UtahSBA: Norton Wins At Round 2 and Busse Shines During Supermoto

Mathilde Gasnier

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May 28, 2025

UtahSBA: Norton Wins At Round 2 and Busse Shines During Supermoto

Superbike racing continued May 24-25 in Utah for round 2 of the USBA Masters of the Mountains series presented by Utah Motorcycle Law. The Series moved to the West Track configuration at Burt Brothers Motorpark for the second round where racers were greeted with great weather and a full weekend of racing action. Increased Purse Money had racers leaving it all on track battling for their share of over $8000 in payouts for Novice and Expert classes.

Saturday morning started off with Qualifying sessions for all classes and riders wasted no time throwing down their fastest laps to set grids for the weekend. Anthony Norton went straight to the top of the time sheets with a 1:29.4 on his second lap, then besting his time with an astonishing 1:28.8 in his second session to put himself p1 on the King of the Mountain grid followed By Justin Delong qualifying p2 with a 1:31.6 and Brian Childree p3 clocking a 1:32.5. With the weekend’s grids set, it was time to go Racing!

Sprint Racing on Saturday was intense, with great battles throughout the classes. Most notable was in the Expert Moto2 class where Middleweight Racers Lee Mcnutt, Alex Cantrell, and Chayce Lance stole the show. When the lights went out Chayce nailed the start and the secured the Holeshot. Lee Made the pass for the lead on lap 2 and never looked back, but Chayce and Alex kept him firmly in sight for the remainder of the race. In the last two laps Alex and Chayce exchanged positions multiple times fighting over the final podium spots but in the final exchanges on the last , Cantrell would take 2nd over Lance in 3rd. The intensity only built through the afternoon leading into the days main event, The USBA Endurance race.

Riders, Crews, and Fans flocked to hotpit and the grandstands in anticipation of Saturdays main Event, the 90-minute Endurance Race. At the start of the race, it was the Precision Fab Racing duo of Anthony Norton and Kohl Burmester taking an early lead. Paradigm Racing riders Lee Callans and Dale KieWer were putting in consistent laps and firmly in second before the pitstop strategies started to unfold. The Paradigm team was able to run the flag-to-flag race with just one stop for fuel where the Precision Fab Racing team would have to take an extra pitstop. After the final stop, Norton aboard the Precision Fab ZX10 was trailing Lee Callans on the Paradigm R6 with about 15 minutes to go. When time ran out Norton had overtaken Callans for the Team Endurance and Overall win leaving Precision Fab Racing 1st, Paradigm Racing 2nd, and the Relay team of Meyer, Jackson, and Alfano in 3rd overall.

Start of the Endurance race. Photo by Crystal Doll

The highlight story of this race may have been the outstanding efforts of the top “Ironman” Richard Findaly, racing fresh off of extensive injuries from another racing incident less than a month prior. Richard finished 1st in the solo class completing 49 laps securing 6th overall along the way. When asked about his triumphant race efforts, Findaly had this to say— “Endurance racing is supposed to be a test of will and skill. For me it was a bit more than that still recovering from a crash that led to 7 broken bones and a punctured lung just 1 month ago. I wanted to prove something to myself. I feel I did that and then some, with an emotional eWort I will never forget. I can’t wait for the next round on East. Huge thanks to my Team, Karla for all she does, Dakota and Lugnut for getting me a bike and prepping it for this weekend, and Dale with Racers Edge Performance for the Dunlop tires that held up for nearly 50 straight laps.”

On Endurance racing, UtahSBA Club President Brian Childree stated “Our Endurance event is quickly building its own unique vibe with music in the pits, intense racing on track, fans cheering, and more teams joining each round. Its become one of the best parts of the weekend.”

After the final checkered flag Racers and Race fans enjoyed podium ceremonies and fresh BBQ provided by the club while gearing up for a full day of high intensity racing action to come on Sunday.

Sunday racing action picked up right where it left oW on the previous day, with the Novice Open Supersport class putting on a show. James Walker jumped to an early lead and held his position at the front for 6 laps while constantly defending the advances of Damon Schuetze in second. On the final lap Damon successfully secured the lead but James wasn’t giving up. The two were wheel to wheel, drag racing to the checkered flag where Damon took the win by just 0.153 of a second. James Walker finishing 2nd, and Eliu Heredia just a few bike lengths behind in 3rd.

Damon Schuetze (307x leading James Walker (158) and Eliu Heredia (927) in the Novice Open Supersport race. Photo by Crystall Doll.

