Today’s Yamaha Senoia Short Track Rescheduled for Sunday, March 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2024) – Due to excessive rain on Friday, March 22, the Yamaha Senoia Short Track scheduled for today, Saturday, March 23, will be postponed until tomorrow, Sunday, March 24.
Gates will open for fans at 1:00 p.m., with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 1:45 p.m. followed by a complete afternoon program. Full updated schedule to follow.
Tickets purchased for today’s Yamaha Senoia Short Track are redeemable for the rescheduled event tomorrow, Sunday, March 24.
Ticket buyers will be contacted directly with more information regarding the rescheduled event.
Maverick Vinales won the MotoGP World Championship Sprint Race Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Riding his factory Aprilia, Vinales won the 12-lap race by 1.039 seconds over Gresini Racing Ducati’s Marc Marquez. Jorge Martin was close behind Marquez in third on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Viñales victorious as Marc Marquez puts a last lap lunge on Martin
The number 12 takes his first ever Tissot Sprint win, the gloves come off for MM93 and Bagnaia rues an error on a showstopping Saturday
Jack Miller (43), Maverick Vinales (12), and Francesco Bagnaia (1) fight for the lead into Turn One at the start of Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint Race in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 23 March 2024
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) is a Tissot Sprint winner! A stunning showdown on the Algarve saw the Aprilia rider get his elbows out and then hold off Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who had their own battle down to the last lap. That culminated in a classic, brutal but clean lunge from the #93 to slice through into second and take his best Sprint result yet, with Martin relegated to third.
In the standings it’s closer than ever though, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) leading for much of the Sprint before heading wide at Turn 1 and able to stay in the battle – but not move up further than fourth.
At lights out, it was a brilliant start to the race from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who grabbed the holeshot and started storming away on the first lap. Polesitter Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) got swallowed by the front group as the Italian was demoted to P5 following an issue with his ride height device, meanwhile, Marc Marquez was one of those who found a way through on the number 23 – jumping into third place after passing Viñales too.
Maverick Vinales (12) leads Jorge Martin (89), Marc Marquez (93), and Jack Miller (43) at Algarve International Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Bagnaia was on a march though. He hit the front of the race early, trying to build a comfortable gap and quickly. On the chase, Marc Marquez soon found his way through to pass Viñales, and he held that for a handful of laps. But he wasn’t making headway, then running wide at the tricky Turn 5 as the task grew in size again.
Bagnaia seemed in the clear, over a second up the road from Viñales, with Martin and Marc Marquez not far off the Aprilia either. But then the #1 machine was suddenly sailing off at Turn 1, keeping it together but watching the front group flash past as he rejoined just ahead of Miller.
And so Viñales led the Sprint, with some closer and closer company. But with just over two to go, Martin was wide and that was some breathing space for the Aprilia. His, meanwhile, was being filled by a looming #93.
By the last lap, Viñales seemed to have it under control, and Martin vs Marquez was going to decide second and third places on the podium barring any serious late drama. And there was none – but there was a spectacular, on-the-edge, old skool lunge from a master of the craft.
Down into Turn 5, there wasn’t really an open door and he wasn’t really in perfect striking distance, but Marc Marquez went for it… and he made it stick. Brutal, close, and just clean enough to be worth a handshake in parc ferme, the eight-time World Champion took his best Sprint result, holding Martin off to the line in a drag race too.
After rejoining ahead of Miller, Bagnaia managed to hold the KTM off to the flag, but it was close – and Bastianini was even closer as the trio took P4, P5 and P6.
Rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) wasn’t far off that battle by the flag either. He took P7 and his best Sprint result yet, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) able to recover some positions from a tough qualifying. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took the final point in the Sprint.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was one crasher, out early but rider ok.
And so, after a Saturday spectacle, a new Sprint winner heads into Sunday with another point to prove too – and from the front row. Viñales could become the first to win with three machines in the MotoGP™ era on Sunday… or there could be another twist in the tale. With the title race narrowed to just two points you do not want to miss the Portuguese GP on Sunday, with lights out at 14:00 (UTC)!
Grand opening ceremony held at Young Powersports newest Centerville location
Layton, UT – Celebrating their newest location, Young Powersports held a grand opening ceremony for their Honda Powerhouse dealership on March 22.
The event began at the facility’s location on Frontage Road at 11 a.m. Executives from the Young Automotive Group and Honda addressed attendees to start the ceremony.
“It’s been 20 years that Davis district and Centerville City have been trying to get a Honda dealership here,” Rad Gladfelder, the general manager of Young Honda Powerhouse said during his speech. “With the Young family, this is how we do everything. It’s over the top. No one can get it done except for the Young Automotive Group.”
Following the speeches, executives cut the ribbon in front of the location — signifying Young Honda Powerhouse’s initiation into the company. Those at the event were provided refreshments from caterers Daily Rise and Nothing Bundt Cakes as well as a chance to walk through the dealership.
“We’re so grateful for this opportunity to share Young Honda Powerhouse with our community,” Jeramie Young, the director of Young Powersports said. “This dealership campus we’ve built in Centerville has become a powersports staple in Utah, and we can’t wait for its future.”
Standing adjacent to Young Powersports XL Centerville, the new location opened its doors on Dec. 4, 2023. The facility sells powersports gear and apparel as well as parts, accessories and vehicles from the manufacturer Honda — which includes dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides.
Greeting customers with a large, glass entrance and a halo-like display over the front desk, Young Honda Powerhouse’s showroom floor features a variety of Honda vehicles as well as a comfortable seating area called the Ride Red Lounge.
“There’s a community of enthusiasts dedicated to Honda,” Jeramie Young said. “It’s a brand known for being reliable and exciting. From the building itself to the team we’ve brought in, we’ve done everything we can to make sure this facility is capable of delivering an exceptional experience.”
The dealership’s grand opening ceremony coincides with the Young Automotive Group’s celebration of 100 years of business. Founded by Jack Olsen in Morgan County in 1924, the company stands today as a 29 dealership operation with locations in Utah, Idaho and Montana. They established their powersports division in 2015 with the acquisition of a dealership in Burley, Idaho.
