Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta was quickest in MotoGP Practice Two (P2) Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Riding his Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS racebike, the reigning Moto2 World Champion covered the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) course in 2:02.243 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia was second-best with a time of 2:02.414 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP24, while six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was third at 2:02.440 on his Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
The top 14 riders in the session were separated by less than one second.
Fermin Aldeguer was fastest during Moto2 World Championship Practice Two (P2) Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Riding his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro racebike, the young Spaniard turned a lap time of 2:07.543 around the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) circuit. Not only did that time top the field of 29 riders, it smashed the new All-Time Lap Record of 2:08.359 Aldeguer set Friday afternoon.
Japan’s Ai Ogura was the best of the rest and right behind Aldeguer with a 2:07.569 on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro, and Brit Jake Dixon was third-quickest with a 2:07.751 on his CFMOTO Asterius Aspar Team Kalex.
American Joe Roberts was fifth-fastest in the session with a 2:07.889 — just 0.346 second slower than Aldeguer — on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Roberts’ teammate Marcos Ramirez (2:07.766) finished the session just ahead of him in fourth.
WILDCARD OUTINGS SCHEDULED FOR DANI PEDROSA AND POL ESPARGARO IN 2024 MOTOGP™
2024 MotoGP news
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pitlane presence will grow in the forthcoming rounds of 2024 Grand Prix with MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa competing for the second year in a row at the Gran Premio de España (round four, Jerez, April 26-28) and Pol Espargaro lined-up to race the KTM RC16 at the Gran Premio d’Italia (round seven, Mugello, May 31-June 2).
KTM’s test team have identified key dates for race appearances as part of their 2024 work schedule, and to continue development with the KTM RC16 both for the rest of the current season and with a view to 2025 and beyond.
Pedrosa, who wowed fans with his performances in Jerez and Misano in 2023, will ride again this year, at the Circuit de Jerez Angel Nieto in two weeks. Pedrosa finished 6th in the Sprint and 7th in the race almost twelve months ago at the same event, crossing the finish line just six seconds behind the Grand Prix winner. He then excelled in Italy with a 4th place. Dani, 38, retired in 2018 from full-time MotoGP but has since raced three times for KTM.
Espargaro, in his first year as a test rider for the company, is eager to return at one of the championship’s fastest and most picturesque circuits and the traditional host of the Italian Grand Prix during the first weekend of June. KTM set the current MotoGP top speed record at 366.1kpm (227mph) at the venue and Pol has a best finish of 9th in Tuscany but has two wins and a total of four podiums in other GP categories.
Dani Pedrosa: “I had a lot of fun at Jerez last year and the welcome from the fans was amazing. We all know Jerez is a special place. For us it will also be important to use some references for our tests and put it into the race environment again. This is the main reason to compete in 2024.”
Pol Espargaro. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Pol Espargaro: “Really happy to be racing again and especially at Mugello, which is a very special place to get on a MotoGP bike. It will be cool to be back on the grid with the guys. Testing has been going really well and I’m very motivated. I am more like my ‘old self’ after the injury of 2023. I’m looking forward to being right back into the MotoGP ‘family’ and showing that our testing work is strong and fast.”
David Alonso continued his domination of the Moto3 class at Circuit of The Americas by breaking a longstanding All-Time Lap Record during Practice Two (P2) on Saturday morning.
Riding his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team machine, the Colombian turned a best lap time of 2:14.153. Not only did that time top the 26 riders in the session, it also broke the All-Time Moto3 Lap Record of 2:14.644, which was set by Aron Canet way back in 2017.
Canet still holds the Race Lap Record at 2:15.583…at least until Sunday.
Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss led the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers warmup session Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
On just his second day ever riding at COTA, Herfoss improved on the 2:15.576 he did on his S&S Indian Challenger during Qualifying Two (Q2) on Friday with a 2:15.258 on Saturday morning and led the field of 12 riders.
Bobby Fong was second-best with a 2:15.533 on his SDI/Roland Sands Racing Indian, and Kyle Wyman was third in the warmup with a 2:15.707 on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
The top five riders in the session were separated by just 0.7 second.
Mission King Of The Baggers Race One is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Central Time and Race Two is scheduled to run at 4:05 p.m. The races can be best viewed on MotoAmerica Live+, MotoAmerica’s digital streaming subscription service, but they can also be seen on MAVTV, FS1, MTRSPRT1, and YouTube.
