David Alonso broke the All-Time Moto3 Lap Record Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain, and then he lowered it even further Friday afternoon.
Riding his Pirelli-shod Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO in Free Practice One on Friday morning, the 18-year-old Colombian covered the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) road course in 1:44.590, breaking Andrea Migno’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:44.988 from 2021.
In Friday afternoon’s Practice One, Alonso turned a 1:43.710, smashing his own hours-old lap record and topping the next-fastest rider by 0.969 second!
Brothers and teammates Alex and Marc Marquez finished MotoGP Free Practice One (FP1) first and second, respectively, Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain.
Younger brother Alex led the session with a 1:36.630 on his Michelin-shod Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici, while older brother Marc, the six-time MotoGP World Champion, was second-best with a 1:37.137 around the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course.
The best of the rest was Maverick Vinales, who turned a third-quickest 1:37.221 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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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Click here for a sample issue of Roadracing World magazine. (Print Edition, one sample issue per household, U.S. address only.)
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.
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.
Loris Baz (76). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Richie Escalante (54). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Max Flinders (88) leads Hayden Gillim (1) during King Of The Baggers Race Two at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Troy Herfoss carried Max Flinders onto the podium after Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
“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.
David Alonso broke the All-Time Moto3 Lap Record Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain, and then he lowered it even further Friday afternoon.
Riding his Pirelli-shod Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO in Free Practice One on Friday morning, the 18-year-old Colombian covered the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) road course in 1:44.590, breaking Andrea Migno’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:44.988 from 2021.
In Friday afternoon’s Practice One, Alonso turned a 1:43.710, smashing his own hours-old lap record and topping the next-fastest rider by 0.969 second!
Brothers and teammates Alex and Marc Marquez finished MotoGP Free Practice One (FP1) first and second, respectively, Friday morning at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain.
Younger brother Alex led the session with a 1:36.630 on his Michelin-shod Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici, while older brother Marc, the six-time MotoGP World Champion, was second-best with a 1:37.137 around the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course.
The best of the rest was Maverick Vinales, who turned a third-quickest 1:37.221 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP.
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.
David Alonso (80), as seen in Qatar. Photo courtesy Aspar Team.
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.
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.
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;
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.
Jorge Martin (89) leads Francesco Bagnaia (1) and Marco Bezzecchi (72) in the 2023 MotoGP race at Misano, all running magic Michelin rear tires.
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!
Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine is available in print and digital formats.
Click here for a sample issue of Roadracing World magazine. (Print Edition, one sample issue per household, U.S. address only.)
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley (right) and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom (left). Photo courtesy Mat Oxley.
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.
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 (76) leading JD Beach (95) and Richie Escalante (54) during MotoAmerica Superbike Race One at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Loris Baz (76). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Richie Escalante (54). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Max Flinders (88) leads Hayden Gillim (1) during King Of The Baggers Race Two at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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.
Troy Herfoss carried Max Flinders onto the podium after Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Enea Bastianini (23) and Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Ducati.
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.
“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.
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A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
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www.roadracingworld.com
July 25, 2025
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