The first event of the 2024 NEMRR season featured beautiful New England Spring weather and a host of talented riders looking to prepare for the 101st running of the Loudon Classic in June.
Observers noted that that there were no less than five winners of MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike races in the paddock, including one member of the visiting contingent from
Canada. That notable rider was none other than two-time MotoAmerica Champion and former Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas, who was riding both a Suzuki GSX-R600 and a Suzuki RM-Z450 motard bike throughout the weekend. As many other top riders did in 2023, Dumas was preparing to challenge for his share of the $250,000 purse for the 101st Loudon Class on June 7-9.
“I really love this track,” Dumas noted. “It’s a lot of fun on both of my motorcycles and I’m looking forward to coming back again next month.”
Dumas entered multiple events over the weekend, carding victories in both the Unlimited Supersport and Middleweight Supersport classes.
During the riders meeting on Saturday, another legendary rider was honored with a very special gift. Rick Doucette, who has won a record 104 NEMRR championships and is the 13-time #1 plate holder for the series, has been riding in Vanson leathers for 30 seasons. Rick, also known by the nickname “Elvis”, was presented with a beautiful custom suit fashioned to match his new Stars and Stripes-themed Yamaha R6, which carries with it the sense of the flair of his famed rock and roll icon namesake. Vanson is the longest standing supporter of the series, with the Fall River, MA company known throughout the world for their hand-crafted leather garments and racing suits.
Rick was deeply honored by the generous gesture, noting “I’ve been with Vanson for a number of years, and since I’m not a small guy that’s a lot of leather! This is an incredible honor and those of us around here know that there’s no suit you can buy that will last longer than a Vanson. This thing is awesome!”
Rick Doucette in his new custom Vanson leathers. Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy NEMRR.
On the track, the action was fast and furious as cool mornings (and a bit of moisture on Sunday morning) gave way to beautiful sunshine each afternoon. Standouts for the weekend, included winners of three or more races, were Micheal Zoner on his Kramer 690, Brett Guyer on his Aprilia RS 660, and Renee Franco on her Kawasaki Ninja 400.
The feature race of the weekend, the Seacoast Sport Cycle Dash for Cash, featured a stacked field of riders that had the paddock buzzing all weekend long. As NEMRR grids riders at the first event of the year by points from the previous season 2023 Champion Eli Block was starting from pole position, but stacked up at the back of the field were a group of contenders including recent MotoAmerica stars like Dumas, Teagg Hobbs, and Ben Gloddy, plus the talented Tyler Sweeney (who had bested Block in a previous race) multi 2023 winner Ian Beam and the fastest grandfather in the paddock, Eric Wood.
At the drop of the flag, Block took off like a rocket, and the chase was on. Of the riders gridded at the back row, Wood got the best launch, coming around the first lap in fifth place. Hobbs found himself in eighth, followed by Dumas, Sweeney and Gloddy in
10th-12th. By the end of lap two, Wood had moved past the likes of Doucette, Paul Duval and Beam into second place and set his sights on Block, who had already stretched out a good sized gap on the field.
While Wood set after Block, Sweeney was making big progress charging through the field. By lap five Wood has closed up to the back tire of Block, and Sweeney made the pass on the Triumph of Beam to move onto the podium. Wood spent a few laps sizing up Block before making a run up the inside of Turn Two as Block ran wide on the exit on lap seven. The lead pair extended their gap on the rest of the field in the closing laps, finishing with only five bike lengths between them and 11 seconds clear of the field.
Wood had spent the last eight seasons on 1000cc motorcycles, and as such was thrilled to win his first Dash for Cash back after a nine-year hiatus from the feature race of the NEMRR weekends.
“I didn’t know if we were going to be able to pull this off,” Wood noted on the podium. “We had a great motorcycle and our Dunlop tires worked fantastic from start to finish, but we were met with some challenges all weekend and had a lot of help along the way. This field was stacked and it felt really good to get this win.”
In addition to his win in the feature race, Wood took his Demsomaniacs-powered Ducati 848 to victory in all of his other classes throughout the weekend, amassing five wins in total. Wood, along with all the other top riders in the field, are all looking forward to competing in the 101st Loudon Classic June 7-9. The event will not only feature a record breaking $250,000 purse and a field of top Moto America riders in 2024, but this year’s event will also showcase a $50,000 ASRA Outlaw Bagger class for the scores of American-made motorcycle fans attending the historic Laconia Bike week to enjoy as well.
RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP: KRISTIAN DANIEL JR BRINGS THE USA A TOP 10 FINISH
Kristian Daniel Jr has a strong Rookies Cup season opener in Jerez
Circuito de Jerez – The 18th season of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup championship kicked off at the Circuito de Jerez, and 15-year-old American Kristian Daniel Jr (KDJR) made a strong statement in his first race weekend by securing a top-10 finish.
In a championship that has promoted MotoGP riders like Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, and Joan Mir, the competition level is extremely high in the Rookies Cup. The seven-race series is held alongside different MotoGP races throughout Europe and sees 26 riders from over 15 different countries compete on spec KTM 250cc race machines. With the playing field being even, the rider makes the difference and Kristian Daniel Jr showed some great potential in his first race in the series.
Friday, two 25-minute practice sessions were held and KDJR was already showing signs of good pace, finishing the sessions 11th and eighth, respectively. Friday afternoon, a 20-minute qualifying practice was held, which gave the riders about 12 laps to get their fastest laps in and secure their places on the grid. The young American was able to qualify eighth on the grid, which meant he’d start the two Rookies Cup races from the middle of the third row.
Race One kicked off Saturday afternoon on a drying Jerez race track, making the race one of attrition. KDJR got off the line well, making his way up to sixth place by lap two. While trying to defend into the last corner, the young Californian was nudged off line onto a damp patch, which resulted in a big highside crash. Fortunately, he walked away with nothing more than a sore thumb and shoulder.
KDJR was determined to accomplish the goal he had set out at the beginning of the weekend, which was to finish in the top 10! By the fourth corner of lap one, the American teenager was already up into fifth position and showing enough pace to challenge for the podium. The race started at 8:45 AM, and it was quite a bit colder than the day before. With a slightly anxious throttle hand, KDJR overused the tired by lap seven of 14 and ended up dropping back to tninh position. After a good battle between him and another over the last few laps, Daniel crossed the finish line in 10th position, making it a great debut in his first season as a Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup rider!
The next round will be held the weekend of May 11th and 12th in Le Mans with MotoGP!
Fabio Di Giannantonio was quickest during an official post-race MotoGP test Monday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian lapped the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:36.405.
Maverick Vinales was second-best with a 1:36.492 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP, and Franco Morbidelli posted the third-fastest lap time, a 1:36.527, on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
The top 18 riders, with Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo coming in 18th, were within 1.033 seconds of each other on the final time sheets.
This post will be updated with more news as it becomes available.
Jerez Test: Diggia pips Viñales to P1, Yamaha unveil new-look bike
A load more laps are clocked in as fresh parts are tested by several factories at the Official MotoGP™ Jerez Test
Fabio Di Giannantonio. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Monday, 29 April 2024
That’s a wrap for the annual MotoGP™ Jerez Test, and ending the day quickest is Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian’s 1:36.405 was enough to pip Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) to top honours. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) was third on his GP24, and there were more headlines made as Yamaha roll out their highly-anticipated, fresh-looking YZR-M1.
Here’s a full rundown of what’s been seen in Jerez, factory by factory.
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
Visibly, there wasn’t too much to report from the Bologna camp. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was trying some different geometry settings, which is normal for test days. With 43 laps under his belt, Pecco clocked by far the least laps – 17 fewer than the next lowest, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing). Signs of confidence, perhaps? You’d lean towards thinking that given the #1 was P4 and under two tenths away from P1.
Enea Bastianini ended the day in P9, with ‘The Beast’ completing 65 laps in Jerez. There wasn’t much to go off on Bastianini’s side of the garage too, as Ducati worked quietly and away from the spotlight.
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING
Quiet isn’t a word that can be used to describe Jorge Martin’s day. After crashing from the lead on Sunday, one of the #89’s GP24 suffered an issue during the Test. That forced Martin to miss over an hour of action and then towards the end of the day, the Spaniard crashed at Turn 9. He was all OK, but it wasn’t a smooth day at the office. Nevertheless, 71 laps were completed and Martin finished in P10. Better fortunes will be hoped for when the Championship leader lands in Le Mans.
Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Teammate Morbidelli was busy working on ergonomics as the Italian took part in his first Ducati test since Valencia last year. Unsurprisingly, Morbidelli lapped 82 times as he notched up some crucial Ducati mileage that will now stand him in better stead for the rest of the season. And Morbidelli was quick. P3 signals a job well done.
PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM
After Marco Bezzecchi’s Spanish GP P3 and Di Giannantonio topping the Jerez Test timesheets, things are looking much more promising for the riders in the yellow corner.
New parts aren’t going to be landing in the laps of the GP23 riders, so testing is all about trying new settings and playing around to see if gains can be made. P1 for Diggia and P13 for Bezzecchi is how VR46 head home from the Test.
GRESINI RACING MotoGP™
Marc Marquez has 71 more laps of Ducati knowledge under his belt as Sunday’s P2 finisher claimed P5 on Monday, with the eight-time World Champion leaving Jerez a happy rider after the few days he’s had in Andalucia.
The same can be said for Alex Marquez. The #73 clocked an aesthetically pleasing 73 laps while in Test mode, and a P8 to go with it suggests a positive day was had for the two-time World Champion.
APRILIA RACING
Having been given the run-out during the Spanish GP by test rider Savadori, Aleix Espargaro tested the Noale factory’s new ride-height device. On the other side of the box, Maverick Viñales was trying Aprilia’s halfway-house rear tail unit – it has the diffuser like what Espargaro uses, but the top surface of it is rounded like the ’23-spec tail unit that Viñales prefers. It’s a mix of both that Viñales and Espargaro gave a go.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
A late time attack – and 80 laps later – saw Viñales propel himself into P2, with Espargaro sitting P7 after a 66-lap stint in Jerez.
TRACKHOUSE RACING
As expected, Raul Fernandez got his leg over Aprilia’s 2024 RS-GP for the first time. The Spaniard’s best time was set on his usual ’23-spec though, a lap that placed him P12 overall.
Raul Fernandez (25) trying out a 2024-spec Aprilia RS-GP. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Following a promising Sunday outing in Jerez, Miguel Oliveira completed 74 laps and ended the Jerez Test in P15. The Portuguese star, like Viñales and Espargaro, was testing Aprilia’s hybrid rear tail unit.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
One of the notable topics to talk about when it comes to the KTM stable is the updated side fairing aero. Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta at Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 were spotted giving it a go, with the former ending the Test fastest of the Pierer Mobility Group full-time quartet. The South African claimed P6, 0.2s away from the summit following a very late personal best lap.
Jack Miller. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jack Miller finished the day in P17 having completed 73 laps, with the Australian admitting that they didn’t fully find a solution to KTM’s chatter/vibration issues. More work to be done in that department for the Austrian factory ahead of Le Mans.
It was good to have Pol Espargaro back on track too as the KTM test rider put in a 68-lap shift for the Austrian marque. The #44 finished P19 on the timesheets as we get set to welcome him to the grid for a wildcard appearance at the Italian GP.
RED BULL GASGAS TECH3
It was an important day for Augusto Fernandez as the Spaniard hunts for a more comfortable base set up on his GASGAS machine. The #37 was P22 at the end of play, but testing is more than setting a quick time. It’s about testing new parts and settings, and Fernandez was seen sporting KTM’s new front fender. A crash in the closing 15 minutes at Turn 7 for Fernandez wasn’t what the doctor ordered, but aside from that, hopefully it was a good day’s work.
On the other side of the box, Acosta finished the Jerez Test in P11, just under half a second shy of Diggia’s fastest time. As well as the aforementioned fairing, Acosta spent a bit of time lapping with the different air intake that we saw Daniel Pedrosa using during the Spanish GP. Between the GASGAS duo, 140 laps were completed. Valuable.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MotoGP™
Needless to say, plenty of attention was pinned on the Japanese factory. Yamaha unveiled a sizeable aero update for Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins to put through its paces, which consisted of a triple-element front wing in a similar style to what they have now. New aero on the side fairing was also seen, and as Team Manager Maio Meregalli mentioned in the midday live, a new chassis was part of the plan too.
Alex Rins. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Rins ended the Test in P14, his best lap coming at the end of his 73-lap outing, with Quartararo notching up 84 laps and finishing in P18. Speaking to motogp.com after the Test, Rins admitted he didn’t feel the new chassis was a step forward as Yamaha’s turning issues remain. Not ideal.
IDEMITSU/CASTROL HONDA LCR
Equally under the attention spotlight were Honda. After witnessing the changes on Stefan Bradl’s RC213V over the Spanish GP, it was the turn of Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) to give the new bike a go. The latter only did a handful of laps on the updated spec version in the afternoon before he was back to work on his standard machine.
Nakagami ended the Test as the quickest HRC rider in P16, 0.9s away from Diggia’s pace. While that looks a tad more positive, Nakagami admitted to motogp.com that the new bike “didn’t change much”. Not what Honda wanted to hear.