On March 29 at 11 a.m., the Young Automotive Group will celebrate the grand opening of their new headquarters at the facility’s location on Main Street in Layton, Utah.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team Sets Ambitious Objectives And Announces 2024 Rider Lineup
As the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team (YTRT) gears up for the 2024 season, we are proud to announce our ambitious objectives for the year ahead and build on our 2023 experience.
Bangkok, Thailand – 20 March, 2024: With extensive experience working in international motorsports, YTRT aims to leverage our rich history and experience to excel in the competitive world-championship environment while competing in the 2024 WorldSSP championship series.
Since the inception of motorsports in Thailand, Yamaha Thailand Racing has been at the forefront of the racing scene. With countless victories and championships to our name, we have been trailblazers for Thailand on the world stage. From the dominance of the Siam Yamaha Racing Team in the 1970s and 1980s to our current status as championship winners in both national and international race series, YTRT has established a winning reputation within the motorsports industry.
In 2023, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team made history by becoming the first Thai team to compete in the World Supersport class of the FIM Superbike World Championship. This prestigious series attracts a global audience and is a testament to our commitment to excellence on the international stage. As the only Thai team in the WorldSBK paddock, YTRT is committed to raising our professional standards and profile while competing at the highest level of motorsports and establishing ourselves as a world-class racing team.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team will focus on a year of growth and progress as we develop our riders and continue to build a leading Thai motorsports team.
2024 Rider Lineup
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Anupab Sarmoon will race in WorldSSP for his second year with the team. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Anupab Sarmoon #51
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 09 December, 1993
Birthplace: Chiang Mai
Anupab Sarmoon will be entering his second season with Yamaha Thailand Racing Team in the 2024 WorldSSP championship. With notable achievements including finishing fourth overall in the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship and solid performances in the 2023 WorldSSP season, Sarmoon is poised to take a positive step forward in his international racing career.
Krittapat Keankum (39) at Phillip Island, Round One of 2024 WorldSSP. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Krittapat Keankum #39
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 22 February, 2005
Birthplace: Nonthabuuri
Krittapat Keankum, a rising talent, joins Yamaha Thailand Racing Team for the 2024 WorldSSP season. After a successful campaign in the R3 bLU cRU championship, finishing sixth in the standings, Keankum is ready to step up to the challenge of racing the supersport Yamaha R6 and aims to showcase his skills on the international stage and the opportunity to progress among Yamaha alumni.
As we embark on the 2024 season, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team is committed to pushing the boundaries of excellence and representing Thailand with pride on the world stage.
Waters and Halliday the big winners in the ASBK Night Race in Sydney
Round two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) produced a spectacular show for the ASBK night race, especially in the Alpinestars Superbike class, as Josh Waters (Ducati) made it back-to-back round wins to kickstart the season.
The McMartin Racing man also continued his strong form at the New South Wales-based circuit to make it back-to-back across two seasons, while local Sydney rider Cru Halliday (Yamaha) brought the chocolates home with friends and family watching on.
While Waters and Halliday were the ultimate stars of the show in the premier class, it was a dirty day for Troy Herfoss (Ducati) who was unable to take the grid in race one, following ongoing issues as a result of a crash in the warm-up session, and then crashed while leading on the second lap of race two.
The round podium featured Waters, Halliday and Broc Pearson (Ducati).
Race one
With Herfoss failing to complete the warm-up lap due to an electrical gremlin, grid number three was left vacant for the start of race one, where McMartin Racing’s Harrison Voight (Ducati) made a great initial jump but played cat and mouse with teammate Waters over the first couple of laps as the field sorted themselves out.
Waters retook the lead of the race on lap two and headed an angry pack of Superbikes that included Voight, Halliday, Yamaha Racing’s Mike Jones and Pearson.
Lap three saw the red flag come out, as Matt Walters (Aprilia) made a spectacular crash at turn one, with all riders returning to pitlane as officials recovered the motorcycle.
At the restart, Waters again got a nice jump to lead the rescheduled 10-lap race from Voight, Halliday, Jones and Penrite Racing’s Max Stauffer (Yamaha).
As the race reached the half-way mark, Waters remained in control of his opposition but would go on a downward slide as his tyres started to wear and fell into the clutches of his closest rivals.
As Halliday passed Voight on lap seven, he then set off on a mission to chase after Waters, where he succeeded in his quest with a nice pass on lap nine.
It was clear afterward that the tyre performance of Waters’ Ducati was shot as he came under attack from his teammate, but managed to not succumb to the pressure and held on for second, with Voight third.
“It’s unreal, I wanted to make my family and work friends proud, but at the same time it helps because it releases the nerves,” Halliday said at the race one parc ferme. “At the start of the race, I wasn’t feeling that confident as Waters and Voight were already far in front, I just kept my head and knew I had to put the laps together.
“I eventually noticed I was catching them, and eventually got past Josh, then skipped away.”
Josh Waters. Photo courtesy ASBK.
Race two
As the rain arrived just in time for race two, the Superbikes initally got going under lights, but the race was red-flagged moments later as it became apparent that the track was too wet and greasy for the riders to safely navigate their way around.
With most changing to a wet tyre, just like the opening act, the second encounter was rescheduled to a 10-lap affair, as Waters again led off the start-line.
Not a lap would go by before he was passed by the DesmoSport Ducati rider of Herfoss who played pioneer of the slippery circuit ahead of the field.
His taste of front-running would be brief, however, as he came off at turn seven, which gave teammate Pearson the race lead.
Pearson and Waters would dice at the front for several laps afterwards as the field behind gently cruised around the circuit, taking opportunities to make a pass where the risk of crashing was minimal.
Not all riders were lucky to get through the race unscathed, as Glenn Allerton (BMW) crashed on lap nine in the same spot as Herfoss, which promoted Halliday one position forward.
True to the professional he is, Waters did what he needed to do by taking it easy to the finish line, greeting the chequered flag first and maintaining a solid lead in the championship ahead of Pearson, Stauffer, and Halliday.
“The conditions made it very sketchy, I was really lucky to have stayed on the motorcycle and cross the line first,” said Waters.
“I would like to say a big thank you to McMartin Racing and all my sponsors for their efforts this weekend as it’s been a terrific outing for the ASBK Night Race.”
