Stefano Mesa swept up at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (a.k.a. PittRace) over the weekend May 6-7 for first-place finishes in CCS Unlimited GP, Middleweight Supersport and GTO on his Kawasakis.
BRL (Bagger Racing League) stole the show with an incredible amount of fans showing up to watch the big machines race. Rob Buydos knows how to bring the fireworks for sure!
Blackhawk Farms Raceway will be our next event with BRL.
Mark Lienhard, one of the partners at ASRA, said: “Rob is a great supporter for our sport and really knows how to bring interest. We hope to grow this!”
ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Tom Sykes temporarily replacing the injured Michael van der Mark during testing and racing.
Tom Sykes will be making an interim return to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK family.
First appearance: Misano test end of the week.
Tom Sykes: “I will work hard to support BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team as best as possible.”
Munich. Tom Sykes (GBR) is returning temporarily to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK family and to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. The 37-year-old British rider will replace injured Michael van der Mark (NED) until further notice in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK). The Dutch rider sustained a fractured left femur at Assen (NED).
From 2019 to 2021, Sykes was a BMW Motorrad factory rider in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and was involved in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK project from the word go. He also played a key role in the development of the BMW M 1000 RR. In his three seasons as a BMW Motorrad works rider, Sykes recorded a total of six podium finishes and three pole positions.
“Welcome back, Tom. We are delighted to welcome Tom temporarily back to our WorldSBK family,” said BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers. “This opportunity arose as Tom became available. We believe that he will be a great substitute for as long as it takes for Michael to recover from his injury. We are in constant contact with Michael, and he is making good progress. However, there is no date set for his return. Tom is an outstanding rider and, as well as having plenty of WorldSBK experience, he has been familiar with our project and the team from the very start.”
“I’m looking forward to temporarily return to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport and to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team,” Sykes said. “I will work hard to support them as best as possible. I know them from the beginning on and was involved in developing the BMW M 1000 RR. Now I get the opportunity to contribute again to the development process. I’m looking forward to get on the new BMW M 1000 RR at the Misano test. At the same time, I wish my former team-mate Mickey all the best on his way to recovery while I give everything to stand in for him in the best possible way.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Tom Sykes moves on from Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
WorldSBK Champion in 2013 riding a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Tom Sykes, has concluded his term riding for the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team and the task of working to refine their technical and machine set up package.
During his tenure as the team’s WorldSBK entry for the early part of the 2023 season, Yorkshireman Sykes worked closely with technicians and engineers of the Italian team passing on valuable feedback and machine set up advice which they will use to mount a future attack on WorldSBK honours.
Team Principle, Manuel Puccetti, expressed his thanks to Sykes saying; “My team staff and sponsors were honoured to have Tom join us to start the season. As a former world champion and multiple race winner, his insight has really taken our understanding of the Ninja to the next level. Now he leaves us, and we thank him for all his knowledge and for sharing so much information.”
Tom Sykes concluded; “I had no hesitation in joining the Kawasaki Puccetti team and helping them with the refinement of their Ninja ZX-10RR package. I hope all the data I helped them accumulate over testing and the first races of the season pushes them closer to winning races in the future”.
Gabriel Da Silva Joins Steel Commander Racing Team For 2023 MotoAmerica Championship
Hollywood, FL – May 9, 2023 – Florida-based rider Gabriel Da Silva has announced that he will be racing in both the 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship and the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup aboard the #71 Kawasaki ZX-10R for the newly formed Steel Commander Racing Team.
Da Silva and his new team will make their 2023 MotoAmerica debut on May 19 through 21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, which is the next round of the Championship. Da Silva returns to MotoAmerica after a one-year hiatus and to the same track where he notched his first MotoAmerica win in the final race of the 2021 Supersport season.
Gabriel Da Silva, after winning a MotoAmerica Supersport race at Barber Motorsports Park in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I’m excited to be racing this season with the Steel Commander Racing Team,” said Da Silva. “They are an amazing group of people committed to accomplishing whatever they set their minds to not just in their construction industry but also in racing. So, I’m really confident that we will be up front and fighting for wins this season. We will have a late start to the Championship, but it will be at a track I really enjoy!”
Steel Commander Corp, with its corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, is an all-American Steel Building manufacturer shipping factory-direct to all U.S. territories offering a combination of expertise, innovation, and dedication to quality and customer satisfaction. Steel Commander Corp offers a comprehensive range of solutions for the commercial, industrial, residential, garage, storage, and other industries with a combined experience of over 60 years.
Commenting on the newly formed Steel Commander Racing Team, Steel Commander Corp’s President and CEO Shawn Fisher said, “We’re excited to begin our journey into the racing scene, and we consider ourselves extremely lucky to begin that journey alongside Gabriel, the first member of our ‘Steel Commander Cavalry.’ He is extremely talented at his craft, along with the fact that he is an incredible young man with a very bright future ahead of him.”
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
MotoGP™ Court of Appeal issues its final decision on the Application of the Sanction in Marquez case
Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Following the provisional decision of the MotoGP™ Court of Appeal pronounced on 12 April 2023 granting the stay of execution of the Application of the Sanction imposed on Marc Marquez, the Court still had to decide on the merits of the case considering inter alia the brief of appeal submitted by Marc Marquez and Team HRC – Repsol Honda Team on 17 April 2023.
The Court decided to annul the Application of the Sanction imposed on Marc Marquez, which was issued by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel in connection with the Original Sanction.
The Court considered that the Double Long Lap Penalty imposed on Marc Marquez by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel during the MotoGP Race of Portugal held on 26 March 2023 has been served by the non-participation of the Rider in the 2023 MotoGP™ Race of Argentina.
Marc Marquez is hence allowed to compete in the next race in which he will be able to participate, without any further sanction.
Read the full decision of the MotoGP™ Court of Appeal below.
Mission Mini Cup By Motul Series Gets Started With Dominating Performances
Peterman, Bettencourt, Gouker, Davis And Raymond Come Up Big In Championship Opener At Carolina Motorsports Park
IRVINE, CA (May 8, 2023) – Three new classes were introduced in the opening round of the 2023 Mission Mini Cup By Motul at Carolina Motorsports Park and all three featured dominating performances as Cole Peterman (Stock 50 and Stock 110) and Nathan Bettencourt (Stock 125) went undefeated to join Ohvale 160 and 190 winners Nathan Gouker, Ryder Davis and Joshua Raymond in claiming the lion’s share of trophies in Kershaw, South Carolina, May 5-6.
Nathan Bettencourt (99). Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
This year’s Ohvale portion of the Mission Mini Cup By Motul series has been split into two parts – the FIM Mini Cup Ohvale 160 and 190 and the Mission Mini Cup By Motul 160 and 190 classes – with the Carolina Motorsports Park round the first of five qualifiers for the 2023 FIM MiniGP World Series. The FIM Mini Cup classes raced on Friday with the Mission Mini Cup By Motul races taking place on Saturdays.
Joshua Raymond (91). Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Nathan Gouker Racing’s Nathan Gouker was perfect in the two FIM Ohvale races on Friday, beating Historic GP’s Mahdi Salem in both 10-lappers. On Saturday, he made it a three-for-four weekend, missing out on a sweep with his non-finish in Saturday’s second MotoAmerica race. Gouker left South Carolina with a 10-point lead over Salem in the FIM championship, but with a 20-point deficit to make up in the Mission Mini Cup By Motul series. Gouker will get his shot at redemption in just a few short weeks with the second round of the series set for Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 19-20.
The only race that Gouker didn’t win was the first of the two Mission Mini Cup By Motul races on Saturday with that one going to Kruz Maddison, the son of Australian freestyle motocross legend Robbie Maddison. Maddison’s Mission Mini Cup By Motul debut was a solid one as he came out of it with a win and a second-place finish. Those two results put the American Racing-backed racer atop the point standings in the Mission Mini Cup By Motul class by nine points over Reese Frankenfield. Maddison, meanwhile, holds down fifth in the FIM portion of the championship after a pair of fifth-place finishes on Friday.
Cooper Glover (14) and Nevaeh Gaugain (69). Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
The FIM Mini Cup Ohvale 190 class wins were split between Alpha Omega’s Ryder Davis and American Racing’s Joshua Raymond with the pair tied at the top of the point standings with 45 points apiece. Davis, however, dominated the Mission Mini Cup By Motul Ohvale 190 classes with a sweep of both races. He leads the MotoAmerica championship by 14 points over Salem, who carded two podium finishes.
Peterman Racing’s Cole Peterman had a perfect two days of racing in South Carolina as he was an unbeaten eight-for-eight in Stock class action as he won all four Stock 50 races and the quartet of Stock 110 races.
Peterman will take a 28-point lead over Cory Texter Racing/Roof Systems’ Cruise Texter (two thirds and two seconds) to Barber Motorsports Park in the Stock 50 class and a 20-point lead over Gallos Locos Racing’s Gabriel Davis (four runner-up finishes) in the Stock 110 class.
