Marc Marquez marches towards history at Motegi. The #93 is on the cusp of the greatest comeback ever made as MotoGP™ touches down in Japan.
More than 2000 days after he was last crowned MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) is on the cusp of taking back the throne. Since that day in 2019, when he celebrated his sixth MotoGP title, there have been multiple surgeries, three different injuries, two changes of team and one change of factory. For some, the question was not when he’d get back to the top, but if. As we head into the 2025 Motul Grand Prix of Japan, that question has had resounding answer after resounding answer. On the verge of the greatest comeback in sporting history, it’s now almost a formality: 185 points clear means 2025 World Champion. On the way in, he’s on 182. So it’ll be Sunday if he does it…
THE FINAL STAND: Alex Marquez sole remaining rival
The only rider who can now deny Marc Marquez that crown is Alex Marquez. The only other rider to have won more than one Grand Prix this year and enjoying his best season ever – earning himself a factory bike at BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP for 2026 too – the #73 shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s also a fan of Motegi, having taken his very first GP win in Japan in 2013, although in MotoGP he’s had some bad luck and trouble. Aside from being the only remaining rival for the MotoGP crown, he can also take his own title: that of Best Independent Team rider. Currently 150 points ahead in that standing, the magic number is more than 185 – 185 exactly isn’t quite enough.
THE FIGHT FOR THIRD: Bagnaia vs Bezzecchi?
It’s VR46 Academy friendly fire in the battle for P3 as it stands. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – who did the double here last year – is now just eight points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), and the momentum appears to be going the way of the latter in 2025. But Motegi could shake that up again and it could prove chance for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to make some gains.The Spaniard is now 41 points off Bez, but last year was a headliner in Japan, even if he didn’t convert that pole in the end. This year, he’s no rookie. Fellow KTMs Brad Binder (Red bull KTM Factory Racing), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and his teammate Maverick Viñales, the latter still recovering from his shoulder injury, could be ones to watch too as the RC16 has a solid CV in Japan.
Further up the table though, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team pairing of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio are hot on Acosta’s tail – and they’re split by a single point. Can they make inroads into the battle ahead and gain on the #37 – or even more – as the unpredictable flyways begin? Another rider looking to make ground up is reigning Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) – although down the order, he’s now starting to make life complicated for those ahead of him as he gets back in the groove and learns his way around the RS-GP.
DEBUTANT vs DIABLO: another dynamic in the standings
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) would probably be the first hand up if there was a vote on rewarding points for qualifying. The Frenchman was back on the front row at Misano but then having a tougher time once the lights went out, something he and Yamaha continue to work on. He’ll be an interesting watch at Motegi, where hard braking is the name of the game. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, is still a few points ahead of the #20 as he looks to move forward again, and he’ll have an eye on fellow rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) as the Japanese rider races on home turf for the first time in MotoGP. He’s in form and will want to keep the upper hand on teammate Raul Fernandez – as well as make a big impression on home turf. That’s true of plenty of riders gearing up to battle on Honda and Yamaha home ground.
HOME GLORY: Honda vs Yamaha
Quartararo will be looking to lead Yamaha’s charge, and teammate Alex Rins and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP pairing Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira will have plenty of motivation on factory home turf – and at Honda’s own track. Miller has won at Motegi with Ducati in a lights-to-flag masterclass and will want to underline Yamaha’s faith in him. Oliveira likely wants to show them what they’re missing out on next year. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR) will want another point. And there’s a whole extra squabble to settle for the Hondas leading the way, with some interesting dynamics.
Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) is top Honda, in the top ten in the Championship, and signed up into the new regulations in 2027. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) is making some serious strides as his form continues to impress on his return from mid-season injury. Teammate Joan Mir continues to try and escape bad luck and will want to prove a point on home Honda turf. And then there’s wildcard Takaaki Nakagami – making it two Japanese riders on the grid at Motegi for the first time in a few years. Everyone has a point to prove and what better place than Honda’s very own track?
MotoGP is about to witness history made in its ranks as Marc Marquez targets MotoGP title number seven. History bigger than the sport – so tune in for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan to see if the #93 can get back on top of the world 2184 days later.
Moto2™: Gonzalez holds the cards as crucial stretch begins in Japan
Manuel Gonzalez (left) and Diogo Moreira (right). Photo courtesy Dorna.
39 points. That’s the lead that Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) holds heading to the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, as the Moto2 title race enters its crucial and unpredictable phase: the flyaway stretch.
Gonzalez’s P6 was nothing to shout from the Misano hills about, but it could prove to be a very important 10 points. It meant Diogo Moreira’s (Italtrans Racing Team) P4 only bought the Brazilian three points, but the same applies when you flip over the coin – those three points might just come in very handy. Moreira and Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) now sit level on 188 points apiece vs Gonzalez’s 227 after Canet’s P7 last time out, and as we land in Japan, a circuit where Gonzalez collected his debut Moto2 win last year, the duo need the championship momentum pendulum to swing back in their favour.
Barry Baltus’ (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) brilliant Misano P2 sees the Belgian lie just 15 points further back from his teammate and Moreira, so let’s not completely rule Baltus out of the equation either. That’s now five P2 results in 2025, surely that maiden win is around the corner?
After his Catalan GP podium, 2024 Japanese GP polesitter Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) failed to score points in Misano, which allowed race winner Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) to close the gap between the two leading Boscoscuro riders to 11 points. While both look out of realistic title contention, those are two riders who could have a serious say in how the rest of the year plays out – and that goes for star rookie Daniel Holgado(CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) also. The #27 has three podiums in his last four, and looks set to clinch Rookie of the Year honours.
So here we go then. Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and Malaysia, before returning to Europe for the final two. Will Gonzalez remain in charge over the coming weeks, or will Moreira, Canet, and maybe even Baltus reel in the Spaniard?
Moto3™: Rueda in charge as championship chase arrives at Motegi
Moto3 riders at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Was that last lap, last corner move on Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) for victory in Misano the moment where Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) placed one hand on the Moto3 championship trophy? It could well be because as we head to Japan, the #99 leads the way by a commanding 78 points.
Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) remains Rueda’s closest rival, but after a P5 on a circuit where he won as a rookie in 2024, losing 14 points was a hammer blow. However, it’s not done yet of course as 150 points remain up for grabs, but Piqueras needs a big swing in points and momentum soon before it’s too late, starting in Motegi.
Quiles’ seventh podium of 2025 sees the rookie sit P3 overall, 29 points away from Piqueras and 16 ahead of David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP). The #28 will be tasting the upcoming circuits for the first time, but that hasn’t exactly been a concern so far, has it?
Elsewhere, Adrian Fernandez’s (Leopard Racing) first podium since Argentina was a very timely one for the Spaniard, who lies one place behind Joel Kelso(LEVELUP – MTA) in the standings after the Australian returned to form in Misano. Kelso is now only 10 points adrift of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), so the battle for a top five championship finish is heating up nicely.
Meanwhile, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Ryusei Yamanaka(FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) are the Moto3 home heroes this weekend, so can they return to the podium fight after missing out in Misano? The Japanese faithful will certainly be hoping so.
Can Rueda be stopped, or is his march to the 2025 crown going to continue in Japan? We’re about to find out.
Bobby Fong, Cameron Beaubier Or Josh Herrin? Who Will Be Crowned at New Jersey Motorsports Park?
IRVINE, CA (September 23, 2025) – Three riders will go into the MotoAmerica finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend with a chance to leave the Garden State with the 2025 Superbike Championship.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong leads the way, eight points clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, and 22 points ahead of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin. With the New Jersey round a tripleheader, there are 75 points on the table. Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne is fourth, 77 points behind, so the title will go to one of the three.
If history means anything in this case, it’s worth noting that five-time champion Beaubier (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020) and two-time champ Herrin (2013 and 2024) already have Superbike titles on their résumés, while Fong (2019) has a MotoAmerica Supersport title. Beaubier has 70 Superbike wins to his credit, Herrin has 22 and Fong has 10.
As for 2025, Fong heads into the season finale with five Superbike victories. Ditto for Beaubier. Herrin leads the way with six wins in 2025. As for podiums, Fong and Beaubier are both tied with 13 top-three finishes out of 17 races. Herrin has 11 podiums.
Bobby Fong (50). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Fong leads the championship as the series heads to New Jersey because he’s not only won five times and has 13 podiums, but he is also the only one of the three to score points in every single round. Beaubier and Herrin each have a no-score on their dance cards.
Three disastrous races in a row at VIRginia International Raceway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course put Herrin on his back foot heading into the most recent round at Circuit of The Americas a week and a half ago. The defending champion led the title chase before those three disastrous races but slipped to third at the end of the three races. Herrin, however, kept his hopes alive with a victory and a third-place finish in the two races in Texas. He’s on the outside looking in.
Cameron Beaubier (6) at COTA. Photo by Brian J Nelson.
Beaubier’s only non-finish was his crash in race two at Road America. He’s put himself within striking distance of Fong with two wins and a second-place finish in the past three races.
While all three hummed the same tune about being happy that the series finale is at New Jersey Motorsports Park, they also know that NJMP is synonymous with “anything can happen.” We’ve seen it all there: heat, rain, wind… and perfect racing weather. It’s unpredictable, and that’s what makes it a fan favorite and the perfect place for the series finale.
With Gagne a comfortable fourth in the championship, the battle for fifth will go to the bitter end.
Sean Dylan Kelly (40). Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly holds the spot after his solid fifth/fourth weekend at COTA. Kelly is seven points ahead of Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach. With his pair of sixth-place finishes at COTA, Beach also wrapped up the Superbike Cup for those racing Stock 1000-spec motorcycles in the Superbike class. Those two sixths at COTA resulted in two more Superbike Cup victories for Beach.
The rider who suffered the most at COTA was Kelly’s Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Richie Escalante. Escalante had fourth place in the bag in race one when his Suzuki failed him on the final lap. In race two, he had another mechanical failure, this one early in the race.
With zero points scored, Escalante slid from fifth to seventh in the point standings. He trails Beach by seven points and Kelly by nine points with the three races at NJMP on the horizon.
JD Beach (95). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Beach’s Real Steel Honda teammate Hayden Gillim was fourth and seventh in the two COTA races and he sits eighth in the title chase – 15 points behind Escalante and 49 points ahead of Jones Honda rider Ashton Yates.
Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Danilo Lewis is one point behind Yates and one point ahead of Flo4Law Racing’s Benjamin Smith, with BPR Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau another three points behind in the battle for 10th in the championship.
Pre-NJMP Notes…
Josh Herrin and Loris Baz split wins in last year’s Superbike series finale. Herrin beat Bobby Fong by .403 of a second with Baz third in race one. In the wet race two, Baz topped Sean Dylan Kelly by .151 of a second with Fong third, just .291 of a second behind. Cameron Beaubier finished fourth in both races a year ago.
Loris Baz earned pole position for the two Superbike races a year ago, with the Frenchman lapping a 1:22.737 on the 2.250-mile racetrack. Cameron Beaubier and Brandon Paasch joined Baz on the front row.
If Bobby Fong comes out of NJMP with the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, he will be the 23rd different rider to win an AMA Superbike title in the 49 years of the series.
Cameron Beaubier’s win in race two at COTA was the 70th Superbike victory of his career, and that puts him 12 wins behind all-time AMA Superbike winner Mat Mladin, who has 82 victories.
Beaubier owns the Superbike lap record at NJMP with his 1:19.806 coming in 2020.
Although it all depends on the results from this weekend’s three Superbike races at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the 2025 Superbike Championship will likely rank in the top three of close Superbike title chases in the MotoAmerica era. The closest finish thus far comes from the first season of MotoAmerica with Cameron Beaubier topping his Yamaha teammate Josh Hayes by just four points. In 2019, Beaubier beat Toni Elias for the crown by five points. The next closest is from 2022 when Jake Gagne won his second title by 20 points.
OrangeCat Racing riders Jayson Uribe (36) and Andrew Lee (14). Photo by: Brian J. Nelson
OrangeCat Racing’s Andrew Lee and Jayson Uribe will join the Superbike grid at NJMP after the pair recently wrapped up a highly successful Stock 1000 season that saw Lee take the title with Uribe third. The pair’s Stock 1000-spec BMW M 1000 RRs have been upgraded to almost full Superbike spec, with aftermarket swingarms, rear shocks, and triple clamps, and the duo stayed in Texas after the MotoAmerica round to test the bikes at COTA. Lee will run #67 on his BMW with Uribe using his familiar #36.