With a second-place finish in race two doubling with third overall for the round, Pearson takes great confidence from this event and looks forward to the season ahead.
“I’m really happy I was able to lead some laps towards the end of tonights race, so to put up a fight against Josh is pleasing for me,” he said. “It’s nice to just get into the mix and make some passes on Josh, given he’s one of the regular front-runners.
“It’s nice to have the opportunity to race hard against him.”
The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul will return for round three at Queensland Raceway on April 26-28.
Adrian Huertas won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2, the Spanish rider won the 18-lap race by 1.277 seconds.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6, and Marcel Schroetter placed third on his factory MV Agusta F3 800 RR.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise finished fifth on his Evan Bros. Yamaha.
Mattia Casadei won FIM MotoE World Championship Race Two Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. The LCR E-Team rider won the seven-lap race by just 0.066 second over Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE’s Hector Garzo. Oscar Gutierrez was a very close third, just 0.198 second behind Casadei, on his Axxis-MSI Ducati electric racebike.
Spinelli takes the spoils in dramatic first MotoE™ race of 2024
The Italian picks up where he left off to beat Garzo and Casadei in a close final lap – with drama aplenty for some fellow big hitters
Nicholas Spinelli (29) leads Hector Garzo (4) and Mattia Casadei (40) in MotoE Race One. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 23 March 2024
Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) finished 2023 on the top step and that’s exactly how he’s started the 2024 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship: with victory. The Italian held off a hard-charging Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) and Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) on a close final lap as the top three escaped at the front following some drama for key names in the first showdown of the season.
Garzo took the holeshot after a storming start from Row 2, with Spinelli and Casadei on his tail as polesitter Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) dropped a few positions initially. Over the line for the first time Garzo had held onto it too, denying a Spinelli attack and the Italian also ceding to Casadei and Granado. Next time round Granado then grabbed a 2-for-1 into Turn 1 to take the lead, but not long after the first big drama hit as he slid out. Not long after that there was even more, with Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) crashing out.
A close top four of Casadei, Spinelli, Garzo and Zaccone were then in the lead, with Openbank Aspar Team’s Jordi Torres in touch too. But another huge twist was yet to come. On the penultimate lap down into Turn 5, Zaccone was just that bit too close to Torres and tagged the back of the number 81, sending both sliding out across the run off. The Italian was later also given a Long Lap penalty for the incident.
And then there were three. Onto the final lap, it was close. Spinelli attacked and took the lead at Turn 1, keeping it tidy. Another big opportunity for Garzo and Casadei to try and hit back, Turn 5, was off the table too as yellow flags remained out following the Zaccone-Torres crash. As the final sector dawned, Garzo was tagged on to the Tech3 rider in the lead, but there was no way through. Spinelli kept it perfect to the line for the first win of 2024, with Garzo and Casadei completing the podium.
Fourth goes to the returning Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), with Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) completing the top five. Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) beat Andrea Mantovani (Klint Forward Factory Team) to sixth. Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was just ahead of a solid debut for Chaz Davies (Aruba Cloud MotoE™ Racing Team), with his fellow rookie and teammate Armando Pontone completing the top ten in touch too.
Casadei strikes back in stunning Race 2 showdown
The reigning Champion takes to the top to pip Garzo and a spectacular charge from Gutierrez to complete the podium
Mattia Casadei (40) won MotoE Race Two over Hector Garzo (4). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) is back on top of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship standings after a stunning charge to victory in Race 2 in Portugal. The Italian got his elbows out and held off Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) on the drag to the line, with rookie Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) charging through to take third and his first MotoE™ podium.
Race 1 winner Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) got the holeshot, holding off Garzo on take 2, but the Italian had already had some bad luck – judging his starting position ever so slightly wrong in the slot and given a double Long Lap not long after. Still, Garzo had to get it done on track before that, and the Spaniard shot past at Turn 1 on Lap 2 as Casadei overhauled teammate Eric Granado. Then, before Spinelli could take his penalty, the Italian suddenly slid out at Turn 10.
That left a gaggle of riders in a tight front group, and Casadei first struck for the front with four to go. Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team), Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) and Gutierrez were charging into contention too, and the latter didn’t even wait for Zaccone to serve his LLP given for his Race 1 incident, slicing past the Italian on his charge.
Garzo made the next move at the front, taking the lead back from Casadei as Gutierrez pipped past Torres, the rookie then onto the tail of Granado. But Granado’s elbows were also out and the Brazilian attacked his teammate at Turn 11, setting his sights on race leader Garzo.
But the main straight saw another shuffle as the slipstream came into play, and as the field fanned out Garzo kept his grip on the lead, with Gutierrez able to bag a two for one and slice up into second. Casadei headed teammate Granado, and it was going down to the wire.
Into Turn 1 for the final time, Gutierrez attacked Garzo as Casadei then shot past both, the Italian keeping a twitch under control to take over at the front. Garzo grabbed second again on the cutback too, and the top four locked into a tense push to the flag. But the reigning Champion just held on to take his first victory of the year, with Garzo’s second place putting him only a point behind on the way to Round 2. For Gutierrez, meanwhile, it’s a first ever MotoE™ podium in his first round as a full timer, having done two replacement rides in 2023.
Granado was forced to settle for fourth ahead of Torres and Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), with Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team), Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™), Andrea Mantovani (KLINT Forward Factory Team) and Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing the top ten.
That’s a wrap on Round 2 of the 2024 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, with Casadei back on top on track and in the standings. But it’s by a single point as MotoE™ prepares to return at le Mans –with another 14 races still to play for in 2024.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. Riding his ROKiT BMW M 1000 RR, the Turkish racer won the 20-lap race by 0.868 second.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati, and Bulega’s teammate, defending Champion Alvaro Bautista, placed third.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 12th on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (right). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu claims his first victory for BMW
Double podium for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati with Alvaro Bautista recovering from the fifth row of the grid
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) concedes the Championship lead with a sixth place finish
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led the majority of the race. At one point the Italian had opened a four second lead but in Catalunya tyre consumption is a key factor and with a harder front tyre Razgatlioglu could close down that margin. The BMW rider would take the lead on the 20th and final lap.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), winner of six races in a row at this circuit, was handed a grid penalty that dropped him to the fifth row of the grid for the start. The reigning World Champion recovered to finish third and move up to fourth position in the Championship standings. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) continued to impress as a rookie with a fourth position finish. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) started the race as the Championship leader and finished in sixth position. Lowes dropped a single point behind Bulega in the Championship standings with Razgatlioglu now third.
