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MotoAmerica: Results From Talent Cup Race 2 At COTA (Updated)

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoAmerica: Results From Talent Cup Race 2 At COTA (Updated)

Kensei Matsudaira won the MotoAmerica Talent Cup race two Saturday afternoon at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Team Roberts Kramer APX-350 MA on Dunlop control tires, Matsudaira won the 8-lap race by 0.236 second.

Nathan Gouker was the runner-up on his Quarterley Racing Kramer APX-350 MA

Sam Drane was a close third on his Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing Kramer APX-350 MA.

Jaike Page finished fourth on his Team Hammer Kramer APX-350 MA.

Rossi Garcia took fifth on his Rossi Motorsports Kramer APX-350 MA.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

MotoAmerica Talent Cup Doubleheader Signals Start To High-Octane Championship Season

Two Races Decided By A Combined Margin Of Less Than Half A Second

The first round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship is in the books, with two races completed at the famed Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, alongside the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix Of The United States.

 

The 2026 Talent Cup field climbs the hill to COTA’s tight turn one as they kick off their 2026 racing season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

With the grid set, riders exited pit lane for race one looking to establish their dominance early in what will likely develop into a tight championship battle, right down to the last race of the season.

 

  • MotoAmerica Talent Cup – Race One

Polesitter Nathan Gouker won MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race One at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, followed closely by three of his fiercest competitors.

The victory did not come easily, as Gouker spent the duration of the contest fending off his rivals, who were tucked into his slipstream all the way to the checkered flag. The Lexington, North Carolina-based rider led the field out of the first turn on lap one, nearly lost traction with both tires while exiting the very same corner on lap three, bucking him out of the saddle and relegating him to fourth position. Gouker kept his composure and remained connected to the lead group, ultimately climbing back up the order to lead the last four laps and take the win by just .183 of a second.

 

Nathan Gouker (#19) celebrated his race one victory in the same parc fermé as the MotoGP stars. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Team Roberts rider Kensei Matsudaira continued his COTA podium run with a second-place finish in race one. The Californian consistently ran in the lead group of four riders, racing in P1 for two of the early laps and showing his stopping prowess through COTA’s brutal hard-braking sections. Matsudaira also beat his qualifying time during the race, and was one of only three riders to dip into the 2:26 range, narrowly missing the fastest lap of the race by a little over half a second.

 

Kensei Matsudaira’s (74) second place was not from a lack of trying, as he attempted multiple inside lunges for the lead. Here, he leads Nathan Gouker (19), Sam Drane (59) and Jake Paige (55). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The fastest lap of the race belonged to third-place finisher Jake Paige. The Team Hammer rider’s blistering 2:26.213 on lap seven set a new class lap record and race lap record, eclipsing the record-setting lap of 2:26.620 that 2025 Talent Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario achieved in Race Two at COTA this past September. Paige started from fourth on the grid in his MotoAmerica Talent Cup debut and looked poised throughout the race, narrowly missing Gouker’s knifing front wheel on lap three. Paige led one lap of the eight-lap contest and was part of the thrilling final-lap battle, culminating at the end of COTA’s massive backstretch.

 

Jake Paige (55) led the pack of Sam Drane (59), Nathan Gouker (19) and Kensei Matsudaira (74) out of COTA’s tricky esses section. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane narrowly missed the podium behind Paige by just .213 of a second. The 15-year-old, mild-mannered Aussie looked composed and patient while constantly leap-frogging between first and fourth. Ultimately, Drane made a last-lap attempt at the lead, running wide out of Turn 12 after COTA’s 0.62 mile back straightaway, bringing it home in fourth place just .526 of a second behind race winner Gouker.

 

Sam Drane (59) battled with race one winner Nathan Gouker (19). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Texas native Rossi Garcia used his home state as inspiration and brought his family-run Rossi Motorsports effort from an 11th-place grid position to fifth on the final lap. The local standout fought hard through a three-rider battle that lasted the full eight laps, securing his position just .183 of a second ahead of sixth place and besting his qualifying lap time by nearly three seconds in the process.

Phison/Pascari-Rocksolid Racing’s Reese Frankenfield took sixth position and leveraged his dirt track and mini-moto background to hold his ground against a fierce mid-pack. The young Hoosier remained calculated throughout his steady performance, secured vital points for his inaugural Talent Cup campaign, and looks to reel in the frontrunners as the season goes on.

Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez King found himself locked in the intense second group while battling for fifth position throughout the contest. The Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, native remained a fixture in the slipstream battle, ultimately finishing just .329 of a second behind sixth place, and he established himself as a top-five threat.

 

Derek Sanchez King (23), Rossi Garcia (30), and Reese Frankenfield (11) were in close quarters for the whole race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

  • Quote from MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race One Winner, Nathan Gouker:

“I was able to go into turn one (in the lead), and I tried to break away from the front group, but that wasn’t going to happen. I mean, they were all really fast. Going in the first start of the laps … exiting out of one, I had a big moment, so that kind of spiked my adrenaline a little bit. But, a couple of laps in it, I started to cool down and towards the end, someone made, I forget who it was, but pushed everyone wide, and I tried to put my head down and break away. I thought I broke away because I didn’t get passed for, like, two laps.

“But, on the last lap going down the back straightaway, you know, two people passed me, and I kind of broke a little early because I, I kind of thought that they were all going to try and brake as deep as possible and they were going to run wide, which happened, and I just kind of cut underneath and I just tried to pole putt around the rest of the track. I knew I needed to leave the last turn first, and I did and yeah, P1.”

 

  • MotoAmerica Talent Cup – Race Two

Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira withstood a barrage of final-lap attacks to take the MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race Two victory at COTA. The race began as a carbon copy of the prior, with Matsudaira leading out of the first corner aboard his King Kenny Roberts-liveried machine. The young Californian was part of another four-way scrap, peaking on the final lap where he refused to relinquish the lead through the stadium section, and he went on to take the win by just under a quarter of a second.

 

Kensei Matsudaira celebrated with King Kenny Roberts and team after his Talent Cup Race Two victory at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Nathan Gouker rode aggressively to take second place in race two. After chasing Matsudaira off the start out of turn one, Gouker spent much of the race in second place directly plugged into the lead battle before taking the lead on the final lap. The Lexington, North Carolina, native joined the rest of the top four with a 2:26.617 lap time on lap four and made an aggressive inside pass in the stadium section to take second place. He now looks forward to Road Atlanta as co-points leader alongside Matsudaira.

 

Nathan Gouker (19) missed a double-win weekend by finishing just .236 of a second behind winner Kensei Matsudaira (74). Here, Jake Paige (55) chases. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane moved up one finishing position in the second Talent Cup race on Saturday afternoon. Drane spent the greater part of the race lurking in fourth position as the tail rider in the lead group. After the start, it almost appeared as if the Australian rider would be separated from the top three, but he was able to close back up to them by lap four. On the final lap, he made a lunge at turn 12 but ran wide. Drane kept his Krämer APX-350 MA pinned along the inside before an aggressive pass from Gouker in the stadium section dropped him to third.

 

Sam Drane was happy to stand on the podium after barely missing it in Talent Cup Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Team Hammer’s Jake Paige entered race two as the newest lap record holder at COTA. Paige once again lapped consistently in the 2:26 range, with only his final two laps falling in the neighborhood of 2:27. The younger Paige brother battled with the lead group throughout the race and narrowly passed Drane at the final corner to steal third before having to let off the throttle as his Dunlop rear tire broke traction, riding across the line in fourth. He leaves COTA after swapping race one positions with Drane, and both are tied for second in points.

 

Jake Paige (55) should be a podium contender all season long. The younger Paige brother has found himself in the middle of the front pack after the first round. Here, he leads Sam Drane (59) and Rossi Garcia (30). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia repeated his fifth-place finish for the hometown crowd. Garcia continued to trim his lap times and dropped to a 2:27.192, from a 2:28.675 in race one, continuing to show progress towards the front group. He now sits fifth in championship points behind the tied first- and second-place duos.

Reese Frankenfield repeated his race one performance aboard his Phison/Pascari-Rocksolid Racing machine. The Mooresville, Indiana-based rider finished some six seconds behind fifth place and fought hard for his finish just .223 of a second ahead of seventh.

Bettencourt Racing’s Nathan Bettencourt improved by one position, coming across seventh and dropping Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez King to eighth.

Sawyer Lafayette Racing’s Sawyer Lafayette and another Real Steel Honda of Ian Fraley rounded out the top 10, respectively.