About MotoAmerica:
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com, and MotoAmerica’s social platforms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on-demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
Since 1901, racing has been core to Indian Motorcycle’s DNA — a legacy defined by visionaries like Burt Munro on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Carrying that spirit forward, Indian Motorcycle, in partnership with S&S Cycle and Mission Foods, set out to Bonneville to see just how fast its King of the Baggers race bike could go. Piloted by Indian Wrecking Crew Rider and two-time King of the Baggers Champion Tyler O’Hara, the S&S-built Indian Challenger charged across the legendary Salt Flats — celebrating history and the timeless pursuit of speed.
United by passion and precision, S&S and Indian Motorcycle Racing brought decades of race-proven engineering to one of motorsports’ most iconic proving grounds. While knocking on the door of 200 mph, O’Hara honored the legends who came before him with a new AMA 2000cc APS-AG record at 194.384 mph (previous record from 1972: 169.828 mph on a Triumph by J. Angerer).
Please see below for an epic docu-style video from Indian Motorcycle Racing’s land speed runs on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Sharp riding and consistent performance from his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa propelled Richard Gadson to his third race win of the season and into the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown to the Championship lead at the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC, on Sunday.
Race Highlights:
Richard Gadson qualified second, won his third race of the season and moved to the top of the Countdown to the Championship playoff standings
Gaige Herrera qualified first and advanced to the first round of eliminations
In the second of three back-to-back races to open the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Richard Gadson qualified second with a 6.760-second/200.26 mph run during Friday’s qualification rounds.
Under the NHRA’s unique 4-Wide racing format in Charlotte, which featured for the first time ever during the Countdown at this race, the first two riders in each four-motorcycle quad to cross the finish line, barring a redlight jumpstart, advance to the next elimination round. In the final round quad, the first motorcycle to cross the finish line wins the race.
Gadson powered to a win in round one with a 6.796-second/199.88 mph run in a matchup against John Hall (runner up, 6.817 seconds/199.11 mph), Ryan Oehler and Chris Bostick. In the semi-final round, Gadson’s 6.809-second/198.99 mph pass was low elapsed time of the round in his victory over Matt Smith (runner up, 6.821 seconds/198.20 mph), Kelly Clontz, and Hall.
In the final round, Gadson defeated Matt Smith (runner up, 6.821 seconds/199.37 mph), Angie Smith and Jianna Evaristo with a 6.803-second/199.55 mph run to claim his third race win of the season.
The victory, which is also the third of his career and first to come during the Countdown, catapulted Gadson from fourth place to the top of the championship standings with four races remaining.
“You really need to understand how staging works in 4-Wide racing. It can throw some people off, which we saw in the first two rounds. The Christmas tree timer starts seven seconds after the first bike lights the stage bulb, not the last one. In the final round, Angie pre-staged first and then immediately lit the stage bulb, so I counted to five in my head and then got on the two-step. When the tree came down I was the first one off the starting line, and we won the race,” Gadson said.
“I lost to Matt by four-thousands of a second at the 4-Wide race here earlier this year and he beat me near my hometown last week in Maple Grove, so I really wanted to beat him today in his hometown. I feel great about this win because we’ve been wrestling with this motorcycle all weekend. But we fought through it as a team. I even had to borrow a clutch from Gaige’s bike,”he continued.“It’s surreal to see my name leading the points in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Just to be here in this moment feels crazy, to be honest. I thank everyone on the Vance & Hines team for putting me in this position.”
Gaige Herrera claimed No. 1 qualifier in Charlotte before an early-round mechanical issue ended his day. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA
After dropping out of the points lead last week at the Countdown opener in Maple Grove, Gaige Herrera rebounded to claim the top qualifying position for the sixth time this year and 29th time in his career with a 6.757-second/201.22 mph run on Friday.
But trouble struck the defending world champion early in Sunday eliminations when his motorcycle experienced a transmission-related mechanical failure that caused him to slow to a 7.370-second/141.31 mph run in his first-round matchup against Marc Ingwersen, Chase Van Sant and Marcus Hylton.
The unexpected early departure dropped Herrera to fourth in the Countdown standings and leaves the two-time champion with a 71-point gap to close in his quest for a third-straight Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship.
“In the first round my transmission shifted from second to fourth and then after that it wouldn’t shift at all. I did everything I could, but it’s one of those things you just need to shake off and move forward. I’m glad Richard got the win over Matt Smith, but I’m definitely asking for my clutch back,”Herrera quipped. “The drag racing gods weren’t on my side today, but we still have plenty of races left in the Countdown, and I’m not letting up. It’s going to be a dog fight until the end, and honestly, I love that. I’d rather it be tight than a landslide. We might be banking on the extra points at the last race in Pomona.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines praised Gadson’s poise on the starting line in the face of a three-against-one disadvantage to rivals from the Matt Smith Racing team in the final round.
“Matt had the field stacked and they tried to play the game with riders staging at different times to throw Richard off, but he was rock solid. We came here to bring home a Wally, and it doesn’t really matter to our team which rider does it. Sometimes gremlins bite you, but when one rider falters, another one can step up. It’s great that Richard was able to do that, and it’s a big momentum swing for him in the Countdown. It’s a little bump in the road for Gaige, but we’re in a better position in the standings overall as a team than we were leaving here last year, so we’re not feeling too bad. Our whole team is motivated to take it one run at a time, so we’ll get back on the horse and keep it going in St. Louis next week.”
With four races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship, Gadson and Herrera sit first and fourth in the standings, with 2,296 and 2,225 points, respectively.
Reigning champions Harrison Payne (ARS Yamaha) and Kevin Rousseau extended their advantage at the front of the 2025 FIM Sidecar World Championship with another overall victory – their fourth of the season – as the series made a repeat visit to the famous TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands for round six last weekend (20-21 September).
FIM Sidecar World Championship returns to Assen for round six
Defending champions Harrison Payne and Kevin Rousseau extend series lead
British brothers Sam and Thomas Christie consolidate second in series
The British/French pairing have been the dominant force in this year’s championship, but a mechanical DNF at the opening round at Le Mans and a second no-score due to a technical issue at round four at Most have prevented them from breaking free from the chasing pack and, as a result, their series lead stands at twenty-three points with just next month’s final round at Oschersleben in Germany left on the calendar.
Giving a good indication of how close the racing was going to be in the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, just 0.127 covered the first three crews in qualifying with British brothers Sam and Thomas Christie (LCR Yamaha) – who sit second in the standings – on top chased by the Swiss/German pairing of Markus Schlosser (LCR Yamaha) and Luca Schmidt with Payne/Rousseau third.
With the track still wet following a huge downpour, Schlosser/Schmidt led Saturday’s ten-lap Sprint race into the opening turn from Payne/Rousseau and the Christie brothers, but an early spin in the chicane by the leaders dropped them back to seventh, handing the advantage to the defending champions.
Hugely experienced Finnish rider Pekka Päivärinta (ARS Yamaha) – with Adam Christie, the third of the Christie brothers in action, in the chair – was revelling in the wet conditions and after passing the Christie brothers he turned his attention to Payne/Rousseau. The British pairing of Lewis Blackstock (LCR Yamaha) and Oscar Lawrence – who were making their second championship appearance this season as wild cards – also moved into contention after passing the Christie brothers.
Harrison Payne and Kevin Rousseau (1) at 2025 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Assen (NED). Photo credit Mark Walters
Following a decisive pass for the lead, Päivärinta/Christie cruised clear to win by almost eight seconds from Payne/Rousseau with Blackstock/Lawrence third ahead of the Christie brothers and Britain’s Sam and Jack Laidlow (LCR Yamaha) with Schlosser/Schmidt unable to advance from seventh.
With the sun shining for Sunday’s sixteen-lap Main race, Payne/Rousseau led from the start with Schlosser/Schmidt, the Christie brothers, Blackstock/Lawrence, former champions Todd Ellis (Yamaha) and Emmanuelle Clement and Päivärinta/Christie in pursuit.
Carrying momentum from the previous day, Päivärinta/Christie moved up to fourth with the British/French pairing of Ellis/Clement following them past Blackstock/Lawrence, but the wild cards fought their way back into podium contention.
In the closing stages Schlosser/Schmidt got close enough to attempt a pass on Payne/Rousseau for the lead, although ran wide which allowed the Christie brothers through into second and the positions remained unchanged until the chequered flag came out.
Blackstock/Lawrence were a solid fourth from Päivärinta/Christie with the Laidlow brothers sixth ahead of Ellis/Clement.
Focus now shifts to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in central Germany on 3-5 October for the seventh and concluding round.
Now in its 14th edition, this iconic annual ride brings together a vibrant and diverse community of Royal Enfield owners and riders from around the world to celebrate their camaraderie and shared passion for Pure Motorcycling.
One Ride celebrates the simple, accessible joy of motorcycling that connects riders across cultures, ages, and backgrounds through shared passion for authentic riding experiences and individual self-expression.
This Sunday, the world rode as one for the 14th edition of Royal Enfield’s One Ride. The ride offers the global Royal Enfield community an opportunity to get together and be on the saddle on One Day, witnessing the scale of the incredible camaraderie. This year saw more than 40,000 riders across 1,500 rides in 60+ countries ride in unison, making the ride one of the largest annual celebrations of motorcycling seen anywhere in the world. Serving as a remarkable testimony to Royal Enfield’s philosophy of ‘Pure Motorcycling’, the ride began with the first sunrise in the East continuing until the last sunset in the West, creating a true 24-hour global celebration spanning all time zones.
Every year, One Ride brings together a diverse and passionate community of riders and enthusiasts – from first-time riders to seasoned adventurers — who come together to celebrate individuality, self-expression, and the shared joy of the open road. The ride showcases the strength of the world’s most passionate organic motorcycling community — one that spans continents yet feels intimate, where strangers become lifelong riding companions through their shared love of Pure Motorcycling.
Ride together : Royal Enfield’s one ride 2025 unites riders from Chennai to California for a common cause. Photo courtesy Royal Enfield.
While united in spirit, this year the helmets were more than just gear as riders celebrated their individuality through personalized helmets, custom motorcycle modifications, and unique riding gear, transforming essential safety equipment into powerful canvases of personal stories and creativity.
Beyond celebration, One Ride championed responsible motorcycling through curated safe routes, community mentorship, and initiatives like Helmets for India, ensuring every rider returns home safely to ride another day.
One Ride has grown exponentially since its debut in 2011, witnessing merely 14 countries and 23 Indian cities participating in this annual celebration. The 2024 edition achieved record participation with 41,730 riders across 66 countries, while 2025 maintained a similar scale with 40,000+ riders across 60+ countries.
About Royal Enfield :
The oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield has created beautifully crafted motorcycles since 1901. From its British roots, a manufacturing plant was established in Madras in 1955, a foothold from which Royal Enfield spearheaded the growth of India’s mid-sized two-wheeler segment. Royal Enfields are engaging, uncomplicated, accessible and fun to ride; a vehicle for exploration and self-expression. It’s an approach the brand calls Pure Motorcycling.
Royal Enfield’s premium line-up includes Bear 650, Classic 650, Guerrilla 450 modern roadster, Hunter 350, Meteor 350, Super Meteor 650, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 twins, the Shotgun 650, the Himalayan 450, the Scram 440 ADV Crossover, the iconic Bullet 350, Classic 350 and Goan Classic 350. The company recently unveiled its new city+ motorcycle brand – the Flying Flea – a fresh take on urban mobility, blending authentic design with advanced technology.
Riders and a passionate community are fostered with a rich profusion of events at a local, regional and international level. Most notable are Motoverse (previously Rider Mania), an annual gathering of thousands of Royal Enfield enthusiasts in Goa, and Himalayan Odyssey; a yearly pilgrimage over some of the toughest terrain and highest mountain passes.
A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield operates through more than 2000 stores across all major cities and towns in India and through nearly 850 stores in more than 60 countries around the globe. Royal Enfield also has two world-class technical centres, in Bruntingthorpe, UK, and in Chennai, India. The company’s two state-of-the-art production facilities are located at Oragadam and VallamVadagal, near Chennai. Across the world, Royal Enfield has six modern CKD assembly facilities in Bangladesh, Nepal, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina and Colombia.
More from a press release issued by Yoshimura SERT Motul:
Yoshimura SERT Motul takes emphatic win at 2025 Bol d’Or.
Yoshimura SERT Motul collected maximum points at the final round of the 2025 Endurance World Championship and bagged a hat trick of wins at the famous Bol d’Or. Despite a flawless performance, the Franco-Japanese narrowly missed retaining its EWC title by just one point.
