Sasaki bounces back for stunning pole as Masia starts P13
Qualifying at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix went the way of Championship hopeful Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) as the Japanese rider grabbed the honours from home hero Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP). The home hero made it onto the front row with his home crowd cheering him on, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) in third. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) will start from down in P13, with challenger Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) only two places further ahead on the grid.
Winner last time out, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) missed out on the front row by 0.105s as he’s set to head Row 2 ahead of Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) fronts Row 3 in seventh place as he’s joined by David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), who also crashed in Q2, rider ok, and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing). Replacement rider Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) rounds out the top 10 ahead of Holgado, with Masia in P13.
The Moto3™ riders’ attention now turns to the race on Sunday, make sure not to miss any of the action as it commences at the earlier time of 10:00 local time (GMT +11).
Jorge Martin earned pole position during MotoGP World Championship qualifying Saturday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, the Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile (4.5 km) course in 1:27.246, shattering his own All-Time Lap Record of 1:27.767 set in 2022.
Brad Binder was the best of the rest with a 1:27.662 on his Red Bull KTM RC16, and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia advanced from Qualifying One (Q1) to post the third-fastest time, a 1:27.714, on his Lenovo Ducati in Qualifying Two (Q2).
Martin, Binder, Bagnaia: qualifying sets the scene for an Island classic
Binder splits the top two in the Championship, with Bagnaia making it through Q1 but Martin unstoppable in Q2 with a searing new lap record
Jorge Martin (89). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 21 October 2023
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) remained eye-wateringly fast at Phillip Island to take a lap record pole on Saturday morning, with the title challenger in a prime position and over four tenths clear as he looks to grab back that Championship lead both found and lost in Indonesia. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), fastest on Friday, takes second on the grid with some ominous speed, with Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the front row after a successful and impressive rescue mission coming through Q1.
Q1
After the first runs it was Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) leading the way ahead of Bagnaia, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) just a single thousandth off the number 93’s time in a close, close contest.
On the second time of asking, Bagnaia’s first hot lap saw him take over on top by 0.275. But the red sectors kept coming, from both the reigning Champion and the eight-time Champion looking to move through with him. In the final seconds the two flew across the line and Bagnaia improved his own fastest lap to stay top, with Marc Marquez moving up to second and heading through to Q2 – just 0.077 off the Ducati.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) also made a late charge and was just another 0.010 back, pipping Augusto Fernandez to P13 on the grid but neither quite making it out of Q1.
Q2
The first runs saw a familiar name take over on top: Martin. The number 89 was nearly a quarter of a second clear of Binder, with Bagnaia bouncing back early to a provisional front row.
On attack two, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was tucked in behind Martin, and Marc Marquez was tucked in behind Bagnaia – including for a trip through the run off to rejoin. But once the gas was open, the red sectors began to come in.
Martin’s lap was a stunner and a new lap record, seeing him hammer that advantage home on provisional pole by over four tenths. Aleix Espargaro moved up into second and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) into third, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also edging out his teammate initially.
The next attack from Binder saw him hit back and nab second though, and Bagnaia then slotted in just behind the South African to get back on the provisional front row. That’s how it stayed, with no one else able to challenge and a tantalising trio ready to head the grid for our Saturday Grand Prix race.
THE GRID
Behind Martin, Binder and Bagnaia as the KTM gets ready to stir it up for the top two in the title fight, Aleix Espargaro heads Row 2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) takes P5 to pip Diggia late on.
Marc Marquez heads Row 3 ahead of home hero Miller, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) in P9 after improving late on but proving unable to quite make those first two rows. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is down in P10 ahead of Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) having a tougher session in P12.
The top two contenders on the front row split by a Red Bull KTM ready to pay their battle no heed promises much as the lights go out Down Under. So make sure to tune in for a SUPER Saturday:
Join us for the GRAND PRIX RACE at 15:10 (GMT +11)!
Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, the newly crowned 2023 FIM Endurance World Champions, rode their Bridgestone-shod YART Yamaha YZF-R6 to the overall victory in the ASRA Team Challenge Friday at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
After riding on the 3.51-mile infield road course for the first time on Friday morning, Fritz started the race and moved YART Yamaha up from seventh on the grid to third. Fritz then pitted at the end of lap 19 for fuel, a new Medium-compound rear Bridgestone slick, and to hand off to Hanika.
