Shane Narbonne, the 10-time and defending Champion, unofficially led practice for the 100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR, Friday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Riding his Pirelli-shod 64 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6, Narbonne lapped the 1.6-mile road course in 1:10.996 to lead Group 8 and Group 8A practices, the sessions in which most of the Loudon Classic competitors are in.
“Pre-Qualifying” sessions for Loudon Classic competitors will be held Friday evening, then the top 48 riders from Friday will advance to Qualifying sessions on Saturday morning.
The 25-lap 100th Loudon Classic is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 17.
Friday Morning Notes:
Multi-time Loudon Classic Champion Scott Greenwood is not competing in the 100th Loudon Classic due to a lingering shoulder injury suffered while playing hockey in 2022. Greenwood is, however, helping his son Samuel Greenwood this weekend.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC is fielding PJ Jacobsen on a Panigale V2 that the New Yorker never saw before he threw a leg over it Friday morning. Jacobsen rode a stock Panigale V2 on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks on Thursday, but before that the 29-year-old said the last time he rode at NHMS was on a 125cc GP bike when he was 11 years old.
Richie Escalante highsided his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 coming out Turn Six during practice, but the Mexican rider was not injured. According to his team, Escalante was on pace to do a 1:10 lap time.
Marco Bezzecchi led MotoGP Free Practice Two (FP2) and overall Friday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the young Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course in 1:20.271 to top the field of 20 riders. Just 0.851 second covered the top 16 riders in FP2.
Bezzecchi heads Martin as drama unfolds for Marc Marquez on Day 1
Bezzecchi, Martin and Aleix lock out the top three, but some huge talking points come from a dramatic day for Marc Marquez as the 11-time Sachsenring winner faces Q1
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday, 16 June 2023
Two red flags, a massive save, a dramatic Turn 1 crash and a late flurry of times – they’re just a few notes from Day 1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and they don’t tell the whole story. Talking times it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who ends Friday fastest with a 1:20.271 as the Italian is chased close by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), but plenty of the headlines will go the way of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after he was at the heart of the talking points.
The calm before the storm
Despite wet weather making its presence known in the Moto3™ and Moto2™ Practice 2 sessions, the premier class ventured straight out on slick tyres for their one-hour Friday afternoon stint. Some early time improvers were Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the Portuguese rider rose to P3, and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) as he moved forward.
There were just over 20 minutes left on the clock when we saw some fresh soft rear rubber laid on the Sachsenring, and the push for laptimes began in earnest. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) popped up to P2 to get the Practice 2 time attack ball rolling, and Aleix Espargaro then quickly returned to P3.
A whirlwind end to P2
he’d been close to the top in P1, but while pushing for an improvement in the afternoon, Marc Marquez had a huge moment at Turn 11. The eight-time World Champion did very well to stay on board – and in the aftermath, the #93 made his feelings towards the moment clear.
In the meantime, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were chipping away at their personal best times, before Augusto Fernandez propelled himself to P4 with 11 minutes to go. But in the blink of an eye that was soon P9 as the rapid times started to be slung in, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) going P1 ahead of former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Then, huge drama unfolded at Turn 1. First, Viñales was down but ok. Then, moments later, Marc Marquez’s front end washed away at the start of a lap at Turn 1 as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was coming out the pitlane. Subsequently, Marquez’s stricken Honda clattered into Zarco’s Ducati in a crash that brought out the red flags. Riders ok and able to get back out on track once the session was restarted, but talking point most definitely made. Marquez wasn’t able to get out in time to complete a lap, however, and that saw him finish outside the top 10, facing Q1 in Germany.
Johann Zarco remains lying on the ground after Marc Marquez (running out of the gravel trap) crashed and collided with him in Turn One. Both escaped injury. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Back at the top, Aleix Espargaro went P1 near the end of the session, before Bezzecchi produced some late magic to pinch top spot away from the Spaniard, and Martin then pinched second from the Aprilia roo.
