Alonso Lopez led Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Lopez covered the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:40.797 on his Pirelli-shod Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro to lead the field of 32 riders.
American Joe Roberts, who currently sits second in the World Championship point standings, was sixth with a time of 1:41.192 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Moto2 FP1
David Alonso was quickest in FIM Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Pirelli-shod Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO, the 18-year-old Colombian covered the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) road course in 1:44.590. Not only was that fastest enough to top the field of 26 riders, it was also fast enough to break Andrea Migno’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:44.988 from 2021.
Moto3 FP1
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
The entire Roadracing World Young Guns, Class of 2024 is featured in the April 2024 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
Hank Vossberg
Age: 13.
Current home: De Pere, Wisconsin.
Current height/weight: 5’4”/112 pounds.
Current school grade level: 8th grade.
Began riding at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2017, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Midwest Karting Assoc., Kids Mini Supermoto, 1st.
Current racebikes: Aprilia RS 660, Kramer 690, Kawasaki ZX-6R and KX450.
Current tuners/mechanics: Redeye Performance, William “Billy” Vossberg (father).
Primary race series: N2/WERA National Championship, WERA, CRA.
Top sponsors: Robem Engineering, P501 Suspension, Redeye Performance, Millennium Technologies, Schmotter Motion Racing, Vortex, Forma Boots, LS2 Helmets, Mark and Pam Madigan, Kramer Motorcycles, Initech Consulting, Cedar Creek Motorsports, Wiseco, NGK.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, won Clubman Expert WERA Sportsman North Central Regional Championship (19 race wins with WERA), placed 3rd in Ultra-Lightweight Championship N2/WERA National Endurance Championship (1 win, 2 total podiums), won 13 CRA races, finished 2nd in two Road America Supermoto Club Championships (450 Pro, Sportsman); 2022 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championships (D Superbike Expert, F Superstock Expert), 10 race wins with WERA, co-rode to N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight class victory, won CCS 300 GP Expert Midwest Regional Championship, won ASRA Moto3 National race, won Road America Supermoto Mini Championship; 2021 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championship (D Superstock Novice, F Superstock Novice), won 4 WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships, won 18 WERA races.
2024 racing goals: Win N2/WERA National Endurance Lightweight Championship, win 450 Pro Road America Supermoto Championship.
Racing career goal: Finish in the top five of a MotoAmerica race.
Racing hero: Josh Hayes.
Favorite track: Carolina Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Playing other sports.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Skiing.
…
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
Featured In the April 2024 issue of Roadracing World:
If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was magic. We are watching a Michelin Moto GP rear slick being made and it is a thing of wonder.
The tire is being created from nothing by Michelin’s C3M process, which is basically a huge 3D printer, measuring about four meters square and standing several meters tall. The tire is built on a spinning, heated steel mold, one ingredient after the other.
Computer-controlled robot arms whizz this way and that, applying the base rubber via a multi-head nozzle; knitting in metal cords, both the belts around the tire’s bead and the cords crisscrossed across the tire; then knitting in textile cords; then applying the rubber compound that does the work, layer by layer. Everything happens at high speed, a blur before our eyes…
“MotoGP Analysis: Conjuring Magic Tires,” by Mat Oxley
Michelin has been MotoGP’s exclusive tire supplier for almost a decade now. We get a rare peek inside the company’s MotoGP tire lab and see how its racing tires are made—by a giant 3D printer! It’s all in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
This podcast is “MotoGP – Scoops From The Spies.”
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
Question: what do the CIA, MI5, the KGB and the Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast have in common? Answer: they all have their own highly paid spies. This week, we’re tuning into the secret radio stations and decoding the scrambled messages in order to bring you some inside scoops!
There’s a large manufacturer getting ready to enter MotoGP, but their racing record is less than stellar. There’s a big player aiming to recruit Marc Marquez, but he might have a hidden motive. And Pramac Racing might be getting an offer they can’t refuse, courtesy of a big name in Japan…
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Loris Baz, Richie Escalante, and Max Flinders all suffered significant injuries during the MotoAmerica event at Road Atlanta, and now we know more about their injuries and their prognoses.
Fighting for position, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Escalante drove through the finish line at the end of Superbike Race One on the gas, but unfortunately Baz, who crossed the finish line 0.5-second ahead of Escalante, slowed a little more and a little sooner. Escalante also said he was slightly distracted. Caught off guard, Escalante ran into the back of Baz at 99.4 mph (160 kph).
