O Canada: Shannonville Motorsports Park To Host MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers
Two MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers Will Be Held In Canada, June 13-14 and July 4-5
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is pleased to announce that MiniSBK Canada will host two MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers at Shannonville Motorsports Park in Shannonville, Ontario, Canada.
The two races will be held in conjunction with rounds three and four of the MiniSBK series on June 13-14 and July 4-5, respectively.
Billed as the “Birthplace of Champions Since 1974,” Shannonville Motorsports Park is world famous and hosts a round of the Canadian Superbike Championship.
MiniSBK Canada is run by former AMA Pro Superbike racer Toni Sharpless, who was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011. In 1987, Sharpless became one of the few women to qualify for and finish the Daytona 200.
The two Qualifiers will provide young local racers with the opportunity to qualify for the Mission Mini Cup National Final, which will once again be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 8-10.
Qualifiers at the two MiniSBK events will be held for all six classes: Stock 50 (ages 6-8), Stock 110 (ages 8-12), GP 110 (ages 8-12), GP 160 (ages 10-14), GP 190 (ages 10-14) and Street GP (ages 14 and up).
“MotoAmerica is thrilled to be working with MiniSBK to bring two of our Mini Cup Qualifiers to Canada,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “I guess you could say we’re going international, which is impressive considering this is just our second year of the Qualifiers and National Final. Canada has always produced top-level racers, some of whom have won AMA championships, and we’re sure there will be some fast kids who make it down for our National Final at Road America.”
“I was surprised and honored to receive the call from Wayne Rainey and Chuck Aksland, two individuals I remember from my racing days in the 1980s,” said MiniSBK’s CEO Toni Sharpless. “When they asked if our MiniSBK Championship series would be interested in joining the MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifier series, it took me less than a minute to consider and say ‘Yes.’ This connection further expands the opportunities we provide for Canadian youth in the sport. We are happy and proud to be part of another big step toward grassroots development in road racing.”
For more information about the MotoAmerica Mini Cup series or club participation in the series, visit motoamerica.com .
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
Texas Mini Cup is thrilled to announce its 2025 MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifier Race Series, hosted at KartMoto, the premier karting facility located at 9012 Performance Ct, Cresson, Texas. This year’s 3 round series will not only serve as an important stepping stone for young racers looking to compete at the national level, but it will also introduce 400cc Superstock and 450cc Supermoto classes, as well as additional support classes, expanding competition opportunities for riders of all ages and skill levels.
Race dates are April 26, June 14, and July 12. All races are held on Saturday, with an open practice day hosted by the facility on Friday. A new racer school will be offered on Friday. All three events will provide young racers the opportunity to qualify for the Mission Mini Cup National Final to be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 8-10. Qualifiers will be held for all six classes: Stock 50 (ages 6-8), Stock 110 (ages 8-12), GP110 (ages 10-14), GP 160 (ages 10-14), GP 190 (ages 12-16), and Street GP (ages 12 and up).
The series is generously supported by Dunlop, who is also providing tire contingency. Additional contingency is provided by Continental and Pirelli.
Ohvale USA, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha will be supplying manufacturers’ contingency for the series. Ohvale motorcycles will be available for rent from Eleven Motorsports. Information for contingency and rentals will be on the Texas Mini Cup website.
Online registration is now open through Alpha Timing and Registration, making it easy for racers to secure their spot on the grid! Register now here:
Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the action-packed Texas Mini Cup season! For more details on race dates, classes, registration, and sponsorship opportunities, visit our website:
About Texas Mini Cup
Texas Mini Cup is an AMA-sanctioned mini moto racing series designed to develop the next generation of motorcycle road racing talent. With a focus on safety, competition, and progression, the series offers young riders a structured pathway to MotoAmerica while competing at a premier racing venue.
MARIETTA, Ga. – March 19, 2025 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is excited to announce Estenson Racing as the official Yamaha BLU CRU MotoAmerica Talent Cup team for the 2025 inaugural season. This expanded partnership with Estenson Racing – also Yamaha’s official American Flat Track team – will see the successful program campaign for top honors with up-and-coming racer Sam Drane in the exciting new championship that is designed to provide a stepping stone to higher levels of road-racing competition.
From its early beginnings in 2018, Estenson Racing has enjoyed a lot of success with Yamaha in the American Flat Track series. In addition to three AFT Singles titles, the team rose to being a serious title contender in the premier SuperTwins class. Alongside technical development in the sport of dirt track racing, the team has also worked to bring up-and-coming talent through the ranks, starting with Dallas Daniels, who after concluding a successful amateur career with both Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Awards for Flat Track and Road Racing, went on to earn back to back AFT Singles titles with the team and contend for the SuperTwins crown since his debut in the premier class.
On the heels of three 85cc AMA Flat Track Grand National titles in 2022 and being named AMA Youth Rider of the Year, Sam Drane was signed to Estenson Racing’s rider development program in 2023. Joining his brother Tom, who heads the team’s efforts in the AFT Singles Championship, Sam has added more amateur titles to his resume, including three AMA Flat Track Grand National Championships aboard the YZ250F. The 14-year-old Australian – who has already demonstrated road racing aptitude riding the Yamaha R3 to victory at Philip Island in the Australian Supersport 300 class – now sets his sights on taking top honors in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup aboard the Yamaha BLU CRU branded Kramer APX-350 MA Moto 3 machine.
Beginning in 2013 as an initiative designed to reward racers and support Yamaha’s YZ contingency program, BLU CRU evolved into a broader customer loyalty program and a global initiative with international collaborations, training camps, and events designed for every rider. It is also the foundation of Yamaha’s talent development program, which is designed to cultivate the next generation of talent in both road and off-road racing and to help pave the way to success in their respective premier class championships, reaching the highest levels in the SuperMotocross World Championship and MotoGP.
New for 2025 is the MotoAmerica Talent Cup. Part of the “Road to MotoGP,” which is the collective name for global competitions and programs for young riders around the world that MotoGP supports, the seven-round, 14-race championship is designed to be a stepping stone to higher levels of road racing competition. All riders compete on the same machinery, highlighting rider skill and talent. Participants will also receive coaching and support from former racers and technical staff to help build their skills, race craft, and understanding of the sport. ln addition to competing for the national title, up to five of the top-ranked riders in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup will get invited to participate in the RedBull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.
The MotoAmerica Talent Cup begins its debut season on the world stage, with the opening round being held in conjunction with MotoGP at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on March 28-30.
Jeff Sidlovsky – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“We are pleased to announce our expanded partnership with Estenson Racing to lead our efforts in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup. Together, we have already achieved a lot of success in American Flat Track, and we look forward to continuing that success in this new MotoAmerica class championship. We are also proud to be a part of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup as it is a series designed to nurture young riders and provide a more direct path to higher levels of racing, and meshes well with our BLU CRU initiatives to foster racing.”
Tommy Hayden – Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing Team Manager
“Sam has been a part of our amateur program for the past couple of years. With his brother Tom racing for the team in AFT Singles, he’s been around the shop and trains with the team during the week, so we’ve been working with him and have gotten to know him well. He has an interest in road racing, and the MotoAmerica Talent Cup seemed like a cool class and opportunity for a young up-and-coming rider like Sam. The new series was something that Yamaha was excited about as well, and it all came together. We’re really looking forward to getting the season started at COTA.”
Sam Drane – Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing #59
“I’m really excited to be racing the MotoAmerica Talent Cup this year. I’d like to thank Estenson Racing and Yamaha for the opportunity. It’s going to be really fun, and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead and seeing what it brings.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
Joyce Triumphs at Carolina Motorsports Park for Rounds 3 and 4 of the AHRMA 2025 Vintage Cup
The 2025 Vintage Cup Series continued March 15 and 16 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC, as part of the 2025 AHRMA National Roadracing Series presented by Motobilia.
Sponsored by Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2025 Vintage Cup features the 500 Premier class which includes 500cc four-stroke machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include the 500cc Manx Norton, Matchless or Seeley G50, BSA Goldstar or 500cc BSA Twin “works” replica, Benelli “works” four, Harley KR, Honda Drixton Twin, and more.
Going into this weekend AHRMA saw healthy pre-registration for the 500 Premier class, with some pukka GP bikes and fast riders signed up.
