Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) has clinched his first Moto3™ pole after an incredible late lap at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. The #66 set a 1:40.603 and has become the first Australian to claim pole in lightweight class since Jack Miller in 2014. Kelso worked hard in the closing minutes, beating Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) to P1 by 0.073s. The Dutchman was one of the first riders to exit pitlane on the final run, grabbing a front row start for Sunday. Meanwhile, Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) was unable to improve on his second run, missing out on pole after looking strong in the opening stages of Q2.
Practice 2 saw further drama begin to unfold on Saturday morning, with Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) becoming the new pacesetter after clocking a stunning 1:40.577, which set the stage for qualifying. Once Q1 began, fast times began to be set, with Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) topping the standings and earning a Q2 spot alongside Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), Joel Esteban (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) and LEVELUP – MTA’s Stefano Nepa.
As Q2 got underway, there was instant action, with Piqueras launching an early benchmark – sitting comfortably in P1 after the first run. Tension began to build as the second run began, with the Moto3™ stars looking for the prime spot on the circuit. Piqueras remained at the top as a group of riders left pitlane too late to set a time on their final run, leaving a handful of riders to duel for pole, with Kelso coming out on top.
Furusato maintained his impressive form on Saturday, leapfrogging to fourth on the grid – spearheading the second row. The #72 starts ahead of the newly crowned Moto3™ World Champion, who missed out on a final run – claiming P5 on the grid. The Colombian has shown encouraging pace throughout the weekend and will be joined on the second row by FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing’s Scott Ogden after a great qualifying for the #19.
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will start from seventh on the grid, aiming to replicate his pace from Australia. Holgado has tough competition on the third row, with David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team) and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) joining the #96. Further back, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and BOE Motorsports’ David Muñoz are left with work to do from 16th and 17th.
Marc Marquez was fastest in the final MotoGP practice session at the PT Grand Prix in Thailand. Marquez led Franco Morbidelli, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta ahead of qualifying.
Ai Ogura led Aron Canet and Diogo Moreira in the final Moto2 practice session at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Ogura’s 1:34.595 was a new lap record for Moto2 machines at Chang International Raceway.
Taiyo Furusato led the Moto3 practice session on Saturday morning at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Furusato on a Honda led Ivan Ortola and Joel Kelso on KTM machines.
Army of Darkness took victory in the last race of the season with riders Josh Hayes, Taylor Knapp, and Hunter Dunham scoring the Overall and Heavyweight class wins at round five of the N2/WERA National Endurance Series at Barber Motorsports Park. Team Alpha Omega Rollers won the 2024 Heavyweight and Overall Championship with riders Eziah Davis, Blake Davis, Miles Thorton, and Anthony Mazziotto. A total of 54 teams competed at the fifth round of the 2024 N2/WERA National Endurance Championship with over $100,000 in purse and contingency for the series.
Blake Davis on the #89 Alpha Omega Rollers Yamaha YZF-R1. N2 photo.
The 4-Hour N2/WERA National Endurance race at Barber Motorsports Park started under perfect blue Alabama skies with no threat of weather throughout the day. Nature Power Superbike started from pole position with rider Jason Waters on a BMW M1000RR.
Alpha Omega Rollers rider Miles Thorton, Army of Darkness’s Josh Hayes, and Nature Power Superbikes Jason Waters started the race and battled tooth and nail for the first stint. The three heavyweight titans battled it out until lap 45 when Jesse Ruehling crashed the Nature Power M1000RR. This left Alpha Omega Rollers and Army of Darkness in a slugfest for overall victory. Although similar in pace and pit stops, ultimately Josh Hayes was able to make the difference in the last stint to win by 22 seconds over Alpha Omega Rollers after 4 hours. Full Send Moto finished third with riders Eric Anderson and Ian Groom.
Trash Panda (24) finished fourth overall and second in the Mediumweight class. N2 photo.
Motor Drone Racing finished first in the middleweight class and third overall with riders Shane Mags and Gabriel Da Silva on a Wiseco-sponsored GSX-R600. Trash Panda secured the 2024 Middleweight National Championship when they finished second in the middleweight class with riders Chuck Ivey, Nathan Seethaler, Donovan Piper, and Sean Hopkins on a YZF-R6. AO XT33 finished third on a Dunlop-equipped Yamaha YZF-R6 with riders Anthony Taylor, Wristin Grigg, and Bryant Tyrawa.
