MotoGP: Monster Energy Yamaha Team Officially Presented In Malaysia

David Swarts

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February 5, 2024

MotoGP: Monster Energy Yamaha Team Officially Presented In Malaysia

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Launch 2024 Line-Up in Sepang

Sepang (Malaysia), 5th February 2024

Today, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP unveiled their team line-up in Sepang, Malaysia. They opened their garage doors to a select group of media representatives, who were given the opportunity to speak with new teammates Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins ahead of the 2024 MotoGP season and take a close-up look at the 2024 Yamaha YZR-M1 bikes.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. and Yamaha Motor Racing showed their desire for renewed success today at the Sepang International Circuit as the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team opened their garage doors to a select group of media representatives.

The colour scheme of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1, the pit box, the riders’ leathers, and the team clothing had stayed the same. The most instantly notable changes were the livery featuring some new sponsors and Yamaha’s updates on the personnel and organisational front.

(From left) Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing & Team Principal of the Monster EnergyYamaha MotoGP Team; rider ⁠Fabio Quartararo; Kazuhiro Masuda, Yamaha MotoGP Group Leader & YZR-M1 Project Leader; ⁠Toyoshi Nishida, Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd & Senior General Manager of Motor
Sports Section; Takahiro Sumi, President of Yamaha Motor Racing & General Manager of Motor Sports
Development Division; Massimo Bartolini, Technical Director of Yamaha‘s MotoGP Operations; rider Álex Rins; and Massimo Meregalli, Team Director of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. — (From left) Lin Jarvis, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing & Team Principal of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team; rider ⁠Fabio Quartararo; Kazuhiro Masuda, Yamaha MotoGP Group Leader & YZR-M1 Project Leader; ⁠Toyoshi Nishida, Executive Officer of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd & Senior General Manager of Motor Sports Section; Takahiro Sumi, President of Yamaha Motor Racing & General Manager of Motor Sports Development Division; Massimo Bartolini, Technical Director of Yamaha‘s MotoGP Operations; rider Álex Rins; and Massimo Meregalli, Team Director of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.

Fabio Quartararo remains a fan favourite and is determined to come back fighting to make 2024 his year. This season he is joined by new teammate Álex Rins, who brings a ton of fresh technical and riding expertise to the team.

Besides Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s new rider line-up, the Yamaha management also underwent some changes for 2024. General Manager Motor Sports Development Division of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. Takahiro Sumi will now be working closely with new Yamaha YZR-M1 Project Leader Kazuhiro Masuda and new Yamaha Factory Racing Technical Director Massimo Bartolini.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Principal & Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director Lin Jarvis and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director Massimo Meregalli remain at the helm of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP equipe, while the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team and its rider Cal Crutchlow will be led by Kazutoshi Seki in 2024.

With a refreshed company structure in place, all those involved in the MotoGP project are fully motivated to make big steps this season (as evident from the 2024 MEYM Season Launch).

Throughout 2024, the Factory Yamaha MotoGP team can once again count on team title sponsor Monster Energy Company’s full support. Yamaha has a long-term global alliance with Monster Energy Company based on their mutual passion for racing. Yamaha and Monster Energy’s strong multi-year relationship is evident in the iconic and instantly recognisable Monster claw branding prominently displayed in the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team logo, on the team uniforms, and on the bikes. The 2024 bike livery again consists of the camouflage look that perfectly blends Yamaha’s colours with the adventurous lifestyle colour scheme of Monster Energy.

During the 2024 MEYM Season Launch event, Quartararo and Rins expressed their high motivation for the MotoGP Official Sepang Test (6-8 February) and the MotoGP Official Qatar Test (19-20 February) where they will try various testing items before the MotoGP season kicks off with the Grand Prix of Qatar (8-10 March).