At the end of a breathless final 10 minutes, it’s Bagnaia who claims P4 behind the fastest trio, with Miller completing the top five. Quartararo will be into Q2 for the first time since the Americas GP, the Frenchman bagging P6, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Zarco pocket automatic spots in Q2.
So…11-time Sachsenring winner Marc Marquez faces Q1 in Germany, not something we thought we’d be saying. Title-chasing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is another big name missing out on the Q2 cut, too, so there’s everything to play for on Saturday.
SHOWTIME
With some huge names in Q1, the stage is set for Qualifying and then the Tissot Sprint. Here’s when it all gets underway in GMT+2:
MotoGP™ FP: 10:10
MotoGP™ Q1: 10:50
MotoGP™ Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
Pedro Acosta (37). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Acosta on top in dry P1, Arbolino heads damp P2
A wet afternoon at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland means the Moto2™ Friday classification is decided by the Practice 1 times, which sees Italian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) end the day fastest with a 1:23.979. Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) – a late crasher in Practice 2 – is 0.237s off his compatriot in P2, while Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) heads into Saturday as the rider in P3.
On a damp but drying Sachsenring for Practice 2, however, World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) set the pace but the afternoon outing didn’t count for much more than getting a feel for the tricky conditions – despite slick tyres making a brief appearance in the closing stages.
Behind the leading trio, Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and Jake Dixon (Polarcube GASGAS Aspar Team) are inside the top five after the first two Practice sessions, while Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) is P6 ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team). Eighth place is where we find Arbolino on the combined times, the Italian is one place ahead of teammate Sam Lowes. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounds out the top Friday top 10 in the intermediate class.
Moto2™ Practice 3 starts at 09:25 local time (GMT+2), before qualifying from 13:45!
Ayumu Sasaki (71). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sasaki top with new lap record as rain slows play in P2
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head into qualifying day as the rider to beat after heavy rain in the afternoon saw no riders improve on their times from P1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Japanese rider set a new lap record in P1 and was two and a half tenths clear of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) completing the overall top three.
It was Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) who led the way in the wet Practice 2 conditions after Scott Ogden’s (VisionTrack Racing Team) Turn 8 crash briefly brought out the red flags in the afternoon due to the Brit’s Honda damaging the air fence, rider ok. Then, heading into the closing stages, Öncü suffered a crash at the rapid Turn 11 right-hander. The Turkish star was declared fit after a check up, however, and will be back out on Saturday.
At the conclusion of the day then, it’s the dry times that count towards the provisional Q2 places. Behind Sasaki, Öncü and Masia, Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar M3) sit inside the top five. World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was sixth in Practice 1 ahead of Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Bertelle.
Make sure you tune into Moto3™ P3 at 08:40 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday morning to see who will head straight into Q2, and then it’s qualifying from 12:50!
Tony Arbolino was quickest in damp-but-drying conditions during Moto2 Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Elf Marc VDS Racing Kalex, Arbolino turned a lap time of 1:26.859 to lead the field of 30 riders.
Americans Joe Roberts (1:28.800) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:33.982), were seventh and 22nd, respectively, in the tricky session.
Matteo Bertelle posted the best lap time during wet Moto3 Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Rivacold Snipers Team Honda, the Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) in 1:38.972 to lead the field of 29 riders.
Matteo Ferrari, riding his Felo Gresini Ducati electric racebike, was fastest during FIM MotoE Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Ferrari did a lap of 1:27.205, which eclipsed Niki Tuuli’s 2019 All-Time Lap Record of 1:27.456.
The 100th Loudon Classic presented by NEMRR, scheduled to run Saturday, June 17, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire, is planned to be shown on YouTube.
Details are still being worked out, but Kaplan America is partnering with NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) to shoot and broadcast video of the race on the Kaplan America YouTube channel.
The plan is to record and broadcast on-track action and rider interviews tonight and then show the 25-lap race either live or same-day delayed on Saturday, according to Kaplan America’s Ken Kaplan, Sr.
Topsy Turvy Friday In The Top End Comes To A Close With Jones On Top
In the three free practice sessions for the fourth round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championships presented by Motul in the tropical sunshine at Hidden Valley Raceway, there were different riders that topped the three sessions.