With the first round in the books, the Talent Cup races are bound to be some of the best action on the racing schedule this year. Both races saw a lead group of the top four separated by approximately half a second, and Race Two saw over 30 lead changes between the group with split-second finishes.

The points chase leaves COTA as tight as it can possibly be with two-way ties for first and second places between the top four riders, making this the most exciting Talent Cup Season yet.

 

  • Quote from MotoAmerica Talent Cup COTA Race Two winner, Kensei Matsudaira:

“You know, it’s awesome to be racing with MotoGP alongside them this weekend, and race two was really good for me. I got the holeshot, and I just stayed in front for most of the race, obviously, having some battles with Nathan, Jake, and Sam throughout the entire race.

“I tried to fix my mistake from race one, which is kind of staying back the entire race, and I tried to be more aggressive. Yeah, I mean, last lap was pretty hectic. A lot of passing. I went from first to second all the way back to fourth, and then, you know, on the last lap, I was able to pass everybody back into first. Overall, it was a really good race for me.”

To watch all the races from the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship season, visit https://www.motoamericaliveplus.com/

 

About MotoAmerica

MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+

 

More, from a press release issued by Team Roberts:

Kensei Matsudaira Delivers First Victory for Team Roberts in MotoAmerica Talent Cup at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the United States.

Kensei Matsudaira delivered the first victory in the MotoAmerica Talent  Cup for Team Roberts this weekend at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of  the United States in Austin, Texas.

Kensei started the weekend strong, topping free practice 1 on Friday  over 0.7 seconds clear of the next rider. A mechanical problem in free  practice 2 forced Kensei to miss most of the session, although he still  recorded the 4th fastest time. Bike problems continued in qualifying,  where an electrical failure caused Kensei to crash early in the only  qualifying session of the weekend. He was able to restart the bike and  despite the electrical issues, secure a 2nd place starting grid position with a time just 0.2 seconds from pole position.

 

Kensei Matsudaira (74) leading Nathan Gouker (19), Jake Paige (55) and Sam Drane (59) during the race on Saturday at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

In race 1 on Saturday, Kensei fought in the lead pack of the race in a 4-rider group from beginning to end, finishing in 2nd place just 0.1 seconds behind the race winner, delivering a podium finish for the team in the first race of the season.

Race 2 belonged to Kensei, who lead from the first corner and fought in the front group the entire race, leading for most of the race and ultimately taking the checkered flag in first place despite coming under intense pressure late in the race where at one time he was even shuffled back to 4th position.

Kensei Matsudaira: “I had some bike issues throughout the weekend that made it pretty hectic and difficult at times but I’m very happy that I was able to deliver the first win in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup for the team. Huge thank you to Team Roberts, Kenny Roberts and the whole family for supporting me this weekend!”

Arney Wick, Team Roberts Co-Principal: “Obviously Kenny and I are thrilled with the outcome of both races at COTA this last weekend, but of greater importance is the recognition of the true potential of this group which equally excites us.”

 

Kensei Matsudaira on the podium at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

The next MotoAmerica Talent Cup round will be held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia on April 17-19.

Before heading to Georgia, Kensei will be back in action racing in the FIM Moto4 Latin Cup representing the US and Team Roberts at Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil on April 10-12.

Kensei Matsudaira is supported by: Team Roberts, Fastrack Racing, Iconic Motorbikes, Bullit Electric, Dave Designs, HJC Helmets, Alpinestars, Yoshimura R&D, California Superbike School, Team Dunlop Road Race Elite, Evike.com Airsoft Superstore, Slacker, Moto Tecnica, Ohvale USA, Apex Motorsports Park, TJ Corse, NLAB Studio & Wraps, Death to Gas, Almassera El Teular, Project Slush, Bickle Racing, 1 Easy Day, Karen E. Ott Photography, VNM Sport, D.I.D Chain, Vortex Racing, 73 Moto Parts, MadLabs Minimoto, Martino Designs, and KiwiMoto72.

Team Roberts is supported by: Fastrack Racing, Slacker, and Liqui Moly.

New team partnership opportunities are always welcome, please contact:
[email protected]

H-D Bagger World Cup: Results From Race One At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier
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H-D Bagger World Cup: Results From Race One At COTA

Archie Mcdonald won the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Saturday afternoon at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Australian rider won the 7-lap race by 8.759 seconds.

Jake Lewis was the runner-up on his Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson.

Filippo Rovelli finished third on his Parkingo Team Harley-Davidson.

Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Cory West finished the race 4th and Travis Wyman got 5th.

Cody Wyman crossed the finish line 7th on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.

 

MotoGP: Sprint Race Results From COTA

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoGP: Sprint Race Results From COTA

Jorge Martin won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 10-lap race by 0.755 seconds.

Francesco Bagnaia was the runner-up on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Pedro Acosta finished third on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.

Enea Bastianini got fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16 and Alex Marquez crossed the finish line fifth on his BK8 Gresini Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Marc Márquez and pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed on the first lap after contact. Marco Bezzecchi crashed his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 and did not finish the race.

Jorge Martin leads the championship with 57 points, 1 ahead of Marco Bezzecchi who has 56 points. Pedro Acosta is third with 49 points.

 

sprint race motogp

 

worldstanding motogp

 

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Martin steals stunning Sprint win as drama takes the reins in Texas. The #89 attacks Bagnaia on the last lap, Marc Marquez clashes with Diggia and Bezzecchi slides out on an eventful Saturday.

Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) is back on the top step! The #89 put in a stunning performance in the Tissot Sprint in Texas, hunting down early leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), making a brutal move for the lead on the last lap and then crossing the line with seven tenths in hand to take his first Sprint win since 2024 – and first with Aprilia. In a Sprint that had already been dramatic, the #89 then added to it even more as he binned it after a celebratory wheelie, rider ok. That wasn’t the only drama in an eventful Sprint either.

Bagnaia took second after grabbing the early lead and only losing out on the last lap, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the Sprint rostrum – but under investigation for tyre pressure.

There was early drama for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he crashed out trying to make a move on Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), collecting the Italian in the incident too, and then Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) crashed by himself with only three to go – from ahead of Martin. Finally, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) crashed on the last lap trying to attack Acosta for third.

It was a good start from Acosta from P3 but at Turn 1 he had Marc Marquez to contend with, and both the #37 and Di Giannantonio lost out to Bagnaia, who judged the tight T1 apex perfectly. He led the way ahead of Acosta, with Diggia then duelling Marc Marquez over third – the #49 ahead. Points leader Bezzecchi dropped down to P7 early doors.

Suddenly, the first drama hit – and right near the front. Marc Marquez was going for a move on Diggia, the #49 picked it up and then the #93 slid off – collecting the unfortunate Di Giannantonio on the way out. Two riders were out of the podium fight.

Back at the front, Bagnaia pounded on. He had a few tenths in hand over a huge squabble for second, with Acosta leading Mir leading Martin leading Bezzecchi. The group was still close enough to the lead to make it anyone’s to take at that stage, but by six to go, Bagnaia was stretching his legs at the front.

Martin, however, was now the rider on the chase – and Bezzecchi had picked his way through into third, with both Aprilias dispatching Acosta. Mir was shuffled down to fifth, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) the rider on his tail.

Bezzecchi was on the back wheel of his teammate with four to go, and after stalking him he got through at Turn 11 in a clean move for second – but didn’t shake the #89. With three to go though, it all came apart in the second sudden splash of drama, and at exactly the same corner. Bezzecchi was out of shape in the braking zone and then suddenly slid out, his second Sprint crash of the season so far. Martin was up into second and the gap just over a second to Bagnaia.

 

Jorge Martin on the Sprint Race podium at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP

 

As the last lap arrived, it was all heating up at the front. What had been a comfortable cushion for Bagnaia was suddenly almost nothing, with Martin on the hunt. Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had stalked his way up to battle and then pass Alex Marquez, and then Mir crashed out at Turn 1 trying to fight Acosta for third.

The #89 homed in on Bagnaia as the tenths disappeared into hundredths, and Martin went for his move at Turn 12 – sitting the #63 up with a clean enough but brutal last lap attack. He kept it steady from there on out to cross the line for an emotional first Sprint win of the season, and first since 2024. It also puts him atop the rider standings.

Bagnaia retained second and Acosta retained third as Mir slid out, with Bastianini getting past Alex Marquez to take fourth. The #73 takes P5, with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) taking sixth in a little breathing space.

Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) moved up to seventh on Saturday just ahead of teammate Raul Fernandez, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) completing the Sprint points.