The upcoming MotoGP season is shaping up to be a big one, currently projected to count 21 GP rounds and 42 races, as the MotoGP race weekend format will once more consist of a MotoGP Sprint on the Saturday and a MotoGP Race on the Sunday.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP team take this opportunity to sincerely thank their numerous long-standing Official Sponsors and Official Partners for their enthusiasm for motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Moreover, the team is delighted to welcome India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. (IYM) as a new addition to the list following the successful first-ever Indian GP in 2023.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

– Monster Energy Company
– Eneos Corporation
– Yamalube
– India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd./The Call of the Blue
– Akrapovič
– BETA Tools
– Yamaha Indonesia Motor Manufacturing/Semakin Di Depan
– Blue Core
– bLU cRU
– DID
– Gilles Tooling
– BMC Filters
– Roboze
– Debem
– Pont Grup
– RCB
– Alpinestars
– CAPIT
– Furukawa Electric
– VR46
– NGK Spark Plugs
– Yamaha Corporation (Yamaha Music)
– 2D
– Michelin

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

– BeSharp
– Siemens
– LMS
– Alpinestars
– ZEISS GOM
– RCM
– Toyota Material Handling
– 3M Peltor
– Hygenia
– Camaleonic Analytics
– Beta Tools
– Namedsport
– ParkinGO

HOSPITALITY PARTNERS

– Mokador
– Ca’ dei Frati

TAKAHIRO SUMI

GM, Motor Sports Development Div., Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd

As many will know, YMC’s Motor Sports Development Division’s work towards renewed success in 2024 started already before the 2023 season ended. Yamaha’s main goal is and will always be to bring Kando* to its customers and fans. It therefore goes without saying that the company is fully dedicated to the cause of bringing the MotoGP trophy back to Yamaha with our new global team power. Based on the riders’ feedback, we have been working tirelessly to find new ways to improve our bike, and we know that Fabio and Álex as well as test rider Cal are keen to put the new 2024-spec bike to the test. It will be a long season again, but we are ready to put in the work and to compete head-on.

*Kando: A Japanese word for the simultaneous feelings of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value.

LIN JARVIS

Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing

Last year was a tough season, but we have regrouped, restructured our organisation, and now we are ready to make a comeback. Having made significant changes to our MotoGP project team and with a new rider line-up, the team feel refreshed and ready to tackle the 2024 season. The Yamaha engineers have been working around the clock during the ‘winter break’ and kept developing the bike. So, though the livery remains the same for this season, there is much more to the 2024-spec M1 than is apparent at first glance.

Another constant, which we are really grateful for, is the strong relationship with our official sponsors and partners. We are entering our twelfth year with Monster Energy Company as our sponsor and the sixth season with them as title sponsor. We are thankful to them and to our other official team sponsors, partners, and suppliers, with many of whom we have had long-term partnerships, for showing their full support to our project and our mission to excel in the super innovative, technically and physically challenging sport of MotoGP racing.
At the start of the 2024 championship, we face 3 preseason tests followed by a 21-event calendar with 42 individual races, including the Sprints and main Races.

In addition to that we have numerous IRTA tests throughout the season as well as many private tests where we can now use our GP riders due to the application of the new Concession rules for 2024.

So, it will be a long and intense season, where both performance and endurance will count to achieve championship success.

Having already started with the ‘Shakedown Test’, we will now begin the real season with the Official Sepang IRTA Test, which is where we can evaluate our performance versus our competitors.

I believe this year will be one of the most exciting MotoGP seasons in recent times, and I hope the fans all around the world will enjoy the battles over the next 10 months.
Let’s get started!

FABIO QUARTARARO

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider

It’s the start of the new season – that’s always exciting! Everyone is starting from zero points again, and I know both the team and I are super motivated to get as much work done as possible during the Sepang Test. A good start to 2024 – even if it’s just preseason tests – can result in a big advantage later on. So, as always, we will put everything we have into every day, every session, every run, and every lap. I know Yamaha has been working hard behind the scenes, so I think that if we keep pushing ourselves to the limit in all aspects, we should be able to have a great year together. I want to fight at the front, and I want to greet my fans from the top step of the podium again!

Alex Rins. Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.

ÁLEX RINS

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider

I already had my first taste of the M1 working with the Yamaha team at the Valencia Test and the Shakedown Test, but today’s 2024 MEYM Season Launch event makes me feel excited again as if it’s the first day. We had a good first run at the test in Valencia, so I was quite happy with that, and I can’t wait to continue the work here in Sepang tomorrow. I have many things to try, but I’m feeling confident. The bike seems easy to adapt to, so I think I will be able to make some further steps at the Sepang Test. I have been working a lot on my physical fitness to arrive here at the best possible level, and now all I want to do is start riding again!