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.
Sponsors: Robem Engineering, Aprilia, Arai, American Supercamp, Penguin Racing School, MotoLiberty/RS Taichi, Woodcraft Technologies, Atlantic Cruising Yachts, Fast By Ferracci, Stump Racing Kids.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, qualified 6th in MotoAmerica Twins Cup at Daytona and then was injured for most of the season, returned for season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park and finished 4th and 5th in the races, finished 14th in 100th Loudon Classic riding an Aprilia RS 660 versus Supersport-class machines; 2022 season, placed 8th in MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship (3 podium finishes), finished 8th in Italian CIV Aprilia RS 660 Trophy Cup race at Vallelunga, set a new NEMRR Lightweight Lap Record of 1:12.183 at New Hampshire International Speedway; 2021 season, finished 2nd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (4 wins and 16 total podium finishes in 18 races); 2020 season, finished 4th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (8 podium finishes); 2019 season, finished 9th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup (competed in 11 of 17 races, 1 podium, 3 top-5 finishes), won 2 LRRS Championships (12 race wins), won NESBC Lights Championship; 2018 season, named LRRS Rookie of the Year (youngest to ever receive the award), won 24 LRRS races and earned 46 podium finishes, won NESBC Intermediate B Championship; 2017 season, named NJMiniGP Rookie of the Year.
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica races.
Racing career goal: Make it to the FIM Superbike World Championship.
Racing hero: Jamison Minor.
Favorite track: Barber Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Downhill mountain biking.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Downhill mountain biking.
…
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.
Kawasaki’s Ninja 400 is one of the best-selling sportbikes in the world, so Kawasaki marketeers and engineers had to tread carefully when they upgraded the machine back to a full half-liter. Customers wanted more torque and power to make riding in traffic easier and more confidence-inspiring, but didn’t want to lose the light weight, flickability, and ease of operation that made the Ninja 400 so accessible to so many riders.
The 2024 Ninja 500 is, basically, a stroked version of Kawasaki’s well-sorted small-displacement Parallel-Twin four-stroke engine. The idea was to create a smooth, flat power curve. That makes it easy for beginning and entry-level riders to access the new power, enhancing their riding experience without overwhelming them.
With new bodywork, new instrumentation and a wide variety of color schemes and accessory levels, Kawasaki wants the new Ninja 500 to continue to bring riders into the sportbike fold. The company turned journalists loose on the machines for a ride through the fabled canyon roads above Pacific Coast Highway in California, and I got a chance to ride down Memory Lane as well. I not only spent years riding exactly those canyon roads in the past, but my first dedicated racebike was also a Ninja 500 from the early 1990s …
Kawasaki’s 2024 Ninja 500 is flickable and quick, easy to ride and friendly at a moderate pace. Good rubber helps overcome many of the suspension shortcomings. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Easiest to think of the new Ninja 500 as a hot-rodded Ninja 400. Engine internals have been reworked for a longer stroke to bring the displacement to 451cc. New crankshaft, new connecting rods, new flywheel, new pistons and new cams help the upsized mill spin out a claimed 51.0 horsepower at 10,000 rpm. New airbox internals help keep the power curve nice and flat, and a new assisted slipper clutch transmits power to the 6-speed transmission.
The bodywork is new, designed to create a familial relationship with the company’s supersport Ninja models and to better protect the rider from the elements. The seat is revised, the dash upgraded on the SE models. Otherwise, it’s the familiar steel trellis frame, conventional 41mm forks and a shock adjustable for preload. The only electronic rider aid is ABS.
Kawasaki hit the mark when it came to power delivery. Aided by a smooth, progressive, ridiculously easy-to-use clutch, the bike pulled away cleanly from a stop and cruised comfortably at freeway speeds, and also spun happily to the rev limiter while running up through the gears.
The riding position is spacious and vibration is minimal, and the bodywork does a reasonable job of reducing wind blast. And it might seem like a trivial point, but Kawasaki engineers fitted a larger front brake master cylinder to provide more feel at the lever. New riders need to get comfortable using the front brake, and the Ninja 500’s front brake experience helps them get used to going for that lever. And if they panic anyway, the ABS is there to save them.
