Vive la vitesse ! Quartararo & Zarco lead fabulous fan parade in Le Mans
From city to circuit, the home heroes head up a parade of 1000s of fans ahead of #GP1000
Wednesday, 10 May 2023
MotoGP™ celebrates the 1000th Grand Prix in history this weekend and the occasion got off to a fitting start in France as 1000s of fans joined their home heroes for a ride in. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) led the incredible convoy home, with the route starting in the centre of Le Mans and heading to the circuit – finishing up with a lap of the famous venue.
The parade began at Place du Jet d’Eau, with the riders getting suited and booted before taking to the fanzone stage for a quick Q&A to welcome the crowd. Then it was showtime as Quartararo and Zarco headed over to their bikes and got ready to lead the huge convoy off through the city.
Fabio Quartararo (20) taking a turn leading the parade of motorcycles to the Bugatti Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Johann Zarco (5) taking a turn leading the parade of motorcycles to the Bugatti Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.
With a police escort and fans lining the streets en route, the sound of 1000s of motorcycles made sure everyone knows MotoGP™ is in town this weekend. And with the 1000GP flags flying high, they all know history is about to be made!
On arrival at the circuit, the convoy headed onto the hallowed ground at Raccordement, the final corner complex, and then the fans set off for a very special lap behind their Grand Prix heroes.
The bikes kept streaming past the start-finish line even as the home duo got a fair few corners into the lap, making for quite a photo opportunity once they were all back on the main straight. With Quartararo and Zarco centre stage, flanked by our gendarmerie escort and a whole lotta fans, it’s a snapshot for the scrapbook as MotoGP™ prepares to make even more history this weekend.
Johann Zarco (left) and Fabio Quartararo (right) pose with thousands of fans on the front straightaway of the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Save the date, set your alarms and get ready for the Shark Grand Prix de France: Friday decides entrants to Q2, the Tissot Sprint starts on Saturday at 15:00 (GMT +2) and the Grand Prix race gets in gear at 14:00 on Sunday!
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Announces 2023 Nominees
Voting to determine the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is now open
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the list of nominees for the Class of 2023, and that voting is now open.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame selection committees have put forward 16 nominees from eight areas of influence: Ambassadors & Industry, Design & Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership & Rights, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.
Nominees include:
Competition:
Jim Belland (Dirt Track)
Ryan Dungey (Motocross & Supercross)
Eraldo Ferracci (Road Racing)
Barry Hawk (Off Road)
Grant Langston (Motocross & Supercross)
Brent Thompson (Dirt Track)
Ryan Young (Specialty Competition)
Non-Competition:
Rita Coombs (Ambassadors & Industry)
Robert Coy (Ambassadors & Industry)
Michael Czysz (Design & Engineering)
Travis Pastrana (Ambassadors & Industry)
Rodney Roberts (Leadership & Rights)
Paul Schlegel (Ambassadors & Industry)
Rick Sieman (Leadership & Rights)
Buddy Stubbs (Ambassadors & Industry)
Barry Willey (Design & Engineering)
“The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame nominees for 2023 include a diverse and accomplished group of men and women who’ve demonstrated exceptional achievements in competition, advocacy and promotion of the sport of motorcycling,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “They have contributed significantly to the advancement of motorcycling in various areas, from excelling in dirt track, motocross and road racing competition, to advocating for motorcyclists’ rights, to creating enduring events that have helped grow motorcycling, to creating innovative motorcycle designs. We’re honored to recognize this year’s nominees and eagerly anticipate announcing the Class of 2023 soon.”
Voting for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is now open. Eligible voters include previous Hall of Fame inductees, members of the AMA and AMHF Boards of Directors, and members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Category Selection Committees. AMA Life Members with at least 25 years of consecutive membership are also eligible to vote but should update their contact information to receive the latest updates and announcements pertaining to the voting process.
Voting ends Sunday, June 18 at 11:59 p.m.
Voting results will be announced soon after voting closes, and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Sept. 15, in Pickerington, Ohio.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Prepped to Perform in French GP
Le Mans (France), 10th May 2023
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammates Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli are heading to France for the fifth round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, held at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit this weekend.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team are ready to put up a fight at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit during this weekend‘s Grand Prix de France, aiming to hear the fans screaming “Allez Les Bleus!”.
This round is especially important for home hero Fabio Quartararo, who finished here just off the podium last year and is keen to make up for it this weekend. The Bugatti track has traditionally been a strong circuit for Yamaha, so El Diablo is fully motivated to offer some stiff competition, like he did when he scored third place on his home soil in 2021. The local hero is currently 11th in the championship standings and determined to climb up in the rankings.
After four rounds, Morbidelli holds 12th in the championship order. Following the overall positive one-day IRTA test in Jerez that was held immediately after the Spanish GP, the number-21 rider‘s goal for this weekend is to confirm some of his findings again. The Le Mans track is a good place to do so: Morbido likes this circuit, as underlined by his 2017 Moto2 race win.
The Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit was built in 1965, just a few kilometres from the city of Le Mans. MotoGP made its first visit to the iconic French track in the late sixties, and it remained a fixture until 1996. After some safety modifications, the 4.2km-long circuit was added back to the calendar in 2000. Its layout of five left and nine right corners places the emphasis on late braking, hard acceleration, and rear-end traction, which makes for some great battles.
Those who want to watch some early Bugatti track action can watch MotoGP eSport rider Lorenzo Daretti navigate a very wet French circuit in this week‘s eLap video.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director
We are now in Le Mans. We were able to try some items and settings at the Jerez Test. Ideally, we also want to try them here, but the weather forecasts so far predict we might have multiple wet sessions this weekend. Our pace was good in the wet at the Portuguese and Argentina GP earlier this season, so we will make sure to be ready either way. This is a very important race weekend for Fabio. The French fans wholeheartedly support him, and that will give us all an extra boost to give it our best shot and show our true potential.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I expected better results when I arrived in Jerez, so I‘m now looking forward to a rematch in Le Mans this weekend. We have left all the drama of the last race weekend behind us: I prefer to focus on the work we have to do and the goals that we want to achieve. It‘s my home GP, so I‘m looking forward to seeing and hearing the fans. I want to keep a positive mindset, do my best, and hopefully get some good results.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
The Jerez Test was interesting for us, so I‘m curious to see if the things we found will also work in Le Mans. A dry weekend would be good for us in order to cross-check the data. But should it rain, that too could be interesting. I felt confident in the wet, especially in Argentina, so I‘m curious to see if in those conditions we can do a good job again. Either way, we want to avoid starting from too far back on the grid, so that‘s what we‘ll work on right from P1 on Friday.