AMA Supercross: Race Report And Video Highlights From Detroit

David Swarts

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February 4, 2024

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AMA Supercross: Race Report And Video Highlights From Detroit

Jett Lawrence Dominates Detroit Supercross

Austin Forkner Wins 250SX Class East Coast Kick-off

Detroit, Mich., (February 3, 2024) Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence became the first Monster Energy AMA Supercross repeat-winner in 2024 with an impressive victory in front of 52,961 fans inside Ford Field in Detroit.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton, the defending series champion, took over second place on the opening lap and held it throughout the 20-minute plus one lap Main Event. Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen recovered from a mid-pack start to work his way up on the rutted track and earned the final spot on the podium. When the scores were tallied Chase Sexton took over the championship points lead by a single point over Jett Lawrence. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Aaron Plessinger now sits third in the standings just a one point behind Lawrence. The Detroit round kicked off the Eastern Regional 250SX Class championship with Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner riding smooth, steady, and fast to grab the win and the points lead in the 9-round championship.

Jett Lawrence (18). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.

“I think the biggest difference for me is more this [points to his head]. My decision making, the past few weeks, it’s been kinda not as good… My speed’s been not too bad, but it’s just more poor executing and that stuff. So I think what I mean [when I said on the podium ‘Jett Lawrence showed up’ is] …more just kind of mentally, decision wise.” – Jett Lawrence, when asked about his podium comment, “I think Jett Lawrence just finally showed up to a race.”

“It’s nice to have the red plate but it really only matters… who ends with it. So it’s nice to have it back, we’re all pretty close in points, but tonight was one of my best rides on the new bike, I think. We’ve had so many mud races, last week it was a Triple Crown, and this week it was our first real main event [since the opening round], and I felt pretty solid in the conditions. I didn’t have a great heat race and after seeing the 250 start, I was pretty far outside [on my gate]; I was a little bit nervous that if I didn’t get a good jump I was going to get pushed off the track. So I got a good start and I had some good speed, [made] some mistakes obviously, but it was a good main event and looking forward to build off that.” – Chase Sexton

“I’m not the kind of guy that plays the ‘I can’t catch a break’ type thing. It’s just part of racing … I had a streak of, you know, if you want to call it bad luck, that can happen to anybody. And you know, we fought our way back to the podium. And I know we have everything that it takes to be on the top step, but… before I think about winning all the time, I want to get some consistency and being on the podium [regularly]… I just really want to get a little bit further up to the front in the point standings.” – Ken Roczen, when asked how he’s dealt with a string of unfortunate events at the past three races.

The Eastern Regional 250SX Class’ Main Event started with a first turn pile up that ensnared nearly half of the field. Austin Forkner was ahead of the crash and set sail for a decisive win to earn his 13th Supercross victory. Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie got a decent start and battled his way into second place on the challenging track. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s rookie Daxton Bennick made an impressive debut and brought home a third place finish from his first pro Supercross race.

Austin Forkner (64). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.

“I just made it kind of a point to surround myself with people who are there to lift me up, basically. I feel like that’s just really important in this sport. You can have one good race and be on top of the world and you can have a bad one and get so down. So having people around you that keep you on the right track and keep you focused on what you need to be focused on, I think is really important. I’ve done that this year. Also the mental change was trying to have more fun riding. Obviously anybody knows, injuries in any sport… you don’t want to do it as much. You start being scared of what you fell in love with, essentially, and that being dirt bikes for me. To ride a dirt bike scared, at this level is – you can’t do it. So [we also worked on] just keeping the whole preseason [work] fun… We did quality work over quantity so much, and we kept it fun and kept me in a good mental space coming into this season, and I think it shows.” – Austin Forkner on how he approached 2024 after missing all of 2023 with an injury sustained at Round 1.

“It took me a little longer than what I would’ve liked to get around Chance but, you know, at the end of the day he’s riding great. …as soon as I got around him, I thought, ‘All right, let’s stretch my legs a little bit.’ But I got caught with a few lappers the wrong way, and honestly Austin was riding really well. I kinda wanted to go, and then I was like, ‘I’m not going to take the bait and drag a footpeg up some of these rhythm sections [and crash],’ and just kept it solid.” – Max Anstie

“I was definitely going fast at the [pre-season] test track, but that’s one thing, racing’s a completely different thing. I didn’t know how it would be on Saturday. The nerves were high, for sure, and I knew I just had to keep calm. And we had that replica [of the Detroit track layout] at The Farm [team training facility] so I just had to, you know, imagine I was at The Farm. And once I got I think into fourth, I saw Chance in third and I started laying my laps down. I felt really strong at the end, so that was also a thing – I didn’t know if I was going to be strong at the end of the moto ‘cause I’ve never raced a full pro moto. So yeah, check that box and I’m really happy with it.” – Daxton Bennick, when asked to comment on rumors he was fast at the test tracks coming into his debut rookie pro race.

