XAVI FORÉS SUBSTITUTING FOR RICHIE ESCALANTE AND VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Team Hammer announces that Xavi Forés will substitute for injured Richie Escalante aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike when the 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season resumes at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 17-19. Forés will substitute until Escalante is cleared by MotoAmerica medical.
Escalante is on the mend after crashing with another rider moments after taking the checkered flag in eighth in the 2024 Superbike season-opening round at Road Atlanta. Despite walking away from the fall under his own power, the Mexican star was later diagnosed with a left wrist fracture and a left ankle fracture, plus compression fractures of his L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae.
Spaniard Forés is well suited to step into the role on short notice. He is a very experienced road racer, having competed in many top-level series during his two-decade-plus professional career.
Prior to joining the MotoAmerica tour in 2023, Forés won the IDM Superbike Championship (2014), the European Superstock 1000 Championship (2013), and the CEV Stock Extreme Championship (2010 and 2013). He also has competed in MotoGP, Moto2, MotoE, 125cc Grand Prix, World Superbike, World Supersport, World Endurance, and British Superbike.
Team Hammer witnessed the 38-year-old flex all that skill and experience up close a year ago, when Forés won the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport title in dominant fashion, claiming nine race wins among his 12 podium finishes.
“I am excited for this opportunity. It’s a shame Richie was injured but I am glad to help,” said Forés. “The situation I am in, I have wanted the right opportunity in MotoAmerica Superbike but before this, it hadn’t come up for me yet. Richie and I are friends and he is always telling me the bike is capable of the podium. I know it is a good team supported by Suzuki, so I feel like we have the opportunity to earn good results. Having a great year in America last season and learning the paddock and tracks will help, too.”
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2024 season marks Team Hammer’s 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 133 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 362 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com
Sport Bike Preview: Tremblay, Young face off at Shannonville
Hamilton, ON – The long wait for the 2024 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season is finally over, as the national series will return to historic Shannonville Motorsport Park for the opening round this weekend, presented by the Fallen Riders Support Team sponsored by Pace Law.
Included amongst the action will be the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class, which has endured plenty of changes from its 2023 grid. Reigning champion David MacKay and former SMP winner Connor Campbell have both graduated to the Superbike ranks, last year’s title runner-up Matt Simpson has entered a semi-retirement, and injuries have sidelined frontrunners Brad Macrae, Alex Coelho, and Louie Raffa.
While a new influx of talent will surely help offset those absences – including a loaded rookie class – it would have been fair for title favourite and 2021 champion Sebastian Tremblay to be licking his chops entering round one at Shannonville.
Instead, he’ll now need to deal with an unexpected rival – three-time Canada Cup champion Ben Young.
The face of the Superbike class will do double-duty for the first time in his career this season, joining the middleweight grid aboard a Van Dolder’s Home Team Suzuki and committing to all six national rounds in both classes.
Young hasn’t raced in the Sport Bike division since 2015, earning a second-place finish in his final appearance at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but his recent Daytona 200 finish proved there should be minimal adjustment as he pivots back to the smaller machine.
His path to a championship will be anything but a formality, however, as he’ll be going up against one of the best Sport Bike riders of the modern era in Tremblay.
The Turcotte Performance Suzuki rider won the final three races of the 2023 campaign and finished third in the championship despite sitting out round one – the same pro track layout that will host round one this season – reminding everyone why he swept the 2021 campaign behind eight consecutive victories.
That Sport Bike experience will play massively in Tremblay’s favour, setting the table for what should be a fantastic duel between the two former champions both at the opening round in Shannonville and throughout the 2024 campaign.
Focusing on only each other would be a mistake, however, as both will have their hands full just fending off the rest of the field in what has been the most unpredictable class in recent CSBK history.
Leading that charge is the duo of Elliot Vieira and John Laing, the fourth and fifth-place finishers in last year’s championship. Vieira missed three races with mechanical issues and very well could have been in title contention without them, while Laing was one of the most consistent frontrunners following his crash in the opening race of the season.
Vieira will be back aboard his GP Bikes Ducati and hoping to build upon his strong finale at Shannonville last year, where he finished second and third (albeit on the long track layout). As for Laing, the Cochrane, AB native now has a year of experience under his belt around the Ontario circuits, and will aim to build some early momentum ahead of his home races in round three.
Perhaps the biggest leap in potential from 2023 to 2024 is sophomore Alex Michel, who quietly put together a strong rookie pro season last year and recently won the Sport Bike race at the SuperSeries regional at SMP. The young Kawasaki rider finished seventh in each of the two races around the pro track last season before claiming his first career podium at CTMP, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him return to the front at Shannonville like he did this past weekend.
Amongst the other returnees is a group of dark horse contenders that includes Marco Sousa, Nathan Playford, and Zoltan Frast, amongst others. Sousa in particular has shown some of his best pace at Shannonville, scoring a pair of fifth place finishes to begin last year’s campaign, and a podium spot is hardly out of the question for the Suzuki veteran.
Each of the returnees will need to keep an eye out for some of the new names around them, though, with at least five high-profile rookies expected to make the jump from the amateur ranks this season.
Headlining them is none other than 19-year-old sensation Mavrick Cyr, the champion in both amateur classes last season and one of the brightest talents in the Bridgestone CSBK paddock. Any doubt of Cyr’s potential was quickly silenced in September, when he got an early start to his pro career and finished ninth in the final race of the season aboard his Rizzin Racing Triumph.
Joining Cyr will be a quartet of young rivals from his amateur days, including the likes of Mack Weil, Phil Degama-Blanchet (the youngest pro rider at just 16 years old), Bryce DeBoer, and Andrew Cooney. Weil joined Cyr in the pro finale last year, finishing 13th, and is hoping to build on that experience aboard his MotorcycleCourse.com Kawasaki.
New to the class in 2024 will be the Constructors Championship, which has added an extra layer of intrigue in the Superbike class since its introduction in 2021 and will now expand to the middleweight division.
Suzuki will enter as the overwhelming favourites with the two main title protagonists in their stable, while Sousa will provide support as the third rider in their program.
Kawasaki will lose a major piece of their 2023 puzzle with MacKay gone, but will only need two of Laing, Michel, Weil, or Degama-Blanchet to perform well at SMP to open the year on a high note.
Ducati will rely heavily on Vieira and Playford in the early going, adding Raffa to the mix once healthy, while former frontrunners Yamaha will be in tough following Simpson’s departure and Macrae’s injury.
The full weekend schedule for the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class – and the rest of the seven Bridgestone CSBK categories – can be found here.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email [email protected].
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
It’s been a week since we saw Bagnaia and Marquez battle it out at Jerez, but what did we learn? Well, that Marquez is back, of course – that much is obvious. Less obvious is what it revealed about the nature of the bikes on the grid, and the engineers working on them.
See, something strange seems to be happening at Yamaha. On the outside, it seems little has changed. But Mat and Peter think that first looks can be very deceiving, in this case….
Also, Peter tells us about the smell of KTM burning rubber and Mat has a little chat with Gigi dall’Igna about the fine line between ‘vibration’ and ‘chatter’. Enjoy!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
The 2024 French GP breaks the all-time record to become the best-attended MotoGP™ event in history
Monday, 13 May 2024
The 2024 Michelin® Grand Prix de France put on an incredible show right to the final lap and a record-breaking crowd was there to see it. An awe-inspiring 297,471 fans flocked to historic Le Mans across the weekend, making it the highest-attended Grand Prix in history.
The previous record was set at the 2023 French GP, when 278,805 fans joined MotoGP™ to celebrate the 1000th Grand Prix. Le Mans now sets a new benchmark as MotoGP™ continues to record impressive levels of growth, only matched by the incredible action on track.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna Sports: “The atmosphere in Le Mans is legendary and for good reason. The incredible roar from the crowd is one of the purest expressions of passion for sport in the world and it’s a privilege to hear it.
“After Le Mans set a new all-time attendance record last season, the benchmark was high but the 2024 French GP delivered. Nearly 300,000 people across the weekend is absolutely incredible, and it is testament to the world-class work undertaken by PHA Claude Michy every year. The event is exactly what we want every time we race: stunning racing on track that fills the grandstands, paired with a full agenda of activities and entertainment to make every minute of the weekend something special for every fan. We thank Claude and his team for their commitment to MotoGP.
“As for the fans, they are equally committed to the sport and show that every time we go out on track. They are young and diverse, reflecting the power of MotoGP to engage with a wide audience and create a powerful connection. As we look to grow the sport around the world, this is proof of concept that MotoGP is for everyone – and once you hear the engines roar out of pitlane, you know it’s for you.
“Thank you, Le Mans, for sharing your astounding passion with us as we continue to make history. It is our pleasure to share the stage with you in the world’s most exciting sport.”
Chase Sexton Wins Supercross Final, Jett Lawrence Takes Title in Rookie Year
RJ Hampshire and Tom Vialle Win Regional Titles at Supercross Showdown
Salt Lake City, Utah – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton took the win, his second of the season, at the final round of the 17-round 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper delivered his season-best performance in his rookie year and took second place inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, riding injured yet with a mathematical chance at the championship, finished in third place, netting him second overall on the season. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence, after racking up eight wins in his rookie 450SX Class Supercross season, rode near the front early, but appeared to back it down to finish a safe seventh place and secure his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in the 450SX Class. Lawrence became only the third rider in the sport’s history to take the title in his rookie season.
In the 250SX Class, both Regional Championships battled in the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan grabbed the holeshot and defended the lead against several challenges to take the win, the third of his career and his first East/West Showdown victory.
Chase Sexton (1). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“It definitely means a lot. I had to kind of claw myself back to where I felt like I was riding good. It’s been a tough journey. The team and I have put a lot of work in. It’s taken us about, I don’t know, 16 rounds to get it good, but we’re in a good spot now. Today was a big day for me. I feel like I had really good speed and a really good start in that Main Event. I tried second gear [on the gate] for the first time all day and it paid off. I needed a good start and just rode a solid race. But overall, I’m looking forward to outdoors. I’ve been doing a lot of outdoor riding and testing and [I’m] ready to start a new championship. It’s a good way to end this one and head into that new season.” – Chase Sexton
“I was looking for this podium all year and it just happened to come at the last round. We saved the best for last. I just have to give it up to the whole team. Yamaha, they gave me a chance this year and really took me under their wing and worked hard with me. I had some great teammates this year and they pushed me the whole way. I’m glad to end on a high note. I just gotta give it up to the whole Star Racing Yamaha crew, Monster Energy, Alpinestars, Oakley, Dunlop, Toyota of Escondido – we lost a great one there, Damian, this one’s for him.” – Justin Cooper
“It’s been a great year. Second in the championship’s not what you want, but as we can see Jett’s a once-in-a-generation guy and he’s the real deal. I’m proud of my year, I’m proud of my team, I’m proud of my family. I truly know what we’ve been dealing with these last few races and rounds, I don’t know if there’s many guys that would’ve finished this season, so I can hang my head high on that. And I know I’ll be back stronger next year, and with some fight, and we know what we need to work on. Congrats to Jett and [that] whole team, they killed it this year. I just want to give it up to my team; they really invested a lot into me this whole year and they believed in me from the start, and I got back to championship form this year and probably the best version of myself. So, I’m super proud of that, super proud of the way I held myself in there all year. And it’s going to be a great thing, we’ll get surgery Monday on this thumb and enjoy my second baby coming and some down time. So yeah, we’ll be back next year, I know that’s for damn sure.” – Cooper Webb, referencing his torn UCL thumb injury.