Having smashed the lap record in the Superpole session Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was aiming for a podium in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Instead the Turkish star came from behind to claim the race victory in the opening race of the Pirelli Catalunya Round.
The win marked BMW’s first success since 2021 and validated Razgatlioglu’s decision to switch manufacturers for this season. His teammate, Michael van der Mark, had been combative throughout the race before falling to ninth place at the finish.
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I’m really happy. Every day the team has done an unbelievable job and they have worked really hard. It’s important for me to win at this circuit because I’ve never won here. It’s been a dream of mine to win in Catalunya and this is unbelievable. It was a very hard race. My plan was to ride a little bit slower than the others and at the start I was waiting for Bulega because the other riders were pushing very hard. After Bulega had come past I thought I’d follow him. After two laps later I felt that I was pushing too hard. I slowed down to save the rear tyre. I thought a podium would be enough for me. In the last five laps here, the rear tyre has a big drop. I saw Iannone started to drop and then Bulega also dropped in the last five laps. I was pushing hard, especially on the brakes. On the last lap, I passed him. Maybe it was a good strategy for me.”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“This was my first long race because we had pit stops in Australia. At the end of the race unfortunately I had no grip from the rear tyre. It was difficult for me to manage this and Toprak was very fast at the end. His lap times were better than mine. Maybe, I push a little too hard at the beginning of the race to overtake riders. Today, I learned something and I will be better prepared next time.”
P3 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“It’s never easy because this track is so complicated. You have to manage the tyres. I was in the situation that I wanted to push more in the first laps to gain some positions but I also had to save my tyres. I tried to keep calm and to manage the tyre as well as possible. I had some problems in the big group because the front overheated. I had to save some slides with my elbow. When you are behind the other riders, the front tyre doesn’t work as expected and I struggled to brake hard or enter fast into corners. I think our best was to get a podium, but this was a surprise for me.”
More, from a press release issued by Pirelli:
Razgatlioğlu gambles on the Pirelli standard SCX to win Race 1
The BMW rider bested Bulega (Ducati) at the end of the final lap; in WorldSSP Huertas (Ducati) wins his first race in the category
In Race 1 of the Catalan round, the first European stop for the FIM World Superbike Championship, after a solitary ride all the way to the final lap, Nicolò Bulega (Ducati) gave over to Toprak Razgatlioğlu just a few turns from the finish line. The two started the race with different tyre choices: SC2 at the front and SCX at the rear for the Turkish rider; SC1 front and SCX-A (C0900 development specification) at the rear for the Italian. Third on the podium was Álvaro Bautista (Ducati), also with the same tyre combination as his teammate and also making a comeback ride which was rewarded just a few laps from the end when he overtook Andrea Iannone (Ducati)
Giorgio Barbier, Motorcycle Racing Director
Both rear choices valid for the race
“Since yesterday, the riders had been undecided as to which rear solution to use. This can happen sometimes in the Friday sessions, because the riders and teams still need to optimise the bike setup. Then, in the race today, we saw that both the rear solutions – the standard SCX and the C0900 specification development tyre – performed similarly. On one hand, we saw that Toprak Razgatlioğlu started from pole position on the SCX and remained in the battle for first, finally achieving it on the final lap. On the other hand, the C0900 specification development SCX, at its debut in race, allowed Bulega to stay in the race lead all the way to the final turn and it even allowed his teammate Bautista to come back from fourteenth to third place. For tomorrow’s race, we may see some changes for some of the riders, whereas for the Superpole Race, we expect most of the riders to use the SCQ compound rear.”
Tyres In Action
· The WorldSBK Superpole session was extremely fast, with an amazing ten riders breaking the previous track record for the category. The best was Toprak Razgatlioğlu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), ahead of Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven – Ducati). All three relied on the front SC1 – rear SCQ combination to do their best times.
· Tyre choices on the grid for Race 1 in Superbike were uncertain until just before the start. Whereas the SC1 at the front was the most popular choice, at the rear, there was a greater mixture of solutions, almost equally split between the SCX and the C0900.
· In WorldSSP, the combination preferred by the top three riders in the Superpole standings was the SC1 at the front and the SCX at the rear. In Race 1, the SC1 at the front was the common choice for all the riders with the sole exception of Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who chose the SC2. At the rear, choices were equally divided between the SC0 and the SCX. In Race 1, Spaniard Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) took his first win in the category ahead of Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). The three riders on the podium made identical choices for the front in the race, using the SC1; at the rear, Huertas and Schroetter raced on the SCX, whereas Manzi was on the SC0.
· In the categories dedicated to young talent, the first WorldSSP300 race win of the season went to Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) ahead of Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) and Samuel Di Sora (ARCO MotoR University Team – Yamaha). In the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup, Spaniard Gonzalo Sanchez Melendez (bLU cRU Yamaha Racing Spain) took the win, besting Eduardo Burr (Yamaha AD78 Team Latin America) and Marc Vich (DS Racing School) in the race finale.
Manuel Gonzalez took pole position during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his QJMOTOR Gresini Kalex, the Spaniard turned a 1:41.514 to top the 27-rider field.
Fermin Aldeguer was second-quickest with a 1:41.648 on his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro, and Aron Canet claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:41.713 on his Fantic Racing Kalex.
American Joe Roberts qualified fifth with a 1:42.031 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Jose Antonio Rueda captured pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider turned a lap time of 1:46.379, which not only topped the field of 26 but it also broke the All-Time Lap Record, a 1:46.798 set by Ayumu Sasaki in 2023.
BOE Motorsports KTM’s Joel Kelso (1:46.438) was second-best, and David Alonso (1:46.497) claimed the third and final spot on the front row on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team machine.
Crews were not able to get the track in usable condition Saturday in Georgia. Photo courtesy AFT.
Today’s Yamaha Senoia Short Track Rescheduled for Sunday, March 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 23, 2024) – Due to excessive rain on Friday, March 22, the Yamaha Senoia Short Track scheduled for today, Saturday, March 23, will be postponed until tomorrow, Sunday, March 24.
