Loris Baz will start the MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike races from pole position at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. The Frenchman earned pole position with the 1:22.737 he did on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday. That session ended with mostly dry track conditions and all riders on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks.
During Qualifying Two (Q2) on Saturday, conditions were much different with a wet track and a misty rain falling. As a result, the times from Q1 held up as the final qualifying results.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier (1:23.150) will start second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch (1:23.769) held onto the third and final spot on the front row.
Josh Herrin (1:23.931), Baz’s teammate and the Championship point leader, will start from fourth on the gird in need of only five points to clinch the 2024 title.
Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen (1:24.057) was fifth-fastest.
Xavi Fores (1:24.280), who is riding in place of Petersen’s injured teammate Jake Gagne, completes row two.
Row three starters include EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW’s Sean Dylan Kelly (1:24.618), Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha’s Bobby Fong (1:24.770), and Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach (1:25.985).
Hayden Gillim will start the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 races from pole position at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. As the track started to dry during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday, the defending Champion gambled by mounting slicks to his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, but the move paid off. Gillim turned a 1:31.243, and when conditions weren’t as good during Qualifying Two (Q2) on Saturday morning, Gillim’s time held up to get him pole position.
Danilo Lewis will start second on his Team Brazil BMW M 1000 RR thanks to his 1:32.760.
Jason Waters claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:33.821 on his Edge Racing BMW.
Row two starters include Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates (1:33.991), TBEX Yamaha’s Eziah Davis (1:34.032), and AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda’s Richard Kerr (1:34.065).
Of the top six qualifiers, only Davis was able to improve his lap time during Q2.
Eli Block will start the MotoAmerica Junior Cup races from pole position at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Block secured the top spot by turning a lap time of 1:32.611 on his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 during Qualifying One on Friday, when it was relatively dry.
Avery Dreher, the 2023 Junior Cup Champion, will start from the second spot on the grid based on the 1:33.227 he did on his Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki during Q1. Dreher was fastest during Qualifying Two (Q2) with a 1:40.589, but conditions during Q2 were too wet for anyone to improve on their times from Q1.
Jaden McKeller will start his McKeller Racing Kawasaki from the third and final spot on the front row thanks to the 1:33.392 he did in Q1.
Row two starters include Dreher’s 14-year-old sister Ella Dreher (1:33.436), Speed Demon Racing’s Logan Cunnison (1:33.792), and Karns Performance’s Levi Badie (1:33.826).
Rising again: Iannone seals first WorldSBK victory in Aragon
Andrea Iannone (29) leads at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Tissot Superpole Highlights
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated the 15 minute Tissot Superpole session to claim a second consecutive pole position. The rookie broke the lap record at Motorland Aragon with a time of 1’47.840 to take the pole by over three tenths of a second
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) qualified on the front row for the fifth time in 2024 aboard his Ducati Panigale V4R as the Italian manufacturer completed their first 1-2-3-4 on the grid since 2004
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) qualified on the front row for the first time this year while Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returned to action for the first time since the French Round by qualifying fifth fastest
Race 1 Highlights
Race 1 was red flagged due to a crash for Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) at Turn 5. With a Quick Restart Procedure enacted pole sitter Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) retired from the race with a technical issue on the warm-up lap
When the 17 lap race started Andrea Iannone took the holeshot. The Italian led a group of nine riders for the first third of thr race. The Italian was overtaken by his compatriot Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on lap eight but Iannone immediately reasserted his supremacy. Having led all but one lap it was a dominant performance by the rookie as he became the eighth different winner in 2024. Iannone proved his speed by setting the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate tour. Iannone’s success sees him become the fourth first time winner in 2024
Having missed the previous six races Toprak Razgatlioglu’s return the Turkish star run in the podium positions throughout the duration of the race. Ultimately the Turkish rider never led a lap but by finishing in second position he claimed an all important 20 points for his championship challenge