Jacobsen Motorcycle Training/Bettencourt Racing’s Nathan Bettencourt also had a perfect weekend, going four-for-four in Stock 125. He heads to round two in Alabama with a 24-point lead over Stump Racing Kids-backed Dylan Cunningham (a third and three seconds) with Dylan’s brother, Tyler (a second and three thirds), a further eight points behind.
“Obviously, this season is a bit different for us with rule changes and added classes,” said MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul Series Manager Cory Texter. “With that being said, we had a really solid opening round with exciting racing and a good mix of new winners. I think everyone had a good weekend and we’re looking forward to the Barber Motorsports Park event and round two.”
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
Metzeler Extends Spring Moto Rebate Program Through July 31, 2023
Popular Rebate Program Also Expanded to Canada and Features Eligible Street and Off-Road Tires
ATLANTA – Metzeler North America is pleased to announce that the spring moto rebate program has been extended for residents of the United States and expanded to include residents of Canada. This program allows motorcycle enthusiasts who purchase Metzeler tires through their local participating dealership and select online retailers to receive as much as $25 USD / $40 CAD rebate per tire or $60 USD / $100 CAD rebate per tire set on eligible street and off-road tires through July 31, 2023.
“Metzeler is thrilled to extend the spring moto rebate within the United States as well as open it up to residents of Canada,” said Brian Davenport, Senior Sales Manager, Metzeler. “The Metzeler brand continues to expand its presence across all segments in 2023, making it a priority for us to include a variety of products and ensure that it benefits all Metzeler riders.”
A $25 USD / $40 CAD per tire rebate or $60 USD / $100 CAD rebate per tire set will be offered for the Metzeler Lasertec™, Enduro 3 Sahara, Racetec™ RR, Sportec™ M9 RR, Sportec™ M7 RR, Roadtec™ 01 SE, Roadtec™ 01, Roadtec™ Z8 Interact, Cruisetec™, ME 888 Marathon™ Ultra, Tourance™ Next, Tourance™ Next 2, Karoo™ Street, and Karoo™ 4. Additionally, the MCE 6 Days Extreme, MC360™ Mid Soft, and MC360™ Mid Hard are eligible for a $20 CAD per tire rebate or $30 USD / $50 CAD per tire set rebate.
This offer is valid for a limited time only on purchases made between March 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, and for legal United States and Canada residents. After purchasing a set of qualifying Metzeler tires from a local dealer, participants must fill out a claim form and provide a receipt for proof of purchase to receive their physical or digital VISA prepaid card.
Ici, c’est MotoGP™! The fastest show on Earth arrives in France
Le Mans hosts the 1000th Grand Prix in history, with the home heroes in the spotlight and the competition closer than ever
Monday, 08 May 2023
This weekend, history is guaranteed. 999 events later, motorcycle Grand Prix racing celebrates a huge milestone at Le Mans as the world’s first motorsport World Championship hits 1000 Grands Prix. There are far more than 1000 reasons to watch… but we’ll go through a few!
The Championship is tight on the way in as the Tissot Sprint continues to shake up the form book – for some at least – and thrill the grandstands on Saturday. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is back in the hot seat with the points lead after a tough weekend for Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). KTM are on fire as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) now matches Bagnaia for Sprint wins – and nearly matched him on Sunday too. His teammate Jack Miller is right in the mix. Aprilia are close to the top but haven’t converted that pace yet. Honda have already won this season, but Jerez was back down to Earth. Yamaha? Yamaha are looking for more, and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) too – as well as a little luck.
So here we go! Welcome to Sarthe and one of the most hallowed venues in motorsport. As we said, history is guaranteed!
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
It’s a question that’s been asked of Francesco Bagnaia a few times already: can he bounce back? The answer has, as yet, never been no. A year ago it was after sliding out at Le Mans when chasing now-teammate Enea Bastianini, then it was after the German GP. And again. Fast forward to COTA 2023 and the question still got asked. But the answer in Jerez was once again yes, and in some style. It was a stunning weekend pushed to the limit by the Red Bull KTMs, and it was a weekend to remind people how Pecco got that #1 plate. On pole at Le Mans last year, surely he arrives into the weekend this year as the favourite.
For Bastianini though, it’s another event on the sidelines. And in his place? A former Le Mans winner: Danilo Petrucci. ‘Petrux’ arrives from WorldSBK in Barcelona and will likely need a little time before getting anywhere near up to speed, but he’ll certainly be an interesting addition. It isn’t *that* long since the Italian was plying his trade at the front in the premier class, after all…
MOONEY VR46 RACING TEAM
From the highs of the first few races, Jerez was a somewhat back down to Earth moment for Mooney VR46, but Le Mans is another bite of the cherry. Marco Bezzecchi will be aiming to get back on the podium once again – and gain back that Championship lead – and teammate Luca Marini will want to get back into that leading postcode after both were a little AWOL in Spain. Le Mans suits the Ducati though – as if anywhere doesn’t, to be fair – so it will be no surprise if the VR46 crew get back to big impressions this weekend.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
Well, well, well. In the words of the inimitable Jack Miller, “ha! Where’s the KTM now?” On the podium on both days in Jerez and fighting for both victories? Ja. The Austrian factory were true showstoppers at the Spanish Grand Prix, and with both riders also pretty magic in mixed or wet conditions, there seems little to fear from France. Can they repeat their pace from Jerez? The answer to that question may lie in Friday and Saturday morning’s action, with a great qualifying giving them the perfect platform in Jerez. And one they used to perfection as absolute holeshot heroes. If nothing else though, we can absolutely guarantee that both two-time Tissot Sprint winner Brad Binder and newer arrival Miller will give it a go and a half.
APRILIA RACING
If you’d said after pre-season testing that both Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro would be where they are now, few would probably have believed it. It’s all gone a little downhill after such a promising start, but there is still plenty of promise there. The riders have proven their quality and so has the machine, but it doesn’t take much in the closest competition on two wheels to suddenly find yourself with a bit of a mountain to climb – and just a handful of small mistakes, a few technical glitches and a little bit of pure bad luck have proven enough. Can the Noale factory bounce back? They were on the podium last season at Le Mans with Espargaro, who also arrives from pole at Jerez, and Viñales has been on the box here with his two previous machines, including a win. And the bike? Those few issues aside, it’s a serious contender.
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING
For Jorge Martin, Jerez will probably have tasted a little bitter. Over a weekend with no bad luck and/or drama, the Spaniard wasn’t quite able to take a visit to parc ferme on Saturday or Sunday. He had his bit to say on some of the moves, but with Miller vs Binder vs Pecco in full flow, the number 89 found himself locked out and wanting. Can he do more at Le Mans?
On the other side of the garage it’s a whole different kettle of fish for home hero Johann Zarco. There will be a little pressure, for sure, but there will also be an electric atmosphere for the two-time Moto2™ Champion. He’s been on the podium here before too, but it’s been a little more up and down so far in 2023. Can he take the fight to the rostrum again on hallowed turf, come rain or shine?
LCR HONDA CASTROL/IDEMITSU
After the incredible weekend he enjoyed at COTA, it was likely Alex Rins was going to leave Jerez with a little less, but it was a particularly tough one. The Americas GP wasn’t a mirage though and the number 42 has exactly the same quality, so now it’s time to see if he and his new bike and crew can put the pieces together a little better at Le Mans. He’s had some pace here at Le Mans before but crashed out, so a finish is one aim, and some bigger points hauls the next.
For Takaaki Nakagami, Jerez was a little light in the tunnel and the Japanese rider will want to build on it. He’s taken some solid P7s here over the last few years, which is no mean feat in the field as it is.
GRESINI RACING MotoGP™
On the Alex Marquez side of the box, the Grand Prix race in Spain wasn’t quite what the number 73 is aiming for this year with a P8, but it was at least another haul of points after a tough run. Le Mans, however, staged his first ever premier class podium in 2020 as he absolutely smashed it in the rain, so there are some good memories here. Can he get back into that frontrunning postcode he was in at Termas and COTA?
On the other side of the box, the search for a step forward continues for Fabio Di Giannantonio. He’s had good speed in the lower classes in France, and he’ll hope this is the weekend it starts coming together – especially ahead of Mugello, which was a highlight of his rookie campaign.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MotoGP™
COTA seemed like an upturn, on Sunday at least, for Fabio Quartararo. But Jerez was an adventurous one for the Frenchman. A very controversial Long Lap penalty, that crash, and then a comeback ride… but he also struggled to find speed on one lap at least, missing out on Q2 and suffering one of his worst qualifyings at one of his best venues. But this is home turf and another weekend to reset, with the packed grandstands sure to give the home hero a boost. What has he got in the locker?
For Franco Morbidelli, the tougher run continues too. Argentina is now beginning to fade in the memory, but he was closer to teammate Quartararo at times in Jerez. What will Le Mans bring?
CRYPTODATA RNF MotoGP™ TEAM
The bad luck continues for RNF, with the team already confirming that Miguel Oliveira will be sidelined in France. Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori will replace him. Meanwhile, Raul Fernandez has undergone surgery on his arm too, so arrives from his own hurdle. After a tougher start to the season than many expected for the former Moto2™ record breaker, he’ll hope he can now start to rebuild and really get into that fight at the front over the coming races. First stop: getting passed fit to compete in France.