Gates will open for fans at 1:00 p.m., with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 1:45 p.m. followed by a complete afternoon program. Full updated schedule to follow.
Tickets purchased for today’s Yamaha Senoia Short Track are redeemable for the rescheduled event tomorrow, Sunday, March 24.
Ticket buyers will be contacted directly with more information regarding the rescheduled event.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Maverick Vinales won the MotoGP World Championship Sprint Race Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Riding his factory Aprilia, Vinales won the 12-lap race by 1.039 seconds over Gresini Racing Ducati’s Marc Marquez. Jorge Martin was close behind Marquez in third on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Viñales victorious as Marc Marquez puts a last lap lunge on Martin
The number 12 takes his first ever Tissot Sprint win, the gloves come off for MM93 and Bagnaia rues an error on a showstopping Saturday
Jack Miller (43), Maverick Vinales (12), and Francesco Bagnaia (1) fight for the lead into Turn One at the start of Saturday’s MotoGP Sprint Race in Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 23 March 2024
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) is a Tissot Sprint winner! A stunning showdown on the Algarve saw the Aprilia rider get his elbows out and then hold off Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who had their own battle down to the last lap. That culminated in a classic, brutal but clean lunge from the #93 to slice through into second and take his best Sprint result yet, with Martin relegated to third.
In the standings it’s closer than ever though, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) leading for much of the Sprint before heading wide at Turn 1 and able to stay in the battle – but not move up further than fourth.
At lights out, it was a brilliant start to the race from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who grabbed the holeshot and started storming away on the first lap. Polesitter Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) got swallowed by the front group as the Italian was demoted to P5 following an issue with his ride height device, meanwhile, Marc Marquez was one of those who found a way through on the number 23 – jumping into third place after passing Viñales too.
Maverick Vinales (12) leads Jorge Martin (89), Marc Marquez (93), and Jack Miller (43) at Algarve International Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Bagnaia was on a march though. He hit the front of the race early, trying to build a comfortable gap and quickly. On the chase, Marc Marquez soon found his way through to pass Viñales, and he held that for a handful of laps. But he wasn’t making headway, then running wide at the tricky Turn 5 as the task grew in size again.
Bagnaia seemed in the clear, over a second up the road from Viñales, with Martin and Marc Marquez not far off the Aprilia either. But then the #1 machine was suddenly sailing off at Turn 1, keeping it together but watching the front group flash past as he rejoined just ahead of Miller.
And so Viñales led the Sprint, with some closer and closer company. But with just over two to go, Martin was wide and that was some breathing space for the Aprilia. His, meanwhile, was being filled by a looming #93.
By the last lap, Viñales seemed to have it under control, and Martin vs Marquez was going to decide second and third places on the podium barring any serious late drama. And there was none – but there was a spectacular, on-the-edge, old skool lunge from a master of the craft.
Down into Turn 5, there wasn’t really an open door and he wasn’t really in perfect striking distance, but Marc Marquez went for it… and he made it stick. Brutal, close, and just clean enough to be worth a handshake in parc ferme, the eight-time World Champion took his best Sprint result, holding Martin off to the line in a drag race too.
After rejoining ahead of Miller, Bagnaia managed to hold the KTM off to the flag, but it was close – and Bastianini was even closer as the trio took P4, P5 and P6.
Rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) wasn’t far off that battle by the flag either. He took P7 and his best Sprint result yet, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) able to recover some positions from a tough qualifying. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) took the final point in the Sprint.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was one crasher, out early but rider ok.
And so, after a Saturday spectacle, a new Sprint winner heads into Sunday with another point to prove too – and from the front row. Viñales could become the first to win with three machines in the MotoGP™ era on Sunday… or there could be another twist in the tale. With the title race narrowed to just two points you do not want to miss the Portuguese GP on Sunday, with lights out at 14:00 (UTC)!
Rad Gladfelder (center holding red scissors), the General Manager of Young Honda Powerhouse, cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Utah's newest powersports dealership. Photo courtesy Young Automotive Group.
Grand opening ceremony held at Young Powersports newest Centerville location
Layton, UT – Celebrating their newest location, Young Powersports held a grand opening ceremony for their Honda Powerhouse dealership on March 22.
The event began at the facility’s location on Frontage Road at 11 a.m. Executives from the Young Automotive Group and Honda addressed attendees to start the ceremony.
“It’s been 20 years that Davis district and Centerville City have been trying to get a Honda dealership here,” Rad Gladfelder, the general manager of Young Honda Powerhouse said during his speech. “With the Young family, this is how we do everything. It’s over the top. No one can get it done except for the Young Automotive Group.”
Following the speeches, executives cut the ribbon in front of the location — signifying Young Honda Powerhouse’s initiation into the company. Those at the event were provided refreshments from caterers Daily Rise and Nothing Bundt Cakes as well as a chance to walk through the dealership.
“We’re so grateful for this opportunity to share Young Honda Powerhouse with our community,” Jeramie Young, the director of Young Powersports said. “This dealership campus we’ve built in Centerville has become a powersports staple in Utah, and we can’t wait for its future.”
Standing adjacent to Young Powersports XL Centerville, the new location opened its doors on Dec. 4, 2023. The facility sells powersports gear and apparel as well as parts, accessories and vehicles from the manufacturer Honda — which includes dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATVs and side-by-sides.
Greeting customers with a large, glass entrance and a halo-like display over the front desk, Young Honda Powerhouse’s showroom floor features a variety of Honda vehicles as well as a comfortable seating area called the Ride Red Lounge.
“There’s a community of enthusiasts dedicated to Honda,” Jeramie Young said. “It’s a brand known for being reliable and exciting. From the building itself to the team we’ve brought in, we’ve done everything we can to make sure this facility is capable of delivering an exceptional experience.”
The dealership’s grand opening ceremony coincides with the Young Automotive Group’s celebration of 100 years of business. Founded by Jack Olsen in Morgan County in 1924, the company stands today as a 29 dealership operation with locations in Utah, Idaho and Montana. They established their powersports division in 2015 with the acquisition of a dealership in Burley, Idaho.