The series heads back west for Round 6 inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on February 10th. The schedule returns to night racing, with the opening ceremonies commencing at 8:00 PM EST. Each Monster Energy Supercross race also pays points for the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. The SuperMotocross League brings together the thrills of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season, the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross season, two Playoff Rounds, and one Final to determine an overall winner for both the 450SMX and 250SMX classes.

Each SuperMotocross World Championship round is streamed live on PeacockTV, with select rounds also broadcast or streamed domestically on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. CNBC airs next-day encore presentations of all 31 rounds. International coverage is available live and on-demand through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv), in both English and Spanish.

Tickets are on sale now for the remaining Monster Energy Supercross events. For tickets, video highlights, race results, feature stories, and full streaming and broadcast information please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.

Video: Jonathan Rea Recaps Testing His Pata Yamaha Superbike At Portimao

David Swarts

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February 4, 2024

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Video: Jonathan Rea Recaps Testing His Pata Yamaha Superbike At Portimao

Six-time Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea and his Pata Yamaha by Prometeon team recap their recent test at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal.

MotoAmerica: Elliott Moving Up To Supersport

David Swarts

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February 3, 2024

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MotoAmerica: Elliott Moving Up To Supersport

Kreece Elliott excited to make MotoAmerica Supersport debut at Road Atlanta

Kreece Elliott is excited to announce his step into the MotoAmerica Supersport season for 2024.

Riding a Kawasaki, the Colorado-based teenager will make the jump from Junior Cup this year as he takes the next step with his racing career.

A regular top-10 finisher in Junior Cup over the past two years, Kreece, together with his family believes the time is right to move into the middleweight category and after several successful post-2023 season outings aboard the larger displacement machine, the decision was made.

The plan is to contest several MotoAmerica events whilst gaining as much experience in regional races ahead of what is hoped will be a full assault on the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport championship.

Kreece Elliott: “I am looking forward to making the jump from Junior Cup to Supersport this year. I know the competition will be very tough, but I am willing to take on the challenge. As I grew up the Junior Cup bike started to become uncomfortable, and I feel that the bigger bike will definitely suit me more. I immediately felt good on the supersport spec Kawasaki when I rode it last year and I know that in time I will be able to run with the guys at the sharp end, but it won’t be easy. I will have to learn the tracks on the bigger bike but honestly, I cannot wait to get going. I want to be realistic in my goals and I am confident in achieving them and looking forward to having fun and improving each time I go out on track. I want to thank those people behind the scenes that continue to believe in me and hope to welcome some new people into the program as the year progresses.”

There are still opportunities available to support Kreece both financially and with product for his debut supersport season and those interested to find out more are encouraged to contact him directly through one of the links embedded within this media release.

Kreece’s 2024 MotoAmerica season will comprise of him racing at Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park, Road America, Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio, and COTA, offering plenty of opportunities to be part of ‘the team’.

You can also follow Kreece through his social media channels and keep up to date with his racing progress through his fully interactive website.

MotoGP: Acosta Tops Day Three Of Sepang “Shakedown Test”

David Swarts

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February 3, 2024

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MotoGP: Acosta Tops Day Three Of Sepang “Shakedown Test”

Shakedown Lowdown: Day 3

Acosta ends Saturday on top as the final day of Shakedown testing concludes

Saturday, 03 February 2024

The curtain came down on the 2024 MotoGP™ Sepang Shakedown with rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) on top, with the number 31 content to continue making headlines. A superb 1:58.189 on the final day saw him lead test rider Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) by 0.066s, with CASTROL Honda LCR’s new recruit Johann Zarco completing the top three.

Acosta dazzles

Despite a couple of small crashes on the final day – one in the dry at Turn 11 and one in the wet at Turn 15 – Acosta only continues to impress. His time would have placed him P5 in last year’s Sepang Test overall standings, and there are still three more days to go in that event next week.