Jett Lawrence, the 2024 AMA Supercross Champion. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“I think it hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but, I mean, we had times when we sucked really bad this year then also times when we weren’t too bad, so, nah, [I’m] super happy for the team and doing it for them. They’ve been awesome. They’re family now and to give them another title is just the biggest ‘thank you’ to them, I feel like. So thank you to them, to everyone around me… I couldn’t do it without the team around me, I’m just super happy… [when asked to look back on what it took to get to this point] There’s so many hard moments that we’ve had that you can’t even put it in an interview, it’s just so long. No, I’m just super happy just for my family and the team and yeah, I’m just going to leave it at that because it’s too much.” – Jett Lawrence
The Western Regional 250SX Class and Eastern Regional 250SX Class each wrapped up their seasons with the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown. Haiden Deegan grabbed the Holeshot and led every lap to end the season with his third win. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire crossed the line in second and secured his first Supercross Championship by taking the Western Regional 250SX Class title. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith crashed late in the race attempting to take the lead, but he remounted and landed on the Utah podium in third. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen took fifth place after going into Utah tied for the lead in the West. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, entering the race with a 15-point lead, cruised to eighth to take his first Supercross championship with the title in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class.
“That was sick. That was my first East/West Shootout win. I came into this race, I’m like, ‘You know what, I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m just going to go out there and execute what I do,’ and that’s what I did today. I was top of the board all day long, so that was perfect. I kinda feel like I’ve come around now. At the beginning of the season, obviously [there were] a few things [an injury], no excuses though, congrats to Tom, congrats to RJ, that’s dope. And yeah, got the Dub, that’s awesome.” – Haiden Deegan
Haiden Deegan (38). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“Man, [I’m] just so thankful. From the beginning, like my dad, the Grondahls, Kevin Keen, just so many people have helped me get to this point right here and just believed in me. So [I’m] thankful to my wife, my daughters, it’s truly special. This whole Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing team from Nate to Murph to my mechanic Amos, Aldon, Throttle, all the guys back home. They know how much I put into this, so it’s truly special. Just a massive thank you to Salt Lake. Man, you guys are going to be one I’m always going to remember. It’s truly special tonight. Thank you.” – RJ Hampshire
“It was a bummer how it went down [with the crash]. I felt good all night, felt like I had the speed to win, and yeah, we [Deegan and I] started playing games there about halfway through. I was just trying to be smart. I kind of backed off for a couple laps. I knew I was faster in the whoops, and kinda of catching him a little bit everywhere, so I was just trying to be smart and got a run on him in the whoops. [I was] just trying to stay low [in the following corner] and he came across and I think my fork guard got caught on his bike. It almost pulled us both down. It was a bummer, [I’m] not very pumped about how that went down, but we live to fight another day. Happy to be back on the box. Shout out to the whole Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team. Toyota of Escondido, a big shout out to those guys. We lost Damian this past week. He’s been a huge supporter of this sport and of us racers for a long time and this podium’s dedicated to him…” – Jordon Smith
“I had a bad Heat race. I mean, the day was really hard. Actually, [before the Main Event] I was like, ‘Okay, this is the moment I need to do the start.’ I had a great start, actually. The last five laps I was really nervous, but I made it. I’m really happy. You know: coming from Europe, moving here to the U.S., and I’ve already got the Supercross title in my second year. It’s amazing, so I’m very happy. I want to thank everyone on the team who believed in me, my family, and I’m really happy about the day. Thank you.” – Tom Vialle
After four qualifying rounds throughout the season that did not pay points, the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship wrapped up with one race in Utah. Troy Lee Designs GASGAS’s Cole Davies, who won the opening SX Futures round, took the win in Utah and the title. After leading for the majority of the race, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams crashed exiting a turn. He remounted but had to settle for second place in the championship. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Gavin Towers rounded out the season’s podium with a third-place finish inside Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“It’s definitely cool to win this race. The track is gnarly at the moment. I was able to get a pretty good start. I made some mistakes at the start there, but Drew [Adams] made a mistake, and I was able to capitalize on that and yeah, I’m stoked.” – Cole Davies
“The 2024 AMA Supercross season was one of the greatest in recent memory, with season-long battles for all three titles,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “We at the AMA offer our congratulations to Jett Lawrence, R.J. Hampshire and Tom Vialle, and we’re inspired by the determination and tenacity they showed throughout the season. The AMA also appreciates the efforts of Feld Motor Sports, series partners, racers and teams who, along with the AMA, worked tirelessly to deliver incredible racing week after week.”
With the 17-round Monster Energy Supercross indoor stadium season concluded, the racers now start the 11-round outdoor season of Pro Motocross, Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. In August, combined points from the Monster Energy Supercross season and the Pro Motocross season will seed the top 20 riders into the SuperMotocross League’s post-season racing. Riders in positions 21-30 will gain a spot on the starting line of the Last Chance Qualifier for a chance to fill-out the 22-rider gate at each of the three post-season races. Riders who earned a Main Event win in Supercross or a Moto win in Motocross in 2024 will also earn a spot on the LCQ line. The SuperMotocross World Championship will consist of two Playoff Rounds and one Final to determine an overall SuperMotocross World Champion in the 450SMX and 250SMX classes.
All 31 SuperMotocross World Championship rounds are available live and on-demand through PeacockTV, with select rounds also broadcast or streamed domestically on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. CNBC will air next-day encore presentations of all 31 rounds of 2024 racing. Live audio coverage for each Supercross race can be heard via NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85. For domestic coverage in Spanish language, the final rounds of the Supercross, Motocross, and SuperMotocross championships will be available on Telemudo Deportes’ YouTube channel as well as on the NBC Sports app. For international coverage, the racing can be found at the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) live and on-demand, in both English and Spanish.
The Love Moto Stop Cancer auction concludes this Monday, May 13th at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Until then, fans can view and bid on incredible gear and bike parts from the sport’s top racers, as well as other great items. All proceeds help raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s fight against childhood cancer. To participate in the auction or find other great ways to get involved, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com/St-Jude.
Tickets are on sale now for the Pro Motocross season as well as all three SuperMotocross World Championship rounds. For tickets, event information, race results, and more please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard held on to win the 27-lap race by 0.446 second and extend his lead in the point standings.
Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was the runner-up on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Two-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia made it a Ducati sweep of the podium by taking a close third (-0.585 second to Martin) on his Lenovo Ducati.
It was four Ducatis in the top four finishing positions thanks to Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini.
Maverick Vinales was fifth — and the top non-Ducati finisher — on his factory Aprilia RS-GP.
Martin vs Marquez vs Bagnaia: last lap decider at Le Mans
Three of the biggest names in the sport throw down in France – and this time it’s Martin who writes a victory to remember
Jorge Martin (89) held off Marc Marquez (93) and Francesco Bagnaia (1) to win in France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 12 May 2024
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) soaked up the pressure and threw down the gauntlet at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France, coming out on top in a three-way fight for glory against Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) that rolled all the way to the final lap. Nearly 300,000 fans streamed into the event over the weekend and they were treated to a proper show as the #89 shadowed Bagnaia, passed him, and then shut every door in Le Mans to pull off a seriously impressive 25-point haul. And just behind him, Marc Marquez did find an open door – or manage to create one. The #93 pulled a last lap divebomb on Bagnaia that got the job done for second, perfectly crafted to demote the reigning Champion to third.
Off the line, Martin made a good start from pole but Bagnaia bettered it, the #1 taking the holeshot from second on the grid. Behind, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was threatening but ran in hot at the chicane, leaving teammate Aleix Espargaro to challenge Martin for second on the exit as the #12 Aprilia slotted in just behind Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in fourth. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, was up to eighth almost immediately, slicing up from his P13 grid slot.
At the front, Bagnaia had the hammer down but Martin was absolutely glued to him at the front. The two pulled a small gap on the chasing pack led by Espargaro, with Diggia in fourth and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) looking to attack Viñales. He did so not long after, setting the fastest lap on Lap 2, before another shuffle as DiGiannantonio briefly diced with Espargaro just ahead.
However, the rookie then proved the protagonist of the first drama. Looking for a way through on that duel ahead, he overcooked it into Turn 8 going for a move on the VR46 machine ahead, and then only just avoided tagging both as he slid out. More drama then hit nearly immediately after as Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) slid out as he pushed to try and duel with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on. Martin shadowed, equally pitch perfect until one small mistake from both with 19 to go, heading ever so slightly wide. But they gathered it back up as the podium fight behind started to light up, the race split between a duel and a melee.
Diggia was homing in on Espargaro, but Viñales, Marquez and Bastianini lurked. The next move came there as Marquez attacked Viñales but was repelled, and Diggia then had a shot at the #41 Aprilia, also forced to hold station. But a lap later the #49 was through into third, and Viñales then began to line up his teammate. He needed no second invite after the door was just left open, with Marquez then striking straight away too.
Next was Bastianini. The Beast came from a long way back and also went in hot, gathering it back up but Espargaro then taking to the run off before rejoining. Bastianini didn’t make the apex either, but his was a shortcut and he was then given a Long Lap for the time not lost.
Meanwhile, Marquez had picked Viñales’ pocket after the #12 was slightly wide, and the eight-time World Champion was homing in on Diggia. By Lap 16, the #93 made his first attack through Turn 3. The Italian responded and in the shuffle, Viñales almost nearly made his way through too. But it was as you were until a lap later as Marquez went for it again, and this time Diggia ran wide trying to take it back. The #93 and Viñales were both past, and the #49 then got a Long Lap for the time he didn’t lose as he tried to rejoin.
By just under ten laps to go, Bagnaia led Martin, the two still absolutely glued together, but now it was Marquez on the chase. Soon, the chess match had its first big move.
At Turn 3, Martin attacked. And he got through, but on the cutback Bagnaia judged it to the absolutely millimetre to nudge back ahead. As you were, until a lap later. Same move, different result as this time the #89 was able to hold it. There was a new race leader, but there was also a new fastest lap… from Marquez.