Zarco was P20 and claimed the accolade of completing the most laps of any rider – 88.
REPSOL HONDA TEAM
Having tried the updated RC213V in a private test in Barcelona prior to the Spanish GP, Joan Mir and Luca Marini focused on other things in the Jerez Test. The latter was busy testing one of the new chassis that Bradl was testing, but Marini was using it with Honda’s standard aero – not the new one. The Italian also changed back to Honda’s lower profile rear wing they were using at the beginning of pre-season testing.
Luca Marini (10). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mir had two standard spec Hondas on his side of the garage and between the factory duo, 134 laps were fulfilled. Mir said they tried a “different concept” of bike, now we’ll see if that’s the direction they’ll take.
So that’s it from Jerez for another year! A phenomenal Grand Prix weekend followed by an intriguing Official Test sets us up very nicely for a trip to another all-time classic venue: Le Mans. See you there!
More, from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team:
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO IS THE FASTEST IN THE JEREZ TEST
A solid and positive day for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in Andalucía. Fabio finishes in P1, while Marco Bezzecchi is 13th
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), April 29th 2024 – A few hours to celebrate the first podium of the 2024 season and already time to get back at work for the riders of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, busy today in a day of official testing on the Andalusian track. Fabio Di Giannantonio is very fast and finishes with the best overall lap time, while Marco Bezzecchi is 13th.
Back on the Ducati Desmosedici GP after yesterday’s good seventh place, Fabio is increasingly consistent and doesn’t take long to pick up the pace of the strongest guys and scores an excellent 1’36.405, a lap time that means a gap of about one tenth to the P2. 70 laps completed and more and more confidence with the new Team.
Among the first to get on track after the first podium of the season and capable of a big step forward over the entire weekend, Marco signs a best of 1’36.920 (78 laps completed). Five tenths from the top of the standings and lots of data to analyse before the next event, in just two weeks, on the historic Le Mans track.
MARCO BEZZECCHI – 72
I’m satisfied, we did a lot of testing in terms of setting and position. Some solutions that we had already seen at the first tests of the year but which we had not had time to test in the race. The tarmac conditions were optimal, however I didn’t do a time attack. It’s a shame about the small crash at turn 5, we lost a bit of time but we recovered towards the last hour. Let’s analyse all the data towards Le Mans.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO – 49
Our first test in MotoGP, which we finished in first place, is still a good feeling. We did a good job on the flying lap, even if we didn’t try to do it, but the track was very fast and the time came with the medium at the rear. We also did a lot of tests, it was a busy day with the Team, but we have very clear ideas about what we need and we know how to interpret the data. Ducati is supporting us, they brought us some small new parts to try. The GP23 is very powerful, aggressive, almost brutal and we have made a step on corner entry, on how to stop the bike better. I am satisfied.
More, from a press release issued by Castrol LCR Honda:
Busy test for Johann Zarco in Jerez
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco completed the Jerez test on Monday.
The one-day test scheduled in Jerez after the Grand Prix has allowed Zarco and the crew to try a new aero package, various chassis-related items, and new geometries on the bike. The rider and the crew have been analyzing the different performances to improve ahead of the crucial upcoming races.
Johann Zarco 20th
“We’ve tested many items today as we are working on fixing some areas on the bike. There is potential, and I like this challenge, but a few changes must be made to fight for better positions. Today, I’ve focused on getting the maximum feedback to help HRC find the right direction”.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Busy day of running in Jerez for the Repsol Honda Team
Joan Mir and Luca Marini completed 134 laps between them to end the post-race Jerez Test in 21st and 23rd respectively, the pair working through a variety of items for HRC.
There was no time to rest for the Repsol Honda Team as they were back on track in the south of Spain for the fourth straight day. The first official in-season test of the year offered both Mir and Marini a chance to work for the future as they aim to improve their speed.
Mir would end the day in 21st place thanks to a best lap of 1’37.784. He completed a total of 62 laps before ending in the late afternoon. Working across several different avenues, the #36 was content with the information gathered and the effort shown by HRC’s engineers.
Like his teammate, Marini’s main focus was on confirming the direction for the future as he completed 72 laps with a best time of 1’38.153. The Italian focused on improving his feeling on the bike while supplying feedback on a number of items also trialled by Mir.
Riders and team will now prepare for the next round of the World Championship, the French GP at the Le Mans circuit, May 10 to 12. The French track, best known for two and four wheeled endurance racing, has been on the calendar since 2000 and attracts some of the biggest crowds of the season.
Joan Mir
21ST 1’37.784
“Today we tried a lot of different things. The lap time doesn’t show any of the difference but I really feel like we are closer to making a step as it’s clear the direction we need to go. Today was not about improving the lap time, but it was about preparing and building for the future where we can make a step. It was good to improve the general feeling with the bike and I have to say I am happy with the effort that Honda is showing to us.”
Luca Marini
23RD 1’38.153
“It was a busy Monday for us here in Jerez. Honda brought many things for us to try and we worked throughout the day to get everything done. We have been able to do a lot for the future. We are still far from where we need to be, but Honda is not resting.”
More, from a press release issued by Idemitsu LCR Honda:
Nakagami completes the Jerez test
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami classified 16th on Monday at the Jerez test.
The one-day test scheduled in Jerez after the Grand Prix has allowed Nakagami and the crew to try a new aero package, some chassis-related items, and new geometries. The rider and crew have been analyzing the different performances to improve ahead of the upcoming races.
Takaaki Nakagami 16th
“We did more than 80 laps today, and they all were instrumental in understanding what is now the path to follow. I thank HRC for its effort; with some changes, we believe we will squeeze the bike’s potential at some point. All the Honda riders have had the same feeling, which is positive to improve”.
More, from a press release issued by Trackhouse Racing:
Trackhouse Racing – MotoGP Test Report
Circuit of Jerez, Spain: Track length: 2.75 miles / 4.42 kilometers
Air Temperature: 53.6°F / 12°C
Track Temperature: 69.8°F / 21°C
Session: 10am – 6pm
Sunshine, a cool south-westerly breeze and empty grandstands welcomed the MotoGP teams back to Jerez for its first in-season test day of the 2024 season.
Following a double points result – #88 Miguel Oliveira in 8th and #25 Raul Fernandez in 11th – for the Trackhouse Racing Team in the Spanish Grand Prix the previous afternoon at Jerez in front of more than 144,000 race day fans, America’s MotoGP outfit got back to business with a busy test program through the single day of open track time.
#25 Raul Fernandez – Raul had his first taste of the Aprilia GP-RS24 – the same bike that his teammate, Miguel Oliveira, has been campaigning since the start of the season. The runs completed during the middle part of the day on the new bike were an opportunity for Raul to gain some experience on the latest spec of Aprilia’s MotoGP technology. No date has been set for when Raul will make the switch from the GP-RS23 to the latest factory model but his reaction to the bike was positive.
The runs that Raul made on his current bike showed gains in qualifying trim and fresh tires and with fine tuning in the electronics settings.
Completed: 66 Laps – 181.5 miles / 291.72 kilometers
Best lap: 1’36.905 (Pos 12th)
Top speed: 181.8 mph / 292.6 km/h
#88 Miguel Oliveira – Today saw Miguel run 74 laps with a number of adjustments to aero, chassis and electronics, primarily aimed on finding consistency. Progress on the Trackhouse Aprilia GP-RS24 was positive and the set-up showed solid pace on used tires with some questions left to answer on extracting more performance from the soft rear Michelin tires.
Completed: 74 Laps – 203.5 miles / 327.08 kilometers
Best lap: 1’37.063 (Pos 15th)
Top speed: 181.8 mph / 292.6 km/h
Next stop for Trackhouse Racing MotoGP Team is the French Grand Prix: Le Mans – May 9 – 12.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“We were really focused on our usual bike today. After yesterday, we had a lot to try on my actual bike and I’m happy with the work we did. Riding the new bike was like tasting candy – I did just two runs with the 2024 machine and it was good, I did a 1:37 which I am happy with and I think there is more potential. It’s not easy to adapt to this bike quickly, especially to understand the aerodynamics. It was better, but it will take some time and we don’t want to get confused as I’ll still have to wait some rounds before I get the new one, so we are fully focused on our RS-GP 2023. I’m happy with my current bike, which we were working on mostly today, especially on the electronic side and the information we gathered today will surely help us in the future.”
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I tried a bit of everything; electronics, geometry, suspension, so it was a full day and I had the opportunity to make good steps with the feeling of the bike. I also had good pace; always very competitive lap times so I am happy about that. At the end of the day, we couldn’t have the best bike with the new tires but we had other priorities to test, so it was ok for me. For part of the day, we were really focused on trying to get the best performance out of a soft rear tire but, for some reason today, it was not possible for us. It also seemed like it was difficult for other riders so no stress. We go to Le Mans with a positive feeling and a good test in the pocket.”
WILCO ZEELENBERG – TEAM MANAGER
“We had very good conditions in Jerez today and managed to get through everything we wanted. Both riders felt more control and better than in the race, so we learned something. Of course, nearly everybody was faster than on Sunday because there was a lot of rubber on the asphalt. Raul was quite surprised about the 2024 RS-GP – he said there’s a lot of potential and it stops better than his current bike, so this is positive and of course, to go faster with this machine, he needs more time on it, but certainly interesting to see. He’s hungry to do better but he will not have that bike until around middle of the season so he has to be patient. Aprilia is still developing and they want four bikes that are exactly the same for the end of the year which, I think, is a great target. On the other side, Miguel improved his lap time. He was quite happy; a 37.0 with the medium rear, good pace and a good feeling. He said the problem is the soft tire that he’s not able to make work well enough to qualify better. His race yesterday was very good, he had a great start and strong pace to finish in front of Maverick, who won the race in Austin and if you compare it in that sense, we should be satisfied with the eighth position. Overall, we learned a number of important things today, some points to develop with and hopefully we can use them in Le Mans and they work in the same way.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS:
ACOSTA AND FERNANDEZ COMPLETE KEY JEREZ TEST WITH POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS AHEAD OF UPCOMING ROUNDS
After a record-breaking Gran Premio de España which saw 296 741 fans come watch MotoGP™ at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez were not quite over yet with their Andalusian adventure, as a busy day of testing was awaiting them on Monday morning.
The Jerez MotoGP™ Official Test came just after the first four rounds of the season, and was the opportunity for rookie Pedro Acosta to work on the areas of improvements following a first assessment of the rookie’s beginnings in the premier class. On the shark’s menu today, there was an aero evolution brought by Pierer Mobility, a focus on the ride-height device and some ground work on the bike’s setting. The sun was out setting the stage for a testing day with decent track conditions, so the number 31 did not wait long to get on with the work as he kicked off his day at 10:15 this morning. With positives and negatives to feedback to the engineers, Acosta had done 33 laps at lunch time with a best lap in 1’37.224, 0.819 seconds from the top. A quick lunch break while keeping his leather on, Acosta’s style, a few changes on the bike and the Spaniard was back at it again in no time. He completed another 42 laps to bring his total of laps to 75, with a best in 1’36.893 which placed him eleventh of the Jerez Test. A great day of work accomplished by the rookie! Some much deserved rest now awaits him after an extremely demanding Spanish Grand Prix, before he heads to another busy one, the team’s home race, in Le Mans.
Augusto Fernandez was looking forward to this important day of testing with the team after a tough start to his second campaign in MotoGP™, in addition to a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix. The number 37 tried many different settings as he continued to look out for solutions to be more competitive on the 2024 RC16. Amongst the areas worked on, there was also a focus on the ride-height device, the shock, and some extra work on the clutch following yesterday’s race. At lunch time, Augusto had done 43 laps with a best in 1’37.904, and he managed to grab a few thousandths in the afternoon with a 1’37.850, as he completed a total of 65 laps today. A late crash just before the end called it a day. It is now time to process all the data gathered during these eight hours on track, and get back to work as Fernandez hopes to be heading to Le Mans with a new base of work.
Pedro Acosta
Position: 11th
Time: 1’36.893
Laps: 75
“We made many laps, tried many things, including a new fairing and some details in the setting. In MotoGP, with some very tiny changes, you can gain some tenths, so every improvement is a positive. It was also important to do more laps here in Jerez as we struggled a bit more in some areas this weekend, and today allowed us to address the small issues we had. Anyway, we end this day with many positives, and we are ready for the next round in le Mans.”
Augusto Fernandez
Position: 22nd
Time: 1’37.850
Laps: 65
“Hard day of testing, but very important for us. We are still on the lookout for a set up that will help us improve our feeling in general, to be faster and more competitive. I am still not fast enough, but I am not unhappy about our day. We were able to narrow down our options, we pointed out the things that are not working, and this is a positive for us, because it is going to guide us to a solution that will work, we are getting closer to our target, and it is what helps me keep the motivation.The process is slow, we are going through a hard time at the moment, but we are not giving up. I want to say sorry to my team for the late crash today, and thank them for the work. We will rest a bit and get ready for Le Mans, a track that I like a lot, and it was a good GP for us last season.”