Garrett Gerloff (31) held off Alvaro Bautista (1) to get third place. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Despite starting from the fourth row of the grid Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was able to make steady progress. The American was promoted to eighth on the grid with Lowes and Bulega on the sidelines but as the race progressed he was able to move into podium contention. At half distance he picked off Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and was able to set consistent times to move into the podium positions. With five laps remaining Razgatlioglu was back in front but Gerloff held strong to claim his second podium of the campaign
Starting from the front row of the grid gave Bautista an ideal opportunity to challenge for the race win. A bad start dropped the Spaniard to sixth position on the opening lap but as the race progressed his pace improved and he fought with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) before he moved into fourth position on Lap 10. Despite setting faster laps than the riders in front of him, Bautista was not able to attack and finished in fourth position. Less than half a second separated Razgatlioglu from Bautista at the end of the race
Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge continued Honda’s strong form. For the seventh consecutive race both Honda riders were able to finish inside the top ten. Having qualified on the third row Lecuona finished in sixth position
Championship Standings
Razgatlioglu now holds a lead of 33 points from Bulega in the championship standings with Bautista a further 56 points adrift
In the Independent Rider standings Petrucci continues to lead the way with Iannone by 87 points
In the Manufacturer standings Ducati extend their lead over BMW to 34 points
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Andrea Iannone | Team GoEleven
“From the beginning of the race, I struggled a lot with the front tyre. Lap by lap though I started to get a good feeling. In the last five or six laps I was really confident with the bike. I want to thank my team for doing a great job. Winning today wasn’t just winning a race, I won the race of my life. I never gave up and I showed that I’m strong and that’s the most important thing. The race was good and I’m living the dream once again. To come back and feel like this is special. I fought so hard over the last four years to return, and I never imagined I’d win in my first year back. I want to thank Ducati and Team GoEleven for their support.”
P2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“This feels so good because after that big crash I’ve come back and finished on the podium. It’s incredible but I’m not entirely happy because I couldn’t fight for the win during the final laps. My front tyre was dropping and I could only battle for second place. I tried to just ride the bike but Andrea was riding really well and his pace was unbelievable. We have two more races tomorrow and I’ll try my best again. I felt on the limit throughout this race, especially with the engine braking, which wasn’t working well. We just need a few improvements for tomorrow.”
P3 | Garrett Gerloff | Bonovo Action BMW
“I felt really good at the end of the race. I still had a bit left in the tank and was trying to catch up with Andrea. Both Andrea and Toprak were riding really well so I just tried to stay calm. I thought I’d close the gap more in the last few laps but it didn’t happen. When Alvaro passed me on the last lap, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m giving up another podium.’ So I went for it and I’m happy to be back on the podium. The bike feels great, and hopefully, we can find some consistency in the upcoming races.”
Kawasaki has just revealed that the 2025 model year Ninja ZX-6R is to be homologated for competition use within the WorldSSP Championship.
Technical details of the 636cc machine for 2025 are being submitted to the relevant authorities and production machines will be made available for the necessary power and performance checks to be conducted,
Already regarded as a legend among road going supersport riders, the transition from its current race homologated 599cc capacity to 636cc for the Ninja will more accurately mirror the product available in road bike dealers in 2025 and provide an eagerly anticipated increase in available torque and horsepower for the race bike to develop further.
These and other measures are being targeted to ensure that the famous mid-capacity Ninja will be SS600NG compatible and remain at the competitive cutting edge of a very hard fought global racing series.
Steve Guttridge, Race Planning Manager for Kawasaki Motors Europe commented.
“We regard this as a logical process not only to provide a competitive machine on track for our official team, Puccetti Kawasaki Racing, for their 2025 WorldSSP assault but also to align the paddock presence in WorldSSP with the machines on display in dealer showrooms for a new sales season.
As soon as the homologation is confirmed we can concentrate on the final development and approval of any updated items within an accompanying racing kit parts programme as well as informing and updating other Kawasaki teams who also race in Championships aligned with the FIM homologation.”