How’s that for a dramatic afternoon in the Lone Star State? Martin takes the reins despite his post-flag hiccup, and a grid penalty on Sunday drops Bezzecchi to P4 on the grid as he looks to bounce back. Join us for more in the Grand Prix as the dust settles after a stunning eventual afternoon of Sprint action!

FULL RESULTS – Red Bull US Grand Prix Tissot Sprint

Moto2: Alonso Takes Pole Position At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier
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Moto2: Alonso Takes Pole Position At COTA

David Alonso was the man to beat during Moto2 World qualifying Saturday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. The Colombian rider topped qualifying session with a new lap record time. Riding his Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Kalex, Alonso navigated the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) course in 2:05.203, breaking his own 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 2:05.847 he set yesterday during the practice session. It was also his first Moto2 pole position.

Barry Baltus was second-best with a 2:05.347 on his REDS Fantic Racing Kalex.

Alonso Lopez claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:05.363 on his Italjet Gresini Kalex.

Row-two qualifiers included QJMotor MSI’s Angel Piqueras (2:05.454), HDR Speed RS’ Celestino Vietti (2:05.500) and Dynavolt IntactGP’s Senna Agius (2:05.524).

 

moto2 qp

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Alonso clinches maiden pole, Holgado P16 in Austin. For the first time in Moto2, the Colombian will launch from pole as the championship leader gets ready to go from Row 6 after coming through Q1.

For the first time in Moto2, David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) will launch from pole position after converting a dominant Friday into a P1 on Saturday afternoon. The 2024 Moto3 World Champion will be joined on the front row in Austin by Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) and Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), with championship pacesetter Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) only P16 having come through Q1.

Alonso set a storming 2:05.203, a new all-time lap record, to finish just under a tenth and a half away from an improved Baltus, with the Belgian starting from the front row for the first time this year despite a late tumble in Q2. Lopez beat compatriot Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – GALFER – MSI) to the front row as the rookie earns his best Moto2 qualifying result in P4 – but the Spaniard faces a double Long Lap penalty on Sunday.

Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) complete the second row in the United States, with the Australian’s teammate Manuel Gonzalez starting from P10. That means the top two in the championship don’t feature on the front three rows on the grid.

Home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) will be hunting a good points haul from 11th on the grid, that’s the Californian’s best qualifying result of 2026, as we now strap in for what looks set to be a Moto2 cracker at COTA on Sunday.

Tune in to watch it at 13:15 local time! 

Moto2 qualifying results. 

Moto3: Carpe Claims Pole Position At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier
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Moto3: Carpe Claims Pole Position At COTA

Alvaro Carpe earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine on Pirelli control tires, Carpe turned a lap time of 2:12.107. Not only was that good enough to lead the 25-rider field, it was also good enough to break his own 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 2:13.190, which he set this morning in FP2.

Casey O’Gorman was the best of the rest with a 2:12.519 on his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda, and Valentin Perrone claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:12.526 on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine.

Row-two qualifiers included Honda Team Asia’s, Veda Pratama (2:12.813), Leopard Racing’s Guido Pini (2:12.837) and Level Up MTA’s Joel Esteban (2:12.869).

 

moto3 qp

 

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Carpe can’t be caught for stunning COTA pole. The #83 heads the grid, with O’Gorman putting Ireland on the front row ahead of Perrone in third.

Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took a stunning pole position in Texas, setting a 2:12.107 to lead the way by over four tenths. Casey O’Gorman (SC58 Squadra Corse) takes second to lead the chasers, with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) just 0.007 off O’Gorman in a tight front row.

There was only one name really on top in the session. By a few minutes left on the clock, Carpe was already leading the way, and then the #83 put in another stunner. Over half a second clear with a minute left, the gauntlet was thrown down.

O’Gorman, already the rider in second and the only rider within seven tenths of the top, was closest through the first sector next time round but it was starting to get busy out on track. The Irishman was able to cut down the deficit to the top to 0.412, but could get no closer.

Row 2 is headed by rookie Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) after another stunner from the Indonesian rider. He also looked on to improve before a track limits infringement cancelled his last attempt. Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) and Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) complete Row 2.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) is P7, with a scrappy session for Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) seeing him forced to settle for eighth. Rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) takes ninth on his first visit to COTA, with Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) taking 10th.

Check out full Moto3 qualifying results from the Red Bull US GP and come back for more on race day as Moto3 take on COTA!

MotoAmerica: Results From Talent Cup Race One At COTA

Michael Gougis
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MotoAmerica: Results From Talent Cup Race One At COTA

Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker won the MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race One at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday. Gouker, who took pole on Friday, was followed by Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira, Team Hammer’s Jake Paige, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane and Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia. The top four were separated at the line by 0.526-second.

 

26_3_COTAGP_TCP_R1_res

WorldSBK: Race One Results From Portugal

Mathilde Gasnier
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WorldSBK: Race One Results From Portugal

Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 2.522-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.

His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third. 

Alex Lowes crossed the finish line fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.

American Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 7th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. 

Danilo Petrucci finished the race 10th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR. 

Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 87 points, 37 ahead of Axel Bassani who has 50 points. Iker Lecuona is third with 39 points.

 

wsbk race 1

 

wsbk world championship

 

 

More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:

BULEGA’S RUN CONTINUES: The #11 leads teammate Lecuona in Race 1 at Portimao, Oliveira takes first WorldSBK rostrum. Home hero Miguel Oliveira gave the packed grandstands something to cheer as he claimed P3 at Portimao.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) extended his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship winning streak to eight races as he claimed Race 1 victory at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona. The podium in the opening race for the Pirelli Portuguese Round was completed by home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who took P3 and secured his first WorldSBK podium.

BULEGA BEATS LECUONA, OLIVEIRA CELEBRATES: A jubilant top three at Portimao

It looked like Oliveira got a good start when lights went out but found himself unable to make progress as Bulega held P1 from pole position, with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) leapfrogging Lecuona. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was a fast starter as he moved up to P4 on the opening lap, including pulling off a stunning move at Turn 9 on Oliveira; the #88 responded at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At the end of Lap 5, Montella crashed at Turn 14 which promoted Lecuona to P2 and Oliveira to a provisional first WorldSBK rostrum. While Lecuona’s pace was similar to Bulega’s, the #11 was able to manage the gap to his teammate as he made it eight consecutive wins and to join only Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) and Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) in winning the first four races of a WorldSBK campaign. He also equalled Carlos Checa with his 24thcareer victory and he took Ducati’s 1200th podium. For Lecuona, it’s his third podium and it comes 531 days after his last, which was Estoril 2024. Oliveira becomes the 138th rider to take a WorldSBK rostrum, and he’s only the second Portuguese rider to stand on the box after Alex Vieira.

FIERCE FIGHT BEHIND ALEX LOWES: Vierge vs Gerloff ignites in the closing stages

Alex Lowes followed Oliveira through the first half of the race but dropped off the home hero as the race progressed, eventually settling for P4 ahead of twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). The #14 is still nursing his wrist injury but put in a solid effort to finish the race in the top five. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) had an up-and-down Race 1, starting from P6, dropping to P8, then fighting his way back into sixth with just a couple of laps to go when he got ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) at Turn 1. The American was forced to settle for P7 by just 0.357s.

IN THE TOP TEN: Bautista fights back from Turn 1 run-off

Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been in that battle but dropped back in the closing stages, having to defend from the recovering Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) to secure eighth place. On Lap 5, Bautista ran wide at Turn 1 which dropped him down the order but he used his late-race pace to climb the order into ninth, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the top ten.

SCORING POINTS: Finishing in the top 15

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) scored points as he finished in P11, just over half-a-second down on ‘Petrux’ in the top ten. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was twelfth as he finished ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) and rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) who completed the points-paying positions.

JUST MISSING OUT: Montella recovers to P16

Montella recovered to P16 at the end of the 20-lap race after his early spill, finishing 2.7 seconds away from Surra ahead. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 17th ahead of Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC), who beat Honda teammate Jonathan Rea. The six-time World Champion surged up the order from P18 to P12 in the first lap, but dropped out of the points as the race progressed. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) were classified, with only Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) not classified. The #46 was running in the points-paying positions but he crashed at Turn 14 approaching the half-distance point, ending his hopes of scoring points.

 

The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.522s

3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 4.815s

4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +9.152s

5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +12.147s

6. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +18.016s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’39.962s

 

Don’t miss WorldSBK action from 09:15 Local Time (UTC+1) on Sunday using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

MotoGP: Di Giannantonio On Pole Position At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoGP: Di Giannantonio On Pole Position At COTA

Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) track, Di Giannantonio turned a 2:00.136. Not only was that good enough to top the 22-rider field it was also good enough to eclipse Maverick Viñales’s 2024 All-Time Lap Record of 2:00.864.