With no quick-change wheels or quick-fill fuel tank on their borrowed YZF-R6, YART Yamaha’s pit stop was much longer than they were used to, and they slipped back to seventh. Then just past the halfway point of the race, a red flag stopped the race temporarily.
Matt Truelove was fourth and moving forward through the field on his new Truelove Brothers Racing Suzuki GSX-R750 Next-Generation Supersport machine when his rear Pirelli lost a huge section of its tread and threw him down while running through NASCAR Turn Four at an estimated 155 mph.
The rear Pirelli on Matt Truelove’s crashed Suzuki GSX-R750 as seen in the paddock at Daytona International Speedway.
Truelove was battered and bruised but was expected to make a full recovery, according to his brother Harry Truelove.
After a 30-minute stoppage, the two-hour race was restarted.
Hanika took the restart on the YART Yamaha and raced for the overall lead with Max Angles on his Dunlop-backed Kawasaki ZX-6R and MotoAmerica Stock 1000 podium finisher Diego Garcia on his Bridgestone-equipped BPM Yamaha YZF-R6. But Garcia said he made two mistakes that relegated him to third and left Hanika and Angles to duel for the victory.
Hanika led the race at the start/finish for the last 10 laps and then played the infamous Daytona drafting game perfectly to overtake Angles on the final lap and win the race.
“All the guys told me to be careful about this, to make the tactics,” Hanika told Roadracingworld.com. “Also, I watched last year’s race. So, I tried to understand how it works. We knew we were losing a little bit [off] the corners with the power, so I had to take a bigger gap to be able to draft him at the end. Actually, I was closing the throttle all the way in the banking corner to pass him in the last part of the track at the finish line. It went pretty well. It was good experience for the Daytona 200. I just want to be here in the same place [Victory Lane] in six months.”
Angles had to settle for second place, 0.109 second behind YART Yamaha. BPM’s Garcia held on to take third.
ASRA Team Challenge
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
October 20, 2023
Provisional Overall Race Results:
YART Yamaha (Marvin Fritz/Karel Hanika), Yam YZF-R6, Bridgestone, 42 laps
Max Angles (Max Angles), Kaw ZX-6R, Dunlop, -0.109 second
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team’s Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, the newly crowned 2023 FIM Endurance World Champions, are at the ASRA Race of Champions this weekend at Daytona International Speedway preparing for an all-out assault on the 2024 Daytona 200.
“This year in March we went testing, and in the evening at dinner we were watching the Daytona 200,” Fritz exclusively told Roadracingworld.com in the paddock on Friday. “Then we stood up and said to Mandy [Kainz, Team Manager], ‘Mandy, if we win the World Championship, we will do Daytona?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, of course we will do it.’
“He didn’t believe we would win the World Championship, and now we are here. It’s an amazing present from the team, and we are grateful for this. It’s always been a dream to come here and do this special race, and even better to come here and have a test before to know the track, the tires, and the bike. I haven’t ridden for 10 years on an R6, so it’s new for me again.”
On Friday, Fritz and Hanika are sharing a Bridgestone-shod Next-Generation-spec Yamaha YZF-R6 built by N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto and supplied by GiaccMoto’s Chuck Giacchetto, who will prepare three Yamahas for the team’s Daytona 200 project.
“It’s nice to come here with this big grandstand and this amazing place. It’s beautiful,” continued Fritz. “I just did three laps. It’s very nice, especially the banking. It’s unbelievable. It’s a long time flat out, especially with the R6, and playing with the slipstream. It’s amazing. I can’t wait for the race.”
Fritz and Hanika will participate in Friday’s ASRA Team Challenge two-hour endurance race, but their Yamaha is not equipped with quick wheel change hardware or a quick-fill fuel tank, so the race will be treated as a test, said Fritz.
Fritz said he and Hanika will be joined at the Daytona 200 by their teammate Niccolo Canepa, who could not make this test due to a prior commitment.