On March 29 at 11 a.m., the Young Automotive Group will celebrate the grand opening of their new headquarters at the facility’s location on Main Street in Layton, Utah.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Krittapat Keankum prepares for round one of WorldSSP at Phillip Island. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team Sets Ambitious Objectives And Announces 2024 Rider Lineup
As the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team (YTRT) gears up for the 2024 season, we are proud to announce our ambitious objectives for the year ahead and build on our 2023 experience.
Bangkok, Thailand – 20 March, 2024: With extensive experience working in international motorsports, YTRT aims to leverage our rich history and experience to excel in the competitive world-championship environment while competing in the 2024 WorldSSP championship series.
Since the inception of motorsports in Thailand, Yamaha Thailand Racing has been at the forefront of the racing scene. With countless victories and championships to our name, we have been trailblazers for Thailand on the world stage. From the dominance of the Siam Yamaha Racing Team in the 1970s and 1980s to our current status as championship winners in both national and international race series, YTRT has established a winning reputation within the motorsports industry.
In 2023, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team made history by becoming the first Thai team to compete in the World Supersport class of the FIM Superbike World Championship. This prestigious series attracts a global audience and is a testament to our commitment to excellence on the international stage. As the only Thai team in the WorldSBK paddock, YTRT is committed to raising our professional standards and profile while competing at the highest level of motorsports and establishing ourselves as a world-class racing team.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team will focus on a year of growth and progress as we develop our riders and continue to build a leading Thai motorsports team.
2024 Rider Lineup
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Anupab Sarmoon will race in WorldSSP for his second year with the team. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Anupab Sarmoon #51
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 09 December, 1993
Birthplace: Chiang Mai
Anupab Sarmoon will be entering his second season with Yamaha Thailand Racing Team in the 2024 WorldSSP championship. With notable achievements including finishing fourth overall in the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship and solid performances in the 2023 WorldSSP season, Sarmoon is poised to take a positive step forward in his international racing career.
Krittapat Keankum (39) at Phillip Island, Round One of 2024 WorldSSP. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Krittapat Keankum #39
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 22 February, 2005
Birthplace: Nonthabuuri
Krittapat Keankum, a rising talent, joins Yamaha Thailand Racing Team for the 2024 WorldSSP season. After a successful campaign in the R3 bLU cRU championship, finishing sixth in the standings, Keankum is ready to step up to the challenge of racing the supersport Yamaha R6 and aims to showcase his skills on the international stage and the opportunity to progress among Yamaha alumni.
As we embark on the 2024 season, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team is committed to pushing the boundaries of excellence and representing Thailand with pride on the world stage.
Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) lit up at night. Photo courtesy ASBK.
Waters and Halliday the big winners in the ASBK Night Race in Sydney
Round two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) produced a spectacular show for the ASBK night race, especially in the Alpinestars Superbike class, as Josh Waters (Ducati) made it back-to-back round wins to kickstart the season.
The McMartin Racing man also continued his strong form at the New South Wales-based circuit to make it back-to-back across two seasons, while local Sydney rider Cru Halliday (Yamaha) brought the chocolates home with friends and family watching on.
While Waters and Halliday were the ultimate stars of the show in the premier class, it was a dirty day for Troy Herfoss (Ducati) who was unable to take the grid in race one, following ongoing issues as a result of a crash in the warm-up session, and then crashed while leading on the second lap of race two.
The round podium featured Waters, Halliday and Broc Pearson (Ducati).
Race one
With Herfoss failing to complete the warm-up lap due to an electrical gremlin, grid number three was left vacant for the start of race one, where McMartin Racing’s Harrison Voight (Ducati) made a great initial jump but played cat and mouse with teammate Waters over the first couple of laps as the field sorted themselves out.
Waters retook the lead of the race on lap two and headed an angry pack of Superbikes that included Voight, Halliday, Yamaha Racing’s Mike Jones and Pearson.
Lap three saw the red flag come out, as Matt Walters (Aprilia) made a spectacular crash at turn one, with all riders returning to pitlane as officials recovered the motorcycle.
At the restart, Waters again got a nice jump to lead the rescheduled 10-lap race from Voight, Halliday, Jones and Penrite Racing’s Max Stauffer (Yamaha).
As the race reached the half-way mark, Waters remained in control of his opposition but would go on a downward slide as his tyres started to wear and fell into the clutches of his closest rivals.
As Halliday passed Voight on lap seven, he then set off on a mission to chase after Waters, where he succeeded in his quest with a nice pass on lap nine.
It was clear afterward that the tyre performance of Waters’ Ducati was shot as he came under attack from his teammate, but managed to not succumb to the pressure and held on for second, with Voight third.
“It’s unreal, I wanted to make my family and work friends proud, but at the same time it helps because it releases the nerves,” Halliday said at the race one parc ferme. “At the start of the race, I wasn’t feeling that confident as Waters and Voight were already far in front, I just kept my head and knew I had to put the laps together.
“I eventually noticed I was catching them, and eventually got past Josh, then skipped away.”
Josh Waters. Photo courtesy ASBK.
Race two
As the rain arrived just in time for race two, the Superbikes initally got going under lights, but the race was red-flagged moments later as it became apparent that the track was too wet and greasy for the riders to safely navigate their way around.
With most changing to a wet tyre, just like the opening act, the second encounter was rescheduled to a 10-lap affair, as Waters again led off the start-line.
Not a lap would go by before he was passed by the DesmoSport Ducati rider of Herfoss who played pioneer of the slippery circuit ahead of the field.
His taste of front-running would be brief, however, as he came off at turn seven, which gave teammate Pearson the race lead.
Pearson and Waters would dice at the front for several laps afterwards as the field behind gently cruised around the circuit, taking opportunities to make a pass where the risk of crashing was minimal.
Not all riders were lucky to get through the race unscathed, as Glenn Allerton (BMW) crashed on lap nine in the same spot as Herfoss, which promoted Halliday one position forward.
True to the professional he is, Waters did what he needed to do by taking it easy to the finish line, greeting the chequered flag first and maintaining a solid lead in the championship ahead of Pearson, Stauffer, and Halliday.
“The conditions made it very sketchy, I was really lucky to have stayed on the motorcycle and cross the line first,” said Waters.