Marc Marquez returns to full-strength Repsol Honda Team at historic 1000th GP in France
Marc Marquez makes his much-anticipated return to restore the Repsol Honda Team and re-join Joan Mir, both looking for stable weekends during a milestone event.
After breaking the first metacarpal on his right hand in Portugal, Marc Marquez will return to racing his Repsol Honda Team RC213V in France. Having consulted with three separate medical teams, all involved are satisfied with the healing of the bone and the #93 will be back on track in France. The primary focus of the weekend will be getting back into the flow of a Grand Prix weekend and picking up where Marquez and the Honda RC213V left off. Marquez has stood on the top step of the podium on three occasions in the premier class in Le Mans.
With a busy post-race test completed, Joan Mir arrives in Le Mans eager to find consistency and improvement. Having shown flashes of his potential during testing and the early races, there’s no doubt that Mir and the Honda RC213V have a lot more to give after a handful of trying rounds. Putting together a consistent weekend will be Mir’s primary focus, making the most of all the track time available. As always at Le Mans, the weather has the potential to turn the tides of any weekend but the forecast cooler conditions should suit the #36 better than the scorching conditions in Jerez.
Round five of the 2023 World Championship sees Grand Prix motorcycle racing cross a historic threshold, the French GP schedule to be the 1000th event. Starting in 1949, manufacturers and riders from across the world would begin to compete for the highest honour in two-wheeled racing. 1959 saw Honda take a first step into this world and take a maiden win two years later in 1961. Since then, the history of Honda and Grand Prix racing have been intertwined with Honda taking 817 victories across all Grand Prix classes to date.
The full-strength Repsol Honda Team will be back out on track at 10:45 Local Time for Free Practice 1 on Friday, May 12.
Marc Marquez
“I am really happy to be back with the Repsol Honda Team, about to ride my bike again. First of all I want to thank my medical team for their professionalism and advice over the past few weeks. Of course as a rider you always want to be back as soon as possible, but with an injury like this it was really important to allow it to heal. Now I am here and fully focused on riding, I have no worries about the injury since it’s fully healed. Let’s see what the French GP brings and most importantly, work to our maximum.”
Joan Mir
“Arriving in France, we come with an open mind. We had a busy Monday test where we were able to try some things, especially working on the base setting of the bike. I am hoping that we will be able to take profit of this during the weekend. The French GP always has the extra element of the weather, often it is cold or raining. At the moment it looks a bit colder, but these cooler conditions seem to suit us better this year, so we are aiming to make the most of the situation we have. No matter what, we keep working together.”
The Q5 and Q5S are purpose-built, street-legal, high-performance tires that have been in the making for over 4 years. Utilizing technology shared by Dunlop’s cutting-edge MotoAmerica road race tires, the Q5 and Q5S are made in Dunlop’s Buffalo, New York plant on the same proprietary equipment as the racing products. Over the years, Dunlop has developed many class-leading sport tires as well as racing tires for professional and amateur road racers.
The Dunlop Sportmax Q5 is evolving from a blend of the highly popular Sportmax Q4 and Dunlop’s cutting-edge MotoAmerica spec road race tires. The Q5 utilizes the very best technologies Dunlop has to offer for a track tire that is still street legal.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds, and tread patterns, the Q5 is the new benchmark for track-day tires. The Q5 is even more user-friendly, has dry and wet grip, tire compliance, and warm-up times have all been improved. Tire warmers are not necessary for track use.
Dunlop has also expanded the size range of the Q5 to include five additional sizes for increased bike fitments: 110/70ZR17, 140/70ZR17, 150/60ZR17, 160/60ZR17, 200/60ZR17
Succeeding the highly popular Dunlop Sportmax Q3+, the Dunlop Sportmax Q5S raises the bar for the ultimate street and track-day tire. Following in the development footsteps of the Q5, the Q5S has achieved even higher performance by utilizing aspects from Dunlop’s cutting-edge road race tires.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds, and tread patterns, the Q5S provides lighter and nimbler handling and improved dry and wet grip to make it even more user friendly all while maintaining class-leading durability.
ALWAYS INNOVATING
Development never stops at Dunlop. Q5 and Q5S’ development took place over 4 years. Testing was done at Dunlop’s Huntsville Proving Grounds (HPG), Virginia International Raceway, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, and Roebling Road Raceway, by Dunlop testing staff such as Taylor Knapp as well as other professional racers. Multiple new compounds were developed and tried, with the final mix contributing to lap times quicker than any other street tires we’ve ever tested.
Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments
Editorial Note: Kruger won both Formula One races, both A Superstock races, and one A Superbike race during the double-header WERA Sportsman Series event.
5 Races, 5 Wins! The perfect weekend for the Nature Power Kawasaki Superbike Team at Roebling Raceway-AMA/WERA CHAMPIONSHIP
Canadian Dan Kruger won five races this past weekend, May 6-7, at the WERA Championship round held at Roebling Road Raceway, near Savannah, GA.
We came, we conquered, and we left. A couple of close races but Dan had full control over the weekend and a strong race pace as he also took pole position on both days and led all practice sessions.
“I am really pleased how my crew chief and I worked together to set up the race bike, selected the correct compound tires, and did what was needed to sweep the weekend. We had some sketchy weather in one race and thought about pulling off after the warm-up lap but fortunately decided to stay out and race. Looking back, I am pleased with our performance,” Dan commented.