Nicolas Goyon
Team Manager
“Traditionally, the Jerez Test is always very important as it is the first one after the season’s launch, so we work on the current package, we try to find different options and develop some parts for the season, and this is just what we did today. On Pedro Acosta’s side, we had different parts from our to-do-list to try, and we found some positives in the aero configuration which gave him extra confidence, in addition to a different shock setting. We did not get faster than the weekend, but it was not the target, our goal was to develop the bike for the next rounds. Pedro feels more comfortable with the bike, which is positive for us. On Augusto Fernandez’ side, we focused on trying to find different configurations to give him the confidence he has desperately been looking for since the start of the season. We tried many things, pushed a bit more as we had more time than on a race weekend, and we are happy because we found something that he liked. We will keep this base for Le Mans, and start from there. Time to pack, and head to the next round in France!”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Productive Day of Testing for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 29th April 2024
JEREZ TEST
One day after the Gran Premio de España, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team returned to the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto for a full-on day of testing from 10:00 – 18:00 local track time (GMT +2). Riders Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo wrapped up the day in 14th and 18th place respectively in the overall timesheets.
LOCAL TIME: 18:00 GMT+2
AIR TEMPERATURE: 20°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE: 40°C
WEATHER: SUNNY / HUMIDITY 41%
MORE CIRCUIT INFO
14th Á. RINS 1’37.024 / 73 LAPS
18th F. QUARTARARO 1’37.438 / 84 LAPS
Following the Gran Premio de España, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo resumed work at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto during the one-day Jerez MotoGP Official Test. Making the most of today’s perfectly sunny conditions, the duo put in a great effort to gain as much data as possible. They focused on trying a new chassis, a new aeropackage, and some electronic settings, all with the goal of improving the bike’s turning. At the end of a productive day, they finished in 14th and 18th place respectively in the overall results.
Rins enjoyed trying updated parts during the test. Having completed many laps at Jerez the days prior, he was in a perfect position to draw a comparison between the standard 2024 and the newly updated items. Once he completed his evaluation he gave one final push. His best time, a 1’37.024s, set on lap 73/73, put him in 14th position in the Jerez Test timesheets, 0.619s off the fastest time.
Quartararo was highly motivated to make steps during the eight hours of available track time. He dropped under the 1’38s mark quite early on, clocking his fastest time of the day, a 1’37.438s, on lap 18/84. However, his attention was more on gathering data related to bike improvement. Yet, the effort did hold him in 18th place in the overall test rankings, with a 1.033s gap to first.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action from 10 – 12 May for the Michelin Grand Prix de France in Le Mans. After the French GP, the team plan to travel to Italy for a private test at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello to build upon the Jerez Test findings.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director
It was a busy test. The list of items we brought here was long, so we had to prioritise the three most important ones: the aeropackage, the chassis, and some electronics settings, the latter we unfortunately couldn’t try earlier. Basically, we went through the testing plan step by step, going over these items. We are always trying to improve the turning with the chassis and the aerodynamics. Today, we were able to find the information we were looking for. After Le Mans, we will move on to Mugello for hopefully two more days of testing where we will evaluate all the items again because we want to be sure. We want to test the items at more than one track to avoid making a mistake. If the results of both riders at the private test in Mugello are the same, and they are happy, the target will be to introduce a bike update at the GP round in Barcelona or else in Mugello. We’ve exploited today’s test as much as we could, and now we leave all the information to the engineers for them analyse, and we’ll start action again in ten days’ time.
ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
For sure it was a really positive test today! We tried some items: an aeropackage, a new chassis, and we also worked on the electronics side. Fabio and I rode together for a bit, just to understand the difference. He was riding with the standard aero and I was riding with the new one, and we wanted to see the positive and negative points, just to collect information. Honestly, the new aeropackage is something I like. I’m riding in a good way with this aeropackage, but we can’t have it for Le Mans just yet because the engineers need more time. But they are going to work on it. Regarding the chassis, that part I didn’t like that much, so we need to work on that some more, and I’m looking forward to it.
FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
It was a long day! We had many items to test and took away a lot of information. We tested a new chassis, a new aero, some electronics as well. We gathered a lot of data but, of course, we need more time before coming to a conclusion. We will also have a private test in Mugello to get to know more. We just finished the test here, so we have to analyse all the data well before Le Mans. I think there are some positives but, naturally, there are also some things that we need more time for to make it work. But I think that maybe for Le Mans we can already start to introduce some new things.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
The Ducati Lenovo Team resumes action in Jerez de la Frontera for a day of official testing
Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini took to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto once again to tackle a day of official post-race testing. The reigning World Champion, who won the Spanish GP held just yesterday at the Andalusian track, began his program about an hour into the session, mostly focusing on testing a different setup configuration. With a best time of 1:36.589, Bagnaia ended the session in fourth position after completing a total of 43 laps.
Teammate Enea Bastianini, who finished fifth in yesterday’s race, also started his test day early but was partially slowed by a crash at Turn 7, which fortunately left him without consequences. Enea was able to resume his program shortly after, mainly focusing on finding a setup that would allow him to have better sensations under braking. The rider from Rimini declared himself satisfied and ended his day with the ninth best time of 1:36.792, after completing 65 laps.
“It was definitely a positive day. Last Friday, we had already tested some things, so today, we didn’t have many new items to try. However, we were able to confirm all the good feelings we had during the race weekend. Additionally, we focused on a different setup configuration that could prove useful in the future on tracks with low grip. Overall, I am satisfied with today’s progress.”
“Today was an important day for us. It didn’t start easily, as I made a mistake and crashed at Turn 7 after just an hour. However, I quickly regained confidence with the bike. We tested some new solutions, and I really liked them. My pace improved lap by lap, and I was able to maintain consistency. Now, I can also brake hard, so I am very happy with how things went.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team will return to the track for the fifth round of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship from May 10-12 at the Le Mans for the French Grand Prix.
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing:
RED BULL KTM KEEP MOTOGP™ THROTTLES OPEN FOR BUSY JEREZ TEST
2024 Motorsport news
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rolled up the pitbox doors for the fourth day in a row at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto to take profit of the excellent climate and work on more present and future test items for the KTM RC16s. At the end of the eight-hour session Brad Binder had logged the 6th best lap-time – two tenths of a second from P1 – while Jack Miller ranked 17th and less than a second from the top. Test rider Pol Espargaro was 19th fastest.
Only hours after the Gran Premio de España, the orange Red Bull bikes were again burning rubber around the 13 corners of Jerez. The work schedule concentrated on analysis of issues and questions that arose from the 25-lap race the previous day but also experimentation with aerodynamics (fairing parts), suspension settings, ride height devices and the clutch.
Brad and Jack were joined by Pol, who continued his own separate duties with a view to the future shape of the KTM RC16. Binder clocked 64 laps from 10.00 until the end of the session at 18.00 and posted a 1 min 36.6 to be 6th quickest for the day and 0.234 from 1st place. Miller broke the timing beam 73 times at Jerez with the 17th fastest effort: 0.950 from P1. Espargaro made 68 laps and was 1.1 seconds from the top spot.
Now onto Le Mans. Round five will take place at the revered circuit for the Grand Prix de France from May 10-12.
Brad Binder, 6th: “Today was a quite a good day. We had some aero packages to go through to collect some information and keep pushing that side of the project. A little bit with set-up and a different setting for the rear shock that made the bike a bit more stable, which is always great especially at a track like this with the change of direction. We focused on things we can use moving forward next week. With aero you can win in some areas and lose in others so it’s important to take the comments and the data and work on the benefits. Now we can leave here and put things together.”
Jack Miller, 17th: “We worked through a lot today. Played around with the bike a lot. We still need to tackle the vibration issue when the track has a lot of grip and when you make a lot of changes there are a lot of other effects, so we had to find the balance and I think we made some headway. I tested some things today that I’m happy with. Things in MotoGP can change in a heartbeat. We’ll keep our heads down and keep working away.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We had things to test in pretty much every area of the bike! It’s been a long weekend. Good conditions but it got windy later in the day. We made some interesting discoveries that we might use soon. We had a small delay with the aero but also worked on the suspension and ride height devices. This was one of three tests we have this season, so it was important, and we gathered the data we needed. With our riders we worked on the short-term competitiveness but Pol – and Dani this past weekend – were working on the mid-term. Overall, a good day.”
Sebastian Risse, Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP: “We just finished a very intense and productive test. We focused a lot on updates that we can still bring this year, which means the impending aero update but also other items like electronics, engine parts for even more performance and also suspension. We shared the test items around the group, so when we found something positive we could carry it over to the others to confirm. It means we have a complete picture for the items’ performance across the riders and we’ve quite positive it will have some effect in the next races.”
BS Battery returns as CSBK Pole Position Award sponsor for 2024
Sherbrook, QC – Importations Thibault and BS Battery are pleased to officially announce the renewal of their partnership with the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship for the 2024 season. After a successful collaboration in 2023 and 2022, BS Battery will continue its role as the sponsor of the Pole Position Award, honouring the top competitors in the series for a third consecutive year.
The BS Battery Pole Position Award remains a prestigious symbol within the racing community, recognizing the Pro Superbike rider who achieves the fastest qualifying lap at each championship event. The upcoming year promises unparalleled levels of competition, with the country’s best riders racing for victory.
BS Battery is a major player in the original equipment and replacement parts market, offering an extensive range of batteries with all the technologies available for all powersports applications.
Benjamin Sebban, General Manager of BS Battery, expresses satisfaction with the continuation of this collaboration: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Importations Thibault and to once again support the Bridgestone CSBK series. This association provides us with an ideal platform to showcase our products to a wider audience and engage in conversation with the racing community. We are confident that the upcoming season will be a resounding success and look forward to seeing the champions emerge.”
Dave Oakley, Director of Business Development at Importations Thibault, shares this enthusiasm for the continuation of this alliance: “We are pleased to extend our partnership with BS Battery for another year. We take pride in contributing to this exceptional series of races and supporting the powersport community. Our commitment to quality and excellence remains at the heart of our actions, and we are confident that this collaboration will continue to enhance the experience for spectators and participants.”
The BS Battery Pole Position Award is just one aspect of Importations Thibault and BS Battery’s enduring commitment to motorcycle racing in Canada. As the start of the Bridgestone CSBK season approaches, fans and riders can anticipate another exciting year filled with competition and thrills.
Francesco Bagnaia won the FIM MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 25-lap race by 0.372 second over Marc Marquez, who rode a Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
Marco Bezzecchi made it a Ducati sweep of the podium by taking third, 3.9 seconds behind Bagnaia, on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Desmosedici.
In fact, Ducati riders swept the top five finishing positions with Marquez’s teammate and younger brother Alex Marquez coming in fourth and Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini placing fifth.
Jorge Martin, the World Championship point leader coming into the race, crashed his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati and DNF.
Fermin Aldeguer won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the 18-year-old Spaniard won the 21-lap race by 1.287 seconds.
American Joe Roberts was the runner-up on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex, moving him into the World Championship point lead after four rounds.
Spaniard Manuel Gonzalez was a close third on his QJMOTOR Gresini Racing Kalex.
Collin Veijer won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna, the Dutch racer won the 19-lap race by 0.045 second over Spaniard David Munoz, who rode a BOE Motorsports KTM. Ivan Ortola finished a close third on his MT Helmets – MSI KTM.
Pole-sitter David Alonso crashed but was able to continue and salvage 11th place.
Carpe robs Danish in Jerez Rookies Race 2 Photo Finish
Another stunning race saw 0.242 seconds cover the top 5 at the end of 14 laps of Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup action in Race 2 at Jerez.
Hakim Danish made the perfect last corner move for the win but Álvaro Carpe picked up the Malaysian’s slipstream and timed a masterful pass right on the line to take victory with fellow Spaniard Brian Uriarte 3rd.
Álvaro Carpe with perfect judgement
“That was good, I think I made a very good race,” understated the 16-year-old from Murcia. “It was a big group with all the riders more aggressive than yesterday. Morelli had a very good pace, I was trying to follow him, I had a good feeling from my KTM but I was on the limit. In the last 5 laps, it got very slippery, especially in corners 7 and 8.”
“I got a good exit from the last corner, I had a perfect slipstream of Danish up through the gears as normal, 5th gear and I went to go out of the slipstream at the perfect moment, tucked in completely and I knew I had done it.”
“I felt even better with the bike than yesterday, the track was colder, still some damp patches but they were off the racing line so no problem for me.”
“I enjoyed this race so much. Like always I must say thanks to all the staff who do such a brilliant job and support us all.”
Hakim Danish almost had it
“The race was a very fast pace,” explained the 16-year-old from Terengganu, Malaysia. “I was able to improve from yesterday, not make the mistakes. Early in the race, I didn’t feel too good because I felt it was a bit slippery.”
“I tried to adapt, to change my style of riding and it worked. I tried to follow the front group and I could do it.”
“The last two laps of the race were quite difficult with a lot of overtaking. I managed to stay in the front group, overtake on the last lap and get in a position to win the race. I pushed to the line but I saw Alvaro’s bike beside me and I knew he crossed the line first.”