The Gresini was on the factory machine of Bagnaia in what seemed like a flash as it became a leading trio. It seemd Martin was starting to pull out the centimetres as he dug in, but then the #89 was deep into the chicane with three to go, and it was absolutely locked together once again. Bagnaia was close as anything and showed a wheel but couldn’t barge the door open, leaving a six-wheeled fight for the win to roll on.
Over the line for the last lap, Martin and Bagnaia were almost one machine round Turn 1 and 2, but a hail Mary on the brakes from Marquez saw that #93 re-appear in the shot by the time the trio dropped anchor at the chicane. Bagnaia was harrying, impatient and looking for any inch of space to make a move on Martin, but there was none – so Marquez made some instead.
The Gresini divebombed it but divebombed it to perfection, getting it stopped to take over in second as the remaining apexes ticked down. Would Bagnaia be able to respond at the final corner? As Martin gained some breathing space thanks to the duel behind him, the focus shifted to that one final opportunity. But if Marquez had opened the door for himself corners prior, this time he kept it firmly closed.
Up ahead, Martin crossed the line to take one of his most impressive wins to date, soaking up the pressure and making it a serious statement Sunday. His lead goes out to an incredible 38 points – enough to guarantee he leaves the next GP as Championship leader too – and it’s Bagnaia and Marquez on his tail in that order. Marquez’ back-to-back podiums are his first since 2021 and he’s 40 points off the top, but Bagnaia remains second despite that 0 from the Sprint in France.
Behind the podium battle, Bastianini charged back from his Long Lap to get past Viñales late on, with the #12 forced to settle for fifth. Di Giannantonio took P6 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), who pipped Espargaro late on and the Aprilia dropped back to P9.
Between the two was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), whose tough French GP had a much sweeter conclusion on Sunday. From the back of the grid, the #33 charged through to P8. An honourable mention also goes to a savage ride from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) in an awesome home GP livery, with the Frenchman making it as far up as sixth before a crash out of contention. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completed the top ten.
That’s a wrap on the best-attended Grand Prix in history, and Martin leaves it with a serious and stylish statement win. Next up it’s Barcelona and another chance for the world’s most exciting sport to prove its moniker, so join us for more in two weeks as we go back-to-back with two more classic events from Catalonia to Mugello!
Sergio Garcia (3) won the Moto2 race in France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Garcia storms Le Mans to grab the points lead
Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) returned to winning ways at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France after a stunning ride to victory, taking back the Championship lead in the process. It was an MT Helmets – MSI 1-2 after serious charge from Ai Ogura, who carved through the field from P17 on the grid, with Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedUp) perfectly defending from Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) on the last lap to take third from the American.
Garcia pulled off the perfect start, pulling out a steady gap on the opening lap as the rest of the field battled behind hard behind. Polesitter Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) was swallowed by the pack in the opening stage of the race after a big mistake on the first lap, dropping to eighth in a fight with Fermin Aldeguer (Folladore SpeedUp).
A number of crashers, including Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTO Gresini Moto2™), saw the order chop and change, but the rider on the move was Canet. After setting a fastest lap, the #44 attacked Roberts for second in a brilliant three-way fight joined by Lopez, with the American bumped to the back of the trio – for now.
At the front, Garcia charged on to keep the gap consistent, with all attention turning to the battle for second between Canet and Lopez. It was gloves off with three laps remaining, with Lopez slipping into second before making a mistake at turn four, allowing Canet to show his front wheel. The battle for second then bunched up even more with Ogura fancying a podium – charging into third on the last lap.
Garcia crossed the line to win the French GP with Ogura finding a gap to pass Lopez for second, holding onto it to make it a historic 1-2. Lopez was then left to fend off a final corner move from Roberts, with contact but no drama and the Spaniard holding on to the line.
Behind Roberts to cross the line in fifth was Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) a further 0.171s behind. The #35 held off Canet to the line, who dropped to sixth after battling with Roberts on the last lap. Aldeguer found time late in the race to comfortably finish ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Albert Arenas (QJMOTO Gresini Moto2™), with CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team’s Izan Guevara taking the final spot inside the top 10.
That’s a wrap on France with Garcia back in the hot seat ahead of the Catalan GP – and the likes of Roberts and Aldeguer looking to hit back. Join us for more from Barcelona!
David Alonso (80) topped Daniel Holgado (96), and Collin Veijer (95) to win the Moto3 race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alonso fends off Holgado and Veijer to bounce back in style
The Colombian defends to perfection in France to move to within a single point of Holgado’s Championship lead
David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) put in a masterclass at Le Mans to bounce back from heartbreak in Jerez, attacking early on the final lap and then keeping the door firmly shut to deny Dani Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) the top step. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) completed the podium as three key contenders went toe-to-toe at the front.
Alonso got the launch and initial lead, but through the chicane Holgado struck for first and took it. The Championship leader headed his closest rival as fellow front row starter Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) harried the duo, but in no time at all it became the classic Moto3™ freight train.
The first key drama saw Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) pipped out of contention by David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), for which the #64 then got a double Long Lap. That dropped him out the group before he than also crashed and rejoined, leaving his fellow podium finishers from Jerez to fight it out at the front with the top two in the title fight.
Alonso, Holgado, Veijer and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) duked it out at the front, with close company from rookie Joel Esteban (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) and Ortola’s teammate Ryusei Yamanaka.
Onto the final lap it bubbled up to a three-way fight between the top three in the title fight as Holgado led Alonso led Veijer. But not for long, as the Colombian hit quick to edge out the 96, leading into and through the 3-4 chicane. And he kept leading, with Holgado just not able to find a way through through 9 and 10, nor into 12 as he looked tempted to try.
That left Alonso to completes his bounce back mission from Jerez in style, back on the top step and with it closing the gap to Holgado at the top of the Championship to a single point. Veijer was likewise not able to nudge open the door to attack on the final lap, but third to follow up his victory at Jerez makes it the second time he’s taken back to back GP podiums.
Esteban nabbed fourth from Ortola on the final lap, taking his best Grand Prix result yet as his rookie year continues to impress. Ortola completed the top five though, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) coming back to P6 from two Long Laps given for slow riding in practice.
Yamanaka, Rueda, Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and rookie Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) completed the top ten.
With just one point in it now, it’s next stop Barcelona! Will the tale twist again?
Sergio Garcia won the Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Riding his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 22-lap race by 3.174 seconds.
Garcia’s Japanese teammate Ai Ogura was the runner-up, and Folladore SpeedUp’s Alonso Lopez made it a Boscoscuro sweep of the podium in third.
American Joe Roberts was fourth, less than 0.5 second behind Ogura at the finish, on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Somkiat Chantra rounded out the top five finishers on his Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex.
David Alonso won the Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Riding his Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO on Pirelli control tires, the young Colombian won the 20-lap race by a scant 0.105 second.
Red Bull GAGAS Tech3 rider Daniel Holgado retained a small lead in the World Championship point standings by snagging the runner-up spot, and Collin Veijer finished third on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
The top nine finishers were separated by just 1.1 seconds at the end of the race.
Uriarte snatches Le Mans Race 2 Rookies win from Quiles at final turn
The perfect, dramatic, braking lunge into Le Mans’ final first-gear double right gave victory to Brian Uriarte. Fellow Spaniard and Rookies Cup Race 1 victor Màximo Quiles survived the shock and a nasty front wheel slide to hold 2nd ahead of Malaysian Hakim Danish.
Argentina’s Valentin Perrone, one of the race’s many leaders, and Spain’s Álvaro Carpe were right on their tail with 0.617 seconds covering the top 5 KTMs.
Brian made the risk pay off in Race 2
“I’m super happy with this. I had a good ride yesterday and I was certainly going out to win today but you never know, there are many many things that should happen in the correct way if you are going to take the victory,” said the calm, well-spoken 15-year-old.
“I didn’t sleep that well last night and I could feel it today that I was a bit tired. The sleep wasn’t that good but when I woke up I did everything as usual and was completely focused. I was a bit angry with myself for yesterday’s mistake.”
“The track was a bit cooler today, in the second sighting lap I felt a couple of slippery patches but even in the opening laps it was completely perfect and the bike was great all through the race.”
“I worked a lot this weekend, the track is new for me, I tried so hard yesterday and I learnt, I used that today. You have to take a risk to win, I risked a lot into the last corner and I won.
Maximo takes 2nd and Cup points lead
“It was a great race, a bit difficult at the beginning to overtake,” explained the 16-year-old. “Then I got into the lead and everyone seemed a bit nervous because they knew I would have a good rhythm. I opened the group a bit it was not so close.”
“The bike did feel a bit different today, there was good grip but when I really pushed the front was sliding and a little bit uncomfortable for me.”
“Then in the last lap, I didn’t know what to do, I was in front and that’s not easy. They have the reference to brake and they used that, Brian braked later than me into the last corner and won.”
“Still second place is great, points for the championship and I am happy for that, looking forward to Mugello.”
Hakim did most of the leading after style change
“I made a good start and I managed to run at the front,” the 16-year-old enthused. “Better than yesterday as in Race 1 I struggled to match the pace of the front guys. This time I changed my riding, I had my body further forward and pushed my elbow down, I was scraping it through the corners and tried to open the throttle earlier in the corners and it worked very well.”
“In the last lap I tried to lead but two people overtook me, That’s OK I tried to overtake again. Into the last corner, I almost wanted to try a pass on Maximo and Brian but I was just too far away. I already overtook another rider the turn before and that cost me a little bit, I couldn’t go for the win at the last corner.”
“Anyway, I finished P3 and I look forward to the next race in Mugello, I thank everyone who supports me here and at home.”
Valentine learning well
“It was a difficult race with so many riders in the group,” explained the 16-year-old. “In the last lap, it was crazy with so many overtakes, I just couldn’t finish more in front, to be on the podium.”
“I am happy though with P4 with good points for the championship in what was a new track for me, I think I did a good job here and I am already looking forward to Mugello.”
Alvaro takes points rather than risk
“I enjoyed this race so much,” said the 16-year-old Spaniard who holds 2nd in the points chase. “It was faster than yesterday, my KTM was working well, good on the brakes and through the corners. The lead group was very fast, not too many overtakes but a really good pace.”
“Again I am happy with the points for the championship. When it came to the last 2 laps I didn’t feel confident enough to really push the extra to make the podium this time.”
Marco Morelli worked hard for 6th
“I enjoyed that a lot, it was a fast race,” enthused the Argentine 16-year-old who had fallen off early on the first lap on Saturday. “I don’t know if I did the fastest lap but I think I did a 43 so I think that was good,” he stated and indeed he did take the fastest lap of the race and a new lap record officially at 1m 44.019s.
“I was a bit cautious in the opening lap after yesterday’s mistake. Mid-race I was in the second group and that is not good enough. With 5 laps to go you need to be up front so I had to push hard.”
“I tried, I finished P6, that’s better than yesterday when I got no points and let’s see in Mugello.”