To defend its chances of winning another world title, Yoshimura SERT Motul had to deliver a perfect performance at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. Its intent was evident from the get-go when Gregg Black set a new Bol d’Or qualifying lap record in Q1, which was then bettered by team-mate Etienne Masson in Q2 who broke into a sub 1:51s lap time, the absolute fastest time of the weekend.
The Suzuki team carried that strong performance through to the start of the race with Black getting ahead of the pack and completing the first lap in the lead. During the early hours of the race, Black, Masson and Dan Linfoot fought an intense battle against their main rivals in the championship.
Despite a stop/go penalty imposed for work carried out on the bike after refuelling, Yoshimura SERT Motul led the standings at the 8-hour mark and pocketed the maximum bonus of 10 points.
Throughout the night, the Suzuki team rider’s stints flowed one after another without a single mistake, both on the track and during refuelling. At the 16-hour mark, the team was still leading the race, one lap ahead of its closest rival. In terms of points, Yoshimura SERT Motul’s lead increased by a further 10 bonus points.
Solid and fast throughout the demanding race, which saw 20 of the 53 entered teams drop out, Yoshimura SERT Motul maintained a single-minded focus to secure its third successive Bol d’Or win. The team delivered a perfect performance to claim an undisputed victory and accumulate 65 points, the maximum possible in this event. Despite this outstanding accomplishment, the Franco-Japanese team missed out on the world title by just one point in the final standings.
Yohei KATO – team director: “I’m finding it a little difficult to express how I feel. Of course, there’s the frustration of coming so close to the title, but I’m also very happy with the team’s performance and the work done by my riders. We’ve been very strong since the start of the week. In the first qualifying session, Gregg broke the track record and the next day, Etienne improved on it! Then our perfect race demonstrated all the qualities of this “old generation” Suzuki. We’ll be back next year with a brand-new and very promising version.”
Damien SAULNIER – team manager: “We’ve won the Bol d’Or for the third consecutive time, so we’ll be able to keep the trophy at home. Our team has won here five times in six years, so I think we can only be delighted. Still, there is a slight tinge of bitterness about the single point that separates us from the title. But that’s racing. I have a lot of respect and admiration for the Yamaha team, and my thoughts also go out to the BMW team, which had a great season. We all obviously deserved this title.”
Gregg Black in action. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
Gregg BLACK – rider:
“The team made technical improvements to the bike that allowed us to set a faster pace than last year, when we won. So we only had one thing to do in the race: stay in front until the finish line to score 65 points. We knew what we had to do. Then we had to make it happen. So we are very pleased to have won this very difficult race with the Mistral straight, which is so demanding on the bike. Our victory once again demonstrates the reliability of the Suzuki. Now, losing the championship by a single point is tough, but we gave it our all. We will come back in 2026 even stronger and make fewer mistakes at the start of the season.”
Etienne Masson in action. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
Etienne MASSON – rider: “After qualifying, we were feeling pretty confident about the race. We started off at the pace we had planned. We fought all night to try to keep up that pace and maintain the pressure on our rivals. And that’s exactly what we managed to do. The team once again did an incredible job during the pit stops. They were exemplary. Everyone stuck to the plan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the title, but I think we can be proud. See you next year.”
Dan Linfoot in night action. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
Dan LINFOOT – rider: “Of course, this victory is very good for the whole team. We all feel satisfied with a job well done, but there is also the frustration of the World Championship. That’s the feeling I have tonight. We did everything we needed to do and we scored the maximum number of points. After that, it was out of our hands; it was in the hands of our opponents. I would like to congratulate YART on winning the world championship title. We gave it our all and we can be proud of that. It allowed us to put all the odds in our favour and keep our hopes alive for as long as possible.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul is now focusing on preparing for the 2026 season, which will kick off at Le Mans for the 24 Heures Motos, scheduled for the 16th to the 19th of April. The team, managed by Yohei Katoh and Damien Saulnier, will be competing with the latest evolution of the GSX-R1000R.
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More from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Drama for F.C.C. TSR Honda France at the 88th Bol d’Or as National Motos Honda FMA reclaims 2025 FIM Endurance World Cup.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France impresses with a strong performance, but a well-deserved podium slips away after the halfway point of the 24-hour race.
Honda Superstock teams as National Motos Honda FMA wins the FIM Endurance World Cup title. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
Double delight for Honda Superstock teams as National Motos Honda FMA wins the FIM Endurance World Cup title and Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda finishes as a runner-up.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France made a strong start at the Bol d’Or thanks to Alan Techer, who started from fourth on the grid aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The Frenchman quickly moved into the lead after the second lap and was running second when he handed over the #5 Honda to Corentin Perolari, becoming the first rider to pit in the race.
Perolari rejoined in second place and soon moved back into the lead before a Safety Car neutralised the race for nearly 20 minutes. From then on, Techer and Perolari alternated stints at the front, supported by Taiga Hada, who contributed valuable laps despite a lower race pace. The French riders focused on consistency, fast lap times, and avoiding mistakes — a strategy that paid off. In the fifth hour, Techer set a new race lap record of 1:52.506, showcasing an impressive pace and positioning.
Corentin Perolari (5) on his F.C.C. TSR Honda France. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
As the race approached the eighth hour, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was still leading. However, a scheduled stint combined with a lengthy pit stop to change the brake pads during the rider handover between Techer and Perolari cost the team valuable time, dropping them back to second. Despite the setback, the team secured nine points for the championship after the first part of the race.
From that point on, solid stints from the #Honda 5 riders through the night, combined with the performance of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, moved F.C.C. TSR Honda France into the race lead until halfway of the race.
Unfortunately, after 12hour race, Perolari was forced to bring the #Honda 5 to the boxes due to a mechanical problem. Despite the best efforts of all the technical crew to fix the bike to get it back on track, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to retire.
Throughout the weekend, the Honda #5 riders demonstrated the speed of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and the team’s ability to compete at the front. Although a setback prevented them from ending the season with a podium, the team proved their potential by consistently hitting 1:53 lap times, setting a race lap record and confirming their strength heading into the next season, which will kick off at Le Mans from 16 to 19 April 2026.
Martin Renaudin (4) on his Tati Team AVA6 Racing Honda. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing started from sixth on the grid, with Hugo Clère taking the opening stint aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Clère delivered a strong start, moving up into fourth position after just 12 laps. When Randy Krummenacher took over, the Swiss rider kept the team firmly in contention, holding the same position with a solid and consistent pace.
However, during Martin Renaudin’s stint, a brake issue forced the team into a costly pit stop lasting nearly eight minutes. As a result, the Honda #4 rejoined the race in 26th place.
Despite this significant challenge, the French team showed determination. Through consistent lap times and well-managed stints, Tati Team AVA6 Racing steadily climbed back, reaching 14th position overall at the six-hour mark.
Unfortunately, a mechanical failure at the halfway point forced again the team into the pits for bike checks. A prolonged stop of over an hour caused the squad to lose valuable positions, and when Renaudin rejoined, Honda #4 was back again in 26th place.
Entering the final three hours while running 8th in the Superstock category, the Honda #4 was forced back into the pits. Despite this situation, the team managed to rejoin the race without losing position, ultimately crossing the chequered flag in a hard-fought 6th place.
Marco Fetz (53) on his Mana-Au Competition Honda. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
Mana-Au Competition, with Max Schmidt, Marco Fetz, and Brayden Elliot aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #53, qualified 15th in the EWC class. Over 15 hours of intense endurance racing, the team fought their way up to 6thplace in their category.
The French squad delivered an outstanding performance, ultimately finishing the 24-hour race in 4th place in the EWC and 9th overall.
Guillaume Raymond (55) on his National Motos Honda FMA. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
In the Superstock category, National Motos Honda FMA has once again claimed the FIM Endurance World Cup for Teams aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #55.
With Valentin Suchet, Guillaume Raymond, and Johan Nigon, the team secured a strong third-place finish at the Bol d’Or.
Defending FIM Endurance World Cup Champions National Motos Honda FMA had a challenging qualifying session, starting 8th on the grid in the Superstock category. Despite this, the team’s goal remained clear: secure the title by running their own race with a clear focus on consistency and avoiding unnecessary risk.
Relying on steady pace and consistency, the team gradually worked their way up toward the podium and after six hours of racing, National Motos Honda FMA were running in third position.
By the halfway mark, they were firmly in second place in the Superstock category, setting themselves up for a decisive final stage.
In the last two hours, the team strategically eased their pace to ensure a safe finish. Crossing the line in third place at the Bol d’Or, National Motos Honda FMA secured enough points to successfully defend their title and claim the 2025 FIM Endurance World Cup.
Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda, started fifth in the Superstock category with Diego Poncet taking the start aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. With a strong opening stint, the team quickly moved the Honda #41 up to second place after just two hours of racing.
A prolonged pit stop due to a rear tyre issue and a stop-and-go penalty saw the team drop back to 6th in class after six hours. However, consistent pace and determination allowed the squad to recover, climbing back to third by the halfway point.
In the closing stages, with just two hours remaining, the Honda #41 advanced to second place in the Superstock category. Thanks to extraordinary teamwork, strong communication, and the and the outstanding reliability of the Fireblade, Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda secured second place at the Bol d’Or and concluded the season as runner-up in the FIM Endurance World Cup, achieving the same result as last season.
Other Honda-powered teams that completed the Superstock category at the 88th Bol d’Or included Team 113 VIP Moto-Sporting Moto-Dynoperf, which finished in 8th place, followed by AG Racing. Team SLA Honda Toulon crossed the line in 12th, Slider Endurance in 15th, and Wójcik Racing Team #777 SST in 16th, with LCR Endurance rounding out the Honda entries.
Alan Techer – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“The race ended badly for us, but it started well. I took the start, we were in the lead. Corentin and I had a really good pace to fight for the win. We did a lot of relays with just the two of us. We showed that we were fast and that the bike was performing well. Unfortunately, that’s not how we wanted to finish. Mechanically, there wasn’t much we could do about it. Everyone saw that we had the potential to fight for victory, and that’s what I want to remember. We had a great week, we worked well, the bike was easy to ride, both at night and during the day. The goal was to ride in 53 and that’s what we did. Now we’re going to work for next year and try to do better.”
Corentin Perolari – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“Alan got off to a great start and we were regularly the fastest for 12 hours. We were battling for first place after every pit stop, and then we had a technical problem, which was a real shame. What I take away from this season is that we were fast in every race. Now we need to keep it up until the finish line and at the end of the year we’ll have a great result in the championship.”
Taiga Hada – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“It’s difficult to end the race like this. In the final stint, I managed to set laps faster than in qualifying, which was a positive step for me. I was gradually improving, but then we had the mechanical problem, which is frustrating. Still, that’s racing. I want to take this experience with me, thank the whole team and my teammates for their great work, and use it positively for the future of my racing career.”
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More from a press release issued by Aviobike WRS:
Bol d’Or heartbreak for Aviobike WRS after 20 hours of battle.
• The Italian squad retires after 19 hours and 53 minutes despite a stellar effort from Ferrari, Bernardi, Lepine and De Cancellis on the Ducati Panigale V4.
An heroic effort from Team Aviobike WRS came to a bitter end just hours from the finish of the 88th Bol d’Or. After 19 hours and 53 minutes and a total of 544 laps, the Italian squad was forced to withdraw, despite an inspired performance from Matteo Ferrari, Luca Bernardi, Adrien Lepine and Hugo De Cancellis.
The race had started brightly. With a lightning getaway, Ferrari pushed the team’s Ducati Panigale V4 – the only bike from Borgo Panigale on the grid – up to third place in the Superstock class. Bernardi held that position during his opening stint, even after a safety car at lap 40 wiped out the early gaps.
Adrien Lepine (111) riding on his Aviobike WRS. Photo courtesy Aviobike Team.
Both Lepine and De Cancellis – drafted in at the last minute to replace the injured Andrea Mantovani – settled quickly into the rhythm, while the pit crew delivered faultless work through the opening twelve hours. At the halfway mark, the #111 Ducati was running sixth in class and 15th overall, with consistency as the team’s biggest strength.
As night fell over Paul Ricard, the determination to finish grew stronger. Even a pair of extended pit stops, costing six laps, couldn’t shake the spirit inside the Aviobike garage. By dawn, the team had fought back to P6 in class, hovering near the overall top ten, before inching back to P11 Stock and P20 overall.
Then came the cruel twist: with less than five hours remaining, the Ducati was forced to retire.