Both riders crashed and suffered injuries.
Baz injured his right foot/ankle. After coming off a recent surgery to repair his right foot/ankle and suffering many injuries before that, Baz decided to return to his home in France to see his regular doctor who knows him well. That doctor diagnosed him with a new fracture to the end of his tibia (lower leg bone) that protrudes on the inner side of the ankle.
The fracture was stabilized with a screw inserted during surgery, and Baz is reporting via social media that he will be able to race in the next MotoAmerica Superbike round May 17-19 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Escalante was hospitalized immediately after the crash and was diagnosed with a broken left wrist and three compression fractures to his L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae. After being held for observation overnight, Escalante was released on Sunday, April 21, and returned to his home in Mexico. There, Escalante underwent further examinations that confirmed his wrist and vertebrae fractures and it was discovered that he also fractured his medial malleolus bone, the same fracture Baz suffered, in his left ankle.
Escalante underwent surgery to stabilize the fractures in his wrist and ankle but his fractured vertebrae will be left to heal naturally. This, unfortunately, will take time, and Escalante said he expects to be out of action two to three months.
Flinders highsided his Thrashed Bike Racing Yamaha at the end of wet Superbike Race Two and then immediately got on his Mad Monkey Motorsports Indian Challenger for King Of The Baggers Race Two. Flinders rode an inspired race, overcoming a huge highside save to beat defending Champion Hayden Gillim in a fight for third place overall and as the top finisher on rain tires on the drying track.
After the race, Flinders was unable to walk due to a painful injury to his right hip. He was carried onto the podium by race winner Troy Herfoss and was then carried into and out of the post-race press conference room. Later, Flinders was diagnosed to have a fractured right femur. Luckily, it’s a hairline fracture that given some non-weight-bearing rest will allow him to try to ride at Barber, he told RoadracingWorld.com.
The Ducati Lenovo Team returns to the track this weekend at Jerez to tackle the Spanish GP
Following the GP of the Americas, the Ducati Lenovo Team heads back to Europe for the fourth round of the 2024 MotoGP season, the Spanish GP, scheduled for April 26-28 at Jerez de la Frontera.
The Circuit de Jerez – Ángel Nieto will host the World Championship for the 39th time this year. Ducati has achieved 10 podiums at the Andalusian track and has triumphed on four occasions. Before 2021, the track was reputed to be one of the most challenging for the constructor from Borgo Panigale, which had only managed to secure a single victory in 2006 with Loris Capirossi. However, in the last three editions of the Grand Prix, the Ducati Lenovo Team has emerged as the absolute protagonist: in 2021, it secured an extraordinary one-two with Jack Miller, winner ahead of his teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who went on to achieve two spectacular victories in both 2022 and 2023.
Fresh off the back of two consecutive podium finishes in Portugal and the United States, Enea Bastianini arrives in Spain determined to vie for the top positions again and add crucial points to his position in the overall standing. Currently second, he trails leader and fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing) by 21 points. Francesco Bagnaia, who currently sits fifth in the World Championship with 50 points, returns to the track to contend for victory on a circuit where he has consistently been among the frontrunners in the past.
Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd (59 points):
“I’m happy to be back racing at Jerez. It’s a gorgeous track where I enjoy riding a lot. Last year, I attempted to return here after my shoulder injury, but I wasn’t ready and had to retire before the two races. This year, we’re racing in Spain on the back of two podiums, and although Jerez is a very different track from Austin, we have all the conditions in place for another successful weekend. I’ve regained the feeling with the bike, and our teamwork is strong. I need to focus on being more consistent in the early stages of the race and being more decisive in the Sprint. After the GP, we will have a day of testing here at Jerez, which will be crucial for addressing all aspects we don’t have time to refine during the race weekend.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th (50 points):
“In the last two Grands Prix, we’ve been on the defensive. Jerez presents a challenge different from the tracks we’ve raced so far, so working diligently in every session to understand how the GP24 behaves on this circuit is essential. Over the past two years, we’ve got two fantastic wins here in Spain, and I’m going to contend again for the top positions this weekend. With plenty of fast riders on the grid, it won’t be easy, but we’re determined and prepared to give it our all.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will hit the track on Friday, April 26, at 10:45 local time (GMT +2.00) for the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Borgo Panigale team will remain at Jerez for a day of official collective testing following the race weekend on Monday.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
The entire Roadracing World Young Guns, Class of 2024 is featured in the April 2024 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
Max Van
Age: 18.