Veda Pratama recovered from error to take 7th
“I am happy with the race and the result,” stated the 15-year-old Indonesian. “I managed to get into the front group and that is what I needed to do. Just in the last two laps I made a mistake and I lost the group and had to fight back in the last lap.”
“The result could have been better but I will learn and try to do better in Mugello.”
Rico Salmela suffers technical issue.
“In the middle of the race I started to feel that when opening the gas there wasn’t the same power and it just got less and less,” explained the 16-year-old Finn who had run at the front early on and was 2nd in Race 1.
More, from a press release issued by Kristian Daniel Jr. Racing:
RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP: KRISTIAN DANIEL JR WITH ANOTHER STRONG PERFORMANCE IN FRANCE
Kristian Daniel Jr with a top 10 finish in his first ever visit to Circuit Le Mans
American Kristian Daniel, Jr. (70) leads a group of riders at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
May 12th – Circuit Bugatti Le Mans
The picturesque Circuit Bugatti – Le Mans hosted the 2nd round of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (alongside the MotoGP event), which was young American Kristian Daniel Jr’s first visit to the French iconic track. The format of the Rookies Cup race weekends is that there are two 25 minute practice sessions held Friday, followed by 20 minute qualifying. One race is held Saturday afternoon and another race held early Sunday morning. This means that there aren’t many laps for first year Rookies like Kristian Daniel to get up to speed on new tracks, but in spite of the limited track time, the young Californian was able to end the weekend with two good results.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in France, which had over 200,000 spectators across the whole weekend, Kristian put on quite a show! Starting the first race from 13th position, he had already made it up to 8th position within the first few corners. A rider just ahead ended up hitting a false neutral, causing Kristian to slam into the back of his bike, almost crashing and demoting him back to 15th. The young American gathered himself and was quickly on the rebound. The front 7 riders had made a gap, so his goal was to at least make it to the front of the 2nd group (10th position). After he made it to the front of the group, he and Indonesian rider Veda Pretama called a truce for a few laps, sitting in 10th and 11th, and put down a few fast laps which created a 2.1 second gap to the 12th place rider. Kristian sat patiently behind Pretama, waiting for the last corner of the last lap to make a lunge, which he did but Pretama was able to cut back and took 10th position by .0018 of a second, Kristian Daniel finishing 11th.
Race two was underway early the next morning at 8:30 AM, but that wasn’t too early for the French fans as the Grandstands were packed already! Kristian Jr started race 2 similar to race 1, where he found himself sitting in the top 8 for the first few laps. After riding at a hot pace with the front group, the excitement and anxiousness got the best of him, and with a fatigued body and mind made a few mistakes and fell back to 11th. The young LA native gave himself a few laps to calm his nerves, and set off after the 10th place rider. Closing the gap, he prepared the end of the race much like the day before, planning on making a lunge at the end of the race. Half way through the final lap, he made a strong move into 10th position, and held it until the finish line!
Starting his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookie Cup season with another top 10 shows great promise for the rest of the season! His next race is in the 2nd championship he races, called the JuniorGP European Talent Cup, and will be held May 19th in Barcelona, Spain! The next Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be in Italy, at the majestic Mugello circuit!
Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) Championship
Ventura Short Track
Ventura, California
May 11, 2024
Provisional Royal Enfield BTR Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kenzie Luker (Roy), 10 laps
2. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -01.220 seconds
3. Mya Maffei (Roy), -03.083
4. Mikaela Nichols-Lionetti (Roy), -07.249
5. Hannah Lange (Roy), -10.180
6. Morgan Piller (Roy), -16.728
7. Hannah Robertson (Roy), -18.314
8. Kristiana Ross (Roy), -1 lap, -04.573
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Tom Drane (Yam), 27 laps
2. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -01.394 seconds
3. Trent Lowe (Hon), -02.105
4. Kody Kopp (KTM), -02.744
5. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -03.329
6. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -06.385
7. Tarren Santero (Hon), -07.619
8. James Ott (Hus), -07.937
9. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -08.896
10. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -11.820
11. Travis Petton (KTM), -12.102
12. Jared Lowe (Hon), -12.354
13. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -12.568
14. Cole Frederickson (Hon), -1 lap, -01.154
15. Hunter Bauer (Yam), -1 lap, -01.495
16. Justin Anselmi (Yam), -1 lap, -02.580
17. Ian Wolfe (Hon), -1 lap, -10.088
18. Olin Kissler (KTM), -1 lap, -11.188
19. Chad Cose (KTM), -2 laps
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (KTM), 42 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -04.613 seconds
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -07.170
4. Jarod VanDerKooi (Ind), -07.812
5. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -09.251
6. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -09.978
7. Kayl Kolkman (Yam), -12.627
8. Trevor Brunner (KTM), -14.414
9. Dan Bromley (Hon), -14.979
10. Max Whale (Har), -1 lap, -00.817
11. Brandon Price (Yam), -1 lap, -02.988
12. Cameron Smith (KTM), -1 lap, -06.510
13. Ben Lowe (KTM), -1 lap, -13.576
14. Davis Fisher (Ind), -2 laps, -01.411
15. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -2 laps, -02.333
16. Sammy Halbert (Har), -10 laps, DNF
17. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -41 laps, DNF
18. Declan Bender (Ind), -41 laps, DNF
19. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -41 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by AFT:
Bauman Takes Ventura Short Track in Beachside Blowout
Briar Bauman (3). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 11, 2024) – Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) scored his first victory of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, with an utterly dominant performance in Saturday night’s Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California.
The two-time Grand National Champion came into the weekend seeking not just his first Mission AFT SuperTwins win of the year but his first podium of any kind. He ended that uncharacteristic drought in most convincing fashion, backing up a stirring win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a wire-to-wire runaway in the Main Event.
Bauman’s superiority finally brought order to what had been a chaotic affair in the early going. A red flag flew moments after the initial start due to a terrifying incident that saw Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) carom off the wall and crash back into the pack that had not yet separated.
That triggered a chain reaction that also collected Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), who completed a full forward flip in the air after contacting the downed Lewis and his machine. Miraculously, all four returned to their feet with Lowe managing to return for the staggered restart.
A second red was issued just as quickly following a spill by hometown hero Kayl Kolkman (No. 98 Yamaha MT-07), who would also return for the subsequent restart.
A third red flag was narrowly avoided when Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) bounced back up from a crash and immediately remounted, allowing the race to continue and at last find its rhythm.
And the beat it drummed up was a victory march for Bauman, who was never challenged on his way to a 4.613-second margin of victory.
Bauman, who lapped his way inside the top ten, said, “First and foremost, I can’t thank Shayna (Texter-Bauman) and Kenny Coolbeth enough, along with everyone else with Rick Ware Racing. We could write a novel about what’s gone on this season. We had quite the offseason, let me tell you. This might have been a bigger change for me, going to a new group of guys, than it was going from an Indian to a KTM last year. It was so big. I kept telling myself all week long that no one understands how long I’ve been waiting on this, and my team deserves it more than I do.”
The only rider who could even pretend to keep Bauman in sight on this evening was title hopeful Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). The Estenson Racing pilot actually started his push from fifth, slicing underneath Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) before putting himself in a position to make an honest try at reeling in Bauman.
After that challenge proved insurmountable, Daniels had to be content to solidify his grip on second while Vanderkooi, Mees, and Robinson disputed the final spot on the box behind.
Reigning champ Mees raced his way to that honor as he so often does, with Vanderkooi and Robinson completing the top five.
Sixth and seventh went to twin chargers Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) and Kolkman, who battled their way up from 15th and 16th, respectively.
Meanwhile, rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R) finished eighth and tenth, with Honda-mounted Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp) splitting the two up by claiming the new machine’s second top ten in ninth.
Daniels now leads the Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight by two points over Robinson (103-101) with Mees third at 93 and Bauman closing to within striking distance at 84.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) secured his second victory of the ‘24 season in an action-packed Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event that saw the tables turned more than once.
Polesitter, points leader, and double defending champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) was immediately shuffled back to fifth off the line while Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) jumped at the opportunity to potentially run away with a second career victory after finally earning his maiden win last time out in Texas.
While Saathoff built up an early second-plus advantage at the front, Drane, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Kopp, and Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) formed a big second group, each one trying to find a way to respond to the leader’s immediate pace.
Gauthier was the first to find it, slowly closing the gap to first, taking back approximately a tenth each time around the tight circuit. But by the time he found his way onto the Honda pilot’s rear wheel, he found himself under assault by a charging Drane.
Gauthier was unable to provide much resistance, giving way to the Australian ace in short order, a fate Saathoff would suffer himself moments later with Drane slamming through to grab the lead.
Saathoff attempted to counter but Drane rebuffed the attempt and then proceeded to make his escape; the Yamaha runner ultimately worked up a 1.394-second margin by the time he took the checkered flag.
“At the start of the race, I had to really work hard and figure a few things out,” Drane said. “Toward the end I started finding some lines that really worked. (Once in front) I wasn’t letting (Saathoff) him back through. I was making sure I was making that move happen. I can’t thank my whole team enough. We had that bike dialed from the start of the day. We continued to chip away at it and got it better and better. The team put in a really big effort and we’re here now.”
While Drane cleared off, Gauthier jumped on Saathoff and promptly created his own separation on the way to second. Lowe and Kopp piled on from there with the Turner Honda rider stealing away the final spot on the box and Rick Ware Racing star pushing his title rival down to the fifth in the final order.
As a result, Kopp continues to lead the championship chase, now by 14 points over Drane (108-94) with Saathoff now far behind in third (90).
For those who can’t catch the action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of the the weekend’s on-track action, from the first practice to the victory podium, at https://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).
Xavi Fores walking the track at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday, prior to testing there on Monday.
XAVI FORÉS SUBSTITUTING FOR RICHIE ESCALANTE AND VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Team Hammer announces that Xavi Forés will substitute for injured Richie Escalante aboard the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike when the 2024 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season resumes at Barber Motorsports Park, in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 17-19. Forés will substitute until Escalante is cleared by MotoAmerica medical.
Escalante is on the mend after crashing with another rider moments after taking the checkered flag in eighth in the 2024 Superbike season-opening round at Road Atlanta. Despite walking away from the fall under his own power, the Mexican star was later diagnosed with a left wrist fracture and a left ankle fracture, plus compression fractures of his L1, L2, and L4 vertebrae.
Spaniard Forés is well suited to step into the role on short notice. He is a very experienced road racer, having competed in many top-level series during his two-decade-plus professional career.
Prior to joining the MotoAmerica tour in 2023, Forés won the IDM Superbike Championship (2014), the European Superstock 1000 Championship (2013), and the CEV Stock Extreme Championship (2010 and 2013). He also has competed in MotoGP, Moto2, MotoE, 125cc Grand Prix, World Superbike, World Supersport, World Endurance, and British Superbike.