Giovanni Baggi statement:
“It has been an intense week in every way. We had high expectations and gave it our all. Unfortunately, at 11 o’clock this morning, we couldn’t quite put the cherry on the cake. The performance was extraordinary, but that’s endurance racing: one moment you’re elated, the next you’re devastated. I want to thank the entire crew for their incredible commitment, the riders for giving everything, WRS, and in particular Nicolas Zavoli for his constant support throughout the season. And of course, our sponsors, who make all this possible. Now we have the winter ahead to reset and prepare for 2026″.
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More from a press release issued by FIM Motorcycling Australia:
Australian Jason O’Halloran has won the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) following a dramatic season-ending round in France on September 20-21.
Riding for the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) team alongside Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz, the trio finished second in the Bol d’Or 24-hour behind Yoshimura SERT Motul, which was enough for them to claim the 2025 championship by 1pt.
YART’s success came after late heartbreak for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which was running second – and on track to win the championship – just 30 minutes before the end of the gruelling race when smoke began pouring from the rear of the squad’s M 1000 RR.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and YART had started the season showdown level on points following qualifying, making the 88th Bol d’Or a winner-takes-all fight for top honours.
But BMW’s despair became YART’s elation, in what was the final twist in a season which had produced a catalogue of highs and lows for the leading teams.
“Until the finish line nothing is done. I want to say very sorry to the BMW team, they made an awesome job and were so unlucky,”said YART team manager Mandy Kainz.
“It’s unbelievable to be honest, they would also deserve it. We had bad luck in Suzuka, now came a lot of luck.”
After four rounds, YART finished the 2025 championship on 139pts from Yoshimura SERT Motul (138pts) and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (108pts).
The UK-based O’Halloran, who joined the world endurance paddock full-time in 2025 following a long career in the British Superbike Championship, is now the sixth Australian to win in the long form of circuit racing behind Peter Goddard (1997), Warwick Nowland (2000), Heinz Platacis (2001), Steve Martin (2009) and Josh Hook (2018).
Martin’s victory also came with YART, which has a long and distinguished connection with the EWC.
O’Halloran’s rookie season in world endurance has paid instant dividends. Photo courtesy Motorcycling Australia
After never being headed from the seventh hour onwards, Yoshimura SERT Motul made it a hat-trick of Bol d’Or victories, finishing three laps ahead of YART. Third, a further 16 laps down, was the Champion MRP Tecmas (BMW) team.
The second Australian in the race, Brayden Elliott, was a brilliant ninth in his EWC debut on the French-entered Mana-Au Competition Honda.
A total of 32 teams completed the marathon, with 21 DNFs.
For results and final standings in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship, click here.
The 2026 EWC season will begin with the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in France from April 16-19.
Despite the absence of AOD crew chief Tim Gooding, who had been inconveniently incapacitated by a virus that he termed “green lung,” Army of Darkness emerged victorious at the end of almost four hours of endurance racing at the track that witnessed the team’s inception with WERA endurance 32 years ago.
Friday practice dawned clear and cool, with intermittent clouds delivering a pleasant day for testing riders and equipment. Upon hearing the news that Tim would not be in attendance, the radiator on the team’s A bike began weeping uncontrollably through a pinhole introduced by a special Ohio pebble that may have been round on the ends and hi in the middle, which proved to be the only setback for the weekend. A spare radiator and radiator guard were quickly installed and practice continued with no further drama or emotional outbursts.
Reach for the sky! Or, at least, point to it. From left: YT Lechner, Taylor Knapp, Melissa Berkoff, Chris Manfrin, Josh Hayes, Hunter Dunham, Sam Fleming, Tony Romo. Photo courtesy AOD.
In AOD’s debut race back in 1993, the team’s trusty FZR600 excitedly attempted to engage in two gears simultaneously, thereby bringing the team’s first attempt at an endurance race to a premature end. AOD has had mixed success at Nelson Ledges since then, but on this race day, AOD’s Josh Hayes grabbed the lead from the start and never relinquished it, with teammates Hunter Dunham and Taylor Knapp extending it to 6 laps by the end of the race that was shortened by about 20 minutes due to a single red flag for a blown motor that put down oil on the track and fumigated the nearby woods early in the first hour.
AOD is sponsored by Army of Darkness, Dunlop, Woodcraft, Hindle, Vortex, EK Chains, Thermosman Suspensions, Champ School, WERA, Roadracing World, and Industry 13.
Scott Redding celebrated a double race win at the TT Circuit Assen by taking victory after a three-way battle in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend, sharing today’s victories with Christian Iddon who became the eighth different race winner of the season.
Defending champion Kyle Ryde leaves the opening round of the Showdown with the lead in the standings by 31 points ahead of Oulton Park.
On the return to the TT Circuit Assen, seven different riders representing seven different teams celebrated podium finishes with two rounds of the title fight now remaining.
BSB Race 2 podium with, from left to right, Rory Skinner, Christian Iddon and Bradley Ray. Photo courtesy BSB.
In the second race of the weekend, Iddon mastered the wet conditions to hold off both Rory Skinner and Ray. In the changing conditions, he launched off the line to lead the pack on the opening lap. Skinner meanwhile had started 18th on the grid after a difficult race yesterday; fighting his way through the pack on the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati, and was into third place by lap five.
Iddon was holding the edge at the front, with Ray pushing to regain the ground he lost after a crash yesterday with Skinner and a hard-charging Leon Haslam holding the leading positions. Skinner moved into second at the Chicane on lap ten, with Ray shadowing him but despite the gap changing throughout the race to the front, Iddon was victorious at the chequered flag.
Skinner held second place, whilst Ray’s third place finish meant he gained ten points back on his title rival Ryde, who salvaged eighth on the final lap. The defending champion gained pace in the closing stages of the second race to regain ground, having run in 11th place for the first half of the race.
In the final race of the weekend, Redding celebrated his second race win of the weekend as the Hager PBM Ducati rider emerged on top following a dogfight with Haslam and Ryde. The Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha rider now heads to the penultimate round at Oulton Park with a 31-point advantage over Ray.
The race initially started with a huge battle at the front between Ryde, Iddon and Haslam as they traded positions in the dry conditions until the start of lap four when a shower began and the race was subsequently red flagged and restarted.
The shower passed and the race restarted in dry conditions and Ryde launched into the lead ahead of Storm Stacey, Haslam and Iddon. However, after claiming victory earlier today for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, Iddon crashed out unhurt on the opening lap.
At the front, Haslam moved into second and the leading group began to start making a break with Ryde, Haslam, Stacey, Tommy Bridewell and Redding with Ray just adrift on the Raceways Yamaha.
Bridewell then moved ahead of Stacey and a few laps later, Ray also made his move, however later in the race, the Bathams AJN Racing BMW rider would make a move back for fifth to push the championship contender into sixth at the chequered flag.
At the front the final two lap dogfight began with Ryde leading, however Redding was on the attack and claimed the position on the special edition liveried Hager PBM Ducati, celebrating the 70th anniversary of their title partner.
Haslam then made a move to change the leader again and as the trio began the final lap of the race, the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing rider was ahead of Redding and Ryde with nothing separating them for victory.
Redding seized the advantage at turn one and Haslam and Ryde were both pushing, but he was able to hold off the pair to make it a double on Bennetts BSB’s return to the TT Circuit Assen with Haslam in turn holding off Ryde.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, TT Circuit Assen, Race 2 result:
Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki)
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) +1.241s
Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) +2.848s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +4.963s
Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +7.278s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +9.973s
Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +10.776s
Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +11.195s
Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +11.372s
John McPhee (MasterMac Honda) +19.676s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, TT Circuit Assen, Race 3 result:
Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati)
Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +0.505s
Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +0.624s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +2.748s
Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +10.137s
Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) +10.182s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +11.841s
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) +15.170s
Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +17.652s
Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +21.698s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) 391
Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) 360
Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) 280
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) 268
Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 240
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 236
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 217
Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati) 207.5
Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 182
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 158
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
SCOTT REDDING – HAGER PBM DUCATI
“In the first race this morning I felt like a right goon riding round back there! With this livery, you’re supposed to deliver when you’ve got special things like this, it fired me up. I had a bad tyre and nothing I could do, so I was thinking ‘do I risk just throwing it down the road for a couple of positions, not really worth it to be honest’.
“And then I came in and I didn’t even bank a lap time for the next race, so I thought I was 13th but turned out to be 15th so I thought, come on, wind me up some more baby. I got off to the first start of the race and I had it between my teeth, but had a bit more control than Donington, so I learnt my lesson last time out and I was firing up overtakes, which has been my weaker point.
“I’ve been a little bit nicer to these guys but I had to turn the wick up to come up through and I moved up and they started putting their hands up, safety is always first and then I had a nice reset and start eighth on the grid so the luck started to change for me.
“Then we went out for that second restart and my start wasn’t too bad, I don’t remember the start of races, it is just chaos but just needed to move up. I got to Leon, Kyle was holding a good enough pace that I couldn’t reel him fast enough so couldn’t take a breather, I thought I might have a little bit in the pocket but he was just hitting markers as he always does and keeps it clean and Leon was just defending from me.
“I was kind of waiting to pounce on Kyle and I knew I needed to get in to that mix and then with a few laps to go the sparks flew and we were throwing everything at each other but it was super clean tidy racing. You know I love racing like that where it is hard, you get so much adrenaline but its clean and fair, there was no dirty moves and respected each other and we put on a show out there. To have that anniversary for Hager and to win and race with these boys has been amazing.”
Bettencourt Racing powered by AK Race Fab will field a two-rider lineup for the MotoAmerica season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 26–28, with Matthew Paternoster joining the team in the SC Project Twins Cup and Nathan Bettencourt returning to the grid in the Parts Unlimited Talent Cup.
Matthew Paternoster, of Delanson, NY, will make his MotoAmerica debut aboard his Sticker Mule-sponsored Aprilia RS660 in the Twins Cup class. This marks the culmination of Patternoster’s first full season as an expert-level rider, with a national round entry set as a personal goal from the outset. “Matt’s been grinding all year, working hard on his program, and earned this shot,”said Adam Kells, Crew Chief and owner of AK Race Fab. “We’re proud to have him under the AKRF tent and are excited to see him on track.”
Nathan Bettencourt, 15, of Medford, MA, will once again pilot his Krämer APX350MA in the Talent Cup class. After a season of steady progression and multiple top-ten finishes — including a recent top-five at COTA — Bettencourt is looking to capitalize on his familiarity with the NJMP layout. “We’ve seen Nathan’s confidence grow round by round,” said Kells.“He knows this track, and with the hard work put in by himself and the team, he’s ready to cash in at this round”.
Joining the team as Co-Crew Chief for the weekend is Charles “Jesse” Sandoz of Wonalancet, NH — Co-Owner of Seacoast Sport Cycle in Derry, NH, Aprilia & Ducati Master Technician, and multi-class club champion with over 30 years of trackside experience. “It’s an honor to have Jesse under our tent this weekend to keep Matt and his Aprilia in contention,”said Kells.“His knowledge, technical abilities, and drive have made him an incredible employer, mentor, and more importantly, friend over the years.”
Bettencourt Racing powered by AK Race Fab is proud to represent a growing roster of regional sponsors and supporters. Fans can follow the team’s progress on Instagram:
@akracefab
@nathanbettencourtracing
@seacoastsportcycle
@stickermule
MotoGP Sprint Race Start at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marc Marquez marches towards history at Motegi. The #93 is on the cusp of the greatest comeback ever made as MotoGP™ touches down in Japan.
More than 2000 days after he was last crowned MotoGP World Champion, Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) is on the cusp of taking back the throne. Since that day in 2019, when he celebrated his sixth MotoGP title, there have been multiple surgeries, three different injuries, two changes of team and one change of factory. For some, the question was not when he’d get back to the top, but if. As we head into the 2025 Motul Grand Prix of Japan, that question has had resounding answer after resounding answer. On the verge of the greatest comeback in sporting history, it’s now almost a formality: 185 points clear means 2025 World Champion. On the way in, he’s on 182. So it’ll be Sunday if he does it…
THE FINAL STAND: Alex Marquez sole remaining rival
The only rider who can now deny Marc Marquez that crown is Alex Marquez. The only other rider to have won more than one Grand Prix this year and enjoying his best season ever – earning himself a factory bike at BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP for 2026 too – the #73 shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s also a fan of Motegi, having taken his very first GP win in Japan in 2013, although in MotoGP he’s had some bad luck and trouble. Aside from being the only remaining rival for the MotoGP crown, he can also take his own title: that of Best Independent Team rider. Currently 150 points ahead in that standing, the magic number is more than 185 – 185 exactly isn’t quite enough.