Brown Town Racing (111) finished first in the Lightweight class. N2 photo.
The family team of Brown Town Racing won the lightweight class on an Aprilia RS660 with riders Chase Brown and David Brown. Chiefs Racing Team finished second on a Suzuki SV650 with riders Cassidy Heiser and Chris Parrish. Robem Engineering finished third on their Aprilia RS660 with teenage rider Alessandro DiMario and MotoAmerica rider Teagg Hobbs. Third place was all Robem had to do to win the 2024 Lightweight National Championship.
Robem Engineering (79) won the Lightweight Class Championship with riders Alessandro De Mario and quest rider Teagg Hobbs, seen here. N2 photo.
One One Nine Racing’s 14-year-old Reese Frankenfield and Carson King took the victory in the Ultra-Lightweight 2-Hour Endurance and the 2024 Ultra Lightweight National Championship. Hart/Wolf Racing finished second with riders Giacomo Manera and Alessandro DiMario. D&D Certified finished third with veteran rider Rob McLendon and Landon Smith.
One One Nine (119) won the separate Ultralightweight 2-hour race and Championship on a Kawasaki Ninja 400. This is Reese Frankenfield on board.
Hart Racing won the exhibition Relay Class with riders Brennan Triplett, Chris Durbin, Philip Hart, and Ryan Wolfe. Double D Racing finished second. Four-Leaf Racing finished third with riders Tony Storniolo, Devidas Gaizutis, Steve Olson, and Sean Sturnot.
Congratulations to all of our 2024 Endurance Champions!
Heavyweight and Overall – Alpha Omega Rollers
Middleweight – Trash Panda
Lightweight – Robem Engineering
Ultralightweight – One One Nine Racing.
Details about the 2025 schedule, rule book, and class structure will be out soon! Stay tuned.
About N2: N2 – Ride, Learn, Race.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
The N2 National Endurance Series is proudly sponsored by: N2 Track Days, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, Woodcraft Technologies, BobbleHeadMoto, WERA Road Racing, KYT Helmets America, R.E.B Graphics, Millennium Technologies, Wiseco Pistons, JE Pistons, Rise Moto, Ghetto Customs, Pit-Lane Moto, SBS Brakes and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
ROYAL ENFIELD EXPANDS BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. PROGRAM TO EXPAND INTERNATIONAL REACH
Riders from Brazil will be invited to join Road Race series, starting in 2025
MILWAUKEE, (October 25, 2024)—The Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) program will open registration to American, Canadian, and Brazilian riders for the 2025 season, a first for the program.
Developed for competition on United States-based tracks, BTR has welcomed North American-based racers since its inaugural season in 2020. Now, the Road Race slots will be allocated to riders from both North America, Canada, and Brazil. The Flat Track series will retain its structure with North American and Canadian riders only for the 2025 season.
Start of a Royal Enfield BTR race at Mid-Ohio, 2024. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
To stay true to the program’s merit based system, applicants from Brazil will need to fulfill the same requirements as their North American counterparts. Brazilian applicants must be at least 18 years old and speak English. As with all other riders, Royal Enfield will cover all transportation and lodging costs associated with participation in the program. All riders are allowed and encouraged to return home between training sessions and race weekends.
A Royal Enfield race podium at Mid-Ohio, 2024. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The Brazil market is the largest and fastest-growing market for Royal Enfield outside of India, also holding the largest BTR viewership outside of North America. Royal Enfield expects an extraordinary number of applications for the 2025 Build. Train. Race. season, which will go live on October 25th and stay open through November 22nd. Additional details about the application process and the 2025 season will be available in the coming weeks.
“We’re blown away by the enthusiasm that follows our racers and this entire program,” said Adrian Sellers, Head – Custom & Motorsport at Royal Enfield. “Introducing international racers to our teams is a natural step towards taking the Build. Train. Race. program outside North America. Tapping into the enthusiastic market of Brazil will add an appealing dynamic to the 2025 season and allow us to assess the possibilities of further international expansion for Build.Train.Race. in the future. There are so many incredibly- talented female racers around the world.”
Mikalya Moore with her 2024 Royal Enfield BTR Number One plate at Mid-Ohio. She also won the title in 2023. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The 2024 Build. Train. Race. season concluded on September 14 with flat track racing at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri with Kenzie Luker, Shasta L’Heureux, and Mya Maffei finishing as the top three racers of the season. The road racing program concluded its 2024 season on August 18, with Mikayla Moore, Camille Conrad, and Kira Knebel finishing as the top three racers for the season.