GASGAS FACTORY RACING Tech3
The mission remains similar for both Augusto Fernandez and Jonas Folger: chipping away at that progress. For Folger, of course, it’s also information and a useful adventure to partner his role as test rider. Fernandez’ aim is more points, and more top tens, as he pushes to get into that next postcode up the road.
REPSOL HONDA TEAM
It’s proving a tough season so far for Repsol Honda, but every team is only one Grand Prix away from a turnaround. Joan Mir continues to search for some progress in his adaptation, and the grid continues to search the entry list for Marc Marquez. Will his name be on there this time around?
As is often the case, the number 93 tops many of the stats for Le Mans, with wins, podiums and poles. And that’s without even talking about eight world titles and the pure magic he can pull out of the hat. But he said it himself: he’ll return when he’s healed. We’ll likely find out if that means the French GP pretty soon, but in the mean time we can just hope that the 1000th Grand Prix in history will feature one of the most successful riders over the 999 events before.
SHOWTIME
Friday’s practice sessions decide the automatic entrants to Q2, before the MotoGP™ grid qualify on Saturday morning. This weekend the Tissot Sprint is set for lights out at 15:00 on Saturday as ever, and the Grand Prix race returns to “normal” time. That’s 14:00 CEST!
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +2)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 14:00 (GMT +2)
See you there!
Acosta and Arbolino hit equal points: who leads after Le Mans?
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) is an established winner in Moto2™, but mamma mia what a win that was in Jerez. The Brit will hope to find a little more of that magic in Le Mans, and reestablish his consistent presence on the podium.
Behind him though, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) still managed to make it a weekend in his favour, pulling equal with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) on points at the top of the table. Their duel will likely roll on and it’s current advantage Acosta, but Arbolino did a good damage limitation exercise in Jerez considering he couldn’t quite find the pace. Le Mans sometimes sees the skies open, too…
Meanwhile, Alonso Lopez (CAG SpeedUp) continues to prove a fast, fast face at the front. He’s now homing in on Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) in the standings, with Lowes not far behind. Will the trio shuffle again at Le Mans? We’ll find out at 12:15 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Ortola homes in on the top as Moto3™ heads for Le Mans
Ivan Ortola’s (Angeluss MTA Team) roll continued in style at Jerez, with the Spaniard taking his second win, first back to back win, and first win on home turf. If there was any doubt after Texas, there’s little now: we got ourselves a contender. He’s now third overall, as both Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and closest challenger Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) failed to make it onto the podium last time out. But France is another bite at the cherry…
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), meanwhile, is quietly but surely making some inroads into the title fight too – and getting consistent with it. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) took a top finish after a run of bad luck. And David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar) is now a podium finisher! Who has more in the locker at Le Mans? We’ll find out at 11:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Portuguese perfection and photo finishes in Estoril!
The 2023 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship saw Round 1 head to Portugal… and it did not disappoint
The 2023 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ Championship kicked off in style over the weekend at the historic Estoril Circuit. With no less than six races on Sunday, we saw four riders stand on the top step of the podium as Nico Carraro (Aspar Junior Team) claimed JuniorGP™ honours, while Daniel Muñoz (SP57 Racing Team) took the win in the new era for the Stock European Championship. There was Portuguese perfection for two riders, as Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) had double delight in Moto2™ European Championship and the European Talent Cup, winning both Race 1 & 2.
There’s just something about Estoril and photo finishes, and Sunday’s JuniorGP™ race was no exception. In an enthralling race that was restarted due to a red flag, the impressive Carraro beat Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) to the chequered flag first by just 0.002s, having got into the slipstream of the Spaniard out of the final corner. Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) crossed the line third, but was disqualified due to not meeting the correct weight regulations for the class. As a result, Jakob Rosenthaler (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Racing Team Intact GP Junior Team) is promoted onto the podium.
In the vit was a different story as the hot favourite for title honours in 2023 lived up the billing. All eyes were on Senna Agius as he launched from pole position and in Race 1, he bolted. Having got the perfect start from the line, the 17-year-old Australian had to do it all again due to a red flag after a Martin Vugrinec (Fifty Motorsport) crash – rider ok. Not to be perturbed, Agius pulled the pin to come home seven seconds ahead of Carlos Tatay (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and compatriot Harrison Voight (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) – both of whom are class rookies.
Despite celebrating a podium together in Race 1, sterner words were exchanged later in the afternoon during Race 2 as Voight and Tatay crashed out of the podium places, with the Australian pointing the finger of blame firmly at the #99. That incident didn’t bother Agius, as he romped home towards a second win of the day to claim the maximum 50 points on offer in Estoril. His winning margin wasn’t quite as emphatic as before, but he still had more than four seconds to spare over Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing) as the Andorran opened his account for the season, as did Niccolo Antonelli (MMR), with the Italian coming home third.
The European Talent Cup were the first class out on track on the west of the Iberian Peninsula, and they warmed up the day’s action with a showstopper. Brian Uriarte, Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Hakim Danish (Monlau Motul) formed a breakaway trio out front and entered wheel-to-wheel combat over 15 laps. Victory wasn’t decided until the three riders took the chequered flag within 0.054s of one another, with Uriarte first ahead of Salmela and Danish completing the podium.
Much like Moto2™, the ETC saw a double winner, with Uriarte going back-to-back, with an even closer finish in Race 2. The young Spaniard pinched the win off of 2021 ETC Champion Maximo Quiles on the line with only 0.006s between them. Quiles, who finished fourth in Race 1 after starting at the back of the grid and going through the LLP loop, will be gutted to have missed out but still goes home with a P2 result, while David Gonzalez (Cuna de Campeones) capped an impressive run with a maiden podium in the class.
Ending the day’s action was the solo Stock race, with the class now a different race to the Moto2™ category. Dani Muñoz carved out his own little piece of history as the maiden race winner, with the opportunity handed to him on a plate as poleman Eric Fernandez (FAU55 TEY Racing) crashed just three laps in. That gave Muñoz a country acre of space in P1 while Marco Garcia (EasyRace Team) and Alex Millan (Fifty Motorsport) battled for second place. In the end, it was Garcia who put in a classy ride to take the second step on the box, with Millan beginning his campaign with a third placed finish.
That’s a wrap then from Round 1 in Estoril, and it was certainly a memorable way to get the 2023 Championship up and running. The next installment of action isn’t far away, with Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia up next on May 21st.
You can also find all the results, videos, photos and information regarding the championship on the official website: www.fimjuniorgp.com
Chase Sexton Wins Denver Supercross and Likely the Championship Crown
RJ Hampshire Grabs Denver Win, Jett Lawrence Wraps 250 West Championship
Denver, Colo., (May 7, 2023) Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton took his fifth win of the year at a hugely-significant Round 16 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The win, coupled with what is likely a season-ending injury for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac, put Sexton as the 2023 champion if Tomac cannot line up at the final round next Saturday.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen took second place with an incredible charge from the back of the pack inside Empower Field at Mile High. And Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo earned his first podium finish since Round 3 of 2021 in the race that also pays points to the all-new, 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire earned his first win of 2023 with his own thrilling charge. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence took a hard-fought third in the Main Event to win the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship.
Chase Sexton (23) was picture perfect on a night that changed everything and most likely made him the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Adam Cianciarulo grabbed the holeshot ahead of Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive Insurance’s Shane McElrath, Eli Tomac, and Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsport’s Justin Hill. Ken Roczen, on a recent podium streak, slid out in the first corner and started the race in dead last position while his teammate Shane McElrath leapt into the lead down the first rhythm section. Within three corners Tomac had moved into second, then took over the top spot before reaching the green flag. With his hometown race fans going wild, and with Chase Sexton back in sixth, it looked possible that Tomac could earn enough points to wrap up his third Supercross title. But Supercross is one of the toughest sports on the planet, and that fact took over the night, and the title chase, just two and half minutes into the race.
While leading, Eli Tomac stressed his left ankle on a jump take-off. He didn’t crash but instantly lifted his foot from the peg while airborne. After landing he quickly brought down his bike’s speed to roll the rest of the section. He immediately pulled off the track, holding his left ankle away from the bike, then rode instantly to the on-site Alpinestars Medical Rig. Before the race had ended the news was out: Eli Tomac had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and was out for the season.
In one instant Eli Tomac (1) lost the points lead and most surely the title after a non-crash injury down one of the track’s rhythm lanes. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Inside the stadium, Cianciarulo held the lead over Sexton. Five minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Sexton took over the lead. By then Roczen had already made his way up to sixth place. Sexton steadily pulled clear of Cianciarulo while Roczen continued his charge, passing McElrath for third just eight and a half minutes into the race and gaining on Cianciarulo.