On the final day, Acosta was lapping with KTM’s carbon chassis on both of his GASGAS bikes, indicating this may well be the direction they’ll be heading in for the season. It will be interesting to see what new parts Acosta will test on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Malaysia, as he’s joined by teammate Augusto Fernandez and the two Red Bull KTM Factory Racing riders Brad Binder and Jack Miller.

Dani Pedrosa (26). Photo courtesy Dorna.

And speaking of the orange squad, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro said in a video the team posted on social media that he feels “very good” on the bike after a winter of training sees the Test Rider come into 2024 in a much better physical condition. Espargaro also comments on how well Acosta is adapting to the bike.

Aero game stepped up ahead of Sepang Test

As we saw across the previous two days of Shakedown action, the factories have ramped up the aerodynamics game in 2024. You can see KTM’s front fender wing, Aprilia’s ‘Batmobile’ rear wing and Ducati’s additional ground effect side panel fairing updates HERE, with the respective test riders running all of these additions on the final day. Honda’s upgraded ‘stegosaurus’ rear wing can be seen below.

Honda and Yamaha: all hands on deck

On Day 3, Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) was spotted testing a different swingarm, and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) has confirmed that Honda’s 2023 bike isn’t in Sepang. Honda are focusing on the package they had at the Valencia Test and on a new prototype they’ve got. A “change in direction”.

Zarco was the fastest Honda on Saturday, ahead of Mir and then Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) and Nakagami, peppered throughout the top ten.

Meanwhile, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) finished the Shakedown in P4, while new teammate Alex Rins was a tenth off him in P7. In terms of novelties, Yamaha Test Rider Cal Crutchlow ventured out with a new, longer exhaust and an updated aero body.

More to come?

For Ducati and Aprilia, repped at the Shakedown by Michele Pirro and Lorenzo Savadori, respectively, there were the previously mentioned aero updates on obvious show, and the event saw plenty of prep for the rest of their riders to join the fray at the Sepang Test.

Michele Pirro (51). Photo courtesy Dorna.

That will include reigning Champion Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) meeting his new steed ahead of another title defence campaign, and 2023 challenger Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing). It’s also another chance to see Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) heading out, although that’s not on a 2024-spec bike…

Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy Dorna.

Meanwhile, alongside Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro at Aprilia, there’s also a complete novelty of a different kind in the Noale camp as Trackhouse Racing prepare to land in MotoGP™, with Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez likely soon to appear in their new colours on track for the first time.

That’s a wrap on one of the most star-studded Shakedowns we’ve seen for some time. Next up it’s the official #SepangTest from the 6th to the 8th of February, where we’ll see everyone back out and back in business ahead of their assault on 2024.

In the meantime check out all our updates on motogp.com, and join us on social for more snippets and content from the very start of what’s sure to be another history-making season!

BEST LAPS BY RIDER: DAY 3

1 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) 1:58.189

2 Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) +0.066

3 Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) +0.211

4 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) +0.249

5 Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) + 0.289

6 Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) +0.328

7 Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) + 0.354

8 Luca Marini (Repsol Honda Team) +0.746

9 Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Factory Racing) +0.794

10 Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) +0.883

11 Michele Pirro (Ducati Lenovo Team) +1.141

12 Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing) +1.811

13 Stefan Bradl (Honda Test Team) +2.910

Video: Jonathan Rea Does Q&A From Winter Training Base In Spain, Part Two

David Swarts

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February 3, 2024

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Video: Jonathan Rea Does Q&A From Winter Training Base In Spain, Part Two

In this video, six-time Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea answers fans’ questions from his winter training base in Spain. There were so many questions that Rea decided to do two videos. This is Part Two.

Triumph Named Official OEM Partner Of SuperMotocross World Championship

David Swarts

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February 2, 2024

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Triumph Named Official OEM Partner Of SuperMotocross World Championship

Triumph Motorcycles Brings Rich Pedigree to SuperMotocross World Championship Series as Newest OEM Partner

Triumph Racing’s Jalek Swoll and Evan Ferry to Debut in Monster Energy Supercross Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship

DETROIT, Mich., (February 2, 2024) – Supercross Media Day activities just concluded at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., and attending press members were treated to the historic debut of Triumph Racing as athletes Jalek Swoll and Evan Ferry spun laps on the new Triumph TF 250-X for the very first time on an official Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship track.