Pretty much the only downside is the too-soft damping front and rear that left the bike pogo-ing over bumps and also pitching the front end back to near full-extension after letting off the brakes. It’s common among machines in this category, and there’s a cheap and easy fix. The surprisingly good Dunlop GPR-300 radials front and rear provide excellent mid-corner traction, and on smooth, sweeping turns, the Ninja 500 is stable and quick enough to be truly entertaining.
Kawasaki says the bike’s most likely customers have less than a year of riding experience, will probably not test-ride the bike, and are looking for style and ease of use on a machine that makes them feel when commuting or riding on the highway. The Ninja 500 provides more power, more accessibly, than its predecessor, and that means less riding drama overall. It’s a bike someone new to sport riding can learn on, improve and grow with. It’s good enough to make someone a performance rider for life.
Editor at Large Michael Gougis at a track day at Willow Springs International Raceway in 2006. His personal Kawasaki Ninja 500 racebike sported a homemade belly pan fashioned from roofing materials. Photo by Caliphotography.com
Although there were new liveries and leathers, it was familiar faces atop the timesheets on Friday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas in Austin. The new-look Prima Pramac factory Ducati of Jorge Martin was devastating at a track where he struggled last year. Marc Marquez, in the pale blue of Gresini Racing, rebounded from what he called a difficult first session to finish in the top three at a track he has dominated in the past. And Maverick Vinales, who has run up front at the past two race weekends and won the Sprint race in Portugal, put together two solid sessions, hoping to add consistency to the sheer speed of the Aprilia.
Jorge Martin (89) was untouchable in the last Grand Prix race in Portugal and smashed the COTA lap record on Friday. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Martin’s 2:01.397 in the second session beat the old outright lap record by 0.495 seconds. He was second behind Vinales in the first practice session. In the second session, Vinales was less than a tenth of a second behind Martin.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marc Marquez says he had machine problems in the first session, but not all of his difficulties could be blamed on the bike. Marquez still says he is transforming his riding style to suit the Ducati Desmosedici GP23 fielded by Gresini.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Francesco Bagnaia typically devotes all of Friday to race pace setup, and has had to fight his way through Q1 more often than he’d probably like. A late flyer of a lap put him into P4, safely into final qualifying, and the reigning World Champion called it the best Friday he’s had in a long time.
Francesco Bagnaia (1). Photo by Michael Gougis.
2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo showed up in Texas with a new two-year factory Yamaha contract. But Quartararo says the bike still isn’t close to the pace of the European brands, and being the quickest rider on a Japanese bike isn’t much solace when all six of them are at the bottom of the timesheets.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo by Michael Gougis.
American Joe Roberts led the first Moto2 session before finishing second, but struggled to 14th-fastest in the second session. Roberts and the team have been plagued by small technical issues this season, but when the bike is right, Roberts has run with the leaders.
Joe Roberts (16) and Jake Dixon (96) in Moto2 practice at COTA. Dixon is returning from an injury suffered in the first round of the season. Photo by Michael Gougis.
MotoAmerica brought the King Of The Baggers to the weekend as a support series, and the bellowing beasts did not fail to disappoint, judging by the gasps and shouts from journalists watching the brief Challenge race on the video monitors. When all the sliding and bumping was over, Troy Herfoss took the victory.
Troy Herfoss (17) was quickest in the first practice session and won the King Of The Baggers Challenge. Photo by Michael Gougis.
When Alpinestars introduces a new airbag protection system, it typically demonstrates by inflating one strapped onto a volunteer. This year’s volunteer for the new Tech-Air 7X system was J.D. Beach, who is slated to rejoin the MotoAmerica Superbike class this season.
Alpinestars’ Heath Cofran, left, introduces MotoAmerica Superbike racer J.D. Beach to the crowd gathered at the Alpinestars hospitality at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss won the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge dash-for-cash race Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian Challenger, Herfoss won the three-lap sprint by 2.836 seconds.
Bobby Fong was the runner-up on his SDI/Roland Sands Racing Indian, and defending King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim finished right behind Fong in third on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
The King Of The Baggers field will have a warm-up session and two full-length races on Saturday at COTA.
Herfoss Takes Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge At COTA
Australian Troy Herfoss Takes Challenge Win, S&S Indian Motorcycle Teammate Tyler O’Hara Will Start Saturday’s Two Races From Pole Position
Troy Herfoss (17) leads Hayden Gillim (1), Bobby Fong (50), and Kyle Wyman (33) en route to winning the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge on Friday at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (April 12, 2024) – After two hectic laps that featured plenty of bag banging, S&S Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss earned his first-ever Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge victory when he pulled clear of the melee behind him to win the three-lap dash for cash.