Saturday saw multiple entries fielded by single owners: John Turner putting three bikes on the track, with Tim Joyce on a 1968 Seeley G50, Harry Vanderlinden on a 1968 Honda Drixton 450, and Kevin Dinsmoor on a very trick 1962 BMW Turner R-50. Larrabure Framing fielded two bikes, with Brian Larrabure on a 1962 Norton Manx, and Vintage Cup sponsor Kenny Cummings on a 1968 NYC Norton Seeley G50 (a bike he had built for Larrabure several years ago). Everyone’s favorite, Rob Hall, took pole with his Carter/Rutherford 1965 Matchless G50. Wes Orloff was riding Dale Coffman’s very fast Honda CR450, and Tony Read was debuting his 1968 Seeley Triumph 500. Completing the grid was Jerry Duke bumping up from 350GP on his 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler.
The start of the race saw Joyce and Hall glued to each other through the first series of turns. Orloff caught up quick and passed the two, holding the lead, until he exited at T11 and couldn’t keep the bike lit to return to the race. Dinsmoor, making up for a slow start, rode hard to get up with the lead pack, and ultimately passed Joyce and Hall on lap three to hold the lead for a lap, until coming in a little too hot in the tight T11 and losing the front, putting him out of contention. For the remainder of the race Hall and Joyce traded first place several times in a very exciting duel, with Cummings maintaining his position in third. On the last lap, Joyce passed Hall on the back straight and held a defensive line into the final turn (but not too defensive, said Joyce) goading Hall to dive up the inside, but on the exit, Joyce chopped off any opportunity for Hall to get a decent drive, and Joyce took the win, with Hall in second, and Cummings in third.
There was much discussion about the threat of severe weather on Sunday causing many of the racers to pull up stakes and head home Saturday night. The rains and wind came Sunday morning, but by race time the track was drying and the bold stalwarts Joyce, Dinsmoor, and Orloff lined up for a 3-bike smackdown. Joyce got the holeshot and led the entire race, but Dinsmoor kept him honest, even as his BMW started misfiring progressively worse as the race went on, Dinsmoor giving it all he had to keep up. Orloff also put his head down and kept the leaders in sight, and all made it to the checkered flag safely. Joyce said this weekend he had some of the best racing in recent memory, and that says a lot.
“For the last two years I’ve been off the track dealing with some hand issues and have enjoyed my managerial cat-bird-seat duties, watching these Vintage Cup races go off so smoothly,” says Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “However, when offered by Larrabure Framing a ride on their Seeley G50 on Saturday, I couldn’t say YES fast enough! It was great to shake off the cobwebs and feel the intangible butterflies lining up on the 500 Premier grid in the beautiful Carolina sunshine, only to look around and see so many absolutely beautiful 500cc Grand Prix level racing machines lined up out there with some very fast blokes with their heads down, waiting for the green flag to drop. This is perhaps the most challenging vintage class to keep entries up, simply due to the sheer costs of keeping these machines running, let alone keeping them competitive, so being part of the action with all the racers riding hard, putting in serious lap times, makes me a proud sponsor and competitor. Hats off to team owners and riders for putting on a great race. I’m looking forward to our West Coast competitors to join the fold. There are some beautiful bikes out there–I’ve seen them–and this is my subtle prod to get them tuned up for Willow Springs and Inde back-to-back weekends next month.”
AHRMA launched the Vintage Cup series during 2019 by spotlighting the 350GP class. The series resumed during 2021 and highlighted the 500 Premier class. It was followed by Vintage Superbike Heavyweight in 2022, Formula 750 in 2023, and the series restarted with 350GP in 2024.
500 Premier was AHRMA’s first and most historically significant post-war racing class. 500cc grand prix motorcycles hit the world stage starting in 1949. That class endured for decades and ultimately morphed into MotoGP.
This class has always featured AHRMA’s heavy hitters, riding many of the same machines as former world champions Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, and Phil Reed, to name a few.
“Saturday’s racing in the 500 Premier class at the AHRMA Vintage Cup was an absolute masterclass, an incredible display of skill and determination from start to finish. The action was fast, fierce, and constantly shifting, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Congratulations to Tim Joyce for his well-earned victory, and a heartfelt thank you to all the riders who put on such an amazing show. We’re also deeply grateful to the bike owners for sharing their rare and exceptional machines, giving us all the chance to witness these incredible pieces of racing history in action. It was a day to remember, and we’re already looking forward to the next races out West, I can’t wait to see what those bikes will bring at the legendary Willow Springs!”, said Greg “GT” Tomlinson, AHRMA Chairman of the Board.
Rounds four and five of the AHRMA National Road Race Series Presented by Motobilia will be held April 19-20 at the 2.5-mile “Big Willow” course at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race are reported in RoadRacingWorld.com’s online edition. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series Presented by Motobilia, 500 Premier – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, March 15, 2025
1. Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G-50, Springfield, VT
2. Rob Hall, 1965 Matchless G50, Charlotte, NC
3. Kenny Cummings, 1968 NYC Norton Seeley G50, New York, NY
4. Brian Larrabure , 1967 Norton Manx, Calabasas, CA
5. Harry Vanderlinden, 1968 Honda Drixton 450, Hickory, NC
6. Tony Read, 1968 Triumph 500, Charlotte, TN
7. Kevin Dinsmoor, 1962 BMW TURNER R-50, Colchester, CT
8. Wes Orloff, Honda CR450, Mukwonago, WI
9. Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
Sunday, March 16, 2025
1. Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G-50, Springfield, VT
2. Kevin Dinsmoor, 1962 BMW TURNER R-50, Colchester, CT
3. Wes Orloff, Honda CR450, Mukwonago, WI
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
Pirelli and ASRA Celebrate Continued Partnership for the 2025 Season
An Open Tire Series Built for Racers, by Racers
Pirelli Motorcycle Tires and the American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA) are delighted to announce the renewal of their esteemed partnership for the 2025 racing season. This collaboration reaffirms Pirelli’s unwavering commitment to delivering world-class performance and innovation to the racetrack while honoring ASRA’s legacy as a series crafted for racers, by racers.
For years, Pirelli has been a trusted sponsoring partner of ASRA, supplying riders with cutting-edge tire technology that enhances performance, safety, and competition. As the 2025 season approaches, this partnership continues to thrive, promising another year of exhilarating racing action and opportunities for riders to push their limits. Pirelli’s involvement underscores its dedication to advancing motorcycle racing while supporting the diverse needs of ASRA’s passionate racing community.
ASRA remains steadfast in its mission to provide a platform where racers of all backgrounds can compete on their terms. True to its roots, the series will maintain its status as an open tire series in 2025, ensuring competitors have the freedom to choose the equipment that best suits their riding style and strategy. This racer-driven philosophy, combined with Pirelli’s industry-leading tire solutions,including their Diablo Superbike and Supercorsa line up., sets the stage for a season that celebrates skill, innovation, and the spirit of competition.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with ASRA, a series that embodies the heart and soul of motorcycle racing,” said Oscar Solis, Senior Racing Manager of Pirelli North America. “At Pirelli, we are passionate about supporting racers at every level, and ASRA’s commitment to an open tire format aligns perfectly with our goal of empowering riders with choice and performance. We look forward to an exciting 2025 season filled with celebrating competitors’ achievements at ASRA events.”
“Our partnership with Pirelli is a testament to our shared values of excellence and dedication to the racing community”said ASRA partner Alex Spellman. “ASRA was built for racers, by racers, and we’re thrilled to carry that legacy forward in 2025 with Pirelli’s support. By remaining an open tire series, we ensure that our competitors have the flexibility to race their way, and we can’t wait to see what this season brings.”
The 2025 ASRA season promises to deliver high-octane competition across its challenging courses, showcasing the talents of skilled riders using top-tier equipment. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans and participants alike are encouraged to stay tuned for updates as ASRA and Pirelli gear up for another unforgettable year.
About ASRA
The American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA) is a premier motorcycle racing series in the United States, dedicated to fostering a competitive and inclusive environment for riders. Built for racers, by racers, ASRA offers a unique platform that prioritizes rider choice and celebrates the thrill of the sport.
About Pirelli
Founded in 1872, Pirelli is a global leader in premium tire manufacturing, renowned for its innovation, performance, and deep-rooted passion for motorsport. With a legacy of excellence, Pirelli continues to support riders and racers worldwide, delivering tires that blend cutting-edge technology with superior quality.
Ducati ends 2024 with a revenue of over one billion euros combined with a benchmark profitability
For the third consecutive year, the revenue of the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer exceeds one billion euros. At the end of 2024, Ducati’s operating result is 91 million euros, corresponding to a profitability of 9.1%.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati: “The 2024 results confirm the strength of our brand and the company’s ability to generate the financial resources that allow us to continue to invest and consolidate the excellence, value and exclusivity of our products.”
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali.