On Saturday, we had a clutch issue and pulled in after the first lap. We also had an engine let go during the Friday practice, so the weekend was not without its challenges. We now have a lot of work ahead of us as we prepare for the doubleheader at Road Atlanta in a few weeks’ time. There will be a lot of points up for grabs and our team will do what we can to take as many of them as possible as we head into this round leading the AMA/WERA National Superbike Championship.
We also start the N2/WERA Endurance Championship that weekend so there will be lots of racing coming up. The team would like to thank all our sponsors that include Nature Power, Mototron, Pirelli, RK, EBC, HEL, Dainese, KYT, Motul, Ktech, SK Support, Hindle, and Kinetik Check us out at www.facebook.com/dankrugerracingteam to stay up to date on all our race results.
Follow The WagBar MP13 Racing Team, Team Owner Melissa Paris, and young riders Aiden Sneed and Kayla Yaakov as they take on the 2023 MotoAmerica motorcycle racing season.
Editorial Note: The American husband-and-wife duo of Cory West and Patricia Fernandez-West are competing with JMoC Roofing Racing at the North West 200. Fernandez-West qualified P41 in Superbike and P38 in Superstock on her Kawasaki ZX-10R and P40 in Supersport on a Yamaha YZF-R6. West, meanwhile, qualified P16 in Supertwins on a Kawasaki ER6 (a.k.a. Ninja 650).
MICHAEL DUNLOP FASTEST IN OPENING SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING SESSION AT 2023 fonaCAB AND NICHOLL OILS NORTH WEST 200
Local favourite Michael Dunlop topped the qualifying times in the Superbike class on his Hawk Racing Honda during the opening practice session for the 2023 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 today.
Dunlop, who has switched from BMW to Honda power in the big bike class this season, posted a lap of 122.943mph to finish 1.92 seconds quicker than Alastair Seeley. The 27-times NW200 winner topped the speed trap figures with a phenomenal 207.2mph on his Milwaukee BMW.
Lee Johnston was third fastest on his Ashcourt Racing Honda, 6.229 seconds slower than Dunlop as light rain began to fall during the final minutes of the session. Outright lap record holder around the 8.9-mile circuit, Peter Hickman, was fourth-quickest on the FHO Racing BMW with John McGuinness posting an impressive fifth-quickest lap on the Honda Racing Fireblade.
But it was a disappointing session for Glenn Irwin who struggled with the handling of his Beer Monster/PBM Ducati, finishing 8.14 seconds slower than Dunlop with the 8th fastest speed.
“Always enjoyable on the north coast but not so much when you can’t go in a straight line,” Irwin, the frustrated winner of the last six NW200 Superbike races, posted on social media. “Roll on Thursday for FP2. The boys will digest the data and we go again.”
Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki), Milenco Padgetts Honda teammates, Davey Todd and Conor Cummins plus newcomer Mike Browne (RK Racing/Burrows BMW) completed the top ten in the class on day one. Josh Brookes suffered a difficult opening session though as his FHO Racing BMW ground to a premature halt, preventing the Australian from posting a qualifying speed.
The day’s action had begun in bright sunshine as the newcomers took to the track in the opening qualifying session. Amongst the new recruits was David Datzer, a rostrum finisher in last year’s Macau Grand Prix, but it was Cork’s Mike Browne who topped the time sheets on the RK Racing/Burrows BMW.
Following a short delay to allow oil to be cleaned from the track at Magherabouy, the Supersport session followed with Alastair Seeley dominating proceedings on the Powertoolmate V2 Ducati ahead of BPE/Russell Racing Yamaha teammates, Richard Cooper and Dean Harrison. Michael Dunlop was fourth fastest on his MD Racing Yamaha ahead of Peter Hickman (Trooper Beer Triumph) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Yamaha).
Alastair Seeley (34) on his Powertoolmate Ducati Panigale V2. Photo by Pacemaker Press International, courtesy NW200 Press Office.
The impressive Mike Browne (RK Racing/Burrows Yamaha) was eighth quickest behind Davey Todd (Milenco Padgetts Honda) with Paul Jordan (Prez Racing Yamaha) and Adam McLean (JMC Roofing Yamaha) completing the top ten. Veteran Jeremy McWilliams was 12th quickest on the Wilson Craig Honda.
After a machine switch from a Bathams-backed R7 Yamaha to a KMR Kawasaki on the eve of qualifying, Richard Cooper posted a fastest speed in the Supertwins class 3.4 seconds quicker than Jeremy McWilliams (Bayview Paton). Cooper won both Twins races at the seaside event last year on a Farquhar-built Kawasaki ER6 before being disqualified because of a machine infringement.
Paul Jordan was third-fastest on a Prez Racing Kawasaki with Adam McLean (JMC Roofing Kawasaki), Michael Dunlop McAdoo Kawasaki) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Aprilia) completing the top six. Last year’s top NW200 newcomer, Gary McCoy failed to qualify as did Maria Costello.
Rain fell as the final Superstock qualifying session began with Alastair Seeley (Synetiq BMW) eventually posting the fastest time, 1.96 seconds ahead of Michael Dunlop on his MD Racing Honda. Peter Hickman was over a second further adrift.
Hickman’s FHO Racing BMW teammate, Josh Brookes was seventh-quickest as John McGuinness outqualified his young Honda Racing teammate, Nathan Harrison, finishing 9th fastest to the Manxman’s 11th quickest speed.
Dominic Herbertson, Brian McCormack and Michael Rutter all failed to qualify.
After an incident-free opening session, the action resumes on Thursday morning when roads close at 9.15am for final qualifying.
Roads will re-open at 3.15pm before closing again between 5pm and 9pm on Thursday evening when the opening Strain Engineering Supersport, Briggs Equipment Superstock and Milltown Service Station Supertwins races all take place.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the PDF viewers to better see all of the results.
Thornton and Yee Triumphant in MRA Season-Opener at High Plains Raceway
Byers, CO – the Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) began its 50th anniversary season with Round 1 at High Plains Raceway on the weekend of May 6-7 with a good turnout of both local and visiting racers. Racing was competitive and exciting, and the weather was cooperative, if not almost ideal for the most of the event.