Binder beats Miller to top honours as Bagnaia faces Q1
The KTM duo topped the timesheets in Practice with Bagnaia in the danger zone once again
Brad Binder (33). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing enjoyed a perfect start to their weekend at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Brad Binder topped the Practice timesheets with a 1:27.943 to lead second place and home hero Jack Miller on a Friday that saw more title drama unfold. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) claimed a solid P3 as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – the chaser – safely negotiated his way into Q2, but Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – the leader – faces Q1 for the second weekend in a row.
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Dorna.
A fast and furious end to Practice
The importance of Friday afternoon’s hour-long session was as evident as ever and as usual, the soft-rear tyre time attacks began to flood in with around 15 minutes of play left of the clock.
The Aprilia Racing duo of Viñales and Aleix Espargaro sprung to the summit but that would change quickly with the likes of Martin and his teammate Johann Zarco leading the Ducati charge.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
However, it was soon KTM’s turn to lead the pack as Binder set a glorious sub-1:28 lap – the only one of the day – to lead Australia’s Miller in P1 and P2. Attention then turned to Bagnaia – who had Martin and the Repsol Honda Team machines of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir for company – in the closing seconds as the Italian needed to find a decent chunk of time. He found some, but not enough to propel the #1 into the all-important top 10.
Advantage Martin ahead of a super, super Saturday
Martin may have suffered a devastating blow to his title chances last weekend, but he’s bounced back well so far at Phillip Island – the #89 sits P4 at the end of Day 1, one place ahead of an upbeat Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) in P5.
Francesco Bagnaia (1) and Jorge Martin (89). Photo courtesy Dorna.
A tired but fast Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) heads into qualifying in P6 and keeping the Italian company inside the top 10 are Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Aleix Espargaro and Zarco.
More Friday woes for the reigning Champion
As mentioned, Bagnaia finds himself in Q1 again. The Italian finished 0.182s adrift of the top 10 in P11, as we get set for another fascinating first qualifying session to take place at the phenomenal Phillip Island circuit.
With the announced schedule change, Saturday on the Island is massive. Qualifying starts at 10:50 local time (GMT+11), before the main Grand Prix race kicks off at 15:10. A huge day awaits in the title chase so TUNE IN.
SHOWTIME
The stage is set for Qualifying and the GRAND PRIX RACE! Make sure you tune in and check out the new schedule. More on the re-shuffle can be found below.
Schedule changes announced for MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
Due to inclement weather forecast for Sunday the 22nd of October, the schedule for the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has been updated. This decision has been taken proactively in order to guarantee the best and safest possible show for all competitors and fans attending Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend.
The MotoGP™ Grand Prix race will now take place on Saturday the 21st of October at 15:10 local time (GMT +11).
The Tissot Sprint is now scheduled to begin at 14:00 on Sunday the 22nd of October, weather permitting.
Fridays don’t get much better than that for Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) as the Spaniard dominated Moto2™’s Day 1 proceedings at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The #54 set an impressive 1:32.548 to finish 0.138s clear of second place Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) on the combined timesheets, as both the latter and Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), third overall, suffered late crashes at Turn 4.
After a fearless pair of geese put a brief halt to Moto2™ Practice 2 on a fine Phillip Island afternoon, most of the fast lap action came towards the end of the second session. Acosta’s small tumble came inside the final five minutes at Miller Corner as the title-hunting Spaniard went in search of a personal best time, and a couple of minutes later, Canet suffered the same fate. Both riders were perfectly okay.
In the end though, Aldeguer remained unchallenged as the top three head into Saturday’s action 0.455s apart. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) is P4 after the opening day in Australia, the Briton just over half a second shy of Aldeguer’s pace, with Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) fifth.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) are inside the top 10, while Izan Guevara (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team’s Bo Bendsneyder currently occupy provisional Q2 spots in the top 14.
Moto2™ will be back in action on Saturday for Practice 3 at 9:25 and qualifying at 13:45 local (GMT +11).
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) dominated Day 1 of Moto3™ action at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The Spaniard looked strong from start to finish but it was his 1:36.791, set in the closing stages of Practice 2, that saw him finish on top. However, the number 44 was also found to have caused a crash in the same session… gaining him a double Long Lap as it’s his second offence of the season.
Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) was looking very strong as he took P2, and was the only other rider in the 1:36 club. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) comes into the Australian GP gleaming with confidence following his debut win last time out, and the Brazilian was another who looked strong from the off, finishing the day in P3.
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) had another strong showing as he slotted into P4 on Friay, ahead of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who rounded out the top five. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) suffered from some technical gremlins during the second Practice session which saw him lose valuable track time, but he still managed to get a lap time on the board as he took P6.
Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) recovered from an early crash to take P7 ahead of home hero Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) who led the way for a lot of the P2 session but dropped down to P8 after the late time attacks came in. Joshua Whatley (VisionTrack Racing Team) took well to the Australian circuit as he bagged an impressive ninth place ahead of Championship challenger Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who rounded out the top 10.
Tune in for more Moto3™ action on Saturday, with Practice 3 at 8:40 and qualifying at from 12:50 (GMT +11)!
Title contender Jorge Martin topped MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Philip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Spaniard covered the 2.6-mile (4.5 km) course in 1:29.039 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Augusto Fernandez was second-best with a 1:29.759 on his GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 machine, and Maverick Vinales was third-fastest with a 1:29.777 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP.
Fermin Aldeguer was fastest in Moto2 World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday morning at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro, the Spaniard navigated the 2.6-mile (4.5 km) track in 1:32.794.
American Joe Roberts was fourth in the session with a lap time of 1:33.572 on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
David Munoz was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his BOE Motorsports KTM, the Spaniard lapped the 2.8-mile (4.5 km) track in 1:37.638 to lead the field of 28 riders.
Sasaki bounces back for stunning pole as Masia starts P13
Qualifying at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix went the way of Championship hopeful Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) as the Japanese rider grabbed the honours from home hero Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP). The home hero made it onto the front row with his home crowd cheering him on, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) in third. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) will start from down in P13, with challenger Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) only two places further ahead on the grid.
Winner last time out, Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) missed out on the front row by 0.105s as he’s set to head Row 2 ahead of Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP). Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) fronts Row 3 in seventh place as he’s joined by David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), who also crashed in Q2, rider ok, and Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing). Replacement rider Vicente Perez (BOE Motorsports) rounds out the top 10 ahead of Holgado, with Masia in P13.
The Moto3™ riders’ attention now turns to the race on Sunday, make sure not to miss any of the action as it commences at the earlier time of 10:00 local time (GMT +11).
Jorge Martin earned pole position during MotoGP World Championship qualifying Saturday at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati, the Spaniard lapped the 2.6-mile (4.5 km) course in 1:27.246, shattering his own All-Time Lap Record of 1:27.767 set in 2022.
Brad Binder was the best of the rest with a 1:27.662 on his Red Bull KTM RC16, and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia advanced from Qualifying One (Q1) to post the third-fastest time, a 1:27.714, on his Lenovo Ducati in Qualifying Two (Q2).
Martin, Binder, Bagnaia: qualifying sets the scene for an Island classic
Binder splits the top two in the Championship, with Bagnaia making it through Q1 but Martin unstoppable in Q2 with a searing new lap record
Jorge Martin (89). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 21 October 2023
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) remained eye-wateringly fast at Phillip Island to take a lap record pole on Saturday morning, with the title challenger in a prime position and over four tenths clear as he looks to grab back that Championship lead both found and lost in Indonesia. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), fastest on Friday, takes second on the grid with some ominous speed, with Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the front row after a successful and impressive rescue mission coming through Q1.
Q1
After the first runs it was Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) leading the way ahead of Bagnaia, with Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) just a single thousandth off the number 93’s time in a close, close contest.
On the second time of asking, Bagnaia’s first hot lap saw him take over on top by 0.275. But the red sectors kept coming, from both the reigning Champion and the eight-time Champion looking to move through with him. In the final seconds the two flew across the line and Bagnaia improved his own fastest lap to stay top, with Marc Marquez moving up to second and heading through to Q2 – just 0.077 off the Ducati.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) also made a late charge and was just another 0.010 back, pipping Augusto Fernandez to P13 on the grid but neither quite making it out of Q1.