Gardner To Make Wild-Card Entry at the Grand Prix of Japan with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team
Iwata (Japan), 28th September 2024
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Remy Gardner will spearhead the Yamaha Factory Racing Team as a wild-card rider at Round 16 of the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship, held at the Mobility Resort Motegi.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that Remy Gardner will be a wild-card entry in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Round 16 of the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship. He will be riding the Yamaha Factory Racing Team YZR-M1 (with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP livery) at the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit in the race weekend of 4 – 6 Oct.
Gardner already rode the 2024 Yamaha YZR-M1 in the German GP and the British GP, making him the ideal choice for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team for their home GP. The former Moto2 World Champion’s participation in the 2024 Japanese GP will be his first time riding at the Motegi track on a premier-class bike since 2022.
KAZUTOSHI SEKI
Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team Leader
Bike development is at the heart of Yamaha’s every move this year. The engineers are working very hard, and I am fully convinced that this wild-card entry will accelerate Yamaha’s endeavours to develop prototype parts and increase bike performance. Remy Gardner has already successfully tested protype items for the M1 on two occasions earlier this year, so his prior experience makes him a logical choice in Cal Crutchlow’s absence due to injury.
REMY GARDNER
Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team Replacement Rider
I am really excited to race in Japan, it’s a country I always enjoyed visiting in Grand Prix racing, but to go to Japan and race for a Japanese manufacturer in MotoGP in front of the Japanese fans will be something special. It is nice that, after Sachsenring and Silverstone, Yamaha have asked me to come back. They clearly feel that I bring something to the development programme, so hopefully we can have a productive weekend in Motegi too. It will be a busy period for me with five races in five weeks, but I ride bikes almost every weekend anyway, so it’s nothing new for me!
Nicolo Bulega topped FIM Superbike World Championship qualifying Saturday at MotorLand Aragon, in Alcaniz, Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Pirelli control tires, the rookie sensation lapped the 3.15-mile track in 1:47.840. Not only did that top the field of 22 riders, it broke Jonathan Rea’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:47.973.
Andrea Iannone was the best of the rest with a 1:48.208 on his Team GoEleven Ducati.
Two-time and defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:48.258.
Danilo Petrucci qualified fourth with a time of 1:48.314 on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati.
Back from injury, World Championship point leader Toprak Razgatlioglu was fifth at 1:48.331 on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR.
Alex Lowes took the sixth grid spot with a 1:48.348 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
After being fastest on Friday, American Garrett Gerloff qualified 10th with a 1:48.655 on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship Tissot Sprint Race Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 13-lap race by 0.107 second.
Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini was the runner-up.
After crashing twice during qualifying Saturday morning, six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez bounced back to score third on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi was fourth.
Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli made it a top-five sweep for Ducati.
World Championship point leader Jorge Martin crashed, remounted, and finished 10th – outside of the points.
Bagnaia’s win combined with Martin’s crash allowed Bagnaia to cut his points deficit down from 24 to 12.
Bagnaia masters Mandalika as Martin’s mistake cuts title lead in half
Another huge twist in the Tissot Sprint sees Bagnaia, Bastianini AND Marquez close in after closest Saturday finish of the year
Francesco Bagnaia (1) held off teammate Enea Bastianini to win the MotoGP Sprint Race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) returned to glory in the Tissot Sprint at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, remaining unflappable in the 13-lap shootout as Championship Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had a shock crash out the lead to create yet another title fight twist. The 12 points for Bagnaia’s win cuts the gap between the top two in half ahead of a tantalising Grand Prix race.
On top of that drama, it was the closest Sprint finish of the season as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) put in a serious late charge, coming home a mere 0.107s off his teammate after attacking and passing Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who completed the podium. That makes it all three riders in those top echelons of the title fight making gains on Saturday as Martin looks to hit back on Sunday.
As the lights went out, Martin made a dream launch, charging to the front ahead of title rival Bagnaia, who braved the outside line on the run to Turn 1. The #89 pulled the pin on the opening lap, while Marc Marquez made ground at the start after qualifying from 12th on the grid – slicing up the inside with razorlike precision.