Saturday morning started with Novice GTU, and welcomed many new Novice racers that licensed-up after taking the MRA New Racer School in April. A full grid of 29 racers, split into two-waves, and started separately for safety, saw rookie Tijan Thompson take the win quite handily, with an eleven second gap between him and second place Geovanni Cruz. Dylan Unger took the last step of the podium.
Novice GTO had almost as many racers, and found another rookie, Geovanni Cruz, standing at the top step of the podium. Dylan Unger wasn’t far behind, but had to settle for second place. Addison Lecy‐Siewert started in last place on the 10th row (and had to deal with the delay of a two-wave start), but he put his head down, passing most of the racers in front of him, and beat Tijan Thompson to the checkered flag for third place.
Sunday morning’s racing started with Amateur GTU, which is usually one of the fullest grids of the weekend, as it allows Expert and Novice racers to compete against each other. This weekend, 36 racers registered for Amateur GTU, making for 12 rows of competitors, and a two-wave start for safety. Nathan Entz started on the 5th row, and took the win from pole-sitter Jesse Kurk by a few seconds. Steven Racz, who also started on the front row, finished third.
Amateur GTO didn’t offer much competition for Gage Mollman, who took the checkered flag with over 20 seconds from his nearest competitor. The fight for second place was a little more exciting, with Nathan Entz beating Jesse Kurk to the line by just one-tenth of a second. Addison Lecy‐Siewert and Justin Bohling had impressive races, both starting on the eleventh row, in last and second-to-last place (respectively), and in the second wave of a two-wave start. Lecy‐Siewert managed to pass 20 riders, finishing 5th; Bohling was not far behind, finishing 7th.
The MRA’s premier class, Race of the Rockies (ROR), did not disappoint, as fierce battles for the top podium spot were waged in both GTO and GTU classes. Ray Thornton beat current #1 plate holder, Mike Applegate, to the checkered flag by seven-hundredths of a second, taking the win in the GTO class. Dave Lambert, no stranger to the ROR podium, took third.
Race of the Rockies GTU had an even closer finish, with Ken Yee beating Justen Behmer to the line by less than five-hundredths of a second. Jeremiah Downing took the third step of the ROR GTU podium.
The MRA will be at Pike’s Peak International Raceway in Fountain, CO, for Round 2 on June 3-4, for a full weekend of racing, including the SuperStreet class on Saturday afternoon. SuperStreet gives street riders the opportunity to experience motorcycle road racing with minimal cost and preparation. See https://www.mra-racing.org/superstreet/superstreet-information/ for details.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information go to http://www.mra-racing.org/.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.
Fernandez to try conditions in Le Mans, Savadori jumps on RS-GP
With a tough Spanish Grand Prix fresh in their minds, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team tries to take the positives to this weekend’s French Grand Prix in Le Mans. The world-famous Bugatti Circuit, which usually is a magnet for fans from all over the country and above, is welcoming the MotoGP World Championship with most likely changing weather conditions this weekend for round five in 2023.
Yet, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team has to compete the weekend without Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese, who was sent to the ground again through no fault of his own last time out, dislocated his left shoulder while crashing. The impact also caused a fracture on the humerus head of his left shoulder, which sidelines him for the French round. Oliveira is trying his best at home to recover and come back to action as quick as possible.
In the meantime, Lorenzo Savadori is going to take over his Aprilia RS-GP this weekend. The Italian Aprilia test rider already got accustomed to the team and surroundings during one day test in Jerez de la Frontera, whereas he knows the Aprilia RS-GP well. The 30-year-old who last rode the Aprilia in Le Mans two years ago, is eager to get back to competitive racing.
On the other side of the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team garage, Raul Fernandez, who was suffering from pain in his right arm from the beginning of the season, did some further checks last week after the Spanish Grand Prix, which he still managed to finish with a point. After being examined, the Spaniard had surgery on nine muscles in his arm to fix the compartment syndrome, that was giving him pain. Better known as arm pump, he got under the knife last Thursday and used the weekend to try to get to be fit enough to compete at the French GP this weekend.
Fernandez will have to undergo a medical check on Thursday in order to find out, if he can start the fifth round of the season. In any case, the 22-year-old is relieved to have been able to find the source of his pain and to resolve the issue for the future. At the same time, he is impatient to start the first Practice session this Friday at 10:45 local time.
At the same time, this weekend marks the first of eight rounds with two races respectively for the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship. The Italian Andrea Mantovani and the Spaniard Mika Perez are representing the newly formed CryptoDATA RNF MotoE Team throughout the electrifying season.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“Honestly, I’m very relieved that I was finally able to find the issue with my arm together with the doctors of Quiron Salud and that I had the surgery last week to resolve it and hopefully feel at 100% soon. For Le Mans this weekend, I know I’ll have to do the medical check first to find out if I can compete or not. I feel good to ride and I hope I can get at least the chance to try my RS-GP and find out how my arm feels on the bike. This weekend, we don’t have to talk about results at all, the main thing is, I will be able to ride and try to get back to shape and enjoy.”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy RNF MotoGP Team.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“First of all, I hope to see Miguel on track again very, very soon and I really wish him a speedy recovery! Regarding the race weekend, I can say that the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans is a nice track. To be honest, I didn’t’ race for about one year though, because last time, I was competing a MotoGP weekend was in the Austrian Grand Prix in 2022. But I can’t wait to start the weekend and work with this fantastic team and people. I will try to do my best!”
Vive la vitesse ! Quartararo & Zarco lead fabulous fan parade in Le Mans
From city to circuit, the home heroes head up a parade of 1000s of fans ahead of #GP1000
Wednesday, 10 May 2023
MotoGP™ celebrates the 1000th Grand Prix in history this weekend and the occasion got off to a fitting start in France as 1000s of fans joined their home heroes for a ride in. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) led the incredible convoy home, with the route starting in the centre of Le Mans and heading to the circuit – finishing up with a lap of the famous venue.