Borgo Panigale, Bologna (Italy) March 18, 2025 – Ducati ended 2024 with financial results that testify to the solidity of its competitive positioning in the two-wheel sector and the effectiveness of the strategic choices made in recent years, oriented towards the development of a product range that represents the best fusion of beauty, performance and technology.
For the third consecutive year, Ducati recorded revenues of more than one billion euros (2024: 1,003 billion; 2023: 1,065 billion). A result achieved despite the challenges that are characterizing the industry and the current global competitive environment.
The operating result (EBIT) stood at 91 million euros, equal to a profitability of 9.1% (2023: 10.5%). A key figure, which also highlights the company’s ability to focus on generating the financial resources needed to support its strategic plans.
During 2024, 54,495 motorcycles were delivered to Ducatisti all over the world (2023: 58.224). Although showing a decline compared to the previous year, the figure is in line with the philosophy of the Bologna-based company, which aims to preserve the exclusivity and value of its products for its passionate clients.
“2024 ends with a positive balance that, despite a challenging competitive environment, confirms our solidity and a benchmark profitability in the two-wheeler market.” declared Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati. “ We enjoy a solid financial base that allows us to continuously and significantly invest in research and development, innovation and racing competition, while continuing to strengthen the uniqueness and prestige of our product range and ensuring the high standards of quality and service typical of a product of excellence. This, combined with our commitment to making every Ducatista feel part of a great family, makes the brand more beloved than ever today.”
Henning Jens, Ducati CFO, added: ” 2024 was a complicated year due to the particularly challenging market conditions the whole business faced. In this context, we chose to focus on protecting overall profitability, prioritizing long-term sustainability rather than just aiming at increasing sales volumes. This approach, combined with further improvements of our efficiency, is in line with our premium strategy and it allowed us to conclude the year with a profitability that reached 9.1% return on sales and an operating result that shows our ability to generate value and guarantee a solid financial base also under difficult circumstances. “
Ducati CFO Henning Jens.
Looking at 2025, Ducati presented to the public ten new models, further enriching an increasingly complete, sophisticated and technologically advanced product range, designed to offer every Ducatista the most suitable bike to express their passion for two wheels.
These include the new XDiavel V4 and Multistrada V4, equipped with the V4 Granturismo engine, alongside the Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4, both powered by the latest evolution of the Desmosedici Stradale engine, and the Panigale V2, Streetfighter V2 and Multistrada V2 , equipped with the new V2 engine, the lightest twin-cylinder ever made by Ducati. In addition, the Company makes its entry into the world of Off-Road with the introduction of its first motocross bike, available from June 2025 at selected dealerships.
Complete race results from the 2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series by Motobilia event held March 14-15 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.
Day Two of an official test for MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas saw Texan Chase Black quickest at 1:20.661 on his Kramer APX 350 MA racebike. Florida’s Ella Dreher was second-quickest with a best lap on her MP13 Racing Kramer of 1:21.172 in her first time at the track, 0.511-second behind Black.
Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane was third-quickest at 1:21.214, followed by Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp at 1:21.304 and San Marcos Iron Door’s Rossi Garcia at 1:21.656. The spread from first to fifth was 0.995-second.
The eight participants turned a total of 1206 laps on the 1.7-mile track over the two days of testing.
2025 Dunlop Parts Unlimited MotoAmerica Talent Cup by Motul Overall Two-Day Combined Results
Black Leads The Way In Two-Day Texas Talent Cup Test
Chase Black Fastest On Both Days In Shakedown Test Prior To Season-Opener At Circuit Of The Americas
High Texas winds on Tuesday didn’t stop the pace from picking up on the final day of the two-day pre-season test for MotoAmerica’s Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul at Motorsports Ranch in Cresson as Monday’s fast guy Chase Black and his Chase Black Racing Krämer APX-350 MA got even quicker, topping the timesheets as the only rider to crack the 1:21 barrier with his 1:20.661.
Kody Kopp with World Champions Kenny Leroy Roberts (a.k.a. Senior, at right) and Kenny Lee Roberts (a.k.a. Junior, at left) in a garage at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. Photo courtesy Fastrack Racing/MotoAmerica.
Black threw down the gauntlet fairly late in the final session today with his 1:20.661, leaving the rest to give “Chase.” The rider who came the closest to doing just that was also the one who made the biggest improvement in lap times over the course of the two days — MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher.
Dreher, who finished fifth in the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship with three podiums, gained over two seconds from her Monday best to Tuesday’s 1:21.172 that shot her up to second on the overall results, .511 of a second behind Black.
Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane ended up the fastest of the flat trackers with the young Australian finishing the day in third and just .553 of a second off Black’s best.
“It’s a really fast bike and it’s good to be learning on,” Drane said of the Krämer APX-350 MA. “It’s really light, so it’s easy to throw around on the track. It’s just a fun bike to ride.”
Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp, the most heralded of the flat trackers with three AFT Singles Championships on his resume and three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts in his corner, was fourth-fastest. Kopp, like the rest of the testers, did his best lap – a 1:21.304 – in the final session on Tuesday.
San Marcos Iron Doors 316 Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia rounded out the top five at the conclusion of the test. Garcia was .995 of a second from Black’s fastest lap.
The eight riders who took part in the test turned a total of 1,206 laps over the two-day test. Krämer, meanwhile, had five employees and a semi at the test to help where needed with the APX-350 MAs.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
Workers at Buttonwillow Raceway are demolishing a wall outside Turn One on the new, additional course at the facility adjacent to Interstate 5 in Buttonwillow, California, about 30 miles west of Bakersfield.
TrackDaz promoter Dustin Coyner worked with the track and the Roadracing World Action Fund to get Airfence soft barriers deployed in front of the wall for the first motorcycle event on the new track, held on February 15-16. Coyner then convinced track officials to remove the wall entirely.
The Airfence will be deployed in other areas of the new course.
After two days of testing in Portimao ahead of the Pirelli Portuguese Round, the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Ducati factory riders will walk away with a mixed bag of results. While both riders in red looked fast in the limited time available, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) looks to be getting closer to his 2024 form than it seemed in Phillip Island. In the case of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), while he saw half the already limited amount of track time due to his decision not to test on Friday, he looked uncharacteristically slow in his Day 2 time, finishing ninth.
Many of the grid’s Ducati riders enjoyed a very strong start to the season. Phillip Island’s Round 1 saw Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) earn his career-first WorldSBK hat-trick, propelling himself out to an early lead in the Riders’ Championship. Alongside him in the garage, Alvaro Bautista had a strong weekend, finishing P3 in Race 1, and P2 in Race 2, the only hiccup coming in the Tissot Superpole Race, in which he finished in P19 after a Turn 6 crash set him far behind the rest of the grid.
Unfortunately, once again, rain made its presence felt in Portuguese testing, giving déjà vu to the preseason event held here in late January. In essence, the rainfall limited teams to half days each day, a tough break for what has already been a limited preseason. While the rain was present, riders had more dry running time than they saw in the prior preseason event. Here are some of the takeaways for the pair in their own words:
While Bulega earned P2 on both days, he was fortunate that he walked away from the test uninjured as in Turn 11, he crashed off of the track requiring a trip to the medical center, while they gave him the all-clear shortly after, it ate into his already limited time on track. On his experience across the testing days, Bulega said “it was a bit of a difficult test for us because we worked hard to find a good feeling, but it didn’t arrive. This morning [Day 2] I had a big crash on a very fast corner here in Portimao. Fortunately, I am good, but it was more difficult to work because we lost some time as a result, then later the rain made it a difficult and strange test. At the end of the session, the last 15 minutes, we were a bit better; we still have lots of work to do but in the end, we were a lot better.”
Alvaro Bautista elected to only take to the track on Saturday’s Day 2, and despite being uncharacteristically low on the time sheet, the veteran rider does not seem concerned about his odds in the upcoming Portuguese Round. “We were able to do some laps, especially in the morning, we started the day with the same setup that we finished the last round with, in Australia.” said Bautista, “The feeling was good, I felt good on the bike. We made some small changes but nothing big. In the afternoon with the rain, the feeling was a bit worse because I couldn’t feel the tires as easily. In general, in the morning I felt good, the pace wasn’t too bad, but we will have to see what the conditions will be like on the race weekend, we prepared the base setup and we will adapt the package from there.”
More, from a news release by WorldSBK:
Toprak Razgatlioglu debriefs with his BMW team at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
On the heels of a difficult season opening weekend in Phillip Island, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team knew their work was cut out for them. 2024’s defending Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu looked a step slower than his usual self, and Michael van der Mark struggled to place within the scoring positions, landing a pair of P14’s in Race 2 and the Tissot Superpole Race after a Turn 1 crash ruled him out of Race 1. Fortunately for the German team, at Portimao test event held March 14-15th ahead of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Pirelli Portuguese Round seemed to bear fruit with a step forward in terms of pace and feeling.