From a competition standpoint, Triumph Motorcycles joins Beta USA as the newest manufacturers to support a racing program in the series. GASGAS joined the championship in 2021.

Triumph Motorcycles becomes the eighth Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to join the series as an official partner, joining Japanese owned brands Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Austrian brands KTM, Husqvarna, and GASGAS.

As an official series partner, Triumph Motorcycles will work closely with Feld Motor Sports, Inc. to create first-class hospitality programs, FanFest activations and live event branding opportunities. Additionally, Triumph Motorcycles will enjoy prominent placement in television & streaming programming and social & digital marketing campaigns designed to engage both a domestic and international audience across the entire 31-round SMX World Championship.

The Detroit date serves as Round 5 of the indoor stadium season of Supercross for the premier 450 Class, and doubles as the official start of the Eastern Regional 250SX Class Championship. Swoll and Ferry will be lining up against a stacked 250 field that includes the defending SMX 250 World Champion Haiden Deegan, veterans Austin Forkner, Max Anstie, Cameron McAdoo, Jeremy Martin and 2x MX2 Champion Tom Vialle.

Joining Swoll and Ferry in the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the outdoor season of the SMX World Championship, and starting at Fox Raceway in Pala, Calif. on Saturday May 25 will be longtime fan favorite Joey Savatgy.

Triumph Racing’s commitment to the sport goes far beyond this season as plans are already underway to field a 450 premier class team in the future.

All 28 rounds of the SuperMotocross World Championship, inclusive of 17 Supercross races and 11 Pro Motocross races, are currently on sale to the general public at SupercrossLIVE.com and promotocross.com. Dates, venues, and ticketing information for the 2024 SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs and Final will be announced in March.

MX Sports Presents Inaugural 250cc MX Champ Jones With His Namesake Trophy

David Swarts

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February 2, 2024

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MX Sports Presents Inaugural 250cc MX Champ Jones With His Namesake Trophy

MX Sports Pro Racing Awards Inaugural 250cc Champion Gary Jones with His Namesake Trophy

Development of New Gary Jones Cup and Edison Dye Cup in Process Ahead of 2024 Pro Motocross Championship This May

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (February 2, 2024) – Ahead of the Anaheim 2 round of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship, MX Sports Pro Racing and Feld Motor Sports, the entities that comprise the SMX League, collaborated for a unique and special presentation to honor inaugural 1972 Pro Motocross 250cc Champion Gary Jones. Included as part of the season-long 50th anniversary celebration of Supercross, for the first time, after more than five decades, the California native was surprised with a proper trophy presentation in recognition of his historic maiden championship and subsequent titles in 1973 and 1974. Fittingly, the very trophy named for Jones’ cornerstone achievement in American motocross, the Gary Jones Cup, was awarded to the AMA Hall of Famer as an enduring symbol of his role in what is now the most prestigious championship in off-road motorcycle racing.

“When MX Sports Pro Racing assumed management of the Pro Motocross Championship in 2009, we wanted to create highly coveted symbols that celebrated the legacy of American motocross to award to our respective champions each season. In partnership with AMA Pro Racing, this led to the establishment of the Gary Jones Cup for the 250 Class and the Edison Dye Cup for the 450 Class, in honor of the indelible contributions of these two men during the sport’s infancy,” explained Tim Cotter, Director, MX Sports Pro Racing, who awarded the trophy to Jones. “It was always our intention to ultimately get the cup into the hands of its namesake and we thought this served as a perfect moment to surprise him in front of the hometown crowd. Unbeknownst to us, Gary never received a championship trophy for that 1972 title, nor for his championships in 1973 and 1974, so our surprise gesture ultimately turned into a deserving, long overdue celebration of his landmark achievements. We’re proud to be able to immortalize Gary’s early dominance and are honored to give him the prize he waited nearly 52 years for.”

Since its inception, the Gary Jones Cup has become an artifact of Pro Motocross’ storied legacy, bearing the names of every single racer to capture a 125cc/250cc championship, which started in 1974. The trophy is a who’s who of American motocross history, featuring the likes of Broc Glover (1977-1979), Mark Barnett (1980-1982), Ricky Carmichael (1997-1999), and Ryan Villopoto (2006-2008), the only riders to capture three consecutive championships in the smaller displacement. The list of titleholders also includes modern era stars and newly inducted AMA Hall of Famers like Travis Pastrana (2000), James Stewart (2002 & 2004), Grant Langston (2003) and Ryan Dungey (2009), in addition to current elite racers like Eli Tomac (2013), Cooper Webb (2016), Aaron Plessinger (2018), Adam Cianciarulo (2019), Dylan Ferrandis (2020), and the Lawrence brothers, Jett (2021-2022) and Hunter (2023).