The drama hit early, however, with Martin suddenly crashing out of the lead at the tricky Turn 16 in a near carbon copy of Bastianini’s crash in qualifying. The Championship leader remounted, setting sights on recovering some points, but Bagnaia was left in the lead to make his play for that maximum score of 12.
The battle for the podium then began in earnest, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) getting the gloves off. The #93 soon made a move stick on Acosta on Lap 3, entering the top three as Acosta was next under threat from Bastianini. That made the rookie drop back to fifth.
There was then a huge heart in mouth moment for Bezzecchi as he chased down Bagnaia, with the #72 getting all crossed up and heading wide, avoiding contact with the reigning World Champion ahead by millimetres.
Meanwhile, Martin continued his recovering ride, launching into the top 15 and then the top 12, soon entering the top 10 after a move on Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). But after getting mired behind plenty of other riders looking to make progress, and getting some elbows form Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the points were out of reach.
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on with just enough breathing space as Bastianini started to home in on Marc Marquez in the closing laps. Setting his sights on a move with three laps remaining, ‘the Beast’ looked for an opportunity on Lap 12 and made the move stick at Turn 10, job done. The Italian was up into second, with Bagnaia a further eight-tenths up the road.
It seemed like that would be more than enough but it got close. On the final lap, Bagnaia kept his cool but Bastianini was on a roll, closing on his teammate to cross the line just a tenth further back. A Ducati Lenovo Team 1-2, a 12-point gain for Bagnaia as well as a boost with that winning feeling… and a warning shot from Bastianini for his rivals on Sunday. Marc Marquez completed the podium, not quite able to hang with the #23’s pace.
Behind the leading trio was Bezzecchi, who had good pace but was just unable to recover that ground lost after his mistake. The #72 had a comfortable advantage over Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), however, with the #21 able to leapfrog Acosta, who finished down in sixth. The rookie crossed the line with less than half a second advantage over Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), too.
Meanwhile, CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco secured a remarkable eighth place. It was a standout ride from the Frenchman, crossing the line in front of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who took the final point. Martin was unable to finish higher than 10th, walking away with no points and 9.104s away from victory.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, dropped from a second row start to outside the points after an elbows-out battle, but the Frenchman will be looking for more reward on Sunday for his solid pace.
Bagnaia back on top. Martin’s Championship advantage down to 12 points. Marquez in the mix… and Bastianini ready to unleash the Beast. You do not want to miss the Indonesian GP, so tune in on Sunday at 15:00 local time (UTC +8) to find out who will head into Japan on top!
Aron Canet was fastest during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. On board his Pirelli-fitted Fantic Racing Kalex, the Spaniard navigated the 2.67-mile course in 1:33.434 to top the field of 28 riders.
Brit Jake Dixon was the best of the rest with a 1:33.503 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Japan’s Ai Ogura earned the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:33.504 on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts will start from row three after posting an eighth-fastest 1:33.752 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Canet denies Dixon and Ogura as front row split by 0.070
Aron Canet (44). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) stormed to pole after a breathtaking lap in Indonesia, but the Spaniard has some serious competition right on his tail as Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was denied by just 0.060. Championship leader Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) ended Saturday just 0.001s in further arrears to complete a close front row.
– It would be a dramatic start to Q2 for Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Italian crashing in the opening five minutes and now needing to pass a medical review before the race to head back out on Sunday.
– Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) heads the second row of the grid ahead of Beta Tools SpeedUp’s Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez, who end Saturday just two-tenths away from Canet’s benchmark.
– Back on row three on Sunday will be Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), with the Italian setting sights on redemption after missing out on victory last time out. Arbolino will have Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia)
– MT Helmets – MSI’s Sergio Garcia starts as Moto2™ continues to look as unpredictable as ever.
Loris Baz will start the MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike races from pole position at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. The Frenchman earned pole position with the 1:22.737 he did on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday. That session ended with mostly dry track conditions and all riders on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks.