THE FIGHT FOR THIRD: Bagnaia vs Bezzecchi?
It’s VR46 Academy friendly fire in the battle for P3 as it stands. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – who did the double here last year – is now just eight points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing), and the momentum appears to be going the way of the latter in 2025. But Motegi could shake that up again and it could prove chance for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to make some gains.The Spaniard is now 41 points off Bez, but last year was a headliner in Japan, even if he didn’t convert that pole in the end. This year, he’s no rookie. Fellow KTMs Brad Binder (Red bull KTM Factory Racing), Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and his teammate Maverick Viñales, the latter still recovering from his shoulder injury, could be ones to watch too as the RC16 has a solid CV in Japan.
Further up the table though, Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team pairing of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio are hot on Acosta’s tail – and they’re split by a single point. Can they make inroads into the battle ahead and gain on the #37 – or even more – as the unpredictable flyways begin? Another rider looking to make ground up is reigning Champion Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) – although down the order, he’s now starting to make life complicated for those ahead of him as he gets back in the groove and learns his way around the RS-GP.
DEBUTANT vs DIABLO: another dynamic in the standings
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) would probably be the first hand up if there was a vote on rewarding points for qualifying. The Frenchman was back on the front row at Misano but then having a tougher time once the lights went out, something he and Yamaha continue to work on. He’ll be an interesting watch at Motegi, where hard braking is the name of the game. Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), meanwhile, is still a few points ahead of the #20 as he looks to move forward again, and he’ll have an eye on fellow rookie Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) as the Japanese rider races on home turf for the first time in MotoGP. He’s in form and will want to keep the upper hand on teammate Raul Fernandez – as well as make a big impression on home turf. That’s true of plenty of riders gearing up to battle on Honda and Yamaha home ground.
HOME GLORY: Honda vs Yamaha
Quartararo will be looking to lead Yamaha’s charge, and teammate Alex Rins and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP pairing Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira will have plenty of motivation on factory home turf – and at Honda’s own track. Miller has won at Motegi with Ducati in a lights-to-flag masterclass and will want to underline Yamaha’s faith in him. Oliveira likely wants to show them what they’re missing out on next year. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR) will want another point. And there’s a whole extra squabble to settle for the Hondas leading the way, with some interesting dynamics.
Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) is top Honda, in the top ten in the Championship, and signed up into the new regulations in 2027. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) is making some serious strides as his form continues to impress on his return from mid-season injury. Teammate Joan Mir continues to try and escape bad luck and will want to prove a point on home Honda turf. And then there’s wildcard Takaaki Nakagami – making it two Japanese riders on the grid at Motegi for the first time in a few years. Everyone has a point to prove and what better place than Honda’s very own track?
MotoGP is about to witness history made in its ranks as Marc Marquez targets MotoGP title number seven. History bigger than the sport – so tune in for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan to see if the #93 can get back on top of the world 2184 days later.
Moto2™: Gonzalez holds the cards as crucial stretch begins in Japan
Manuel Gonzalez (left) and Diogo Moreira (right). Photo courtesy Dorna.
39 points. That’s the lead that Manuel Gonzalez (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) holds heading to the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, as the Moto2 title race enters its crucial and unpredictable phase: the flyaway stretch.
Gonzalez’s P6 was nothing to shout from the Misano hills about, but it could prove to be a very important 10 points. It meant Diogo Moreira’s (Italtrans Racing Team) P4 only bought the Brazilian three points, but the same applies when you flip over the coin – those three points might just come in very handy. Moreira and Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) now sit level on 188 points apiece vs Gonzalez’s 227 after Canet’s P7 last time out, and as we land in Japan, a circuit where Gonzalez collected his debut Moto2 win last year, the duo need the championship momentum pendulum to swing back in their favour.
Barry Baltus’ (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) brilliant Misano P2 sees the Belgian lie just 15 points further back from his teammate and Moreira, so let’s not completely rule Baltus out of the equation either. That’s now five P2 results in 2025, surely that maiden win is around the corner?
After his Catalan GP podium, 2024 Japanese GP polesitter Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) failed to score points in Misano, which allowed race winner Celestino Vietti (Beta Tools SpeedRS Team) to close the gap between the two leading Boscoscuro riders to 11 points. While both look out of realistic title contention, those are two riders who could have a serious say in how the rest of the year plays out – and that goes for star rookie Daniel Holgado(CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) also. The #27 has three podiums in his last four, and looks set to clinch Rookie of the Year honours.
So here we go then. Japan, Indonesia, Australia, and Malaysia, before returning to Europe for the final two. Will Gonzalez remain in charge over the coming weeks, or will Moreira, Canet, and maybe even Baltus reel in the Spaniard?
Moto3™: Rueda in charge as championship chase arrives at Motegi
Moto3 riders at Misano. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Was that last lap, last corner move on Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) for victory in Misano the moment where Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) placed one hand on the Moto3 championship trophy? It could well be because as we head to Japan, the #99 leads the way by a commanding 78 points.
Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) remains Rueda’s closest rival, but after a P5 on a circuit where he won as a rookie in 2024, losing 14 points was a hammer blow. However, it’s not done yet of course as 150 points remain up for grabs, but Piqueras needs a big swing in points and momentum soon before it’s too late, starting in Motegi.
Quiles’ seventh podium of 2025 sees the rookie sit P3 overall, 29 points away from Piqueras and 16 ahead of David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP). The #28 will be tasting the upcoming circuits for the first time, but that hasn’t exactly been a concern so far, has it?
Elsewhere, Adrian Fernandez’s (Leopard Racing) first podium since Argentina was a very timely one for the Spaniard, who lies one place behind Joel Kelso(LEVELUP – MTA) in the standings after the Australian returned to form in Misano. Kelso is now only 10 points adrift of Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), so the battle for a top five championship finish is heating up nicely.
Meanwhile, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Ryusei Yamanaka(FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) are the Moto3 home heroes this weekend, so can they return to the podium fight after missing out in Misano? The Japanese faithful will certainly be hoping so.
Can Rueda be stopped, or is his march to the 2025 crown going to continue in Japan? We’re about to find out.
The big three: Josh Herrin (1), Cameron Beaubier (6) and Bobby Fong (50). One of them will be crowned as the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion at the conclusion of this weekend's final round at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Bobby Fong, Cameron Beaubier Or Josh Herrin? Who Will Be Crowned at New Jersey Motorsports Park?
IRVINE, CA (September 23, 2025) – Three riders will go into the MotoAmerica finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend with a chance to leave the Garden State with the 2025 Superbike Championship.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Bobby Fong leads the way, eight points clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier, and 22 points ahead of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin. With the New Jersey round a tripleheader, there are 75 points on the table. Fong’s teammate Jake Gagne is fourth, 77 points behind, so the title will go to one of the three.
If history means anything in this case, it’s worth noting that five-time champion Beaubier (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020) and two-time champ Herrin (2013 and 2024) already have Superbike titles on their résumés, while Fong (2019) has a MotoAmerica Supersport title. Beaubier has 70 Superbike wins to his credit, Herrin has 22 and Fong has 10.
As for 2025, Fong heads into the season finale with five Superbike victories. Ditto for Beaubier. Herrin leads the way with six wins in 2025. As for podiums, Fong and Beaubier are both tied with 13 top-three finishes out of 17 races. Herrin has 11 podiums.
Bobby Fong (50). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Fong leads the championship as the series heads to New Jersey because he’s not only won five times and has 13 podiums, but he is also the only one of the three to score points in every single round. Beaubier and Herrin each have a no-score on their dance cards.
Three disastrous races in a row at VIRginia International Raceway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course put Herrin on his back foot heading into the most recent round at Circuit of The Americas a week and a half ago. The defending champion led the title chase before those three disastrous races but slipped to third at the end of the three races. Herrin, however, kept his hopes alive with a victory and a third-place finish in the two races in Texas. He’s on the outside looking in.
Cameron Beaubier (6) at COTA. Photo by Brian J Nelson.
Beaubier’s only non-finish was his crash in race two at Road America. He’s put himself within striking distance of Fong with two wins and a second-place finish in the past three races.
While all three hummed the same tune about being happy that the series finale is at New Jersey Motorsports Park, they also know that NJMP is synonymous with “anything can happen.” We’ve seen it all there: heat, rain, wind… and perfect racing weather. It’s unpredictable, and that’s what makes it a fan favorite and the perfect place for the series finale.
With Gagne a comfortable fourth in the championship, the battle for fifth will go to the bitter end.
Sean Dylan Kelly (40). Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly holds the spot after his solid fifth/fourth weekend at COTA. Kelly is seven points ahead of Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach. With his pair of sixth-place finishes at COTA, Beach also wrapped up the Superbike Cup for those racing Stock 1000-spec motorcycles in the Superbike class. Those two sixths at COTA resulted in two more Superbike Cup victories for Beach.
The rider who suffered the most at COTA was Kelly’s Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Richie Escalante. Escalante had fourth place in the bag in race one when his Suzuki failed him on the final lap. In race two, he had another mechanical failure, this one early in the race.
With zero points scored, Escalante slid from fifth to seventh in the point standings. He trails Beach by seven points and Kelly by nine points with the three races at NJMP on the horizon.
JD Beach (95). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Beach’s Real Steel Honda teammate Hayden Gillim was fourth and seventh in the two COTA races and he sits eighth in the title chase – 15 points behind Escalante and 49 points ahead of Jones Honda rider Ashton Yates.
Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Danilo Lewis is one point behind Yates and one point ahead of Flo4Law Racing’s Benjamin Smith, with BPR Yamaha’s Bryce Kornbau another three points behind in the battle for 10th in the championship.
Pre-NJMP Notes…
Josh Herrin and Loris Baz split wins in last year’s Superbike series finale. Herrin beat Bobby Fong by .403 of a second with Baz third in race one. In the wet race two, Baz topped Sean Dylan Kelly by .151 of a second with Fong third, just .291 of a second behind. Cameron Beaubier finished fourth in both races a year ago.
Loris Baz earned pole position for the two Superbike races a year ago, with the Frenchman lapping a 1:22.737 on the 2.250-mile racetrack. Cameron Beaubier and Brandon Paasch joined Baz on the front row.
If Bobby Fong comes out of NJMP with the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, he will be the 23rd different rider to win an AMA Superbike title in the 49 years of the series.
Cameron Beaubier’s win in race two at COTA was the 70th Superbike victory of his career, and that puts him 12 wins behind all-time AMA Superbike winner Mat Mladin, who has 82 victories.
Beaubier owns the Superbike lap record at NJMP with his 1:19.806 coming in 2020.
Although it all depends on the results from this weekend’s three Superbike races at New Jersey Motorsports Park, the 2025 Superbike Championship will likely rank in the top three of close Superbike title chases in the MotoAmerica era. The closest finish thus far comes from the first season of MotoAmerica with Cameron Beaubier topping his Yamaha teammate Josh Hayes by just four points. In 2019, Beaubier beat Toni Elias for the crown by five points. The next closest is from 2022 when Jake Gagne won his second title by 20 points.
OrangeCat Racing riders Jayson Uribe (36) and Andrew Lee (14). Photo by: Brian J. Nelson
OrangeCat Racing’s Andrew Lee and Jayson Uribe will join the Superbike grid at NJMP after the pair recently wrapped up a highly successful Stock 1000 season that saw Lee take the title with Uribe third. The pair’s Stock 1000-spec BMW M 1000 RRs have been upgraded to almost full Superbike spec, with aftermarket swingarms, rear shocks, and triple clamps, and the duo stayed in Texas after the MotoAmerica round to test the bikes at COTA. Lee will run #67 on his BMW with Uribe using his familiar #36.
About MotoAmerica:
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com, and MotoAmerica’s social platforms on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on-demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
Indian Motorcycle's Tyler O'Hara at Bonneville Salt Flats. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle Racing.
Since 1901, racing has been core to Indian Motorcycle’s DNA — a legacy defined by visionaries like Burt Munro on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Carrying that spirit forward, Indian Motorcycle, in partnership with S&S Cycle and Mission Foods, set out to Bonneville to see just how fast its King of the Baggers race bike could go. Piloted by Indian Wrecking Crew Rider and two-time King of the Baggers Champion Tyler O’Hara, the S&S-built Indian Challenger charged across the legendary Salt Flats — celebrating history and the timeless pursuit of speed.