“When I raced the series in 1972 no one knew it would go on to become the Pro Motocross Championship since it was integrated into the Inter-Am series. So, when I won the title no one seemed to care. It was the same for 1973 and 1974,” explained Jones. “When I learned about the presentation (in Anaheim), I couldn’t believe it. My girlfriend secretly helped put it together with MX Sports Pro Racing as a surprise. I was flabbergasted. I had won trophies for winning Nationals, but I never received championships trophies. I was even nominated for the AMA Hall of Fame (in 2000) and never knew it. I was kind of the first for a lot of that stuff, but now with the media, social media, and the internet I feel more recognized and celebrated than ever before. I’ve received so many well wishes. It’s all been incredibly surreal and I’m just so grateful to continue to receive such strong support after all these years.”

With the original Gary Jones Cup now in possession of the man himself, MX Sports Pro Racing is in the process of developing a new version of the Gary Jones Cup ahead of the 2024 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The same process is also being undertaken for a new Edison Dye Cup. The original 450 Class trophy is currently in the possession of American Honda following Jett Lawrence’s historic perfect season as premier class rookie with Team Honda HRC.

The 2024 Pro Motocross Championship is the centerpiece of the SuperMotocross World Championship, with an 11-round summer schedule that will visit 10 different states from late May through the end of August. The season will kick off on Memorial Day Weekend in Southern California with the Fox Raceway National on Saturday, May 25, from Fox Raceway at Pala.

Tickets are now available for all 11 rounds and can be purchased by visiting www.ProMotocross.com.

MotoAmerica: Petersen Sitting Out Daytona 200

David Swarts

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February 2, 2024

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MotoAmerica: Petersen Sitting Out Daytona 200

Cameron Petersen has announced that he will miss the 2024 MotoAmerica Daytona 200 March 9 at Daytona International Speedway.

“Unfortunately I will be sitting out of this years Daytona200!!!” Petersen posted to his Instagram on Friday. “Still trying to get back to full fitness with the wrist, absolutely gutted I won’t be lining up with the boys but I will be back in 2025. For now we focus on the big bike!!!”

In 2023 Daytona 200, a non-points-paying MotoAmerica Supersport race, Petersen finished third, just 0.140 second behind race winner Josh Herrin, on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF-R6.

Cameron Petersen in Victory Lane at the 2023 Daytona 200. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

Later during the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike season, Petersen was forced to withdraw from action to have surgery on his right wrist.

“The wrist was so bad before I had less than 50% of strength than I did in my left hand. I’m right-hand dominant, so it was pretty bad,” Petersen told Roadracingworld.com in August 2023, after he had the surgery. “We were having to inject a local anesthetic before each session [on track], and I was struggling to pick up a glass of water.

“They took a whole row of bones out of my wrist. I think the procedure is called a Proximal Row Carpectomy. It’s three bones [the scaphoid bone and the bone on either side of it] that they take out. She [surgeon Dr. Rosemary Yi] said it was pretty rare for someone my age to get it done, but I know Nicky Hayden had it done and John Hopkins had it done to kind of restart their careers. I have full confidence in the procedure, and I think it’s going to be really good.”

At that time, Petersen said he expected to return to normal activity in December 2023, and he did resume riding motocross and flat track. Then in January, he tested his Yamaha Superbike at The Podium Club at Attesa, in Arizona, but apparently Petersen feels he needs more recovery time before the start of the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in April.

Intro: 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Is A High-Performance Hog

Michael Gougis

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February 2, 2024

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Intro: 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST Is A High-Performance Hog

I kicked the shift lever, slammed the transmission into fourth and cranked the throttle open wide, taking full advantage of the immense amount of torque on hand to let the massive engine pull from the bottom of the rev range and keep spinning. I had already put a couple more clicks of compression damping into the shocks, and when the beast drove through the dip at the apex of the big sweeper at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Classic Course, everything stayed calm and stable. I ground the floorboard all the way through the sweeper and just kissed the rev limiter, the speedometer display flashing triple digits for just a second, before it was time to grab the front brake lever and slow to a crawl for a switchback series of coned-off U-turns designed to slow us down and keep the riding relatively sane.