With 8:15 on the race clock Justin Hill took over fourth. Three and a half minutes after that Roczen was up to Cianciarulo and pressuring for the second place spot. Roczen quickly made his move and looked ahead 6.8 seconds to the leader. Roczen started to gain a little time on Sexton, but not at the rate he’d need to make a run at the win.
Interestingly, in a season that saw Sexton give up some big leads with unforced errors, the Honda rider remained composed and smooth. With the full pressure of the race and the title on him, he rode like a champion. Sexton took his fifth win of 2023 and with it jumped into the points lead by seven. If the early injury assessment of Tomac is accurate and he’s truly out for the season, Sexton is mathematically the champion once Tomac officially does not show up and qualify for the final race.
RJ Hampshire (24) put the pieces together and turned his incredible track speed into his first win of the season. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
When the gate dropped for the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event, Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland jumped out ahead of Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Enzo Lopes, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford, and RJ Hampshire. Jett Lawrence, after a difficult Heat Race, was back in tenth as the riders crossed the holeshot stripe. Just over two minutes into the 15-minute plus one lap race Kitchen had taken over the lead and Hampshire was up to second. Further back in eighth, Lawrence was carefully picking off riders but showed no panic – he needed only to finish in tenth or better to take the title with one round remaining in the 250SX Class.
Five and a half minutes into the race Lopes moved past Vohland to take over third position. The riders made contact in a tight corner, and Vohland tipped over. Lawrence seemed to benefit from the chaos and soon got into fourth place. As the race clock ticked down under eight minutes Lawrence overtook Lopes for third place but was over 12 seconds back from the leaders.
Hampshire used the race’s midpoint to make a drive on Kitchen for the lead. The Husqvarna rider closed in, then leapt past when Kitchen made a small mistake in a short rhythm section. Kitchen recovered and retaliated immediately. Kitchen got back the spot as Hampshire went wide then shorted the track’s big double jump. Hampshire was off the track, but he kept his bike upright. Over the closing laps Hampshire put in a heroic charge. He was the fastest rider on the track and quickly made up the five seconds his off-track excursion had cost him. With 40 seconds on the clock Hampshire blitzed the whoops and took the lead from Kitchen.
Kitchen had one last surge of speed on the final lap, but never got into position to make a pass attempt. Hampshire took the checkered flag and the Denver Supercross win. Kitchen was right behind in second, and Lawrence brought his Honda home in third to win the division title with one race – an East/West Showdown – left on the schedule.
Between now and the Supercross Final in Salt Lake City, fans have an incredible opportunity at some one-of-a-kind memorabilia in the 2023 St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross Auction. All money raised goes directly to the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the St. Jude mission of Finding Cures. Saving Children. The auction runs until Monday, May 15th at 11:59PM ET. The items in the auction were donated by the racers, teams, partners, and supporters of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. To see what’s available to support the incredible St. Jude efforts and take home a piece of the 2023 season, please go to St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer Auction.
All-new for 2023 racing, the top 20 racers in combined championship points from the Monster Energy Supercross season and the AMA Pro Motocross season – scheduled for eleven rounds this summer – qualify for a spot in the all-new SuperMotocross World Championship. Riders who finish 21st – 30th in combined points, or those who earn a win yet don’t have the points for a direct qualification, will race a Last Chance Qualifier for the final two spots on the SuperMotocross League starting gate. The all-new series creates the sports’ first playoff season with two Playoff races and one Final race. The 450 class SuperMotocross World Champion will win a cool $1,000,000 payout along with the top spot in the history books. The 250 class champion will take home a $500,000 prize with their SuperMotocross World Championship title.
Tickets for next weekend’s Supercross Final are on sale now. If you can’t make it to Utah, each race of the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship streams live on Peacock with select events also broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. To purchase tickets, watch video recaps of the season, and get feature stories, race results, and streaming and broadcast airtimes please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class podium (riders from left) Adam Cianciarulo, Chase Sexton, and Ken Roczen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
450SX Class Results
1. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
3. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
4. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
5. Shane McElrath, Oakland, Fla., Suzuki
6. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda
7. Josh Hill, Huntersville, N.C., KTM
8. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Suzuki
9. Grant Harlan, Decatur, Tex., Yamaha
10. Justin Starling, Riverview, Fla., GASGAS
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (346)
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (339)
3. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (304)
4. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (303)
5. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (267)
6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (242)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (213)
8. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (191)
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (191)
10. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda (182)
250SX Class podium (riders from left) Jett Lawrence, RJ Hampshire, and Levi Kitchen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
1. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna
2. Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha
3. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda
4. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
5. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda
6. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM
7. Derek Kelley, Riverside, Calif., KTM
8. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Kawasaki
9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ont., Yamaha
10. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Suzuki
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (197)
2. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (163)
3. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (137)
4. Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha (135)
5. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (121)
6. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (117)
7. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (101)
Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain.
Bautista won the 20-lap race by 8.5 seconds, giving him his eighth victory of the season. In fact, the Spaniard has won every full-length World Superbike race so far in 2023.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon’s Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up, after just holding off Bautista’s teammate Michael Rinaldi by 0.06 second at the finish line.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 10th on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
The current Championship leader, Alvaro Bautista, won three races of out three in Catalunya. He took the win in Race 2 ahead of teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi. He leaves Barcelona with 236 points and a 69-point advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“The weekend has been perfect. We won three races and each race was a bit different, especially the Superpole Race. It was a bit scary in the last few laps because it started to rain, but not regularly. It was sometimes raining in the first sector, the next lap in sector three, the next one in four and two… leading the way was quite difficult because you never knew what to expect, the amount of water is on the track, so I was discovering the track every lap. It was the longest three laps of my life! For Race 2, the conditions were similar to Race 1 but maybe the grip was a bit lower because of the rain in the morning. I understood the track and I can keep my pace. I’m really happy especially to win three races here in Spain, in front of all the fans and my family, is always more special.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) leads Alex Lowes (22) and Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Second place goes to Toprak Razgatlioglu who claimed Yamaha’s 400th podium finish. He stands in second place in the standings with 167 points.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was third, bouncing back after Race 1 DNF. He finished 8.643s behind his teammate.
Alex Lowes (22) leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (54), Andrea Locatelli (55), and Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alex Lowes was the lead Kawasaki rider in fourth place. Teammate Jonathan Rea took fifth place.
Local hero Xavi Vierge completed Race 2 top six as the lead Honda rider.
P6 | Xavi Vierge | Team HRC
“Unfortunately, Superpole is still our weak point but we are working to try to improve. We grew up a lot during the weekend and we finished we a solid result in Race 2. We made some solid changes on the bike which gave me more feeling with the bike. When you see 10 laps to go, and you see the podium is close, you have something which tells you to give your best. But as soon as I pushed, I felt the tyre dropping and I could do nothing more than try to keep the pace that I had. Finally, Locatelli had a little something more than me. Anyway, I think we made a solid race with sixth position.”
WorldSBK Race 2 Report
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action concluded at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a Barcelona hat-trick to extend his Championship lead, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) pipped Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the line to deny Ducati a 1-2 finish in Spain.
Bautista lost out initially as the lights went out but recovered heading into Turn 1 to retake the lead although Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) did briefly take the lead on the opening lap, although it did not last long as Bautista recovered the lead of the race before building out a gap over teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi in second place, with Rinaldi able to build a gap over Razgatlioglu in third in the first half of the race. Rinaldi overtook Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at Turn 1 on Lap 5 to promote himself into second.
It had looked like Rinaldi would finish in second place to lead home a Ducati 1-2, but his final lap was around two seconds slower than Razgatlioglu and the 2021 Champion was able to overtake Rinaldi on the run to the line to take second place and secure Yamaha’s 400th WorldSBK podium, which demoted Rinaldi to third as he ended his Catalunya Round on the podium. As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu was able to pull out a gap over Lowes with the gap over a second by the start of Lap 17, allowing Razgatlioglu to claim his third podium of the weekend.
As the laps ticked down, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who started tenth, closed in on his teammate in the fight for fourth place but Rea was unable to make a move on his teammate. The KRT pair finished in fourth and fifth after Rea battled back from tenth place; he started there as a result of his Tissot Superpole Race crash.
WorldSBK returns for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagne Round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” from the 2nd to the 4th of June.
Stefano Mesa (37) in action on his MESA37 Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R at PittRace. Photo by Mark Lienhard, courtesy ASRA/CCS.
Stefano Mesa swept up at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (a.k.a. PittRace) over the weekend May 6-7 for first-place finishes in CCS Unlimited GP, Middleweight Supersport and GTO on his Kawasakis.
BRL (Bagger Racing League) stole the show with an incredible amount of fans showing up to watch the big machines race. Rob Buydos knows how to bring the fireworks for sure!
Blackhawk Farms Raceway will be our next event with BRL.
Mark Lienhard, one of the partners at ASRA, said: “Rob is a great supporter for our sport and really knows how to bring interest. We hope to grow this!”
Tom Sykes (66) on his factory BMW in 2021. Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Tom Sykes temporarily replacing the injured Michael van der Mark during testing and racing.
Tom Sykes will be making an interim return to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK family.