Current home: Shelby, Michigan.
Current height/weight: 5’11”/150 pounds.
Current school grade level: Graduated High School.
Began riding motorcycles at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2019, Grattan, Michigan, WERA, 3 Novice classes, 3 wins.
Current racebike: Suzuki GSX-R750.
Current tuners/mechanics: Brian Van (father), Dave Bavol, Jimmy Fox, and RJ Van.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Supersport.
Top sponsors: Precision Track Days, 2 Wheel DynoWorks, SportbikeTrackGear.com and its customers.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, placed 3rd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (4 podium finishes), won N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight race at PittRace; 2022 season, finished 5th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 wins, 5 total podiums), 2 class podium finishes in N2/WERA National Endurance races; 2021 season, finished 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 top-10 finishes in 18 races, best race finish was 4th); 2020 season, placed 17th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (only competed in 3 rounds, 2 top-10 finishes), won WERA North Central Regional F Superstock Expert Championship (6 race wins); 2019 season, finished 2nd in WERA North Central Regional D Superbike and D Superstock Novice Championships (12 race wins).
2024 racing goal: Finish in the top eight in the MotoAmerica Supersport with at least one podium finish.
Racing career goal: Spend my life working in motorsports.
Racing heroes: Chris Ulrich, Brian Van.
Favorite track: VIR.
Favorite hobbies: Working for my family’s business, SportbikeTrackGear.com, pursuing fitness training.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Riding around and doing track days with our awesome STG customers.
…
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
As the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing sets its sights on taking the points lead early, but the Vance & Hines team is ready for any opportunity to edge out the factory on their own race-prepared Road Glides.
#HarleyDavidson #MotoAmerica #KingoftheBaggers
Progressive AFT’s Stars to Shine Big and Bright at Mission Texas Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returns to action this weekend with the Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda and Roof Systems of Dallas at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, April 27.
The series’ stop in Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the most significant annually due to its immediate proximity to the home bases of several of Progressive AFT’s partners and teams, including Mission Foods, Roof Systems of Dallas, TX, and Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda.
That naturally celebratory atmosphere will be elevated into another stratosphere in 2024, as the round will take place alongside the Goodguys 14th LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals presented by TREMEC, which will feature over 2500 classic vehicles among numerous other attractions, at the sprawling Texas Motor Speedway.
Reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) comes into this weekend’s high-profile Mission SuperTwins showdown with a great deal going in his fashion. Not only is Mees’ the sport’s all-time winningest rider in the Half-Mile discipline with a remarkable 37 such victories to his name, he’s also triumphed in the series’ most recent three stops at Texas Motor Speedway (2018, 2019, 2022), its most recent Half-Mile (Black Hills HM, ‘23), and its most recent race full-stop (Senoia ST).
However, he also returns to Texas looking up at two rivals in the early 2024 point standings. Chief rival Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who is determined to rip the torch free from Mee’s throttle hand if necessary, currently leads the way on the strength of finishes of first, second, and third in the season’s opening three races.
And slotted in between Daniels and Mees is the on-form Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who would like nothing more than to move into the points lead with a win at his team’s home race this weekend.
Several other riders will be in contention for the win as well, headlined by two-time premier-class champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) and joined by fellow Mission SuperTwins race winners Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke).
Others to keep close tabs on include fourth-ranked Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda duo of Dan Bromley (No. 62 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp) and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), and highly rated rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R).
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
The early ‘24 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title fight has taken on pretty much the same shape as the previous two. Following three rounds, double defending champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) is firmly in control and well on his way to ending this season’s campaign as the undisputed most decorated rider in class history.
And that means the remainder of a talent-laden field must rise up and meet Kopp’s challenge or risk serving as a backdrop to history. An elite handful of riders in the pack have proven they have the skills to go bar-to-bar with Kopp on any given night. It’s just a matter of doing so as consistently as the Rick Ware Racing ace.
Second-ranked Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) has the tools to do so as evidenced by the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class crown included on his lengthy résumé. And third-ranked Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) showed himself to be equal to the task during a torrid second-half run in 2023.
Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) was victorious in Texas a year ago, albeit at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. But no 450 rider has been as successful at Texas Motor Speedway as Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F), who boasts wins at the track in 2017 and 2019 among her category-leading tally.
Others would likely be content to first finish atop the box this weekend and go from there, a list of pilots that starts with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R), who still seeks a maiden victory despite logging numerous podiums and battling up front on a week-in, week-out basis, and includes the likes of James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) and, Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F).
Fan activities will get underway on Friday, April 26, with Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Pre-Party where fans, riders, and team crew can get together at the dealership from 5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. local time to enjoy food, fun, and a storewide sale.
There will be plenty to keep spectators entertained at the event on Saturday off the track as well, including numerous vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, live music courtesy of Texas-based rock & roll/dance party band Time Thief, face painting and character drawings for kids, extensive motorcycle parking, and a fireworks display at the end of the evening.
A special Goodguys General Admission Combo ticket is available HERE for just $55 (kids 12 and under $13), which includes Saturday admission to the Goodguys 14th LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals and General Admission to the Mission Texas Half Mile that evening.
Standalone General Admission Grandstand tickets can be purchased for $35 (kids 12 and under $5), while Reserved Grandstand tickets are $45 (all ages). The Pit Pass Upgrade can be added to either option. A climate-controlled experience including Pit Pass access is available either through individual Indoor Suite tickets ($150) or by reserving a Private Indoor Suite ($2000) that can accommodate up to twenty people.
New for 2024 is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($150 all ages). This ticket option provides reserved seating with Pit Pass access, a guided tour of, and photo opportunities at, the infield podium and start/finish line, infield viewing of Opening Ceremonies and the heat races, and a track talk and photo opportunity with 2016 Grand National Champion Bryan Smith.
Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/texas-half-mile-86387 to reserve your seats today.
Gates will open for fans at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FOX Sports coverage of the Mission Texas Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 5, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
Alonso Lopez led Moto2 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Lopez covered the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:40.797 on his Pirelli-shod Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro to lead the field of 32 riders.
American Joe Roberts, who currently sits second in the World Championship point standings, was sixth with a time of 1:41.192 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Moto2 FP1
David Alonso was quickest in FIM Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Pirelli-shod Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO, the 18-year-old Colombian covered the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) road course in 1:44.590. Not only was that fastest enough to top the field of 26 riders, it was also fast enough to break Andrea Migno’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:44.988 from 2021.
Moto3 FP1
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
The entire Roadracing World Young Guns, Class of 2024 is featured in the April 2024 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
Hank Vossberg
Age: 13.
Current home: De Pere, Wisconsin.
Current height/weight: 5’4”/112 pounds.
Current school grade level: 8th grade.
Began riding at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2017, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Midwest Karting Assoc., Kids Mini Supermoto, 1st.
Current racebikes: Aprilia RS 660, Kramer 690, Kawasaki ZX-6R and KX450.
Current tuners/mechanics: Redeye Performance, William “Billy” Vossberg (father).
Primary race series: N2/WERA National Championship, WERA, CRA.
Top sponsors: Robem Engineering, P501 Suspension, Redeye Performance, Millennium Technologies, Schmotter Motion Racing, Vortex, Forma Boots, LS2 Helmets, Mark and Pam Madigan, Kramer Motorcycles, Initech Consulting, Cedar Creek Motorsports, Wiseco, NGK.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, won Clubman Expert WERA Sportsman North Central Regional Championship (19 race wins with WERA), placed 3rd in Ultra-Lightweight Championship N2/WERA National Endurance Championship (1 win, 2 total podiums), won 13 CRA races, finished 2nd in two Road America Supermoto Club Championships (450 Pro, Sportsman); 2022 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championships (D Superbike Expert, F Superstock Expert), 10 race wins with WERA, co-rode to N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight class victory, won CCS 300 GP Expert Midwest Regional Championship, won ASRA Moto3 National race, won Road America Supermoto Mini Championship; 2021 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championship (D Superstock Novice, F Superstock Novice), won 4 WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships, won 18 WERA races.
2024 racing goals: Win N2/WERA National Endurance Lightweight Championship, win 450 Pro Road America Supermoto Championship.
Racing career goal: Finish in the top five of a MotoAmerica race.
