the race. Joan was impressive today too, he was behind me almost all the race but in the last laps I tried a bit more to brake a bit harder even if the front tyre was destroyed, and I could take a gap for the lead. On the last laps I was thinking a lot of things, about everything and everyone who helped me to arrive here and that’s why I was a bit worse in the last laps! But I had the gap to manage. Thanks to all my family, this is one big step towards my dream of being World Champion. Today is one big step, we’re a bit closer and I want to dedicate it to all the people who’ve helped me and also to my grandfather who is still fighting, this is for you. I hope to keep this line for next weekend, it’ll be more difficult but I think we still have some margin to work and we’ll try for the win again.”
Bez is back! The Italian takes victory in style in Styria
A close-fought Moto2™ races sees the number 72 on the top step for the first time this season, joined by Canet and Augusto Fernandez on the podium
Marco Bezzecchi (72) leads Aron Canet (44) to the checkered flag. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was back on the top step in style at the Red Bull Ring, the Italian hunting down his rivals and keeping just enough in reserve to secure his first win of the year. Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) was the rider he just held at bay after an impressive charge from the number 44, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) back on the podium in P3 to pick up where he left off in Assen.
Initially Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got the best launch from pole, but Bezzecchi nabbed the holeshot and Gardner then overcooked it at Turn 3 trying to fight back. So the Italian blasted away, with Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) up into second as Gardner was forced to slot back into third, just ahead of Canet.
Turn 3 treated Gardner better with the next move he tried, the Australian getting past his teammate to slot in behind Bezzecchi once again. Canet was the next mover as he took Raul Fernandez at the final corner, with the top four enjoying a reasonable gap back to Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) on the chase. He, in turn, had Elf Marc VDS Racing’s Sam Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez close on his tail.
With 19 to go, there was a big shuffle. Bezzecchi headed wide at Turn 1 and both Canet and Gardner swopped round the Italian on each side, the number 44 taking the lead. At the end of the lap Gardner then sliced through on the Boscoscuro to lead… just as Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) headed wide as well. That left Gardner-Canet-Bezzecchi in a close trio at the front, allowing Ogura into fourth and Lowes and Augusto Fernandez past too.
As the laps ticked on though, Gardner was edging away from Canet, who in turn was edging away from Bezzecchi… and it was Ogura with the momentum as the Japanese rookie slammed in the fastest lap to home in. Augusto Fernandez was a couple of seconds back and had made it through on Lowes, with Raul Fernandez dropped by the frontrunners to head up a freight train stretching back to 12th.
At the front, it looked like Gardner was on for glory, but Canet and Bezzecchi were digging in and fighting back… as was Ogura, the fastest man on track. But Bezzecchi was the first to make try a move as he homed in on Canet, and with 11 to go at Turn 1 the Italian struck and made sure it stuck. Next there was a shuffle as Ogura took Canet and then had the favour returned, but the next move would come at the front…
Bezzechi had Gardner in the crosshairs and the Italian got closer and closer to the leader before putting in another impressive move at Turn 1 with 7 to go. The Australian slipped back past at Turn 3 though as the Italian headed slightly wide, but Bezzechi wasn’t done and closed the door through Turn 4, making it stick this time around… and drama hit for Gardner soon after.
Overcooking it at Turn 4 next time around, the Championship leader had to sit it up to avoid Bezzecchi and headed into the gravel. Although upright and rejoining, that left Bezzecchi leading Ogura leading Augusto Fernandez… and then there was even more drama.
After a track limits warning earlier in the race, the message came throughas Ogura was given a Long Lap penalty. That dropped him out of contention for his first podium in some late heartbreak, promoting Canet back into second and Augusto Fernandez, waiting in the wings, into third for another podium.
Bezzecchi held up under some late pressure from Canet, crossing the line for his first win of the season and, fittingly, the 46th Italian win in Moto2™. Canet in turn got back on the rostrum after another impressive race, with Augusto Fernandez showing more solid speed to take another podium, picking up where he left off in Assen.
Gardner managed to hold off Ogura to take fourth, and the Japanese rider was also given another 3-second penalty after not completing his Long Lap within the white lines. And next up, the fight for sixth went down to the wire…
From 19th on the grid, Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) put on an impressive charge and right at the end of the race, the Italian was able to slice past Raul Fernandez for an impressive best Moto2™ result so far: sixth.
Eighth was another best intermediate class result yet for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the Thai rider concluded a quick weekend with quite a nice haul of points, fighting off Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and a good charge up to a better postcode from Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing). Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) took 12th just behind that fight, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) just a tenth further back. Sam Lowes slipped to 14th after a run off for the Brit, with Albert Arenas (Aspar Team Moto2) completing the points.
Now it’s time to reset, reload and maybe relax as the summer break awaits, before Moto2™ return to action at the Red Bull Ring in August.
Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a tricky race but amazing to fight with the guys, at the beginning I started well and my rhythm was constant but not enough, Remy passed me but then I understood more and I started to push, getting closer and closer and I thought maybe today was my day. Aron was very fast at the end but I kept something in my pocket!”
Acosta and Garcia stage a Spielberg spectacular
A duel to the final corner sees some last minute drama decide Moto3™ as Acosta continues his Championship charge
Sergio Garcia (11) and Pedro Acosta (37) battle for the lead in Moto3. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Four in a row last year in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, a win from the year before that and now, a Moto3™ victory at the Red Bull Ring on first time of asking? Sounds about right for history maker Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), but it didn’t come easy. A truly epic duel for the ages saw the Spaniard take on compatriot and closest Championship challenger Sergio Garcia (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) in a half-wet half-dry Styrian showdown, with Acosta making a move at the final corner to take the win – and the number 11 just sliding out on a damp patch on the outside. But such was their domination, Garcia remounted and still made it over the line in second.
Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Racing Team) continued his good form of late to complete the podium as he struck late against Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), moving up to third in the standings with the move to boot.
There was drama before lights out as polesitter Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was pulled off the grid before the warm up lap, the Turkish rider’s bike having been worked on within the 3 minute board and that sending him to the back of the grid for the race start. But what had they been doing? Changing to slicks, with a dry line fast appearing around the Red Bull Ring but the majority of the field on wets. The majority didn’t include Öncü after the change, and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), his teammate John McPhee, Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3), Andi Izdihar (Honda Team Asia) and Rivacold Snipers teammates Andrea Migno and David Salvador all lined up on slicks too.