Marco Bezzecchi was the best of the rest with a 2:00.329 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26, and Pedro Acosta claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:00.485 on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.

Row-two qualifiers included Lenovo Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia (2:00.563), Honda HRC’s Joan Mir (2:00.591) and Bagnaia’s teammate, Marc Marquez (2:00.637).

 

motogp qp

 

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Di Giannantonio beats Bezzecchi for back-to-back poles. A dramatic qualifying session sets up a tantalising grid – with Acosta third and Marc Marquez sixth in Texas.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) set a new lap record 2:00.136 to take pole position at the US GP, making it back-to-back poles for the first time in his career to follow up his Brazilian GP glory in style. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) takes second, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in third at the conclusion of a dramatic session. One notable name missing from that front row is eight-time COTA polesitter Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the #93 had an adventurous session and starts P6 in Texas…

 

Fabio Di Ginnantonio in the parc fermé after claiming pole position at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP

 

FIRST LAP RECORD RUN

After the first runs, there was a stunning new lap record leading the way – and from Q1-graduate Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). There was also some drama as Marc Marquez got close to the rear of a slower Bezzecchi and avoided the Aprilia, then also had to pull up to avoid Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol). The incidents weren’t over for the #93 yet either.

Mir led the way then, but once the mad rush for the top began in earnest on the second runs, red sectors flooded the timing screens. But as each rider got further through their laps, the threats to Mir’s time at the top were whittled down to only a few riders – and the #36 was only pushed down to fifth.

 

Marco Bezzecchi (72) at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP

 

THE DECIDER

First, Bezzecchi took over on provisional pole with a couple of minutes to go, before Di Giannantonio shot across the line and took it. Acosta then slotted into third, not quite able to threaten, with Mir sitting fourth as one rider remained to set their final fast lap: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Bagnaia didn’t manage to quite challenge the front row, but the #63 takes fourth ahead of Mir – leaving Marc Marquez down in sixth. The #93 bailed out of his final fast lap after an incident with Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) as the #23 was forced to avoid him.

 

MotoGP riders during the qualifying session at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.

 

THE GRID

Behind those front two rows, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) qualified P7 after topping FP2, looking for more when the lights go out after an impressive Brazilian GP, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) alongside him in P8. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) takes P9 to complete Row 3, with Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) completing the top ten after moving through Q1.

Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), after ending Friday half a tenth off Marc Marquez, had a tougher start to Saturday with two crashes in FP2 and then P11 on the grid. Bastianini completes the top 12 after the late incident with Marc Marquez. 

With a grid set up to deliver some stunning showdowns, the countdown is truly on to the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix in Texas. Can anyone defeat Marc Marquez? Some of the more likely candidates start ahead of him – so tune in to find out!

Red Bull US GP full MotoGP qualifying results

MotoGP: Martin Is Best In Saturday Practice At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoGP: Martin Is Best In Saturday Practice At COTA

Jorge Martin led MotoGP World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Saturday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 2:01.563 to lead the 21-rider field.

Marc Marquez was the best of the rest with a 2:01.714 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP26 and his teammate, Francesco Bagnaia was third at 2:01.763.

Martin’s teammate, Marco Bezzecchi finished the session fourth with a 2:01.789.

Fabio Di Giannantonio got fifth with a lap time of 2:01.983 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

 

fp2 motogp

WorldSSP: Race One Results From Portimao

Mathilde Gasnier
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WorldSSP: Race One Results From Portimao

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding his Evan Bros Racing ZXMOTO 820RR, the Frenchman won the 17-lap race by 3.685 seconds.

Jaume Masia was the runner-up on his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2, just 0.081 second ahead of third-place finisher Lucas Mahias, who rode his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R9. 

Mahias’ teammate, Roberto Garcia crossed the finish line fourth and Albert Arenas, riding his AS BluCru Racing Yamaha YZF-R9 got fifth.

Jaume Masia leads the championship with 51 points, 2 ahead of Albert Arenas who has 49 points. Philipp Oettl is third with 35 points.

 

wssp race 1

 

wssp worldstandings

 

 

More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:

HISTORY MAKERS: Debise gives ZXMOTO first WorldSSP win after Oncu crashes from P1 at Portimao.The Chinese manufacturer can now call themselves WorldSSP race winners as the French rider takes them to the top step at Portimao.

After a no-holds-barred Tissot Superpole session for the FIM Supersport World Championship on Friday, the grid gritted their teeth for their Race 1 showdown. The Pirelli Portuguese Round’s Race 1 didn’t disappoint, and Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) took his Chinese Manufacturer’s first WorldSSP win in their history. Sharing in the spoils with him, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took his second podium of the season, joined him on the rostrum in second place, ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) in third place for his 35th career WorldSSP podium.

P1 TO P25 IN A BLINK: Oncu crashed from the race lead

Oncu sailed off the line for the holeshot while Mahias leapt ahead of his compatriot #53. Jaume Masia tailed the French duo, determined not to let them run away with the podium places ahead of him. By the first sector of Lap 2, Oncu was already beginning to stretch his legs, clocking in +0.445s faster than Debise behind him. While it looked like he was set to sail away, on Turn 14 of Lap 2, Oncu took a lowside spill from the lead. Masia had by then already overtaken Mahias for P2, and with the race win now in sight, he doggedly pursued the #53 from P2. By Lap 11, the Frenchman had increased his gap to nearly 1.3s, and as the riders behind him began to battle, he only grew his gap, running away with the contest to land ZXMOTO their first win in the category.

GARCIA THE BEST OF THE REST: P4 for the Spaniard

Not content to settle for his P4 grid start, Albert Arenas, by Lap 4, had closed the gap and made his move past Mahias; simultaneously, Masia’s pace gradually hit a wall, allowing the riders behind him to close the gap and call second place into question. Thus began a four-way fight between Masia and Yamaha riders Arenas, Mahias and Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) for the last two podium places. By the 10th lap of the race’s 17 Laps, Mahias led Masia, Arenas and Garcia. As the riders behind him fought amongst themselves, by Lap 14, Masia was able to dive into P2 on Turn 1, from which he held on doggedly to take the silver medal. Behind him, the Yamaha family feud would end with Mahias leading his teammate across the line for P3 and P4 respectively, while Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) took P6, just a mere 0.019s behind his countryman.

SOLID DAY FOR OETTL: Logs a solid P6, unable to close the gap ahead of him

Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) fell a place to P6 early in the contest, and while by the final laps he had closed the distance to the group ahead of him, he couldn’t quite make up the distance to overtake. Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) ran a solid race to take P7 in his first race of 2026. The WorldSSP Challenge rider’s result comes as his best finish since his home round at Magny-Cours last season. Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) matched his Race 1 performance from Phillip Island as he took P8 away from the first contest at the rollercoaster round.

ALCOBA’S RECOVERY RUN: From the back of the grid to P10

Federico Caricasulo (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) held onto his P9 position to log solid points, a big improvement from his Phillip Island high of P14. Spanish sophomore Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) showed his calibre once again, despite a back-of-grid penalty for Irresponsible Riding assessed by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards in the Tissot Superpole session, he charged to a P10 finish. Meanwhile, his teammate Dominique Aegerter had an improved pace, finishing just behind him in P11, yet the two-time WorldSSP Champion surely would like to be further up the order.

 

The top six from the WorldSSP Race 1: Full results here!

1. Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing)

2. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +3.685s

3. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.766s

4. Roberto García (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.046s

5. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +4.065s

6. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +4.659s

Fastest lap: Valentin Debise, ZXMOTO – 1’43.634s

 

The rollercoaster round’s action continues into its final day on Sunday! Sign up today to watch the action Live or OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

MotoAmerica: Results From Talent Cup Race 2 At COTA (Updated)

Circuit Of The Americas (COTA), in Texas. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Kensei Matsudaira won the MotoAmerica Talent Cup race two Saturday afternoon at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Team Roberts Kramer APX-350 MA on Dunlop control tires, Matsudaira won the 8-lap race by 0.236 second.

Nathan Gouker was the runner-up on his Quarterley Racing Kramer APX-350 MA

Sam Drane was a close third on his Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing Kramer APX-350 MA.

Jaike Page finished fourth on his Team Hammer Kramer APX-350 MA.

Rossi Garcia took fifth on his Rossi Motorsports Kramer APX-350 MA.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

MotoAmerica Talent Cup Doubleheader Signals Start To High-Octane Championship Season

Two Races Decided By A Combined Margin Of Less Than Half A Second

The first round of the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship is in the books, with two races completed at the famed Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, alongside the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix Of The United States.