Herfoss was in the mix from the start and took full advantage of all the shenanigans that went on to gap the pack giving chase by 2.836 seconds.
SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong ended up second with a last-lap pass on RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman ended up fourth, .222 of a second behind Gillim and was the last man standing as the other two starters in the six-rider race failed to finish.
Pole-sitter Tyler O’Hara led off the start but put his hand up as he negotiated the esses to let the others know he had a problem that would take him out of the race.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli, meanwhile, was out of the Challenge before it even started as a mechanical put him on the sidelines right off the start.
Only 15 minutes or so earlier, O’Hara showed in Q2 that he would be a force to be reckoned with as he shattered Wyman’s lap record of 2:15.461 with his 2:15.029. Wyman was a hair (.056 of a second) slower with his 2:15.085 and that was .491 of a second faster than Herfoss and his 2:15.576.
Wyman’s teammate Rispoli ended up fourth fastest with Fong fifth, Gillim sixth and RydFast Racing’s Kyle Ohnsorg seventh. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers, Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson’s Travis Wyman and Mad Monkey Motorsports’ Max Flinders rounded out the top 10 qualifiers for Saturday’s two races
Tyler O’Hara earned pole position during MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying Two (Q2) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
On board his S&S Indian Challenger, O’Hara turned a lap time of 2:15.029 around the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) road course. That time was not only good enough to top the field of 12 riders and earn pole position, it also broke Kyle Wyman’s 2023 All-Time Lap Record of 2:15.461.
Wyman was the best of the rest with a 2:15.085 on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
O’Hara’s new teammate Troy Herfoss claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a best lap of 2:15.576.
Pedro Acosta (31). Photo courtesy Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS.
Rookie sensation Pedro Acosta was quickest in MotoGP Practice Two (P2) Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Riding his Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS racebike, the reigning Moto2 World Champion covered the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) course in 2:02.243 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia was second-best with a time of 2:02.414 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP24, while six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was third at 2:02.440 on his Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
The top 14 riders in the session were separated by less than one second.
Fermin Aldeguer was fastest during Moto2 World Championship Practice Two (P2) Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Riding his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro racebike, the young Spaniard turned a lap time of 2:07.543 around the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) circuit. Not only did that time top the field of 29 riders, it smashed the new All-Time Lap Record of 2:08.359 Aldeguer set Friday afternoon.
Japan’s Ai Ogura was the best of the rest and right behind Aldeguer with a 2:07.569 on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro, and Brit Jake Dixon was third-quickest with a 2:07.751 on his CFMOTO Asterius Aspar Team Kalex.
American Joe Roberts was fifth-fastest in the session with a 2:07.889 — just 0.346 second slower than Aldeguer — on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Roberts’ teammate Marcos Ramirez (2:07.766) finished the session just ahead of him in fourth.
WILDCARD OUTINGS SCHEDULED FOR DANI PEDROSA AND POL ESPARGARO IN 2024 MOTOGP™
2024 MotoGP news
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pitlane presence will grow in the forthcoming rounds of 2024 Grand Prix with MotoGP Legend Dani Pedrosa competing for the second year in a row at the Gran Premio de España (round four, Jerez, April 26-28) and Pol Espargaro lined-up to race the KTM RC16 at the Gran Premio d’Italia (round seven, Mugello, May 31-June 2).
KTM’s test team have identified key dates for race appearances as part of their 2024 work schedule, and to continue development with the KTM RC16 both for the rest of the current season and with a view to 2025 and beyond.
Pedrosa, who wowed fans with his performances in Jerez and Misano in 2023, will ride again this year, at the Circuit de Jerez Angel Nieto in two weeks. Pedrosa finished 6th in the Sprint and 7th in the race almost twelve months ago at the same event, crossing the finish line just six seconds behind the Grand Prix winner. He then excelled in Italy with a 4th place. Dani, 38, retired in 2018 from full-time MotoGP but has since raced three times for KTM.
Espargaro, in his first year as a test rider for the company, is eager to return at one of the championship’s fastest and most picturesque circuits and the traditional host of the Italian Grand Prix during the first weekend of June. KTM set the current MotoGP top speed record at 366.1kpm (227mph) at the venue and Pol has a best finish of 9th in Tuscany but has two wins and a total of four podiums in other GP categories.