“I would like to say a big thank you to McMartin Racing and all my sponsors for their efforts this weekend as it’s been a terrific outing for the ASBK Night Race.”
With a second-place finish in race two doubling with third overall for the round, Pearson takes great confidence from this event and looks forward to the season ahead.
“I’m really happy I was able to lead some laps towards the end of tonights race, so to put up a fight against Josh is pleasing for me,” he said. “It’s nice to just get into the mix and make some passes on Josh, given he’s one of the regular front-runners.
“It’s nice to have the opportunity to race hard against him.”
The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul will return for round three at Queensland Raceway on April 26-28.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
Adrian Huertas won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2, the Spanish rider won the 18-lap race by 1.277 seconds.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R6, and Marcel Schroetter placed third on his factory MV Agusta F3 800 RR.
Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise finished fifth on his Evan Bros. Yamaha.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mattia Casadei won FIM MotoE World Championship Race Two Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. The LCR E-Team rider won the seven-lap race by just 0.066 second over Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE’s Hector Garzo. Oscar Gutierrez was a very close third, just 0.198 second behind Casadei, on his Axxis-MSI Ducati electric racebike.
Spinelli takes the spoils in dramatic first MotoE™ race of 2024
The Italian picks up where he left off to beat Garzo and Casadei in a close final lap – with drama aplenty for some fellow big hitters
Nicholas Spinelli (29) leads Hector Garzo (4) and Mattia Casadei (40) in MotoE Race One. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 23 March 2024
Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) finished 2023 on the top step and that’s exactly how he’s started the 2024 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship: with victory. The Italian held off a hard-charging Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) and Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) on a close final lap as the top three escaped at the front following some drama for key names in the first showdown of the season.
Garzo took the holeshot after a storming start from Row 2, with Spinelli and Casadei on his tail as polesitter Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) dropped a few positions initially. Over the line for the first time Garzo had held onto it too, denying a Spinelli attack and the Italian also ceding to Casadei and Granado. Next time round Granado then grabbed a 2-for-1 into Turn 1 to take the lead, but not long after the first big drama hit as he slid out. Not long after that there was even more, with Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) crashing out.
A close top four of Casadei, Spinelli, Garzo and Zaccone were then in the lead, with Openbank Aspar Team’s Jordi Torres in touch too. But another huge twist was yet to come. On the penultimate lap down into Turn 5, Zaccone was just that bit too close to Torres and tagged the back of the number 81, sending both sliding out across the run off. The Italian was later also given a Long Lap penalty for the incident.
And then there were three. Onto the final lap, it was close. Spinelli attacked and took the lead at Turn 1, keeping it tidy. Another big opportunity for Garzo and Casadei to try and hit back, Turn 5, was off the table too as yellow flags remained out following the Zaccone-Torres crash. As the final sector dawned, Garzo was tagged on to the Tech3 rider in the lead, but there was no way through. Spinelli kept it perfect to the line for the first win of 2024, with Garzo and Casadei completing the podium.
Fourth goes to the returning Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), with Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) completing the top five. Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) beat Andrea Mantovani (Klint Forward Factory Team) to sixth. Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) was just ahead of a solid debut for Chaz Davies (Aruba Cloud MotoE™ Racing Team), with his fellow rookie and teammate Armando Pontone completing the top ten in touch too.
Casadei strikes back in stunning Race 2 showdown
The reigning Champion takes to the top to pip Garzo and a spectacular charge from Gutierrez to complete the podium
Mattia Casadei (40) won MotoE Race Two over Hector Garzo (4). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) is back on top of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship standings after a stunning charge to victory in Race 2 in Portugal. The Italian got his elbows out and held off Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) on the drag to the line, with rookie Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) charging through to take third and his first MotoE™ podium.
Race 1 winner Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing) got the holeshot, holding off Garzo on take 2, but the Italian had already had some bad luck – judging his starting position ever so slightly wrong in the slot and given a double Long Lap not long after. Still, Garzo had to get it done on track before that, and the Spaniard shot past at Turn 1 on Lap 2 as Casadei overhauled teammate Eric Granado. Then, before Spinelli could take his penalty, the Italian suddenly slid out at Turn 10.
That left a gaggle of riders in a tight front group, and Casadei first struck for the front with four to go. Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team), Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) and Gutierrez were charging into contention too, and the latter didn’t even wait for Zaccone to serve his LLP given for his Race 1 incident, slicing past the Italian on his charge.
Garzo made the next move at the front, taking the lead back from Casadei as Gutierrez pipped past Torres, the rookie then onto the tail of Granado. But Granado’s elbows were also out and the Brazilian attacked his teammate at Turn 11, setting his sights on race leader Garzo.
But the main straight saw another shuffle as the slipstream came into play, and as the field fanned out Garzo kept his grip on the lead, with Gutierrez able to bag a two for one and slice up into second. Casadei headed teammate Granado, and it was going down to the wire.
Into Turn 1 for the final time, Gutierrez attacked Garzo as Casadei then shot past both, the Italian keeping a twitch under control to take over at the front. Garzo grabbed second again on the cutback too, and the top four locked into a tense push to the flag. But the reigning Champion just held on to take his first victory of the year, with Garzo’s second place putting him only a point behind on the way to Round 2. For Gutierrez, meanwhile, it’s a first ever MotoE™ podium in his first round as a full timer, having done two replacement rides in 2023.
Granado was forced to settle for fourth ahead of Torres and Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), with Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team), Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™), Andrea Mantovani (KLINT Forward Factory Team) and Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) completing the top ten.
That’s a wrap on Round 2 of the 2024 FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship, with Casadei back on top on track and in the standings. But it’s by a single point as MotoE™ prepares to return at le Mans –with another 14 races still to play for in 2024.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. Riding his ROKiT BMW M 1000 RR, the Turkish racer won the 20-lap race by 0.868 second.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati, and Bulega’s teammate, defending Champion Alvaro Bautista, placed third.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 12th on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (right). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu claims his first victory for BMW
Double podium for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati with Alvaro Bautista recovering from the fifth row of the grid
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) concedes the Championship lead with a sixth place finish
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led the majority of the race. At one point the Italian had opened a four second lead but in Catalunya tyre consumption is a key factor and with a harder front tyre Razgatlioglu could close down that margin. The BMW rider would take the lead on the 20th and final lap.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), winner of six races in a row at this circuit, was handed a grid penalty that dropped him to the fifth row of the grid for the start. The reigning World Champion recovered to finish third and move up to fourth position in the Championship standings. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) continued to impress as a rookie with a fourth position finish. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) started the race as the Championship leader and finished in sixth position. Lowes dropped a single point behind Bulega in the Championship standings with Razgatlioglu now third.