The King of the Mountain race is the clubs premier race of the weekend and over 20 racers joined the fight for the podium and Burt Brothers Tire Payout. The top 3 qualifiers Norton, Delong, and Childree were set to lead the field into turn 1. When the lights went out all 3 were elbow to elbow leaning into turn 1 but Norton would secure the holeshot and lead Childree in 2nd and Delong in 3rd. The 3 stayed close for the first 3 laps until Norton started to stretch his lead. Delong continued to push Childree throughout the race, but Childree would answer back firing in similar lap times. After 14 laps they would finish in this order, Norton 1st, Childree 2nd and Delong 3rd finding their way to the Podium and collecting some hefty Paychecks. Anthony Norton’s second consecutive KOM victory on his way to his #1 plate, title defense. Afte the race, Norton had this to say- — “I knew these guys (Childree and Delong) were going to be fast and consistent. We were all on the same amazing Dunlop tires. The track gets greasy in the afternoon, so I just set out to ride fast and clean. I did just that. Thank you Dale and Dunlop, Precision Fab Machinery, Legal ride, Apex Assassins, and Crossbeam Builders for keeping me and my program rolling.”

Burt Brothers Tire & Service King of the Mountain Race Podium. Left to Right: Justin Delong p3, Anthony Norton p1, Brian Childree p2. Photo by Crystal Doll

UtahSBA Supermoto also had its second round of the season. The energy was high for UtahSBA Supermoto Rd 2 at the newly renamed Burt Brothers Motorpark (UMC) as it was a qualifying round for the Moto America Mini Cup series! Youth racers compete for a ticket to the National Finals in Wisconsin at the end of the year. Local 12yr old Parker Busse showed he has what it takes to earn a golden ticket by winning all 8 of his races on Sunday, with both his Ohvale 190 minibike, and even with a borrowed KTM 85 Supermoto from his dad. The adult classes made for great racing with Novice class leaders creating lasting rivalries (Matheus & Miguel) and Expert racers showed they’re not afraid to ride wheel to wheel (JP & Jordan).

Parker Busse(49) on his way to qualifying for the National mini cup championship held later this year in Wisconsin. Photo by Brother Chunky

Racers have plenty of opportunity to grid up and race all day Saturday and Sunday with UtahSBA superbike as well as lots of opportunities to race for Purse Money which the club would like to thank the generous and ongoing sponsors for providing. Superbike Racing and Endurance action continues in short order with Round 3 set to take place this week June 14th-15th on the Burt Brothers Motorpark East Course in Grantsville, Utah. Supermoto action continues with youth and adult racing at Round 3 June 22nd. Visit Utahsba.com for full results and more information regarding the exhilarating racing in Utah.

Isle of Man TT: Dean Harrison Fastest in Wednesday Qualifying

John Ulrich

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May 28, 2025

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Isle of Man TT: Dean Harrison Fastest in Wednesday Qualifying

Dean Harrison set the fastest time in Wednesday TT qualifying on the Isle of Man, riding a Honda Fireblade. Results follow:

Isle+of+Man+TT+Races+2025+-+Qualifying+1-Superbike-fast_laps-1

Roadracing World Young Guns 2025: Eli Banish

Mathilde Gasnier

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May 28, 2025

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Roadracing World Young Guns 2025: Eli Banish

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 29th 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 14 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 2025 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, based on the 2024 season. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.

We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.

Eli Banish

Age: 16.

Current home: Burlington, Kentucky (currently living in Valencia, Spain).

Current height/weight: 6’1”/145 pounds.

Current school grade level: 10th grade.

Began riding at age: 4 years.

First road race: 2017, Circleville, Ohio, Ohio Mini Road Racing League, Kids50, 4th Place.

Current racebike: TBA.

Current tuners/mechanics: Mark Junge.

Primary race series: TBA.

Sponsors: Fastline Track Days, Best Western Resorts & Hotels, KMA Racing, POP Shadow Decals & Wraps, Vortex Racing, 35 Motorsports, April Cody Real Estate.