Team Hammer witnessed the 38-year-old flex all that skill and experience up close a year ago, when Forés won the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport title in dominant fashion, claiming nine race wins among his 12 podium finishes.
“I am excited for this opportunity. It’s a shame Richie was injured but I am glad to help,” said Forés. “The situation I am in, I have wanted the right opportunity in MotoAmerica Superbike but before this, it hadn’t come up for me yet. Richie and I are friends and he is always telling me the bike is capable of the podium. I know it is a good team supported by Suzuki, so I feel like we have the opportunity to earn good results. Having a great year in America last season and learning the paddock and tracks will help, too.”
ABOUT TEAM HAMMER
The 2024 season marks Team Hammer’s 44th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 133 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 362 times and have won 11 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport). The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
ABOUT VISION WHEEL
Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.
ABOUT SUZUKI
Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com
Three-time Canadian Superbike Champion Ben Young (86) is racing a Van Dolder’s Home Team Suzuki GSX-R750 in the 2024 Canadian Sport Bike Championship as well as defending his title in the Superbike class. Photo by Colin Fraser, courtesy CSBK.
Sport Bike Preview: Tremblay, Young face off at Shannonville
Hamilton, ON – The long wait for the 2024 Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship season is finally over, as the national series will return to historic Shannonville Motorsport Park for the opening round this weekend, presented by the Fallen Riders Support Team sponsored by Pace Law.
Included amongst the action will be the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class, which has endured plenty of changes from its 2023 grid. Reigning champion David MacKay and former SMP winner Connor Campbell have both graduated to the Superbike ranks, last year’s title runner-up Matt Simpson has entered a semi-retirement, and injuries have sidelined frontrunners Brad Macrae, Alex Coelho, and Louie Raffa.
While a new influx of talent will surely help offset those absences – including a loaded rookie class – it would have been fair for title favourite and 2021 champion Sebastian Tremblay to be licking his chops entering round one at Shannonville.
Instead, he’ll now need to deal with an unexpected rival – three-time Canada Cup champion Ben Young.
The face of the Superbike class will do double-duty for the first time in his career this season, joining the middleweight grid aboard a Van Dolder’s Home Team Suzuki and committing to all six national rounds in both classes.
Young hasn’t raced in the Sport Bike division since 2015, earning a second-place finish in his final appearance at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but his recent Daytona 200 finish proved there should be minimal adjustment as he pivots back to the smaller machine.
His path to a championship will be anything but a formality, however, as he’ll be going up against one of the best Sport Bike riders of the modern era in Tremblay.
The Turcotte Performance Suzuki rider won the final three races of the 2023 campaign and finished third in the championship despite sitting out round one – the same pro track layout that will host round one this season – reminding everyone why he swept the 2021 campaign behind eight consecutive victories.
That Sport Bike experience will play massively in Tremblay’s favour, setting the table for what should be a fantastic duel between the two former champions both at the opening round in Shannonville and throughout the 2024 campaign.
Focusing on only each other would be a mistake, however, as both will have their hands full just fending off the rest of the field in what has been the most unpredictable class in recent CSBK history.
Leading that charge is the duo of Elliot Vieira and John Laing, the fourth and fifth-place finishers in last year’s championship. Vieira missed three races with mechanical issues and very well could have been in title contention without them, while Laing was one of the most consistent frontrunners following his crash in the opening race of the season.
Vieira will be back aboard his GP Bikes Ducati and hoping to build upon his strong finale at Shannonville last year, where he finished second and third (albeit on the long track layout). As for Laing, the Cochrane, AB native now has a year of experience under his belt around the Ontario circuits, and will aim to build some early momentum ahead of his home races in round three.
Perhaps the biggest leap in potential from 2023 to 2024 is sophomore Alex Michel, who quietly put together a strong rookie pro season last year and recently won the Sport Bike race at the SuperSeries regional at SMP. The young Kawasaki rider finished seventh in each of the two races around the pro track last season before claiming his first career podium at CTMP, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him return to the front at Shannonville like he did this past weekend.
Amongst the other returnees is a group of dark horse contenders that includes Marco Sousa, Nathan Playford, and Zoltan Frast, amongst others. Sousa in particular has shown some of his best pace at Shannonville, scoring a pair of fifth place finishes to begin last year’s campaign, and a podium spot is hardly out of the question for the Suzuki veteran.
Each of the returnees will need to keep an eye out for some of the new names around them, though, with at least five high-profile rookies expected to make the jump from the amateur ranks this season.
Headlining them is none other than 19-year-old sensation Mavrick Cyr, the champion in both amateur classes last season and one of the brightest talents in the Bridgestone CSBK paddock. Any doubt of Cyr’s potential was quickly silenced in September, when he got an early start to his pro career and finished ninth in the final race of the season aboard his Rizzin Racing Triumph.
Joining Cyr will be a quartet of young rivals from his amateur days, including the likes of Mack Weil, Phil Degama-Blanchet (the youngest pro rider at just 16 years old), Bryce DeBoer, and Andrew Cooney. Weil joined Cyr in the pro finale last year, finishing 13th, and is hoping to build on that experience aboard his MotorcycleCourse.com Kawasaki.
New to the class in 2024 will be the Constructors Championship, which has added an extra layer of intrigue in the Superbike class since its introduction in 2021 and will now expand to the middleweight division.
Suzuki will enter as the overwhelming favourites with the two main title protagonists in their stable, while Sousa will provide support as the third rider in their program.
Kawasaki will lose a major piece of their 2023 puzzle with MacKay gone, but will only need two of Laing, Michel, Weil, or Degama-Blanchet to perform well at SMP to open the year on a high note.
Ducati will rely heavily on Vieira and Playford in the early going, adding Raffa to the mix once healthy, while former frontrunners Yamaha will be in tough following Simpson’s departure and Macrae’s injury.
The full weekend schedule for the Economy Lube Pro Sport Bike class – and the rest of the seven Bridgestone CSBK categories – can be found here.
For more information on the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship, visit www.csbk.ca or email [email protected].
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley (right) and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom (left). Photo courtesy Mat Oxley.
Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner Mat Oxley and two-time World Championship-winning Crew Chief Peter Bom have started “The Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast,” which will be focused on the FIM MotoGP World Championship.
The original podcast can be found on BuzzSprout.com or listened to via other places you get podcasts.
From the Oxley Bom Podcast:
It’s been a week since we saw Bagnaia and Marquez battle it out at Jerez, but what did we learn? Well, that Marquez is back, of course – that much is obvious. Less obvious is what it revealed about the nature of the bikes on the grid, and the engineers working on them.
See, something strange seems to be happening at Yamaha. On the outside, it seems little has changed. But Mat and Peter think that first looks can be very deceiving, in this case….
Also, Peter tells us about the smell of KTM burning rubber and Mat has a little chat with Gigi dall’Igna about the fine line between ‘vibration’ and ‘chatter’. Enjoy!
Want more? Visit our website or support us on Patreon. With big thanks as always to Brad Baloo from The Next Men and Gentleman’s Dub Club for writing our theme song. Check out The Nextmen for more great music!
The French Grand Prix broke its own record for most fans attending a MotoGP event. Photo courtesy Dorna.
297,471 fans make MotoGP™ history at Le Mans
The 2024 French GP breaks the all-time record to become the best-attended MotoGP™ event in history
Monday, 13 May 2024
The 2024 Michelin® Grand Prix de France put on an incredible show right to the final lap and a record-breaking crowd was there to see it. An awe-inspiring 297,471 fans flocked to historic Le Mans across the weekend, making it the highest-attended Grand Prix in history.
The previous record was set at the 2023 French GP, when 278,805 fans joined MotoGP™ to celebrate the 1000th Grand Prix. Le Mans now sets a new benchmark as MotoGP™ continues to record impressive levels of growth, only matched by the incredible action on track.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna Sports: “The atmosphere in Le Mans is legendary and for good reason. The incredible roar from the crowd is one of the purest expressions of passion for sport in the world and it’s a privilege to hear it.
“After Le Mans set a new all-time attendance record last season, the benchmark was high but the 2024 French GP delivered. Nearly 300,000 people across the weekend is absolutely incredible, and it is testament to the world-class work undertaken by PHA Claude Michy every year. The event is exactly what we want every time we race: stunning racing on track that fills the grandstands, paired with a full agenda of activities and entertainment to make every minute of the weekend something special for every fan. We thank Claude and his team for their commitment to MotoGP.
“As for the fans, they are equally committed to the sport and show that every time we go out on track. They are young and diverse, reflecting the power of MotoGP to engage with a wide audience and create a powerful connection. As we look to grow the sport around the world, this is proof of concept that MotoGP is for everyone – and once you hear the engines roar out of pitlane, you know it’s for you.
“Thank you, Le Mans, for sharing your astounding passion with us as we continue to make history. It is our pleasure to share the stage with you in the world’s most exciting sport.”
Rice-Eccles Stadium hosted the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Final for the fifth straight year. A weather delay temporarily paused the racing, but the storm passed, and the track provided great racing to crown four Supercross championships. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Chase Sexton Wins Supercross Final, Jett Lawrence Takes Title in Rookie Year
RJ Hampshire and Tom Vialle Win Regional Titles at Supercross Showdown
Salt Lake City, Utah – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton took the win, his second of the season, at the final round of the 17-round 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season.
Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Justin Cooper delivered his season-best performance in his rookie year and took second place inside Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb, riding injured yet with a mathematical chance at the championship, finished in third place, netting him second overall on the season. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence, after racking up eight wins in his rookie 450SX Class Supercross season, rode near the front early, but appeared to back it down to finish a safe seventh place and secure his first Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship in the 450SX Class. Lawrence became only the third rider in the sport’s history to take the title in his rookie season.
In the 250SX Class, both Regional Championships battled in the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan grabbed the holeshot and defended the lead against several challenges to take the win, the third of his career and his first East/West Showdown victory.