 

The 2026 Talent Cup field climbs the hill to COTA’s tight turn one as they kick off their 2026 racing season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

With the grid set, riders exited pit lane for race one looking to establish their dominance early in what will likely develop into a tight championship battle, right down to the last race of the season.

 

  • MotoAmerica Talent Cup – Race One

Polesitter Nathan Gouker won MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race One at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, followed closely by three of his fiercest competitors.

The victory did not come easily, as Gouker spent the duration of the contest fending off his rivals, who were tucked into his slipstream all the way to the checkered flag. The Lexington, North Carolina-based rider led the field out of the first turn on lap one, nearly lost traction with both tires while exiting the very same corner on lap three, bucking him out of the saddle and relegating him to fourth position. Gouker kept his composure and remained connected to the lead group, ultimately climbing back up the order to lead the last four laps and take the win by just .183 of a second.

 

Nathan Gouker (#19) celebrated his race one victory in the same parc fermé as the MotoGP stars. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Team Roberts rider Kensei Matsudaira continued his COTA podium run with a second-place finish in race one. The Californian consistently ran in the lead group of four riders, racing in P1 for two of the early laps and showing his stopping prowess through COTA’s brutal hard-braking sections. Matsudaira also beat his qualifying time during the race, and was one of only three riders to dip into the 2:26 range, narrowly missing the fastest lap of the race by a little over half a second.

 

Kensei Matsudaira’s (74) second place was not from a lack of trying, as he attempted multiple inside lunges for the lead. Here, he leads Nathan Gouker (19), Sam Drane (59) and Jake Paige (55). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

The fastest lap of the race belonged to third-place finisher Jake Paige. The Team Hammer rider’s blistering 2:26.213 on lap seven set a new class lap record and race lap record, eclipsing the record-setting lap of 2:26.620 that 2025 Talent Cup Champion Alessandro Di Mario achieved in Race Two at COTA this past September. Paige started from fourth on the grid in his MotoAmerica Talent Cup debut and looked poised throughout the race, narrowly missing Gouker’s knifing front wheel on lap three. Paige led one lap of the eight-lap contest and was part of the thrilling final-lap battle, culminating at the end of COTA’s massive backstretch.

 

Jake Paige (55) led the pack of Sam Drane (59), Nathan Gouker (19) and Kensei Matsudaira (74) out of COTA’s tricky esses section. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane narrowly missed the podium behind Paige by just .213 of a second. The 15-year-old, mild-mannered Aussie looked composed and patient while constantly leap-frogging between first and fourth. Ultimately, Drane made a last-lap attempt at the lead, running wide out of Turn 12 after COTA’s 0.62 mile back straightaway, bringing it home in fourth place just .526 of a second behind race winner Gouker.

 

Sam Drane (59) battled with race one winner Nathan Gouker (19). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Texas native Rossi Garcia used his home state as inspiration and brought his family-run Rossi Motorsports effort from an 11th-place grid position to fifth on the final lap. The local standout fought hard through a three-rider battle that lasted the full eight laps, securing his position just .183 of a second ahead of sixth place and besting his qualifying lap time by nearly three seconds in the process.

Phison/Pascari-Rocksolid Racing’s Reese Frankenfield took sixth position and leveraged his dirt track and mini-moto background to hold his ground against a fierce mid-pack. The young Hoosier remained calculated throughout his steady performance, secured vital points for his inaugural Talent Cup campaign, and looks to reel in the frontrunners as the season goes on.

Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez King found himself locked in the intense second group while battling for fifth position throughout the contest. The Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, native remained a fixture in the slipstream battle, ultimately finishing just .329 of a second behind sixth place, and he established himself as a top-five threat.

 

Derek Sanchez King (23), Rossi Garcia (30), and Reese Frankenfield (11) were in close quarters for the whole race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

  • Quote from MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race One Winner, Nathan Gouker:

“I was able to go into turn one (in the lead), and I tried to break away from the front group, but that wasn’t going to happen. I mean, they were all really fast. Going in the first start of the laps … exiting out of one, I had a big moment, so that kind of spiked my adrenaline a little bit. But, a couple of laps in it, I started to cool down and towards the end, someone made, I forget who it was, but pushed everyone wide, and I tried to put my head down and break away. I thought I broke away because I didn’t get passed for, like, two laps.

“But, on the last lap going down the back straightaway, you know, two people passed me, and I kind of broke a little early because I, I kind of thought that they were all going to try and brake as deep as possible and they were going to run wide, which happened, and I just kind of cut underneath and I just tried to pole putt around the rest of the track. I knew I needed to leave the last turn first, and I did and yeah, P1.”

 

  • MotoAmerica Talent Cup – Race Two

Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira withstood a barrage of final-lap attacks to take the MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race Two victory at COTA. The race began as a carbon copy of the prior, with Matsudaira leading out of the first corner aboard his King Kenny Roberts-liveried machine. The young Californian was part of another four-way scrap, peaking on the final lap where he refused to relinquish the lead through the stadium section, and he went on to take the win by just under a quarter of a second.

 

Kensei Matsudaira celebrated with King Kenny Roberts and team after his Talent Cup Race Two victory at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Nathan Gouker rode aggressively to take second place in race two. After chasing Matsudaira off the start out of turn one, Gouker spent much of the race in second place directly plugged into the lead battle before taking the lead on the final lap. The Lexington, North Carolina, native joined the rest of the top four with a 2:26.617 lap time on lap four and made an aggressive inside pass in the stadium section to take second place. He now looks forward to Road Atlanta as co-points leader alongside Matsudaira.

 

Nathan Gouker (19) missed a double-win weekend by finishing just .236 of a second behind winner Kensei Matsudaira (74). Here, Jake Paige (55) chases. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane moved up one finishing position in the second Talent Cup race on Saturday afternoon. Drane spent the greater part of the race lurking in fourth position as the tail rider in the lead group. After the start, it almost appeared as if the Australian rider would be separated from the top three, but he was able to close back up to them by lap four. On the final lap, he made a lunge at turn 12 but ran wide. Drane kept his Krämer APX-350 MA pinned along the inside before an aggressive pass from Gouker in the stadium section dropped him to third.

 

Sam Drane was happy to stand on the podium after barely missing it in Talent Cup Race One. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Team Hammer’s Jake Paige entered race two as the newest lap record holder at COTA. Paige once again lapped consistently in the 2:26 range, with only his final two laps falling in the neighborhood of 2:27. The younger Paige brother battled with the lead group throughout the race and narrowly passed Drane at the final corner to steal third before having to let off the throttle as his Dunlop rear tire broke traction, riding across the line in fourth. He leaves COTA after swapping race one positions with Drane, and both are tied for second in points.

 

Jake Paige (55) should be a podium contender all season long. The younger Paige brother has found himself in the middle of the front pack after the first round. Here, he leads Sam Drane (59) and Rossi Garcia (30). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

 

Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia repeated his fifth-place finish for the hometown crowd. Garcia continued to trim his lap times and dropped to a 2:27.192, from a 2:28.675 in race one, continuing to show progress towards the front group. He now sits fifth in championship points behind the tied first- and second-place duos.

Reese Frankenfield repeated his race one performance aboard his Phison/Pascari-Rocksolid Racing machine. The Mooresville, Indiana-based rider finished some six seconds behind fifth place and fought hard for his finish just .223 of a second ahead of seventh.

Bettencourt Racing’s Nathan Bettencourt improved by one position, coming across seventh and dropping Real Steel Honda’s Derek Sanchez King to eighth.

Sawyer Lafayette Racing’s Sawyer Lafayette and another Real Steel Honda of Ian Fraley rounded out the top 10, respectively.

With the first round in the books, the Talent Cup races are bound to be some of the best action on the racing schedule this year. Both races saw a lead group of the top four separated by approximately half a second, and Race Two saw over 30 lead changes between the group with split-second finishes.

The points chase leaves COTA as tight as it can possibly be with two-way ties for first and second places between the top four riders, making this the most exciting Talent Cup Season yet.

 

  • Quote from MotoAmerica Talent Cup COTA Race Two winner, Kensei Matsudaira:

“You know, it’s awesome to be racing with MotoGP alongside them this weekend, and race two was really good for me. I got the holeshot, and I just stayed in front for most of the race, obviously, having some battles with Nathan, Jake, and Sam throughout the entire race.

“I tried to fix my mistake from race one, which is kind of staying back the entire race, and I tried to be more aggressive. Yeah, I mean, last lap was pretty hectic. A lot of passing. I went from first to second all the way back to fourth, and then, you know, on the last lap, I was able to pass everybody back into first. Overall, it was a really good race for me.”