During Qualifying Two (Q2) on Saturday, conditions were much different with a wet track and a misty rain falling. As a result, the times from Q1 held up as the final qualifying results.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier (1:23.150) will start second on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch (1:23.769) held onto the third and final spot on the front row.
Josh Herrin (1:23.931), Baz’s teammate and the Championship point leader, will start from fourth on the gird in need of only five points to clinch the 2024 title.
Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s Cameron Petersen (1:24.057) was fifth-fastest.
Xavi Fores (1:24.280), who is riding in place of Petersen’s injured teammate Jake Gagne, completes row two.
Row three starters include EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW’s Sean Dylan Kelly (1:24.618), Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha’s Bobby Fong (1:24.770), and Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach (1:25.985).
Hayden Gillim will start the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 races from pole position at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. As the track started to dry during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday, the defending Champion gambled by mounting slicks to his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, but the move paid off. Gillim turned a 1:31.243, and when conditions weren’t as good during Qualifying Two (Q2) on Saturday morning, Gillim’s time held up to get him pole position.
Danilo Lewis will start second on his Team Brazil BMW M 1000 RR thanks to his 1:32.760.
Jason Waters claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:33.821 on his Edge Racing BMW.
Row two starters include Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates (1:33.991), TBEX Yamaha’s Eziah Davis (1:34.032), and AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda’s Richard Kerr (1:34.065).
Of the top six qualifiers, only Davis was able to improve his lap time during Q2.
Eli Block will start the MotoAmerica Junior Cup races from pole position at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Block secured the top spot by turning a lap time of 1:32.611 on his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 during Qualifying One on Friday, when it was relatively dry.
Avery Dreher, the 2023 Junior Cup Champion, will start from the second spot on the grid based on the 1:33.227 he did on his Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki during Q1. Dreher was fastest during Qualifying Two (Q2) with a 1:40.589, but conditions during Q2 were too wet for anyone to improve on their times from Q1.
Jaden McKeller will start his McKeller Racing Kawasaki from the third and final spot on the front row thanks to the 1:33.392 he did in Q1.
Row two starters include Dreher’s 14-year-old sister Ella Dreher (1:33.436), Speed Demon Racing’s Logan Cunnison (1:33.792), and Karns Performance’s Levi Badie (1:33.826).
Rising again: Iannone seals first WorldSBK victory in Aragon
Andrea Iannone (29) leads at MotorLand Aragon. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Tissot Superpole Highlights
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated the 15 minute Tissot Superpole session to claim a second consecutive pole position. The rookie broke the lap record at Motorland Aragon with a time of 1’47.840 to take the pole by over three tenths of a second
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) qualified on the front row for the fifth time in 2024 aboard his Ducati Panigale V4R as the Italian manufacturer completed their first 1-2-3-4 on the grid since 2004
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) qualified on the front row for the first time this year while Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returned to action for the first time since the French Round by qualifying fifth fastest
Race 1 Highlights
Race 1 was red flagged due to a crash for Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) at Turn 5. With a Quick Restart Procedure enacted pole sitter Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) retired from the race with a technical issue on the warm-up lap
When the 17 lap race started Andrea Iannone took the holeshot. The Italian led a group of nine riders for the first third of thr race. The Italian was overtaken by his compatriot Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on lap eight but Iannone immediately reasserted his supremacy. Having led all but one lap it was a dominant performance by the rookie as he became the eighth different winner in 2024. Iannone proved his speed by setting the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate tour. Iannone’s success sees him become the fourth first time winner in 2024
Having missed the previous six races Toprak Razgatlioglu’s return the Turkish star run in the podium positions throughout the duration of the race. Ultimately the Turkish rider never led a lap but by finishing in second position he claimed an all important 20 points for his championship challenge