Chase Sexton (1). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“It definitely means a lot. I had to kind of claw myself back to where I felt like I was riding good. It’s been a tough journey. The team and I have put a lot of work in. It’s taken us about, I don’t know, 16 rounds to get it good, but we’re in a good spot now. Today was a big day for me. I feel like I had really good speed and a really good start in that Main Event. I tried second gear [on the gate] for the first time all day and it paid off. I needed a good start and just rode a solid race. But overall, I’m looking forward to outdoors. I’ve been doing a lot of outdoor riding and testing and [I’m] ready to start a new championship. It’s a good way to end this one and head into that new season.” – Chase Sexton
“I was looking for this podium all year and it just happened to come at the last round. We saved the best for last. I just have to give it up to the whole team. Yamaha, they gave me a chance this year and really took me under their wing and worked hard with me. I had some great teammates this year and they pushed me the whole way. I’m glad to end on a high note. I just gotta give it up to the whole Star Racing Yamaha crew, Monster Energy, Alpinestars, Oakley, Dunlop, Toyota of Escondido – we lost a great one there, Damian, this one’s for him.” – Justin Cooper
“It’s been a great year. Second in the championship’s not what you want, but as we can see Jett’s a once-in-a-generation guy and he’s the real deal. I’m proud of my year, I’m proud of my team, I’m proud of my family. I truly know what we’ve been dealing with these last few races and rounds, I don’t know if there’s many guys that would’ve finished this season, so I can hang my head high on that. And I know I’ll be back stronger next year, and with some fight, and we know what we need to work on. Congrats to Jett and [that] whole team, they killed it this year. I just want to give it up to my team; they really invested a lot into me this whole year and they believed in me from the start, and I got back to championship form this year and probably the best version of myself. So, I’m super proud of that, super proud of the way I held myself in there all year. And it’s going to be a great thing, we’ll get surgery Monday on this thumb and enjoy my second baby coming and some down time. So yeah, we’ll be back next year, I know that’s for damn sure.” – Cooper Webb, referencing his torn UCL thumb injury.
Jett Lawrence, the 2024 AMA Supercross Champion. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“I think it hasn’t fully sunk in yet, but, I mean, we had times when we sucked really bad this year then also times when we weren’t too bad, so, nah, [I’m] super happy for the team and doing it for them. They’ve been awesome. They’re family now and to give them another title is just the biggest ‘thank you’ to them, I feel like. So thank you to them, to everyone around me… I couldn’t do it without the team around me, I’m just super happy… [when asked to look back on what it took to get to this point] There’s so many hard moments that we’ve had that you can’t even put it in an interview, it’s just so long. No, I’m just super happy just for my family and the team and yeah, I’m just going to leave it at that because it’s too much.” – Jett Lawrence
The Western Regional 250SX Class and Eastern Regional 250SX Class each wrapped up their seasons with the Dave Coombs Sr. East/West Showdown. Haiden Deegan grabbed the Holeshot and led every lap to end the season with his third win. Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire crossed the line in second and secured his first Supercross Championship by taking the Western Regional 250SX Class title. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith crashed late in the race attempting to take the lead, but he remounted and landed on the Utah podium in third. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen took fifth place after going into Utah tied for the lead in the West. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, entering the race with a 15-point lead, cruised to eighth to take his first Supercross championship with the title in the Eastern Regional 250SX Class.
“That was sick. That was my first East/West Shootout win. I came into this race, I’m like, ‘You know what, I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m just going to go out there and execute what I do,’ and that’s what I did today. I was top of the board all day long, so that was perfect. I kinda feel like I’ve come around now. At the beginning of the season, obviously [there were] a few things [an injury], no excuses though, congrats to Tom, congrats to RJ, that’s dope. And yeah, got the Dub, that’s awesome.” – Haiden Deegan
Haiden Deegan (38). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“Man, [I’m] just so thankful. From the beginning, like my dad, the Grondahls, Kevin Keen, just so many people have helped me get to this point right here and just believed in me. So [I’m] thankful to my wife, my daughters, it’s truly special. This whole Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna Racing team from Nate to Murph to my mechanic Amos, Aldon, Throttle, all the guys back home. They know how much I put into this, so it’s truly special. Just a massive thank you to Salt Lake. Man, you guys are going to be one I’m always going to remember. It’s truly special tonight. Thank you.” – RJ Hampshire
“It was a bummer how it went down [with the crash]. I felt good all night, felt like I had the speed to win, and yeah, we [Deegan and I] started playing games there about halfway through. I was just trying to be smart. I kind of backed off for a couple laps. I knew I was faster in the whoops, and kinda of catching him a little bit everywhere, so I was just trying to be smart and got a run on him in the whoops. [I was] just trying to stay low [in the following corner] and he came across and I think my fork guard got caught on his bike. It almost pulled us both down. It was a bummer, [I’m] not very pumped about how that went down, but we live to fight another day. Happy to be back on the box. Shout out to the whole Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team. Toyota of Escondido, a big shout out to those guys. We lost Damian this past week. He’s been a huge supporter of this sport and of us racers for a long time and this podium’s dedicated to him…” – Jordon Smith
“I had a bad Heat race. I mean, the day was really hard. Actually, [before the Main Event] I was like, ‘Okay, this is the moment I need to do the start.’ I had a great start, actually. The last five laps I was really nervous, but I made it. I’m really happy. You know: coming from Europe, moving here to the U.S., and I’ve already got the Supercross title in my second year. It’s amazing, so I’m very happy. I want to thank everyone on the team who believed in me, my family, and I’m really happy about the day. Thank you.” – Tom Vialle
After four qualifying rounds throughout the season that did not pay points, the Supercross Futures AMA National Championship wrapped up with one race in Utah. Troy Lee Designs GASGAS’s Cole Davies, who won the opening SX Futures round, took the win in Utah and the title. After leading for the majority of the race, Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green’s Drew Adams crashed exiting a turn. He remounted but had to settle for second place in the championship. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Gavin Towers rounded out the season’s podium with a third-place finish inside Rice-Eccles Stadium.
“It’s definitely cool to win this race. The track is gnarly at the moment. I was able to get a pretty good start. I made some mistakes at the start there, but Drew [Adams] made a mistake, and I was able to capitalize on that and yeah, I’m stoked.” – Cole Davies
“The 2024 AMA Supercross season was one of the greatest in recent memory, with season-long battles for all three titles,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “We at the AMA offer our congratulations to Jett Lawrence, R.J. Hampshire and Tom Vialle, and we’re inspired by the determination and tenacity they showed throughout the season. The AMA also appreciates the efforts of Feld Motor Sports, series partners, racers and teams who, along with the AMA, worked tirelessly to deliver incredible racing week after week.”
With the 17-round Monster Energy Supercross indoor stadium season concluded, the racers now start the 11-round outdoor season of Pro Motocross, Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. In August, combined points from the Monster Energy Supercross season and the Pro Motocross season will seed the top 20 riders into the SuperMotocross League’s post-season racing. Riders in positions 21-30 will gain a spot on the starting line of the Last Chance Qualifier for a chance to fill-out the 22-rider gate at each of the three post-season races. Riders who earned a Main Event win in Supercross or a Moto win in Motocross in 2024 will also earn a spot on the LCQ line. The SuperMotocross World Championship will consist of two Playoff Rounds and one Final to determine an overall SuperMotocross World Champion in the 450SMX and 250SMX classes.
All 31 SuperMotocross World Championship rounds are available live and on-demand through PeacockTV, with select rounds also broadcast or streamed domestically on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. CNBC will air next-day encore presentations of all 31 rounds of 2024 racing. Live audio coverage for each Supercross race can be heard via NBC Sports Audio on SiriusXM Channel 85. For domestic coverage in Spanish language, the final rounds of the Supercross, Motocross, and SuperMotocross championships will be available on Telemudo Deportes’ YouTube channel as well as on the NBC Sports app. For international coverage, the racing can be found at the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) live and on-demand, in both English and Spanish.
The Love Moto Stop Cancer auction concludes this Monday, May 13th at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Until then, fans can view and bid on incredible gear and bike parts from the sport’s top racers, as well as other great items. All proceeds help raise money for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s fight against childhood cancer. To participate in the auction or find other great ways to get involved, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com/St-Jude.
Tickets are on sale now for the Pro Motocross season as well as all three SuperMotocross World Championship rounds. For tickets, event information, race results, and more please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
The Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Photo courtesy CIP Green Power KTM.
Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici on Michelin control tires, the Spaniard held on to win the 27-lap race by 0.446 second and extend his lead in the point standings.
Six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez was the runner-up on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Two-time and defending MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia made it a Ducati sweep of the podium by taking a close third (-0.585 second to Martin) on his Lenovo Ducati.
It was four Ducatis in the top four finishing positions thanks to Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini.
Maverick Vinales was fifth — and the top non-Ducati finisher — on his factory Aprilia RS-GP.
Martin vs Marquez vs Bagnaia: last lap decider at Le Mans
Three of the biggest names in the sport throw down in France – and this time it’s Martin who writes a victory to remember
Jorge Martin (89) held off Marc Marquez (93) and Francesco Bagnaia (1) to win in France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 12 May 2024
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) soaked up the pressure and threw down the gauntlet at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France, coming out on top in a three-way fight for glory against Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) that rolled all the way to the final lap. Nearly 300,000 fans streamed into the event over the weekend and they were treated to a proper show as the #89 shadowed Bagnaia, passed him, and then shut every door in Le Mans to pull off a seriously impressive 25-point haul. And just behind him, Marc Marquez did find an open door – or manage to create one. The #93 pulled a last lap divebomb on Bagnaia that got the job done for second, perfectly crafted to demote the reigning Champion to third.
Off the line, Martin made a good start from pole but Bagnaia bettered it, the #1 taking the holeshot from second on the grid. Behind, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) was threatening but ran in hot at the chicane, leaving teammate Aleix Espargaro to challenge Martin for second on the exit as the #12 Aprilia slotted in just behind Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) in fourth. Marc Marquez, meanwhile, was up to eighth almost immediately, slicing up from his P13 grid slot.
At the front, Bagnaia had the hammer down but Martin was absolutely glued to him at the front. The two pulled a small gap on the chasing pack led by Espargaro, with Diggia in fourth and rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) looking to attack Viñales. He did so not long after, setting the fastest lap on Lap 2, before another shuffle as DiGiannantonio briefly diced with Espargaro just ahead.
However, the rookie then proved the protagonist of the first drama. Looking for a way through on that duel ahead, he overcooked it into Turn 8 going for a move on the VR46 machine ahead, and then only just avoided tagging both as he slid out. More drama then hit nearly immediately after as Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) slid out as he pushed to try and duel with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team).
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on. Martin shadowed, equally pitch perfect until one small mistake from both with 19 to go, heading ever so slightly wide. But they gathered it back up as the podium fight behind started to light up, the race split between a duel and a melee.
Diggia was homing in on Espargaro, but Viñales, Marquez and Bastianini lurked. The next move came there as Marquez attacked Viñales but was repelled, and Diggia then had a shot at the #41 Aprilia, also forced to hold station. But a lap later the #49 was through into third, and Viñales then began to line up his teammate. He needed no second invite after the door was just left open, with Marquez then striking straight away too.
Next was Bastianini. The Beast came from a long way back and also went in hot, gathering it back up but Espargaro then taking to the run off before rejoining. Bastianini didn’t make the apex either, but his was a shortcut and he was then given a Long Lap for the time not lost.