Racing hero: Josh Hayes.
Favorite track: Carolina Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Playing other sports.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Skiing.
…
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
Featured In the April 2024 issue of Roadracing World:
If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was magic. We are watching a Michelin Moto GP rear slick being made and it is a thing of wonder.
The tire is being created from nothing by Michelin’s C3M process, which is basically a huge 3D printer, measuring about four meters square and standing several meters tall. The tire is built on a spinning, heated steel mold, one ingredient after the other.
Computer-controlled robot arms whizz this way and that, applying the base rubber via a multi-head nozzle; knitting in metal cords, both the belts around the tire’s bead and the cords crisscrossed across the tire; then knitting in textile cords; then applying the rubber compound that does the work, layer by layer. Everything happens at high speed, a blur before our eyes…
“MotoGP Analysis: Conjuring Magic Tires,” by Mat Oxley
Michelin has been MotoGP’s exclusive tire supplier for almost a decade now. We get a rare peek inside the company’s MotoGP tire lab and see how its racing tires are made—by a giant 3D printer! It’s all in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
This podcast is “MotoGP – Scoops From The Spies.”
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
Question: what do the CIA, MI5, the KGB and the Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast have in common? Answer: they all have their own highly paid spies. This week, we’re tuning into the secret radio stations and decoding the scrambled messages in order to bring you some inside scoops!
There’s a large manufacturer getting ready to enter MotoGP, but their racing record is less than stellar. There’s a big player aiming to recruit Marc Marquez, but he might have a hidden motive. And Pramac Racing might be getting an offer they can’t refuse, courtesy of a big name in Japan…
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
Loris Baz, Richie Escalante, and Max Flinders all suffered significant injuries during the MotoAmerica event at Road Atlanta, and now we know more about their injuries and their prognoses.
Fighting for position, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Escalante drove through the finish line at the end of Superbike Race One on the gas, but unfortunately Baz, who crossed the finish line 0.5-second ahead of Escalante, slowed a little more and a little sooner. Escalante also said he was slightly distracted. Caught off guard, Escalante ran into the back of Baz at 99.4 mph (160 kph).
Both riders crashed and suffered injuries.
Baz injured his right foot/ankle. After coming off a recent surgery to repair his right foot/ankle and suffering many injuries before that, Baz decided to return to his home in France to see his regular doctor who knows him well. That doctor diagnosed him with a new fracture to the end of his tibia (lower leg bone) that protrudes on the inner side of the ankle.
The fracture was stabilized with a screw inserted during surgery, and Baz is reporting via social media that he will be able to race in the next MotoAmerica Superbike round May 17-19 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Escalante was hospitalized immediately after the crash and was diagnosed with a broken left wrist and three compression fractures to his L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae. After being held for observation overnight, Escalante was released on Sunday, April 21, and returned to his home in Mexico. There, Escalante underwent further examinations that confirmed his wrist and vertebrae fractures and it was discovered that he also fractured his medial malleolus bone, the same fracture Baz suffered, in his left ankle.
Escalante underwent surgery to stabilize the fractures in his wrist and ankle but his fractured vertebrae will be left to heal naturally. This, unfortunately, will take time, and Escalante said he expects to be out of action two to three months.
Flinders highsided his Thrashed Bike Racing Yamaha at the end of wet Superbike Race Two and then immediately got on his Mad Monkey Motorsports Indian Challenger for King Of The Baggers Race Two. Flinders rode an inspired race, overcoming a huge highside save to beat defending Champion Hayden Gillim in a fight for third place overall and as the top finisher on rain tires on the drying track.
After the race, Flinders was unable to walk due to a painful injury to his right hip. He was carried onto the podium by race winner Troy Herfoss and was then carried into and out of the post-race press conference room. Later, Flinders was diagnosed to have a fractured right femur. Luckily, it’s a hairline fracture that given some non-weight-bearing rest will allow him to try to ride at Barber, he told RoadracingWorld.com.
The Ducati Lenovo Team returns to the track this weekend at Jerez to tackle the Spanish GP
Following the GP of the Americas, the Ducati Lenovo Team heads back to Europe for the fourth round of the 2024 MotoGP season, the Spanish GP, scheduled for April 26-28 at Jerez de la Frontera.