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market. Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 150 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S. and Canada. RENA currently offers the all-new Hunter 350, Scram 411, Classic 350, Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (Shotgun 650, Super Meteor 650, INT650, and Continental GT 650)
Roadracing World’s Sam Fleming interviews MotoAmerica Technical Director Tige Daane about the history, philosophy, logistics and politics of performance indexing motorcycles for Next Generation Supersport and Super Hooligan.
Editorial Note: Insiders say that Yamaha will support at least one multi-rider R9 team in MotoAmerica Supersport.
Developing the R9 into a Next Generation Supersport Challenger
Yamaha Motor Europe’s supported teams in the FIM Supersport World Championship will race the all new R9 in 2025, marking a new generation of Supersport for Yamaha with the switch to the 890cc three-cylinder machine.
Over the last 25 years, the R6 has been Yamaha’s main WorldSSP challenger and to a lot of success. In its two and a half decades on the racetrack, the R6 achieved no fewer than ten rider world championships, ten manufacturer crowns and 147 race victories. And even in the last three seasons, following the introduction of the ‘Next Generation’ Supersport class, the R6 has remained competitive, even winning its last two races in Jerez in the final round of the 2024 season.
The new R9 made its public debut at the final round of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez this weekend, where both the road-going bike and the new R9 WorldSSP were uncovered in a special presentation before James Whitham (the first ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) and Stefano Manzi (the last ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) took the bikes on a dedicated parade lap ahead of WorldSBK Race 1.
While the R9 has only recently been announced, engineers at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Research & Development have been secretly working on developing this new Supersport machine into a WorldSSP contender for some time. Receiving the first pre-production unit last April, for more than a year, the team led by Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Road Racing Technical Manager Riccardo Tisci, has undergone a number of secret tests as well as development processes in house at Yamaha Motor Racing Europe (YMRE), based in Lesmo, Italy.
“When we received the pre-production unit the first thing we did was put Stefano Manzi, our leading WorldSSP rider, on the bike at a local circuit in secret,” explains Tisci, talking about the R9 for the first time in Jerez.
Yamaha Europe’s Riccardo Tisci and Andrea Dosoli uncover the fully developed 2025 R9 World Supersport racebike. Yamaha photo.
“During this test, we did a direct comparison between the standard pre-production R9 and the WorldSSP-spec R6 Manzi was racing at the time. This gave us an understanding of the strengths of the new bike and the areas we needed to work on.
“Following this test, we went back to YMRE and started to develop the race kit from what we had learned, in line with the WorldSSP regulations. The rules allow you to work on triple clamps, linkage, suspension, radiators and engine, among some other areas including bodywork. When we were about 80% there, we took the bike back to the racetrack, this time with WorldSBK rider and 2020 WorldSSP champion Andrea Locatelli to see how we were getting on. The feedback was very positive, especially in terms of engine character – we were actually quite surprised to see the progress in just our second test.”
Stefano Manzi and James Whitham debut the new R9 streetbike and R9 WorldSSP racebike on track. Yamaha photo.
Developing a new race bike from a brand-new standard machine is no easy task, so YMRE’s engineers decided to deploy new, high-tech methods they’ve never used before including doing a lot of their development via computer simulation.
“We have a very good relationship with YMC and have worked with them closely on developing the bike. They provided the CAD drawings of the standard bike well in advance, these included every part of the bike up to every bolt and washer, so we had a complete modelling of the entire bike.
“From this model, we could then apply computer simulations to see how we could enhance the performance of the machine. We had three types of simulation to run; for the chassis there were stiffness and stress simulations, and for the engine performance we had engine simulations.
“We could simulate things we wanted to try via the computer and see what result this would achieve. Following this, we could then test this on the dyno and what we found was the results on the dyno were very close to what the simulation had suggested. The results were impressive, especially in terms of engine development so this is a procedure we will adopt more regularly in future, including in WorldSBK as we look to further develop the R1.”
Yamaha R9 racebike and streetbike posed together. Yamaha photo.
Since the early tests, official test rider Niccolò Canepa has ridden the R9 as YMRE have worked on refining the package. The next stage will be for Yamaha’s 2025 Supersport line-up to ride the bikes – the line-up will feature three supported teams with six riders, all of whom will be confirmed in due course. This test takes place at Cremona in the first week of November.