Meanwhile, Marquez had picked Viñales’ pocket after the #12 was slightly wide, and the eight-time World Champion was homing in on Diggia. By Lap 16, the #93 made his first attack through Turn 3. The Italian responded and in the shuffle, Viñales almost nearly made his way through too. But it was as you were until a lap later as Marquez went for it again, and this time Diggia ran wide trying to take it back. The #93 and Viñales were both past, and the #49 then got a Long Lap for the time he didn’t lose as he tried to rejoin.
By just under ten laps to go, Bagnaia led Martin, the two still absolutely glued together, but now it was Marquez on the chase. Soon, the chess match had its first big move.
At Turn 3, Martin attacked. And he got through, but on the cutback Bagnaia judged it to the absolutely millimetre to nudge back ahead. As you were, until a lap later. Same move, different result as this time the #89 was able to hold it. There was a new race leader, but there was also a new fastest lap… from Marquez.
The Gresini was on the factory machine of Bagnaia in what seemed like a flash as it became a leading trio. It seemd Martin was starting to pull out the centimetres as he dug in, but then the #89 was deep into the chicane with three to go, and it was absolutely locked together once again. Bagnaia was close as anything and showed a wheel but couldn’t barge the door open, leaving a six-wheeled fight for the win to roll on.
Over the line for the last lap, Martin and Bagnaia were almost one machine round Turn 1 and 2, but a hail Mary on the brakes from Marquez saw that #93 re-appear in the shot by the time the trio dropped anchor at the chicane. Bagnaia was harrying, impatient and looking for any inch of space to make a move on Martin, but there was none – so Marquez made some instead.
The Gresini divebombed it but divebombed it to perfection, getting it stopped to take over in second as the remaining apexes ticked down. Would Bagnaia be able to respond at the final corner? As Martin gained some breathing space thanks to the duel behind him, the focus shifted to that one final opportunity. But if Marquez had opened the door for himself corners prior, this time he kept it firmly closed.
Up ahead, Martin crossed the line to take one of his most impressive wins to date, soaking up the pressure and making it a serious statement Sunday. His lead goes out to an incredible 38 points – enough to guarantee he leaves the next GP as Championship leader too – and it’s Bagnaia and Marquez on his tail in that order. Marquez’ back-to-back podiums are his first since 2021 and he’s 40 points off the top, but Bagnaia remains second despite that 0 from the Sprint in France.
Behind the podium battle, Bastianini charged back from his Long Lap to get past Viñales late on, with the #12 forced to settle for fifth. Di Giannantonio took P6 ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), who pipped Espargaro late on and the Aprilia dropped back to P9.
Between the two was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), whose tough French GP had a much sweeter conclusion on Sunday. From the back of the grid, the #33 charged through to P8. An honourable mention also goes to a savage ride from Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) in an awesome home GP livery, with the Frenchman making it as far up as sixth before a crash out of contention. Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completed the top ten.
That’s a wrap on the best-attended Grand Prix in history, and Martin leaves it with a serious and stylish statement win. Next up it’s Barcelona and another chance for the world’s most exciting sport to prove its moniker, so join us for more in two weeks as we go back-to-back with two more classic events from Catalonia to Mugello!
Sergio Garcia (3) won the Moto2 race in France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Garcia storms Le Mans to grab the points lead
Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) returned to winning ways at the Michelin® Grand Prix de France after a stunning ride to victory, taking back the Championship lead in the process. It was an MT Helmets – MSI 1-2 after serious charge from Ai Ogura, who carved through the field from P17 on the grid, with Alonso Lopez (Folladore SpeedUp) perfectly defending from Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) on the last lap to take third from the American.
Garcia pulled off the perfect start, pulling out a steady gap on the opening lap as the rest of the field battled behind hard behind. Polesitter Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) was swallowed by the pack in the opening stage of the race after a big mistake on the first lap, dropping to eighth in a fight with Fermin Aldeguer (Folladore SpeedUp).
A number of crashers, including Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTO Gresini Moto2™), saw the order chop and change, but the rider on the move was Canet. After setting a fastest lap, the #44 attacked Roberts for second in a brilliant three-way fight joined by Lopez, with the American bumped to the back of the trio – for now.
At the front, Garcia charged on to keep the gap consistent, with all attention turning to the battle for second between Canet and Lopez. It was gloves off with three laps remaining, with Lopez slipping into second before making a mistake at turn four, allowing Canet to show his front wheel. The battle for second then bunched up even more with Ogura fancying a podium – charging into third on the last lap.
Garcia crossed the line to win the French GP with Ogura finding a gap to pass Lopez for second, holding onto it to make it a historic 1-2. Lopez was then left to fend off a final corner move from Roberts, with contact but no drama and the Spaniard holding on to the line.
Behind Roberts to cross the line in fifth was Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) a further 0.171s behind. The #35 held off Canet to the line, who dropped to sixth after battling with Roberts on the last lap. Aldeguer found time late in the race to comfortably finish ahead of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Albert Arenas (QJMOTO Gresini Moto2™), with CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team’s Izan Guevara taking the final spot inside the top 10.
That’s a wrap on France with Garcia back in the hot seat ahead of the Catalan GP – and the likes of Roberts and Aldeguer looking to hit back. Join us for more from Barcelona!
David Alonso (80) topped Daniel Holgado (96), and Collin Veijer (95) to win the Moto3 race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alonso fends off Holgado and Veijer to bounce back in style
The Colombian defends to perfection in France to move to within a single point of Holgado’s Championship lead
David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) put in a masterclass at Le Mans to bounce back from heartbreak in Jerez, attacking early on the final lap and then keeping the door firmly shut to deny Dani Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) the top step. Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) completed the podium as three key contenders went toe-to-toe at the front.
Alonso got the launch and initial lead, but through the chicane Holgado struck for first and took it. The Championship leader headed his closest rival as fellow front row starter Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) harried the duo, but in no time at all it became the classic Moto3™ freight train.
The first key drama saw Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) pipped out of contention by David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), for which the #64 then got a double Long Lap. That dropped him out the group before he than also crashed and rejoined, leaving his fellow podium finishers from Jerez to fight it out at the front with the top two in the title fight.
Alonso, Holgado, Veijer and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) duked it out at the front, with close company from rookie Joel Esteban (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team) and Ortola’s teammate Ryusei Yamanaka.
Onto the final lap it bubbled up to a three-way fight between the top three in the title fight as Holgado led Alonso led Veijer. But not for long, as the Colombian hit quick to edge out the 96, leading into and through the 3-4 chicane. And he kept leading, with Holgado just not able to find a way through through 9 and 10, nor into 12 as he looked tempted to try.
That left Alonso to completes his bounce back mission from Jerez in style, back on the top step and with it closing the gap to Holgado at the top of the Championship to a single point. Veijer was likewise not able to nudge open the door to attack on the final lap, but third to follow up his victory at Jerez makes it the second time he’s taken back to back GP podiums.
Esteban nabbed fourth from Ortola on the final lap, taking his best Grand Prix result yet as his rookie year continues to impress. Ortola completed the top five though, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) coming back to P6 from two Long Laps given for slow riding in practice.
Yamanaka, Rueda, Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and rookie Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) completed the top ten.
With just one point in it now, it’s next stop Barcelona! Will the tale twist again?
The Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Photo courtesy CIP Green Power KTM.
Sergio Garcia won the Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Riding his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard won the 22-lap race by 3.174 seconds.
Garcia’s Japanese teammate Ai Ogura was the runner-up, and Folladore SpeedUp’s Alonso Lopez made it a Boscoscuro sweep of the podium in third.
American Joe Roberts was fourth, less than 0.5 second behind Ogura at the finish, on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Somkiat Chantra rounded out the top five finishers on his Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex.
The Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Photo courtesy CIP Green Power KTM.
David Alonso won the Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Riding his Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO on Pirelli control tires, the young Colombian won the 20-lap race by a scant 0.105 second.
Red Bull GAGAS Tech3 rider Daniel Holgado retained a small lead in the World Championship point standings by snagging the runner-up spot, and Collin Veijer finished third on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
The top nine finishers were separated by just 1.1 seconds at the end of the race.
Uriarte snatches Le Mans Race 2 Rookies win from Quiles at final turn
The perfect, dramatic, braking lunge into Le Mans’ final first-gear double right gave victory to Brian Uriarte. Fellow Spaniard and Rookies Cup Race 1 victor Màximo Quiles survived the shock and a nasty front wheel slide to hold 2nd ahead of Malaysian Hakim Danish.
Argentina’s Valentin Perrone, one of the race’s many leaders, and Spain’s Álvaro Carpe were right on their tail with 0.617 seconds covering the top 5 KTMs.
Brian made the risk pay off in Race 2
“I’m super happy with this. I had a good ride yesterday and I was certainly going out to win today but you never know, there are many many things that should happen in the correct way if you are going to take the victory,” said the calm, well-spoken 15-year-old.
“I didn’t sleep that well last night and I could feel it today that I was a bit tired. The sleep wasn’t that good but when I woke up I did everything as usual and was completely focused. I was a bit angry with myself for yesterday’s mistake.”
“The track was a bit cooler today, in the second sighting lap I felt a couple of slippery patches but even in the opening laps it was completely perfect and the bike was great all through the race.”
“I worked a lot this weekend, the track is new for me, I tried so hard yesterday and I learnt, I used that today. You have to take a risk to win, I risked a lot into the last corner and I won.
Maximo takes 2nd and Cup points lead
“It was a great race, a bit difficult at the beginning to overtake,” explained the 16-year-old. “Then I got into the lead and everyone seemed a bit nervous because they knew I would have a good rhythm. I opened the group a bit it was not so close.”
“The bike did feel a bit different today, there was good grip but when I really pushed the front was sliding and a little bit uncomfortable for me.”
“Then in the last lap, I didn’t know what to do, I was in front and that’s not easy. They have the reference to brake and they used that, Brian braked later than me into the last corner and won.”
“Still second place is great, points for the championship and I am happy for that, looking forward to Mugello.”
Hakim did most of the leading after style change
“I made a good start and I managed to run at the front,” the 16-year-old enthused. “Better than yesterday as in Race 1 I struggled to match the pace of the front guys. This time I changed my riding, I had my body further forward and pushed my elbow down, I was scraping it through the corners and tried to open the throttle earlier in the corners and it worked very well.”
“In the last lap I tried to lead but two people overtook me, That’s OK I tried to overtake again. Into the last corner, I almost wanted to try a pass on Maximo and Brian but I was just too far away. I already overtook another rider the turn before and that cost me a little bit, I couldn’t go for the win at the last corner.”
“Anyway, I finished P3 and I look forward to the next race in Mugello, I thank everyone who supports me here and at home.”
Valentine learning well
“It was a difficult race with so many riders in the group,” explained the 16-year-old. “In the last lap, it was crazy with so many overtakes, I just couldn’t finish more in front, to be on the podium.”
“I am happy though with P4 with good points for the championship in what was a new track for me, I think I did a good job here and I am already looking forward to Mugello.”