Once the start was underway, Fenati took the holeshot from the outside of the front row, the Italian away well to just slip ahead of second place starter – and second in the standings – Garcia, but the Spaniard didn’t take long to hit back and hit the front. Before long, he, Acosta and Fenati already had a couple of seconds in hand over the chasing pack a lap later, with Masia and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) leading that chase.
Lap by lap though, the top two were pulling away. Garcia and Acosta, the two at the top of the standings, remained the fastest two riders on track even as the dry line got more pronounced, with time starting to run out for those on slicks hoping for a change of fortune. Binder was by far the furthest forward of those trying the gamble, down in P16 but over five seconds ahead of teammate McPhee, the next rider on slicks.
11 to go was when Acosta, who’d been stalking Garcia for over ten laps, made his move. The two were nearly ten seconds clear of the rest, but Garcia hit back quickly and next time over the line, found his fastest lap not beaten straight away by the man just behind him. And so the laps rolled on, and six to go was the next attack from Acosta, again at Turn 3. But again, Garcia hit back and it was as you were.
Five to go marked the first time the fastest lap came from a rider on slicks, and it was Binder. The South African was on a charge and was already well inside the top ten even before that tipping point, leaving the rest of his fellow tyre gamblers far behind. But with time running out for it to make a big difference, it was more a mission of damage limitation.
By two to go, Acosta was ready to try it again, and the points leader pulled the same move at Turn 3. And Garcia, once again, sliced back past. And so the highspeed Moto3™ chess headed onto the final lap, and this time it was Turn 1. Acosta struck, Garcia tucked in and this time round at Turn 3 the roles were reversed – and the elbows out. The number 11 whacked it up the inside and just about made it work, some contact between the two and Acosta running wide but both soon back on track into what had become formation.
And so it rolled on to the final corner, and this time it was Acosta slicing up the inside… and this time there was no contact, but there was drama. Garcia lost it on the wider line, just touching the damp patch and sliding out into the gravel as Acosta gunned it towards the line for another impressive victory, increasing his Championship lead once again.
It wasn’t quite the disaster it seemed for Garcia, however. The domination of the two was such that the Spaniard, quick to his feet in the gravel, had enough time to get back on his bike, back on track and make it to the line in second place for a valuable and hard-earned 20 points.
A duel to the end decided the final place on the podium too as Fenati struck late against Masia, the Italian just taking it by a tenth, up the inside at the final corner for another rostrum finish. Masia was forced to settle for fourth but gets some solid points after a tougher run of it before summer, with Sasaki next up as he made a great return to racing in fifth place following his injury and time on the sidelines.
Sixth place, in the end, was Binder’s limit. The South African somehow did an entire race on completely different tyres to those anywhere around him at the flag, putting in an impressive day’s work. He got past a close fight that saw Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) beat Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia) and Max Kofler (CIP Green Power).
Another close fight completed the points: Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), Filip Salac (CarXpert PruestelGP), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Izan Guevara (SANTANDER Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in 15th.
Now the grid will recharge for another run at the Red Bull Ring next weekend – so get ready for the Austrian GP! Can Acosta make it a magnificent seven in a row at the venue?
Pedro Acosta: “Sergio was strong like always! I’m super happy after 24 laps, super long race. We have to still fully focused by in the end in the battle I could overtake him. It was a bit on the limit but to win here in Red Bull and KTM house is amazing, and I have to say thanks to all the team. We trained so hard this summer to come here prepared to fight. This is for Hugo Millan, for him, his brother and his family.”
Howard Lynggard (center) after winning the AMA Novice race at Daytona in 1971. Scott Autrey (left) was second, and John Long (right) was third. Photo courtesy John Long/Long's Motorcycle Sales.
Howard Paul Lynggard Jr., a resident of Bellflower, CA, passed away unexpectedly on July 22, 2021 at the age of 71 at USC Keck Hospital.
Howard is survived by his sisters, Charlene McGuirk and Denise Hetherinton (Mike); his children: Graham Lynggard (Desiree), Kirsten Lynggard, Gavin Lynggard, and Carly Lynggard; his grandchildren: Keagan, Jaxon, Hudson, Addison, and Evin. He is predeceased by his parents.
Howard was born in California on April 29th, 1950 to Howard and Melva Lynggard. Graduated from Duarte Highschool; he was wise beyond his education, and people sought his advice and benefited from his counsel. In 2017, he retired as a Vice President of Schultz Mechanical Contractors, Inc., where he worked for 36 years.
Howard was happiest riding a motorcycle, and in his early years raced professionally for Yamaha. In 1971, he competed in the AMA races and won every Novice National 250cc race on a Yamaha TD250, and in 1972, rode for the Yamaha factory team. In 2001, after a hiatus of 30 years, Howard started racing again for fun on his Yamaha YZF-R1. He usually won the Formula 50 races and was competitive in the Open Modified Production and the Open Superbike events.
The great outdoors was his heaven on earth. He was an avid fly fisherman, an accomplished soccer and softball player, skydiver and a cycling enthusiast. Howard was a lover of books, bonsai trees, and animals. He was a spiritual man who worshipped God, was involved in church activities and the fellowship of A.A.
Howard dearly loved his family, and was a devoted and supportive father and grandfather. He will be remembered for his teasing jokes, his philosophical discussions, his charming smile, and his unfailing work ethic. He could fix anything but broken hearts and the crack of dawn.
His memory will be cherished and he will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him. Friends are invited to celebrate Howard’s life for a funeral service Tuesday, August 10, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Rose Hills Memorial Park – Memorial Chapel, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601. A reception will be held after the service from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at St Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 6201 Willow St, Long Beach, CA 90815. Food will be served from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Please, come and share your memories.
The start of a MotoAmerica Superbike race at COTA in 2019, the last time the series raced there. Photo by David Swarts.
MotoAmerica will not be racing as part of the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas MotoGP event October 1-3, 2021, at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Originally, MotoAmerica’s Superbike class was to race in support of the MotoGP event when it was scheduled to take place April 16-18, 2021, but then the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas was postponed due to pandemic-related issues.
To make up for the loss of the two Superbike races it planned to run at COTA, MotoAmerica announced that each of the final two rounds of its 2021 season, September 10-12 at New Jersey Motorsports Park and September 17-19 at Barber Motorsports Park, would include three Superbike races instead of the normal two.
Then in June, MotoGP announced that it was rescheduling the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas for October 1-3, 2021, which was after the conclusion of MotoAmerica’s announced 2021 schedule and begged the question of whether MotoAmerica would be part of the rescheduled MotoGP event.