The parade began at Place du Jet d’Eau, with the riders getting suited and booted before taking to the fanzone stage for a quick Q&A to welcome the crowd. Then it was showtime as Quartararo and Zarco headed over to their bikes and got ready to lead the huge convoy off through the city.
Fabio Quartararo (20) taking a turn leading the parade of motorcycles to the Bugatti Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Johann Zarco (5) taking a turn leading the parade of motorcycles to the Bugatti Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.
With a police escort and fans lining the streets en route, the sound of 1000s of motorcycles made sure everyone knows MotoGP™ is in town this weekend. And with the 1000GP flags flying high, they all know history is about to be made!
On arrival at the circuit, the convoy headed onto the hallowed ground at Raccordement, the final corner complex, and then the fans set off for a very special lap behind their Grand Prix heroes.
The bikes kept streaming past the start-finish line even as the home duo got a fair few corners into the lap, making for quite a photo opportunity once they were all back on the main straight. With Quartararo and Zarco centre stage, flanked by our gendarmerie escort and a whole lotta fans, it’s a snapshot for the scrapbook as MotoGP™ prepares to make even more history this weekend.
Johann Zarco (left) and Fabio Quartararo (right) pose with thousands of fans on the front straightaway of the Bugatti Circuit, in Le Mans, France. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Save the date, set your alarms and get ready for the Shark Grand Prix de France: Friday decides entrants to Q2, the Tissot Sprint starts on Saturday at 15:00 (GMT +2) and the Grand Prix race gets in gear at 14:00 on Sunday!
Eraldo Ferracci, seen here with Josh Herrin (right) following MotoAmerica Supersport Race One at Road Atlanta in 2022, is one of the AMA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 nominees. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Announces 2023 Nominees
Voting to determine the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is now open
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the list of nominees for the Class of 2023, and that voting is now open.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame selection committees have put forward 16 nominees from eight areas of influence: Ambassadors & Industry, Design & Engineering, Dirt Track, Leadership & Rights, Motocross & Supercross, Off-Road, Road Racing and Specialty Competition.
Nominees include:
Competition:
Jim Belland (Dirt Track)
Ryan Dungey (Motocross & Supercross)
Eraldo Ferracci (Road Racing)
Barry Hawk (Off Road)
Grant Langston (Motocross & Supercross)
Brent Thompson (Dirt Track)
Ryan Young (Specialty Competition)
Non-Competition:
Rita Coombs (Ambassadors & Industry)
Robert Coy (Ambassadors & Industry)
Michael Czysz (Design & Engineering)
Travis Pastrana (Ambassadors & Industry)
Rodney Roberts (Leadership & Rights)
Paul Schlegel (Ambassadors & Industry)
Rick Sieman (Leadership & Rights)
Buddy Stubbs (Ambassadors & Industry)
Barry Willey (Design & Engineering)
“The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame nominees for 2023 include a diverse and accomplished group of men and women who’ve demonstrated exceptional achievements in competition, advocacy and promotion of the sport of motorcycling,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “They have contributed significantly to the advancement of motorcycling in various areas, from excelling in dirt track, motocross and road racing competition, to advocating for motorcyclists’ rights, to creating enduring events that have helped grow motorcycling, to creating innovative motorcycle designs. We’re honored to recognize this year’s nominees and eagerly anticipate announcing the Class of 2023 soon.”
Voting for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is now open. Eligible voters include previous Hall of Fame inductees, members of the AMA and AMHF Boards of Directors, and members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Category Selection Committees. AMA Life Members with at least 25 years of consecutive membership are also eligible to vote but should update their contact information to receive the latest updates and announcements pertaining to the voting process.
Voting ends Sunday, June 18 at 11:59 p.m.
Voting results will be announced soon after voting closes, and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Sept. 15, in Pickerington, Ohio.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Prepped to Perform in French GP
Le Mans (France), 10th May 2023
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP teammates Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli are heading to France for the fifth round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, held at the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit this weekend.
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team are ready to put up a fight at the Le Mans Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit during this weekend‘s Grand Prix de France, aiming to hear the fans screaming “Allez Les Bleus!”.
This round is especially important for home hero Fabio Quartararo, who finished here just off the podium last year and is keen to make up for it this weekend. The Bugatti track has traditionally been a strong circuit for Yamaha, so El Diablo is fully motivated to offer some stiff competition, like he did when he scored third place on his home soil in 2021. The local hero is currently 11th in the championship standings and determined to climb up in the rankings.
After four rounds, Morbidelli holds 12th in the championship order. Following the overall positive one-day IRTA test in Jerez that was held immediately after the Spanish GP, the number-21 rider‘s goal for this weekend is to confirm some of his findings again. The Le Mans track is a good place to do so: Morbido likes this circuit, as underlined by his 2017 Moto2 race win.
The Bugatti Grand Prix race circuit was built in 1965, just a few kilometres from the city of Le Mans. MotoGP made its first visit to the iconic French track in the late sixties, and it remained a fixture until 1996. After some safety modifications, the 4.2km-long circuit was added back to the calendar in 2000. Its layout of five left and nine right corners places the emphasis on late braking, hard acceleration, and rear-end traction, which makes for some great battles.
Those who want to watch some early Bugatti track action can watch MotoGP eSport rider Lorenzo Daretti navigate a very wet French circuit in this week‘s eLap video.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
Team Director
We are now in Le Mans. We were able to try some items and settings at the Jerez Test. Ideally, we also want to try them here, but the weather forecasts so far predict we might have multiple wet sessions this weekend. Our pace was good in the wet at the Portuguese and Argentina GP earlier this season, so we will make sure to be ready either way. This is a very important race weekend for Fabio. The French fans wholeheartedly support him, and that will give us all an extra boost to give it our best shot and show our true potential.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I expected better results when I arrived in Jerez, so I‘m now looking forward to a rematch in Le Mans this weekend. We have left all the drama of the last race weekend behind us: I prefer to focus on the work we have to do and the goals that we want to achieve. It‘s my home GP, so I‘m looking forward to seeing and hearing the fans. I want to keep a positive mindset, do my best, and hopefully get some good results.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
The Jerez Test was interesting for us, so I‘m curious to see if the things we found will also work in Le Mans. A dry weekend would be good for us in order to cross-check the data. But should it rain, that too could be interesting. I felt confident in the wet, especially in Argentina, so I‘m curious to see if in those conditions we can do a good job again. Either way, we want to avoid starting from too far back on the grid, so that‘s what we‘ll work on right from P1 on Friday.