Brian Uriarte takes debut weekend podium.
“I enjoyed the race so much,” enthused the 15-year-old from Santander. “Marco at the beginning was pushing pretty hard. Danish pushed me off the racing line and it was a bit damp so I had to lift the bike. I struggled a bit but finally, I could battle for the win.”
“I took the risk for the win and went for it at the last corner but went a bit wide and they got inside me but I am still happy. Of course, I wanted the victory but this is not too bad.”
“It was a great race, a lot of slipstream and overtaking sliding and fighting. Great fun and an exciting start to the season.”
Màximo Quiles just misses the podium
“A very difficult race, I felt the bike moving around a lot,” stated the Spanish 16-year-old. “I still pushed, Morelli and I opened a gap. We tried to hold it but in the last five laps there was nothing left I couldn’t hold the front, especially in left turns I had to back off and I started to lose positions and the group went.”
“Then in the last 3 laps, I said, ‘Come on Max’ and I pushed as hard as I can. I caught the group again, I overtook everybody, I was up to 2nd position. Then on the last lap, we braked hard at the end of the back straight Carpe and me, we went wide, Carpe wider than me but he didn’t touch the wet, again I touched the wet and had a big slide.”
“Then I pushed to get back, in the last corner I passed Rico at least, I tried to overtake Brian for the podium but there was no drive left. I am happy because I had good rhythm and I got good points to start the season.”
Rico Salmela in the wrong place and 5th
“It was difficult for me at the start, it was super cold and sliding a lot,” explained the 16-year-old Finn. “In the end, I managed to catch the group but I am a bit angry with myself because in the last corner, Carpe had to cut the gas a bit and I had gone the wrong side of him to the right instead of the inside and I lost the possibility…. I don’t know what to say.”
Marco Morelli did the leading but 6th
“I’m happy with what I managed to do in the race, I pushed a lot, I did my best,” said the Argentine 16-year-old who had won Saturday’s Race 1. “But towards the end, the bike was sliding a lot, with three laps to go it was really battling to ride the bike the way I wanted.”
“I pushed a lot from the beginning to get in front and maybe I pushed too much for the tyres. With these things I learn so maybe in the next race I will push but not so much and leave a bit for making a big effort in the final laps.”
“Still a great start to the season, one victory and in Race 2, all the time running in the front so I am happy for the way things are going, keep rolling.”
Ruche Moodley frustrated with double long-lap penalty
“I didn’t jump start, I really didn’t, we have a video and you can see that I didn’t,” stated the exasperated 17-year-old South African. “So I don’t know why I got a double long lap penalty. It’s very disappointing. We give it our maximum and then we get a penalty……”
Jones powers to Superbike double at Queensland Raceway
Yamaha pilot Mike Jones has returned to his searing best with a double victory in the Alpinestars Superbike class at round three of the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK).
Once the 30-year-old gets into the groove, he’s extremely hard to contain, and so it was again today at Queensland Raceway as he waltzed to victories in both 16-lap Superbike races on his Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1.
His perfect scorecard – which also included a bonus point for pole position – saw him move up two spots in the seven-round championship race. He’s now third on 112.5pts, behind Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati, 144.5) and his teammate Cru Halliday (115).
“It was a perfect weekend for me, and I can’t thank the Yamaha Racing Team enough,” said Jones.
“We had a really good test leading up to this round, but with such stiff competition nothing is ever a given.
“I hope we provided great entertainment for the fans, and I’m now looking forward to continuing my strong form in the next round at Morgan Park.”
Second overall in round three was Max Stauffer (Penrite Racing Yamaha), ahead of reigning Alpinestars Superbike champion Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati).
Stauffer was a revelation, nailing the holeshot in both races on his way to 2-3 results, while Herfoss finished with a 4-2 scorecard just a week after returning from racing commitments in America.
Alpinestars Superbike race one
Stauffer scored the holeshot from the front row and held the lead until lap eight before Jones took over the running after setting a new lap record of 1:07.434 during his reign-in mission – a whopping 0.4 seconds under Bryan Staring’s 2022 benchmark. And just to reinforce that he was in a hot zone, Jones then uncorked a near identical 1:07.437 on the very next lap…
After making short work of Stauffer and with clear air in front of him, it was then a matter of how far for Jones as he greeted the flag by nearly 2.5 seconds for his first win since the Morgan Park round of the 2023 championship.
“I was a little bit nervous at the start when I saw Stauffer take off, but I was able to find some extra speed to close the gap,” said Jones.
“It was still a really tough race, but it’s great to get back on the winner’s list as it’s been a while since we’ve had some success.”
With Stauffer ensconced in second, the battle for third was tight for most of the 16-lap journey between ASBK legends Herfoss, Waters and Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) – a total of nine Superbike titles between them.
Allerton eventually fell into the clutches of Haliday with a few laps remaining, while the arm wrestle between Herfoss and Waters boiled down to the very last turn.
Herfoss then slowed after his bike began running out of fuel, and that was enough for Waters to slip past his long-time rival to extend his 2024 podium stretch to six races.
Halliday, Allerton, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Arthur Sissis (Stop & Seal Yamaha) and Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) completed the top 10
Alpinestars Superbike race two
This time Jones hit the front with more haste, passing Stauffer on lap three. Even though Stauffer and then Herfoss kept Jones’ Yamaha in sight for most of the journey, the end result was always inevitable with the #46 Yamaha holding all the aces.
Jones defeated Herfoss – who had swept past Stauffer on lap nine – by nearly three seconds, with Stauffer third from Waters, the very impressive Sissis, Halliday, Allerton and Staring.
Pearson and 16-year-old rookie Cameron Dunker (Penrite Racing Yamaha) saw out the top 10, with the race ending badly for local star West after he crashed at turn four on the final lap.
Ahead of the next round at Morgan Park Raceway from July 12-14, the top three in the championship – Waters, Jones and Halliday – are followed in the standings by Stauffer (98pts), Pearson (97.5) and Herfoss (84).
Jones was also seriously fast at Morgan Park in 2023, so could the Yamaha rider make it another double there? It could certainly be a season-defining round for a number of riders in what has already been a fascinating championship.
Jett Lawrence Nabs Philadelphia Supercross Win and Extends Points Lead
Max Anstie Grabs Victory at Pennsylvania’s First-Ever 250SX Class Race
Philadelphia, Pa. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence grabbed the Holeshot and was never challenged for the lead to win Round 15 of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The victory, his seventh of the year, extends the rookie’s championship points lead to 12 with two rounds remaining.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton put down impressive laps late in the race to claw his way up to second place inside Lincoln Financial Field. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson used a risky charge on an outside line going into the final corner to grab the final spot on the podium. In the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie won a thrilling, must-see Main Event that delivered intense thrills.
Jett Lawrence (18). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“There’s only really one option with the start is: get a good start and be up there. And on this track, that’s a little difficult to pass [on], it definitely helped [to get the Holeshot]. Nailed my start finally and I know we’re still focusing on each race. I mean, [the] job’s not done yet so we’re going to stay focused and make sure we execute these last two rounds.” – Jett Lawrence
“I might have found some of my speed back in that Main Event. I had some good laps, came from pretty far back and, especially on a track like this that’s really hard to pass on, I feel like I made the best of it. Yeah, we made some big [adjustments] this week on the bike, and it seemed to pay off somewhat. So we’ll go back to work, keep improving, and [we] gotta get another win before the season’s out. I think I’m starting to get back to my normal form, and we’re looking forward to these last two rounds and heading into outdoors.” – Chase Sexton
“I wish I knew. I’ve just been, you know, working hard with the team, just trying to get better, get the bike better, me be better. I had that little mid-season [period] where I wasn’t riding that good and it’s nice to be back up here. I couldn’t do it without the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team; man, we’ve been working our butts off… I’m excited to keep going and let’s keep charging!” – Jason Anderson, when asked what made the difference recently with his improved speed.
The Eastern Regional 250SX Class held its final non-Showdown event of the season and it was one of the most exciting races the class has yet to deliver. Max Anstie fought forward for the win after exiting the first turn in fifth place. It was Anstie’s first win of the season. The series points-leader, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, got off to a bad start and had to push forward from outside the top ten. He eventually reached second place to extend his points lead to 15 with one round left in the season, the East/West Showdown at the finale in Salt Lake City. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan stalked Vialle as they both moved through the pack throughout the race. Deegan secured a third-place finish at the checkered flag and sits second in points in the championship.
Max Anstie (37). Photo courtesy Feld motor Sports.
“Man, I know you Philly crowd were cheering for Seth [Hammaker, who lead early in his hometown race]… It was so loud. It was crazy. I heard the crowd going wild and then I looked back and he wasn’t there, and I don’t know what happened. But man, obviously it was an exciting race. We needed this, my whole crew: Firepower, Yarrive my boss is over [from Australia], Marty [Davalos]; we’ve had a great couple of years, and we needed this this week. They’ve had a bit of rough week so [I’m] proud to give it to ‘em. I’m happy to get this done and looking forward to the final round in Salt Lake in a couple of weeks.” – Max Anstie
“I had a bad start and I was like, ‘Alright, this is going to be tough.’ And I actually saw Haiden was just in front of me, so I was like, ‘Okay, we are together in that.’ And we actually had a really good race. We came back from almost dead last to right behind Max. And no, I kept Haiden [for] the whole race behind me [after passing him on the opening lap]; that was my goal. And we did it. It was hard, but we pushed ‘till the end and I’m really proud of my ride tonight, and I really want to thank the team for the hard work, and everyone here. Philadelphia the city is awesome, actually, and thanks to everyone here.” – Tom Vialle
“If this race right here didn’t make you a fan of Supercross I don’t know what will. That was literally heart from every rider out there ‘till the end. That was gnarly. A lot of the good guys had a bad start, man, and we came through. Dudes were taking each other out over there [gestures to sand section]. I hope Pierce [Brown] is alright; that was exactly what I did at Daytona, just a gnarly cross rut [mistake] and it throws you off… I did go out there to win and it sucks obviously [not winning], but it was a good race, coming from the back. [We showed] good speed out of me and Tom; we had fun out there. I gave him a wheel every here and there but he’s a tough opponent and I respect [him], and I respect Max, too… To go out here and win in this supercross field is a gnarly deal. But going to the last round we’re going to try our best. It’s not over ‘till it’s over. But I’m still young, I have a big career ahead of me, but you know we’re going to fight ‘til the end. I got to give glory to God, man he’s by my side all the time watching over me and pushing me every day, and also my whole team… thank you guys.” – Haiden Deegan
With only two rounds now remaining, the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross season sprints toward its climax with two rounds over the next two consecutive weekends. Round 16 hits Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on May 4th. The event returns to the standard evening schedule and opening ceremonies commence at 4:30PM local (Mountain) time.
Every Supercross race in the 17-round season also pays points toward the SuperMotocross World Championship, which brings the heightened excitement of a post-season to the sport. The SuperMotocross League, in only its second year, totals up the Monster Energy AMA Supercross points and the AMA Pro Motocross season points. The post-season racing seeds the top 20 riders in each class, enters riders in positions 21-30 into a Last Chance Qualifier race at each post-season round, then re-sets the points to the equivalent of one Supercross event payout. Riders outside the top 30 who win a Supercross Main Event (or Triple Crown overall) or a Pro Motocross moto will also be seeded into the LCQ group of riders. Point payouts escalate over three rounds in September with the Final determining one SuperMotocross World Champion in each class.
Every race of the 28-round SuperMotocross World Championship, plus two round playoff and World Championship Final will be streamed live and available on-demand on Peacock. CNBC will air next-day encore presentations of each round, and select races will also be broadcast or streamed on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Live audio coverage for each Supercross race can be found on SiriusXM Channel 85, NBC Sports Audio. International coverage is available through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) live and on-demand, in both English and Spanish.
Nothing compares to experiencing the racing in-person, and Supercross tickets are on sale now for both remaining Monster Energy Supercross events. For ticket information and event details, as well as video highlights, race results, feature stories, and more, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
Monday, April 29 at 9am ET the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross auction kicks off, benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Race-worn jerseys, pants, helmets, goggles, and bike plastics from the sports top racers are donated to the online auction in an effort to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Fans can find the link to bid at supercrosslive.com/st-jude.
Eric Wood (5). Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy NEMRR.
April 27-28, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The first event of the 2024 NEMRR season featured beautiful New England Spring weather and a host of talented riders looking to prepare for the 101st running of the Loudon Classic in June.
Observers noted that that there were no less than five winners of MotoAmerica/AMA Superbike races in the paddock, including one member of the visiting contingent from
Canada. That notable rider was none other than two-time MotoAmerica Champion and former Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas, who was riding both a Suzuki GSX-R600 and a Suzuki RM-Z450 motard bike throughout the weekend. As many other top riders did in 2023, Dumas was preparing to challenge for his share of the $250,000 purse for the 101st Loudon Class on June 7-9.
“I really love this track,” Dumas noted. “It’s a lot of fun on both of my motorcycles and I’m looking forward to coming back again next month.”
Dumas entered multiple events over the weekend, carding victories in both the Unlimited Supersport and Middleweight Supersport classes.