On top of what was already a complicated preseason thanks to poor weather across both testing events first in Jerez then in Portimao; BMW was dealt a tough hand as they needed that time on track more than most in order to fine-tune their newly homologated M 1000 RR. Phillip Island has never been a particularly strong circuit for either rider, as only Toprak has won one race there, and that sole race win was in 2020 during his time with Yamaha. This 2025 season-opening trip Down Under was fraught with issues as both riders seemed to struggle with the new bike.
In Portimao however, BMW look to have turned a new leaf, with both riders not only being fast, but consistently fast. Both riders prior in their careers have enjoyed more success at Portimao than at Phillip Island. Michael van der Mark won the Superpole Race here in 2021. Toprak for his part has won six races here and earned rostrum finishes another 7 times. BMW Team Manager Shaun Muir was pleased to see the progress exhibited by his riders.
“We’re back in Portimao, which has always been a strong reference for us,” said Muir. “Despite some lost track time due to the weather, both riders managed an average of 50 laps per day, so we can’t be too disappointed. Michael had a solid test, working through a list of setup items and making steady progress. On the other side of the garage, Toprak focused on re-establishing his base setting, quickly finding a strong race pace while fine-tuning his setup. His 10-lap race runs have been some of the most consistent we’ve seen with this package. With only three fully productive pre-season test days before Australia, these two days have been an important extension of that work. The team has made clear progress, and we’re seeing growing confidence in both riders. Now, with two weeks until the race, we feel we have a solid base to build on and are in a much stronger position heading into FP1.”
While the new M 1000 RR platform certainly still lacks polish, and there is more to yet improve, the test results after Day 2 in Portimao certainly seems to have put wind in BMW’s sails. While rain again made an appearance in Portimao across both days of testing, both days had at least a portion of the day in which the track was dry, a key for BMW’s mission to return to their 2024 form. While it is of course uncertain the weather which will be present in two weeks’ time for the race weekend, it is certainly a good sign for the German manufacturer’s factory team that their riders are closer to being back on pace for their stated goal of winning both the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Championship this year. BMW Motorrad Technical Director Chris Gonschor gave his impressions following their positive finish after two days of testing in Portimao.
Gonschor said: “We are happy to be back in Europe, back in Portimao after a successful race last year. It’s a beautiful track, and luckily, we had some sun. It was a bit more complicated again, but we got some dry laps in, and we could prepare the race bikes for the weekend. We are looking forward to the race. Both riders in the top four with consistent lap times was a big step forward. Coming back to Portimao is always great, and this rollercoaster racetrack is very demanding—for the riders, for the engineers—but fascinating for the fans. So, it’s perfect to be here, and it was good to have, like I said, a few hours in dry conditions to prepare the race setup and application.”
More, from a news release by WorldSBK:
Augusto Fernandez (37). Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock welcomed Augusto Fernandez (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to the paddock for his first ever WorldSBK event at the test days in Portimao. Fernandez joined the team after Jonathan Rea suffered a several fractures in his left foot after a crash prior to the Australian Round. He remains without an official timeline, but it was announced shortly after Rea returned to Europe that he would miss the Pirelli Portuguese round, hence the arrival of Fernandez.
Rea’s highside crash in Phillip Islands Turn 2 sent his Yamaha R1 cartwheeling down onto his left foot, culminating in the Spanish 2022 Moto2 champion being called in to replace the six-time champion Rea. Fernandez has since been a test driver in MotoGP as well as a grid rider for Red Bull GasGas Tech3 from 2023-2024, his best result coming in his rookie year when he took home a 4th place finish from Le Mans. Only becoming a WorldSBK rider a matter of weeks ago, Fernandez has had his work cut out for him in adapting to the different style of bike, however in testing so far, Fernandez hasn’t been far off pace, so far landing a pair of P13 finishes after the two days of testing in Portimao.
On the differences between the bikes and the things he’s needed to adapt to, Fernandez said “The tires are a big thing, they’re completely different to what I’m used to. Then of course, the bike is different…A lot of things, but I’m getting used to it, I’m happy with the team, I want to thank them for the job they’ve done, it hasn’t been an easy two days but we’ve managed to learn a lot from these days and we’re still not 100% ready for the race, but we will get there.”
The test in Portimao ahead of Round 2’s action was highly anticipated by not only Fernandez who is still acclimating to WorldSBK, but by a grid of teams who didn’t have adequate time to prepare for the season thanks to inclement weather mitigating testing potential in the preseason. Now that these two days are in the books, unfortunately the rain has played a considerable role in the events on-track for Fernandez and the rest of the grid. Rain aside, 27-year-old Fernandez is taking the bull by the horns and accepting the challenge.
“We didn’t have the best of weather, so not a lot of track time, but in the end luckily, we had the last hour. It was an important one because we had some things on our mind that we wanted to try out and to forward the learning process.” said Fernandez “I’m happy how everything went, we managed to improve the lap time at the very end, so I’m happy about that. Now to just continue getting to know the team and trying to get ourselves ready for the race weekend.”
More, from another release by WorldSBK:
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) looks to have taken a step in his riding atop his KB998 Rimini in his performance on Day 2 of testing at Portimao’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
Day 2 saw him take a step forward, trading his Day 1 P7 for a Day 2 P3. The conditions in the test looked to finally be dry, allowing the grid for the grid get some dry running time after a rainy pair of days in Portimao in late January. This was the case for the first half of the day, however just before lunch, the weather turned. Sporadic rainfall sent riders to the garage for most of the afternoon apart from the last half hour when the track was finally dry enough for riders to push.
A start to not only the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbikes World Championship season, but to the latest chapter in Bimota’s WorldSBK racing history took place last round, in Australia. Atop their new bike, Alex Lowes and his teammate Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) rang in the manufacturer’s return well, with Lowes earning a Pair of 8th place finishes in Races 1 and 2, as well as a P7 in the Tissot Superpole Race. Since then, Lowes was consistent on his Day 1 P7, and in Day 2, he looked to be even more comfortable, taking a step forward and landed in P3 late in the afternoon session.
On his feeling with the bike, Lowes said, “Today I felt good on the bike, honestly these two days have probably been the best I’ve felt so far on the Bimota, which is positive and normal as we’re learning and improving it all the time. It’s a little bit of a shame about the weather as we’re still testing items rather than focusing on track-specific settings. I wanted to do a long run and we had quite a few things on the schedule but you can’t change the weather, so I enjoyed it, the guys did a fantastic job and we’re slowly improving.”
The poor weather today and throughout much of the preseason’s testing threw a wrench in the plans of many teams, however it is hard to imagine a team was more affected by the lack of time on track than Bimota who were unveiling their completely new KB998. Despite that, Lowes and Bassani have been competitive all through preseason and Australia. While the pair of star riders certainly hold a share of the credit for this, Lowes and his team are interested in developing their package as far as they can take it.
“Today on the agenda, a lot of the focus was on the front of the bike. Geometry settings we hadn’t been able to explore, different stiffnesses on the front, some positive, some negative. I think we only managed 35-40 laps, [45 laps] so that was all we managed to get through. The main takeaway for the test was an improved feeling on the front of the bike, that was my target after Philip Island where I didn’t feel like I could pass the other riders, so that was a positive. The negative is I still need to improve the rear grip, especially on the fresh tires, I feel like from lap 10 onwards we’re really strong but we’re missing that initial lap time. In general, it’s been a positive test, I feel good going into the second round in Portimao, I hope to make a step forward on the results from Phillip Island. Nothing crazy, but we can improve on our results and work really hard, hopefully battling close to the top six. Who knows if we can achieve more than that but first we need to analyze the results from this test and put it all together.”
MiniSBK Canada will host two MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers at Shannonville Motorsports Park this summer. Photo by Colin Fraser/MiniSBK.
O Canada: Shannonville Motorsports Park To Host MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers
Two MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers Will Be Held In Canada, June 13-14 and July 4-5
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is pleased to announce that MiniSBK Canada will host two MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifiers at Shannonville Motorsports Park in Shannonville, Ontario, Canada.
The two races will be held in conjunction with rounds three and four of the MiniSBK series on June 13-14 and July 4-5, respectively.
Billed as the “Birthplace of Champions Since 1974,” Shannonville Motorsports Park is world famous and hosts a round of the Canadian Superbike Championship.
MiniSBK Canada is run by former AMA Pro Superbike racer Toni Sharpless, who was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2011. In 1987, Sharpless became one of the few women to qualify for and finish the Daytona 200.