Marc Marquez returns to full-strength Repsol Honda Team at historic 1000th GP in France
Marc Marquez makes his much-anticipated return to restore the Repsol Honda Team and re-join Joan Mir, both looking for stable weekends during a milestone event.
After breaking the first metacarpal on his right hand in Portugal, Marc Marquez will return to racing his Repsol Honda Team RC213V in France. Having consulted with three separate medical teams, all involved are satisfied with the healing of the bone and the #93 will be back on track in France. The primary focus of the weekend will be getting back into the flow of a Grand Prix weekend and picking up where Marquez and the Honda RC213V left off. Marquez has stood on the top step of the podium on three occasions in the premier class in Le Mans.
With a busy post-race test completed, Joan Mir arrives in Le Mans eager to find consistency and improvement. Having shown flashes of his potential during testing and the early races, there’s no doubt that Mir and the Honda RC213V have a lot more to give after a handful of trying rounds. Putting together a consistent weekend will be Mir’s primary focus, making the most of all the track time available. As always at Le Mans, the weather has the potential to turn the tides of any weekend but the forecast cooler conditions should suit the #36 better than the scorching conditions in Jerez.
Round five of the 2023 World Championship sees Grand Prix motorcycle racing cross a historic threshold, the French GP schedule to be the 1000th event. Starting in 1949, manufacturers and riders from across the world would begin to compete for the highest honour in two-wheeled racing. 1959 saw Honda take a first step into this world and take a maiden win two years later in 1961. Since then, the history of Honda and Grand Prix racing have been intertwined with Honda taking 817 victories across all Grand Prix classes to date.
The full-strength Repsol Honda Team will be back out on track at 10:45 Local Time for Free Practice 1 on Friday, May 12.
Marc Marquez
“I am really happy to be back with the Repsol Honda Team, about to ride my bike again. First of all I want to thank my medical team for their professionalism and advice over the past few weeks. Of course as a rider you always want to be back as soon as possible, but with an injury like this it was really important to allow it to heal. Now I am here and fully focused on riding, I have no worries about the injury since it’s fully healed. Let’s see what the French GP brings and most importantly, work to our maximum.”
Joan Mir
“Arriving in France, we come with an open mind. We had a busy Monday test where we were able to try some things, especially working on the base setting of the bike. I am hoping that we will be able to take profit of this during the weekend. The French GP always has the extra element of the weather, often it is cold or raining. At the moment it looks a bit colder, but these cooler conditions seem to suit us better this year, so we are aiming to make the most of the situation we have. No matter what, we keep working together.”
The Q5 and Q5S are purpose-built, street-legal, high-performance tires that have been in the making for over 4 years. Utilizing technology shared by Dunlop’s cutting-edge MotoAmerica road race tires, the Q5 and Q5S are made in Dunlop’s Buffalo, New York plant on the same proprietary equipment as the racing products. Over the years, Dunlop has developed many class-leading sport tires as well as racing tires for professional and amateur road racers.
The Dunlop Sportmax Q5 is evolving from a blend of the highly popular Sportmax Q4 and Dunlop’s cutting-edge MotoAmerica spec road race tires. The Q5 utilizes the very best technologies Dunlop has to offer for a track tire that is still street legal.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds, and tread patterns, the Q5 is the new benchmark for track-day tires. The Q5 is even more user-friendly, has dry and wet grip, tire compliance, and warm-up times have all been improved. Tire warmers are not necessary for track use.
Dunlop has also expanded the size range of the Q5 to include five additional sizes for increased bike fitments: 110/70ZR17, 140/70ZR17, 150/60ZR17, 160/60ZR17, 200/60ZR17
Succeeding the highly popular Dunlop Sportmax Q3+, the Dunlop Sportmax Q5S raises the bar for the ultimate street and track-day tire. Following in the development footsteps of the Q5, the Q5S has achieved even higher performance by utilizing aspects from Dunlop’s cutting-edge road race tires.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds, and tread patterns, the Q5S provides lighter and nimbler handling and improved dry and wet grip to make it even more user friendly all while maintaining class-leading durability.
ALWAYS INNOVATING
Development never stops at Dunlop. Q5 and Q5S’ development took place over 4 years. Testing was done at Dunlop’s Huntsville Proving Grounds (HPG), Virginia International Raceway, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, and Roebling Road Raceway, by Dunlop testing staff such as Taylor Knapp as well as other professional racers. Multiple new compounds were developed and tried, with the final mix contributing to lap times quicker than any other street tires we’ve ever tested.
Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments
Dan Kruger (71). Photo by Aaron Galloway, courtesy Dan Kruger Racing Team.
Editorial Note: Kruger won both Formula One races, both A Superstock races, and one A Superbike race during the double-header WERA Sportsman Series event.
5 Races, 5 Wins! The perfect weekend for the Nature Power Kawasaki Superbike Team at Roebling Raceway-AMA/WERA CHAMPIONSHIP
Canadian Dan Kruger won five races this past weekend, May 6-7, at the WERA Championship round held at Roebling Road Raceway, near Savannah, GA.
We came, we conquered, and we left. A couple of close races but Dan had full control over the weekend and a strong race pace as he also took pole position on both days and led all practice sessions.
“I am really pleased how my crew chief and I worked together to set up the race bike, selected the correct compound tires, and did what was needed to sweep the weekend. We had some sketchy weather in one race and thought about pulling off after the warm-up lap but fortunately decided to stay out and race. Looking back, I am pleased with our performance,” Dan commented.