Garrett Gerloff (31) held off Alvaro Bautista (1) to get third place. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Despite starting from the fourth row of the grid Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was able to make steady progress. The American was promoted to eighth on the grid with Lowes and Bulega on the sidelines but as the race progressed he was able to move into podium contention. At half distance he picked off Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and was able to set consistent times to move into the podium positions. With five laps remaining Razgatlioglu was back in front but Gerloff held strong to claim his second podium of the campaign
Starting from the front row of the grid gave Bautista an ideal opportunity to challenge for the race win. A bad start dropped the Spaniard to sixth position on the opening lap but as the race progressed his pace improved and he fought with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) before he moved into fourth position on Lap 10. Despite setting faster laps than the riders in front of him, Bautista was not able to attack and finished in fourth position. Less than half a second separated Razgatlioglu from Bautista at the end of the race
Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge continued Honda’s strong form. For the seventh consecutive race both Honda riders were able to finish inside the top ten. Having qualified on the third row Lecuona finished in sixth position
Championship Standings
Razgatlioglu now holds a lead of 33 points from Bulega in the championship standings with Bautista a further 56 points adrift
In the Independent Rider standings Petrucci continues to lead the way with Iannone by 87 points
In the Manufacturer standings Ducati extend their lead over BMW to 34 points
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Andrea Iannone | Team GoEleven
“From the beginning of the race, I struggled a lot with the front tyre. Lap by lap though I started to get a good feeling. In the last five or six laps I was really confident with the bike. I want to thank my team for doing a great job. Winning today wasn’t just winning a race, I won the race of my life. I never gave up and I showed that I’m strong and that’s the most important thing. The race was good and I’m living the dream once again. To come back and feel like this is special. I fought so hard over the last four years to return, and I never imagined I’d win in my first year back. I want to thank Ducati and Team GoEleven for their support.”
P2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“This feels so good because after that big crash I’ve come back and finished on the podium. It’s incredible but I’m not entirely happy because I couldn’t fight for the win during the final laps. My front tyre was dropping and I could only battle for second place. I tried to just ride the bike but Andrea was riding really well and his pace was unbelievable. We have two more races tomorrow and I’ll try my best again. I felt on the limit throughout this race, especially with the engine braking, which wasn’t working well. We just need a few improvements for tomorrow.”
P3 | Garrett Gerloff | Bonovo Action BMW
“I felt really good at the end of the race. I still had a bit left in the tank and was trying to catch up with Andrea. Both Andrea and Toprak were riding really well so I just tried to stay calm. I thought I’d close the gap more in the last few laps but it didn’t happen. When Alvaro passed me on the last lap, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m giving up another podium.’ So I went for it and I’m happy to be back on the podium. The bike feels great, and hopefully, we can find some consistency in the upcoming races.”
A 2025-model Kawasaki ZX-6R. Photo courtesy Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
Ninja ZX-6R To Be Homologated For WorldSSP
Kawasaki has just revealed that the 2025 model year Ninja ZX-6R is to be homologated for competition use within the WorldSSP Championship.
Technical details of the 636cc machine for 2025 are being submitted to the relevant authorities and production machines will be made available for the necessary power and performance checks to be conducted,
Already regarded as a legend among road going supersport riders, the transition from its current race homologated 599cc capacity to 636cc for the Ninja will more accurately mirror the product available in road bike dealers in 2025 and provide an eagerly anticipated increase in available torque and horsepower for the race bike to develop further.
These and other measures are being targeted to ensure that the famous mid-capacity Ninja will be SS600NG compatible and remain at the competitive cutting edge of a very hard fought global racing series.
Steve Guttridge, Race Planning Manager for Kawasaki Motors Europe commented.
“We regard this as a logical process not only to provide a competitive machine on track for our official team, Puccetti Kawasaki Racing, for their 2025 WorldSSP assault but also to align the paddock presence in WorldSSP with the machines on display in dealer showrooms for a new sales season.
As soon as the homologation is confirmed we can concentrate on the final development and approval of any updated items within an accompanying racing kit parts programme as well as informing and updating other Kawasaki teams who also race in Championships aligned with the FIM homologation.”