That answer came in the form of a bulletin emailed to teams on August 8. That bulletin stated MotoAmerica would not be participating in the MotoGP event at COTA in 2021 and would end its season in September at Barber Motorsports Park.
“As much as we would like to be part of the MotoGP program,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland, “the way that the paddock was going to be laid out, where we would have to pit, the expense of doing the event, there just wasn’t a lot of upside for us, especially when we’re going to go back again when they come back again next April.
“We just decided to stick with what our original plans were, finish at Barber, have our banquet on the following Monday, and go from there.”
Valentino Rossi's VR46 Motor Ranch in Italy. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP IS BACK IN BUSINESS FOR 9TH EDITION
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy are set to return with a renewed Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, held from 18 – 22 August 2021. The ninth edition rider line-up is perfectly suited for the programme’s high-level and full-on racing training as they are all taking part in Yamaha’s bLU cRU programme.
The long wait is over for Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy. After a year of waiting, the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is ready to open its doors to the ninth-edition participants, who will be training at Valentino Rossi‘s VR46 Motor Ranch from 18 – 22 August 2021.
The five selected up-and-coming talents are all currently riders for Yamaha Motor Europe‘s 2021 WorldSSP300 teams or competing in Yamaha Motor Europe‘s 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup. They are skilled and hungry for good results – the perfect traits for aspiring Master Camp graduates.
The new Master Camp students include Yamaha MS Racing teammates Unai Orradre (aged 17, from Spain) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (aged 17, from Turkey), participating in the WorldSSP300 championship, as well as Humberto “Torquinho” Maier (aged 15, from Brazil), Fenton Harrison Seabright (aged 19, from the UK), and Iker Garcia Abella (aged 17, from Spain) who are Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup riders.
Much like the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, a competition that takes place over six rounds, the Master Camp programme is especially designed to nurture talent. The Master Camp is designed by racing and fitness professionals and aims to give young Yamaha stars a boost by enchancing their riding skills and professionalism, thus enabling them to make a further step in their racing career.
To improve the bLU cRU riders‘ skills, they will have a chance to learn from three-time English Flat Track Champion and two-time American and European Flat Track Champion Marco Belli at the VR46 Motor Ranch (on YZ250Fs), and they will also receive soft cross training (on YZ125s). Furthermore, the youngsters will be riding at the Circuit di Pomposa (on YZF-R3s, made possible by Yamalube, Akrapovič, and Pirelli), at the mini Supermoto Jeepers Park (on MiniGP YZ85 bikes), work out at the Fisio Gym with fitness trainer Carlo Casabianca, and practise throttle control with Yamaha EX Deluxe and Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunners at the beach (made possible by Yamaha Marine Europe and Yamaha Marine Italy). The up and coming riders will be joined by their VR46 Academy seniors every session for some personal coaching. Moreover, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Lorenzo Daretti (aka Trastevere73) will be a guest lecturer this series for MotoGP eSports classes (made possible by MSI Gaming Italy), to teach the riders tricks many professional racers use to refamiliarize themselves with the MotoGP circuits on the calendar.
Moreover, the ninth-edition riders will be provided with new Yamaha VR46 Master Camp outfits for on and off-track wear (made possible by Oakley, Alpinestars, and VR46).
News, images, videos and updates from the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp will be posted regularly on its dedicated media channels throughout the ninth edition:
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING
“First of all, we are thrilled that the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp is back after a year of waiting due to the ongoing global pandemic. This edition has been long awaited, but that makes it all the more exciting and satisfying that MC9 is actually happening in less than two weeks from now.
“On behalf of Yamaha Motor Co, Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing, I would like to thank Valentino and VR46 for their support and efforts to strengthen our special partnership throughout the years, which has led to many rewarding moments. As so many young talents have already benefitted from this unique training programme, the Master Camp is now highly anticipated and monitored by Yamaha markets all over the world. The already coveted spots in the Master Camp, five or six of them per edition, are becoming more and more sought after, as all Yamaha distributors wish to let their respective best talents train with MotoGP stars in an effort to boost their chances of an international career.
“For the young riders attending this particular edition of the Master Camp, we aim to provide them with all the tools and skills they need in the WorldSSP300 championship and Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup whilst respecting and following all Covid-19 safety rules. I would like to take this moment to thank the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp sponsors – Monster Energy, Yamalube, Akrapovič, Oakley, Alpinestars, Pirelli, MSI Gaming Italy, Yamaha Marine Italy, and Yamaha Marine Europe – for making this event possible and helping to give those young Yamaha riders‘ careers an extra push.”
ALESSIO SALUCCI
DIRECTOR, VR46 RIDERS ACADEMY
“We are so happy to welcome riders to the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp again after a year of absence. It took a while, but we finally are able to host the ninth edition of this fun and very meaningful event.
“We are always looking for improvements to make this programme even more successful and fitted to the young riders‘ needs. We know that the riders competing in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Challenge are all very talented and keen on a challenge, so we have taken this into consideration when we developed our training plan for this upcoming edition.
“As always, we expect the riders to work hard and act in a manner that we can expect from professional riders, but it‘s equally important that they will enjoy themselves during the training. We want the riders to have fun and at the same time pick up some skills that will aid them in their future racing careers – it‘s the combination of passion, professionalism, and the feeling of excitement during racing and training that makes great racers.
“I would like to thank Yamaha and the sponsors and partners who have helped VR46 organise the Master Camp project despite global pandemic restrictions. It will be a very happy moment for us all when these young riders can start their Master Camp training.”
Unai Orradre (10). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
UNAI ORRADRE
2019 ESBK Superbike Junior champion Unai Orradre made his FIM Supersport 300 World Championship Wildcard debut in 2019, and in 2020 the Spanish youngster stepped up to contest his first full season with the Yamaha MS Racing WorldSSP300 Supported Team.
That year, the then 16-year-old became the youngest ever winner in the WorldSSP300 championship, after storming to a dominant victory in the opening race of the 2020 season at Jerez.
Orradre picked up two further podium finishes, taking second at Portimao and third at Aragon on his way to a seventh place in the riders‘ standings.
His performances and potential earned him another year as part of the bLU cRU programme in the WorldSSP300 class alongside Bahattin Sofuoglu, and in 2021 he remained with the Yamaha MS Racing team with goals of challenging for the title.
WorldSSP300 Record
Races: 21 (as of Assen, 2021)
Wins: 1 (Jerez Race 1, 2020)
Podiums: 4
Pole positions: 0
Fastest laps: 2
Bahattin Sofuoglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
BAHATTIN SOFUOGLU
Bahattin Sofuoglu brought the name made famous by his cousin, five-time WorldSSP Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, back into world championship motorcycle racing in 2018, making a wildcard appearance in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship and going on to participate in eight races the following year.