During the riders meeting on Saturday, another legendary rider was honored with a very special gift. Rick Doucette, who has won a record 104 NEMRR championships and is the 13-time #1 plate holder for the series, has been riding in Vanson leathers for 30 seasons. Rick, also known by the nickname “Elvis”, was presented with a beautiful custom suit fashioned to match his new Stars and Stripes-themed Yamaha R6, which carries with it the sense of the flair of his famed rock and roll icon namesake. Vanson is the longest standing supporter of the series, with the Fall River, MA company known throughout the world for their hand-crafted leather garments and racing suits.
Rick was deeply honored by the generous gesture, noting “I’ve been with Vanson for a number of years, and since I’m not a small guy that’s a lot of leather! This is an incredible honor and those of us around here know that there’s no suit you can buy that will last longer than a Vanson. This thing is awesome!”
Rick Doucette in his new custom Vanson leathers. Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy NEMRR.
On the track, the action was fast and furious as cool mornings (and a bit of moisture on Sunday morning) gave way to beautiful sunshine each afternoon. Standouts for the weekend, included winners of three or more races, were Micheal Zoner on his Kramer 690, Brett Guyer on his Aprilia RS 660, and Renee Franco on her Kawasaki Ninja 400.
The feature race of the weekend, the Seacoast Sport Cycle Dash for Cash, featured a stacked field of riders that had the paddock buzzing all weekend long. As NEMRR grids riders at the first event of the year by points from the previous season 2023 Champion Eli Block was starting from pole position, but stacked up at the back of the field were a group of contenders including recent MotoAmerica stars like Dumas, Teagg Hobbs, and Ben Gloddy, plus the talented Tyler Sweeney (who had bested Block in a previous race) multi 2023 winner Ian Beam and the fastest grandfather in the paddock, Eric Wood.
At the drop of the flag, Block took off like a rocket, and the chase was on. Of the riders gridded at the back row, Wood got the best launch, coming around the first lap in fifth place. Hobbs found himself in eighth, followed by Dumas, Sweeney and Gloddy in
10th-12th. By the end of lap two, Wood had moved past the likes of Doucette, Paul Duval and Beam into second place and set his sights on Block, who had already stretched out a good sized gap on the field.
While Wood set after Block, Sweeney was making big progress charging through the field. By lap five Wood has closed up to the back tire of Block, and Sweeney made the pass on the Triumph of Beam to move onto the podium. Wood spent a few laps sizing up Block before making a run up the inside of Turn Two as Block ran wide on the exit on lap seven. The lead pair extended their gap on the rest of the field in the closing laps, finishing with only five bike lengths between them and 11 seconds clear of the field.
Wood had spent the last eight seasons on 1000cc motorcycles, and as such was thrilled to win his first Dash for Cash back after a nine-year hiatus from the feature race of the NEMRR weekends.
“I didn’t know if we were going to be able to pull this off,” Wood noted on the podium. “We had a great motorcycle and our Dunlop tires worked fantastic from start to finish, but we were met with some challenges all weekend and had a lot of help along the way. This field was stacked and it felt really good to get this win.”
In addition to his win in the feature race, Wood took his Demsomaniacs-powered Ducati 848 to victory in all of his other classes throughout the weekend, amassing five wins in total. Wood, along with all the other top riders in the field, are all looking forward to competing in the 101st Loudon Classic June 7-9. The event will not only feature a record breaking $250,000 purse and a field of top Moto America riders in 2024, but this year’s event will also showcase a $50,000 ASRA Outlaw Bagger class for the scores of American-made motorcycle fans attending the historic Laconia Bike week to enjoy as well.
American Kristian Daniel Jr. (70) battles for a top-10 position with Ruche Moodley (11), Rico Salmela (27), and Valentin Perrone (73) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP: KRISTIAN DANIEL JR BRINGS THE USA A TOP 10 FINISH
Kristian Daniel Jr has a strong Rookies Cup season opener in Jerez
Circuito de Jerez – The 18th season of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup championship kicked off at the Circuito de Jerez, and 15-year-old American Kristian Daniel Jr (KDJR) made a strong statement in his first race weekend by securing a top-10 finish.
In a championship that has promoted MotoGP riders like Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, and Joan Mir, the competition level is extremely high in the Rookies Cup. The seven-race series is held alongside different MotoGP races throughout Europe and sees 26 riders from over 15 different countries compete on spec KTM 250cc race machines. With the playing field being even, the rider makes the difference and Kristian Daniel Jr showed some great potential in his first race in the series.
Friday, two 25-minute practice sessions were held and KDJR was already showing signs of good pace, finishing the sessions 11th and eighth, respectively. Friday afternoon, a 20-minute qualifying practice was held, which gave the riders about 12 laps to get their fastest laps in and secure their places on the grid. The young American was able to qualify eighth on the grid, which meant he’d start the two Rookies Cup races from the middle of the third row.
Race One kicked off Saturday afternoon on a drying Jerez race track, making the race one of attrition. KDJR got off the line well, making his way up to sixth place by lap two. While trying to defend into the last corner, the young Californian was nudged off line onto a damp patch, which resulted in a big highside crash. Fortunately, he walked away with nothing more than a sore thumb and shoulder.
KDJR was determined to accomplish the goal he had set out at the beginning of the weekend, which was to finish in the top 10! By the fourth corner of lap one, the American teenager was already up into fifth position and showing enough pace to challenge for the podium. The race started at 8:45 AM, and it was quite a bit colder than the day before. With a slightly anxious throttle hand, KDJR overused the tired by lap seven of 14 and ended up dropping back to tninh position. After a good battle between him and another over the last few laps, Daniel crossed the finish line in 10th position, making it a great debut in his first season as a Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup rider!
The next round will be held the weekend of May 11th and 12th in Le Mans with MotoGP!
Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo courtesy VR46 Racing Team.
Fabio Di Giannantonio was quickest during an official post-race MotoGP test Monday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici, the Italian lapped the 2.7-mile (4.4 km) course in 1:36.405.
Maverick Vinales was second-best with a 1:36.492 on his factory Aprilia RS-GP, and Franco Morbidelli posted the third-fastest lap time, a 1:36.527, on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
The top 18 riders, with Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo coming in 18th, were within 1.033 seconds of each other on the final time sheets.
This post will be updated with more news as it becomes available.
Jerez Test: Diggia pips Viñales to P1, Yamaha unveil new-look bike
A load more laps are clocked in as fresh parts are tested by several factories at the Official MotoGP™ Jerez Test
Fabio Di Giannantonio. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Monday, 29 April 2024
That’s a wrap for the annual MotoGP™ Jerez Test, and ending the day quickest is Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) as the Italian’s 1:36.405 was enough to pip Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) to top honours. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) was third on his GP24, and there were more headlines made as Yamaha roll out their highly-anticipated, fresh-looking YZR-M1.
Here’s a full rundown of what’s been seen in Jerez, factory by factory.
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
Visibly, there wasn’t too much to report from the Bologna camp. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was trying some different geometry settings, which is normal for test days. With 43 laps under his belt, Pecco clocked by far the least laps – 17 fewer than the next lowest, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing). Signs of confidence, perhaps? You’d lean towards thinking that given the #1 was P4 and under two tenths away from P1.
Enea Bastianini ended the day in P9, with ‘The Beast’ completing 65 laps in Jerez. There wasn’t much to go off on Bastianini’s side of the garage too, as Ducati worked quietly and away from the spotlight.
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING
Quiet isn’t a word that can be used to describe Jorge Martin’s day. After crashing from the lead on Sunday, one of the #89’s GP24 suffered an issue during the Test. That forced Martin to miss over an hour of action and then towards the end of the day, the Spaniard crashed at Turn 9. He was all OK, but it wasn’t a smooth day at the office. Nevertheless, 71 laps were completed and Martin finished in P10. Better fortunes will be hoped for when the Championship leader lands in Le Mans.
Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Teammate Morbidelli was busy working on ergonomics as the Italian took part in his first Ducati test since Valencia last year. Unsurprisingly, Morbidelli lapped 82 times as he notched up some crucial Ducati mileage that will now stand him in better stead for the rest of the season. And Morbidelli was quick. P3 signals a job well done.
PERTAMINA ENDURO VR46 RACING TEAM
After Marco Bezzecchi’s Spanish GP P3 and Di Giannantonio topping the Jerez Test timesheets, things are looking much more promising for the riders in the yellow corner.
New parts aren’t going to be landing in the laps of the GP23 riders, so testing is all about trying new settings and playing around to see if gains can be made. P1 for Diggia and P13 for Bezzecchi is how VR46 head home from the Test.
GRESINI RACING MotoGP™
Marc Marquez has 71 more laps of Ducati knowledge under his belt as Sunday’s P2 finisher claimed P5 on Monday, with the eight-time World Champion leaving Jerez a happy rider after the few days he’s had in Andalucia.
The same can be said for Alex Marquez. The #73 clocked an aesthetically pleasing 73 laps while in Test mode, and a P8 to go with it suggests a positive day was had for the two-time World Champion.
APRILIA RACING
Having been given the run-out during the Spanish GP by test rider Savadori, Aleix Espargaro tested the Noale factory’s new ride-height device. On the other side of the box, Maverick Viñales was trying Aprilia’s halfway-house rear tail unit – it has the diffuser like what Espargaro uses, but the top surface of it is rounded like the ’23-spec tail unit that Viñales prefers. It’s a mix of both that Viñales and Espargaro gave a go.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Dorna.
A late time attack – and 80 laps later – saw Viñales propel himself into P2, with Espargaro sitting P7 after a 66-lap stint in Jerez.
TRACKHOUSE RACING
As expected, Raul Fernandez got his leg over Aprilia’s 2024 RS-GP for the first time. The Spaniard’s best time was set on his usual ’23-spec though, a lap that placed him P12 overall.
Raul Fernandez (25) trying out a 2024-spec Aprilia RS-GP. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Following a promising Sunday outing in Jerez, Miguel Oliveira completed 74 laps and ended the Jerez Test in P15. The Portuguese star, like Viñales and Espargaro, was testing Aprilia’s hybrid rear tail unit.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
One of the notable topics to talk about when it comes to the KTM stable is the updated side fairing aero. Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta at Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 were spotted giving it a go, with the former ending the Test fastest of the Pierer Mobility Group full-time quartet. The South African claimed P6, 0.2s away from the summit following a very late personal best lap.
Jack Miller. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jack Miller finished the day in P17 having completed 73 laps, with the Australian admitting that they didn’t fully find a solution to KTM’s chatter/vibration issues. More work to be done in that department for the Austrian factory ahead of Le Mans.
It was good to have Pol Espargaro back on track too as the KTM test rider put in a 68-lap shift for the Austrian marque. The #44 finished P19 on the timesheets as we get set to welcome him to the grid for a wildcard appearance at the Italian GP.
RED BULL GASGAS TECH3
It was an important day for Augusto Fernandez as the Spaniard hunts for a more comfortable base set up on his GASGAS machine. The #37 was P22 at the end of play, but testing is more than setting a quick time. It’s about testing new parts and settings, and Fernandez was seen sporting KTM’s new front fender. A crash in the closing 15 minutes at Turn 7 for Fernandez wasn’t what the doctor ordered, but aside from that, hopefully it was a good day’s work.
On the other side of the box, Acosta finished the Jerez Test in P11, just under half a second shy of Diggia’s fastest time. As well as the aforementioned fairing, Acosta spent a bit of time lapping with the different air intake that we saw Daniel Pedrosa using during the Spanish GP. Between the GASGAS duo, 140 laps were completed. Valuable.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MotoGP™
Needless to say, plenty of attention was pinned on the Japanese factory. Yamaha unveiled a sizeable aero update for Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins to put through its paces, which consisted of a triple-element front wing in a similar style to what they have now. New aero on the side fairing was also seen, and as Team Manager Maio Meregalli mentioned in the midday live, a new chassis was part of the plan too.
Alex Rins. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Rins ended the Test in P14, his best lap coming at the end of his 73-lap outing, with Quartararo notching up 84 laps and finishing in P18. Speaking to motogp.com after the Test, Rins admitted he didn’t feel the new chassis was a step forward as Yamaha’s turning issues remain. Not ideal.
IDEMITSU/CASTROL HONDA LCR
Equally under the attention spotlight were Honda. After witnessing the changes on Stefan Bradl’s RC213V over the Spanish GP, it was the turn of Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda LCR) and Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) to give the new bike a go. The latter only did a handful of laps on the updated spec version in the afternoon before he was back to work on his standard machine.
Nakagami ended the Test as the quickest HRC rider in P16, 0.9s away from Diggia’s pace. While that looks a tad more positive, Nakagami admitted to motogp.com that the new bike “didn’t change much”. Not what Honda wanted to hear.
Zarco was P20 and claimed the accolade of completing the most laps of any rider – 88.
REPSOL HONDA TEAM
Having tried the updated RC213V in a private test in Barcelona prior to the Spanish GP, Joan Mir and Luca Marini focused on other things in the Jerez Test. The latter was busy testing one of the new chassis that Bradl was testing, but Marini was using it with Honda’s standard aero – not the new one. The Italian also changed back to Honda’s lower profile rear wing they were using at the beginning of pre-season testing.