United by passion and precision, S&S and Indian Motorcycle Racing brought decades of race-proven engineering to one of motorsports’ most iconic proving grounds. While knocking on the door of 200 mph, O’Hara honored the legends who came before him with a new AMA 2000cc APS-AG record at 194.384 mph (previous record from 1972: 169.828 mph on a Triumph by J. Angerer).
Please see below for an epic docu-style video from Indian Motorcycle Racing’s land speed runs on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Richard Gadson powered his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa to victory at the NHRA Carolina Nationals. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA
Sharp riding and consistent performance from his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki Gen 3 Hayabusa propelled Richard Gadson to his third race win of the season and into the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Countdown to the Championship lead at the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, NC, on Sunday.
Race Highlights:
Richard Gadson qualified second, won his third race of the season and moved to the top of the Countdown to the Championship playoff standings
Gaige Herrera qualified first and advanced to the first round of eliminations
In the second of three back-to-back races to open the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship, Richard Gadson qualified second with a 6.760-second/200.26 mph run during Friday’s qualification rounds.
Under the NHRA’s unique 4-Wide racing format in Charlotte, which featured for the first time ever during the Countdown at this race, the first two riders in each four-motorcycle quad to cross the finish line, barring a redlight jumpstart, advance to the next elimination round. In the final round quad, the first motorcycle to cross the finish line wins the race.
Gadson powered to a win in round one with a 6.796-second/199.88 mph run in a matchup against John Hall (runner up, 6.817 seconds/199.11 mph), Ryan Oehler and Chris Bostick. In the semi-final round, Gadson’s 6.809-second/198.99 mph pass was low elapsed time of the round in his victory over Matt Smith (runner up, 6.821 seconds/198.20 mph), Kelly Clontz, and Hall.
In the final round, Gadson defeated Matt Smith (runner up, 6.821 seconds/199.37 mph), Angie Smith and Jianna Evaristo with a 6.803-second/199.55 mph run to claim his third race win of the season.
The victory, which is also the third of his career and first to come during the Countdown, catapulted Gadson from fourth place to the top of the championship standings with four races remaining.
“You really need to understand how staging works in 4-Wide racing. It can throw some people off, which we saw in the first two rounds. The Christmas tree timer starts seven seconds after the first bike lights the stage bulb, not the last one. In the final round, Angie pre-staged first and then immediately lit the stage bulb, so I counted to five in my head and then got on the two-step. When the tree came down I was the first one off the starting line, and we won the race,” Gadson said.
“I lost to Matt by four-thousands of a second at the 4-Wide race here earlier this year and he beat me near my hometown last week in Maple Grove, so I really wanted to beat him today in his hometown. I feel great about this win because we’ve been wrestling with this motorcycle all weekend. But we fought through it as a team. I even had to borrow a clutch from Gaige’s bike,”he continued.“It’s surreal to see my name leading the points in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Just to be here in this moment feels crazy, to be honest. I thank everyone on the Vance & Hines team for putting me in this position.”
Gaige Herrera claimed No. 1 qualifier in Charlotte before an early-round mechanical issue ended his day. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA
After dropping out of the points lead last week at the Countdown opener in Maple Grove, Gaige Herrera rebounded to claim the top qualifying position for the sixth time this year and 29th time in his career with a 6.757-second/201.22 mph run on Friday.
But trouble struck the defending world champion early in Sunday eliminations when his motorcycle experienced a transmission-related mechanical failure that caused him to slow to a 7.370-second/141.31 mph run in his first-round matchup against Marc Ingwersen, Chase Van Sant and Marcus Hylton.
The unexpected early departure dropped Herrera to fourth in the Countdown standings and leaves the two-time champion with a 71-point gap to close in his quest for a third-straight Pro Stock Motorcycle world championship.
“In the first round my transmission shifted from second to fourth and then after that it wouldn’t shift at all. I did everything I could, but it’s one of those things you just need to shake off and move forward. I’m glad Richard got the win over Matt Smith, but I’m definitely asking for my clutch back,”Herrera quipped. “The drag racing gods weren’t on my side today, but we still have plenty of races left in the Countdown, and I’m not letting up. It’s going to be a dog fight until the end, and honestly, I love that. I’d rather it be tight than a landslide. We might be banking on the extra points at the last race in Pomona.”
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki crew chief Andrew Hines praised Gadson’s poise on the starting line in the face of a three-against-one disadvantage to rivals from the Matt Smith Racing team in the final round.
“Matt had the field stacked and they tried to play the game with riders staging at different times to throw Richard off, but he was rock solid. We came here to bring home a Wally, and it doesn’t really matter to our team which rider does it. Sometimes gremlins bite you, but when one rider falters, another one can step up. It’s great that Richard was able to do that, and it’s a big momentum swing for him in the Countdown. It’s a little bump in the road for Gaige, but we’re in a better position in the standings overall as a team than we were leaving here last year, so we’re not feeling too bad. Our whole team is motivated to take it one run at a time, so we’ll get back on the horse and keep it going in St. Louis next week.”
With four races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship, Gadson and Herrera sit first and fourth in the standings, with 2,296 and 2,225 points, respectively.
2025 FIM Sidecar World Championship - Assen (NED). Photo credit Mark Walters
Reigning champions Harrison Payne (ARS Yamaha) and Kevin Rousseau extended their advantage at the front of the 2025 FIM Sidecar World Championship with another overall victory – their fourth of the season – as the series made a repeat visit to the famous TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands for round six last weekend (20-21 September).
FIM Sidecar World Championship returns to Assen for round six
Defending champions Harrison Payne and Kevin Rousseau extend series lead
British brothers Sam and Thomas Christie consolidate second in series
The British/French pairing have been the dominant force in this year’s championship, but a mechanical DNF at the opening round at Le Mans and a second no-score due to a technical issue at round four at Most have prevented them from breaking free from the chasing pack and, as a result, their series lead stands at twenty-three points with just next month’s final round at Oschersleben in Germany left on the calendar.
Giving a good indication of how close the racing was going to be in the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, just 0.127 covered the first three crews in qualifying with British brothers Sam and Thomas Christie (LCR Yamaha) – who sit second in the standings – on top chased by the Swiss/German pairing of Markus Schlosser (LCR Yamaha) and Luca Schmidt with Payne/Rousseau third.
With the track still wet following a huge downpour, Schlosser/Schmidt led Saturday’s ten-lap Sprint race into the opening turn from Payne/Rousseau and the Christie brothers, but an early spin in the chicane by the leaders dropped them back to seventh, handing the advantage to the defending champions.
Hugely experienced Finnish rider Pekka Päivärinta (ARS Yamaha) – with Adam Christie, the third of the Christie brothers in action, in the chair – was revelling in the wet conditions and after passing the Christie brothers he turned his attention to Payne/Rousseau. The British pairing of Lewis Blackstock (LCR Yamaha) and Oscar Lawrence – who were making their second championship appearance this season as wild cards – also moved into contention after passing the Christie brothers.
Harrison Payne and Kevin Rousseau (1) at 2025 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Assen (NED). Photo credit Mark Walters
Following a decisive pass for the lead, Päivärinta/Christie cruised clear to win by almost eight seconds from Payne/Rousseau with Blackstock/Lawrence third ahead of the Christie brothers and Britain’s Sam and Jack Laidlow (LCR Yamaha) with Schlosser/Schmidt unable to advance from seventh.
With the sun shining for Sunday’s sixteen-lap Main race, Payne/Rousseau led from the start with Schlosser/Schmidt, the Christie brothers, Blackstock/Lawrence, former champions Todd Ellis (Yamaha) and Emmanuelle Clement and Päivärinta/Christie in pursuit.
Carrying momentum from the previous day, Päivärinta/Christie moved up to fourth with the British/French pairing of Ellis/Clement following them past Blackstock/Lawrence, but the wild cards fought their way back into podium contention.
In the closing stages Schlosser/Schmidt got close enough to attempt a pass on Payne/Rousseau for the lead, although ran wide which allowed the Christie brothers through into second and the positions remained unchanged until the chequered flag came out.
Blackstock/Lawrence were a solid fourth from Päivärinta/Christie with the Laidlow brothers sixth ahead of Ellis/Clement.
Focus now shifts to the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in central Germany on 3-5 October for the seventh and concluding round.
Ride together : Royal Enfield's one ride 2025 unites riders from Chennai to California for a common cause. Photo courtesy Royal Enfield.
Now in its 14th edition, this iconic annual ride brings together a vibrant and diverse community of Royal Enfield owners and riders from around the world to celebrate their camaraderie and shared passion for Pure Motorcycling.
One Ride celebrates the simple, accessible joy of motorcycling that connects riders across cultures, ages, and backgrounds through shared passion for authentic riding experiences and individual self-expression.
This Sunday, the world rode as one for the 14th edition of Royal Enfield’s One Ride. The ride offers the global Royal Enfield community an opportunity to get together and be on the saddle on One Day, witnessing the scale of the incredible camaraderie. This year saw more than 40,000 riders across 1,500 rides in 60+ countries ride in unison, making the ride one of the largest annual celebrations of motorcycling seen anywhere in the world. Serving as a remarkable testimony to Royal Enfield’s philosophy of ‘Pure Motorcycling’, the ride began with the first sunrise in the East continuing until the last sunset in the West, creating a true 24-hour global celebration spanning all time zones.
Every year, One Ride brings together a diverse and passionate community of riders and enthusiasts – from first-time riders to seasoned adventurers — who come together to celebrate individuality, self-expression, and the shared joy of the open road. The ride showcases the strength of the world’s most passionate organic motorcycling community — one that spans continents yet feels intimate, where strangers become lifelong riding companions through their shared love of Pure Motorcycling.
Ride together : Royal Enfield’s one ride 2025 unites riders from Chennai to California for a common cause. Photo courtesy Royal Enfield.
While united in spirit, this year the helmets were more than just gear as riders celebrated their individuality through personalized helmets, custom motorcycle modifications, and unique riding gear, transforming essential safety equipment into powerful canvases of personal stories and creativity.
Beyond celebration, One Ride championed responsible motorcycling through curated safe routes, community mentorship, and initiatives like Helmets for India, ensuring every rider returns home safely to ride another day.
One Ride has grown exponentially since its debut in 2011, witnessing merely 14 countries and 23 Indian cities participating in this annual celebration. The 2024 edition achieved record participation with 41,730 riders across 66 countries, while 2025 maintained a similar scale with 40,000+ riders across 60+ countries.
About Royal Enfield :
The oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield has created beautifully crafted motorcycles since 1901. From its British roots, a manufacturing plant was established in Madras in 1955, a foothold from which Royal Enfield spearheaded the growth of India’s mid-sized two-wheeler segment. Royal Enfields are engaging, uncomplicated, accessible and fun to ride; a vehicle for exploration and self-expression. It’s an approach the brand calls Pure Motorcycling.
Royal Enfield’s premium line-up includes Bear 650, Classic 650, Guerrilla 450 modern roadster, Hunter 350, Meteor 350, Super Meteor 650, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 twins, the Shotgun 650, the Himalayan 450, the Scram 440 ADV Crossover, the iconic Bullet 350, Classic 350 and Goan Classic 350. The company recently unveiled its new city+ motorcycle brand – the Flying Flea – a fresh take on urban mobility, blending authentic design with advanced technology.
Riders and a passionate community are fostered with a rich profusion of events at a local, regional and international level. Most notable are Motoverse (previously Rider Mania), an annual gathering of thousands of Royal Enfield enthusiasts in Goa, and Himalayan Odyssey; a yearly pilgrimage over some of the toughest terrain and highest mountain passes.
A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield operates through more than 2000 stores across all major cities and towns in India and through nearly 850 stores in more than 60 countries around the globe. Royal Enfield also has two world-class technical centres, in Bruntingthorpe, UK, and in Chennai, India. The company’s two state-of-the-art production facilities are located at Oragadam and VallamVadagal, near Chennai. Across the world, Royal Enfield has six modern CKD assembly facilities in Bangladesh, Nepal, Brazil, Thailand, Argentina and Colombia.
The Yoshimura SERT Motul team celebrates on balcony [l-r] Etienne Masson, Dan Linfoot, Gregg Black, Yohei Kato, Damien Saulnier. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
More from a press release issued by Yoshimura SERT Motul:
Yoshimura SERT Motul takes emphatic win at 2025 Bol d’Or.
Yoshimura SERT Motul collected maximum points at the final round of the 2025 Endurance World Championship and bagged a hat trick of wins at the famous Bol d’Or. Despite a flawless performance, the Franco-Japanese narrowly missed retaining its EWC title by just one point.