Dani Pedrosa: “I had a lot of fun at Jerez last year and the welcome from the fans was amazing. We all know Jerez is a special place. For us it will also be important to use some references for our tests and put it into the race environment again. This is the main reason to compete in 2024.”
Pol Espargaro. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Pol Espargaro: “Really happy to be racing again and especially at Mugello, which is a very special place to get on a MotoGP bike. It will be cool to be back on the grid with the guys. Testing has been going really well and I’m very motivated. I am more like my ‘old self’ after the injury of 2023. I’m looking forward to being right back into the MotoGP ‘family’ and showing that our testing work is strong and fast.”
David Alonso (80), as seen at COTA earlier this season. Photo by Michael Gougis.
David Alonso continued his domination of the Moto3 class at Circuit of The Americas by breaking a longstanding All-Time Lap Record during Practice Two (P2) on Saturday morning.
Riding his CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team machine, the Colombian turned a best lap time of 2:14.153. Not only did that time top the 26 riders in the session, it also broke the All-Time Moto3 Lap Record of 2:14.644, which was set by Aron Canet way back in 2017.
Canet still holds the Race Lap Record at 2:15.583…at least until Sunday.
Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss led the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers warmup session Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
On just his second day ever riding at COTA, Herfoss improved on the 2:15.576 he did on his S&S Indian Challenger during Qualifying Two (Q2) on Friday with a 2:15.258 on Saturday morning and led the field of 12 riders.
Bobby Fong was second-best with a 2:15.533 on his SDI/Roland Sands Racing Indian, and Kyle Wyman was third in the warmup with a 2:15.707 on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
The top five riders in the session were separated by just 0.7 second.
Mission King Of The Baggers Race One is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. Central Time and Race Two is scheduled to run at 4:05 p.m. The races can be best viewed on MotoAmerica Live+, MotoAmerica’s digital streaming subscription service, but they can also be seen on MAVTV, FS1, MTRSPRT1, and YouTube.
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.
Sponsors: Robem Engineering, Aprilia, Arai, American Supercamp, Penguin Racing School, MotoLiberty/RS Taichi, Woodcraft Technologies, Atlantic Cruising Yachts, Fast By Ferracci, Stump Racing Kids.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, qualified 6th in MotoAmerica Twins Cup at Daytona and then was injured for most of the season, returned for season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park and finished 4th and 5th in the races, finished 14th in 100th Loudon Classic riding an Aprilia RS 660 versus Supersport-class machines; 2022 season, placed 8th in MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship (3 podium finishes), finished 8th in Italian CIV Aprilia RS 660 Trophy Cup race at Vallelunga, set a new NEMRR Lightweight Lap Record of 1:12.183 at New Hampshire International Speedway; 2021 season, finished 2nd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (4 wins and 16 total podium finishes in 18 races); 2020 season, finished 4th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (8 podium finishes); 2019 season, finished 9th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup (competed in 11 of 17 races, 1 podium, 3 top-5 finishes), won 2 LRRS Championships (12 race wins), won NESBC Lights Championship; 2018 season, named LRRS Rookie of the Year (youngest to ever receive the award), won 24 LRRS races and earned 46 podium finishes, won NESBC Intermediate B Championship; 2017 season, named NJMiniGP Rookie of the Year.
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica races.
Racing career goal: Make it to the FIM Superbike World Championship.
Racing hero: Jamison Minor.
Favorite track: Barber Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Downhill mountain biking.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Downhill mountain biking.
…
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.
Kawasaki's 2024 Ninja 500 is based heavily on the Ninja 400 that it supersedes, produces more power with very little extra weight and costs the same. Photo by Kevin Wing/courtesy Kawasaki.
Kawasaki’s Ninja 400 is one of the best-selling sportbikes in the world, so Kawasaki marketeers and engineers had to tread carefully when they upgraded the machine back to a full half-liter. Customers wanted more torque and power to make riding in traffic easier and more confidence-inspiring, but didn’t want to lose the light weight, flickability, and ease of operation that made the Ninja 400 so accessible to so many riders.
The 2024 Ninja 500 is, basically, a stroked version of Kawasaki’s well-sorted small-displacement Parallel-Twin four-stroke engine. The idea was to create a smooth, flat power curve. That makes it easy for beginning and entry-level riders to access the new power, enhancing their riding experience without overwhelming them.