Recent racing accomplishments: 2024 season; finished tied for 24th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race result was 7th at Snetterton), finished in top-10 in wild card appearance in RFME ESBK Supersport Next Gen at Valencia; 2023 season, finished 17th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race result was 7th at Thruxton); 2022 season, tied for 29th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race finish was 12th), won WERA Sportsman Clubman National Championship, won 2 WERA North Central Regional Championships (won 18 WERA races); 2021 season, won AMA Moto3 Expert Grand Championship, took 2nd in Formula Two WERA National Challenge Series Championship, won eight WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships (won 26 WERA races); 2020 season, won D Superbike Novice WERA Sportsman North Central Championship (won six WERA races); 2019 season, named AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year, won five WERA Sportsman Regional Championships in Novice classes (won 13 WERA races).

2025 racing goal: Find a ride in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.

Racing career goal: Compete in the MotoGP World Championship.

Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.

Favorite track: Road Atlanta.

Favorite hobbies: Cooking, cycling.

If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Making cooking videos for YouTube.

…..

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, 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher 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;

Former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;

Three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;

FIM JuniorGP World Championship point scorer and MotoAmerica podium finisher Torin Collins;

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 multi-time 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, 2023and 2024 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, and 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, and four-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;

MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher 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 and 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;

2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, MotoAmerica Superbike race winner 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, MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner 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 two-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 Kornbau (nee 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;

2021 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion and multi-time MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Tyler Scott;

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;

FIM JuniorGP Moto2 European Championship regular Max Toth;

Multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;

MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, former World Superbike competitor, and 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Jayson Uribe;

MotoAmerica Junior Cup race winner and current Supersport regular Max Van;

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 2024 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan Champion Cory West;

MotoAmerica Junior Cup race winner and 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Champion Ashton Yates;

Two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.

FIM Mini Cup: Matsudaira, Lupo Win Featured 190 Races At Apex (Updated)

Michael Gougis

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May 28, 2025

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FIM Mini Cup: Matsudaira, Lupo Win Featured 190 Races At Apex (Updated)

Kensei Matsudaira and Anthony Lupo won the Ohvale GP 190 class races at Round Three of the FIM Mini Cup series at Apex Racing Center in Perris, California. Matsudaira won the opening Sprint race, while Lupo took the win in the first full race of the weekend. Matsudaira struck back and took the victory in Race Two. (Scroll down for results.)

MiniCup GP190 Sprint Race Podium at Apex last weekend, with winner Kensei Matsudaira flanked by second-place Jase Dill (left) and third-place Anthony Lupo. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

Jase Dill won all three of the Ohvale GP 160 races, and Zaal Farhand swept the Ohvale GP 110 races.

The MiniCup GP 160 Sprint race, Race One and Race Two podiums were identical, with Jase Dill (center) winning, Zaal Farhand (left) finishing second, and Maverick Johnson finishing third. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

All three Mini Cup GP 110 podiums were the same, with Zaal Farhand winning, Lambert Su taking second, and Mason McIntire finishing third. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

Mini Cup GP 110 winner Zaal Farhand in action at Apex. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

Mini Cup Stock 50 Sprint Race winner Marcus Su. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

Luke Shen won all three Mini Cup Stock 110 races at Apex. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

Tony Lupo (12) leads a Mini Cup GP 190 race at Apex. Photo by Karen E. Ott.

FIM MiniCup Rd3 Apex

World Superbike: Bulega Tops Final Day Of Testing At Misano

Michael Gougis

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May 28, 2025

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World Superbike: Bulega Tops Final Day Of Testing At Misano

The sun has set on the second day of testing at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped Day 2, setting the table for an epic showdown in Ducati’s back yard at the upcoming Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his team look to have found some answers with their setup, but his work will be cut out for him at the upcoming race weekend. In P3 behind them, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) continued his good run of form as the Italian sets out for more podiums in 2025.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) didn’t participate in the Test’s Day 1, the current Championship leader, however, needed no time to leap to the top of the timesheet. His 1’32.093s time propelling him to P1 in FP4. had it happened during an official round, his time would have shattered Razgatlioglu’s 2024 track record by more than a quarter of a second. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finished in P4 after his P5 result on Day 1. His pace seems to be improving as his 1’32.820s lap was faster than his Day 1 fastest lap by around seven tenths of a second. Italian rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the second-fastest Ducati for stretches of the day; he went on to finish in P6 with his 1’32.962s lap. Montella’s teammate Danilo Petrucci was not as quick as the rookie for the second day in a row, finishing P9 on his fastest lap of 1’33.153s. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) continues to fight through his two broken toes, suffered just 11 days ago, and looks to have made some progress with his bike, even despite that. ‘The Maniac’ finished P12 with a time of 1’33.364s. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished the day in P13 and a time of 1’33.424s after his Day 1 P4. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) closed out Misano’s Testing with a fastest lap of 1’33.816s to earn P16. Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was on track as well, testing Ducati’s new Panigale V4 R, he collected a total of 25 laps worth of data, the fastest of them a 1’33.956s.

Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Bulega traded places for P1 and P2 throughout the session, with minutes left, Bulega pipped Toprak by just 0.04s in the afternoon’s FP4, relegating him to P2 despite his 1’32.133s time fast enough to have broken his track record last year. The defending Champion will need to find a way to outpace Bulega at Misano if he wants to breathe more life into the Championship Race. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished the day in P14, while his pace was not a huge improvement over his recent results, both the Dutchman and ‘El Turco’ will benefit from the data they collected en masse across both days, on Day 2 alone, the pair and the other two test riders- Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli- cumulatively collected 190 laps, the most of any team.

Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was the faster of the Bimota pair on Wednesday, finishing P3 thanks to his 1’32.798s effort. Finishing in P11, Alex Lowes’ (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) fastest lap came in FP4 when he put down a 1’33.265s lap.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the fastest Yamaha at Day 2 of the Misano Test, taking fifth place from his 1’32.890s lap. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the second fastest Yamaha, narrowly missing the 1’32 mark in eighth place from his 1’33.019s lap. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha)’s 1’33.159s lap saw him place P10. In P18 from his 1’34.428s lap, Stefano Manzi (Yamaha Test Team) finished just ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in P19. The Italian’s 1’34.428s lap was just 0.004s faster than the Swiss rider’s 1’34.432s time.

Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) wasn’t quite fast enough to replicate his Day 1 P3, his P7 on pace for his recent form. The consistency of the Spaniard, however, could boost the confidence of the Honda factory team as he earned his P7 on a 1’33.017s lap. With his teammate Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) still out with his foot injury, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the only other permanent grid rider at the test for Honda, finishing 1’35.413s. Test riders Tommy Bridewell and Ivo Lopes finished in 23rd and 24th, running a total of 46 laps.

Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) followed up on his Day 1 P9 with a Day 2 P15. The Texan has shown glimpses of his pace from prior seasons, but consistent form with his new Kawasaki team has eluded him.

Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) led the WorldSSP grid at Misano’s Day 2, his 1’37.595s hot lap leading Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) at 1’37.640s and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) at 1’37.716s.

WorldSBK test Misano Day2_FP2

MotoGP: Marini Injured In Suzuka 8-Hour Testing Crash

Michael Gougis

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May 28, 2025

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MotoGP: Marini Injured In Suzuka 8-Hour Testing Crash

On Wednesday, May 28, Luca Marini suffered a heavy fall while testing for the Suzuka 8-Hour and will remain in Japan for observation and recovery.

After the British GP, Luca Marini travelled to the Suzuka Circuit for a first test on the CBR1000RR-R SP. Having completed a successful first day, the Italian began the second day of his program but crashed heavily. Suffering from a dislocated left hip, damage to the ligaments in his left knee, fractures in the sternum and left collarbone, and a right-sided pneumothorax, Marini was transferred to local hospital and stabilised.

Marini will remain under observation in Japan until he is deemed fit to travel.

Honda HRC and the Honda HRC Castrol team will support Marini fully in his recovery.

MotoAmerica: Talent Cup Heads To Road America

Mathilde Gasnier

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May 28, 2025

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MotoAmerica: Talent Cup Heads To Road America

Talent Cup Will Race For The First Time At “America’s National Park Of Speed” As Road America Awaits Superbike And Five Additional Classes.

The Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul class is back on track this coming weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, after a 57-day hiatus since MotoAmerica’s youngest riders threw a leg over their Krämer APX-350 MAs in anger at Barber Motorsports Park.

While the calendar has changed, what hasn’t changed is the fact that, after two rounds and four races, things are tight at the top. Well, maybe not right at the top.

Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario heads to Wisconsin with a 21-point lead in the championship standings. The defending MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion has been on the podium in all four races with two wins, a second and a third.

However, Di Mario has proven to be fallible as he was beaten by CTR/D&D Cycles’ Bodie Paige in race two at Circuit of The Americas and by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg in race two at Barber Motorsports Park.

Still, when he doesn’t have the pace to win, Di Mario has shown his experience by taking what he can get. And that has treated him well thus far as he leads Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane, 86-65, with the 14-year-old Aussie showing grit with three podium finishes in the four races.