First appearance: Misano test end of the week.
Tom Sykes: “I will work hard to support BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team as best as possible.”
Munich. Tom Sykes (GBR) is returning temporarily to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK family and to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. The 37-year-old British rider will replace injured Michael van der Mark (NED) until further notice in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK). The Dutch rider sustained a fractured left femur at Assen (NED).
From 2019 to 2021, Sykes was a BMW Motorrad factory rider in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and was involved in the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK project from the word go. He also played a key role in the development of the BMW M 1000 RR. In his three seasons as a BMW Motorrad works rider, Sykes recorded a total of six podium finishes and three pole positions.
“Welcome back, Tom. We are delighted to welcome Tom temporarily back to our WorldSBK family,” said BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers. “This opportunity arose as Tom became available. We believe that he will be a great substitute for as long as it takes for Michael to recover from his injury. We are in constant contact with Michael, and he is making good progress. However, there is no date set for his return. Tom is an outstanding rider and, as well as having plenty of WorldSBK experience, he has been familiar with our project and the team from the very start.”
“I’m looking forward to temporarily return to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport and to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team,” Sykes said. “I will work hard to support them as best as possible. I know them from the beginning on and was involved in developing the BMW M 1000 RR. Now I get the opportunity to contribute again to the development process. I’m looking forward to get on the new BMW M 1000 RR at the Misano test. At the same time, I wish my former team-mate Mickey all the best on his way to recovery while I give everything to stand in for him in the best possible way.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Tom Sykes moves on from Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
WorldSBK Champion in 2013 riding a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, Tom Sykes, has concluded his term riding for the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team and the task of working to refine their technical and machine set up package.
During his tenure as the team’s WorldSBK entry for the early part of the 2023 season, Yorkshireman Sykes worked closely with technicians and engineers of the Italian team passing on valuable feedback and machine set up advice which they will use to mount a future attack on WorldSBK honours.
Team Principle, Manuel Puccetti, expressed his thanks to Sykes saying; “My team staff and sponsors were honoured to have Tom join us to start the season. As a former world champion and multiple race winner, his insight has really taken our understanding of the Ninja to the next level. Now he leaves us, and we thank him for all his knowledge and for sharing so much information.”
Tom Sykes concluded; “I had no hesitation in joining the Kawasaki Puccetti team and helping them with the refinement of their Ninja ZX-10RR package. I hope all the data I helped them accumulate over testing and the first races of the season pushes them closer to winning races in the future”.
Gabriel Da Silva (93) in action at VIRginia International Raceway in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Gabriel Da Silva Joins Steel Commander Racing Team For 2023 MotoAmerica Championship
Hollywood, FL – May 9, 2023 – Florida-based rider Gabriel Da Silva has announced that he will be racing in both the 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship and the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup aboard the #71 Kawasaki ZX-10R for the newly formed Steel Commander Racing Team.
Da Silva and his new team will make their 2023 MotoAmerica debut on May 19 through 21 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, which is the next round of the Championship. Da Silva returns to MotoAmerica after a one-year hiatus and to the same track where he notched his first MotoAmerica win in the final race of the 2021 Supersport season.
Gabriel Da Silva, after winning a MotoAmerica Supersport race at Barber Motorsports Park in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“I’m excited to be racing this season with the Steel Commander Racing Team,” said Da Silva. “They are an amazing group of people committed to accomplishing whatever they set their minds to not just in their construction industry but also in racing. So, I’m really confident that we will be up front and fighting for wins this season. We will have a late start to the Championship, but it will be at a track I really enjoy!”
Steel Commander Corp, with its corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, is an all-American Steel Building manufacturer shipping factory-direct to all U.S. territories offering a combination of expertise, innovation, and dedication to quality and customer satisfaction. Steel Commander Corp offers a comprehensive range of solutions for the commercial, industrial, residential, garage, storage, and other industries with a combined experience of over 60 years.
Commenting on the newly formed Steel Commander Racing Team, Steel Commander Corp’s President and CEO Shawn Fisher said, “We’re excited to begin our journey into the racing scene, and we consider ourselves extremely lucky to begin that journey alongside Gabriel, the first member of our ‘Steel Commander Cavalry.’ He is extremely talented at his craft, along with the fact that he is an incredible young man with a very bright future ahead of him.”
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
MotoGP™ Court of Appeal issues its final decision on the Application of the Sanction in Marquez case
Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Following the provisional decision of the MotoGP™ Court of Appeal pronounced on 12 April 2023 granting the stay of execution of the Application of the Sanction imposed on Marc Marquez, the Court still had to decide on the merits of the case considering inter alia the brief of appeal submitted by Marc Marquez and Team HRC – Repsol Honda Team on 17 April 2023.
The Court decided to annul the Application of the Sanction imposed on Marc Marquez, which was issued by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel in connection with the Original Sanction.
The Court considered that the Double Long Lap Penalty imposed on Marc Marquez by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel during the MotoGP Race of Portugal held on 26 March 2023 has been served by the non-participation of the Rider in the 2023 MotoGP™ Race of Argentina.
Marc Marquez is hence allowed to compete in the next race in which he will be able to participate, without any further sanction.
Read the full decision of the MotoGP™ Court of Appeal below.
Mahdi Salem (left), Ryder Davis (center), and Nathan Bettencourt (right) celebrate their top-three finishes from the second Mission Mini Cup By Motul Ohvale 190 race at Carolina Motorsports Park. Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Mission Mini Cup By Motul Series Gets Started With Dominating Performances
Peterman, Bettencourt, Gouker, Davis And Raymond Come Up Big In Championship Opener At Carolina Motorsports Park
IRVINE, CA (May 8, 2023) – Three new classes were introduced in the opening round of the 2023 Mission Mini Cup By Motul at Carolina Motorsports Park and all three featured dominating performances as Cole Peterman (Stock 50 and Stock 110) and Nathan Bettencourt (Stock 125) went undefeated to join Ohvale 160 and 190 winners Nathan Gouker, Ryder Davis and Joshua Raymond in claiming the lion’s share of trophies in Kershaw, South Carolina, May 5-6.
Nathan Bettencourt (99). Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
This year’s Ohvale portion of the Mission Mini Cup By Motul series has been split into two parts – the FIM Mini Cup Ohvale 160 and 190 and the Mission Mini Cup By Motul 160 and 190 classes – with the Carolina Motorsports Park round the first of five qualifiers for the 2023 FIM MiniGP World Series. The FIM Mini Cup classes raced on Friday with the Mission Mini Cup By Motul races taking place on Saturdays.
Joshua Raymond (91). Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Nathan Gouker Racing’s Nathan Gouker was perfect in the two FIM Ohvale races on Friday, beating Historic GP’s Mahdi Salem in both 10-lappers. On Saturday, he made it a three-for-four weekend, missing out on a sweep with his non-finish in Saturday’s second MotoAmerica race. Gouker left South Carolina with a 10-point lead over Salem in the FIM championship, but with a 20-point deficit to make up in the Mission Mini Cup By Motul series. Gouker will get his shot at redemption in just a few short weeks with the second round of the series set for Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, May 19-20.
The only race that Gouker didn’t win was the first of the two Mission Mini Cup By Motul races on Saturday with that one going to Kruz Maddison, the son of Australian freestyle motocross legend Robbie Maddison. Maddison’s Mission Mini Cup By Motul debut was a solid one as he came out of it with a win and a second-place finish. Those two results put the American Racing-backed racer atop the point standings in the Mission Mini Cup By Motul class by nine points over Reese Frankenfield. Maddison, meanwhile, holds down fifth in the FIM portion of the championship after a pair of fifth-place finishes on Friday.
Cooper Glover (14) and Nevaeh Gaugain (69). Photo by Ian Champness, courtesy MotoAmerica.
The FIM Mini Cup Ohvale 190 class wins were split between Alpha Omega’s Ryder Davis and American Racing’s Joshua Raymond with the pair tied at the top of the point standings with 45 points apiece. Davis, however, dominated the Mission Mini Cup By Motul Ohvale 190 classes with a sweep of both races. He leads the MotoAmerica championship by 14 points over Salem, who carded two podium finishes.
Peterman Racing’s Cole Peterman had a perfect two days of racing in South Carolina as he was an unbeaten eight-for-eight in Stock class action as he won all four Stock 50 races and the quartet of Stock 110 races.
Peterman will take a 28-point lead over Cory Texter Racing/Roof Systems’ Cruise Texter (two thirds and two seconds) to Barber Motorsports Park in the Stock 50 class and a 20-point lead over Gallos Locos Racing’s Gabriel Davis (four runner-up finishes) in the Stock 110 class.
Jacobsen Motorcycle Training/Bettencourt Racing’s Nathan Bettencourt also had a perfect weekend, going four-for-four in Stock 125. He heads to round two in Alabama with a 24-point lead over Stump Racing Kids-backed Dylan Cunningham (a third and three seconds) with Dylan’s brother, Tyler (a second and three thirds), a further eight points behind.