The two Qualifiers will provide young local racers with the opportunity to qualify for the Mission Mini Cup National Final, which will once again be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 8-10.
Qualifiers at the two MiniSBK events will be held for all six classes: Stock 50 (ages 6-8), Stock 110 (ages 8-12), GP 110 (ages 8-12), GP 160 (ages 10-14), GP 190 (ages 10-14) and Street GP (ages 14 and up).
“MotoAmerica is thrilled to be working with MiniSBK to bring two of our Mini Cup Qualifiers to Canada,” said MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland. “I guess you could say we’re going international, which is impressive considering this is just our second year of the Qualifiers and National Final. Canada has always produced top-level racers, some of whom have won AMA championships, and we’re sure there will be some fast kids who make it down for our National Final at Road America.”
“I was surprised and honored to receive the call from Wayne Rainey and Chuck Aksland, two individuals I remember from my racing days in the 1980s,” said MiniSBK’s CEO Toni Sharpless. “When they asked if our MiniSBK Championship series would be interested in joining the MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifier series, it took me less than a minute to consider and say ‘Yes.’ This connection further expands the opportunities we provide for Canadian youth in the sport. We are happy and proud to be part of another big step toward grassroots development in road racing.”
For more information about the MotoAmerica Mini Cup series or club participation in the series, visit motoamerica.com .
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
Maverick Johnson in action at KartMoto. Photo by Shandra Crawford.
Texas Mini Cup is thrilled to announce its 2025 MotoAmerica Mini Cup Qualifier Race Series, hosted at KartMoto, the premier karting facility located at 9012 Performance Ct, Cresson, Texas. This year’s 3 round series will not only serve as an important stepping stone for young racers looking to compete at the national level, but it will also introduce 400cc Superstock and 450cc Supermoto classes, as well as additional support classes, expanding competition opportunities for riders of all ages and skill levels.
Race dates are April 26, June 14, and July 12. All races are held on Saturday, with an open practice day hosted by the facility on Friday. A new racer school will be offered on Friday. All three events will provide young racers the opportunity to qualify for the Mission Mini Cup National Final to be held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 8-10. Qualifiers will be held for all six classes: Stock 50 (ages 6-8), Stock 110 (ages 8-12), GP110 (ages 10-14), GP 160 (ages 10-14), GP 190 (ages 12-16), and Street GP (ages 12 and up).
The series is generously supported by Dunlop, who is also providing tire contingency. Additional contingency is provided by Continental and Pirelli.
Ohvale USA, Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha will be supplying manufacturers’ contingency for the series. Ohvale motorcycles will be available for rent from Eleven Motorsports. Information for contingency and rentals will be on the Texas Mini Cup website.
Online registration is now open through Alpha Timing and Registration, making it easy for racers to secure their spot on the grid! Register now here:
Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of the action-packed Texas Mini Cup season! For more details on race dates, classes, registration, and sponsorship opportunities, visit our website:
About Texas Mini Cup
Texas Mini Cup is an AMA-sanctioned mini moto racing series designed to develop the next generation of motorcycle road racing talent. With a focus on safety, competition, and progression, the series offers young riders a structured pathway to MotoAmerica while competing at a premier racing venue.
MARIETTA, Ga. – March 19, 2025 – Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) is excited to announce Estenson Racing as the official Yamaha BLU CRU MotoAmerica Talent Cup team for the 2025 inaugural season. This expanded partnership with Estenson Racing – also Yamaha’s official American Flat Track team – will see the successful program campaign for top honors with up-and-coming racer Sam Drane in the exciting new championship that is designed to provide a stepping stone to higher levels of road-racing competition.
From its early beginnings in 2018, Estenson Racing has enjoyed a lot of success with Yamaha in the American Flat Track series. In addition to three AFT Singles titles, the team rose to being a serious title contender in the premier SuperTwins class. Alongside technical development in the sport of dirt track racing, the team has also worked to bring up-and-coming talent through the ranks, starting with Dallas Daniels, who after concluding a successful amateur career with both Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Awards for Flat Track and Road Racing, went on to earn back to back AFT Singles titles with the team and contend for the SuperTwins crown since his debut in the premier class.
On the heels of three 85cc AMA Flat Track Grand National titles in 2022 and being named AMA Youth Rider of the Year, Sam Drane was signed to Estenson Racing’s rider development program in 2023. Joining his brother Tom, who heads the team’s efforts in the AFT Singles Championship, Sam has added more amateur titles to his resume, including three AMA Flat Track Grand National Championships aboard the YZ250F. The 14-year-old Australian – who has already demonstrated road racing aptitude riding the Yamaha R3 to victory at Philip Island in the Australian Supersport 300 class – now sets his sights on taking top honors in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup aboard the Yamaha BLU CRU branded Kramer APX-350 MA Moto 3 machine.
Beginning in 2013 as an initiative designed to reward racers and support Yamaha’s YZ contingency program, BLU CRU evolved into a broader customer loyalty program and a global initiative with international collaborations, training camps, and events designed for every rider. It is also the foundation of Yamaha’s talent development program, which is designed to cultivate the next generation of talent in both road and off-road racing and to help pave the way to success in their respective premier class championships, reaching the highest levels in the SuperMotocross World Championship and MotoGP.
New for 2025 is the MotoAmerica Talent Cup. Part of the “Road to MotoGP,” which is the collective name for global competitions and programs for young riders around the world that MotoGP supports, the seven-round, 14-race championship is designed to be a stepping stone to higher levels of road racing competition. All riders compete on the same machinery, highlighting rider skill and talent. Participants will also receive coaching and support from former racers and technical staff to help build their skills, race craft, and understanding of the sport. ln addition to competing for the national title, up to five of the top-ranked riders in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup will get invited to participate in the RedBull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event.
The MotoAmerica Talent Cup begins its debut season on the world stage, with the opening round being held in conjunction with MotoGP at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, on March 28-30.
Jeff Sidlovsky – Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS
“We are pleased to announce our expanded partnership with Estenson Racing to lead our efforts in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup. Together, we have already achieved a lot of success in American Flat Track, and we look forward to continuing that success in this new MotoAmerica class championship. We are also proud to be a part of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup as it is a series designed to nurture young riders and provide a more direct path to higher levels of racing, and meshes well with our BLU CRU initiatives to foster racing.”
Tommy Hayden – Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing Team Manager
“Sam has been a part of our amateur program for the past couple of years. With his brother Tom racing for the team in AFT Singles, he’s been around the shop and trains with the team during the week, so we’ve been working with him and have gotten to know him well. He has an interest in road racing, and the MotoAmerica Talent Cup seemed like a cool class and opportunity for a young up-and-coming rider like Sam. The new series was something that Yamaha was excited about as well, and it all came together. We’re really looking forward to getting the season started at COTA.”
Sam Drane – Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing #59
“I’m really excited to be racing the MotoAmerica Talent Cup this year. I’d like to thank Estenson Racing and Yamaha for the opportunity. It’s going to be really fun, and I’m really looking forward to the year ahead and seeing what it brings.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
Tim Joyce (309) chases Rob Hall (270), Kevin Dinsmoor (304, behind Hall), and Wes Orloff (74) in the Saturday AHRMA Vintage Cup race featuring 500 Premier. Photo by Craig Chawla/AHRMA.
Joyce Triumphs at Carolina Motorsports Park for Rounds 3 and 4 of the AHRMA 2025 Vintage Cup
The 2025 Vintage Cup Series continued March 15 and 16 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, SC, as part of the 2025 AHRMA National Roadracing Series presented by Motobilia.
Sponsored by Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2025 Vintage Cup features the 500 Premier class which includes 500cc four-stroke machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include the 500cc Manx Norton, Matchless or Seeley G50, BSA Goldstar or 500cc BSA Twin “works” replica, Benelli “works” four, Harley KR, Honda Drixton Twin, and more.
Going into this weekend AHRMA saw healthy pre-registration for the 500 Premier class, with some pukka GP bikes and fast riders signed up.
Saturday saw multiple entries fielded by single owners: John Turner putting three bikes on the track, with Tim Joyce on a 1968 Seeley G50, Harry Vanderlinden on a 1968 Honda Drixton 450, and Kevin Dinsmoor on a very trick 1962 BMW Turner R-50. Larrabure Framing fielded two bikes, with Brian Larrabure on a 1962 Norton Manx, and Vintage Cup sponsor Kenny Cummings on a 1968 NYC Norton Seeley G50 (a bike he had built for Larrabure several years ago). Everyone’s favorite, Rob Hall, took pole with his Carter/Rutherford 1965 Matchless G50. Wes Orloff was riding Dale Coffman’s very fast Honda CR450, and Tony Read was debuting his 1968 Seeley Triumph 500. Completing the grid was Jerry Duke bumping up from 350GP on his 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler.