On Saturday, we had a clutch issue and pulled in after the first lap. We also had an engine let go during the Friday practice, so the weekend was not without its challenges. We now have a lot of work ahead of us as we prepare for the doubleheader at Road Atlanta in a few weeks’ time. There will be a lot of points up for grabs and our team will do what we can to take as many of them as possible as we head into this round leading the AMA/WERA National Superbike Championship.
We also start the N2/WERA Endurance Championship that weekend so there will be lots of racing coming up. The team would like to thank all our sponsors that include Nature Power, Mototron, Pirelli, RK, EBC, HEL, Dainese, KYT, Motul, Ktech, SK Support, Hindle, and Kinetik Check us out at www.facebook.com/dankrugerracingteam to stay up to date on all our race results.
Rookie Pro racer Aiden Sneed on the grid with his The WagBar MP13 Racing Team at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy The WagBar MP13 Racing Team.
Follow The WagBar MP13 Racing Team, Team Owner Melissa Paris, and young riders Aiden Sneed and Kayla Yaakov as they take on the 2023 MotoAmerica motorcycle racing season.
Michael Dunlop (6) in action on his Hawk Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP Tuesday at the North West 200. Photo by Pacemaker Press International, courtesy NW200 Press Office.
Editorial Note: The American husband-and-wife duo of Cory West and Patricia Fernandez-West are competing with JMoC Roofing Racing at the North West 200. Fernandez-West qualified P41 in Superbike and P38 in Superstock on her Kawasaki ZX-10R and P40 in Supersport on a Yamaha YZF-R6. West, meanwhile, qualified P16 in Supertwins on a Kawasaki ER6 (a.k.a. Ninja 650).
MICHAEL DUNLOP FASTEST IN OPENING SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING SESSION AT 2023 fonaCAB AND NICHOLL OILS NORTH WEST 200
Local favourite Michael Dunlop topped the qualifying times in the Superbike class on his Hawk Racing Honda during the opening practice session for the 2023 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 today.
Dunlop, who has switched from BMW to Honda power in the big bike class this season, posted a lap of 122.943mph to finish 1.92 seconds quicker than Alastair Seeley. The 27-times NW200 winner topped the speed trap figures with a phenomenal 207.2mph on his Milwaukee BMW.
Lee Johnston was third fastest on his Ashcourt Racing Honda, 6.229 seconds slower than Dunlop as light rain began to fall during the final minutes of the session. Outright lap record holder around the 8.9-mile circuit, Peter Hickman, was fourth-quickest on the FHO Racing BMW with John McGuinness posting an impressive fifth-quickest lap on the Honda Racing Fireblade.
But it was a disappointing session for Glenn Irwin who struggled with the handling of his Beer Monster/PBM Ducati, finishing 8.14 seconds slower than Dunlop with the 8th fastest speed.
“Always enjoyable on the north coast but not so much when you can’t go in a straight line,” Irwin, the frustrated winner of the last six NW200 Superbike races, posted on social media. “Roll on Thursday for FP2. The boys will digest the data and we go again.”
Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki), Milenco Padgetts Honda teammates, Davey Todd and Conor Cummins plus newcomer Mike Browne (RK Racing/Burrows BMW) completed the top ten in the class on day one. Josh Brookes suffered a difficult opening session though as his FHO Racing BMW ground to a premature halt, preventing the Australian from posting a qualifying speed.
The day’s action had begun in bright sunshine as the newcomers took to the track in the opening qualifying session. Amongst the new recruits was David Datzer, a rostrum finisher in last year’s Macau Grand Prix, but it was Cork’s Mike Browne who topped the time sheets on the RK Racing/Burrows BMW.
Following a short delay to allow oil to be cleaned from the track at Magherabouy, the Supersport session followed with Alastair Seeley dominating proceedings on the Powertoolmate V2 Ducati ahead of BPE/Russell Racing Yamaha teammates, Richard Cooper and Dean Harrison. Michael Dunlop was fourth fastest on his MD Racing Yamaha ahead of Peter Hickman (Trooper Beer Triumph) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Yamaha).
Alastair Seeley (34) on his Powertoolmate Ducati Panigale V2. Photo by Pacemaker Press International, courtesy NW200 Press Office.
The impressive Mike Browne (RK Racing/Burrows Yamaha) was eighth quickest behind Davey Todd (Milenco Padgetts Honda) with Paul Jordan (Prez Racing Yamaha) and Adam McLean (JMC Roofing Yamaha) completing the top ten. Veteran Jeremy McWilliams was 12th quickest on the Wilson Craig Honda.
After a machine switch from a Bathams-backed R7 Yamaha to a KMR Kawasaki on the eve of qualifying, Richard Cooper posted a fastest speed in the Supertwins class 3.4 seconds quicker than Jeremy McWilliams (Bayview Paton). Cooper won both Twins races at the seaside event last year on a Farquhar-built Kawasaki ER6 before being disqualified because of a machine infringement.
Paul Jordan was third-fastest on a Prez Racing Kawasaki with Adam McLean (JMC Roofing Kawasaki), Michael Dunlop McAdoo Kawasaki) and Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing Aprilia) completing the top six. Last year’s top NW200 newcomer, Gary McCoy failed to qualify as did Maria Costello.
Rain fell as the final Superstock qualifying session began with Alastair Seeley (Synetiq BMW) eventually posting the fastest time, 1.96 seconds ahead of Michael Dunlop on his MD Racing Honda. Peter Hickman was over a second further adrift.
Hickman’s FHO Racing BMW teammate, Josh Brookes was seventh-quickest as John McGuinness outqualified his young Honda Racing teammate, Nathan Harrison, finishing 9th fastest to the Manxman’s 11th quickest speed.
Dominic Herbertson, Brian McCormack and Michael Rutter all failed to qualify.
After an incident-free opening session, the action resumes on Thursday morning when roads close at 9.15am for final qualifying.
Roads will re-open at 3.15pm before closing again between 5pm and 9pm on Thursday evening when the opening Strain Engineering Supersport, Briggs Equipment Superstock and Milltown Service Station Supertwins races all take place.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the PDF viewers to better see all of the results.