In 2020, he joined Yamaha’s bLU cRU programme, racing for the Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300 Supported Team. Sofuoglu won on his first weekend of the season, following fellow bLU cRU rider Unai Orradre’s Race-1 success with a victory on Sunday.
The Turkish rider won from pole position at Aragon, stepping on the podium again that weekend with a third place in Race 2. Sofuoglu scored another top-three finish at Magny-Cours and ended the season third in the championship as the top Yamaha racer.
In 2021, he is contesting another WorldSSP300 year as a bLU cRU rider, and will look to convert his rapid pace into race victories to mount a serious championship challenge.
WorldSSP300 Record
Races: 30 (as of Assen, 2021)
Wins: 2 (Jerez Race 2, 2020, Teruel Race 1, 2020)
Podiums: 4
Pole positions: 2
Fastest laps: 1
Humberto Maier (12). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
HUMBERTO MAIER
Humberto Cesar Maier Neto is a Brazilian rider currently contesting the inaugural Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup. At 15 years old, he‘s already a winner in the series and brings a lot of success from his racing in South American countries.
Having started racing at just seven years old, following in his father‘s footsteps, the youngster went on to win the Yamalube R3 Cup Brazil Stock category in 2019, as well as the GP3 de Las Americas, before being crowned the overall champion in the 2020 Yamalube R3 bLU cRU Cup Brazil.
His win at Assen in 2021 saw him climb to seventh in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup standings, with his goal for next year being in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship.
Fenton Harrison Seabright (47). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
FENTON HARRISON SEABRIGHT
Fenton Harrison Seabright has already announced himself as a championship contender in the 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, with a victory at Donington Park to his name. The British rider from Essex has been on the podium in every championship he‘s contested, including in the FIM CEV Championship.
Starting out racing go-karts before switching to motorbikes aged 12 after wanting more of an adrenaline rush, the 19-year-old idolised Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner growing up and has dreams of one day becoming world champion.
As of Assen, Seabright currently sits second in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup championship standings, with three podiums, a win, and a pole position to his name.
Iker Garcia Abella (2). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
IKER GARCIA ABELLA
Born in Les Cases d’Alcanar, Spain, Iker Garcia Abella currently races the #2 Yamaha R3 in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, and is already stretching out a lead in the riders‘ standings.
After his father bought him his first motorbike when he was six, the now 17-year-old won the Spanish Moto4 Championship in 2018, and has also scored victories in the FIM CEV Repsol and European Talent Cup classes. Additionally, he contested two WorldSSP300 rounds at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In 2021, the Spaniard has already won two Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup races and stepped onto the podium five times in six races, which has given him a 39-point lead in the championship heading into Round 4, held this weekend. Garcia Abella is hoping for title glory this year to earn him a spot on the WorldSSP300 grid next season.
NOTES
ABOUT THE YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP
In an effort to support young Italian riders aiming to become world-class racers, Valentino Rossi decided to put his vast experience and knowledge from his many years of racing to good use in 2014 and established the VR46 Riders Academy.
In March 2016, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. entered into a formal three-year partnership agreement with the VR46 Riders Academy as an Official Partner and also as its Official Motorcycle Supplier. The programme‘s three-year contract was extended by a further three years at the end of 2018.
In July of 2016, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and the VR46 Riders Academy staged the inaugural Yamaha VR46 Master Camp with the goal of helping selected young Yamaha talent make their way in the racing world by increasing their skills and experience in various racing disciplines.
Since then the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp has put on eight subsequent training events. The participants so far have been 37 mostly teenage riders, who race in various championships on bikes like the YZF-R25 and YZF-R3, and hail from 14 countries in all: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Spain, Thailand, Ukraine, and the United States. Turkey will be added to this list with the upcoming edition.
Thailand‘s Keminth Kubo who took part in the fifth edition of the programme and Malaysia‘s Kyle McKinley from the eighth edition are currently participating in the CEV Repsol Moto2 Championship as VR46 Master Camp riders.
With a marine activity being added in 2019, the students will be riding Yamaha YZ85, YZ125, YZ250F, and YZF-R3 bikes, and Yamaha EX Deluxe and Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunners during their stay in Tavullia.
The riders for the ninth edition of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp were selected by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd and Yamaha Motor Europe. A place in the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp can’t be bought, nor can riders apply for a placement – riders are to be put forward by Yamaha distributors.
Alex Dumas (23). Photo by Bob Szoke, courtesy CSBK.
Dumas and Suzuki chasing more history as Award battles continue at CTMP next weekend
Toronto, ON – While the main title standings capture the headlines in the Canadian Superbike Championship, the separate Award races have been equally as exciting to begin the 2021 campaign, and that trend will continue into the first ever Pro Superbike tripleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend, August 13-15.
The newest campaign will see four side championships handed out this summer, a major overhaul from years past when only the Brooklin Cycle Racing Pro Rookie of the Year Award was offered to the feature class.
The additional awards will feature the first ever Constructors Championship, the Yuasa Batteries sponsored Pole Position Championship, and – new to this weekend – the FAST Riding School Hard Charger Award.
Leading the Rookie of the Year standings in historic fashion is teenage sensation Alex Dumas, who became the first ever rider to win his Pro Superbike debut before winning again in race two to sweep the opening round at Calabogie.
Dumas could clinch the award as early as this weekend, with a 65-point lead already in hand and 160 points on offer at CTMP. The Liqui Moly MPG FAST Riding School Suzuki rider is chasing one of the best rookie seasons in CSBK history, as he aims to capture the Pro Superbike feature title in just his first year north of the border.
Trailing Dumas in the fight for second will be Jordan Royds and fellow Suzuki rider Guillaume Fortin, with Royds taking a four-point advantage into round two aboard his IBEW-sponsored BMW.
Dumas’ round one performance also bolstered a surprising start for Suzuki in the new Constructors Championship, as they lead BMW by 30 points entering the tripleheader event at “Old Mosport.” A pair of victories and a pair of fourth place finishes from OneSpeed’s Trevor Daley has given the Hamamatsu factory an early advantage, but one that won’t be without a challenge in round two.
BMW and Kawasaki have split every race win at CTMP since 2014, with Suzuki’s last victory at the circuit coming in 2013, and the track has been especially kind to reigning champion Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki) and 2019 champion Ben Young (BMW) over that span as they look to close the gap for their respective factories in round two.