Q2
The first runs saw a familiar name take over on top: Martin. The number 89 was nearly a quarter of a second clear of Binder, with Bagnaia bouncing back early to a provisional front row.
On attack two, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was tucked in behind Martin, and Marc Marquez was tucked in behind Bagnaia – including for a trip through the run off to rejoin. But once the gas was open, the red sectors began to come in.
Martin’s lap was a stunner and a new lap record, seeing him hammer that advantage home on provisional pole by over four tenths. Aleix Espargaro moved up into second and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) into third, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) also edging out his teammate initially.
The next attack from Binder saw him hit back and nab second though, and Bagnaia then slotted in just behind the South African to get back on the provisional front row. That’s how it stayed, with no one else able to challenge and a tantalising trio ready to head the grid for our Saturday Grand Prix race.
THE GRID
Behind Martin, Binder and Bagnaia as the KTM gets ready to stir it up for the top two in the title fight, Aleix Espargaro heads Row 2. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) takes P5 to pip Diggia late on.
Marc Marquez heads Row 3 ahead of home hero Miller, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) in P9 after improving late on but proving unable to quite make those first two rows. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) is down in P10 ahead of Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3), with Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) having a tougher session in P12.
The top two contenders on the front row split by a Red Bull KTM ready to pay their battle no heed promises much as the lights go out Down Under. So make sure to tune in for a SUPER Saturday:
Join us for the GRAND PRIX RACE at 15:10 (GMT +11)!
YART Yamaha's Marvin Fritz (second from left) and Karel Hanika (second from right), runner-up Max Angles (far left), and third-place finisher Diego Garcia (far right) in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by David Swarts.
Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, the newly crowned 2023 FIM Endurance World Champions, rode their Bridgestone-shod YART Yamaha YZF-R6 to the overall victory in the ASRA Team Challenge Friday at Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
After riding on the 3.51-mile infield road course for the first time on Friday morning, Fritz started the race and moved YART Yamaha up from seventh on the grid to third. Fritz then pitted at the end of lap 19 for fuel, a new Medium-compound rear Bridgestone slick, and to hand off to Hanika.
With no quick-change wheels or quick-fill fuel tank on their borrowed YZF-R6, YART Yamaha’s pit stop was much longer than they were used to, and they slipped back to seventh. Then just past the halfway point of the race, a red flag stopped the race temporarily.
Matt Truelove was fourth and moving forward through the field on his new Truelove Brothers Racing Suzuki GSX-R750 Next-Generation Supersport machine when his rear Pirelli lost a huge section of its tread and threw him down while running through NASCAR Turn Four at an estimated 155 mph.
The rear Pirelli on Matt Truelove’s crashed Suzuki GSX-R750 as seen in the paddock at Daytona International Speedway.
Truelove was battered and bruised but was expected to make a full recovery, according to his brother Harry Truelove.
After a 30-minute stoppage, the two-hour race was restarted.
Hanika took the restart on the YART Yamaha and raced for the overall lead with Max Angles on his Dunlop-backed Kawasaki ZX-6R and MotoAmerica Stock 1000 podium finisher Diego Garcia on his Bridgestone-equipped BPM Yamaha YZF-R6. But Garcia said he made two mistakes that relegated him to third and left Hanika and Angles to duel for the victory.
Hanika led the race at the start/finish for the last 10 laps and then played the infamous Daytona drafting game perfectly to overtake Angles on the final lap and win the race.
“All the guys told me to be careful about this, to make the tactics,” Hanika told Roadracingworld.com. “Also, I watched last year’s race. So, I tried to understand how it works. We knew we were losing a little bit [off] the corners with the power, so I had to take a bigger gap to be able to draft him at the end. Actually, I was closing the throttle all the way in the banking corner to pass him in the last part of the track at the finish line. It went pretty well. It was good experience for the Daytona 200. I just want to be here in the same place [Victory Lane] in six months.”
Angles had to settle for second place, 0.109 second behind YART Yamaha. BPM’s Garcia held on to take third.