Harley-Davidson took journalists to the racetrack to sample The Motor Company’s 2024 CVO Road Glide ST, the day before we got the chance to briefly ride the Street Glide and Road Glide standard models on the street. Rain brought the street ride to a premature halt, but not before we had a solid first impression of all three models of the thoroughly revamped Grand American Touring motorcycle platform. “We started from the ground up, and we touched everything,” said Scott Nash, Chief Engineer.

The highlight of the new model range is the CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) ST — the ST stands for Sport Touring. The $42,999 machine is “the quickest, fastest and most sophisticated performance bagger ever produced by Harley-Davidson,” the company says. And it owes its existence to the company’s involvement in King of the Baggers racing with MotoAmerica. Company officials say the idea for the model emerged during its first season of racing in the new class, and lessons learned on the track have been transferred to the new CVO ST. One example: The throttle mapping for the bike’s track modes (and yes, modes as in multiple track modes, Track and Track-Plus) are cut and pasted from the factory Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide King of the Baggers racebike.

New technology for the CVO ST centers around the Milwaukee-Eight 121 High Output engine. The 1977cc (121 cubic-inch) V-Twin powerplant revs to 5,900 rpm and puts out a claimed 127 bhp at 4,900 rpm and 145 lbs.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. The new intake flows 26% more air than the standard 121 intake, and the HO version eliminates the variable valve timing mechanism to make the engine more efficient at higher rpm and to save two pounds. Titanium mufflers with forged carbon-fiber end caps improve exhaust flow.

The gas tank, wheels, and brakes have been re-designed to reduce weight. How far did Harley-Davidson engineers go to make this machine lighter? The CVO ST has what one company official described as “performance floorboards.” They are shorter and lighter with cutouts to further reduce weight. The bike still weighs 800 pounds dry, but in a performance machine, every pound counts. Fully adjustable 47mm inverted Showa forks work with a pair of remote reservoir/fully adjustable rear shocks.

I was always aware of the mass, but the bike pulls away from a standing start smartly. The engine really is impressive, as it accelerates with little vibration all the way to redline and feels like it could spin significantly higher–it feels enthusiastic. But I found that riding a gear higher allowed me to access that down-low torque and avoid shifting as often. Interestingly, the Sport riding mode is a bit more aggressive right off of idle than the track modes. Softening the throttle response in that part of the rev range in Track mode allows the rider to get into the throttle more aggressively at corner exits on the track, where the rider is feeling for traction and grip and modulating rear wheel spin while leaned over. The rider in Sport mode is likely to be completely straight up and down and trying to make an impression when leaving a stoplight …

The upgraded suspension works well at speeds that are outside the machine’s design envelope. With a little more fine-tuning, the hint of wobble that occasionally reared its head likely could have been dialed out. And whenever I felt the bike starting to get uncomfortable, I’d look down at the speedometer and realize I was going far quicker than I’d go on the street! Vibration was minimal, the sound out of the pipes was a celebration of internal combustion, and the only real thing I’d want in this machine was a change in the ergonomics–specifically, lower handlebars. The CVO ST has a six-inch handlebar riser. The lower Street Glide handlebars were more to my liking.

Harley-Davidson marketeers noted a few years back that its customers were spending less money on “profiling” (flashy paint, customized aesthetics) and more on performance. Inspired by the monsters the Motor Company was building for the race team, the marketeers found that the in-house focus on performance aligned precisely with what Hayley-Davidson customers wanted. The CVO ST is the confluence of those trends. A day at the track revealed a big, solid touring motorcycle with a definite performance edge that is still true to its Harley-Davidson roots, a bike worthy of the “Fast Johnnie” stickers that are part of its livery.

(Just for fun, look up the legend of Johnnie, the pig mascot of the legendary Harley-Davidson Wrecking Crew. Somebody really, really needs to do that again!)

A more complete riding impression and technical overview of the 2024 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide ST and the Road Glide and Street Glide models will be available in an upcoming issue of Roadracing World.

MotoGP: Monster Energy Yamaha Team Officially Presented In Malaysia

February 5, 2024

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders Fabio Quartararo (left) and Alex Rins (right). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.