The weekend will also see the return of Dewildt Powersports rider Steven Nickerson and with it the reunion of Honda to the feature class grid, who have not scored a point since 2019 and will look to make up for lost ground in the Constructors standings.
Leading the Yuasa Batteries Pole Position Championship into Friday’s qualifying session will be Young, who showed zero signs of rust in his return to the series at round one as he blitzed the field to pole position and ten points in the award standings.
The Van Dolder’s Home Team BMW rider has captured pole twice before at CTMP and will aim for the hat trick to begin the weekend, though Dumas, Szoke, and second-place qualifier from round one Tomas Casas all figure to be in the mix during qualifying.
Szoke sits third in the Pole Position standings after qualifying in the same spot at Calabogie, while Dumas will aim to fix the lone blemish on his season so far and improve upon his fourth place standing in round two.
The newest entry to the awards showcase, the recently announced FAST Riding School Hard Charger Award, will go to the rider “deemed to have produced the best effort in context of that race, specifically overcoming a potentially wide range of challenges.”
While there will be no season-long standings in the awards battle, the added incentive may provide for some thrilling racing in the midfield, as the weekend is sure to provide plenty of drama throughout the grid amidst all three races.
The second round of the CSBK season is set to get underway on Friday, August 13, with five National classes stealing the spotlight alongside the awards battles. Tickets are still available for the event, which will take place just an hour east of Toronto, ON.
Kevin Farkas (28) leads Jakub Gurecky (59), Hungarian-American Rossi Moor (92), and the rest of the Northern Talent Cup field at the start of Race Two at Red Bull Ring. FIM and Dorna officials are raising the minimum age for racers competing on Grand Prix tracks. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Farkas fights his way to fantastic first NTC victory
The Hungarian impresses for a maiden win, with Kocourek taking second and Moor on the podium once more
Sunday, 08 August 2021
Take two at the Red Bull Ring saw the Northern Talent Cup deliver another Spielberg masterpiece, with Kevin Farkas (Agria Racing Team) taking to the top step on Sunday after another impressive race at the front. The Hungarian fought off polesitter Jonas Kocourek (JRT Brno Circuit) and Race 1 winner Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) to take his debut victory, getting his elbows out to come out on top by half a tenth.
Hungarian-American Rossi Moor (92) during Northern Talent Cup Race Two in Austria. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Kocourek once again got away well from pole position, but once again it was a big group fight from the off – with even more riders in the mix on Sunday. At times though it did seem like a replay from Race 1, with Farkas and Moor going toe-to-toe at the head of the race, the numbers 92 and 28 switching positions in the battle for the lead.
Points leader Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) also made a good start on Sunday and was up in the fight a little earlier than in Race 1, with Lenoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) initially the missing presence from Saturday. The Swiss rookie bombed down through the order to much nearer the back of the freight train, and it was a tough start for Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) too as he struggled to get in the same postcode as the podium fight.
It was a battle for the ages but Farkas and Moor were both constants at the front, and there were some standout moves – and moments – from the likes of Leo Rammerstorfer as the Austrian Junior Cup rider made his mark. By the latter laps the likes of Phommara and Luciano were back in the mix though, both making up some serious ground – but drama then struck for the Belgian rider. After making it from P16 to second at one point, Luciano then overcooked it and headed into the gravel – staying upright but rejoining in P16 once more, out of the points and with almost no time left to find some redemption.
Up ahead there was less drama, and heading onto the final lap it was the familiar number 28 in the lead. Turn 3 would, however and of course, cause a shuffle though. Moor was the man on the move and the number 92 threw it up the inside and made it stick, with Kocourek taking over in second too. But Farkas got good drive and down into Turn 4, he struck back to take the lead once more.
The hammer going down at the front for the number 28 meant there was less final corner shuffling on Sunday and Farkas headed in first and out first, keeping tucked in for the drag to the line and staying ahead to take a hard-fought first NTC win. Kocourek kept it clean to take second and get back on the podium after a more difficult Race 1, with Rossi Moor retaining some good momentum with another podium.
It was close just behind but Gurecky did another solid job to take fourth, again off the podium but extending his lead as Luciano failed to score. Phommara’s fight back got him good rewards in fifth too. Loris Veneman (Kahuna Security Racing) took P6 and another good finish from his impressive front row start, and Rammerstorfer made an impression with seventh on Sunday, the top AJC runner.
The gaps remained tiny and Stepan Zuda (Motoracing23 Klub V ACR) took P8 ahead of another good finish for Allesauto Racing’s Jordan Bartucca in ninth. Martin Vincze (Chrobák Motorsport Egyesület) completed the top ten, with Julius Coenen (Helena und Julius Racing Team) and AJC rider Luca Göttlicher for close company in a top 12 covered by only 1.065 seconds!
And so the curtain comes down on Round 5 for the NTC, and now it’s time to head back north to the TT Circuit Assen for the penultimate race weekend of the season. It’s now a whopping 53-point advantage for Gurecky at the top of the standings, so can Luciano and Moor hit back in the Netherlands? They arrive as the race winners in Round 4 at the same venue! Tune in for more next weekend as we race back-to-back in the NTC.
BACK IN BUSINESS: Redding reignites title challenge with Most Race 2 victory
The Aruba.it Racing Ducati team cheers Scott Redding’s (45) victory in Race Two. Photo courtesy Dorna.
A classy win for the Ducati rider saw him clear off at the front, whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu is now just three points off the Championship lead…
The final race for the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most and the Tissot Czech Round was yet another intriguing spectacle. With Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) first and second on the grid and going for the same tyre combination (standard SC1 front and SCX rear), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had opted for the SC1 front and SC0 rear. After hitting the front, Redding never looked back and beat Razgatlioglu, whilst Rea was a distant third.
OFF AND RUNNING: lights out for Race 2
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) leads Scott Redding (45), Andrea Locatelli (55), and Jonathan Rea (1) during Race Two. Photo courtesy Dorna.
As the race fired up, it was a blinding start from Toprak Razgatlioglu, who grabbed the holeshot from teammate Andrea Locatelli. Scott Redding initially got a poor first phase of his start but recovered to third, whilst Jonathan Rea was down in fourth with teammate Alex Lowes knocking right at his door, with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in sixth. There was a Turn 1 pile-up with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) crashing, taking down Alessandro Delbianco (MIE Racing Honda Team); the incident forced Karel Hanika (IXS-YART Yamaha), Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) to go across the gravel. All riders were on their feet and relatively OK.