Alvaro takes points rather than risk
“I enjoyed this race so much,” said the 16-year-old Spaniard who holds 2nd in the points chase. “It was faster than yesterday, my KTM was working well, good on the brakes and through the corners. The lead group was very fast, not too many overtakes but a really good pace.”
“Again I am happy with the points for the championship. When it came to the last 2 laps I didn’t feel confident enough to really push the extra to make the podium this time.”
Marco Morelli worked hard for 6th
“I enjoyed that a lot, it was a fast race,” enthused the Argentine 16-year-old who had fallen off early on the first lap on Saturday. “I don’t know if I did the fastest lap but I think I did a 43 so I think that was good,” he stated and indeed he did take the fastest lap of the race and a new lap record officially at 1m 44.019s.
“I was a bit cautious in the opening lap after yesterday’s mistake. Mid-race I was in the second group and that is not good enough. With 5 laps to go you need to be up front so I had to push hard.”
“I tried, I finished P6, that’s better than yesterday when I got no points and let’s see in Mugello.”
Veda Pratama recovered from error to take 7th
“I am happy with the race and the result,” stated the 15-year-old Indonesian. “I managed to get into the front group and that is what I needed to do. Just in the last two laps I made a mistake and I lost the group and had to fight back in the last lap.”
“The result could have been better but I will learn and try to do better in Mugello.”
Rico Salmela suffers technical issue.
“In the middle of the race I started to feel that when opening the gas there wasn’t the same power and it just got less and less,” explained the 16-year-old Finn who had run at the front early on and was 2nd in Race 1.
More, from a press release issued by Kristian Daniel Jr. Racing:
RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP: KRISTIAN DANIEL JR WITH ANOTHER STRONG PERFORMANCE IN FRANCE
Kristian Daniel Jr with a top 10 finish in his first ever visit to Circuit Le Mans
American Kristian Daniel, Jr. (70) leads a group of riders at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
May 12th – Circuit Bugatti Le Mans
The picturesque Circuit Bugatti – Le Mans hosted the 2nd round of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (alongside the MotoGP event), which was young American Kristian Daniel Jr’s first visit to the French iconic track. The format of the Rookies Cup race weekends is that there are two 25 minute practice sessions held Friday, followed by 20 minute qualifying. One race is held Saturday afternoon and another race held early Sunday morning. This means that there aren’t many laps for first year Rookies like Kristian Daniel to get up to speed on new tracks, but in spite of the limited track time, the young Californian was able to end the weekend with two good results.
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in France, which had over 200,000 spectators across the whole weekend, Kristian put on quite a show! Starting the first race from 13th position, he had already made it up to 8th position within the first few corners. A rider just ahead ended up hitting a false neutral, causing Kristian to slam into the back of his bike, almost crashing and demoting him back to 15th. The young American gathered himself and was quickly on the rebound. The front 7 riders had made a gap, so his goal was to at least make it to the front of the 2nd group (10th position). After he made it to the front of the group, he and Indonesian rider Veda Pretama called a truce for a few laps, sitting in 10th and 11th, and put down a few fast laps which created a 2.1 second gap to the 12th place rider. Kristian sat patiently behind Pretama, waiting for the last corner of the last lap to make a lunge, which he did but Pretama was able to cut back and took 10th position by .0018 of a second, Kristian Daniel finishing 11th.
Race two was underway early the next morning at 8:30 AM, but that wasn’t too early for the French fans as the Grandstands were packed already! Kristian Jr started race 2 similar to race 1, where he found himself sitting in the top 8 for the first few laps. After riding at a hot pace with the front group, the excitement and anxiousness got the best of him, and with a fatigued body and mind made a few mistakes and fell back to 11th. The young LA native gave himself a few laps to calm his nerves, and set off after the 10th place rider. Closing the gap, he prepared the end of the race much like the day before, planning on making a lunge at the end of the race. Half way through the final lap, he made a strong move into 10th position, and held it until the finish line!
Starting his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookie Cup season with another top 10 shows great promise for the rest of the season! His next race is in the 2nd championship he races, called the JuniorGP European Talent Cup, and will be held May 19th in Barcelona, Spain! The next Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup will be in Italy, at the majestic Mugello circuit!
Ventura Speedway. Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) Championship
Ventura Short Track
Ventura, California
May 11, 2024
Provisional Royal Enfield BTR Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kenzie Luker (Roy), 10 laps
2. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -01.220 seconds
3. Mya Maffei (Roy), -03.083
4. Mikaela Nichols-Lionetti (Roy), -07.249
5. Hannah Lange (Roy), -10.180
6. Morgan Piller (Roy), -16.728
7. Hannah Robertson (Roy), -18.314
8. Kristiana Ross (Roy), -1 lap, -04.573
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Tom Drane (Yam), 27 laps
2. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -01.394 seconds
3. Trent Lowe (Hon), -02.105
4. Kody Kopp (KTM), -02.744
5. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -03.329
6. Evan Renshaw (Hon), -06.385
7. Tarren Santero (Hon), -07.619
8. James Ott (Hus), -07.937
9. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -08.896
10. Tyler Raggio (KTM), -11.820
11. Travis Petton (KTM), -12.102
12. Jared Lowe (Hon), -12.354
13. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -12.568
14. Cole Frederickson (Hon), -1 lap, -01.154
15. Hunter Bauer (Yam), -1 lap, -01.495
16. Justin Anselmi (Yam), -1 lap, -02.580
17. Ian Wolfe (Hon), -1 lap, -10.088
18. Olin Kissler (KTM), -1 lap, -11.188
19. Chad Cose (KTM), -2 laps
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (KTM), 42 laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -04.613 seconds
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -07.170
4. Jarod VanDerKooi (Ind), -07.812
5. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -09.251
6. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -09.978
7. Kayl Kolkman (Yam), -12.627
8. Trevor Brunner (KTM), -14.414
9. Dan Bromley (Hon), -14.979
10. Max Whale (Har), -1 lap, -00.817
11. Brandon Price (Yam), -1 lap, -02.988
12. Cameron Smith (KTM), -1 lap, -06.510
13. Ben Lowe (KTM), -1 lap, -13.576
14. Davis Fisher (Ind), -2 laps, -01.411
15. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -2 laps, -02.333
16. Sammy Halbert (Har), -10 laps, DNF
17. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -41 laps, DNF
18. Declan Bender (Ind), -41 laps, DNF
19. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -41 laps, DNF
More, from a press release issued by AFT:
Bauman Takes Ventura Short Track in Beachside Blowout
Briar Bauman (3). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 11, 2024) – Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) scored his first victory of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, with an utterly dominant performance in Saturday night’s Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California.
The two-time Grand National Champion came into the weekend seeking not just his first Mission AFT SuperTwins win of the year but his first podium of any kind. He ended that uncharacteristic drought in most convincing fashion, backing up a stirring win in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a wire-to-wire runaway in the Main Event.
Bauman’s superiority finally brought order to what had been a chaotic affair in the early going. A red flag flew moments after the initial start due to a terrifying incident that saw Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) carom off the wall and crash back into the pack that had not yet separated.
That triggered a chain reaction that also collected Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), who completed a full forward flip in the air after contacting the downed Lewis and his machine. Miraculously, all four returned to their feet with Lowe managing to return for the staggered restart.
A second red was issued just as quickly following a spill by hometown hero Kayl Kolkman (No. 98 Yamaha MT-07), who would also return for the subsequent restart.
A third red flag was narrowly avoided when Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) bounced back up from a crash and immediately remounted, allowing the race to continue and at last find its rhythm.
And the beat it drummed up was a victory march for Bauman, who was never challenged on his way to a 4.613-second margin of victory.
Bauman, who lapped his way inside the top ten, said, “First and foremost, I can’t thank Shayna (Texter-Bauman) and Kenny Coolbeth enough, along with everyone else with Rick Ware Racing. We could write a novel about what’s gone on this season. We had quite the offseason, let me tell you. This might have been a bigger change for me, going to a new group of guys, than it was going from an Indian to a KTM last year. It was so big. I kept telling myself all week long that no one understands how long I’ve been waiting on this, and my team deserves it more than I do.”
The only rider who could even pretend to keep Bauman in sight on this evening was title hopeful Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT). The Estenson Racing pilot actually started his push from fifth, slicing underneath Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750), and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) before putting himself in a position to make an honest try at reeling in Bauman.
After that challenge proved insurmountable, Daniels had to be content to solidify his grip on second while Vanderkooi, Mees, and Robinson disputed the final spot on the box behind.
Reigning champ Mees raced his way to that honor as he so often does, with Vanderkooi and Robinson completing the top five.
Sixth and seventh went to twin chargers Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) and Kolkman, who battled their way up from 15th and 16th, respectively.
Meanwhile, rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R) finished eighth and tenth, with Honda-mounted Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp) splitting the two up by claiming the new machine’s second top ten in ninth.
Daniels now leads the Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight by two points over Robinson (103-101) with Mees third at 93 and Bauman closing to within striking distance at 84.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) secured his second victory of the ‘24 season in an action-packed Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event that saw the tables turned more than once.
Polesitter, points leader, and double defending champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) was immediately shuffled back to fifth off the line while Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) jumped at the opportunity to potentially run away with a second career victory after finally earning his maiden win last time out in Texas.
While Saathoff built up an early second-plus advantage at the front, Drane, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Kopp, and Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450 SX-F) formed a big second group, each one trying to find a way to respond to the leader’s immediate pace.
Gauthier was the first to find it, slowly closing the gap to first, taking back approximately a tenth each time around the tight circuit. But by the time he found his way onto the Honda pilot’s rear wheel, he found himself under assault by a charging Drane.
Gauthier was unable to provide much resistance, giving way to the Australian ace in short order, a fate Saathoff would suffer himself moments later with Drane slamming through to grab the lead.
Saathoff attempted to counter but Drane rebuffed the attempt and then proceeded to make his escape; the Yamaha runner ultimately worked up a 1.394-second margin by the time he took the checkered flag.
“At the start of the race, I had to really work hard and figure a few things out,” Drane said. “Toward the end I started finding some lines that really worked. (Once in front) I wasn’t letting (Saathoff) him back through. I was making sure I was making that move happen. I can’t thank my whole team enough. We had that bike dialed from the start of the day. We continued to chip away at it and got it better and better. The team put in a really big effort and we’re here now.”
While Drane cleared off, Gauthier jumped on Saathoff and promptly created his own separation on the way to second. Lowe and Kopp piled on from there with the Turner Honda rider stealing away the final spot on the box and Rick Ware Racing star pushing his title rival down to the fifth in the final order.
As a result, Kopp continues to lead the championship chase, now by 14 points over Drane (108-94) with Saathoff now far behind in third (90).
For those who can’t catch the action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of the the weekend’s on-track action, from the first practice to the victory podium, at https://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).
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