Gardner To Make Wild-Card Entry at the Grand Prix of Japan with the Yamaha Factory Racing Team
Iwata (Japan), 28th September 2024
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Remy Gardner will spearhead the Yamaha Factory Racing Team as a wild-card rider at Round 16 of the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship, held at the Mobility Resort Motegi.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that Remy Gardner will be a wild-card entry in the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, Round 16 of the 2024 FIM MotoGP World Championship. He will be riding the Yamaha Factory Racing Team YZR-M1 (with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP livery) at the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit in the race weekend of 4 – 6 Oct.
Gardner already rode the 2024 Yamaha YZR-M1 in the German GP and the British GP, making him the ideal choice for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team for their home GP. The former Moto2 World Champion’s participation in the 2024 Japanese GP will be his first time riding at the Motegi track on a premier-class bike since 2022.
KAZUTOSHI SEKI
Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team Leader
Bike development is at the heart of Yamaha’s every move this year. The engineers are working very hard, and I am fully convinced that this wild-card entry will accelerate Yamaha’s endeavours to develop prototype parts and increase bike performance. Remy Gardner has already successfully tested protype items for the M1 on two occasions earlier this year, so his prior experience makes him a logical choice in Cal Crutchlow’s absence due to injury.
REMY GARDNER
Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team Replacement Rider
I am really excited to race in Japan, it’s a country I always enjoyed visiting in Grand Prix racing, but to go to Japan and race for a Japanese manufacturer in MotoGP in front of the Japanese fans will be something special. It is nice that, after Sachsenring and Silverstone, Yamaha have asked me to come back. They clearly feel that I bring something to the development programme, so hopefully we can have a productive weekend in Motegi too. It will be a busy period for me with five races in five weeks, but I ride bikes almost every weekend anyway, so it’s nothing new for me!
Nicolo Bulega topped FIM Superbike World Championship qualifying Saturday at MotorLand Aragon, in Alcaniz, Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Pirelli control tires, the rookie sensation lapped the 3.15-mile track in 1:47.840. Not only did that top the field of 22 riders, it broke Jonathan Rea’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:47.973.
Andrea Iannone was the best of the rest with a 1:48.208 on his Team GoEleven Ducati.
Two-time and defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:48.258.
Danilo Petrucci qualified fourth with a time of 1:48.314 on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati.
Back from injury, World Championship point leader Toprak Razgatlioglu was fifth at 1:48.331 on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR.
Alex Lowes took the sixth grid spot with a 1:48.348 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
After being fastest on Friday, American Garrett Gerloff qualified 10th with a 1:48.655 on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship Tissot Sprint Race Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 13-lap race by 0.107 second.
Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini was the runner-up.
After crashing twice during qualifying Saturday morning, six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez bounced back to score third on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi was fourth.
Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli made it a top-five sweep for Ducati.
World Championship point leader Jorge Martin crashed, remounted, and finished 10th – outside of the points.
Bagnaia’s win combined with Martin’s crash allowed Bagnaia to cut his points deficit down from 24 to 12.
Bagnaia masters Mandalika as Martin’s mistake cuts title lead in half
Another huge twist in the Tissot Sprint sees Bagnaia, Bastianini AND Marquez close in after closest Saturday finish of the year
Francesco Bagnaia (1) held off teammate Enea Bastianini to win the MotoGP Sprint Race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) returned to glory in the Tissot Sprint at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, remaining unflappable in the 13-lap shootout as Championship Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had a shock crash out the lead to create yet another title fight twist. The 12 points for Bagnaia’s win cuts the gap between the top two in half ahead of a tantalising Grand Prix race.
On top of that drama, it was the closest Sprint finish of the season as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) put in a serious late charge, coming home a mere 0.107s off his teammate after attacking and passing Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who completed the podium. That makes it all three riders in those top echelons of the title fight making gains on Saturday as Martin looks to hit back on Sunday.