Prodding and probing all the time, particularly at Turn 1, Scott Redding finally got ahead of Andrea Locatelli on Lap 3 at Turn 20, placing his Ducati in the middle of the two Pata Yamahas. Jonathan Rea’s SC0 tyre had now come into its own and he was right with the three ahead of him, as teammate Lowes started to drop off. Further down the field, it was a bright start from Leon Haslam (Team HRC), who came up through the order into seventh from tenth on the grid.
PASS FOR THE LEAD: Redding pounces
Lap 5 saw Redding hit the front at Turn 1, passing Razgatlioglu after drawing alongside his rival down the front straight and getting the job finalized in the braking area. Meanwhile, Jonathan Rea wasn’t making the inroads predicted, as he was eight tenths behind Andrea Locatelli and slowly slipping back towards Alex Lowes, just half a second splitting them after seven laps. However, on Lap 8, Locatelli and Lowes made errors, meaning Rea was now back in the fight for third and got ahead of Locatelli on Lap 9 at Turn 20.
THE FIGHT BEHIND: everywhere you look…
It was a tight fight for sixth place as Sykes held position ahead of an inspired Leon Haslam, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was only eighth. After a strong Superpole Race, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was up in ninth from 17th on the grid, whilst Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) having a quiet race in tenth place, but his pace began to pick up as the race evolved. Three laps later and it was all change in a first chicane shuffle, with Rinaldi now sixth ahead of Sykes, van der Mark, Gerloff and Haslam, with the ‘Pocket Rocket’ suddenly dropping back into the clutches of teammate Alvaro Bautista, who eventually got ahead of him with six to go.
Meanwhile, back at the front, Scott Redding was riding the race of his life as he eased clear of Razgatlioglu and broke the Turkish rider’s spirit. With the gap now over three seconds and with Razgatlioglu settling for second, Redding was able to run his own pace. Behind the top two, Rea was a further seven seconds behind whilst Locatelli was keeping him honest in fourth. Alex Lowes, also using the SCX tyre, was being caught by Rinaldi, van der Mark and Gerloff and with two laps to go, Lowes had less than a second back to Rinaldi.
LAST LAP TIME: Redding on fire
Scott Redding rode the perfect race for a first win since Estoril’s Tissot Superpole Race, taking the plaudits of the passionate Czech fans at Most. Razgatlioglu finished second and was now just three points behind Jonathan Rea in the Championship – Rea himself finishing third. Locatelli took fourth in another stunning performance, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi got fifth on the final lap with a pass on Alex Lowes at Turn 1. Yamaha’s strength’s this weekend mean that they are now three points clear of Kawasaki in the manufacturer standings, with Ducati another three further back.
Lowes held on for sixth as he ran out of tyre life at the end of the race, whilst former teammate Michael van der Mark was top BMW in seventh. Garrett Gerloff took a solid eighth as his trademark late-race pace saw him come on strong. Ninth went to Tom Sykes, whilst Alvaro Bautista completed the top ten. Leon Haslam was eleventh ahead of Chaz Davies who fought back after Turn 1-Lap 1 drama.
THE REST: how did it finish down field?
Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team), Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha) completed the points in Race 2. Behind them, Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing), Isaac Viñales, Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz (IXS-YART Yamaha), Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Jayson Uribe – after coming into the pits – completed the final results.
P1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“I was trying hard this weekend! That’s why I was really upset with Race 1 because I put a lot of work in and I felt good. It was a bit aggressive but, come today, I let it go behind and I apologised for being a bit hot-headed. I like to retaliate in style and that was, for me, a really good race. In the Superpole Race, I was trying but I didn’t have the pace at the beginning. I said before there’s one race to go and I’ll try to win it. Managed to get a really good rhythm. I felt really good with the bike, it was working really well. I was just ticking off laps, I felt really good. I saw the gap growing behind and that put me a little bit more at ease so I could enjoy the last few laps. It was great to do it with the helmet for Brad, so I’m really happy that I can do that and give him as much energy as possible.”
P2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK)
“This weekend has been a very good weekend because we have taken many points for the Championship. Also, in the last race, I was fighting for the win. But Scott was very fast, and I felt the rear tyre dropping. I am fighting again but I thought it was better not to because I need many points for the Championship. Second position is good. I’m very happy.”
P3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I woke up a little bit delicate this morning. Yesterday was a big crash. I felt good on my bike. I really feel like I took the best out of our Ninja ZX-10RR this weekend. Really pushing on the limits. Just in this race, I didn’t have enough grip. I opted to go for the harder tyre. I hadn’t done a lot of work with the soft SCX tyre throughout the weekend, so it was a little bit of a gamble for us. I was a battling third, unfortunately not with the front group. Congratulations to those guys, they had a great race and a great weekend.”
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a new MotoGP™ winner in town! From injury to pole position to top step of the podium, comeback stories don’t get much better than Jorge Martin’s (Pramac Racing) first weekend back from the summer break. The Spaniard broke the lap record for pole on Saturday and then put in an imperious performance to outpace reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on Sunday, taking his first premier class win and becoming the first Independent Team rider on a Ducati to win a MotoGP™ race. And for Pramac Racing, the wait is over as that victory with Ducati finally comes their way.
Mir took second and his best result of the season so far, with Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the rostrum to do some impressive damage control in the standings at a tougher venue for Yamaha.
The first race start of two saw Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) take the holeshot as Mir and Martin slotted in behind, but it wasn’t long before a huge moment of drama would interrupt proceedings. A couple of laps later, MotoGP™ Legend and wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) slid off out of Turn 3 – and his bike was then struck by Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). Both riders were up and ok after the crash, but the bikes burst into flames and the Red Flag came out immediately – leaving a clean-up job to do.
Savadori headed for a check up and was found to have fractured his right malleolis, therefore out of the restart – but Pedrosa was able to get back out. After a considerable wait for the track to get cleaned and race ready, a new distance of 27 laps was set and the grid lined up again.
But again, more drama hit – this time for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) as the number 12 couldn’t get away on the Warm Up lap and was forced into pitlane. That left a gap on the grid, and the lights then finally went out for the second time.
This time around, Martin took the holeshot but Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) struck at Turn 3, with Mir slotted into third and a gap back behind the trio already. Quartararo was on the chase, with another – after the same in the first start – moment between Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) slightly shuffling the pack just behind as El Diablo took the inside line and the room ran out.
At the front though, Miller led Martin led Mir, but Quartararo was homing in – and closest Championship challenger Zarco was the last man going with the front group. Bagnaia, meanwhile, had dropped behind both LCR Honda Castrol’s Alex Marquez and LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami. Another rider of note was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), as the South African started to ignite his Sunday charge, up into ninth and looking like little would stop further progress.