To defend its chances of winning another world title, Yoshimura SERT Motul had to deliver a perfect performance at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France. Its intent was evident from the get-go when Gregg Black set a new Bol d’Or qualifying lap record in Q1, which was then bettered by team-mate Etienne Masson in Q2 who broke into a sub 1:51s lap time, the absolute fastest time of the weekend.
The Suzuki team carried that strong performance through to the start of the race with Black getting ahead of the pack and completing the first lap in the lead. During the early hours of the race, Black, Masson and Dan Linfoot fought an intense battle against their main rivals in the championship.
Despite a stop/go penalty imposed for work carried out on the bike after refuelling, Yoshimura SERT Motul led the standings at the 8-hour mark and pocketed the maximum bonus of 10 points.
Throughout the night, the Suzuki team rider’s stints flowed one after another without a single mistake, both on the track and during refuelling. At the 16-hour mark, the team was still leading the race, one lap ahead of its closest rival. In terms of points, Yoshimura SERT Motul’s lead increased by a further 10 bonus points.
Solid and fast throughout the demanding race, which saw 20 of the 53 entered teams drop out, Yoshimura SERT Motul maintained a single-minded focus to secure its third successive Bol d’Or win. The team delivered a perfect performance to claim an undisputed victory and accumulate 65 points, the maximum possible in this event. Despite this outstanding accomplishment, the Franco-Japanese team missed out on the world title by just one point in the final standings.
Yohei KATO – team director: “I’m finding it a little difficult to express how I feel. Of course, there’s the frustration of coming so close to the title, but I’m also very happy with the team’s performance and the work done by my riders. We’ve been very strong since the start of the week. In the first qualifying session, Gregg broke the track record and the next day, Etienne improved on it! Then our perfect race demonstrated all the qualities of this “old generation” Suzuki. We’ll be back next year with a brand-new and very promising version.”
Damien SAULNIER – team manager: “We’ve won the Bol d’Or for the third consecutive time, so we’ll be able to keep the trophy at home. Our team has won here five times in six years, so I think we can only be delighted. Still, there is a slight tinge of bitterness about the single point that separates us from the title. But that’s racing. I have a lot of respect and admiration for the Yamaha team, and my thoughts also go out to the BMW team, which had a great season. We all obviously deserved this title.”
Gregg Black in action. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
Gregg BLACK – rider:
“The team made technical improvements to the bike that allowed us to set a faster pace than last year, when we won. So we only had one thing to do in the race: stay in front until the finish line to score 65 points. We knew what we had to do. Then we had to make it happen. So we are very pleased to have won this very difficult race with the Mistral straight, which is so demanding on the bike. Our victory once again demonstrates the reliability of the Suzuki. Now, losing the championship by a single point is tough, but we gave it our all. We will come back in 2026 even stronger and make fewer mistakes at the start of the season.”
Etienne Masson in action. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
Etienne MASSON – rider: “After qualifying, we were feeling pretty confident about the race. We started off at the pace we had planned. We fought all night to try to keep up that pace and maintain the pressure on our rivals. And that’s exactly what we managed to do. The team once again did an incredible job during the pit stops. They were exemplary. Everyone stuck to the plan. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to win the title, but I think we can be proud. See you next year.”
Dan Linfoot in night action. Photo courtesy SERT Team.
Dan LINFOOT – rider: “Of course, this victory is very good for the whole team. We all feel satisfied with a job well done, but there is also the frustration of the World Championship. That’s the feeling I have tonight. We did everything we needed to do and we scored the maximum number of points. After that, it was out of our hands; it was in the hands of our opponents. I would like to congratulate YART on winning the world championship title. We gave it our all and we can be proud of that. It allowed us to put all the odds in our favour and keep our hopes alive for as long as possible.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul is now focusing on preparing for the 2026 season, which will kick off at Le Mans for the 24 Heures Motos, scheduled for the 16th to the 19th of April. The team, managed by Yohei Katoh and Damien Saulnier, will be competing with the latest evolution of the GSX-R1000R.
—–
More from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Drama for F.C.C. TSR Honda France at the 88th Bol d’Or as National Motos Honda FMA reclaims 2025 FIM Endurance World Cup.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France impresses with a strong performance, but a well-deserved podium slips away after the halfway point of the 24-hour race.
Honda Superstock teams as National Motos Honda FMA wins the FIM Endurance World Cup title. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
Double delight for Honda Superstock teams as National Motos Honda FMA wins the FIM Endurance World Cup title and Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda finishes as a runner-up.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France made a strong start at the Bol d’Or thanks to Alan Techer, who started from fourth on the grid aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The Frenchman quickly moved into the lead after the second lap and was running second when he handed over the #5 Honda to Corentin Perolari, becoming the first rider to pit in the race.
Perolari rejoined in second place and soon moved back into the lead before a Safety Car neutralised the race for nearly 20 minutes. From then on, Techer and Perolari alternated stints at the front, supported by Taiga Hada, who contributed valuable laps despite a lower race pace. The French riders focused on consistency, fast lap times, and avoiding mistakes — a strategy that paid off. In the fifth hour, Techer set a new race lap record of 1:52.506, showcasing an impressive pace and positioning.
Corentin Perolari (5) on his F.C.C. TSR Honda France. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
As the race approached the eighth hour, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was still leading. However, a scheduled stint combined with a lengthy pit stop to change the brake pads during the rider handover between Techer and Perolari cost the team valuable time, dropping them back to second. Despite the setback, the team secured nine points for the championship after the first part of the race.
From that point on, solid stints from the #Honda 5 riders through the night, combined with the performance of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP, moved F.C.C. TSR Honda France into the race lead until halfway of the race.
Unfortunately, after 12hour race, Perolari was forced to bring the #Honda 5 to the boxes due to a mechanical problem. Despite the best efforts of all the technical crew to fix the bike to get it back on track, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was forced to retire.
Throughout the weekend, the Honda #5 riders demonstrated the speed of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and the team’s ability to compete at the front. Although a setback prevented them from ending the season with a podium, the team proved their potential by consistently hitting 1:53 lap times, setting a race lap record and confirming their strength heading into the next season, which will kick off at Le Mans from 16 to 19 April 2026.
Martin Renaudin (4) on his Tati Team AVA6 Racing Honda. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing started from sixth on the grid, with Hugo Clère taking the opening stint aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Clère delivered a strong start, moving up into fourth position after just 12 laps. When Randy Krummenacher took over, the Swiss rider kept the team firmly in contention, holding the same position with a solid and consistent pace.
However, during Martin Renaudin’s stint, a brake issue forced the team into a costly pit stop lasting nearly eight minutes. As a result, the Honda #4 rejoined the race in 26th place.
Despite this significant challenge, the French team showed determination. Through consistent lap times and well-managed stints, Tati Team AVA6 Racing steadily climbed back, reaching 14th position overall at the six-hour mark.
Unfortunately, a mechanical failure at the halfway point forced again the team into the pits for bike checks. A prolonged stop of over an hour caused the squad to lose valuable positions, and when Renaudin rejoined, Honda #4 was back again in 26th place.
Entering the final three hours while running 8th in the Superstock category, the Honda #4 was forced back into the pits. Despite this situation, the team managed to rejoin the race without losing position, ultimately crossing the chequered flag in a hard-fought 6th place.
Marco Fetz (53) on his Mana-Au Competition Honda. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
Mana-Au Competition, with Max Schmidt, Marco Fetz, and Brayden Elliot aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #53, qualified 15th in the EWC class. Over 15 hours of intense endurance racing, the team fought their way up to 6thplace in their category.
The French squad delivered an outstanding performance, ultimately finishing the 24-hour race in 4th place in the EWC and 9th overall.
Guillaume Raymond (55) on his National Motos Honda FMA. Photo courtesy Honda Racing.
In the Superstock category, National Motos Honda FMA has once again claimed the FIM Endurance World Cup for Teams aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #55.
With Valentin Suchet, Guillaume Raymond, and Johan Nigon, the team secured a strong third-place finish at the Bol d’Or.
Defending FIM Endurance World Cup Champions National Motos Honda FMA had a challenging qualifying session, starting 8th on the grid in the Superstock category. Despite this, the team’s goal remained clear: secure the title by running their own race with a clear focus on consistency and avoiding unnecessary risk.
Relying on steady pace and consistency, the team gradually worked their way up toward the podium and after six hours of racing, National Motos Honda FMA were running in third position.
By the halfway mark, they were firmly in second place in the Superstock category, setting themselves up for a decisive final stage.
In the last two hours, the team strategically eased their pace to ensure a safe finish. Crossing the line in third place at the Bol d’Or, National Motos Honda FMA secured enough points to successfully defend their title and claim the 2025 FIM Endurance World Cup.
Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda, started fifth in the Superstock category with Diego Poncet taking the start aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. With a strong opening stint, the team quickly moved the Honda #41 up to second place after just two hours of racing.
A prolonged pit stop due to a rear tyre issue and a stop-and-go penalty saw the team drop back to 6th in class after six hours. However, consistent pace and determination allowed the squad to recover, climbing back to third by the halfway point.
In the closing stages, with just two hours remaining, the Honda #41 advanced to second place in the Superstock category. Thanks to extraordinary teamwork, strong communication, and the and the outstanding reliability of the Fireblade, Kaedear-Dafy-Rac41-Honda secured second place at the Bol d’Or and concluded the season as runner-up in the FIM Endurance World Cup, achieving the same result as last season.
Other Honda-powered teams that completed the Superstock category at the 88th Bol d’Or included Team 113 VIP Moto-Sporting Moto-Dynoperf, which finished in 8th place, followed by AG Racing. Team SLA Honda Toulon crossed the line in 12th, Slider Endurance in 15th, and Wójcik Racing Team #777 SST in 16th, with LCR Endurance rounding out the Honda entries.
Alan Techer – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“The race ended badly for us, but it started well. I took the start, we were in the lead. Corentin and I had a really good pace to fight for the win. We did a lot of relays with just the two of us. We showed that we were fast and that the bike was performing well. Unfortunately, that’s not how we wanted to finish. Mechanically, there wasn’t much we could do about it. Everyone saw that we had the potential to fight for victory, and that’s what I want to remember. We had a great week, we worked well, the bike was easy to ride, both at night and during the day. The goal was to ride in 53 and that’s what we did. Now we’re going to work for next year and try to do better.”
Corentin Perolari – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“Alan got off to a great start and we were regularly the fastest for 12 hours. We were battling for first place after every pit stop, and then we had a technical problem, which was a real shame. What I take away from this season is that we were fast in every race. Now we need to keep it up until the finish line and at the end of the year we’ll have a great result in the championship.”
Taiga Hada – F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“It’s difficult to end the race like this. In the final stint, I managed to set laps faster than in qualifying, which was a positive step for me. I was gradually improving, but then we had the mechanical problem, which is frustrating. Still, that’s racing. I want to take this experience with me, thank the whole team and my teammates for their great work, and use it positively for the future of my racing career.”
—–
More from a press release issued by Aviobike WRS:
Bol d’Or heartbreak for Aviobike WRS after 20 hours of battle.
• The Italian squad retires after 19 hours and 53 minutes despite a stellar effort from Ferrari, Bernardi, Lepine and De Cancellis on the Ducati Panigale V4.
An heroic effort from Team Aviobike WRS came to a bitter end just hours from the finish of the 88th Bol d’Or. After 19 hours and 53 minutes and a total of 544 laps, the Italian squad was forced to withdraw, despite an inspired performance from Matteo Ferrari, Luca Bernardi, Adrien Lepine and Hugo De Cancellis.
The race had started brightly. With a lightning getaway, Ferrari pushed the team’s Ducati Panigale V4 – the only bike from Borgo Panigale on the grid – up to third place in the Superstock class. Bernardi held that position during his opening stint, even after a safety car at lap 40 wiped out the early gaps.
Adrien Lepine (111) riding on his Aviobike WRS. Photo courtesy Aviobike Team.
Both Lepine and De Cancellis – drafted in at the last minute to replace the injured Andrea Mantovani – settled quickly into the rhythm, while the pit crew delivered faultless work through the opening twelve hours. At the halfway mark, the #111 Ducati was running sixth in class and 15th overall, with consistency as the team’s biggest strength.
As night fell over Paul Ricard, the determination to finish grew stronger. Even a pair of extended pit stops, costing six laps, couldn’t shake the spirit inside the Aviobike garage. By dawn, the team had fought back to P6 in class, hovering near the overall top ten, before inching back to P11 Stock and P20 overall.