The start of the race saw Joyce and Hall glued to each other through the first series of turns. Orloff caught up quick and passed the two, holding the lead, until he exited at T11 and couldn’t keep the bike lit to return to the race. Dinsmoor, making up for a slow start, rode hard to get up with the lead pack, and ultimately passed Joyce and Hall on lap three to hold the lead for a lap, until coming in a little too hot in the tight T11 and losing the front, putting him out of contention. For the remainder of the race Hall and Joyce traded first place several times in a very exciting duel, with Cummings maintaining his position in third. On the last lap, Joyce passed Hall on the back straight and held a defensive line into the final turn (but not too defensive, said Joyce) goading Hall to dive up the inside, but on the exit, Joyce chopped off any opportunity for Hall to get a decent drive, and Joyce took the win, with Hall in second, and Cummings in third.
There was much discussion about the threat of severe weather on Sunday causing many of the racers to pull up stakes and head home Saturday night. The rains and wind came Sunday morning, but by race time the track was drying and the bold stalwarts Joyce, Dinsmoor, and Orloff lined up for a 3-bike smackdown. Joyce got the holeshot and led the entire race, but Dinsmoor kept him honest, even as his BMW started misfiring progressively worse as the race went on, Dinsmoor giving it all he had to keep up. Orloff also put his head down and kept the leaders in sight, and all made it to the checkered flag safely. Joyce said this weekend he had some of the best racing in recent memory, and that says a lot.
“For the last two years I’ve been off the track dealing with some hand issues and have enjoyed my managerial cat-bird-seat duties, watching these Vintage Cup races go off so smoothly,” says Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “However, when offered by Larrabure Framing a ride on their Seeley G50 on Saturday, I couldn’t say YES fast enough! It was great to shake off the cobwebs and feel the intangible butterflies lining up on the 500 Premier grid in the beautiful Carolina sunshine, only to look around and see so many absolutely beautiful 500cc Grand Prix level racing machines lined up out there with some very fast blokes with their heads down, waiting for the green flag to drop. This is perhaps the most challenging vintage class to keep entries up, simply due to the sheer costs of keeping these machines running, let alone keeping them competitive, so being part of the action with all the racers riding hard, putting in serious lap times, makes me a proud sponsor and competitor. Hats off to team owners and riders for putting on a great race. I’m looking forward to our West Coast competitors to join the fold. There are some beautiful bikes out there–I’ve seen them–and this is my subtle prod to get them tuned up for Willow Springs and Inde back-to-back weekends next month.”
AHRMA launched the Vintage Cup series during 2019 by spotlighting the 350GP class. The series resumed during 2021 and highlighted the 500 Premier class. It was followed by Vintage Superbike Heavyweight in 2022, Formula 750 in 2023, and the series restarted with 350GP in 2024.
500 Premier was AHRMA’s first and most historically significant post-war racing class. 500cc grand prix motorcycles hit the world stage starting in 1949. That class endured for decades and ultimately morphed into MotoGP.
This class has always featured AHRMA’s heavy hitters, riding many of the same machines as former world champions Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, and Phil Reed, to name a few.
“Saturday’s racing in the 500 Premier class at the AHRMA Vintage Cup was an absolute masterclass, an incredible display of skill and determination from start to finish. The action was fast, fierce, and constantly shifting, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Congratulations to Tim Joyce for his well-earned victory, and a heartfelt thank you to all the riders who put on such an amazing show. We’re also deeply grateful to the bike owners for sharing their rare and exceptional machines, giving us all the chance to witness these incredible pieces of racing history in action. It was a day to remember, and we’re already looking forward to the next races out West, I can’t wait to see what those bikes will bring at the legendary Willow Springs!”, said Greg “GT” Tomlinson, AHRMA Chairman of the Board.
Rounds four and five of the AHRMA National Road Race Series Presented by Motobilia will be held April 19-20 at the 2.5-mile “Big Willow” course at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, California.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race are reported in RoadRacingWorld.com’s online edition. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series Presented by Motobilia, 500 Premier – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, March 15, 2025
1. Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G-50, Springfield, VT
2. Rob Hall, 1965 Matchless G50, Charlotte, NC
3. Kenny Cummings, 1968 NYC Norton Seeley G50, New York, NY
4. Brian Larrabure , 1967 Norton Manx, Calabasas, CA
5. Harry Vanderlinden, 1968 Honda Drixton 450, Hickory, NC
6. Tony Read, 1968 Triumph 500, Charlotte, TN
7. Kevin Dinsmoor, 1962 BMW TURNER R-50, Colchester, CT
8. Wes Orloff, Honda CR450, Mukwonago, WI
9. Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
Sunday, March 16, 2025
1. Tim Joyce, 1968 Seeley G-50, Springfield, VT
2. Kevin Dinsmoor, 1962 BMW TURNER R-50, Colchester, CT
3. Wes Orloff, Honda CR450, Mukwonago, WI
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
ASRA racer and Pirelli tire customer Josh Pelcman (502) seen at an ASRA race at PittRace in 2024. Photo by Vae Vang/ASRA.
Pirelli and ASRA Celebrate Continued Partnership for the 2025 Season
An Open Tire Series Built for Racers, by Racers
Pirelli Motorcycle Tires and the American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA) are delighted to announce the renewal of their esteemed partnership for the 2025 racing season. This collaboration reaffirms Pirelli’s unwavering commitment to delivering world-class performance and innovation to the racetrack while honoring ASRA’s legacy as a series crafted for racers, by racers.
For years, Pirelli has been a trusted sponsoring partner of ASRA, supplying riders with cutting-edge tire technology that enhances performance, safety, and competition. As the 2025 season approaches, this partnership continues to thrive, promising another year of exhilarating racing action and opportunities for riders to push their limits. Pirelli’s involvement underscores its dedication to advancing motorcycle racing while supporting the diverse needs of ASRA’s passionate racing community.
ASRA remains steadfast in its mission to provide a platform where racers of all backgrounds can compete on their terms. True to its roots, the series will maintain its status as an open tire series in 2025, ensuring competitors have the freedom to choose the equipment that best suits their riding style and strategy. This racer-driven philosophy, combined with Pirelli’s industry-leading tire solutions,including their Diablo Superbike and Supercorsa line up., sets the stage for a season that celebrates skill, innovation, and the spirit of competition.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with ASRA, a series that embodies the heart and soul of motorcycle racing,” said Oscar Solis, Senior Racing Manager of Pirelli North America. “At Pirelli, we are passionate about supporting racers at every level, and ASRA’s commitment to an open tire format aligns perfectly with our goal of empowering riders with choice and performance. We look forward to an exciting 2025 season filled with celebrating competitors’ achievements at ASRA events.”
“Our partnership with Pirelli is a testament to our shared values of excellence and dedication to the racing community”said ASRA partner Alex Spellman. “ASRA was built for racers, by racers, and we’re thrilled to carry that legacy forward in 2025 with Pirelli’s support. By remaining an open tire series, we ensure that our competitors have the flexibility to race their way, and we can’t wait to see what this season brings.”
The 2025 ASRA season promises to deliver high-octane competition across its challenging courses, showcasing the talents of skilled riders using top-tier equipment. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans and participants alike are encouraged to stay tuned for updates as ASRA and Pirelli gear up for another unforgettable year.
About ASRA
The American Superbike Racing Association (ASRA) is a premier motorcycle racing series in the United States, dedicated to fostering a competitive and inclusive environment for riders. Built for racers, by racers, ASRA offers a unique platform that prioritizes rider choice and celebrates the thrill of the sport.
About Pirelli
Founded in 1872, Pirelli is a global leader in premium tire manufacturing, renowned for its innovation, performance, and deep-rooted passion for motorsport. With a legacy of excellence, Pirelli continues to support riders and racers worldwide, delivering tires that blend cutting-edge technology with superior quality.
Ducati's Marc Marquez (93) testing at Chang International Circuit. The company reported solid financial results for fiscal 2024. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Ducati ends 2024 with a revenue of over one billion euros combined with a benchmark profitability
For the third consecutive year, the revenue of the Borgo Panigale motorcycle manufacturer exceeds one billion euros. At the end of 2024, Ducati’s operating result is 91 million euros, corresponding to a profitability of 9.1%.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati: “The 2024 results confirm the strength of our brand and the company’s ability to generate the financial resources that allow us to continue to invest and consolidate the excellence, value and exclusivity of our products.”
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali.