Ray Thornton (717) at High Plains Raceway. Photo by Kelly Vernell, courtesy MRA.
Thornton and Yee Triumphant in MRA Season-Opener at High Plains Raceway
Byers, CO – the Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) began its 50th anniversary season with Round 1 at High Plains Raceway on the weekend of May 6-7 with a good turnout of both local and visiting racers. Racing was competitive and exciting, and the weather was cooperative, if not almost ideal for the most of the event.
Saturday morning started with Novice GTU, and welcomed many new Novice racers that licensed-up after taking the MRA New Racer School in April. A full grid of 29 racers, split into two-waves, and started separately for safety, saw rookie Tijan Thompson take the win quite handily, with an eleven second gap between him and second place Geovanni Cruz. Dylan Unger took the last step of the podium.
Novice GTO had almost as many racers, and found another rookie, Geovanni Cruz, standing at the top step of the podium. Dylan Unger wasn’t far behind, but had to settle for second place. Addison Lecy‐Siewert started in last place on the 10th row (and had to deal with the delay of a two-wave start), but he put his head down, passing most of the racers in front of him, and beat Tijan Thompson to the checkered flag for third place.
Sunday morning’s racing started with Amateur GTU, which is usually one of the fullest grids of the weekend, as it allows Expert and Novice racers to compete against each other. This weekend, 36 racers registered for Amateur GTU, making for 12 rows of competitors, and a two-wave start for safety. Nathan Entz started on the 5th row, and took the win from pole-sitter Jesse Kurk by a few seconds. Steven Racz, who also started on the front row, finished third.
Amateur GTO didn’t offer much competition for Gage Mollman, who took the checkered flag with over 20 seconds from his nearest competitor. The fight for second place was a little more exciting, with Nathan Entz beating Jesse Kurk to the line by just one-tenth of a second. Addison Lecy‐Siewert and Justin Bohling had impressive races, both starting on the eleventh row, in last and second-to-last place (respectively), and in the second wave of a two-wave start. Lecy‐Siewert managed to pass 20 riders, finishing 5th; Bohling was not far behind, finishing 7th.
The MRA’s premier class, Race of the Rockies (ROR), did not disappoint, as fierce battles for the top podium spot were waged in both GTO and GTU classes. Ray Thornton beat current #1 plate holder, Mike Applegate, to the checkered flag by seven-hundredths of a second, taking the win in the GTO class. Dave Lambert, no stranger to the ROR podium, took third.
Race of the Rockies GTU had an even closer finish, with Ken Yee beating Justen Behmer to the line by less than five-hundredths of a second. Jeremiah Downing took the third step of the ROR GTU podium.
The MRA will be at Pike’s Peak International Raceway in Fountain, CO, for Round 2 on June 3-4, for a full weekend of racing, including the SuperStreet class on Saturday afternoon. SuperStreet gives street riders the opportunity to experience motorcycle road racing with minimal cost and preparation. See https://www.mra-racing.org/superstreet/superstreet-information/ for details.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information go to http://www.mra-racing.org/.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.
Raul Fernandez (25). Photo courtesy RNF MotoGP Team.
Fernandez to try conditions in Le Mans, Savadori jumps on RS-GP
With a tough Spanish Grand Prix fresh in their minds, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team tries to take the positives to this weekend’s French Grand Prix in Le Mans. The world-famous Bugatti Circuit, which usually is a magnet for fans from all over the country and above, is welcoming the MotoGP World Championship with most likely changing weather conditions this weekend for round five in 2023.
Yet, the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team has to compete the weekend without Miguel Oliveira. The Portuguese, who was sent to the ground again through no fault of his own last time out, dislocated his left shoulder while crashing. The impact also caused a fracture on the humerus head of his left shoulder, which sidelines him for the French round. Oliveira is trying his best at home to recover and come back to action as quick as possible.
In the meantime, Lorenzo Savadori is going to take over his Aprilia RS-GP this weekend. The Italian Aprilia test rider already got accustomed to the team and surroundings during one day test in Jerez de la Frontera, whereas he knows the Aprilia RS-GP well. The 30-year-old who last rode the Aprilia in Le Mans two years ago, is eager to get back to competitive racing.
On the other side of the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team garage, Raul Fernandez, who was suffering from pain in his right arm from the beginning of the season, did some further checks last week after the Spanish Grand Prix, which he still managed to finish with a point. After being examined, the Spaniard had surgery on nine muscles in his arm to fix the compartment syndrome, that was giving him pain. Better known as arm pump, he got under the knife last Thursday and used the weekend to try to get to be fit enough to compete at the French GP this weekend.
Fernandez will have to undergo a medical check on Thursday in order to find out, if he can start the fifth round of the season. In any case, the 22-year-old is relieved to have been able to find the source of his pain and to resolve the issue for the future. At the same time, he is impatient to start the first Practice session this Friday at 10:45 local time.
At the same time, this weekend marks the first of eight rounds with two races respectively for the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship. The Italian Andrea Mantovani and the Spaniard Mika Perez are representing the newly formed CryptoDATA RNF MotoE Team throughout the electrifying season.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“Honestly, I’m very relieved that I was finally able to find the issue with my arm together with the doctors of Quiron Salud and that I had the surgery last week to resolve it and hopefully feel at 100% soon. For Le Mans this weekend, I know I’ll have to do the medical check first to find out if I can compete or not. I feel good to ride and I hope I can get at least the chance to try my RS-GP and find out how my arm feels on the bike. This weekend, we don’t have to talk about results at all, the main thing is, I will be able to ride and try to get back to shape and enjoy.”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy RNF MotoGP Team.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“First of all, I hope to see Miguel on track again very, very soon and I really wish him a speedy recovery! Regarding the race weekend, I can say that the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans is a nice track. To be honest, I didn’t’ race for about one year though, because last time, I was competing a MotoGP weekend was in the Austrian Grand Prix in 2022. But I can’t wait to start the weekend and work with this fantastic team and people. I will try to do my best!”
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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