“The bike is obviously still under development, so it will be interesting to hear the feedback of the official riders in the first test,” Tisci continued.
“It is possible we may need to adjust some parts as we head towards the season, we have the first test in early November and then have a few months to see if we need to make some adjustments before further testing next year. We still have time to make changes if needed, but it feels like we are in a good place.”
The R9 will make its debut in the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2025, where Yamaha Motor Europe’s engineers will continue to develop the bike ahead of rolling out a dedicated race kit for national championships for 2026.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) kickstarted an unmissable weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, setting a 1:35.192 to steal the top spot on Friday. Canet bagged a 0.218s advantage over Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who had an incredible afternoon – claiming P2. The Italian battled back in Practice 1, fighting fit after an earlier incident on the entry to the pitlane in FP. Meanwhile, Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) took third, completing a strong day for the #24 after securing top honours in the morning session and ending Friday just 0.250s adrift from the #44’s benchmark.
It was a hectic start to the weekend, with Free Practice delivering further drama as Ramirez ended the day quickest – setting a 1:35.897. Once Practice 1 began, Canet became the early pacesetter, improving on the times set in Free Practice. Then in the final 10 minutes, lap times dropped, and Ramirez battled back, climbing to the top of the standings before Canet further improved and seized control on the opening day.
Taking fourth after an impressive final run of the day was Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who set nearly 20 laps throughout the day. Dixon was in front of Alonso Lopez, who brought his Triumph-powered Beta Tools SpeedUp machine to fifth position in Thailand. However, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) would end the day in P6 after the Championship leader suffered an early end to the day after an issue in the final two minutes. Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took seventh as Round 16 winner Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) earned P8 at the end of Friday.
Albert Arenas finished a great day for the Gresini Moto2™ squad, finishing in front of Jorge Navarro, who rounded out the top 10, with the #9 replacing the injured Joe Roberts at the OnlyFans American Racing Team. Further back, Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) showed a strong pace across the day, placing in front of Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team). Meanwhile, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and home hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) took the final spots inside the provisional top 14. However, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) is one of the riders with work to do on Saturday morning – ending Friday in P15.
Moto3™ kicked off a fascinating weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) grabbing Friday honours after a brilliant start to the weekend. The #80 clocked a 1:40.703 on Friday afternoon on what was a hectic day for the Colombian, who ended the day with a 0.385s advantage over Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) in second. The Australian had a great opening day of action in Thailand, improving in the closing stages of the session after setting 15 laps. Kelso placed ahead of Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), with the #31 ending Friday as the top Honda rider with a strong starting point for this weekend.
Alonso had a busy morning, finding the limit with a crash at Turn 3 before remounting and later posting a 1:40.544 to end Free Practice at the top of the standings and with a new lap record. Temperatures continued to rise, and once Practice 1 got underway, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was the rider at the top of the standings as Alonso suffered a second crash of the day before remounting and improving on his Practice 1 time to end Friday at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) worked hard throughout the day, claiming fourth spot and ending Friday in front of Veijer. After leading early on, the Dutchman dropped back to fifth, 0.587s adrift from Alonso’s reference time. Veijer rounded out the top five, while Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) continued to impress, stealing sixth place on a great day for the Italian. Lunetta improved on his final fast lap to place ahead of MT Helmets – MSI’s Ivan Ortola, who seeks redemption after a tough Australian GP. Ortola was ahead of David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who had a busy day in eighth.
Further back, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top 10 places, with the #36 lapping inside the low 1:41 bracket. Meanwhile, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) were 11th and 12th, as Scott Ogden (FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing) and MT Helmets – MSI’s Ryusei Yamanaka took the vital final spots inside the top 14.
Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) has clinched his first Moto3™ pole after an incredible late lap at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. The #66 set a 1:40.603 and has become the first Australian to claim pole in lightweight class since Jack Miller in 2014. Kelso worked hard in the closing minutes, beating Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) to P1 by 0.073s. The Dutchman was one of the first riders to exit pitlane on the final run, grabbing a front row start for Sunday. Meanwhile, Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) was unable to improve on his second run, missing out on pole after looking strong in the opening stages of Q2.
Practice 2 saw further drama begin to unfold on Saturday morning, with Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) becoming the new pacesetter after clocking a stunning 1:40.577, which set the stage for qualifying. Once Q1 began, fast times began to be set, with Filippo Farioli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) topping the standings and earning a Q2 spot alongside Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), Joel Esteban (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) and LEVELUP – MTA’s Stefano Nepa.