Borgo Panigale, Bologna (Italy) March 18, 2025 – Ducati ended 2024 with financial results that testify to the solidity of its competitive positioning in the two-wheel sector and the effectiveness of the strategic choices made in recent years, oriented towards the development of a product range that represents the best fusion of beauty, performance and technology.
For the third consecutive year, Ducati recorded revenues of more than one billion euros (2024: 1,003 billion; 2023: 1,065 billion). A result achieved despite the challenges that are characterizing the industry and the current global competitive environment.
The operating result (EBIT) stood at 91 million euros, equal to a profitability of 9.1% (2023: 10.5%). A key figure, which also highlights the company’s ability to focus on generating the financial resources needed to support its strategic plans.
During 2024, 54,495 motorcycles were delivered to Ducatisti all over the world (2023: 58.224). Although showing a decline compared to the previous year, the figure is in line with the philosophy of the Bologna-based company, which aims to preserve the exclusivity and value of its products for its passionate clients.
“2024 ends with a positive balance that, despite a challenging competitive environment, confirms our solidity and a benchmark profitability in the two-wheeler market.” declared Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati. “ We enjoy a solid financial base that allows us to continuously and significantly invest in research and development, innovation and racing competition, while continuing to strengthen the uniqueness and prestige of our product range and ensuring the high standards of quality and service typical of a product of excellence. This, combined with our commitment to making every Ducatista feel part of a great family, makes the brand more beloved than ever today.”
Henning Jens, Ducati CFO, added: ” 2024 was a complicated year due to the particularly challenging market conditions the whole business faced. In this context, we chose to focus on protecting overall profitability, prioritizing long-term sustainability rather than just aiming at increasing sales volumes. This approach, combined with further improvements of our efficiency, is in line with our premium strategy and it allowed us to conclude the year with a profitability that reached 9.1% return on sales and an operating result that shows our ability to generate value and guarantee a solid financial base also under difficult circumstances. “
Ducati CFO Henning Jens.
Looking at 2025, Ducati presented to the public ten new models, further enriching an increasingly complete, sophisticated and technologically advanced product range, designed to offer every Ducatista the most suitable bike to express their passion for two wheels.
These include the new XDiavel V4 and Multistrada V4, equipped with the V4 Granturismo engine, alongside the Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4, both powered by the latest evolution of the Desmosedici Stradale engine, and the Panigale V2, Streetfighter V2 and Multistrada V2 , equipped with the new V2 engine, the lightest twin-cylinder ever made by Ducati. In addition, the Company makes its entry into the world of Off-Road with the introduction of its first motocross bike, available from June 2025 at selected dealerships.
Dave Frick (4Q) and Scott Wilson (5X) at last weekend's AHRMA event at CMP. Etechphoto.com
Complete race results from the 2025 AHRMA Roadracing Series by Motobilia event held March 14-15 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.
MotoAmerica Talent Cup rider Ella Dreher was second-quickest overall during two days of testing at MotorSports Ranch in Cresson, Texas. She is shown with (from left) John Ludwig, team owner Melissa Paris, and mechanic Evan Steel.
Day Two of an official test for MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas saw Texan Chase Black quickest at 1:20.661 on his Kramer APX 350 MA racebike. Florida’s Ella Dreher was second-quickest with a best lap on her MP13 Racing Kramer of 1:21.172 in her first time at the track, 0.511-second behind Black.
Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane was third-quickest at 1:21.214, followed by Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp at 1:21.304 and San Marcos Iron Door’s Rossi Garcia at 1:21.656. The spread from first to fifth was 0.995-second.
The eight participants turned a total of 1206 laps on the 1.7-mile track over the two days of testing.
2025 Dunlop Parts Unlimited MotoAmerica Talent Cup by Motul Overall Two-Day Combined Results
Black Leads The Way In Two-Day Texas Talent Cup Test
Chase Black Fastest On Both Days In Shakedown Test Prior To Season-Opener At Circuit Of The Americas
High Texas winds on Tuesday didn’t stop the pace from picking up on the final day of the two-day pre-season test for MotoAmerica’s Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul at Motorsports Ranch in Cresson as Monday’s fast guy Chase Black and his Chase Black Racing Krämer APX-350 MA got even quicker, topping the timesheets as the only rider to crack the 1:21 barrier with his 1:20.661.
Kody Kopp with World Champions Kenny Leroy Roberts (a.k.a. Senior, at right) and Kenny Lee Roberts (a.k.a. Junior, at left) in a garage at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. Photo courtesy Fastrack Racing/MotoAmerica.
Black threw down the gauntlet fairly late in the final session today with his 1:20.661, leaving the rest to give “Chase.” The rider who came the closest to doing just that was also the one who made the biggest improvement in lap times over the course of the two days — MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher.
Dreher, who finished fifth in the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship with three podiums, gained over two seconds from her Monday best to Tuesday’s 1:21.172 that shot her up to second on the overall results, .511 of a second behind Black.
Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane ended up the fastest of the flat trackers with the young Australian finishing the day in third and just .553 of a second off Black’s best.
“It’s a really fast bike and it’s good to be learning on,” Drane said of the Krämer APX-350 MA. “It’s really light, so it’s easy to throw around on the track. It’s just a fun bike to ride.”
Team Roberts’ Kody Kopp, the most heralded of the flat trackers with three AFT Singles Championships on his resume and three-time World Champion Kenny Roberts in his corner, was fourth-fastest. Kopp, like the rest of the testers, did his best lap – a 1:21.304 – in the final session on Tuesday.
San Marcos Iron Doors 316 Rossi Motorsports’ Rossi Garcia rounded out the top five at the conclusion of the test. Garcia was .995 of a second from Black’s fastest lap.
The eight riders who took part in the test turned a total of 1,206 laps over the two-day test. Krämer, meanwhile, had five employees and a semi at the test to help where needed with the APX-350 MAs.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Talent Cup, Super Hooligan National Championship, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
Dustin Coyner using an excavator to remove a section of the Turn One wall on the new course at Buttonwillow Raceway.
Workers at Buttonwillow Raceway are demolishing a wall outside Turn One on the new, additional course at the facility adjacent to Interstate 5 in Buttonwillow, California, about 30 miles west of Bakersfield.
TrackDaz promoter Dustin Coyner worked with the track and the Roadracing World Action Fund to get Airfence soft barriers deployed in front of the wall for the first motorcycle event on the new track, held on February 15-16. Coyner then convinced track officials to remove the wall entirely.
The Airfence will be deployed in other areas of the new course.
After two days of testing in Portimao ahead of the Pirelli Portuguese Round, the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Ducati factory riders will walk away with a mixed bag of results. While both riders in red looked fast in the limited time available, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) looks to be getting closer to his 2024 form than it seemed in Phillip Island. In the case of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), while he saw half the already limited amount of track time due to his decision not to test on Friday, he looked uncharacteristically slow in his Day 2 time, finishing ninth.
Many of the grid’s Ducati riders enjoyed a very strong start to the season. Phillip Island’s Round 1 saw Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) earn his career-first WorldSBK hat-trick, propelling himself out to an early lead in the Riders’ Championship. Alongside him in the garage, Alvaro Bautista had a strong weekend, finishing P3 in Race 1, and P2 in Race 2, the only hiccup coming in the Tissot Superpole Race, in which he finished in P19 after a Turn 6 crash set him far behind the rest of the grid.
Unfortunately, once again, rain made its presence felt in Portuguese testing, giving déjà vu to the preseason event held here in late January. In essence, the rainfall limited teams to half days each day, a tough break for what has already been a limited preseason. While the rain was present, riders had more dry running time than they saw in the prior preseason event. Here are some of the takeaways for the pair in their own words:
While Bulega earned P2 on both days, he was fortunate that he walked away from the test uninjured as in Turn 11, he crashed off of the track requiring a trip to the medical center, while they gave him the all-clear shortly after, it ate into his already limited time on track. On his experience across the testing days, Bulega said “it was a bit of a difficult test for us because we worked hard to find a good feeling, but it didn’t arrive. This morning [Day 2] I had a big crash on a very fast corner here in Portimao. Fortunately, I am good, but it was more difficult to work because we lost some time as a result, then later the rain made it a difficult and strange test. At the end of the session, the last 15 minutes, we were a bit better; we still have lots of work to do but in the end, we were a lot better.”