Luca Marini (10). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mir had two standard spec Hondas on his side of the garage and between the factory duo, 134 laps were fulfilled. Mir said they tried a “different concept” of bike, now we’ll see if that’s the direction they’ll take.
So that’s it from Jerez for another year! A phenomenal Grand Prix weekend followed by an intriguing Official Test sets us up very nicely for a trip to another all-time classic venue: Le Mans. See you there!
More, from a press release issued by Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team:
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO IS THE FASTEST IN THE JEREZ TEST
A solid and positive day for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team in Andalucía. Fabio finishes in P1, while Marco Bezzecchi is 13th
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), April 29th 2024 – A few hours to celebrate the first podium of the 2024 season and already time to get back at work for the riders of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, busy today in a day of official testing on the Andalusian track. Fabio Di Giannantonio is very fast and finishes with the best overall lap time, while Marco Bezzecchi is 13th.
Back on the Ducati Desmosedici GP after yesterday’s good seventh place, Fabio is increasingly consistent and doesn’t take long to pick up the pace of the strongest guys and scores an excellent 1’36.405, a lap time that means a gap of about one tenth to the P2. 70 laps completed and more and more confidence with the new Team.
Among the first to get on track after the first podium of the season and capable of a big step forward over the entire weekend, Marco signs a best of 1’36.920 (78 laps completed). Five tenths from the top of the standings and lots of data to analyse before the next event, in just two weeks, on the historic Le Mans track.
MARCO BEZZECCHI – 72
I’m satisfied, we did a lot of testing in terms of setting and position. Some solutions that we had already seen at the first tests of the year but which we had not had time to test in the race. The tarmac conditions were optimal, however I didn’t do a time attack. It’s a shame about the small crash at turn 5, we lost a bit of time but we recovered towards the last hour. Let’s analyse all the data towards Le Mans.
FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO – 49
Our first test in MotoGP, which we finished in first place, is still a good feeling. We did a good job on the flying lap, even if we didn’t try to do it, but the track was very fast and the time came with the medium at the rear. We also did a lot of tests, it was a busy day with the Team, but we have very clear ideas about what we need and we know how to interpret the data. Ducati is supporting us, they brought us some small new parts to try. The GP23 is very powerful, aggressive, almost brutal and we have made a step on corner entry, on how to stop the bike better. I am satisfied.
More, from a press release issued by Castrol LCR Honda:
Busy test for Johann Zarco in Jerez
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco completed the Jerez test on Monday.
The one-day test scheduled in Jerez after the Grand Prix has allowed Zarco and the crew to try a new aero package, various chassis-related items, and new geometries on the bike. The rider and the crew have been analyzing the different performances to improve ahead of the crucial upcoming races.
Johann Zarco 20th
“We’ve tested many items today as we are working on fixing some areas on the bike. There is potential, and I like this challenge, but a few changes must be made to fight for better positions. Today, I’ve focused on getting the maximum feedback to help HRC find the right direction”.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Busy day of running in Jerez for the Repsol Honda Team
Joan Mir and Luca Marini completed 134 laps between them to end the post-race Jerez Test in 21st and 23rd respectively, the pair working through a variety of items for HRC.
There was no time to rest for the Repsol Honda Team as they were back on track in the south of Spain for the fourth straight day. The first official in-season test of the year offered both Mir and Marini a chance to work for the future as they aim to improve their speed.
Mir would end the day in 21st place thanks to a best lap of 1’37.784. He completed a total of 62 laps before ending in the late afternoon. Working across several different avenues, the #36 was content with the information gathered and the effort shown by HRC’s engineers.
Like his teammate, Marini’s main focus was on confirming the direction for the future as he completed 72 laps with a best time of 1’38.153. The Italian focused on improving his feeling on the bike while supplying feedback on a number of items also trialled by Mir.
Riders and team will now prepare for the next round of the World Championship, the French GP at the Le Mans circuit, May 10 to 12. The French track, best known for two and four wheeled endurance racing, has been on the calendar since 2000 and attracts some of the biggest crowds of the season.
Joan Mir
21ST 1’37.784
“Today we tried a lot of different things. The lap time doesn’t show any of the difference but I really feel like we are closer to making a step as it’s clear the direction we need to go. Today was not about improving the lap time, but it was about preparing and building for the future where we can make a step. It was good to improve the general feeling with the bike and I have to say I am happy with the effort that Honda is showing to us.”
Luca Marini
23RD 1’38.153
“It was a busy Monday for us here in Jerez. Honda brought many things for us to try and we worked throughout the day to get everything done. We have been able to do a lot for the future. We are still far from where we need to be, but Honda is not resting.”
More, from a press release issued by Idemitsu LCR Honda:
Nakagami completes the Jerez test
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami classified 16th on Monday at the Jerez test.
The one-day test scheduled in Jerez after the Grand Prix has allowed Nakagami and the crew to try a new aero package, some chassis-related items, and new geometries. The rider and crew have been analyzing the different performances to improve ahead of the upcoming races.
Takaaki Nakagami 16th
“We did more than 80 laps today, and they all were instrumental in understanding what is now the path to follow. I thank HRC for its effort; with some changes, we believe we will squeeze the bike’s potential at some point. All the Honda riders have had the same feeling, which is positive to improve”.
More, from a press release issued by Trackhouse Racing:
Trackhouse Racing – MotoGP Test Report
Circuit of Jerez, Spain: Track length: 2.75 miles / 4.42 kilometers
Air Temperature: 53.6°F / 12°C
Track Temperature: 69.8°F / 21°C
Session: 10am – 6pm
Sunshine, a cool south-westerly breeze and empty grandstands welcomed the MotoGP teams back to Jerez for its first in-season test day of the 2024 season.
Following a double points result – #88 Miguel Oliveira in 8th and #25 Raul Fernandez in 11th – for the Trackhouse Racing Team in the Spanish Grand Prix the previous afternoon at Jerez in front of more than 144,000 race day fans, America’s MotoGP outfit got back to business with a busy test program through the single day of open track time.
#25 Raul Fernandez – Raul had his first taste of the Aprilia GP-RS24 – the same bike that his teammate, Miguel Oliveira, has been campaigning since the start of the season. The runs completed during the middle part of the day on the new bike were an opportunity for Raul to gain some experience on the latest spec of Aprilia’s MotoGP technology. No date has been set for when Raul will make the switch from the GP-RS23 to the latest factory model but his reaction to the bike was positive.
The runs that Raul made on his current bike showed gains in qualifying trim and fresh tires and with fine tuning in the electronics settings.
Completed: 66 Laps – 181.5 miles / 291.72 kilometers
Best lap: 1’36.905 (Pos 12th)
Top speed: 181.8 mph / 292.6 km/h
#88 Miguel Oliveira – Today saw Miguel run 74 laps with a number of adjustments to aero, chassis and electronics, primarily aimed on finding consistency. Progress on the Trackhouse Aprilia GP-RS24 was positive and the set-up showed solid pace on used tires with some questions left to answer on extracting more performance from the soft rear Michelin tires.
Completed: 74 Laps – 203.5 miles / 327.08 kilometers
Best lap: 1’37.063 (Pos 15th)
Top speed: 181.8 mph / 292.6 km/h
Next stop for Trackhouse Racing MotoGP Team is the French Grand Prix: Le Mans – May 9 – 12.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“We were really focused on our usual bike today. After yesterday, we had a lot to try on my actual bike and I’m happy with the work we did. Riding the new bike was like tasting candy – I did just two runs with the 2024 machine and it was good, I did a 1:37 which I am happy with and I think there is more potential. It’s not easy to adapt to this bike quickly, especially to understand the aerodynamics. It was better, but it will take some time and we don’t want to get confused as I’ll still have to wait some rounds before I get the new one, so we are fully focused on our RS-GP 2023. I’m happy with my current bike, which we were working on mostly today, especially on the electronic side and the information we gathered today will surely help us in the future.”
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I tried a bit of everything; electronics, geometry, suspension, so it was a full day and I had the opportunity to make good steps with the feeling of the bike. I also had good pace; always very competitive lap times so I am happy about that. At the end of the day, we couldn’t have the best bike with the new tires but we had other priorities to test, so it was ok for me. For part of the day, we were really focused on trying to get the best performance out of a soft rear tire but, for some reason today, it was not possible for us. It also seemed like it was difficult for other riders so no stress. We go to Le Mans with a positive feeling and a good test in the pocket.”
WILCO ZEELENBERG – TEAM MANAGER
“We had very good conditions in Jerez today and managed to get through everything we wanted. Both riders felt more control and better than in the race, so we learned something. Of course, nearly everybody was faster than on Sunday because there was a lot of rubber on the asphalt. Raul was quite surprised about the 2024 RS-GP – he said there’s a lot of potential and it stops better than his current bike, so this is positive and of course, to go faster with this machine, he needs more time on it, but certainly interesting to see. He’s hungry to do better but he will not have that bike until around middle of the season so he has to be patient. Aprilia is still developing and they want four bikes that are exactly the same for the end of the year which, I think, is a great target. On the other side, Miguel improved his lap time. He was quite happy; a 37.0 with the medium rear, good pace and a good feeling. He said the problem is the soft tire that he’s not able to make work well enough to qualify better. His race yesterday was very good, he had a great start and strong pace to finish in front of Maverick, who won the race in Austin and if you compare it in that sense, we should be satisfied with the eighth position. Overall, we learned a number of important things today, some points to develop with and hopefully we can use them in Le Mans and they work in the same way.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Tech3 GASGAS:
ACOSTA AND FERNANDEZ COMPLETE KEY JEREZ TEST WITH POSITIVE IMPROVEMENTS AHEAD OF UPCOMING ROUNDS
After a record-breaking Gran Premio de España which saw 296 741 fans come watch MotoGP™ at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Red Bull GASGAS Tech3’s Pedro Acosta and Augusto Fernandez were not quite over yet with their Andalusian adventure, as a busy day of testing was awaiting them on Monday morning.
The Jerez MotoGP™ Official Test came just after the first four rounds of the season, and was the opportunity for rookie Pedro Acosta to work on the areas of improvements following a first assessment of the rookie’s beginnings in the premier class. On the shark’s menu today, there was an aero evolution brought by Pierer Mobility, a focus on the ride-height device and some ground work on the bike’s setting. The sun was out setting the stage for a testing day with decent track conditions, so the number 31 did not wait long to get on with the work as he kicked off his day at 10:15 this morning. With positives and negatives to feedback to the engineers, Acosta had done 33 laps at lunch time with a best lap in 1’37.224, 0.819 seconds from the top. A quick lunch break while keeping his leather on, Acosta’s style, a few changes on the bike and the Spaniard was back at it again in no time. He completed another 42 laps to bring his total of laps to 75, with a best in 1’36.893 which placed him eleventh of the Jerez Test. A great day of work accomplished by the rookie! Some much deserved rest now awaits him after an extremely demanding Spanish Grand Prix, before he heads to another busy one, the team’s home race, in Le Mans.
Augusto Fernandez was looking forward to this important day of testing with the team after a tough start to his second campaign in MotoGP™, in addition to a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix. The number 37 tried many different settings as he continued to look out for solutions to be more competitive on the 2024 RC16. Amongst the areas worked on, there was also a focus on the ride-height device, the shock, and some extra work on the clutch following yesterday’s race. At lunch time, Augusto had done 43 laps with a best in 1’37.904, and he managed to grab a few thousandths in the afternoon with a 1’37.850, as he completed a total of 65 laps today. A late crash just before the end called it a day. It is now time to process all the data gathered during these eight hours on track, and get back to work as Fernandez hopes to be heading to Le Mans with a new base of work.
Pedro Acosta
Position: 11th
Time: 1’36.893
Laps: 75
“We made many laps, tried many things, including a new fairing and some details in the setting. In MotoGP, with some very tiny changes, you can gain some tenths, so every improvement is a positive. It was also important to do more laps here in Jerez as we struggled a bit more in some areas this weekend, and today allowed us to address the small issues we had. Anyway, we end this day with many positives, and we are ready for the next round in le Mans.”
Augusto Fernandez
Position: 22nd
Time: 1’37.850
Laps: 65
“Hard day of testing, but very important for us. We are still on the lookout for a set up that will help us improve our feeling in general, to be faster and more competitive. I am still not fast enough, but I am not unhappy about our day. We were able to narrow down our options, we pointed out the things that are not working, and this is a positive for us, because it is going to guide us to a solution that will work, we are getting closer to our target, and it is what helps me keep the motivation.The process is slow, we are going through a hard time at the moment, but we are not giving up. I want to say sorry to my team for the late crash today, and thank them for the work. We will rest a bit and get ready for Le Mans, a track that I like a lot, and it was a good GP for us last season.”