The Circuit de Jerez – Ángel Nieto will host the World Championship for the 39th time this year. Ducati has achieved 10 podiums at the Andalusian track and has triumphed on four occasions. Before 2021, the track was reputed to be one of the most challenging for the constructor from Borgo Panigale, which had only managed to secure a single victory in 2006 with Loris Capirossi. However, in the last three editions of the Grand Prix, the Ducati Lenovo Team has emerged as the absolute protagonist: in 2021, it secured an extraordinary one-two with Jack Miller, winner ahead of his teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who went on to achieve two spectacular victories in both 2022 and 2023.
Fresh off the back of two consecutive podium finishes in Portugal and the United States, Enea Bastianini arrives in Spain determined to vie for the top positions again and add crucial points to his position in the overall standing. Currently second, he trails leader and fellow Ducati rider Jorge Martín (Pramac Racing) by 21 points. Francesco Bagnaia, who currently sits fifth in the World Championship with 50 points, returns to the track to contend for victory on a circuit where he has consistently been among the frontrunners in the past.
Enea Bastianini (#23, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 2nd (59 points):
“I’m happy to be back racing at Jerez. It’s a gorgeous track where I enjoy riding a lot. Last year, I attempted to return here after my shoulder injury, but I wasn’t ready and had to retire before the two races. This year, we’re racing in Spain on the back of two podiums, and although Jerez is a very different track from Austin, we have all the conditions in place for another successful weekend. I’ve regained the feeling with the bike, and our teamwork is strong. I need to focus on being more consistent in the early stages of the race and being more decisive in the Sprint. After the GP, we will have a day of testing here at Jerez, which will be crucial for addressing all aspects we don’t have time to refine during the race weekend.”
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 5th (50 points):
“In the last two Grands Prix, we’ve been on the defensive. Jerez presents a challenge different from the tracks we’ve raced so far, so working diligently in every session to understand how the GP24 behaves on this circuit is essential. Over the past two years, we’ve got two fantastic wins here in Spain, and I’m going to contend again for the top positions this weekend. With plenty of fast riders on the grid, it won’t be easy, but we’re determined and prepared to give it our all.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will hit the track on Friday, April 26, at 10:45 local time (GMT +2.00) for the first free practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix. The Borgo Panigale team will remain at Jerez for a day of official collective testing following the race weekend on Monday.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 28th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 13 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2024 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
The entire Roadracing World Young Guns, Class of 2024 is featured in the April 2024 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.
Max Van
Age: 18.
Current home: Shelby, Michigan.
Current height/weight: 5’11”/150 pounds.
Current school grade level: Graduated High School.
Began riding motorcycles at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2019, Grattan, Michigan, WERA, 3 Novice classes, 3 wins.
Current racebike: Suzuki GSX-R750.
Current tuners/mechanics: Brian Van (father), Dave Bavol, Jimmy Fox, and RJ Van.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Supersport.
Top sponsors: Precision Track Days, 2 Wheel DynoWorks, SportbikeTrackGear.com and its customers.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, placed 3rd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (4 podium finishes), won N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight race at PittRace; 2022 season, finished 5th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 wins, 5 total podiums), 2 class podium finishes in N2/WERA National Endurance races; 2021 season, finished 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 top-10 finishes in 18 races, best race finish was 4th); 2020 season, placed 17th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (only competed in 3 rounds, 2 top-10 finishes), won WERA North Central Regional F Superstock Expert Championship (6 race wins); 2019 season, finished 2nd in WERA North Central Regional D Superbike and D Superstock Novice Championships (12 race wins).
2024 racing goal: Finish in the top eight in the MotoAmerica Supersport with at least one podium finish.
Racing career goal: Spend my life working in motorsports.
Racing heroes: Chris Ulrich, Brian Van.
Favorite track: VIR.
Favorite hobbies: Working for my family’s business, SportbikeTrackGear.com, pursuing fitness training.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Riding around and doing track days with our awesome STG customers.
…
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and three-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, and MotoAmerica Superbike racer Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and three-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and MotoAmerica Super Hooligan race winner Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
As the 2023 MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing sets its sights on taking the points lead early, but the Vance & Hines team is ready for any opportunity to edge out the factory on their own race-prepared Road Glides.