For the third year in a row the Alpinestars Superbike class is on the card with the Repco Supercars Championship and the top-fuel dragsters at the betr Darwin Triple Crown, this weekend.
With the times so close from the opening minutes of the session it was a clear indication that the 2.8km long Hidden Valley circuit will again play host to some intense and brilliant battles over the three 16-lap races.
In conditions that were not quite as hot as last year, the race lap record was bettered in the opening session by championship leader Josh Waters on the McMartin Racing with K-Tech Suspension Ducati Panigale V4 R with an astounding time of 1:05.368. Just 0.180 of a second adrift from Waters was three-time Australian Champion, Glenn Allerton (Spectro Oils GT Racing BMW), with defending champion Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) in third, the trio separated by only 0.295 of a second with the top seven covered by less than a second.
The second session was drama packed as in the first five minutes the red flag was waved after Ted Collins (Livson Racing BMW) crashed spectacularly at the daunting Turn 10 with his bike slamming into the air fence.
It wasn’t the last time for the red flag as with five minutes left in the session, Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda had no sooner set the fastest time than he crashed on the exit of turn one as he attempted to improve his time, the mind games that make up a practice day. Due to the incident, it thwarted his rivals from improving their times with Waters second fastest, 0.122 of a second behind Herfoss with Mike Jones breaking into the top three the trio separated by just 0.126 of a second.
When The Alpinestars Superbike class took to the track for the final session the track temperature was nudging 50 degrees celcius, some 17 degrees hotter than the morning session. With such high temperatures it was expected that times may have suffered but try telling that to the talented riders of Australian road racing as Mike Jones claimed the top spot from Waters who was again second with Glenn Allerton third to make it two sessions in the top three for Glenn and “Mad Mike” while Waters was in the top three in all sessions.
Herfoss rode his second bike in the final stanza, but still managed to claim fourth fastest and it was refreshing to see Arthur Sissis back on track after his forced absence at Queensland Raceway due to a broken wrist.
With the combined times of the three sessions it’s Jones who leads the way heading into qualifying tomorrow more from Waters and Herfoss. Next on the charts is Allerton in fourth, Cru Halliday in fifth. Halliday who has finished on the podium in all but the opening race of the year had his last session brought undone when he crashed at the final turn with a little over five minutes remaining.
Behind Halliday, Arthur Sissis and Unitech Racing sit in sixth position and rounding out the Top Ten on Day One is Bryan Staring on the MotoGo Yamaha from Broc Pearson (Desmo Sport Ducati) Anthony West (Addicted To Track Yamaha) with the ever-improving Max Stauffer continually improving his times.
Day two will consist of qualifying in the morning at 08:25am ACST where the outright fastest lap will no doubt be under threat to be lowered by any number of riders, before the first of the three races tomorrow afternoon at 12:40pm ACST.
Frenchman Johann Zarco, riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici, topped rain-affected MotoGP Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Sachsenring, in Germany.
The top 16 riders’ best times were within one second of leader Zarco’s best lap time, 1:20.702.
Ayumu Sasaki, riding his Liqui Moly Inact GP Husqvarna, broke the All-Time Lap Record during Moto3 FP1 Friday morning at Sachsenring, in Germany. Sasaki’s lap time of 1:25.840 beat Ivan Guevara’s 2022 lap record of 1:25.869.
Shane Narbonne (64). Photo by Sam Draiss, courtesy NEMRR.
Shane Narbonne, the 10-time and defending Champion, unofficially led practice for the 100th Loudon Classic Presented by NEMRR, Friday morning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Riding his Pirelli-shod 64 Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R6, Narbonne lapped the 1.6-mile road course in 1:10.996 to lead Group 8 and Group 8A practices, the sessions in which most of the Loudon Classic competitors are in.
“Pre-Qualifying” sessions for Loudon Classic competitors will be held Friday evening, then the top 48 riders from Friday will advance to Qualifying sessions on Saturday morning.