Up ahead, by the braking zone for Turn 3, Martin was into the lead and past Miller though, and Quartararo and Zarco switched and switched back. Mir then got past Miller to get on the chase for victory, and a gap started to open up behind the leading duo. By 21 to go, Quartararo moved past the Australian too, and Miller responded at Turn 4 before El Diablo elbowed his way back through. With that, the gap to the lead duo only grew…
Quartararo managed to hold on in third, but then more drama hit behind him to assure it. Martin and Mir had disappeared in the distance and Miller was starting to put the pressure on the number 20 in the fight for the podium, but disaster hit for the Australian with 10 laps to go. Suddenly sliding out at Turn 7, his rostrum hopes were over and the Yamaha ahead was released into some solid breathing space.
From there on out, the key question became: Martin or Mir? But as the laps ticked down, the answer became clearer. The number 89 was edging away, and then a mistake from Mir at Turn 3 just took the gap over a second… and that was that. If Martin could keep it clean, his first premier class win was there for the taking.
Keep it clean he did. Mir did too from there on out, but it wasn’t quite enough as the Pramac Racing rider in the lead just pounded on. Over the line, the comeback fairytale was complete and Martin took the flag with a second and a half in hand, making some incredible history with an emotional victory, from a pole position lap record no less. Mir was forced to settle for second but was right back in the hunt – and moved up to third in the standings – with Quartararo a distant but valuable third as Ducati territory didn’t play out that way for his closest challengers in the points.
Fourth place, meanwhile, looked set for much of the race. But Brad Binder had other ideas, and the South African absolutely smashed the final lap. Beginning it behind both Nakagami and Zarco, the KTM rider wanted more than sixth and that’s exactly what he got. Dispatching the Japanese rider AND the Frenchman in just one lap, the number 33 took fourth and the honour of top KTM on home turf. Sunday rider can also be a compliment!
Nakagami then snatched fifth and Zarco was forced to settle for sixth, losing out some ground to Quartararo. Alex Rins slotted into seventh, with Marc Marquez able to salvage eighth after some dramas for the number 93 on Sunday. Alex Marquez faded in the latter stages to ninth but still took a valuable top ten… as did Pedrosa, in the end. Bagnaia was given a time penalty for not taking a Long Lap – he exceeded track limits – and that puts the number 26 back into the top ten in Grand Prix racing. An impressive achievement for any rider, but especially more than two years after retirement.
Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) took P12 and managed to stay ahead of Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who in turn held off Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia). Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing), after a stronger start, completed the points in P15.
So that’s all she wrote for Styria… but not for the Red Bull Ring. The stunning venue welcomes MotoGP™ back for more next weekend for the Austrian Grand Prix, and there’ll be a new premier class winner lining up: Jorge Martin. Will the deck shuffle again or can he go back to back? We’ll start to see some answers on Friday!
Jorge Martin: “I can’t believe it, for sure I think I still don’t believe it so I’m still not so excited! What I did today was amazing, I kept a really constant pace throughout the race, in the same tenth, and I was super focused. Even if I made some mistakes, my target was to win the race. Joan was impressive today too, he was behind me almost all the race but in the last laps I tried a bit more to brake a bit harder even if the front tyre was destroyed, and I could take a gap for the lead. On the last laps I was thinking a lot of things, about everything and everyone who helped me to arrive here and that’s why I was a bit worse in the last laps! But I had the gap to manage. Thanks to all my family, this is one big step towards my dream of being World Champion. Today is one big step, we’re a bit closer and I want to dedicate it to all the people who’ve helped me and also to my grandfather who is still fighting, this is for you. I hope to keep this line for next weekend, it’ll be more difficult but I think we still have some margin to work and we’ll try for the win again.”
Bez is back! The Italian takes victory in style in Styria
A close-fought Moto2™ races sees the number 72 on the top step for the first time this season, joined by Canet and Augusto Fernandez on the podium
Marco Bezzecchi (72) leads Aron Canet (44) to the checkered flag. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) was back on the top step in style at the Red Bull Ring, the Italian hunting down his rivals and keeping just enough in reserve to secure his first win of the year. Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) was the rider he just held at bay after an impressive charge from the number 44, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) back on the podium in P3 to pick up where he left off in Assen.
Initially Championship leader Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) got the best launch from pole, but Bezzecchi nabbed the holeshot and Gardner then overcooked it at Turn 3 trying to fight back. So the Italian blasted away, with Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) up into second as Gardner was forced to slot back into third, just ahead of Canet.
Turn 3 treated Gardner better with the next move he tried, the Australian getting past his teammate to slot in behind Bezzecchi once again. Canet was the next mover as he took Raul Fernandez at the final corner, with the top four enjoying a reasonable gap back to Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) on the chase. He, in turn, had Elf Marc VDS Racing’s Sam Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez close on his tail.
With 19 to go, there was a big shuffle. Bezzecchi headed wide at Turn 1 and both Canet and Gardner swopped round the Italian on each side, the number 44 taking the lead. At the end of the lap Gardner then sliced through on the Boscoscuro to lead… just as Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) headed wide as well. That left Gardner-Canet-Bezzecchi in a close trio at the front, allowing Ogura into fourth and Lowes and Augusto Fernandez past too.
As the laps ticked on though, Gardner was edging away from Canet, who in turn was edging away from Bezzecchi… and it was Ogura with the momentum as the Japanese rookie slammed in the fastest lap to home in. Augusto Fernandez was a couple of seconds back and had made it through on Lowes, with Raul Fernandez dropped by the frontrunners to head up a freight train stretching back to 12th.
At the front, it looked like Gardner was on for glory, but Canet and Bezzecchi were digging in and fighting back… as was Ogura, the fastest man on track. But Bezzecchi was the first to make try a move as he homed in on Canet, and with 11 to go at Turn 1 the Italian struck and made sure it stuck. Next there was a shuffle as Ogura took Canet and then had the favour returned, but the next move would come at the front…
Bezzechi had Gardner in the crosshairs and the Italian got closer and closer to the leader before putting in another impressive move at Turn 1 with 7 to go. The Australian slipped back past at Turn 3 though as the Italian headed slightly wide, but Bezzechi wasn’t done and closed the door through Turn 4, making it stick this time around… and drama hit for Gardner soon after.
Overcooking it at Turn 4 next time around, the Championship leader had to sit it up to avoid Bezzecchi and headed into the gravel. Although upright and rejoining, that left Bezzecchi leading Ogura leading Augusto Fernandez… and then there was even more drama.