#HarleyDavidson #MotoAmerica #KingoftheBaggers
Progressive AFT’s Stars to Shine Big and Bright at Mission Texas Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, returns to action this weekend with the Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda and Roof Systems of Dallas at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday, April 27.
The series’ stop in Dallas-Fort Worth is one of the most significant annually due to its immediate proximity to the home bases of several of Progressive AFT’s partners and teams, including Mission Foods, Roof Systems of Dallas, TX, and Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda.
That naturally celebratory atmosphere will be elevated into another stratosphere in 2024, as the round will take place alongside the Goodguys 14th LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals presented by TREMEC, which will feature over 2500 classic vehicles among numerous other attractions, at the sprawling Texas Motor Speedway.
Reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) comes into this weekend’s high-profile Mission SuperTwins showdown with a great deal going in his fashion. Not only is Mees’ the sport’s all-time winningest rider in the Half-Mile discipline with a remarkable 37 such victories to his name, he’s also triumphed in the series’ most recent three stops at Texas Motor Speedway (2018, 2019, 2022), its most recent Half-Mile (Black Hills HM, ‘23), and its most recent race full-stop (Senoia ST).
However, he also returns to Texas looking up at two rivals in the early 2024 point standings. Chief rival Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who is determined to rip the torch free from Mee’s throttle hand if necessary, currently leads the way on the strength of finishes of first, second, and third in the season’s opening three races.
And slotted in between Daniels and Mees is the on-form Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who would like nothing more than to move into the points lead with a win at his team’s home race this weekend.
Several other riders will be in contention for the win as well, headlined by two-time premier-class champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) and joined by fellow Mission SuperTwins race winners Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke).
Others to keep close tabs on include fourth-ranked Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda duo of Dan Bromley (No. 62 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp) and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), and highly rated rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R).
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
The early ‘24 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title fight has taken on pretty much the same shape as the previous two. Following three rounds, double defending champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) is firmly in control and well on his way to ending this season’s campaign as the undisputed most decorated rider in class history.
And that means the remainder of a talent-laden field must rise up and meet Kopp’s challenge or risk serving as a backdrop to history. An elite handful of riders in the pack have proven they have the skills to go bar-to-bar with Kopp on any given night. It’s just a matter of doing so as consistently as the Rick Ware Racing ace.
Second-ranked Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) has the tools to do so as evidenced by the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class crown included on his lengthy résumé. And third-ranked Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) showed himself to be equal to the task during a torrid second-half run in 2023.
Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) was victorious in Texas a year ago, albeit at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. But no 450 rider has been as successful at Texas Motor Speedway as Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F), who boasts wins at the track in 2017 and 2019 among her category-leading tally.
Others would likely be content to first finish atop the box this weekend and go from there, a list of pilots that starts with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R), who still seeks a maiden victory despite logging numerous podiums and battling up front on a week-in, week-out basis, and includes the likes of James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) and, Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F).
Fan activities will get underway on Friday, April 26, with Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Pre-Party where fans, riders, and team crew can get together at the dealership from 5:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. local time to enjoy food, fun, and a storewide sale.
There will be plenty to keep spectators entertained at the event on Saturday off the track as well, including numerous vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, live music courtesy of Texas-based rock & roll/dance party band Time Thief, face painting and character drawings for kids, extensive motorcycle parking, and a fireworks display at the end of the evening.
A special Goodguys General Admission Combo ticket is available HERE for just $55 (kids 12 and under $13), which includes Saturday admission to the Goodguys 14th LMC Truck Spring Lone Star Nationals and General Admission to the Mission Texas Half Mile that evening.
Standalone General Admission Grandstand tickets can be purchased for $35 (kids 12 and under $5), while Reserved Grandstand tickets are $45 (all ages). The Pit Pass Upgrade can be added to either option. A climate-controlled experience including Pit Pass access is available either through individual Indoor Suite tickets ($150) or by reserving a Private Indoor Suite ($2000) that can accommodate up to twenty people.
New for 2024 is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($150 all ages). This ticket option provides reserved seating with Pit Pass access, a guided tour of, and photo opportunities at, the infield podium and start/finish line, infield viewing of Opening Ceremonies and the heat races, and a track talk and photo opportunity with 2016 Grand National Champion Bryan Smith.
Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/texas-half-mile-86387 to reserve your seats today.
Gates will open for fans at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FOX Sports coverage of the Mission Texas Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 5, at 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