With new bodywork, new instrumentation and a wide variety of color schemes and accessory levels, Kawasaki wants the new Ninja 500 to continue to bring riders into the sportbike fold. The company turned journalists loose on the machines for a ride through the fabled canyon roads above Pacific Coast Highway in California, and I got a chance to ride down Memory Lane as well. I not only spent years riding exactly those canyon roads in the past, but my first dedicated racebike was also a Ninja 500 from the early 1990s …
Kawasaki’s 2024 Ninja 500 is flickable and quick, easy to ride and friendly at a moderate pace. Good rubber helps overcome many of the suspension shortcomings. Photo by Kevin Wing.
Easiest to think of the new Ninja 500 as a hot-rodded Ninja 400. Engine internals have been reworked for a longer stroke to bring the displacement to 451cc. New crankshaft, new connecting rods, new flywheel, new pistons and new cams help the upsized mill spin out a claimed 51.0 horsepower at 10,000 rpm. New airbox internals help keep the power curve nice and flat, and a new assisted slipper clutch transmits power to the 6-speed transmission.
The bodywork is new, designed to create a familial relationship with the company’s supersport Ninja models and to better protect the rider from the elements. The seat is revised, the dash upgraded on the SE models. Otherwise, it’s the familiar steel trellis frame, conventional 41mm forks and a shock adjustable for preload. The only electronic rider aid is ABS.
Kawasaki hit the mark when it came to power delivery. Aided by a smooth, progressive, ridiculously easy-to-use clutch, the bike pulled away cleanly from a stop and cruised comfortably at freeway speeds, and also spun happily to the rev limiter while running up through the gears.
The riding position is spacious and vibration is minimal, and the bodywork does a reasonable job of reducing wind blast. And it might seem like a trivial point, but Kawasaki engineers fitted a larger front brake master cylinder to provide more feel at the lever. New riders need to get comfortable using the front brake, and the Ninja 500’s front brake experience helps them get used to going for that lever. And if they panic anyway, the ABS is there to save them.
Pretty much the only downside is the too-soft damping front and rear that left the bike pogo-ing over bumps and also pitching the front end back to near full-extension after letting off the brakes. It’s common among machines in this category, and there’s a cheap and easy fix. The surprisingly good Dunlop GPR-300 radials front and rear provide excellent mid-corner traction, and on smooth, sweeping turns, the Ninja 500 is stable and quick enough to be truly entertaining.
Kawasaki says the bike’s most likely customers have less than a year of riding experience, will probably not test-ride the bike, and are looking for style and ease of use on a machine that makes them feel when commuting or riding on the highway. The Ninja 500 provides more power, more accessibly, than its predecessor, and that means less riding drama overall. It’s a bike someone new to sport riding can learn on, improve and grow with. It’s good enough to make someone a performance rider for life.
Editor at Large Michael Gougis at a track day at Willow Springs International Raceway in 2006. His personal Kawasaki Ninja 500 racebike sported a homemade belly pan fashioned from roofing materials. Photo by Caliphotography.com
Marco Bezzecchi (72) goes inside VR46 Racing teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio (49) in MotoGP practice at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Although there were new liveries and leathers, it was familiar faces atop the timesheets on Friday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas in Austin. The new-look Prima Pramac factory Ducati of Jorge Martin was devastating at a track where he struggled last year. Marc Marquez, in the pale blue of Gresini Racing, rebounded from what he called a difficult first session to finish in the top three at a track he has dominated in the past. And Maverick Vinales, who has run up front at the past two race weekends and won the Sprint race in Portugal, put together two solid sessions, hoping to add consistency to the sheer speed of the Aprilia.
Jorge Martin (89) was untouchable in the last Grand Prix race in Portugal and smashed the COTA lap record on Friday. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Martin’s 2:01.397 in the second session beat the old outright lap record by 0.495 seconds. He was second behind Vinales in the first practice session. In the second session, Vinales was less than a tenth of a second behind Martin.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Marc Marquez says he had machine problems in the first session, but not all of his difficulties could be blamed on the bike. Marquez still says he is transforming his riding style to suit the Ducati Desmosedici GP23 fielded by Gresini.
Marc Marquez (93). Photo by Michael Gougis.