“Obviously, this season is a bit different for us with rule changes and added classes,” said MotoAmerica Mission Mini Cup By Motul Series Manager Cory Texter. “With that being said, we had a really solid opening round with exciting racing and a good mix of new winners. I think everyone had a good weekend and we’re looking forward to the Barber Motorsports Park event and round two.”
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.
Qualifying Metzeler tires include a variety of riding applications. Photo courtesy Metzeler.
Metzeler Extends Spring Moto Rebate Program Through July 31, 2023
Popular Rebate Program Also Expanded to Canada and Features Eligible Street and Off-Road Tires
ATLANTA – Metzeler North America is pleased to announce that the spring moto rebate program has been extended for residents of the United States and expanded to include residents of Canada. This program allows motorcycle enthusiasts who purchase Metzeler tires through their local participating dealership and select online retailers to receive as much as $25 USD / $40 CAD rebate per tire or $60 USD / $100 CAD rebate per tire set on eligible street and off-road tires through July 31, 2023.
“Metzeler is thrilled to extend the spring moto rebate within the United States as well as open it up to residents of Canada,” said Brian Davenport, Senior Sales Manager, Metzeler. “The Metzeler brand continues to expand its presence across all segments in 2023, making it a priority for us to include a variety of products and ensure that it benefits all Metzeler riders.”
A $25 USD / $40 CAD per tire rebate or $60 USD / $100 CAD rebate per tire set will be offered for the Metzeler Lasertec™, Enduro 3 Sahara, Racetec™ RR, Sportec™ M9 RR, Sportec™ M7 RR, Roadtec™ 01 SE, Roadtec™ 01, Roadtec™ Z8 Interact, Cruisetec™, ME 888 Marathon™ Ultra, Tourance™ Next, Tourance™ Next 2, Karoo™ Street, and Karoo™ 4. Additionally, the MCE 6 Days Extreme, MC360™ Mid Soft, and MC360™ Mid Hard are eligible for a $20 CAD per tire rebate or $30 USD / $50 CAD per tire set rebate.
This offer is valid for a limited time only on purchases made between March 1, 2023, and July 31, 2023, and for legal United States and Canada residents. After purchasing a set of qualifying Metzeler tires from a local dealer, participants must fill out a claim form and provide a receipt for proof of purchase to receive their physical or digital VISA prepaid card.
The Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, France, will host the 1000th motorcycle Grand Prix. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Ici, c’est MotoGP™! The fastest show on Earth arrives in France
Le Mans hosts the 1000th Grand Prix in history, with the home heroes in the spotlight and the competition closer than ever
Monday, 08 May 2023
This weekend, history is guaranteed. 999 events later, motorcycle Grand Prix racing celebrates a huge milestone at Le Mans as the world’s first motorsport World Championship hits 1000 Grands Prix. There are far more than 1000 reasons to watch… but we’ll go through a few!
The Championship is tight on the way in as the Tissot Sprint continues to shake up the form book – for some at least – and thrill the grandstands on Saturday. Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) is back in the hot seat with the points lead after a tough weekend for Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). KTM are on fire as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) now matches Bagnaia for Sprint wins – and nearly matched him on Sunday too. His teammate Jack Miller is right in the mix. Aprilia are close to the top but haven’t converted that pace yet. Honda have already won this season, but Jerez was back down to Earth. Yamaha? Yamaha are looking for more, and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) too – as well as a little luck.
So here we go! Welcome to Sarthe and one of the most hallowed venues in motorsport. As we said, history is guaranteed!
DUCATI LENOVO TEAM
It’s a question that’s been asked of Francesco Bagnaia a few times already: can he bounce back? The answer has, as yet, never been no. A year ago it was after sliding out at Le Mans when chasing now-teammate Enea Bastianini, then it was after the German GP. And again. Fast forward to COTA 2023 and the question still got asked. But the answer in Jerez was once again yes, and in some style. It was a stunning weekend pushed to the limit by the Red Bull KTMs, and it was a weekend to remind people how Pecco got that #1 plate. On pole at Le Mans last year, surely he arrives into the weekend this year as the favourite.
For Bastianini though, it’s another event on the sidelines. And in his place? A former Le Mans winner: Danilo Petrucci. ‘Petrux’ arrives from WorldSBK in Barcelona and will likely need a little time before getting anywhere near up to speed, but he’ll certainly be an interesting addition. It isn’t *that* long since the Italian was plying his trade at the front in the premier class, after all…
MOONEY VR46 RACING TEAM
From the highs of the first few races, Jerez was a somewhat back down to Earth moment for Mooney VR46, but Le Mans is another bite of the cherry. Marco Bezzecchi will be aiming to get back on the podium once again – and gain back that Championship lead – and teammate Luca Marini will want to get back into that leading postcode after both were a little AWOL in Spain. Le Mans suits the Ducati though – as if anywhere doesn’t, to be fair – so it will be no surprise if the VR46 crew get back to big impressions this weekend.
RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
Well, well, well. In the words of the inimitable Jack Miller, “ha! Where’s the KTM now?” On the podium on both days in Jerez and fighting for both victories? Ja. The Austrian factory were true showstoppers at the Spanish Grand Prix, and with both riders also pretty magic in mixed or wet conditions, there seems little to fear from France. Can they repeat their pace from Jerez? The answer to that question may lie in Friday and Saturday morning’s action, with a great qualifying giving them the perfect platform in Jerez. And one they used to perfection as absolute holeshot heroes. If nothing else though, we can absolutely guarantee that both two-time Tissot Sprint winner Brad Binder and newer arrival Miller will give it a go and a half.
APRILIA RACING
If you’d said after pre-season testing that both Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro would be where they are now, few would probably have believed it. It’s all gone a little downhill after such a promising start, but there is still plenty of promise there. The riders have proven their quality and so has the machine, but it doesn’t take much in the closest competition on two wheels to suddenly find yourself with a bit of a mountain to climb – and just a handful of small mistakes, a few technical glitches and a little bit of pure bad luck have proven enough. Can the Noale factory bounce back? They were on the podium last season at Le Mans with Espargaro, who also arrives from pole at Jerez, and Viñales has been on the box here with his two previous machines, including a win. And the bike? Those few issues aside, it’s a serious contender.
PRIMA PRAMAC RACING
For Jorge Martin, Jerez will probably have tasted a little bitter. Over a weekend with no bad luck and/or drama, the Spaniard wasn’t quite able to take a visit to parc ferme on Saturday or Sunday. He had his bit to say on some of the moves, but with Miller vs Binder vs Pecco in full flow, the number 89 found himself locked out and wanting. Can he do more at Le Mans?
On the other side of the garage it’s a whole different kettle of fish for home hero Johann Zarco. There will be a little pressure, for sure, but there will also be an electric atmosphere for the two-time Moto2™ Champion. He’s been on the podium here before too, but it’s been a little more up and down so far in 2023. Can he take the fight to the rostrum again on hallowed turf, come rain or shine?
LCR HONDA CASTROL/IDEMITSU
After the incredible weekend he enjoyed at COTA, it was likely Alex Rins was going to leave Jerez with a little less, but it was a particularly tough one. The Americas GP wasn’t a mirage though and the number 42 has exactly the same quality, so now it’s time to see if he and his new bike and crew can put the pieces together a little better at Le Mans. He’s had some pace here at Le Mans before but crashed out, so a finish is one aim, and some bigger points hauls the next.
For Takaaki Nakagami, Jerez was a little light in the tunnel and the Japanese rider will want to build on it. He’s taken some solid P7s here over the last few years, which is no mean feat in the field as it is.
GRESINI RACING MotoGP™
On the Alex Marquez side of the box, the Grand Prix race in Spain wasn’t quite what the number 73 is aiming for this year with a P8, but it was at least another haul of points after a tough run. Le Mans, however, staged his first ever premier class podium in 2020 as he absolutely smashed it in the rain, so there are some good memories here. Can he get back into that frontrunning postcode he was in at Termas and COTA?
On the other side of the box, the search for a step forward continues for Fabio Di Giannantonio. He’s had good speed in the lower classes in France, and he’ll hope this is the weekend it starts coming together – especially ahead of Mugello, which was a highlight of his rookie campaign.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MotoGP™
COTA seemed like an upturn, on Sunday at least, for Fabio Quartararo. But Jerez was an adventurous one for the Frenchman. A very controversial Long Lap penalty, that crash, and then a comeback ride… but he also struggled to find speed on one lap at least, missing out on Q2 and suffering one of his worst qualifyings at one of his best venues. But this is home turf and another weekend to reset, with the packed grandstands sure to give the home hero a boost. What has he got in the locker?
For Franco Morbidelli, the tougher run continues too. Argentina is now beginning to fade in the memory, but he was closer to teammate Quartararo at times in Jerez. What will Le Mans bring?
CRYPTODATA RNF MotoGP™ TEAM
The bad luck continues for RNF, with the team already confirming that Miguel Oliveira will be sidelined in France. Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori will replace him. Meanwhile, Raul Fernandez has undergone surgery on his arm too, so arrives from his own hurdle. After a tougher start to the season than many expected for the former Moto2™ record breaker, he’ll hope he can now start to rebuild and really get into that fight at the front over the coming races. First stop: getting passed fit to compete in France.