As Q2 got underway, there was instant action, with Piqueras launching an early benchmark – sitting comfortably in P1 after the first run. Tension began to build as the second run began, with the Moto3™ stars looking for the prime spot on the circuit. Piqueras remained at the top as a group of riders left pitlane too late to set a time on their final run, leaving a handful of riders to duel for pole, with Kelso coming out on top.
Furusato maintained his impressive form on Saturday, leapfrogging to fourth on the grid – spearheading the second row. The #72 starts ahead of the newly crowned Moto3™ World Champion, who missed out on a final run – claiming P5 on the grid. The Colombian has shown encouraging pace throughout the weekend and will be joined on the second row by FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing’s Scott Ogden after a great qualifying for the #19.
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will start from seventh on the grid, aiming to replicate his pace from Australia. Holgado has tough competition on the third row, with David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team) and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) joining the #96. Further back, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and BOE Motorsports’ David Muñoz are left with work to do from 16th and 17th.
Marc Marquez was fastest in the final MotoGP practice session at the PT Grand Prix in Thailand. Marquez led Franco Morbidelli, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta ahead of qualifying.
Chang International Circuit, in Buriram, Thailand. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Ai Ogura led Aron Canet and Diogo Moreira in the final Moto2 practice session at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Ogura’s 1:34.595 was a new lap record for Moto2 machines at Chang International Raceway.
Chang International Circuit, in Buriram, Thailand. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Taiyo Furusato led the Moto3 practice session on Saturday morning at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand. Furusato on a Honda led Ivan Ortola and Joel Kelso on KTM machines.
The 2024 N2/WERA Overall National Endurance Championship battle featured Taylor Knapp on the Army Of Darkness Yamaha (99) versus Blake Davis on the Alpha Omega Rollers Yamaha (89). AOD won the finale at Barber, but AOR won the title. N2 photo.
Army of Darkness took victory in the last race of the season with riders Josh Hayes, Taylor Knapp, and Hunter Dunham scoring the Overall and Heavyweight class wins at round five of the N2/WERA National Endurance Series at Barber Motorsports Park. Team Alpha Omega Rollers won the 2024 Heavyweight and Overall Championship with riders Eziah Davis, Blake Davis, Miles Thorton, and Anthony Mazziotto. A total of 54 teams competed at the fifth round of the 2024 N2/WERA National Endurance Championship with over $100,000 in purse and contingency for the series.
Blake Davis on the #89 Alpha Omega Rollers Yamaha YZF-R1. N2 photo.
The 4-Hour N2/WERA National Endurance race at Barber Motorsports Park started under perfect blue Alabama skies with no threat of weather throughout the day. Nature Power Superbike started from pole position with rider Jason Waters on a BMW M1000RR.
Alpha Omega Rollers rider Miles Thorton, Army of Darkness’s Josh Hayes, and Nature Power Superbikes Jason Waters started the race and battled tooth and nail for the first stint. The three heavyweight titans battled it out until lap 45 when Jesse Ruehling crashed the Nature Power M1000RR. This left Alpha Omega Rollers and Army of Darkness in a slugfest for overall victory. Although similar in pace and pit stops, ultimately Josh Hayes was able to make the difference in the last stint to win by 22 seconds over Alpha Omega Rollers after 4 hours. Full Send Moto finished third with riders Eric Anderson and Ian Groom.
Trash Panda (24) finished fourth overall and second in the Mediumweight class. N2 photo.
Motor Drone Racing finished first in the middleweight class and third overall with riders Shane Mags and Gabriel Da Silva on a Wiseco-sponsored GSX-R600. Trash Panda secured the 2024 Middleweight National Championship when they finished second in the middleweight class with riders Chuck Ivey, Nathan Seethaler, Donovan Piper, and Sean Hopkins on a YZF-R6. AO XT33 finished third on a Dunlop-equipped Yamaha YZF-R6 with riders Anthony Taylor, Wristin Grigg, and Bryant Tyrawa.
Brown Town Racing (111) finished first in the Lightweight class. N2 photo.