Having smashed the lap record in the Superpole session Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was aiming for a podium in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Instead the Turkish star came from behind to claim the race victory in the opening race of the Pirelli Catalunya Round.
The win marked BMW’s first success since 2021 and validated Razgatlioglu’s decision to switch manufacturers for this season. His teammate, Michael van der Mark, had been combative throughout the race before falling to ninth place at the finish.
More on worldsbk.com
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I’m really happy. Every day the team has done an unbelievable job and they have worked really hard. It’s important for me to win at this circuit because I’ve never won here. It’s been a dream of mine to win in Catalunya and this is unbelievable. It was a very hard race. My plan was to ride a little bit slower than the others and at the start I was waiting for Bulega because the other riders were pushing very hard. After Bulega had come past I thought I’d follow him. After two laps later I felt that I was pushing too hard. I slowed down to save the rear tyre. I thought a podium would be enough for me. In the last five laps here, the rear tyre has a big drop. I saw Iannone started to drop and then Bulega also dropped in the last five laps. I was pushing hard, especially on the brakes. On the last lap, I passed him. Maybe it was a good strategy for me.”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“This was my first long race because we had pit stops in Australia. At the end of the race unfortunately I had no grip from the rear tyre. It was difficult for me to manage this and Toprak was very fast at the end. His lap times were better than mine. Maybe, I push a little too hard at the beginning of the race to overtake riders. Today, I learned something and I will be better prepared next time.”
P3 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“It’s never easy because this track is so complicated. You have to manage the tyres. I was in the situation that I wanted to push more in the first laps to gain some positions but I also had to save my tyres. I tried to keep calm and to manage the tyre as well as possible. I had some problems in the big group because the front overheated. I had to save some slides with my elbow. When you are behind the other riders, the front tyre doesn’t work as expected and I struggled to brake hard or enter fast into corners. I think our best was to get a podium, but this was a surprise for me.”
More, from a press release issued by Pirelli:
Razgatlioğlu gambles on the Pirelli standard SCX to win Race 1
The BMW rider bested Bulega (Ducati) at the end of the final lap; in WorldSSP Huertas (Ducati) wins his first race in the category
In Race 1 of the Catalan round, the first European stop for the FIM World Superbike Championship, after a solitary ride all the way to the final lap, Nicolò Bulega (Ducati) gave over to Toprak Razgatlioğlu just a few turns from the finish line. The two started the race with different tyre choices: SC2 at the front and SCX at the rear for the Turkish rider; SC1 front and SCX-A (C0900 development specification) at the rear for the Italian. Third on the podium was Álvaro Bautista (Ducati), also with the same tyre combination as his teammate and also making a comeback ride which was rewarded just a few laps from the end when he overtook Andrea Iannone (Ducati)
Giorgio Barbier, Motorcycle Racing Director
Both rear choices valid for the race
“Since yesterday, the riders had been undecided as to which rear solution to use. This can happen sometimes in the Friday sessions, because the riders and teams still need to optimise the bike setup. Then, in the race today, we saw that both the rear solutions – the standard SCX and the C0900 specification development tyre – performed similarly. On one hand, we saw that Toprak Razgatlioğlu started from pole position on the SCX and remained in the battle for first, finally achieving it on the final lap. On the other hand, the C0900 specification development SCX, at its debut in race, allowed Bulega to stay in the race lead all the way to the final turn and it even allowed his teammate Bautista to come back from fourteenth to third place. For tomorrow’s race, we may see some changes for some of the riders, whereas for the Superpole Race, we expect most of the riders to use the SCQ compound rear.”
Tyres In Action
· The WorldSBK Superpole session was extremely fast, with an amazing ten riders breaking the previous track record for the category. The best was Toprak Razgatlioğlu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), ahead of Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven – Ducati). All three relied on the front SC1 – rear SCQ combination to do their best times.
· Tyre choices on the grid for Race 1 in Superbike were uncertain until just before the start. Whereas the SC1 at the front was the most popular choice, at the rear, there was a greater mixture of solutions, almost equally split between the SCX and the C0900.
· In WorldSSP, the combination preferred by the top three riders in the Superpole standings was the SC1 at the front and the SCX at the rear. In Race 1, the SC1 at the front was the common choice for all the riders with the sole exception of Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who chose the SC2. At the rear, choices were equally divided between the SC0 and the SCX. In Race 1, Spaniard Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) took his first win in the category ahead of Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). The three riders on the podium made identical choices for the front in the race, using the SC1; at the rear, Huertas and Schroetter raced on the SCX, whereas Manzi was on the SC0.
· In the categories dedicated to young talent, the first WorldSSP300 race win of the season went to Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) ahead of Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) and Samuel Di Sora (ARCO MotoR University Team – Yamaha). In the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup, Spaniard Gonzalo Sanchez Melendez (bLU cRU Yamaha Racing Spain) took the win, besting Eduardo Burr (Yamaha AD78 Team Latin America) and Marc Vich (DS Racing School) in the race finale.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Manuel Gonzalez took pole position during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portimao, Portugal. Riding his QJMOTOR Gresini Kalex, the Spaniard turned a 1:41.514 to top the 27-rider field.
Fermin Aldeguer was second-quickest with a 1:41.648 on his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro, and Aron Canet claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:41.713 on his Fantic Racing Kalex.
American Joe Roberts qualified fifth with a 1:42.031 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Jose Antonio Rueda (99). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Ajo.
Jose Antonio Rueda captured pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider turned a lap time of 1:46.379, which not only topped the field of 26 but it also broke the All-Time Lap Record, a 1:46.798 set by Ayumu Sasaki in 2023.
BOE Motorsports KTM’s Joel Kelso (1:46.438) was second-best, and David Alonso (1:46.497) claimed the third and final spot on the front row on his CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team machine.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
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