GASGAS FACTORY RACING Tech3
The mission remains similar for both Augusto Fernandez and Jonas Folger: chipping away at that progress. For Folger, of course, it’s also information and a useful adventure to partner his role as test rider. Fernandez’ aim is more points, and more top tens, as he pushes to get into that next postcode up the road.
REPSOL HONDA TEAM
It’s proving a tough season so far for Repsol Honda, but every team is only one Grand Prix away from a turnaround. Joan Mir continues to search for some progress in his adaptation, and the grid continues to search the entry list for Marc Marquez. Will his name be on there this time around?
As is often the case, the number 93 tops many of the stats for Le Mans, with wins, podiums and poles. And that’s without even talking about eight world titles and the pure magic he can pull out of the hat. But he said it himself: he’ll return when he’s healed. We’ll likely find out if that means the French GP pretty soon, but in the mean time we can just hope that the 1000th Grand Prix in history will feature one of the most successful riders over the 999 events before.
SHOWTIME
Friday’s practice sessions decide the automatic entrants to Q2, before the MotoGP™ grid qualify on Saturday morning. This weekend the Tissot Sprint is set for lights out at 15:00 on Saturday as ever, and the Grand Prix race returns to “normal” time. That’s 14:00 CEST!
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +2)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 14:00 (GMT +2)
See you there!
Acosta and Arbolino hit equal points: who leads after Le Mans?
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) is an established winner in Moto2™, but mamma mia what a win that was in Jerez. The Brit will hope to find a little more of that magic in Le Mans, and reestablish his consistent presence on the podium.
Behind him though, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) still managed to make it a weekend in his favour, pulling equal with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) on points at the top of the table. Their duel will likely roll on and it’s current advantage Acosta, but Arbolino did a good damage limitation exercise in Jerez considering he couldn’t quite find the pace. Le Mans sometimes sees the skies open, too…
Meanwhile, Alonso Lopez (CAG SpeedUp) continues to prove a fast, fast face at the front. He’s now homing in on Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) in the standings, with Lowes not far behind. Will the trio shuffle again at Le Mans? We’ll find out at 12:15 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Ortola homes in on the top as Moto3™ heads for Le Mans
Ivan Ortola’s (Angeluss MTA Team) roll continued in style at Jerez, with the Spaniard taking his second win, first back to back win, and first win on home turf. If there was any doubt after Texas, there’s little now: we got ourselves a contender. He’s now third overall, as both Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and closest challenger Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) failed to make it onto the podium last time out. But France is another bite at the cherry…
Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), meanwhile, is quietly but surely making some inroads into the title fight too – and getting consistent with it. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) took a top finish after a run of bad luck. And David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar) is now a podium finisher! Who has more in the locker at Le Mans? We’ll find out at 11:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Portuguese perfection and photo finishes in Estoril!
The 2023 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship saw Round 1 head to Portugal… and it did not disappoint
The 2023 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ Championship kicked off in style over the weekend at the historic Estoril Circuit. With no less than six races on Sunday, we saw four riders stand on the top step of the podium as Nico Carraro (Aspar Junior Team) claimed JuniorGP™ honours, while Daniel Muñoz (SP57 Racing Team) took the win in the new era for the Stock European Championship. There was Portuguese perfection for two riders, as Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) had double delight in Moto2™ European Championship and the European Talent Cup, winning both Race 1 & 2.
There’s just something about Estoril and photo finishes, and Sunday’s JuniorGP™ race was no exception. In an enthralling race that was restarted due to a red flag, the impressive Carraro beat Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) to the chequered flag first by just 0.002s, having got into the slipstream of the Spaniard out of the final corner. Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) crossed the line third, but was disqualified due to not meeting the correct weight regulations for the class. As a result, Jakob Rosenthaler (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Racing Team Intact GP Junior Team) is promoted onto the podium.
In the vit was a different story as the hot favourite for title honours in 2023 lived up the billing. All eyes were on Senna Agius as he launched from pole position and in Race 1, he bolted. Having got the perfect start from the line, the 17-year-old Australian had to do it all again due to a red flag after a Martin Vugrinec (Fifty Motorsport) crash – rider ok. Not to be perturbed, Agius pulled the pin to come home seven seconds ahead of Carlos Tatay (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and compatriot Harrison Voight (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) – both of whom are class rookies.
Despite celebrating a podium together in Race 1, sterner words were exchanged later in the afternoon during Race 2 as Voight and Tatay crashed out of the podium places, with the Australian pointing the finger of blame firmly at the #99. That incident didn’t bother Agius, as he romped home towards a second win of the day to claim the maximum 50 points on offer in Estoril. His winning margin wasn’t quite as emphatic as before, but he still had more than four seconds to spare over Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing) as the Andorran opened his account for the season, as did Niccolo Antonelli (MMR), with the Italian coming home third.
The European Talent Cup were the first class out on track on the west of the Iberian Peninsula, and they warmed up the day’s action with a showstopper. Brian Uriarte, Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Hakim Danish (Monlau Motul) formed a breakaway trio out front and entered wheel-to-wheel combat over 15 laps. Victory wasn’t decided until the three riders took the chequered flag within 0.054s of one another, with Uriarte first ahead of Salmela and Danish completing the podium.
Much like Moto2™, the ETC saw a double winner, with Uriarte going back-to-back, with an even closer finish in Race 2. The young Spaniard pinched the win off of 2021 ETC Champion Maximo Quiles on the line with only 0.006s between them. Quiles, who finished fourth in Race 1 after starting at the back of the grid and going through the LLP loop, will be gutted to have missed out but still goes home with a P2 result, while David Gonzalez (Cuna de Campeones) capped an impressive run with a maiden podium in the class.
Ending the day’s action was the solo Stock race, with the class now a different race to the Moto2™ category. Dani Muñoz carved out his own little piece of history as the maiden race winner, with the opportunity handed to him on a plate as poleman Eric Fernandez (FAU55 TEY Racing) crashed just three laps in. That gave Muñoz a country acre of space in P1 while Marco Garcia (EasyRace Team) and Alex Millan (Fifty Motorsport) battled for second place. In the end, it was Garcia who put in a classy ride to take the second step on the box, with Millan beginning his campaign with a third placed finish.
That’s a wrap then from Round 1 in Estoril, and it was certainly a memorable way to get the 2023 Championship up and running. The next installment of action isn’t far away, with Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia up next on May 21st.
You can also find all the results, videos, photos and information regarding the championship on the official website: www.fimjuniorgp.com
A scene from the AMA Pro Supercross event at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, in 2023. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Chase Sexton Wins Denver Supercross and Likely the Championship Crown
RJ Hampshire Grabs Denver Win, Jett Lawrence Wraps 250 West Championship
Denver, Colo., (May 7, 2023) Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton took his fifth win of the year at a hugely-significant Round 16 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross season. The win, coupled with what is likely a season-ending injury for Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac, put Sexton as the 2023 champion if Tomac cannot line up at the final round next Saturday.
Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen took second place with an incredible charge from the back of the pack inside Empower Field at Mile High. And Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Adam Cianciarulo earned his first podium finish since Round 3 of 2021 in the race that also pays points to the all-new, 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire earned his first win of 2023 with his own thrilling charge. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence took a hard-fought third in the Main Event to win the Western Regional 250SX Class Championship.
Chase Sexton (23) was picture perfect on a night that changed everything and most likely made him the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Adam Cianciarulo grabbed the holeshot ahead of Twisted Tea Suzuki Progressive Insurance’s Shane McElrath, Eli Tomac, and Team Tedder Monster Energy Mountain Motorsport’s Justin Hill. Ken Roczen, on a recent podium streak, slid out in the first corner and started the race in dead last position while his teammate Shane McElrath leapt into the lead down the first rhythm section. Within three corners Tomac had moved into second, then took over the top spot before reaching the green flag. With his hometown race fans going wild, and with Chase Sexton back in sixth, it looked possible that Tomac could earn enough points to wrap up his third Supercross title. But Supercross is one of the toughest sports on the planet, and that fact took over the night, and the title chase, just two and half minutes into the race.
While leading, Eli Tomac stressed his left ankle on a jump take-off. He didn’t crash but instantly lifted his foot from the peg while airborne. After landing he quickly brought down his bike’s speed to roll the rest of the section. He immediately pulled off the track, holding his left ankle away from the bike, then rode instantly to the on-site Alpinestars Medical Rig. Before the race had ended the news was out: Eli Tomac had suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and was out for the season.
In one instant Eli Tomac (1) lost the points lead and most surely the title after a non-crash injury down one of the track’s rhythm lanes. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Inside the stadium, Cianciarulo held the lead over Sexton. Five minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap race Sexton took over the lead. By then Roczen had already made his way up to sixth place. Sexton steadily pulled clear of Cianciarulo while Roczen continued his charge, passing McElrath for third just eight and a half minutes into the race and gaining on Cianciarulo.