To watch all the races from the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup Championship season, visit https://www.motoamericaliveplus.com/

 

About MotoAmerica

MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+

 

More, from a press release issued by Team Roberts:

Kensei Matsudaira Delivers First Victory for Team Roberts in MotoAmerica Talent Cup at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the United States.

Kensei Matsudaira delivered the first victory in the MotoAmerica Talent  Cup for Team Roberts this weekend at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of  the United States in Austin, Texas.

Kensei started the weekend strong, topping free practice 1 on Friday  over 0.7 seconds clear of the next rider. A mechanical problem in free  practice 2 forced Kensei to miss most of the session, although he still  recorded the 4th fastest time. Bike problems continued in qualifying,  where an electrical failure caused Kensei to crash early in the only  qualifying session of the weekend. He was able to restart the bike and  despite the electrical issues, secure a 2nd place starting grid position with a time just 0.2 seconds from pole position.

 

Kensei Matsudaira (74) leading Nathan Gouker (19), Jake Paige (55) and Sam Drane (59) during the race on Saturday at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

In race 1 on Saturday, Kensei fought in the lead pack of the race in a 4-rider group from beginning to end, finishing in 2nd place just 0.1 seconds behind the race winner, delivering a podium finish for the team in the first race of the season.

Race 2 belonged to Kensei, who lead from the first corner and fought in the front group the entire race, leading for most of the race and ultimately taking the checkered flag in first place despite coming under intense pressure late in the race where at one time he was even shuffled back to 4th position.

Kensei Matsudaira: “I had some bike issues throughout the weekend that made it pretty hectic and difficult at times but I’m very happy that I was able to deliver the first win in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup for the team. Huge thank you to Team Roberts, Kenny Roberts and the whole family for supporting me this weekend!”

Arney Wick, Team Roberts Co-Principal: “Obviously Kenny and I are thrilled with the outcome of both races at COTA this last weekend, but of greater importance is the recognition of the true potential of this group which equally excites us.”

 

Kensei Matsudaira on the podium at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson

The next MotoAmerica Talent Cup round will be held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia on April 17-19.

Before heading to Georgia, Kensei will be back in action racing in the FIM Moto4 Latin Cup representing the US and Team Roberts at Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo, Brazil on April 10-12.

Kensei Matsudaira is supported by: Team Roberts, Fastrack Racing, Iconic Motorbikes, Bullit Electric, Dave Designs, HJC Helmets, Alpinestars, Yoshimura R&D, California Superbike School, Team Dunlop Road Race Elite, Evike.com Airsoft Superstore, Slacker, Moto Tecnica, Ohvale USA, Apex Motorsports Park, TJ Corse, NLAB Studio & Wraps, Death to Gas, Almassera El Teular, Project Slush, Bickle Racing, 1 Easy Day, Karen E. Ott Photography, VNM Sport, D.I.D Chain, Vortex Racing, 73 Moto Parts, MadLabs Minimoto, Martino Designs, and KiwiMoto72.

Team Roberts is supported by: Fastrack Racing, Slacker, and Liqui Moly.

New team partnership opportunities are always welcome, please contact:
[email protected]

H-D Bagger World Cup: Results From Race One At COTA

Circuit Of The Americas (COTA), in Texas. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Archie Mcdonald won the FIM Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup Saturday afternoon at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson on Dunlop control tires, the Australian rider won the 7-lap race by 8.759 seconds.

Jake Lewis was the runner-up on his Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson.

Filippo Rovelli finished third on his Parkingo Team Harley-Davidson.

Riding for Saddlemen Racing Harley-Davidson, American teammates Cory West finished the race 4th and Travis Wyman got 5th.

Cody Wyman crossed the finish line 7th on his Joe Rascal Racing Harley-Davidson.

 

MotoGP: Sprint Race Results From COTA

Francesco Bagnaia (63), Pedro Acosta (37), Joan Mir (36), Jorge Martin (89) and Marco Bezzecchi (72) during the MotoGP Sprint race at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Jorge Martin won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard won the 10-lap race by 0.755 seconds.

Francesco Bagnaia was the runner-up on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Pedro Acosta finished third on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.

Enea Bastianini got fourth on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16 and Alex Marquez crossed the finish line fifth on his BK8 Gresini Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

Marc Márquez and pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio crashed on the first lap after contact. Marco Bezzecchi crashed his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 and did not finish the race.

Jorge Martin leads the championship with 57 points, 1 ahead of Marco Bezzecchi who has 56 points. Pedro Acosta is third with 49 points.

 

sprint race motogp

 

worldstanding motogp

 

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Martin steals stunning Sprint win as drama takes the reins in Texas. The #89 attacks Bagnaia on the last lap, Marc Marquez clashes with Diggia and Bezzecchi slides out on an eventful Saturday.

Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) is back on the top step! The #89 put in a stunning performance in the Tissot Sprint in Texas, hunting down early leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), making a brutal move for the lead on the last lap and then crossing the line with seven tenths in hand to take his first Sprint win since 2024 – and first with Aprilia. In a Sprint that had already been dramatic, the #89 then added to it even more as he binned it after a celebratory wheelie, rider ok. That wasn’t the only drama in an eventful Sprint either.

Bagnaia took second after grabbing the early lead and only losing out on the last lap, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the Sprint rostrum – but under investigation for tyre pressure.

There was early drama for Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as he crashed out trying to make a move on Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), collecting the Italian in the incident too, and then Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) crashed by himself with only three to go – from ahead of Martin. Finally, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) crashed on the last lap trying to attack Acosta for third.

It was a good start from Acosta from P3 but at Turn 1 he had Marc Marquez to contend with, and both the #37 and Di Giannantonio lost out to Bagnaia, who judged the tight T1 apex perfectly. He led the way ahead of Acosta, with Diggia then duelling Marc Marquez over third – the #49 ahead. Points leader Bezzecchi dropped down to P7 early doors.

Suddenly, the first drama hit – and right near the front. Marc Marquez was going for a move on Diggia, the #49 picked it up and then the #93 slid off – collecting the unfortunate Di Giannantonio on the way out. Two riders were out of the podium fight.

Back at the front, Bagnaia pounded on. He had a few tenths in hand over a huge squabble for second, with Acosta leading Mir leading Martin leading Bezzecchi. The group was still close enough to the lead to make it anyone’s to take at that stage, but by six to go, Bagnaia was stretching his legs at the front.

Martin, however, was now the rider on the chase – and Bezzecchi had picked his way through into third, with both Aprilias dispatching Acosta. Mir was shuffled down to fifth, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) the rider on his tail.

Bezzecchi was on the back wheel of his teammate with four to go, and after stalking him he got through at Turn 11 in a clean move for second – but didn’t shake the #89. With three to go though, it all came apart in the second sudden splash of drama, and at exactly the same corner. Bezzecchi was out of shape in the braking zone and then suddenly slid out, his second Sprint crash of the season so far. Martin was up into second and the gap just over a second to Bagnaia.

 

Jorge Martin on the Sprint Race podium at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP

 

As the last lap arrived, it was all heating up at the front. What had been a comfortable cushion for Bagnaia was suddenly almost nothing, with Martin on the hunt. Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) had stalked his way up to battle and then pass Alex Marquez, and then Mir crashed out at Turn 1 trying to fight Acosta for third.

The #89 homed in on Bagnaia as the tenths disappeared into hundredths, and Martin went for his move at Turn 12 – sitting the #63 up with a clean enough but brutal last lap attack. He kept it steady from there on out to cross the line for an emotional first Sprint win of the season, and first since 2024. It also puts him atop the rider standings.

Bagnaia retained second and Acosta retained third as Mir slid out, with Bastianini getting past Alex Marquez to take fourth. The #73 takes P5, with Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) taking sixth in a little breathing space.

Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) moved up to seventh on Saturday just ahead of teammate Raul Fernandez, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) completing the Sprint points.

How’s that for a dramatic afternoon in the Lone Star State? Martin takes the reins despite his post-flag hiccup, and a grid penalty on Sunday drops Bezzecchi to P4 on the grid as he looks to bounce back. Join us for more in the Grand Prix as the dust settles after a stunning eventual afternoon of Sprint action!

FULL RESULTS – Red Bull US Grand Prix Tissot Sprint

Moto2: Alonso Takes Pole Position At COTA

David Alonso (80) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.

David Alonso was the man to beat during Moto2 World qualifying Saturday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. The Colombian rider topped qualifying session with a new lap record time. Riding his Pirelli-shod CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Kalex, Alonso navigated the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) course in 2:05.203, breaking his own 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 2:05.847 he set yesterday during the practice session. It was also his first Moto2 pole position.