The 25-lap 100th Loudon Classic is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern Time, rain or shine, on Saturday, June 17.
Friday Morning Notes:
Multi-time Loudon Classic Champion Scott Greenwood is not competing in the 100th Loudon Classic due to a lingering shoulder injury suffered while playing hockey in 2022. Greenwood is, however, helping his son Samuel Greenwood this weekend.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC is fielding PJ Jacobsen on a Panigale V2 that the New Yorker never saw before he threw a leg over it Friday morning. Jacobsen rode a stock Panigale V2 on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks on Thursday, but before that the 29-year-old said the last time he rode at NHMS was on a 125cc GP bike when he was 11 years old.
Richie Escalante highsided his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 coming out Turn Six during practice, but the Mexican rider was not injured. According to his team, Escalante was on pace to do a 1:10 lap time.
Marco Bezzecchi (72), as seen at Mugello. Photo courtesy Mooney VR46 Racing Team.
Marco Bezzecchi led MotoGP Free Practice Two (FP2) and overall Friday at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Mooney VR46 Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the young Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) road course in 1:20.271 to top the field of 20 riders. Just 0.851 second covered the top 16 riders in FP2.
Bezzecchi heads Martin as drama unfolds for Marc Marquez on Day 1
Bezzecchi, Martin and Aleix lock out the top three, but some huge talking points come from a dramatic day for Marc Marquez as the 11-time Sachsenring winner faces Q1
Marco Bezzecchi (72). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday, 16 June 2023
Two red flags, a massive save, a dramatic Turn 1 crash and a late flurry of times – they’re just a few notes from Day 1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and they don’t tell the whole story. Talking times it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who ends Friday fastest with a 1:20.271 as the Italian is chased close by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), but plenty of the headlines will go the way of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after he was at the heart of the talking points.
The calm before the storm
Despite wet weather making its presence known in the Moto3™ and Moto2™ Practice 2 sessions, the premier class ventured straight out on slick tyres for their one-hour Friday afternoon stint. Some early time improvers were Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the Portuguese rider rose to P3, and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) as he moved forward.
There were just over 20 minutes left on the clock when we saw some fresh soft rear rubber laid on the Sachsenring, and the push for laptimes began in earnest. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) popped up to P2 to get the Practice 2 time attack ball rolling, and Aleix Espargaro then quickly returned to P3.
A whirlwind end to P2
he’d been close to the top in P1, but while pushing for an improvement in the afternoon, Marc Marquez had a huge moment at Turn 11. The eight-time World Champion did very well to stay on board – and in the aftermath, the #93 made his feelings towards the moment clear.
In the meantime, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were chipping away at their personal best times, before Augusto Fernandez propelled himself to P4 with 11 minutes to go. But in the blink of an eye that was soon P9 as the rapid times started to be slung in, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) going P1 ahead of former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Then, huge drama unfolded at Turn 1. First, Viñales was down but ok. Then, moments later, Marc Marquez’s front end washed away at the start of a lap at Turn 1 as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was coming out the pitlane. Subsequently, Marquez’s stricken Honda clattered into Zarco’s Ducati in a crash that brought out the red flags. Riders ok and able to get back out on track once the session was restarted, but talking point most definitely made. Marquez wasn’t able to get out in time to complete a lap, however, and that saw him finish outside the top 10, facing Q1 in Germany.
Johann Zarco remains lying on the ground after Marc Marquez (running out of the gravel trap) crashed and collided with him in Turn One. Both escaped injury. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Back at the top, Aleix Espargaro went P1 near the end of the session, before Bezzecchi produced some late magic to pinch top spot away from the Spaniard, and Martin then pinched second from the Aprilia roo.
At the end of a breathless final 10 minutes, it’s Bagnaia who claims P4 behind the fastest trio, with Miller completing the top five. Quartararo will be into Q2 for the first time since the Americas GP, the Frenchman bagging P6, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Zarco pocket automatic spots in Q2.