The family team of Brown Town Racing won the lightweight class on an Aprilia RS660 with riders Chase Brown and David Brown. Chiefs Racing Team finished second on a Suzuki SV650 with riders Cassidy Heiser and Chris Parrish. Robem Engineering finished third on their Aprilia RS660 with teenage rider Alessandro DiMario and MotoAmerica rider Teagg Hobbs. Third place was all Robem had to do to win the 2024 Lightweight National Championship.
Robem Engineering (79) won the Lightweight Class Championship with riders Alessandro De Mario and quest rider Teagg Hobbs, seen here. N2 photo.
One One Nine Racing’s 14-year-old Reese Frankenfield and Carson King took the victory in the Ultra-Lightweight 2-Hour Endurance and the 2024 Ultra Lightweight National Championship. Hart/Wolf Racing finished second with riders Giacomo Manera and Alessandro DiMario. D&D Certified finished third with veteran rider Rob McLendon and Landon Smith.
One One Nine (119) won the separate Ultralightweight 2-hour race and Championship on a Kawasaki Ninja 400. This is Reese Frankenfield on board.
Hart Racing won the exhibition Relay Class with riders Brennan Triplett, Chris Durbin, Philip Hart, and Ryan Wolfe. Double D Racing finished second. Four-Leaf Racing finished third with riders Tony Storniolo, Devidas Gaizutis, Steve Olson, and Sean Sturnot.
Congratulations to all of our 2024 Endurance Champions!
Heavyweight and Overall – Alpha Omega Rollers
Middleweight – Trash Panda
Lightweight – Robem Engineering
Ultralightweight – One One Nine Racing.
Details about the 2025 schedule, rule book, and class structure will be out soon! Stay tuned.
About N2: N2 – Ride, Learn, Race.
Founded in 2014, N2’s mission is to build a sustainable motorcycle community through safe, structured motorcycle track days, advanced rider training programs based on Yamaha Champions Riding School teaching methods, with a strong affinity for motorcycle road racing. N2 successfully resurrected Motorcycle Endurance Racing in America partnering with WERA Roadracing and creating the N2/WERA National Endurance Series by Dunlop. N2 is a premier participant in the MotoAmerica Pro Racing Series with a multi-rider team competing in several classes. N2 is also a major contributor to the Roadracing World Action Fund through fundraising efforts and support from its large member base.
The N2 National Endurance Series is proudly sponsored by: N2 Track Days, Yamaha Motor Corporation USA, Dainese, Woodcraft Technologies, BobbleHeadMoto, WERA Road Racing, KYT Helmets America, R.E.B Graphics, Millennium Technologies, Wiseco Pistons, JE Pistons, Rise Moto, Ghetto Customs, Pit-Lane Moto, SBS Brakes and Yamaha Champions Riding School.
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. Champion Mikayla Moore at Mid-Ohio, 2024. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
ROYAL ENFIELD EXPANDS BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. PROGRAM TO EXPAND INTERNATIONAL REACH
Riders from Brazil will be invited to join Road Race series, starting in 2025
MILWAUKEE, (October 25, 2024)—The Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) program will open registration to American, Canadian, and Brazilian riders for the 2025 season, a first for the program.
Developed for competition on United States-based tracks, BTR has welcomed North American-based racers since its inaugural season in 2020. Now, the Road Race slots will be allocated to riders from both North America, Canada, and Brazil. The Flat Track series will retain its structure with North American and Canadian riders only for the 2025 season.
Start of a Royal Enfield BTR race at Mid-Ohio, 2024. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
To stay true to the program’s merit based system, applicants from Brazil will need to fulfill the same requirements as their North American counterparts. Brazilian applicants must be at least 18 years old and speak English. As with all other riders, Royal Enfield will cover all transportation and lodging costs associated with participation in the program. All riders are allowed and encouraged to return home between training sessions and race weekends.
A Royal Enfield race podium at Mid-Ohio, 2024. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The Brazil market is the largest and fastest-growing market for Royal Enfield outside of India, also holding the largest BTR viewership outside of North America. Royal Enfield expects an extraordinary number of applications for the 2025 Build. Train. Race. season, which will go live on October 25th and stay open through November 22nd. Additional details about the application process and the 2025 season will be available in the coming weeks.
“We’re blown away by the enthusiasm that follows our racers and this entire program,” said Adrian Sellers, Head – Custom & Motorsport at Royal Enfield. “Introducing international racers to our teams is a natural step towards taking the Build. Train. Race. program outside North America. Tapping into the enthusiastic market of Brazil will add an appealing dynamic to the 2025 season and allow us to assess the possibilities of further international expansion for Build.Train.Race. in the future. There are so many incredibly- talented female racers around the world.”