Barry Baltus was second-best with a 2:05.347 on his REDS Fantic Racing Kalex.

Alonso Lopez claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:05.363 on his Italjet Gresini Kalex.

Row-two qualifiers included QJMotor MSI’s Angel Piqueras (2:05.454), HDR Speed RS’ Celestino Vietti (2:05.500) and Dynavolt IntactGP’s Senna Agius (2:05.524).

 

moto2 qp

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Alonso clinches maiden pole, Holgado P16 in Austin. For the first time in Moto2, the Colombian will launch from pole as the championship leader gets ready to go from Row 6 after coming through Q1.

For the first time in Moto2, David Alonso (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) will launch from pole position after converting a dominant Friday into a P1 on Saturday afternoon. The 2024 Moto3 World Champion will be joined on the front row in Austin by Barry Baltus (REDS Fantic Racing) and Alonso Lopez (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), with championship pacesetter Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) only P16 having come through Q1.

Alonso set a storming 2:05.203, a new all-time lap record, to finish just under a tenth and a half away from an improved Baltus, with the Belgian starting from the front row for the first time this year despite a late tumble in Q2. Lopez beat compatriot Angel Piqueras (QJMOTOR – GALFER – MSI) to the front row as the rookie earns his best Moto2 qualifying result in P4 – but the Spaniard faces a double Long Lap penalty on Sunday.

Celestino Vietti (HDR SpeedRS Team) and Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) complete the second row in the United States, with the Australian’s teammate Manuel Gonzalez starting from P10. That means the top two in the championship don’t feature on the front three rows on the grid.

Home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) will be hunting a good points haul from 11th on the grid, that’s the Californian’s best qualifying result of 2026, as we now strap in for what looks set to be a Moto2 cracker at COTA on Sunday.

Tune in to watch it at 13:15 local time! 

Moto2 qualifying results. 

Moto3: Carpe Claims Pole Position At COTA

Alvaro Carpe (83) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Alvaro Carpe earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine on Pirelli control tires, Carpe turned a lap time of 2:12.107. Not only was that good enough to lead the 25-rider field, it was also good enough to break his own 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 2:13.190, which he set this morning in FP2.

Casey O’Gorman was the best of the rest with a 2:12.519 on his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda, and Valentin Perrone claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:12.526 on his Red Bull KTM Tech3 machine.

Row-two qualifiers included Honda Team Asia’s, Veda Pratama (2:12.813), Leopard Racing’s Guido Pini (2:12.837) and Level Up MTA’s Joel Esteban (2:12.869).

 

moto3 qp

 

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Carpe can’t be caught for stunning COTA pole. The #83 heads the grid, with O’Gorman putting Ireland on the front row ahead of Perrone in third.

Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took a stunning pole position in Texas, setting a 2:12.107 to lead the way by over four tenths. Casey O’Gorman (SC58 Squadra Corse) takes second to lead the chasers, with Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) just 0.007 off O’Gorman in a tight front row.

There was only one name really on top in the session. By a few minutes left on the clock, Carpe was already leading the way, and then the #83 put in another stunner. Over half a second clear with a minute left, the gauntlet was thrown down.

O’Gorman, already the rider in second and the only rider within seven tenths of the top, was closest through the first sector next time round but it was starting to get busy out on track. The Irishman was able to cut down the deficit to the top to 0.412, but could get no closer.

Row 2 is headed by rookie Veda Pratama (Honda Team Asia) after another stunner from the Indonesian rider. He also looked on to improve before a track limits infringement cancelled his last attempt. Guido Pini (Leopard Racing) and Joel Esteban (LEVELUP – MTA) complete Row 2.

Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) is P7, with a scrappy session for Championship leader Maximo Quiles (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) seeing him forced to settle for eighth. Rookie Rico Salmela (Red Bull KTM Tech3) takes ninth on his first visit to COTA, with Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) taking 10th.

Check out full Moto3 qualifying results from the Red Bull US GP and come back for more on race day as Moto3 take on COTA!

MotoAmerica: Results From Talent Cup Race One At COTA

Sam Drane (59) leads Kensei Matsudaira (74), Nathan Gouker (19) and Jake Paige (55) in the Talent Cup race at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Quarterley Racing’s Nathan Gouker won the MotoAmerica Talent Cup Race One at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday. Gouker, who took pole on Friday, was followed by Team Roberts’ Kensei Matsudaira, Team Hammer’s Jake Paige, Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane and Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia. The top four were separated at the line by 0.526-second.

 

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WorldSBK: Race One Results From Portugal

Iker Lecuona (7) and Miguel Oliveira (88) during WSBK Race 1 at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK

Nicolo Bulega won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Portimao, in Portugal. Bulega started from pole position and rode his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to a 2.522-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.

His teammate, Iker Lecuona was the runner-up, and Miguel Oliveira rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to third. 

Alex Lowes crossed the finish line fourth on his Bimota by Kawasaki KB998 Rimini and Sam Lowes got fifth on his ELF Marc VDS Ducati Panigale V4R.

American Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 7th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. 

Danilo Petrucci finished the race 10th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR. 

Nicolo Bulega leads the championship with 87 points, 37 ahead of Axel Bassani who has 50 points. Iker Lecuona is third with 39 points.

 

wsbk race 1

 

wsbk world championship

 

 

More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:

BULEGA’S RUN CONTINUES: The #11 leads teammate Lecuona in Race 1 at Portimao, Oliveira takes first WorldSBK rostrum. Home hero Miguel Oliveira gave the packed grandstands something to cheer as he claimed P3 at Portimao.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) extended his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship winning streak to eight races as he claimed Race 1 victory at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve ahead of teammate Iker Lecuona. The podium in the opening race for the Pirelli Portuguese Round was completed by home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who took P3 and secured his first WorldSBK podium.

BULEGA BEATS LECUONA, OLIVEIRA CELEBRATES: A jubilant top three at Portimao

It looked like Oliveira got a good start when lights went out but found himself unable to make progress as Bulega held P1 from pole position, with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) leapfrogging Lecuona. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was a fast starter as he moved up to P4 on the opening lap, including pulling off a stunning move at Turn 9 on Oliveira; the #88 responded at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At the end of Lap 5, Montella crashed at Turn 14 which promoted Lecuona to P2 and Oliveira to a provisional first WorldSBK rostrum. While Lecuona’s pace was similar to Bulega’s, the #11 was able to manage the gap to his teammate as he made it eight consecutive wins and to join only Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) and Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) in winning the first four races of a WorldSBK campaign. He also equalled Carlos Checa with his 24thcareer victory and he took Ducati’s 1200th podium. For Lecuona, it’s his third podium and it comes 531 days after his last, which was Estoril 2024. Oliveira becomes the 138th rider to take a WorldSBK rostrum, and he’s only the second Portuguese rider to stand on the box after Alex Vieira.

FIERCE FIGHT BEHIND ALEX LOWES: Vierge vs Gerloff ignites in the closing stages

Alex Lowes followed Oliveira through the first half of the race but dropped off the home hero as the race progressed, eventually settling for P4 ahead of twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). The #14 is still nursing his wrist injury but put in a solid effort to finish the race in the top five. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) had an up-and-down Race 1, starting from P6, dropping to P8, then fighting his way back into sixth with just a couple of laps to go when he got ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) at Turn 1. The American was forced to settle for P7 by just 0.357s.

IN THE TOP TEN: Bautista fights back from Turn 1 run-off

Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been in that battle but dropped back in the closing stages, having to defend from the recovering Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) to secure eighth place. On Lap 5, Bautista ran wide at Turn 1 which dropped him down the order but he used his late-race pace to climb the order into ninth, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the top ten.

SCORING POINTS: Finishing in the top 15

Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) scored points as he finished in P11, just over half-a-second down on ‘Petrux’ in the top ten. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was twelfth as he finished ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) and rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) who completed the points-paying positions.

JUST MISSING OUT: Montella recovers to P16

Montella recovered to P16 at the end of the 20-lap race after his early spill, finishing 2.7 seconds away from Surra ahead. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 17th ahead of Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC), who beat Honda teammate Jonathan Rea. The six-time World Champion surged up the order from P18 to P12 in the first lap, but dropped out of the points as the race progressed. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) were classified, with only Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) not classified. The #46 was running in the points-paying positions but he crashed at Turn 14 approaching the half-distance point, ending his hopes of scoring points.