So…11-time Sachsenring winner Marc Marquez faces Q1 in Germany, not something we thought we’d be saying. Title-chasing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is another big name missing out on the Q2 cut, too, so there’s everything to play for on Saturday.
SHOWTIME
With some huge names in Q1, the stage is set for Qualifying and then the Tissot Sprint. Here’s when it all gets underway in GMT+2:
MotoGP™ FP: 10:10
MotoGP™ Q1: 10:50
MotoGP™ Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00
Pedro Acosta (37). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Acosta on top in dry P1, Arbolino heads damp P2
A wet afternoon at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland means the Moto2™ Friday classification is decided by the Practice 1 times, which sees Italian GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) end the day fastest with a 1:23.979. Alonso Lopez (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) – a late crasher in Practice 2 – is 0.237s off his compatriot in P2, while Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) heads into Saturday as the rider in P3.
On a damp but drying Sachsenring for Practice 2, however, World Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) set the pace but the afternoon outing didn’t count for much more than getting a feel for the tricky conditions – despite slick tyres making a brief appearance in the closing stages.
Behind the leading trio, Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and Jake Dixon (Polarcube GASGAS Aspar Team) are inside the top five after the first two Practice sessions, while Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) is P6 ahead of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team). Eighth place is where we find Arbolino on the combined times, the Italian is one place ahead of teammate Sam Lowes. Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounds out the top Friday top 10 in the intermediate class.
Moto2™ Practice 3 starts at 09:25 local time (GMT+2), before qualifying from 13:45!
Ayumu Sasaki (71). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sasaki top with new lap record as rain slows play in P2
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head into qualifying day as the rider to beat after heavy rain in the afternoon saw no riders improve on their times from P1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. The Japanese rider set a new lap record in P1 and was two and a half tenths clear of Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) completing the overall top three.
It was Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) who led the way in the wet Practice 2 conditions after Scott Ogden’s (VisionTrack Racing Team) Turn 8 crash briefly brought out the red flags in the afternoon due to the Brit’s Honda damaging the air fence, rider ok. Then, heading into the closing stages, Öncü suffered a crash at the rapid Turn 11 right-hander. The Turkish star was declared fit after a check up, however, and will be back out on Saturday.
At the conclusion of the day then, it’s the dry times that count towards the provisional Q2 places. Behind Sasaki, Öncü and Masia, Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) and Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar M3) sit inside the top five. World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) was sixth in Practice 1 ahead of Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Bertelle.
Make sure you tune into Moto3™ P3 at 08:40 local time (GMT+2) on Saturday morning to see who will head straight into Q2, and then it’s qualifying from 12:50!
Tony Arbolino (14). Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Tony Arbolino was quickest in damp-but-drying conditions during Moto2 Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Elf Marc VDS Racing Kalex, Arbolino turned a lap time of 1:26.859 to lead the field of 30 riders.
Americans Joe Roberts (1:28.800) and Sean Dylan Kelly (1:33.982), were seventh and 22nd, respectively, in the tricky session.
Matteo Bertelle (18), as seen during FP1 at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy Rivacold Snipers Team.
Matteo Bertelle posted the best lap time during wet Moto3 Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Riding his Rivacold Snipers Team Honda, the Italian lapped the 2.28-mile (3.67 km) in 1:38.972 to lead the field of 29 riders.
Matteo Ferrari, riding his Felo Gresini Ducati electric racebike, was fastest during FIM MotoE Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Sachsenring, in Germany. Ferrari did a lap of 1:27.205, which eclipsed Niki Tuuli’s 2019 All-Time Lap Record of 1:27.456.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo by David Swarts.
The 100th Loudon Classic presented by NEMRR, scheduled to run Saturday, June 17, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Loudon, New Hampshire, is planned to be shown on YouTube.
Details are still being worked out, but Kaplan America is partnering with NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) to shoot and broadcast video of the race on the Kaplan America YouTube channel.
The plan is to record and broadcast on-track action and rider interviews tonight and then show the 25-lap race either live or same-day delayed on Saturday, according to Kaplan America’s Ken Kaplan, Sr.