Mikalya Moore with her 2024 Royal Enfield BTR Number One plate at Mid-Ohio. She also won the title in 2023. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The 2024 Build. Train. Race. season concluded on September 14 with flat track racing at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri with Kenzie Luker, Shasta L’Heureux, and Mya Maffei finishing as the top three racers of the season. The road racing program concluded its 2024 season on August 18, with Mikayla Moore, Camille Conrad, and Kira Knebel finishing as the top three racers for the season.
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market. Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 150 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S. and Canada. RENA currently offers the all-new Hunter 350, Scram 411, Classic 350, Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (Shotgun 650, Super Meteor 650, INT650, and Continental GT 650)
Roadracing World’s Sam Fleming interviews MotoAmerica Technical Director Tige Daane about the history, philosophy, logistics and politics of performance indexing motorcycles for Next Generation Supersport and Super Hooligan.
Yamaha engineers in Europe have fully developed the R9 into a Next Generation Supersport racebike. Yamaha photo.
Editorial Note: Insiders say that Yamaha will support at least one multi-rider R9 team in MotoAmerica Supersport.
Developing the R9 into a Next Generation Supersport Challenger
Yamaha Motor Europe’s supported teams in the FIM Supersport World Championship will race the all new R9 in 2025, marking a new generation of Supersport for Yamaha with the switch to the 890cc three-cylinder machine.
Over the last 25 years, the R6 has been Yamaha’s main WorldSSP challenger and to a lot of success. In its two and a half decades on the racetrack, the R6 achieved no fewer than ten rider world championships, ten manufacturer crowns and 147 race victories. And even in the last three seasons, following the introduction of the ‘Next Generation’ Supersport class, the R6 has remained competitive, even winning its last two races in Jerez in the final round of the 2024 season.
The new R9 made its public debut at the final round of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez this weekend, where both the road-going bike and the new R9 WorldSSP were uncovered in a special presentation before James Whitham (the first ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) and Stefano Manzi (the last ever WorldSSP winner on an R6) took the bikes on a dedicated parade lap ahead of WorldSBK Race 1.
While the R9 has only recently been announced, engineers at Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Research & Development have been secretly working on developing this new Supersport machine into a WorldSSP contender for some time. Receiving the first pre-production unit last April, for more than a year, the team led by Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Road Racing Technical Manager Riccardo Tisci, has undergone a number of secret tests as well as development processes in house at Yamaha Motor Racing Europe (YMRE), based in Lesmo, Italy.
“When we received the pre-production unit the first thing we did was put Stefano Manzi, our leading WorldSSP rider, on the bike at a local circuit in secret,” explains Tisci, talking about the R9 for the first time in Jerez.
Yamaha Europe’s Riccardo Tisci and Andrea Dosoli uncover the fully developed 2025 R9 World Supersport racebike. Yamaha photo.
“During this test, we did a direct comparison between the standard pre-production R9 and the WorldSSP-spec R6 Manzi was racing at the time. This gave us an understanding of the strengths of the new bike and the areas we needed to work on.
“Following this test, we went back to YMRE and started to develop the race kit from what we had learned, in line with the WorldSSP regulations. The rules allow you to work on triple clamps, linkage, suspension, radiators and engine, among some other areas including bodywork. When we were about 80% there, we took the bike back to the racetrack, this time with WorldSBK rider and 2020 WorldSSP champion Andrea Locatelli to see how we were getting on. The feedback was very positive, especially in terms of engine character – we were actually quite surprised to see the progress in just our second test.”
Stefano Manzi and James Whitham debut the new R9 streetbike and R9 WorldSSP racebike on track. Yamaha photo.
Developing a new race bike from a brand-new standard machine is no easy task, so YMRE’s engineers decided to deploy new, high-tech methods they’ve never used before including doing a lot of their development via computer simulation.
“We have a very good relationship with YMC and have worked with them closely on developing the bike. They provided the CAD drawings of the standard bike well in advance, these included every part of the bike up to every bolt and washer, so we had a complete modelling of the entire bike.
“From this model, we could then apply computer simulations to see how we could enhance the performance of the machine. We had three types of simulation to run; for the chassis there were stiffness and stress simulations, and for the engine performance we had engine simulations.