The battle for third is tight with Vossberg and Jones Honda’s Julian Correa tied, just 11 points behind Drane and only a single point ahead of Paige.

MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher has scored good points in all four races, and she’s sixth in the title chase, 10 points clear of a tie between Envy Powered by Warhorse’s Derek Sanchez and Royalty Racing’s Carson King.

Mission King Of The Baggers – So Far, It’s All Wyman

The all-time winningest racer in Mission King Of The Baggers history is also the winningest racer in the early days of the new season. That man is 21-time Mission King Of The Baggers race winner, Kyle Wyman.

Wyman has been nearly perfect with three wins out of four starts on his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glide. The race he didn’t win was a wet race one at Road Atlanta, where class rookie Loris Baz snatched victory from Wyman on the final lap. The Frenchman’s victory vaulted him to second in the championship just four races into his King Of The Baggers career.

Another rookie, not only the class but also to the MotoAmerica series, is Brit Bradley Smith. Wyman’s Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing teammate was sixth and third in the two races at Road Atlanta, and that puts him third in the championship – nine behind Baz and 43 behind the hot-starting Wyman.

Where art thou defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Troy Herfoss? The Australian is fourth in the championship with his season taking a big hit in race two at Road Atlanta when a mechanical failure knocked him and his S&S/Indian Motorcycle Challenger out of the race. But this is Baggers racing and anything can happen, so Herfoss will be looking for nothing but wins as the series heads to America’s Dairyland.

Herfoss’s teammate Tyler O’Hara, who was third in both races at Road America last year, is tied for fifth in the title chase with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim.

Motovation Supersport – Jacobsen Vs. Scholtz

The two protagonists from last year’s Motovation Supersport Championship are protagonists again in 2025. Those two are defending series champion Mathew Scholtz and 2024 championship runner-up PJ Jacobsen.

But after four races, the order has been flipped with Jacobsen at the top of the standings over Scholtz by just eight points. Strack Racing’s Scholtz has two wins to Jacobsen’s one, but Jacobsen and his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 have been on the podium in every race. And therein lies the difference.

But it’s early days, and the rest of the Supersport gang can’t be counted out of mixing it up with the two at the top. The rest are being led by Scholtz’s teammate Blake Davis with his season bookended so far by two third-place finishes. He’s 32 points behind Jacobsen and just four points ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. Scott has one podium finish to show from the four races.

Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis is fifth in the standings as the series heads to Road America with the lanky Kentuckian’s best finish being an impressive second behind Jacobsen in race one at Road Atlanta.

Lewis is just a single point ahead of BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, with the five-time AMA Superbike Champion tasting victory in horrendous conditions in race two at Barber Motorsports Park to open the season.

Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov, Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Max Van and ADR’s David Anthony round out the top 10 after four races.

Stock 1000 – Teammates Are Tied

The Stock 1000 season is truly in its infancy with just one round and two races run so far in 2025. What we can glean from that opening round at Road Atlanta is that the top two are going to be difficult to beat.

OrangeCat Racing teammates Jayson Uribe and Andrew Lee split wins at Road Atlanta. Lee won race one on his BMW M 1000 RR, and Uribe flipped the results in race two. They sit tied atop the standings with 45 points apiece.

That puts them 13 points ahead of Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, the Georgian putting his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on the podium in both of his home races at Road Atlanta.

Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach made his Stock 1000 debut in the series opener, and he came away from it with two fourth-place finishes on his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The two fourths put him fourth in the title chase, six points behind Yates and seven ahead of Edge Racing’s Jason Waters and his BMW M 1000 RR.

Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. – Knebel On Top

So far in 2025, the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. series is one of brevity. They’ve only had one round at Barber Motorsports Park, and they only raced once with the second of the two races being cancelled due to storms that made a schedule change necessary. The BTR women will make up for the missing race when the series goes to Ridge Motorsports Park in July.

So, they will line up at Road America with just one race under their belts and so far, it’s Kira Knebel who sits atop the standings with her victory at Barber. Knebel is five points clear of race-one runner-up Shea MacGregor with Camille Conrad, who was on the podium in race one at Road America a year ago, in third.

Pre-Road America Notes…

PJ Jacobsen and Tyler Scott won the two Supersport races at Road America in 2024. Jacobsen topped Mathew Scholtz by just .040 of a second in race one with Jake Lewis finishing third. In race two, it was Scott by a scant .001 of a second over Scholtz, with the South African missing out on victory in both by just .041 of a second. Jacobsen was third in race two.