Mike Jones was fastest during Australian Superbike practice Friday at Hidden Valley Raceway, in Darwin, Australia. Photo by Endorphin Media, courtesy ASBK.
Topsy Turvy Friday In The Top End Comes To A Close With Jones On Top
In the three free practice sessions for the fourth round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championships presented by Motul in the tropical sunshine at Hidden Valley Raceway, there were different riders that topped the three sessions.
For the third year in a row the Alpinestars Superbike class is on the card with the Repco Supercars Championship and the top-fuel dragsters at the betr Darwin Triple Crown, this weekend.
With the times so close from the opening minutes of the session it was a clear indication that the 2.8km long Hidden Valley circuit will again play host to some intense and brilliant battles over the three 16-lap races.
In conditions that were not quite as hot as last year, the race lap record was bettered in the opening session by championship leader Josh Waters on the McMartin Racing with K-Tech Suspension Ducati Panigale V4 R with an astounding time of 1:05.368. Just 0.180 of a second adrift from Waters was three-time Australian Champion, Glenn Allerton (Spectro Oils GT Racing BMW), with defending champion Mike Jones (Yamaha Racing Team) in third, the trio separated by only 0.295 of a second with the top seven covered by less than a second.
The second session was drama packed as in the first five minutes the red flag was waved after Ted Collins (Livson Racing BMW) crashed spectacularly at the daunting Turn 10 with his bike slamming into the air fence.
It wasn’t the last time for the red flag as with five minutes left in the session, Troy Herfoss on the Penrite Honda had no sooner set the fastest time than he crashed on the exit of turn one as he attempted to improve his time, the mind games that make up a practice day. Due to the incident, it thwarted his rivals from improving their times with Waters second fastest, 0.122 of a second behind Herfoss with Mike Jones breaking into the top three the trio separated by just 0.126 of a second.
When The Alpinestars Superbike class took to the track for the final session the track temperature was nudging 50 degrees celcius, some 17 degrees hotter than the morning session. With such high temperatures it was expected that times may have suffered but try telling that to the talented riders of Australian road racing as Mike Jones claimed the top spot from Waters who was again second with Glenn Allerton third to make it two sessions in the top three for Glenn and “Mad Mike” while Waters was in the top three in all sessions.
Herfoss rode his second bike in the final stanza, but still managed to claim fourth fastest and it was refreshing to see Arthur Sissis back on track after his forced absence at Queensland Raceway due to a broken wrist.
With the combined times of the three sessions it’s Jones who leads the way heading into qualifying tomorrow more from Waters and Herfoss. Next on the charts is Allerton in fourth, Cru Halliday in fifth. Halliday who has finished on the podium in all but the opening race of the year had his last session brought undone when he crashed at the final turn with a little over five minutes remaining.
Behind Halliday, Arthur Sissis and Unitech Racing sit in sixth position and rounding out the Top Ten on Day One is Bryan Staring on the MotoGo Yamaha from Broc Pearson (Desmo Sport Ducati) Anthony West (Addicted To Track Yamaha) with the ever-improving Max Stauffer continually improving his times.
Day two will consist of qualifying in the morning at 08:25am ACST where the outright fastest lap will no doubt be under threat to be lowered by any number of riders, before the first of the three races tomorrow afternoon at 12:40pm ACST.
Johann Zarco (5), as seen earlier this season. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Frenchman Johann Zarco, riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici, topped rain-affected MotoGP Free Practice One (FP1) Friday morning at Sachsenring, in Germany.
The top 16 riders’ best times were within one second of leader Zarco’s best lap time, 1:20.702.
Ayumu Sasaki (71), as seen at Mugello. Photo courtesy Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
Ayumu Sasaki, riding his Liqui Moly Inact GP Husqvarna, broke the All-Time Lap Record during Moto3 FP1 Friday morning at Sachsenring, in Germany. Sasaki’s lap time of 1:25.840 beat Ivan Guevara’s 2022 lap record of 1:25.869.
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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
April 15, 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