As the lights went out, Martin made a dream launch, charging to the front ahead of title rival Bagnaia, who braved the outside line on the run to Turn 1. The #89 pulled the pin on the opening lap, while Marc Marquez made ground at the start after qualifying from 12th on the grid – slicing up the inside with razorlike precision.
The drama hit early, however, with Martin suddenly crashing out of the lead at the tricky Turn 16 in a near carbon copy of Bastianini’s crash in qualifying. The Championship leader remounted, setting sights on recovering some points, but Bagnaia was left in the lead to make his play for that maximum score of 12.
The battle for the podium then began in earnest, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) getting the gloves off. The #93 soon made a move stick on Acosta on Lap 3, entering the top three as Acosta was next under threat from Bastianini. That made the rookie drop back to fifth.
There was then a huge heart in mouth moment for Bezzecchi as he chased down Bagnaia, with the #72 getting all crossed up and heading wide, avoiding contact with the reigning World Champion ahead by millimetres.
Meanwhile, Martin continued his recovering ride, launching into the top 15 and then the top 12, soon entering the top 10 after a move on Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). But after getting mired behind plenty of other riders looking to make progress, and getting some elbows form Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the points were out of reach.
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on with just enough breathing space as Bastianini started to home in on Marc Marquez in the closing laps. Setting his sights on a move with three laps remaining, ‘the Beast’ looked for an opportunity on Lap 12 and made the move stick at Turn 10, job done. The Italian was up into second, with Bagnaia a further eight-tenths up the road.
It seemed like that would be more than enough but it got close. On the final lap, Bagnaia kept his cool but Bastianini was on a roll, closing on his teammate to cross the line just a tenth further back. A Ducati Lenovo Team 1-2, a 12-point gain for Bagnaia as well as a boost with that winning feeling… and a warning shot from Bastianini for his rivals on Sunday. Marc Marquez completed the podium, not quite able to hang with the #23’s pace.
Behind the leading trio was Bezzecchi, who had good pace but was just unable to recover that ground lost after his mistake. The #72 had a comfortable advantage over Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), however, with the #21 able to leapfrog Acosta, who finished down in sixth. The rookie crossed the line with less than half a second advantage over Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), too.
Meanwhile, CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco secured a remarkable eighth place. It was a standout ride from the Frenchman, crossing the line in front of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who took the final point. Martin was unable to finish higher than 10th, walking away with no points and 9.104s away from victory.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, dropped from a second row start to outside the points after an elbows-out battle, but the Frenchman will be looking for more reward on Sunday for his solid pace.
Bagnaia back on top. Martin’s Championship advantage down to 12 points. Marquez in the mix… and Bastianini ready to unleash the Beast. You do not want to miss the Indonesian GP, so tune in on Sunday at 15:00 local time (UTC +8) to find out who will head into Japan on top!
Aron Canet (44), as seen earlier this season. Photo courtesy Fantic Racing.
Aron Canet was fastest during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. On board his Pirelli-fitted Fantic Racing Kalex, the Spaniard navigated the 2.67-mile course in 1:33.434 to top the field of 28 riders.
Brit Jake Dixon was the best of the rest with a 1:33.503 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Japan’s Ai Ogura earned the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:33.504 on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts will start from row three after posting an eighth-fastest 1:33.752 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Canet denies Dixon and Ogura as front row split by 0.070
Aron Canet (44). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) stormed to pole after a breathtaking lap in Indonesia, but the Spaniard has some serious competition right on his tail as Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was denied by just 0.060. Championship leader Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) ended Saturday just 0.001s in further arrears to complete a close front row.
– It would be a dramatic start to Q2 for Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Italian crashing in the opening five minutes and now needing to pass a medical review before the race to head back out on Sunday.
– Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) heads the second row of the grid ahead of Beta Tools SpeedUp’s Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez, who end Saturday just two-tenths away from Canet’s benchmark.
– Back on row three on Sunday will be Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), with the Italian setting sights on redemption after missing out on victory last time out. Arbolino will have Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia)
– MT Helmets – MSI’s Sergio Garcia starts as Moto2™ continues to look as unpredictable as ever.
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