Then came the cruel twist: with less than five hours remaining, the Ducati was forced to retire.
Giovanni Baggi statement:
“It has been an intense week in every way. We had high expectations and gave it our all. Unfortunately, at 11 o’clock this morning, we couldn’t quite put the cherry on the cake. The performance was extraordinary, but that’s endurance racing: one moment you’re elated, the next you’re devastated. I want to thank the entire crew for their incredible commitment, the riders for giving everything, WRS, and in particular Nicolas Zavoli for his constant support throughout the season. And of course, our sponsors, who make all this possible. Now we have the winter ahead to reset and prepare for 2026″.
—–
More from a press release issued by FIM Motorcycling Australia:
Australian Jason O’Halloran has won the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) following a dramatic season-ending round in France on September 20-21.
Riding for the Yamaha Austria Racing Team (YART) team alongside Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz, the trio finished second in the Bol d’Or 24-hour behind Yoshimura SERT Motul, which was enough for them to claim the 2025 championship by 1pt.
YART’s success came after late heartbreak for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, which was running second – and on track to win the championship – just 30 minutes before the end of the gruelling race when smoke began pouring from the rear of the squad’s M 1000 RR.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and YART had started the season showdown level on points following qualifying, making the 88th Bol d’Or a winner-takes-all fight for top honours.
But BMW’s despair became YART’s elation, in what was the final twist in a season which had produced a catalogue of highs and lows for the leading teams.
“Until the finish line nothing is done. I want to say very sorry to the BMW team, they made an awesome job and were so unlucky,”said YART team manager Mandy Kainz.
“It’s unbelievable to be honest, they would also deserve it. We had bad luck in Suzuka, now came a lot of luck.”
After four rounds, YART finished the 2025 championship on 139pts from Yoshimura SERT Motul (138pts) and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (108pts).
The UK-based O’Halloran, who joined the world endurance paddock full-time in 2025 following a long career in the British Superbike Championship, is now the sixth Australian to win in the long form of circuit racing behind Peter Goddard (1997), Warwick Nowland (2000), Heinz Platacis (2001), Steve Martin (2009) and Josh Hook (2018).
Martin’s victory also came with YART, which has a long and distinguished connection with the EWC.
O’Halloran’s rookie season in world endurance has paid instant dividends. Photo courtesy Motorcycling Australia
After never being headed from the seventh hour onwards, Yoshimura SERT Motul made it a hat-trick of Bol d’Or victories, finishing three laps ahead of YART. Third, a further 16 laps down, was the Champion MRP Tecmas (BMW) team.
The second Australian in the race, Brayden Elliott, was a brilliant ninth in his EWC debut on the French-entered Mana-Au Competition Honda.
A total of 32 teams completed the marathon, with 21 DNFs.
For results and final standings in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship, click here.
The 2026 EWC season will begin with the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in France from April 16-19.
Josh Hayes on the AOD bike leads teams Real Beal Racing and
Endless Motorsports early in the race before ripping open an insurmountable gap. Photo by Turn 13 Photo.
Despite the absence of AOD crew chief Tim Gooding, who had been inconveniently incapacitated by a virus that he termed “green lung,” Army of Darkness emerged victorious at the end of almost four hours of endurance racing at the track that witnessed the team’s inception with WERA endurance 32 years ago.
Friday practice dawned clear and cool, with intermittent clouds delivering a pleasant day for testing riders and equipment. Upon hearing the news that Tim would not be in attendance, the radiator on the team’s A bike began weeping uncontrollably through a pinhole introduced by a special Ohio pebble that may have been round on the ends and hi in the middle, which proved to be the only setback for the weekend. A spare radiator and radiator guard were quickly installed and practice continued with no further drama or emotional outbursts.
Reach for the sky! Or, at least, point to it. From left: YT Lechner, Taylor Knapp, Melissa Berkoff, Chris Manfrin, Josh Hayes, Hunter Dunham, Sam Fleming, Tony Romo. Photo courtesy AOD.
In AOD’s debut race back in 1993, the team’s trusty FZR600 excitedly attempted to engage in two gears simultaneously, thereby bringing the team’s first attempt at an endurance race to a premature end. AOD has had mixed success at Nelson Ledges since then, but on this race day, AOD’s Josh Hayes grabbed the lead from the start and never relinquished it, with teammates Hunter Dunham and Taylor Knapp extending it to 6 laps by the end of the race that was shortened by about 20 minutes due to a single red flag for a blown motor that put down oil on the track and fumigated the nearby woods early in the first hour.
AOD is sponsored by Army of Darkness, Dunlop, Woodcraft, Hindle, Vortex, EK Chains, Thermosman Suspensions, Champ School, WERA, Roadracing World, and Industry 13.
Scott Redding (4), Kyle Ride (1) and Leon Haslam (91) at TT Assen Circuit during Race 3. Photo courtesy EWC.
Scott Redding celebrated a double race win at the TT Circuit Assen by taking victory after a three-way battle in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend, sharing today’s victories with Christian Iddon who became the eighth different race winner of the season.
Defending champion Kyle Ryde leaves the opening round of the Showdown with the lead in the standings by 31 points ahead of Oulton Park.
On the return to the TT Circuit Assen, seven different riders representing seven different teams celebrated podium finishes with two rounds of the title fight now remaining.
BSB Race 2 podium with, from left to right, Rory Skinner, Christian Iddon and Bradley Ray. Photo courtesy BSB.
In the second race of the weekend, Iddon mastered the wet conditions to hold off both Rory Skinner and Ray. In the changing conditions, he launched off the line to lead the pack on the opening lap. Skinner meanwhile had started 18th on the grid after a difficult race yesterday; fighting his way through the pack on the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati, and was into third place by lap five.
Iddon was holding the edge at the front, with Ray pushing to regain the ground he lost after a crash yesterday with Skinner and a hard-charging Leon Haslam holding the leading positions. Skinner moved into second at the Chicane on lap ten, with Ray shadowing him but despite the gap changing throughout the race to the front, Iddon was victorious at the chequered flag.
Skinner held second place, whilst Ray’s third place finish meant he gained ten points back on his title rival Ryde, who salvaged eighth on the final lap. The defending champion gained pace in the closing stages of the second race to regain ground, having run in 11th place for the first half of the race.
In the final race of the weekend, Redding celebrated his second race win of the weekend as the Hager PBM Ducati rider emerged on top following a dogfight with Haslam and Ryde. The Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha rider now heads to the penultimate round at Oulton Park with a 31-point advantage over Ray.
The race initially started with a huge battle at the front between Ryde, Iddon and Haslam as they traded positions in the dry conditions until the start of lap four when a shower began and the race was subsequently red flagged and restarted.
The shower passed and the race restarted in dry conditions and Ryde launched into the lead ahead of Storm Stacey, Haslam and Iddon. However, after claiming victory earlier today for AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, Iddon crashed out unhurt on the opening lap.
At the front, Haslam moved into second and the leading group began to start making a break with Ryde, Haslam, Stacey, Tommy Bridewell and Redding with Ray just adrift on the Raceways Yamaha.
Bridewell then moved ahead of Stacey and a few laps later, Ray also made his move, however later in the race, the Bathams AJN Racing BMW rider would make a move back for fifth to push the championship contender into sixth at the chequered flag.
At the front the final two lap dogfight began with Ryde leading, however Redding was on the attack and claimed the position on the special edition liveried Hager PBM Ducati, celebrating the 70th anniversary of their title partner.
Haslam then made a move to change the leader again and as the trio began the final lap of the race, the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing rider was ahead of Redding and Ryde with nothing separating them for victory.
Redding seized the advantage at turn one and Haslam and Ryde were both pushing, but he was able to hold off the pair to make it a double on Bennetts BSB’s return to the TT Circuit Assen with Haslam in turn holding off Ryde.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, TT Circuit Assen, Race 2 result:
Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki)
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) +1.241s
Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) +2.848s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +4.963s
Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +7.278s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +9.973s
Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +10.776s
Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +11.195s
Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +11.372s
John McPhee (MasterMac Honda) +19.676s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, TT Circuit Assen, Race 3 result:
Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati)
Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +0.505s
Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +0.624s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +2.748s
Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +10.137s
Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) +10.182s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +11.841s
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) +15.170s
Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +17.652s
Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +21.698s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) 391
Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) 360
Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) 280
Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) 268
Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 240
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 236
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 217
Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati) 207.5
Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 182
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 158
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
SCOTT REDDING – HAGER PBM DUCATI
“In the first race this morning I felt like a right goon riding round back there! With this livery, you’re supposed to deliver when you’ve got special things like this, it fired me up. I had a bad tyre and nothing I could do, so I was thinking ‘do I risk just throwing it down the road for a couple of positions, not really worth it to be honest’.
“And then I came in and I didn’t even bank a lap time for the next race, so I thought I was 13th but turned out to be 15th so I thought, come on, wind me up some more baby. I got off to the first start of the race and I had it between my teeth, but had a bit more control than Donington, so I learnt my lesson last time out and I was firing up overtakes, which has been my weaker point.
“I’ve been a little bit nicer to these guys but I had to turn the wick up to come up through and I moved up and they started putting their hands up, safety is always first and then I had a nice reset and start eighth on the grid so the luck started to change for me.
“Then we went out for that second restart and my start wasn’t too bad, I don’t remember the start of races, it is just chaos but just needed to move up. I got to Leon, Kyle was holding a good enough pace that I couldn’t reel him fast enough so couldn’t take a breather, I thought I might have a little bit in the pocket but he was just hitting markers as he always does and keeps it clean and Leon was just defending from me.
“I was kind of waiting to pounce on Kyle and I knew I needed to get in to that mix and then with a few laps to go the sparks flew and we were throwing everything at each other but it was super clean tidy racing. You know I love racing like that where it is hard, you get so much adrenaline but its clean and fair, there was no dirty moves and respected each other and we put on a show out there. To have that anniversary for Hager and to win and race with these boys has been amazing.”
Matthew Paternoster (810) seen during the recent ASRA weekend at NJMP. Photo by @noiselessproductions.
Bettencourt Racing powered by AK Race Fab will field a two-rider lineup for the MotoAmerica season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, September 26–28, with Matthew Paternoster joining the team in the SC Project Twins Cup and Nathan Bettencourt returning to the grid in the Parts Unlimited Talent Cup.
Matthew Paternoster, of Delanson, NY, will make his MotoAmerica debut aboard his Sticker Mule-sponsored Aprilia RS660 in the Twins Cup class. This marks the culmination of Patternoster’s first full season as an expert-level rider, with a national round entry set as a personal goal from the outset. “Matt’s been grinding all year, working hard on his program, and earned this shot,”said Adam Kells, Crew Chief and owner of AK Race Fab. “We’re proud to have him under the AKRF tent and are excited to see him on track.”
Nathan Bettencourt, 15, of Medford, MA, will once again pilot his Krämer APX350MA in the Talent Cup class. After a season of steady progression and multiple top-ten finishes — including a recent top-five at COTA — Bettencourt is looking to capitalize on his familiarity with the NJMP layout. “We’ve seen Nathan’s confidence grow round by round,” said Kells.“He knows this track, and with the hard work put in by himself and the team, he’s ready to cash in at this round”.
Joining the team as Co-Crew Chief for the weekend is Charles “Jesse” Sandoz of Wonalancet, NH — Co-Owner of Seacoast Sport Cycle in Derry, NH, Aprilia & Ducati Master Technician, and multi-class club champion with over 30 years of trackside experience. “It’s an honor to have Jesse under our tent this weekend to keep Matt and his Aprilia in contention,”said Kells.“His knowledge, technical abilities, and drive have made him an incredible employer, mentor, and more importantly, friend over the years.”
Bettencourt Racing powered by AK Race Fab is proud to represent a growing roster of regional sponsors and supporters. Fans can follow the team’s progress on Instagram:
@akracefab
@nathanbettencourtracing
@seacoastsportcycle
@stickermule
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In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
Alan Techer – F.C.C. TSR Honda France 
Taiga Hada – F.C.C. TSR Honda France 
SCOTT REDDING – HAGER PBM DUCATI
![The team celebrates on balcony [l-r] Etienne Masson, Dan Linfoot, Gregg Black, Yohei Kato, Damien Saulnier. Photo courtesy SERT Team.](https://www.roadracingworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/bol-dor-2025-team-on-balcony_1758492326-e1758492358320-696x442.jpg "The team celebrates on balcony [l-r] Etienne Masson, Dan Linfoot, Gregg Black, Yohei Kato, Damien Saulnier. Photo courtesy SERT Team.")