Nicolas Goyon
Team Manager
“Traditionally, the Jerez Test is always very important as it is the first one after the season’s launch, so we work on the current package, we try to find different options and develop some parts for the season, and this is just what we did today. On Pedro Acosta’s side, we had different parts from our to-do-list to try, and we found some positives in the aero configuration which gave him extra confidence, in addition to a different shock setting. We did not get faster than the weekend, but it was not the target, our goal was to develop the bike for the next rounds. Pedro feels more comfortable with the bike, which is positive for us. On Augusto Fernandez’ side, we focused on trying to find different configurations to give him the confidence he has desperately been looking for since the start of the season. We tried many things, pushed a bit more as we had more time than on a race weekend, and we are happy because we found something that he liked. We will keep this base for Le Mans, and start from there. Time to pack, and head to the next round in France!”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Productive Day of Testing for Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in Jerez
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), 29th April 2024
JEREZ TEST
One day after the Gran Premio de España, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team returned to the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto for a full-on day of testing from 10:00 – 18:00 local track time (GMT +2). Riders Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo wrapped up the day in 14th and 18th place respectively in the overall timesheets.
LOCAL TIME: 18:00 GMT+2
AIR TEMPERATURE: 20°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE: 40°C
WEATHER: SUNNY / HUMIDITY 41%
MORE CIRCUIT INFO
14th Á. RINS 1’37.024 / 73 LAPS
18th F. QUARTARARO 1’37.438 / 84 LAPS
Following the Gran Premio de España, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Álex Rins and Fabio Quartararo resumed work at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto during the one-day Jerez MotoGP Official Test. Making the most of today’s perfectly sunny conditions, the duo put in a great effort to gain as much data as possible. They focused on trying a new chassis, a new aeropackage, and some electronic settings, all with the goal of improving the bike’s turning. At the end of a productive day, they finished in 14th and 18th place respectively in the overall results.
Rins enjoyed trying updated parts during the test. Having completed many laps at Jerez the days prior, he was in a perfect position to draw a comparison between the standard 2024 and the newly updated items. Once he completed his evaluation he gave one final push. His best time, a 1’37.024s, set on lap 73/73, put him in 14th position in the Jerez Test timesheets, 0.619s off the fastest time.
Quartararo was highly motivated to make steps during the eight hours of available track time. He dropped under the 1’38s mark quite early on, clocking his fastest time of the day, a 1’37.438s, on lap 18/84. However, his attention was more on gathering data related to bike improvement. Yet, the effort did hold him in 18th place in the overall test rankings, with a 1.033s gap to first.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP will be back in action from 10 – 12 May for the Michelin Grand Prix de France in Le Mans. After the French GP, the team plan to travel to Italy for a private test at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello to build upon the Jerez Test findings.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director
It was a busy test. The list of items we brought here was long, so we had to prioritise the three most important ones: the aeropackage, the chassis, and some electronics settings, the latter we unfortunately couldn’t try earlier. Basically, we went through the testing plan step by step, going over these items. We are always trying to improve the turning with the chassis and the aerodynamics. Today, we were able to find the information we were looking for. After Le Mans, we will move on to Mugello for hopefully two more days of testing where we will evaluate all the items again because we want to be sure. We want to test the items at more than one track to avoid making a mistake. If the results of both riders at the private test in Mugello are the same, and they are happy, the target will be to introduce a bike update at the GP round in Barcelona or else in Mugello. We’ve exploited today’s test as much as we could, and now we leave all the information to the engineers for them analyse, and we’ll start action again in ten days’ time.
ÁLEX RINS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
For sure it was a really positive test today! We tried some items: an aeropackage, a new chassis, and we also worked on the electronics side. Fabio and I rode together for a bit, just to understand the difference. He was riding with the standard aero and I was riding with the new one, and we wanted to see the positive and negative points, just to collect information. Honestly, the new aeropackage is something I like. I’m riding in a good way with this aeropackage, but we can’t have it for Le Mans just yet because the engineers need more time. But they are going to work on it. Regarding the chassis, that part I didn’t like that much, so we need to work on that some more, and I’m looking forward to it.
FABIO QUARTARARO
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
It was a long day! We had many items to test and took away a lot of information. We tested a new chassis, a new aero, some electronics as well. We gathered a lot of data but, of course, we need more time before coming to a conclusion. We will also have a private test in Mugello to get to know more. We just finished the test here, so we have to analyse all the data well before Le Mans. I think there are some positives but, naturally, there are also some things that we need more time for to make it work. But I think that maybe for Le Mans we can already start to introduce some new things.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
The Ducati Lenovo Team resumes action in Jerez de la Frontera for a day of official testing
Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini took to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto once again to tackle a day of official post-race testing. The reigning World Champion, who won the Spanish GP held just yesterday at the Andalusian track, began his program about an hour into the session, mostly focusing on testing a different setup configuration. With a best time of 1:36.589, Bagnaia ended the session in fourth position after completing a total of 43 laps.
Teammate Enea Bastianini, who finished fifth in yesterday’s race, also started his test day early but was partially slowed by a crash at Turn 7, which fortunately left him without consequences. Enea was able to resume his program shortly after, mainly focusing on finding a setup that would allow him to have better sensations under braking. The rider from Rimini declared himself satisfied and ended his day with the ninth best time of 1:36.792, after completing 65 laps.
“It was definitely a positive day. Last Friday, we had already tested some things, so today, we didn’t have many new items to try. However, we were able to confirm all the good feelings we had during the race weekend. Additionally, we focused on a different setup configuration that could prove useful in the future on tracks with low grip. Overall, I am satisfied with today’s progress.”
“Today was an important day for us. It didn’t start easily, as I made a mistake and crashed at Turn 7 after just an hour. However, I quickly regained confidence with the bike. We tested some new solutions, and I really liked them. My pace improved lap by lap, and I was able to maintain consistency. Now, I can also brake hard, so I am very happy with how things went.”
The Ducati Lenovo Team will return to the track for the fifth round of the 2024 MotoGP World Championship from May 10-12 at the Le Mans for the French Grand Prix.
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Factory Racing:
RED BULL KTM KEEP MOTOGP™ THROTTLES OPEN FOR BUSY JEREZ TEST
2024 Motorsport news
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rolled up the pitbox doors for the fourth day in a row at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto to take profit of the excellent climate and work on more present and future test items for the KTM RC16s. At the end of the eight-hour session Brad Binder had logged the 6th best lap-time – two tenths of a second from P1 – while Jack Miller ranked 17th and less than a second from the top. Test rider Pol Espargaro was 19th fastest.
Only hours after the Gran Premio de España, the orange Red Bull bikes were again burning rubber around the 13 corners of Jerez. The work schedule concentrated on analysis of issues and questions that arose from the 25-lap race the previous day but also experimentation with aerodynamics (fairing parts), suspension settings, ride height devices and the clutch.
Brad and Jack were joined by Pol, who continued his own separate duties with a view to the future shape of the KTM RC16. Binder clocked 64 laps from 10.00 until the end of the session at 18.00 and posted a 1 min 36.6 to be 6th quickest for the day and 0.234 from 1st place. Miller broke the timing beam 73 times at Jerez with the 17th fastest effort: 0.950 from P1. Espargaro made 68 laps and was 1.1 seconds from the top spot.
Now onto Le Mans. Round five will take place at the revered circuit for the Grand Prix de France from May 10-12.
Brad Binder, 6th: “Today was a quite a good day. We had some aero packages to go through to collect some information and keep pushing that side of the project. A little bit with set-up and a different setting for the rear shock that made the bike a bit more stable, which is always great especially at a track like this with the change of direction. We focused on things we can use moving forward next week. With aero you can win in some areas and lose in others so it’s important to take the comments and the data and work on the benefits. Now we can leave here and put things together.”
Jack Miller, 17th: “We worked through a lot today. Played around with the bike a lot. We still need to tackle the vibration issue when the track has a lot of grip and when you make a lot of changes there are a lot of other effects, so we had to find the balance and I think we made some headway. I tested some things today that I’m happy with. Things in MotoGP can change in a heartbeat. We’ll keep our heads down and keep working away.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: “We had things to test in pretty much every area of the bike! It’s been a long weekend. Good conditions but it got windy later in the day. We made some interesting discoveries that we might use soon. We had a small delay with the aero but also worked on the suspension and ride height devices. This was one of three tests we have this season, so it was important, and we gathered the data we needed. With our riders we worked on the short-term competitiveness but Pol – and Dani this past weekend – were working on the mid-term. Overall, a good day.”
Sebastian Risse, Red Bull KTM Technical Manager MotoGP: “We just finished a very intense and productive test. We focused a lot on updates that we can still bring this year, which means the impending aero update but also other items like electronics, engine parts for even more performance and also suspension. We shared the test items around the group, so when we found something positive we could carry it over to the others to confirm. It means we have a complete picture for the items’ performance across the riders and we’ve quite positive it will have some effect in the next races.”
Bridgestone CSBK champion Ben Young (center) also took home the BS Battery Pole Position Championship in 2023, after earning the highest qualifying points tally across the season. Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
BS Battery returns as CSBK Pole Position Award sponsor for 2024
Sherbrook, QC – Importations Thibault and BS Battery are pleased to officially announce the renewal of their partnership with the Bridgestone Canadian Superbike Championship for the 2024 season. After a successful collaboration in 2023 and 2022, BS Battery will continue its role as the sponsor of the Pole Position Award, honouring the top competitors in the series for a third consecutive year.
The BS Battery Pole Position Award remains a prestigious symbol within the racing community, recognizing the Pro Superbike rider who achieves the fastest qualifying lap at each championship event. The upcoming year promises unparalleled levels of competition, with the country’s best riders racing for victory.
BS Battery is a major player in the original equipment and replacement parts market, offering an extensive range of batteries with all the technologies available for all powersports applications.
Benjamin Sebban, General Manager of BS Battery, expresses satisfaction with the continuation of this collaboration: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with Importations Thibault and to once again support the Bridgestone CSBK series. This association provides us with an ideal platform to showcase our products to a wider audience and engage in conversation with the racing community. We are confident that the upcoming season will be a resounding success and look forward to seeing the champions emerge.”
Dave Oakley, Director of Business Development at Importations Thibault, shares this enthusiasm for the continuation of this alliance: “We are pleased to extend our partnership with BS Battery for another year. We take pride in contributing to this exceptional series of races and supporting the powersport community. Our commitment to quality and excellence remains at the heart of our actions, and we are confident that this collaboration will continue to enhance the experience for spectators and participants.”
The BS Battery Pole Position Award is just one aspect of Importations Thibault and BS Battery’s enduring commitment to motorcycle racing in Canada. As the start of the Bridgestone CSBK season approaches, fans and riders can anticipate another exciting year filled with competition and thrills.
Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto. Photo by Polarity Photo, courtesy KTM.
Francesco Bagnaia won the FIM MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 25-lap race by 0.372 second over Marc Marquez, who rode a Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP23.
Marco Bezzecchi made it a Ducati sweep of the podium by taking third, 3.9 seconds behind Bagnaia, on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Desmosedici.
In fact, Ducati riders swept the top five finishing positions with Marquez’s teammate and younger brother Alex Marquez coming in fourth and Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini placing fifth.
Jorge Martin, the World Championship point leader coming into the race, crashed his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati and DNF.
Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto. Photo by Polarity Photo, courtesy KTM.
Fermin Aldeguer won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the 18-year-old Spaniard won the 21-lap race by 1.287 seconds.
American Joe Roberts was the runner-up on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex, moving him into the World Championship point lead after four rounds.
Spaniard Manuel Gonzalez was a close third on his QJMOTOR Gresini Racing Kalex.
Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto. Photo by Polarity Photo, courtesy KTM.
Collin Veijer won the FIM Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, in Spain. Riding his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna, the Dutch racer won the 19-lap race by 0.045 second over Spaniard David Munoz, who rode a BOE Motorsports KTM. Ivan Ortola finished a close third on his MT Helmets – MSI KTM.
Pole-sitter David Alonso crashed but was able to continue and salvage 11th place.
Carpe robs Danish in Jerez Rookies Race 2 Photo Finish
Another stunning race saw 0.242 seconds cover the top 5 at the end of 14 laps of Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup action in Race 2 at Jerez.
Hakim Danish made the perfect last corner move for the win but Álvaro Carpe picked up the Malaysian’s slipstream and timed a masterful pass right on the line to take victory with fellow Spaniard Brian Uriarte 3rd.
Álvaro Carpe with perfect judgement
“That was good, I think I made a very good race,” understated the 16-year-old from Murcia. “It was a big group with all the riders more aggressive than yesterday. Morelli had a very good pace, I was trying to follow him, I had a good feeling from my KTM but I was on the limit. In the last 5 laps, it got very slippery, especially in corners 7 and 8.”
“I got a good exit from the last corner, I had a perfect slipstream of Danish up through the gears as normal, 5th gear and I went to go out of the slipstream at the perfect moment, tucked in completely and I knew I had done it.”
“I felt even better with the bike than yesterday, the track was colder, still some damp patches but they were off the racing line so no problem for me.”
“I enjoyed this race so much. Like always I must say thanks to all the staff who do such a brilliant job and support us all.”
Hakim Danish almost had it
“The race was a very fast pace,” explained the 16-year-old from Terengganu, Malaysia. “I was able to improve from yesterday, not make the mistakes. Early in the race, I didn’t feel too good because I felt it was a bit slippery.”