With 8:15 on the race clock Justin Hill took over fourth. Three and a half minutes after that Roczen was up to Cianciarulo and pressuring for the second place spot. Roczen quickly made his move and looked ahead 6.8 seconds to the leader. Roczen started to gain a little time on Sexton, but not at the rate he’d need to make a run at the win.
Interestingly, in a season that saw Sexton give up some big leads with unforced errors, the Honda rider remained composed and smooth. With the full pressure of the race and the title on him, he rode like a champion. Sexton took his fifth win of 2023 and with it jumped into the points lead by seven. If the early injury assessment of Tomac is accurate and he’s truly out for the season, Sexton is mathematically the champion once Tomac officially does not show up and qualify for the final race.
RJ Hampshire (24) put the pieces together and turned his incredible track speed into his first win of the season. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
When the gate dropped for the Western Regional 250SX Class Main Event, Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland jumped out ahead of Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha’s Enzo Lopes, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford, and RJ Hampshire. Jett Lawrence, after a difficult Heat Race, was back in tenth as the riders crossed the holeshot stripe. Just over two minutes into the 15-minute plus one lap race Kitchen had taken over the lead and Hampshire was up to second. Further back in eighth, Lawrence was carefully picking off riders but showed no panic – he needed only to finish in tenth or better to take the title with one round remaining in the 250SX Class.
Five and a half minutes into the race Lopes moved past Vohland to take over third position. The riders made contact in a tight corner, and Vohland tipped over. Lawrence seemed to benefit from the chaos and soon got into fourth place. As the race clock ticked down under eight minutes Lawrence overtook Lopes for third place but was over 12 seconds back from the leaders.
Hampshire used the race’s midpoint to make a drive on Kitchen for the lead. The Husqvarna rider closed in, then leapt past when Kitchen made a small mistake in a short rhythm section. Kitchen recovered and retaliated immediately. Kitchen got back the spot as Hampshire went wide then shorted the track’s big double jump. Hampshire was off the track, but he kept his bike upright. Over the closing laps Hampshire put in a heroic charge. He was the fastest rider on the track and quickly made up the five seconds his off-track excursion had cost him. With 40 seconds on the clock Hampshire blitzed the whoops and took the lead from Kitchen.
Kitchen had one last surge of speed on the final lap, but never got into position to make a pass attempt. Hampshire took the checkered flag and the Denver Supercross win. Kitchen was right behind in second, and Lawrence brought his Honda home in third to win the division title with one race – an East/West Showdown – left on the schedule.
Between now and the Supercross Final in Salt Lake City, fans have an incredible opportunity at some one-of-a-kind memorabilia in the 2023 St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer Supercross Auction. All money raised goes directly to the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the St. Jude mission of Finding Cures. Saving Children. The auction runs until Monday, May 15th at 11:59PM ET. The items in the auction were donated by the racers, teams, partners, and supporters of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. To see what’s available to support the incredible St. Jude efforts and take home a piece of the 2023 season, please go to St. Jude Love Moto Stop Cancer Auction.
All-new for 2023 racing, the top 20 racers in combined championship points from the Monster Energy Supercross season and the AMA Pro Motocross season – scheduled for eleven rounds this summer – qualify for a spot in the all-new SuperMotocross World Championship. Riders who finish 21st – 30th in combined points, or those who earn a win yet don’t have the points for a direct qualification, will race a Last Chance Qualifier for the final two spots on the SuperMotocross League starting gate. The all-new series creates the sports’ first playoff season with two Playoff races and one Final race. The 450 class SuperMotocross World Champion will win a cool $1,000,000 payout along with the top spot in the history books. The 250 class champion will take home a $500,000 prize with their SuperMotocross World Championship title.
Tickets for next weekend’s Supercross Final are on sale now. If you can’t make it to Utah, each race of the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship streams live on Peacock with select events also broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. To purchase tickets, watch video recaps of the season, and get feature stories, race results, and streaming and broadcast airtimes please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.
450SX Class podium (riders from left) Adam Cianciarulo, Chase Sexton, and Ken Roczen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
450SX Class Results
1. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda
2. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki
3. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki
4. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM
5. Shane McElrath, Oakland, Fla., Suzuki
6. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda
7. Josh Hill, Huntersville, N.C., KTM
8. Kyle Chisholm, Valrico, Fla., Suzuki
9. Grant Harlan, Decatur, Tex., Yamaha
10. Justin Starling, Riverview, Fla., GASGAS
450SX Class Championship Standings
1. Chase Sexton, Clermont, Fla., Honda (346)
2. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (339)
3. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (304)
4. Ken Roczen, Clermont, Fla., Suzuki (303)
5. Justin Barcia, Greenville, Fla., GASGAS (267)
6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (242)
7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (213)
8. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (191)
9. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (191)
10. Dean Wilson, Menifee, Calif., Honda (182)
250SX Class podium (riders from left) Jett Lawrence, RJ Hampshire, and Levi Kitchen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.
Western Regional 250SX Class Results
1. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna
2. Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha
3. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda
4. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha
5. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda
6. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM
7. Derek Kelley, Riverside, Calif., KTM
8. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Kawasaki
9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ont., Yamaha
10. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Suzuki
Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings
1. Jett Lawrence, Zephyrhills, Fla., Honda (197)
2. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (163)
3. Enzo Lopes, Chesterfield, S.C., Yamaha (137)
4. Levi Kitchen, Havana, Fla., Yamaha (135)
5. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (121)
6. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (117)
7. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (101)
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain.
Bautista won the 20-lap race by 8.5 seconds, giving him his eighth victory of the season. In fact, the Spaniard has won every full-length World Superbike race so far in 2023.
Pata Yamaha Prometeon’s Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up, after just holding off Bautista’s teammate Michael Rinaldi by 0.06 second at the finish line.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 10th on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
The current Championship leader, Alvaro Bautista, won three races of out three in Catalunya. He took the win in Race 2 ahead of teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi. He leaves Barcelona with 236 points and a 69-point advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“The weekend has been perfect. We won three races and each race was a bit different, especially the Superpole Race. It was a bit scary in the last few laps because it started to rain, but not regularly. It was sometimes raining in the first sector, the next lap in sector three, the next one in four and two… leading the way was quite difficult because you never knew what to expect, the amount of water is on the track, so I was discovering the track every lap. It was the longest three laps of my life! For Race 2, the conditions were similar to Race 1 but maybe the grip was a bit lower because of the rain in the morning. I understood the track and I can keep my pace. I’m really happy especially to win three races here in Spain, in front of all the fans and my family, is always more special.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) leads Alex Lowes (22) and Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Second place goes to Toprak Razgatlioglu who claimed Yamaha’s 400th podium finish. He stands in second place in the standings with 167 points.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was third, bouncing back after Race 1 DNF. He finished 8.643s behind his teammate.
Alex Lowes (22) leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (54), Andrea Locatelli (55), and Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alex Lowes was the lead Kawasaki rider in fourth place. Teammate Jonathan Rea took fifth place.
Local hero Xavi Vierge completed Race 2 top six as the lead Honda rider.
P6 | Xavi Vierge | Team HRC
“Unfortunately, Superpole is still our weak point but we are working to try to improve. We grew up a lot during the weekend and we finished we a solid result in Race 2. We made some solid changes on the bike which gave me more feeling with the bike. When you see 10 laps to go, and you see the podium is close, you have something which tells you to give your best. But as soon as I pushed, I felt the tyre dropping and I could do nothing more than try to keep the pace that I had. Finally, Locatelli had a little something more than me. Anyway, I think we made a solid race with sixth position.”
WorldSBK Race 2 Report
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action concluded at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a Barcelona hat-trick to extend his Championship lead, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) pipped Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the line to deny Ducati a 1-2 finish in Spain.
Bautista lost out initially as the lights went out but recovered heading into Turn 1 to retake the lead although Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) did briefly take the lead on the opening lap, although it did not last long as Bautista recovered the lead of the race before building out a gap over teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi in second place, with Rinaldi able to build a gap over Razgatlioglu in third in the first half of the race. Rinaldi overtook Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at Turn 1 on Lap 5 to promote himself into second.
It had looked like Rinaldi would finish in second place to lead home a Ducati 1-2, but his final lap was around two seconds slower than Razgatlioglu and the 2021 Champion was able to overtake Rinaldi on the run to the line to take second place and secure Yamaha’s 400th WorldSBK podium, which demoted Rinaldi to third as he ended his Catalunya Round on the podium. As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu was able to pull out a gap over Lowes with the gap over a second by the start of Lap 17, allowing Razgatlioglu to claim his third podium of the weekend.
As the laps ticked down, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who started tenth, closed in on his teammate in the fight for fourth place but Rea was unable to make a move on his teammate. The KRT pair finished in fourth and fifth after Rea battled back from tenth place; he started there as a result of his Tissot Superpole Race crash.
WorldSBK returns for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagne Round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” from the 2nd to the 4th of June.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
April 27, 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