After a track limits warning earlier in the race, the message came throughas Ogura was given a Long Lap penalty. That dropped him out of contention for his first podium in some late heartbreak, promoting Canet back into second and Augusto Fernandez, waiting in the wings, into third for another podium.
Bezzecchi held up under some late pressure from Canet, crossing the line for his first win of the season and, fittingly, the 46th Italian win in Moto2™. Canet in turn got back on the rostrum after another impressive race, with Augusto Fernandez showing more solid speed to take another podium, picking up where he left off in Assen.
Gardner managed to hold off Ogura to take fourth, and the Japanese rider was also given another 3-second penalty after not completing his Long Lap within the white lines. And next up, the fight for sixth went down to the wire…
From 19th on the grid, Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) put on an impressive charge and right at the end of the race, the Italian was able to slice past Raul Fernandez for an impressive best Moto2™ result so far: sixth.
Eighth was another best intermediate class result yet for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the Thai rider concluded a quick weekend with quite a nice haul of points, fighting off Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and a good charge up to a better postcode from Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing). Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team) took 12th just behind that fight, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) just a tenth further back. Sam Lowes slipped to 14th after a run off for the Brit, with Albert Arenas (Aspar Team Moto2) completing the points.
Now it’s time to reset, reload and maybe relax as the summer break awaits, before Moto2™ return to action at the Red Bull Ring in August.
Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a tricky race but amazing to fight with the guys, at the beginning I started well and my rhythm was constant but not enough, Remy passed me but then I understood more and I started to push, getting closer and closer and I thought maybe today was my day. Aron was very fast at the end but I kept something in my pocket!”
Acosta and Garcia stage a Spielberg spectacular
A duel to the final corner sees some last minute drama decide Moto3™ as Acosta continues his Championship charge
Sergio Garcia (11) and Pedro Acosta (37) battle for the lead in Moto3. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Four in a row last year in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, a win from the year before that and now, a Moto3™ victory at the Red Bull Ring on first time of asking? Sounds about right for history maker Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), but it didn’t come easy. A truly epic duel for the ages saw the Spaniard take on compatriot and closest Championship challenger Sergio Garcia (Santander Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) in a half-wet half-dry Styrian showdown, with Acosta making a move at the final corner to take the win – and the number 11 just sliding out on a damp patch on the outside. But such was their domination, Garcia remounted and still made it over the line in second.
Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Racing Team) continued his good form of late to complete the podium as he struck late against Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), moving up to third in the standings with the move to boot.
There was drama before lights out as polesitter Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was pulled off the grid before the warm up lap, the Turkish rider’s bike having been worked on within the 3 minute board and that sending him to the back of the grid for the race start. But what had they been doing? Changing to slicks, with a dry line fast appearing around the Red Bull Ring but the majority of the field on wets. The majority didn’t include Öncü after the change, and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), his teammate John McPhee, Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3), Andi Izdihar (Honda Team Asia) and Rivacold Snipers teammates Andrea Migno and David Salvador all lined up on slicks too.
Once the start was underway, Fenati took the holeshot from the outside of the front row, the Italian away well to just slip ahead of second place starter – and second in the standings – Garcia, but the Spaniard didn’t take long to hit back and hit the front. Before long, he, Acosta and Fenati already had a couple of seconds in hand over the chasing pack a lap later, with Masia and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) leading that chase.
Lap by lap though, the top two were pulling away. Garcia and Acosta, the two at the top of the standings, remained the fastest two riders on track even as the dry line got more pronounced, with time starting to run out for those on slicks hoping for a change of fortune. Binder was by far the furthest forward of those trying the gamble, down in P16 but over five seconds ahead of teammate McPhee, the next rider on slicks.
11 to go was when Acosta, who’d been stalking Garcia for over ten laps, made his move. The two were nearly ten seconds clear of the rest, but Garcia hit back quickly and next time over the line, found his fastest lap not beaten straight away by the man just behind him. And so the laps rolled on, and six to go was the next attack from Acosta, again at Turn 3. But again, Garcia hit back and it was as you were.
Five to go marked the first time the fastest lap came from a rider on slicks, and it was Binder. The South African was on a charge and was already well inside the top ten even before that tipping point, leaving the rest of his fellow tyre gamblers far behind. But with time running out for it to make a big difference, it was more a mission of damage limitation.
By two to go, Acosta was ready to try it again, and the points leader pulled the same move at Turn 3. And Garcia, once again, sliced back past. And so the highspeed Moto3™ chess headed onto the final lap, and this time it was Turn 1. Acosta struck, Garcia tucked in and this time round at Turn 3 the roles were reversed – and the elbows out. The number 11 whacked it up the inside and just about made it work, some contact between the two and Acosta running wide but both soon back on track into what had become formation.
And so it rolled on to the final corner, and this time it was Acosta slicing up the inside… and this time there was no contact, but there was drama. Garcia lost it on the wider line, just touching the damp patch and sliding out into the gravel as Acosta gunned it towards the line for another impressive victory, increasing his Championship lead once again.
It wasn’t quite the disaster it seemed for Garcia, however. The domination of the two was such that the Spaniard, quick to his feet in the gravel, had enough time to get back on his bike, back on track and make it to the line in second place for a valuable and hard-earned 20 points.
A duel to the end decided the final place on the podium too as Fenati struck late against Masia, the Italian just taking it by a tenth, up the inside at the final corner for another rostrum finish. Masia was forced to settle for fourth but gets some solid points after a tougher run of it before summer, with Sasaki next up as he made a great return to racing in fifth place following his injury and time on the sidelines.
Sixth place, in the end, was Binder’s limit. The South African somehow did an entire race on completely different tyres to those anywhere around him at the flag, putting in an impressive day’s work. He got past a close fight that saw Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) beat Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia) and Max Kofler (CIP Green Power).
Another close fight completed the points: Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), Filip Salac (CarXpert PruestelGP), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), Izan Guevara (SANTANDER Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in 15th.
Now the grid will recharge for another run at the Red Bull Ring next weekend – so get ready for the Austrian GP! Can Acosta make it a magnificent seven in a row at the venue?
Pedro Acosta: “Sergio was strong like always! I’m super happy after 24 laps, super long race. We have to still fully focused by in the end in the battle I could overtake him. It was a bit on the limit but to win here in Red Bull and KTM house is amazing, and I have to say thanks to all the team. We trained so hard this summer to come here prepared to fight. This is for Hugo Millan, for him, his brother and his family.”
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