Troy Herfoss won the first of two Mission King Of The Baggers races in 2024 by a whopping 5.2 seconds over Kyle Wyman and Tyler O’Hara. In race two, it was Wyman taking the victory with Herfoss coming up just. .039 of a second short of sweeping the two races. O’Hara again finished third.

Mikayla Moore didn’t start race one of the two Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. events last year after suffering bruising from a crash in a Twins Cup practice session. That left Cassie Creer to take full advantage, and she took victory over Emma Betters and Camille Conrad. Moore was back in race two, however, and she was dominant, topping Aubrey Credaroli by 23.9 seconds. Creer ended up third in race two.

102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic Pays $400,000 Purse June 14-15

John Ulrich

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May 28, 2025

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102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic Pays $400,000 Purse June 14-15

Dunlop is proud to announce its role as the title sponsor for the 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic, the oldest and richest motorcycle road race in the United States. Scheduled for June 13-15, this year’s event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire is set to achieve new heights with an impressive purse of $400,000 distributed across four exciting classes.

Following the landmark celebration of the 100th Classic in 2023, which featured a remarkable $250,000 purse, and the subsequent $300,000 purse in 2024, the 102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic is positioned to elevate American road racing. NEMRR Executive Director John Grush stated, “We aim to foster growth in our sport by providing an unparalleled platform for both professional and local racers. The record-setting purse generates considerable media interest, enabling us to highlight our riders and teams while backing their racing pursuits throughout the season. We take great pride in offering such a significant opportunity for positive exposure within the sport.”

The podium after the featured race at the 2024 Loudon Classic, with winner Hayden Gillim (who won $55,000 in purse money) flanked by third-place Bobby Fong (left, who made $25,000) and second-place Ty Scott (right, who made $35,000). All three rode MotoAmerica-spec Supersport GSX-R750s. Photo courtesy NEMRR.

The centerpiece of the three-day event will be the four premier races on Saturday. The Loudon Classic Main Event will pay an impressive $285,000, showcasing the top Middleweight GP class from NEMRR along with MotoAmerica Supersport Next Gen bikes. The top 32 qualifiers will have the chance to compete in the Main, with the champion of the 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic earning a historic $60,000 prize.

In what promises to be a thrilling addition for 2025, the Streetfighter class, dedicated to naked twin-cylinder and three-cylinder motorcycles, will feature a substantial $100,000 purse. Additionally, the total purse for the Classic and Streetfighter classes includes $25,000 and $10,000 in bonus incentives, respectively, for local participants. The popular Pro Thunderbike and 500 Superbike classes will also make a return, each offering a $7,500 purse.

Dunlop is excited to provide trackside support, including technical assistance and sales. Racers can conveniently order Sportmax Slick tires through www.dunlopracing.com. Dunlop is dedicated to ensuring that competitors have access to high-quality products and expert guidance.

Please note that participation is limited to 60 riders for the Dunlop Loudon Classic and 48 riders for the new Streetfighter class. For registration, riders may visit https://nemrr.volarehq.com/, or contact NEMRR at 603-738-2190, or email [email protected].

Dunlop looks forward to an exhilarating 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic and is honored to officially support this prestigious event!

About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:

Dunlop is the number one selling and largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in North America. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.

MotoAmerica: Road America Superbike Preview

Mathilde Gasnier

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May 27, 2025

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MotoAmerica: Road America Superbike Preview

Red-Hot Beaubier Leads The Superbike Pack As MotoAmerica Heads To Road America

Five-Time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier Off To A Fast Start In 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.

A red-hot Cameron Beaubier struts his way into Wisconsin this week, hoping to maintain the advantage he currently holds after a near-perfect beginning to his quest for a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as the series heads into round three at Road America, May 30-June.

How hot is hot? There have been 100 points handed out from the opening two rounds of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Beaubier and his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR have snatched 95 of those 100 points.

Thus, with three wins and a second-place finish on his scorecard from the first four races, Beaubier is in the catbird seat as the series heads to “America’s National Park of Speed.”

After winning race one in the Barber Motorsports Park series opener, Beaubier was beaten in the wet second race by Jake Gagne, proving that Beaubier wasn’t infallible. Then came Road Atlanta, and a clean sweep of the two races for the 31-year-old Californian – and plenty of his rivals’ smiles turned upside down.