ASRA Team Challenge
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
October 20, 2023
Provisional Overall Race Results:
YART Yamaha (Marvin Fritz/Karel Hanika), Yam YZF-R6, Bridgestone, 42 laps
Max Angles (Max Angles), Kaw ZX-6R, Dunlop, -0.109 second
YART Yamaha's newly crowned FIM Endurance World Champions Karel Hanika (seated far left) and Marvin Fritz (seated second from left) are at Daytona International Speedway testing ahead of an assault on the 2024 Daytona 200. Photo by David Swarts.
YART Yamaha Official EWC Team’s Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, the newly crowned 2023 FIM Endurance World Champions, are at the ASRA Race of Champions this weekend at Daytona International Speedway preparing for an all-out assault on the 2024 Daytona 200.
“This year in March we went testing, and in the evening at dinner we were watching the Daytona 200,” Fritz exclusively told Roadracingworld.com in the paddock on Friday. “Then we stood up and said to Mandy [Kainz, Team Manager], ‘Mandy, if we win the World Championship, we will do Daytona?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, of course we will do it.’
“He didn’t believe we would win the World Championship, and now we are here. It’s an amazing present from the team, and we are grateful for this. It’s always been a dream to come here and do this special race, and even better to come here and have a test before to know the track, the tires, and the bike. I haven’t ridden for 10 years on an R6, so it’s new for me again.”
On Friday, Fritz and Hanika are sharing a Bridgestone-shod Next-Generation-spec Yamaha YZF-R6 built by N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto and supplied by GiaccMoto’s Chuck Giacchetto, who will prepare three Yamahas for the team’s Daytona 200 project.
“It’s nice to come here with this big grandstand and this amazing place. It’s beautiful,” continued Fritz. “I just did three laps. It’s very nice, especially the banking. It’s unbelievable. It’s a long time flat out, especially with the R6, and playing with the slipstream. It’s amazing. I can’t wait for the race.”
Fritz and Hanika will participate in Friday’s ASRA Team Challenge two-hour endurance race, but their Yamaha is not equipped with quick wheel change hardware or a quick-fill fuel tank, so the race will be treated as a test, said Fritz.
Fritz said he and Hanika will be joined at the Daytona 200 by their teammate Niccolo Canepa, who could not make this test due to a prior commitment.
Binder beats Miller to top honours as Bagnaia faces Q1
The KTM duo topped the timesheets in Practice with Bagnaia in the danger zone once again
Brad Binder (33). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing enjoyed a perfect start to their weekend at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Brad Binder topped the Practice timesheets with a 1:27.943 to lead second place and home hero Jack Miller on a Friday that saw more title drama unfold. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) claimed a solid P3 as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – the chaser – safely negotiated his way into Q2, but Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – the leader – faces Q1 for the second weekend in a row.
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Dorna.
A fast and furious end to Practice
The importance of Friday afternoon’s hour-long session was as evident as ever and as usual, the soft-rear tyre time attacks began to flood in with around 15 minutes of play left of the clock.
The Aprilia Racing duo of Viñales and Aleix Espargaro sprung to the summit but that would change quickly with the likes of Martin and his teammate Johann Zarco leading the Ducati charge.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
However, it was soon KTM’s turn to lead the pack as Binder set a glorious sub-1:28 lap – the only one of the day – to lead Australia’s Miller in P1 and P2. Attention then turned to Bagnaia – who had Martin and the Repsol Honda Team machines of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir for company – in the closing seconds as the Italian needed to find a decent chunk of time. He found some, but not enough to propel the #1 into the all-important top 10.
Advantage Martin ahead of a super, super Saturday
Martin may have suffered a devastating blow to his title chances last weekend, but he’s bounced back well so far at Phillip Island – the #89 sits P4 at the end of Day 1, one place ahead of an upbeat Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) in P5.
Francesco Bagnaia (1) and Jorge Martin (89). Photo courtesy Dorna.
A tired but fast Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) heads into qualifying in P6 and keeping the Italian company inside the top 10 are Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Aleix Espargaro and Zarco.