“I tried to adapt, to change my style of riding and it worked. I tried to follow the front group and I could do it.”
“The last two laps of the race were quite difficult with a lot of overtaking. I managed to stay in the front group, overtake on the last lap and get in a position to win the race. I pushed to the line but I saw Alvaro’s bike beside me and I knew he crossed the line first.”
Brian Uriarte takes debut weekend podium.
“I enjoyed the race so much,” enthused the 15-year-old from Santander. “Marco at the beginning was pushing pretty hard. Danish pushed me off the racing line and it was a bit damp so I had to lift the bike. I struggled a bit but finally, I could battle for the win.”
“I took the risk for the win and went for it at the last corner but went a bit wide and they got inside me but I am still happy. Of course, I wanted the victory but this is not too bad.”
“It was a great race, a lot of slipstream and overtaking sliding and fighting. Great fun and an exciting start to the season.”
Màximo Quiles just misses the podium
“A very difficult race, I felt the bike moving around a lot,” stated the Spanish 16-year-old. “I still pushed, Morelli and I opened a gap. We tried to hold it but in the last five laps there was nothing left I couldn’t hold the front, especially in left turns I had to back off and I started to lose positions and the group went.”
“Then in the last 3 laps, I said, ‘Come on Max’ and I pushed as hard as I can. I caught the group again, I overtook everybody, I was up to 2nd position. Then on the last lap, we braked hard at the end of the back straight Carpe and me, we went wide, Carpe wider than me but he didn’t touch the wet, again I touched the wet and had a big slide.”
“Then I pushed to get back, in the last corner I passed Rico at least, I tried to overtake Brian for the podium but there was no drive left. I am happy because I had good rhythm and I got good points to start the season.”
Rico Salmela in the wrong place and 5th
“It was difficult for me at the start, it was super cold and sliding a lot,” explained the 16-year-old Finn. “In the end, I managed to catch the group but I am a bit angry with myself because in the last corner, Carpe had to cut the gas a bit and I had gone the wrong side of him to the right instead of the inside and I lost the possibility…. I don’t know what to say.”
Marco Morelli did the leading but 6th
“I’m happy with what I managed to do in the race, I pushed a lot, I did my best,” said the Argentine 16-year-old who had won Saturday’s Race 1. “But towards the end, the bike was sliding a lot, with three laps to go it was really battling to ride the bike the way I wanted.”
“I pushed a lot from the beginning to get in front and maybe I pushed too much for the tyres. With these things I learn so maybe in the next race I will push but not so much and leave a bit for making a big effort in the final laps.”
“Still a great start to the season, one victory and in Race 2, all the time running in the front so I am happy for the way things are going, keep rolling.”
Ruche Moodley frustrated with double long-lap penalty
“I didn’t jump start, I really didn’t, we have a video and you can see that I didn’t,” stated the exasperated 17-year-old South African. “So I don’t know why I got a double long lap penalty. It’s very disappointing. We give it our maximum and then we get a penalty……”
Jones powers to Superbike double at Queensland Raceway
Yamaha pilot Mike Jones has returned to his searing best with a double victory in the Alpinestars Superbike class at round three of the 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK).
Once the 30-year-old gets into the groove, he’s extremely hard to contain, and so it was again today at Queensland Raceway as he waltzed to victories in both 16-lap Superbike races on his Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1.
His perfect scorecard – which also included a bonus point for pole position – saw him move up two spots in the seven-round championship race. He’s now third on 112.5pts, behind Josh Waters (McMartin Racing Ducati, 144.5) and his teammate Cru Halliday (115).
“It was a perfect weekend for me, and I can’t thank the Yamaha Racing Team enough,” said Jones.
“We had a really good test leading up to this round, but with such stiff competition nothing is ever a given.
“I hope we provided great entertainment for the fans, and I’m now looking forward to continuing my strong form in the next round at Morgan Park.”
Second overall in round three was Max Stauffer (Penrite Racing Yamaha), ahead of reigning Alpinestars Superbike champion Troy Herfoss (DesmoSport Ducati).
Stauffer was a revelation, nailing the holeshot in both races on his way to 2-3 results, while Herfoss finished with a 4-2 scorecard just a week after returning from racing commitments in America.
Alpinestars Superbike race one
Stauffer scored the holeshot from the front row and held the lead until lap eight before Jones took over the running after setting a new lap record of 1:07.434 during his reign-in mission – a whopping 0.4 seconds under Bryan Staring’s 2022 benchmark. And just to reinforce that he was in a hot zone, Jones then uncorked a near identical 1:07.437 on the very next lap…
After making short work of Stauffer and with clear air in front of him, it was then a matter of how far for Jones as he greeted the flag by nearly 2.5 seconds for his first win since the Morgan Park round of the 2023 championship.
“I was a little bit nervous at the start when I saw Stauffer take off, but I was able to find some extra speed to close the gap,” said Jones.
“It was still a really tough race, but it’s great to get back on the winner’s list as it’s been a while since we’ve had some success.”
With Stauffer ensconced in second, the battle for third was tight for most of the 16-lap journey between ASBK legends Herfoss, Waters and Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW) – a total of nine Superbike titles between them.
Allerton eventually fell into the clutches of Haliday with a few laps remaining, while the arm wrestle between Herfoss and Waters boiled down to the very last turn.
Herfoss then slowed after his bike began running out of fuel, and that was enough for Waters to slip past his long-time rival to extend his 2024 podium stretch to six races.
Halliday, Allerton, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati), Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha), Arthur Sissis (Stop & Seal Yamaha) and Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) completed the top 10
Alpinestars Superbike race two
This time Jones hit the front with more haste, passing Stauffer on lap three. Even though Stauffer and then Herfoss kept Jones’ Yamaha in sight for most of the journey, the end result was always inevitable with the #46 Yamaha holding all the aces.
Jones defeated Herfoss – who had swept past Stauffer on lap nine – by nearly three seconds, with Stauffer third from Waters, the very impressive Sissis, Halliday, Allerton and Staring.
Pearson and 16-year-old rookie Cameron Dunker (Penrite Racing Yamaha) saw out the top 10, with the race ending badly for local star West after he crashed at turn four on the final lap.
Ahead of the next round at Morgan Park Raceway from July 12-14, the top three in the championship – Waters, Jones and Halliday – are followed in the standings by Stauffer (98pts), Pearson (97.5) and Herfoss (84).
Jones was also seriously fast at Morgan Park in 2023, so could the Yamaha rider make it another double there? It could certainly be a season-defining round for a number of riders in what has already been a fascinating championship.
Lincoln Financial Field hosted its first Supercross event, marking the return of the sport to Philadelphia for the first time since 1980. The 43-year gap between 450SX Class events in a city is the longest gap in the sport’s history. The 2024 event marks the first time the 250SX Class has dropped a starting gate in Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
Jett Lawrence Nabs Philadelphia Supercross Win and Extends Points Lead
Max Anstie Grabs Victory at Pennsylvania’s First-Ever 250SX Class Race
Philadelphia, Pa. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence grabbed the Holeshot and was never challenged for the lead to win Round 15 of the 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The victory, his seventh of the year, extends the rookie’s championship points lead to 12 with two rounds remaining.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton put down impressive laps late in the race to claw his way up to second place inside Lincoln Financial Field. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson used a risky charge on an outside line going into the final corner to grab the final spot on the podium. In the Eastern Regional 250SX Class, Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie won a thrilling, must-see Main Event that delivered intense thrills.
Jett Lawrence (18). Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports.
“There’s only really one option with the start is: get a good start and be up there. And on this track, that’s a little difficult to pass [on], it definitely helped [to get the Holeshot]. Nailed my start finally and I know we’re still focusing on each race. I mean, [the] job’s not done yet so we’re going to stay focused and make sure we execute these last two rounds.” – Jett Lawrence
“I might have found some of my speed back in that Main Event. I had some good laps, came from pretty far back and, especially on a track like this that’s really hard to pass on, I feel like I made the best of it. Yeah, we made some big [adjustments] this week on the bike, and it seemed to pay off somewhat. So we’ll go back to work, keep improving, and [we] gotta get another win before the season’s out. I think I’m starting to get back to my normal form, and we’re looking forward to these last two rounds and heading into outdoors.” – Chase Sexton
“I wish I knew. I’ve just been, you know, working hard with the team, just trying to get better, get the bike better, me be better. I had that little mid-season [period] where I wasn’t riding that good and it’s nice to be back up here. I couldn’t do it without the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team; man, we’ve been working our butts off… I’m excited to keep going and let’s keep charging!” – Jason Anderson, when asked what made the difference recently with his improved speed.
The Eastern Regional 250SX Class held its final non-Showdown event of the season and it was one of the most exciting races the class has yet to deliver. Max Anstie fought forward for the win after exiting the first turn in fifth place. It was Anstie’s first win of the season. The series points-leader, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle, got off to a bad start and had to push forward from outside the top ten. He eventually reached second place to extend his points lead to 15 with one round left in the season, the East/West Showdown at the finale in Salt Lake City. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan stalked Vialle as they both moved through the pack throughout the race. Deegan secured a third-place finish at the checkered flag and sits second in points in the championship.
Max Anstie (37). Photo courtesy Feld motor Sports.
“Man, I know you Philly crowd were cheering for Seth [Hammaker, who lead early in his hometown race]… It was so loud. It was crazy. I heard the crowd going wild and then I looked back and he wasn’t there, and I don’t know what happened. But man, obviously it was an exciting race. We needed this, my whole crew: Firepower, Yarrive my boss is over [from Australia], Marty [Davalos]; we’ve had a great couple of years, and we needed this this week. They’ve had a bit of rough week so [I’m] proud to give it to ‘em. I’m happy to get this done and looking forward to the final round in Salt Lake in a couple of weeks.” – Max Anstie
“I had a bad start and I was like, ‘Alright, this is going to be tough.’ And I actually saw Haiden was just in front of me, so I was like, ‘Okay, we are together in that.’ And we actually had a really good race. We came back from almost dead last to right behind Max. And no, I kept Haiden [for] the whole race behind me [after passing him on the opening lap]; that was my goal. And we did it. It was hard, but we pushed ‘till the end and I’m really proud of my ride tonight, and I really want to thank the team for the hard work, and everyone here. Philadelphia the city is awesome, actually, and thanks to everyone here.” – Tom Vialle
“If this race right here didn’t make you a fan of Supercross I don’t know what will. That was literally heart from every rider out there ‘till the end. That was gnarly. A lot of the good guys had a bad start, man, and we came through. Dudes were taking each other out over there [gestures to sand section]. I hope Pierce [Brown] is alright; that was exactly what I did at Daytona, just a gnarly cross rut [mistake] and it throws you off… I did go out there to win and it sucks obviously [not winning], but it was a good race, coming from the back. [We showed] good speed out of me and Tom; we had fun out there. I gave him a wheel every here and there but he’s a tough opponent and I respect [him], and I respect Max, too… To go out here and win in this supercross field is a gnarly deal. But going to the last round we’re going to try our best. It’s not over ‘till it’s over. But I’m still young, I have a big career ahead of me, but you know we’re going to fight ‘til the end. I got to give glory to God, man he’s by my side all the time watching over me and pushing me every day, and also my whole team… thank you guys.” – Haiden Deegan
With only two rounds now remaining, the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross season sprints toward its climax with two rounds over the next two consecutive weekends. Round 16 hits Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on May 4th. The event returns to the standard evening schedule and opening ceremonies commence at 4:30PM local (Mountain) time.
Every Supercross race in the 17-round season also pays points toward the SuperMotocross World Championship, which brings the heightened excitement of a post-season to the sport. The SuperMotocross League, in only its second year, totals up the Monster Energy AMA Supercross points and the AMA Pro Motocross season points. The post-season racing seeds the top 20 riders in each class, enters riders in positions 21-30 into a Last Chance Qualifier race at each post-season round, then re-sets the points to the equivalent of one Supercross event payout. Riders outside the top 30 who win a Supercross Main Event (or Triple Crown overall) or a Pro Motocross moto will also be seeded into the LCQ group of riders. Point payouts escalate over three rounds in September with the Final determining one SuperMotocross World Champion in each class.
Every race of the 28-round SuperMotocross World Championship, plus two round playoff and World Championship Final will be streamed live and available on-demand on Peacock. CNBC will air next-day encore presentations of each round, and select races will also be broadcast or streamed on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app. Live audio coverage for each Supercross race can be found on SiriusXM Channel 85, NBC Sports Audio. International coverage is available through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv) live and on-demand, in both English and Spanish.
Nothing compares to experiencing the racing in-person, and Supercross tickets are on sale now for both remaining Monster Energy Supercross events. For ticket information and event details, as well as video highlights, race results, feature stories, and more, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
Monday, April 29 at 9am ET the annual Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross auction kicks off, benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Race-worn jerseys, pants, helmets, goggles, and bike plastics from the sports top racers are donated to the online auction in an effort to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Fans can find the link to bid at supercrosslive.com/st-jude.
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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
November 11, 2026
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