Francesco Bagnaia typically devotes all of Friday to race pace setup, and has had to fight his way through Q1 more often than he’d probably like. A late flyer of a lap put him into P4, safely into final qualifying, and the reigning World Champion called it the best Friday he’s had in a long time.
Francesco Bagnaia (1). Photo by Michael Gougis.
2021 MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo showed up in Texas with a new two-year factory Yamaha contract. But Quartararo says the bike still isn’t close to the pace of the European brands, and being the quickest rider on a Japanese bike isn’t much solace when all six of them are at the bottom of the timesheets.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo by Michael Gougis.
American Joe Roberts led the first Moto2 session before finishing second, but struggled to 14th-fastest in the second session. Roberts and the team have been plagued by small technical issues this season, but when the bike is right, Roberts has run with the leaders.
Joe Roberts (16) and Jake Dixon (96) in Moto2 practice at COTA. Dixon is returning from an injury suffered in the first round of the season. Photo by Michael Gougis.
MotoAmerica brought the King Of The Baggers to the weekend as a support series, and the bellowing beasts did not fail to disappoint, judging by the gasps and shouts from journalists watching the brief Challenge race on the video monitors. When all the sliding and bumping was over, Troy Herfoss took the victory.
Troy Herfoss (17) was quickest in the first practice session and won the King Of The Baggers Challenge. Photo by Michael Gougis.
When Alpinestars introduces a new airbag protection system, it typically demonstrates by inflating one strapped onto a volunteer. This year’s volunteer for the new Tech-Air 7X system was J.D. Beach, who is slated to rejoin the MotoAmerica Superbike class this season.
Alpinestars’ Heath Cofran, left, introduces MotoAmerica Superbike racer J.D. Beach to the crowd gathered at the Alpinestars hospitality at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Australian Superbike Champion Troy Herfoss won the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge dash-for-cash race Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian Challenger, Herfoss won the three-lap sprint by 2.836 seconds.
Bobby Fong was the runner-up on his SDI/Roland Sands Racing Indian, and defending King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim finished right behind Fong in third on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide.
The King Of The Baggers field will have a warm-up session and two full-length races on Saturday at COTA.
Herfoss Takes Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge At COTA
Australian Troy Herfoss Takes Challenge Win, S&S Indian Motorcycle Teammate Tyler O’Hara Will Start Saturday’s Two Races From Pole Position
Troy Herfoss (17) leads Hayden Gillim (1), Bobby Fong (50), and Kyle Wyman (33) en route to winning the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge on Friday at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (April 12, 2024) – After two hectic laps that featured plenty of bag banging, S&S Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss earned his first-ever Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge victory when he pulled clear of the melee behind him to win the three-lap dash for cash.
Herfoss was in the mix from the start and took full advantage of all the shenanigans that went on to gap the pack giving chase by 2.836 seconds.
SDI/Roland Sands Racing/Indian Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong ended up second with a last-lap pass on RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman ended up fourth, .222 of a second behind Gillim and was the last man standing as the other two starters in the six-rider race failed to finish.
Pole-sitter Tyler O’Hara led off the start but put his hand up as he negotiated the esses to let the others know he had a problem that would take him out of the race.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli, meanwhile, was out of the Challenge before it even started as a mechanical put him on the sidelines right off the start.
Only 15 minutes or so earlier, O’Hara showed in Q2 that he would be a force to be reckoned with as he shattered Wyman’s lap record of 2:15.461 with his 2:15.029. Wyman was a hair (.056 of a second) slower with his 2:15.085 and that was .491 of a second faster than Herfoss and his 2:15.576.
Wyman’s teammate Rispoli ended up fourth fastest with Fong fifth, Gillim sixth and RydFast Racing’s Kyle Ohnsorg seventh. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers, Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson’s Travis Wyman and Mad Monkey Motorsports’ Max Flinders rounded out the top 10 qualifiers for Saturday’s two races
Tyler O’Hara earned pole position during MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying Two (Q2) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
On board his S&S Indian Challenger, O’Hara turned a lap time of 2:15.029 around the 3.4-mile (5.5 km) road course. That time was not only good enough to top the field of 12 riders and earn pole position, it also broke Kyle Wyman’s 2023 All-Time Lap Record of 2:15.461.
Wyman was the best of the rest with a 2:15.085 on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
O’Hara’s new teammate Troy Herfoss claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a best lap of 2:15.576.
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