Alvaro Bautista elected to only take to the track on Saturday’s Day 2, and despite being uncharacteristically low on the time sheet, the veteran rider does not seem concerned about his odds in the upcoming Portuguese Round. “We were able to do some laps, especially in the morning, we started the day with the same setup that we finished the last round with, in Australia.” said Bautista, “The feeling was good, I felt good on the bike. We made some small changes but nothing big. In the afternoon with the rain, the feeling was a bit worse because I couldn’t feel the tires as easily. In general, in the morning I felt good, the pace wasn’t too bad, but we will have to see what the conditions will be like on the race weekend, we prepared the base setup and we will adapt the package from there.”
More, from a news release by WorldSBK:
Toprak Razgatlioglu debriefs with his BMW team at Portimao. Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
On the heels of a difficult season opening weekend in Phillip Island, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team knew their work was cut out for them. 2024’s defending Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu looked a step slower than his usual self, and Michael van der Mark struggled to place within the scoring positions, landing a pair of P14’s in Race 2 and the Tissot Superpole Race after a Turn 1 crash ruled him out of Race 1. Fortunately for the German team, at Portimao test event held March 14-15th ahead of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Pirelli Portuguese Round seemed to bear fruit with a step forward in terms of pace and feeling.
On top of what was already a complicated preseason thanks to poor weather across both testing events first in Jerez then in Portimao; BMW was dealt a tough hand as they needed that time on track more than most in order to fine-tune their newly homologated M 1000 RR. Phillip Island has never been a particularly strong circuit for either rider, as only Toprak has won one race there, and that sole race win was in 2020 during his time with Yamaha. This 2025 season-opening trip Down Under was fraught with issues as both riders seemed to struggle with the new bike.
In Portimao however, BMW look to have turned a new leaf, with both riders not only being fast, but consistently fast. Both riders prior in their careers have enjoyed more success at Portimao than at Phillip Island. Michael van der Mark won the Superpole Race here in 2021. Toprak for his part has won six races here and earned rostrum finishes another 7 times. BMW Team Manager Shaun Muir was pleased to see the progress exhibited by his riders.
“We’re back in Portimao, which has always been a strong reference for us,” said Muir. “Despite some lost track time due to the weather, both riders managed an average of 50 laps per day, so we can’t be too disappointed. Michael had a solid test, working through a list of setup items and making steady progress. On the other side of the garage, Toprak focused on re-establishing his base setting, quickly finding a strong race pace while fine-tuning his setup. His 10-lap race runs have been some of the most consistent we’ve seen with this package. With only three fully productive pre-season test days before Australia, these two days have been an important extension of that work. The team has made clear progress, and we’re seeing growing confidence in both riders. Now, with two weeks until the race, we feel we have a solid base to build on and are in a much stronger position heading into FP1.”
While the new M 1000 RR platform certainly still lacks polish, and there is more to yet improve, the test results after Day 2 in Portimao certainly seems to have put wind in BMW’s sails. While rain again made an appearance in Portimao across both days of testing, both days had at least a portion of the day in which the track was dry, a key for BMW’s mission to return to their 2024 form. While it is of course uncertain the weather which will be present in two weeks’ time for the race weekend, it is certainly a good sign for the German manufacturer’s factory team that their riders are closer to being back on pace for their stated goal of winning both the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Championship this year. BMW Motorrad Technical Director Chris Gonschor gave his impressions following their positive finish after two days of testing in Portimao.
Gonschor said: “We are happy to be back in Europe, back in Portimao after a successful race last year. It’s a beautiful track, and luckily, we had some sun. It was a bit more complicated again, but we got some dry laps in, and we could prepare the race bikes for the weekend. We are looking forward to the race. Both riders in the top four with consistent lap times was a big step forward. Coming back to Portimao is always great, and this rollercoaster racetrack is very demanding—for the riders, for the engineers—but fascinating for the fans. So, it’s perfect to be here, and it was good to have, like I said, a few hours in dry conditions to prepare the race setup and application.”
More, from a news release by WorldSBK:
Augusto Fernandez (37). Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock welcomed Augusto Fernandez (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to the paddock for his first ever WorldSBK event at the test days in Portimao. Fernandez joined the team after Jonathan Rea suffered a several fractures in his left foot after a crash prior to the Australian Round. He remains without an official timeline, but it was announced shortly after Rea returned to Europe that he would miss the Pirelli Portuguese round, hence the arrival of Fernandez.
Rea’s highside crash in Phillip Islands Turn 2 sent his Yamaha R1 cartwheeling down onto his left foot, culminating in the Spanish 2022 Moto2 champion being called in to replace the six-time champion Rea. Fernandez has since been a test driver in MotoGP as well as a grid rider for Red Bull GasGas Tech3 from 2023-2024, his best result coming in his rookie year when he took home a 4th place finish from Le Mans. Only becoming a WorldSBK rider a matter of weeks ago, Fernandez has had his work cut out for him in adapting to the different style of bike, however in testing so far, Fernandez hasn’t been far off pace, so far landing a pair of P13 finishes after the two days of testing in Portimao.
On the differences between the bikes and the things he’s needed to adapt to, Fernandez said “The tires are a big thing, they’re completely different to what I’m used to. Then of course, the bike is different…A lot of things, but I’m getting used to it, I’m happy with the team, I want to thank them for the job they’ve done, it hasn’t been an easy two days but we’ve managed to learn a lot from these days and we’re still not 100% ready for the race, but we will get there.”
The test in Portimao ahead of Round 2’s action was highly anticipated by not only Fernandez who is still acclimating to WorldSBK, but by a grid of teams who didn’t have adequate time to prepare for the season thanks to inclement weather mitigating testing potential in the preseason. Now that these two days are in the books, unfortunately the rain has played a considerable role in the events on-track for Fernandez and the rest of the grid. Rain aside, 27-year-old Fernandez is taking the bull by the horns and accepting the challenge.
“We didn’t have the best of weather, so not a lot of track time, but in the end luckily, we had the last hour. It was an important one because we had some things on our mind that we wanted to try out and to forward the learning process.” said Fernandez “I’m happy how everything went, we managed to improve the lap time at the very end, so I’m happy about that. Now to just continue getting to know the team and trying to get ourselves ready for the race weekend.”
More, from another release by WorldSBK:
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy WorldSBK.
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) looks to have taken a step in his riding atop his KB998 Rimini in his performance on Day 2 of testing at Portimao’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
Day 2 saw him take a step forward, trading his Day 1 P7 for a Day 2 P3. The conditions in the test looked to finally be dry, allowing the grid for the grid get some dry running time after a rainy pair of days in Portimao in late January. This was the case for the first half of the day, however just before lunch, the weather turned. Sporadic rainfall sent riders to the garage for most of the afternoon apart from the last half hour when the track was finally dry enough for riders to push.
A start to not only the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbikes World Championship season, but to the latest chapter in Bimota’s WorldSBK racing history took place last round, in Australia. Atop their new bike, Alex Lowes and his teammate Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) rang in the manufacturer’s return well, with Lowes earning a Pair of 8th place finishes in Races 1 and 2, as well as a P7 in the Tissot Superpole Race. Since then, Lowes was consistent on his Day 1 P7, and in Day 2, he looked to be even more comfortable, taking a step forward and landed in P3 late in the afternoon session.
On his feeling with the bike, Lowes said, “Today I felt good on the bike, honestly these two days have probably been the best I’ve felt so far on the Bimota, which is positive and normal as we’re learning and improving it all the time. It’s a little bit of a shame about the weather as we’re still testing items rather than focusing on track-specific settings. I wanted to do a long run and we had quite a few things on the schedule but you can’t change the weather, so I enjoyed it, the guys did a fantastic job and we’re slowly improving.”
The poor weather today and throughout much of the preseason’s testing threw a wrench in the plans of many teams, however it is hard to imagine a team was more affected by the lack of time on track than Bimota who were unveiling their completely new KB998. Despite that, Lowes and Bassani have been competitive all through preseason and Australia. While the pair of star riders certainly hold a share of the credit for this, Lowes and his team are interested in developing their package as far as they can take it.
“Today on the agenda, a lot of the focus was on the front of the bike. Geometry settings we hadn’t been able to explore, different stiffnesses on the front, some positive, some negative. I think we only managed 35-40 laps, [45 laps] so that was all we managed to get through. The main takeaway for the test was an improved feeling on the front of the bike, that was my target after Philip Island where I didn’t feel like I could pass the other riders, so that was a positive. The negative is I still need to improve the rear grip, especially on the fresh tires, I feel like from lap 10 onwards we’re really strong but we’re missing that initial lap time. In general, it’s been a positive test, I feel good going into the second round in Portimao, I hope to make a step forward on the results from Phillip Island. Nothing crazy, but we can improve on our results and work really hard, hopefully battling close to the top six. Who knows if we can achieve more than that but first we need to analyze the results from this test and put it all together.”
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
June 15, 2025
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