More Friday woes for the reigning Champion
As mentioned, Bagnaia finds himself in Q1 again. The Italian finished 0.182s adrift of the top 10 in P11, as we get set for another fascinating first qualifying session to take place at the phenomenal Phillip Island circuit.
With the announced schedule change, Saturday on the Island is massive. Qualifying starts at 10:50 local time (GMT+11), before the main Grand Prix race kicks off at 15:10. A huge day awaits in the title chase so TUNE IN.
SHOWTIME
The stage is set for Qualifying and the GRAND PRIX RACE! Make sure you tune in and check out the new schedule. More on the re-shuffle can be found below.
Schedule changes announced for MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
Due to inclement weather forecast for Sunday the 22nd of October, the schedule for the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix has been updated. This decision has been taken proactively in order to guarantee the best and safest possible show for all competitors and fans attending Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit this weekend.
The MotoGP™ Grand Prix race will now take place on Saturday the 21st of October at 15:10 local time (GMT +11).
The Tissot Sprint is now scheduled to begin at 14:00 on Sunday the 22nd of October, weather permitting.
Fridays don’t get much better than that for Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) as the Spaniard dominated Moto2™’s Day 1 proceedings at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The #54 set an impressive 1:32.548 to finish 0.138s clear of second place Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) on the combined timesheets, as both the latter and Championship leader Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), third overall, suffered late crashes at Turn 4.
After a fearless pair of geese put a brief halt to Moto2™ Practice 2 on a fine Phillip Island afternoon, most of the fast lap action came towards the end of the second session. Acosta’s small tumble came inside the final five minutes at Miller Corner as the title-hunting Spaniard went in search of a personal best time, and a couple of minutes later, Canet suffered the same fate. Both riders were perfectly okay.
In the end though, Aldeguer remained unchallenged as the top three head into Saturday’s action 0.455s apart. Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) is P4 after the opening day in Australia, the Briton just over half a second shy of Aldeguer’s pace, with Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) fifth.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40), Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) and Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) are inside the top 10, while Izan Guevara (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team’s Bo Bendsneyder currently occupy provisional Q2 spots in the top 14.
Moto2™ will be back in action on Saturday for Practice 3 at 9:25 and qualifying at 13:45 local (GMT +11).
David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) dominated Day 1 of Moto3™ action at the MotoGP™ Guru by Gryfyn Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The Spaniard looked strong from start to finish but it was his 1:36.791, set in the closing stages of Practice 2, that saw him finish on top. However, the number 44 was also found to have caused a crash in the same session… gaining him a double Long Lap as it’s his second offence of the season.
Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) was looking very strong as he took P2, and was the only other rider in the 1:36 club. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) comes into the Australian GP gleaming with confidence following his debut win last time out, and the Brazilian was another who looked strong from the off, finishing the day in P3.
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) had another strong showing as he slotted into P4 on Friay, ahead of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) who rounded out the top five. Championship leader Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) suffered from some technical gremlins during the second Practice session which saw him lose valuable track time, but he still managed to get a lap time on the board as he took P6.
Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) recovered from an early crash to take P7 ahead of home hero Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) who led the way for a lot of the P2 session but dropped down to P8 after the late time attacks came in. Joshua Whatley (VisionTrack Racing Team) took well to the Australian circuit as he bagged an impressive ninth place ahead of Championship challenger Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), who rounded out the top 10.
Tune in for more Moto3™ action on Saturday, with Practice 3 at 8:40 and qualifying at from 12:50 (GMT +11)!
Title contender Jorge Martin topped MotoGP World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Philip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Spaniard covered the 2.6-mile (4.5 km) course in 1:29.039 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Augusto Fernandez was second-best with a 1:29.759 on his GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 machine, and Maverick Vinales was third-fastest with a 1:29.777 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP.
Joe Roberts (16). Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing.
Fermin Aldeguer was fastest in Moto2 World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday morning at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro, the Spaniard navigated the 2.6-mile (4.5 km) track in 1:32.794.
American Joe Roberts was fourth in the session with a lap time of 1:33.572 on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
David Munoz was quickest during Moto3 World Championship Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his BOE Motorsports KTM, the Spaniard lapped the 2.8-mile (4.5 km) track in 1:37.638 to lead the field of 28 riders.
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