 

The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.522s

3. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 4.815s

4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +9.152s

5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +12.147s

6. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +18.016s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’39.962s

 

Don’t miss WorldSBK action from 09:15 Local Time (UTC+1) on Sunday using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

MotoGP: Di Giannantonio On Pole Position At COTA

Fabio Di Giannantonio (49) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Fabio Di Giannantonio claimed pole position during MotoGP qualifying Saturday at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP26 on the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) track, Di Giannantonio turned a 2:00.136. Not only was that good enough to top the 22-rider field it was also good enough to eclipse Maverick Viñales’s 2024 All-Time Lap Record of 2:00.864.

Marco Bezzecchi was the best of the rest with a 2:00.329 on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26, and Pedro Acosta claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:00.485 on his Red Bull KTM Factory RC16.

Row-two qualifiers included Lenovo Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia (2:00.563), Honda HRC’s Joan Mir (2:00.591) and Bagnaia’s teammate, Marc Marquez (2:00.637).

 

motogp qp

 

 

More from a press release issued by MotoGP:

Di Giannantonio beats Bezzecchi for back-to-back poles. A dramatic qualifying session sets up a tantalising grid – with Acosta third and Marc Marquez sixth in Texas.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) set a new lap record 2:00.136 to take pole position at the US GP, making it back-to-back poles for the first time in his career to follow up his Brazilian GP glory in style. Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) takes second, with Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) in third at the conclusion of a dramatic session. One notable name missing from that front row is eight-time COTA polesitter Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the #93 had an adventurous session and starts P6 in Texas…

 

Fabio Di Ginnantonio in the parc fermé after claiming pole position at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP

 

FIRST LAP RECORD RUN

After the first runs, there was a stunning new lap record leading the way – and from Q1-graduate Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol). There was also some drama as Marc Marquez got close to the rear of a slower Bezzecchi and avoided the Aprilia, then also had to pull up to avoid Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol). The incidents weren’t over for the #93 yet either.

Mir led the way then, but once the mad rush for the top began in earnest on the second runs, red sectors flooded the timing screens. But as each rider got further through their laps, the threats to Mir’s time at the top were whittled down to only a few riders – and the #36 was only pushed down to fifth.

 

Marco Bezzecchi (72) at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP

 

THE DECIDER

First, Bezzecchi took over on provisional pole with a couple of minutes to go, before Di Giannantonio shot across the line and took it. Acosta then slotted into third, not quite able to threaten, with Mir sitting fourth as one rider remained to set their final fast lap: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Bagnaia didn’t manage to quite challenge the front row, but the #63 takes fourth ahead of Mir – leaving Marc Marquez down in sixth. The #93 bailed out of his final fast lap after an incident with Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) as the #23 was forced to avoid him.

 

MotoGP riders during the qualifying session at COTA. Photo courtesy MotoGP.

 

THE GRID

Behind those front two rows, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) qualified P7 after topping FP2, looking for more when the lights go out after an impressive Brazilian GP, with Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) alongside him in P8. Luca Marini (Honda HRC Castrol) takes P9 to complete Row 3, with Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) completing the top ten after moving through Q1.

Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), after ending Friday half a tenth off Marc Marquez, had a tougher start to Saturday with two crashes in FP2 and then P11 on the grid. Bastianini completes the top 12 after the late incident with Marc Marquez. 

With a grid set up to deliver some stunning showdowns, the countdown is truly on to the Tissot Sprint and Grand Prix in Texas. Can anyone defeat Marc Marquez? Some of the more likely candidates start ahead of him – so tune in to find out!

Red Bull US GP full MotoGP qualifying results

MotoGP: Martin Is Best In Saturday Practice At COTA

Jorge Martin (89) at COTA. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Jorge Martin led MotoGP World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Saturday morning at Circuit Of The Americas, in Texas. Riding his Aprilia Racing RS-GP26 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 2:01.563 to lead the 21-rider field.

Marc Marquez was the best of the rest with a 2:01.714 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP26 and his teammate, Francesco Bagnaia was third at 2:01.763.

Martin’s teammate, Marco Bezzecchi finished the session fourth with a 2:01.789.

Fabio Di Giannantonio got fifth with a lap time of 2:01.983 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati Desmosedici GP26.

 

fp2 motogp

WorldSSP: Race One Results From Portimao

Jaume Masia (5), Lucas Mahias (94), Roberto Garcia (37) and Albert Arenas (75) during WSSP Race 1 at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding his Evan Bros Racing ZXMOTO 820RR, the Frenchman won the 17-lap race by 3.685 seconds.

Jaume Masia was the runner-up on his Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2, just 0.081 second ahead of third-place finisher Lucas Mahias, who rode his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R9. 

Mahias’ teammate, Roberto Garcia crossed the finish line fourth and Albert Arenas, riding his AS BluCru Racing Yamaha YZF-R9 got fifth.

Jaume Masia leads the championship with 51 points, 2 ahead of Albert Arenas who has 49 points. Philipp Oettl is third with 35 points.

 

wssp race 1

 

wssp worldstandings

 

 

More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:

HISTORY MAKERS: Debise gives ZXMOTO first WorldSSP win after Oncu crashes from P1 at Portimao.The Chinese manufacturer can now call themselves WorldSSP race winners as the French rider takes them to the top step at Portimao.

After a no-holds-barred Tissot Superpole session for the FIM Supersport World Championship on Friday, the grid gritted their teeth for their Race 1 showdown. The Pirelli Portuguese Round’s Race 1 didn’t disappoint, and Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) took his Chinese Manufacturer’s first WorldSSP win in their history. Sharing in the spoils with him, Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took his second podium of the season, joined him on the rostrum in second place, ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) in third place for his 35th career WorldSSP podium.

P1 TO P25 IN A BLINK: Oncu crashed from the race lead

Oncu sailed off the line for the holeshot while Mahias leapt ahead of his compatriot #53. Jaume Masia tailed the French duo, determined not to let them run away with the podium places ahead of him. By the first sector of Lap 2, Oncu was already beginning to stretch his legs, clocking in +0.445s faster than Debise behind him. While it looked like he was set to sail away, on Turn 14 of Lap 2, Oncu took a lowside spill from the lead. Masia had by then already overtaken Mahias for P2, and with the race win now in sight, he doggedly pursued the #53 from P2. By Lap 11, the Frenchman had increased his gap to nearly 1.3s, and as the riders behind him began to battle, he only grew his gap, running away with the contest to land ZXMOTO their first win in the category.

GARCIA THE BEST OF THE REST: P4 for the Spaniard

Not content to settle for his P4 grid start, Albert Arenas, by Lap 4, had closed the gap and made his move past Mahias; simultaneously, Masia’s pace gradually hit a wall, allowing the riders behind him to close the gap and call second place into question. Thus began a four-way fight between Masia and Yamaha riders Arenas, Mahias and Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) for the last two podium places. By the 10th lap of the race’s 17 Laps, Mahias led Masia, Arenas and Garcia. As the riders behind him fought amongst themselves, by Lap 14, Masia was able to dive into P2 on Turn 1, from which he held on doggedly to take the silver medal. Behind him, the Yamaha family feud would end with Mahias leading his teammate across the line for P3 and P4 respectively, while Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) took P6, just a mere 0.019s behind his countryman.

SOLID DAY FOR OETTL: Logs a solid P6, unable to close the gap ahead of him

Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) fell a place to P6 early in the contest, and while by the final laps he had closed the distance to the group ahead of him, he couldn’t quite make up the distance to overtake. Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) ran a solid race to take P7 in his first race of 2026. The WorldSSP Challenge rider’s result comes as his best finish since his home round at Magny-Cours last season. Alessandro Zaccone (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) matched his Race 1 performance from Phillip Island as he took P8 away from the first contest at the rollercoaster round.

ALCOBA’S RECOVERY RUN: From the back of the grid to P10

Federico Caricasulo (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing) held onto his P9 position to log solid points, a big improvement from his Phillip Island high of P14. Spanish sophomore Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) showed his calibre once again, despite a back-of-grid penalty for Irresponsible Riding assessed by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards in the Tissot Superpole session, he charged to a P10 finish. Meanwhile, his teammate Dominique Aegerter had an improved pace, finishing just behind him in P11, yet the two-time WorldSSP Champion surely would like to be further up the order.

 

The top six from the WorldSSP Race 1: Full results here!

1. Valentin Debise (ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing)

2. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +3.685s

3. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.766s

4. Roberto García (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.046s

5. Albert Arenas (AS BLU CRU Racing Team) +4.065s

6. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +4.659s

Fastest lap: Valentin Debise, ZXMOTO – 1’43.634s

 

The rollercoaster round’s action continues into its final day on Sunday! Sign up today to watch the action Live or OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

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