But the credo that “it ain’t over til it’s over” definitely applies to motorcycle racing.

Case in point, last year: After five races in the first two rounds (Barber’s round featured three Superbike races), Beaubier had won three of them, finished second, and had a DNF. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, the man who would march on to the 2024 Superbike title, was sixth and 47 points behind Beaubier.

Then came Road America, and everything changed when Beaubier crashed in the rain and suffered a broken heel that required surgery. Gagne inherited the championship lead and was 18 points ahead of Beaubier. Herrin was 34 points behind in sixth place.

After missing the two races at Brainerd International Raceway and coming back too soon to try and race at Ridge Motorsports Park, Beaubier was on the back foot (his good one). Bobby Fong led the championship by a point over Gagne, who was suffering with carpal tunnel in his wrist and would eventually end his season early. Herrin was up to fourth, just nine points out of first and about to go on a tear, winning five of the last 10 races and finishing on the podium in all but one of the races he didn’t win.

Herrin won the title by 55 points over Beaubier, who somehow clawed his way back to second in the points after his injury. Gagne dropped all the way down to seventh.

So, you can see that a fast start doesn’t mean much if you get injured or have mechanical issues.

It’s way too early for anyone in the Superbike pack to panic, though they must be wary of Beaubier’s pace and how he has been able to dominate the season thus far. He’s in his third year on the BMW, his third year in the Tylers team, and he is comfortable and happy. And a happy and comfortable Beaubier can prove to be unbeatable.

As if three wins out of four races wasn’t enough to make him smile, Beaubier also moved into a tie with Josh Hayes on the all-time AMA wins list across all classes with his 89^th victory coming at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Number 90 could come this weekend.

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne sits second in the title chase with three podium finishes in the first four races in his quest for a fourth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne again thrived in the wet conditions of race one at Road Atlanta, finishing a close second to Beaubier. In Sunday’s dry race, Gagne slipped back to fifth. Gagne is 23 points behind Beaubier and 13 ahead of Herrin.

Like last year, Herrin’s start to the season is nothing to write home about. He was third in both races at Road Atlanta on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R and looking forward to the wide-open spaces of Road America.

Gagne’s teammate Bobby Fong was fast in Sunday’s dry race at Road Atlanta where he hounded Beaubier in race two, finishing just a tad over two seconds behind him. That came a day after Fong slipped off and remounted, scoring five points for finishing 11^th.

Fong is just three points behind Herrin in the title chase and has Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly breathing down his neck, just four points behind. Kelly carded a pair of fourth-place finishes as he continues to shine on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R.

Real Steel Honda teammates Hayden Gillim and JD Beach are sixth and seventh in the title chase, with Beach remaining undefeated in the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship for those racing Stock 1000-spec motorcycles in the Superbike class.

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was a consistent sixth in both races in Georgia as he starts to make up ground from his first-race crash in the series opener at Barber Motorsports Park.

FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith earned a career-best fifth in race one at Road Atlanta, and he’s just a point behind Escalante and 11 points ahead of Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders, who rounds out the top 10 as the series readies for its third round in Wisconsin.

Pre-Road America Notes…

Cameron Beaubier earned pole position for last year’s two Superbike races at Road America with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion breaking the Superbike lap record with his 2:08.464. Josh Herrin was second fastest with his 2:09.197 and Jake Gagne’s 2:09.564 earned him the final spot on the front row.

It was a second Cameron who won race one at Road America last year with Cameron Petersen beating his teammate Jake Gagne by a miniscule .004 of a second in a Wisconsin rainstorm. Loris Baz, who now competes in the Mission King Of The Baggers series was third. Josh Herrin was dominant in winning race two on Sunday, topping Bobby Fong by nine seconds with JD Beach a shadow third.

Cameron Beaubier’s hopes for a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship were derailed at Road America in 2024 when he crashed out of a wet race one, suffering a broken heel that would require surgery.

This year marks the 45^th anniversary of three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer’s victory in what was the first-ever AMA Superbike race at Road America in 1980. Road America opened its gates to racing in 1955 with an SCCA National.

Cameron Beaubier has won 11 Superbike races at Road America. That’s two more than Australian Mat Mladin and three more than Josh Hayes.

Active MotoAmerica racers with Superbike wins at Road America other than Beaubier include Josh Herrin, Jake Gagne, and Bobby Fong, as well as Cameron Petersen and Mathew Scholtz, who are now both racing in the Supersport class.