“We could simulate things we wanted to try via the computer and see what result this would achieve. Following this, we could then test this on the dyno and what we found was the results on the dyno were very close to what the simulation had suggested. The results were impressive, especially in terms of engine development so this is a procedure we will adopt more regularly in future, including in WorldSBK as we look to further develop the R1.”
Yamaha R9 racebike and streetbike posed together. Yamaha photo.
Since the early tests, official test rider Niccolò Canepa has ridden the R9 as YMRE have worked on refining the package. The next stage will be for Yamaha’s 2025 Supersport line-up to ride the bikes – the line-up will feature three supported teams with six riders, all of whom will be confirmed in due course. This test takes place at Cremona in the first week of November.
“The bike is obviously still under development, so it will be interesting to hear the feedback of the official riders in the first test,” Tisci continued.
“It is possible we may need to adjust some parts as we head towards the season, we have the first test in early November and then have a few months to see if we need to make some adjustments before further testing next year. We still have time to make changes if needed, but it feels like we are in a good place.”
The R9 will make its debut in the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2025, where Yamaha Motor Europe’s engineers will continue to develop the bike ahead of rolling out a dedicated race kit for national championships for 2026.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) kickstarted an unmissable weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, setting a 1:35.192 to steal the top spot on Friday. Canet bagged a 0.218s advantage over Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who had an incredible afternoon – claiming P2. The Italian battled back in Practice 1, fighting fit after an earlier incident on the entry to the pitlane in FP. Meanwhile, Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) took third, completing a strong day for the #24 after securing top honours in the morning session and ending Friday just 0.250s adrift from the #44’s benchmark.
It was a hectic start to the weekend, with Free Practice delivering further drama as Ramirez ended the day quickest – setting a 1:35.897. Once Practice 1 began, Canet became the early pacesetter, improving on the times set in Free Practice. Then in the final 10 minutes, lap times dropped, and Ramirez battled back, climbing to the top of the standings before Canet further improved and seized control on the opening day.
Taking fourth after an impressive final run of the day was Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), who set nearly 20 laps throughout the day. Dixon was in front of Alonso Lopez, who brought his Triumph-powered Beta Tools SpeedUp machine to fifth position in Thailand. However, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) would end the day in P6 after the Championship leader suffered an early end to the day after an issue in the final two minutes. Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) took seventh as Round 16 winner Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) earned P8 at the end of Friday.
Albert Arenas finished a great day for the Gresini Moto2™ squad, finishing in front of Jorge Navarro, who rounded out the top 10, with the #9 replacing the injured Joe Roberts at the OnlyFans American Racing Team. Further back, Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) showed a strong pace across the day, placing in front of Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team). Meanwhile, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and home hero Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) took the final spots inside the provisional top 14. However, Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) is one of the riders with work to do on Saturday morning – ending Friday in P15.
Moto3™ kicked off a fascinating weekend at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand, with David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) grabbing Friday honours after a brilliant start to the weekend. The #80 clocked a 1:40.703 on Friday afternoon on what was a hectic day for the Colombian, who ended the day with a 0.385s advantage over Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) in second. The Australian had a great opening day of action in Thailand, improving in the closing stages of the session after setting 15 laps. Kelso placed ahead of Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing), with the #31 ending Friday as the top Honda rider with a strong starting point for this weekend.
Alonso had a busy morning, finding the limit with a crash at Turn 3 before remounting and later posting a 1:40.544 to end Free Practice at the top of the standings and with a new lap record. Temperatures continued to rise, and once Practice 1 got underway, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was the rider at the top of the standings as Alonso suffered a second crash of the day before remounting and improving on his Practice 1 time to end Friday at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) worked hard throughout the day, claiming fourth spot and ending Friday in front of Veijer. After leading early on, the Dutchman dropped back to fifth, 0.587s adrift from Alonso’s reference time. Veijer rounded out the top five, while Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) continued to impress, stealing sixth place on a great day for the Italian. Lunetta improved on his final fast lap to place ahead of MT Helmets – MSI’s Ivan Ortola, who seeks redemption after a tough Australian GP. Ortola was ahead of David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who had a busy day in eighth.
Further back, Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) rounded out the top 10 places, with the #36 lapping inside the low 1:41 bracket. Meanwhile, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) were 11th and 12th, as Scott Ogden (FleetSafe Honda – MLav Racing) and MT Helmets – MSI’s Ryusei Yamanaka took the vital final spots inside the top 14.
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