Yamaha continues to lead the way in manufacturer Superbike wins at Road America with 27 victories. Suzuki is second with 18 Superbike race wins at the venue in Elkhart Lake, followed by Honda with 12, Ducati with 10 and Kawasaki with four. Cameron Beaubier’s race-one victory in 2023 was the first Superbike win for BMW at Road America

World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest In Day One Of Misano Test

Michael Gougis

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May 27, 2025

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World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest In Day One Of Misano Test

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid finished their first of two testing days as the 2025 season approaches its midway point. Italy’s Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” hosted the event, split between a pair of Free Practice sessions on Tuesday, allowing the field to get used to the track ahead of the upcoming Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished fastest of the day, followed by Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC). The day featured an early pair of red flags, including a crash for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) from which he walked away uninjured, as well as a return from injury for Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven).

Current Riders’ Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) didn’t take to the track to test on Day 1, however, his Ducati factory teammate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) tied Razgatlioglu for the second-most laps run with 88 laps completed. His 1’33.361s time landed the #19 fourth on the timesheet. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) looked fast on the day, and while his bike suffered a red-flag-inducing tech issue in FP1, he returned to lay down a 1’33.451s lap for fifth place. Rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) finished the fastest of the two Barni Spark riders, pipping ‘Petrux’ for P6 via his 1’33.487s lap. Hot off his trio of P3’s at Most, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) looks to in his setup for the race weekend. The #9 finished the day in P7 with a time of 1’33.541s. Andrea Iannone was able to make his return to the track at the Misano Test’s Day 1 after fracturing his 3rd and 4th toes on his right foot from his FP1 crash at Most. Sporting a larger-sized boot on his right foot, the ‘Maniac’ finished in P16, his 1’34.153s fastest lap coming in the afternoon’s British Rookie Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) finished Day 1 11th fastest thanks to his 1’34.091s lap.

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu are focused on addressing their new M 1000 RR’s rear grip issues, which, however, didn’t stop the defending Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) from laying down the fastest lap of the day. His 1’32.559s lap made him the only rider to break into the 1’32 range, and his lap was faster than the circuit’s standing Race lap record he set last year of 1’32.687s Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) suffered a red-flag inducing crash as he and his bike were sent tumbling in the T16 ‘Misano’ corner. He was uninjured and able to continue, returning to set his fastest lap of 1’33.839s for 13th place and run the most laps of any rider. Sylvain Guintoli and Markus Reiterberger were also on track as test riders for the German manufacturer, recording a total of 114 laps.

Winding back the clock, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the fastest rider in blue on the day, returning to form after his injury before Phillip Island. The #65 finished in P8 with his 1’33.635s time behind Petrucci. In P10, two places behind Rea and just a thousandth of a second behind Gerloff in P9, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) stays hot after a strong performance to close out Most with his time of 1’33.783s. Subsequently, another two places back was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in P12, registering his fastest lap in FP2 of 1’33.822s. In P14 was Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), his 1’34.095s lap placing him between van der Mark and Iannone. The last Yamaha on the timesheet was Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha Test Team), riding as a test rider after his stint earlier this season, when he filled in for Rea during his injury, and recorded 81 laps.

Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) set the bar high for the Japanese manufacturer, his 1’33.195s lap placing him third-fastest and just a tenth of a second from Bassani in P2. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the sole rider on the day for his team, finishing 18th fastest with his time of 1’35.265, ahead of test riders Tommy Bridewell and Ivo Lopes, who finished in P20 and P26 respectively, and fastest times of 1’36.191s and 1’37.757s

Bimota’s Italian-British rider pair earned a top 8 finish at Most; coming into the Misano test with that feather in their caps, Day 1 saw Axel Bassani finish the quicker of the pair, his 1’33.178s lap earing him P2 and Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) finish P8 via his 1’33.779s lap.

Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) looks to be bit by bit getting up to speed atop his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. After his season-high P10 in Most’s Race 2, he finished P9 behind Alex Lowes with a fastest lap of 1’33.782s. In 2024, Gerloff improved greatly from the first to the second half of the season, with the added complication of a new bike and a new team. Perhaps the American is in for a similar turnaround now into 2025.

WorldSBK test Misano Day1_FP2

UtahSBA: Norton Wins At Round 2 and Busse Shines During Supermoto

May 28, 2025

Anthony Norton (1) hard on the brakes in route to King of the Mountain Race Victory. Photo by Crystal Doll.