First home run for Mir as Lecuona makes Honda MotoGP debut
A still recovering Marc Marquez will be replaced by Honda WorldSBK’s Iker Lecuona, the young Valencia rider making his MotoGP return alongside Joan Mir inside the Repsol Honda Team box for his first home race as a Honda rider.
Returning to one of the most familiar tracks on the MotoGP World Championship calendar, the paddock arrives at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. First hosting a Grand Prix in 1987, the 4.42-kilometer-long circuit has seen Honda take 22 premier class Grands Prix victories, the most recent coming in 2019 when Marc Marquez won the race. The entirety of HRC arrives buoyed by Alex Rins’ victory in Austin, Texas and all are eager to continue the form and make further improvements.
Marc Marquez will continue recovering from the broken first metacarpal of the right hand sustained at the Portuguese Grand Prix. The French GP, May 12 – 14, has been set as the target for the #93 to return to competition. For the Spanish Grand Prix, he will be replaced by Iker Lecuona.
Focusing on the positives of Austin and the improvements made, Joan Mir lands back on home turf with a clear path to follow. The Jerez circuit has seen the #36 produce a string of his trademark consistent results in the premier class, sixth place in 2022 his worst finish at the venue since arriving in MotoGP in 2019. Having made a step with the ergonomics of the Repsol Honda Team RC213V in Austin, confirming this improved feeling will be the first objective of the weekend for the double World Champion.
2022 and 2023 have seen Iker Lecuona competing with Team HRC in WorldSBK, the 23-year-old from Valencia consistently fighting for the top five in his rookie season. This included a podium finish at the Dutch round in 2022, just his second weekend of competition on the Honda CBR1000RR-R. His 2023 WorldSBK season started with a string of top-ten finished in Phillip Island with more speed shown in Mandalika and Assen. Lecuona is no stranger to the premier class, having competed full time from 2020 to the end of 2021. He achieved a best result of sixth place at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2021 during this time.
Stefan Bradl will contest the Spanish Grand Prix aboard a fifth Honda RC213V with the Honda HRC Test Team.
Joan Mir
“My first time riding in front of the Spanish fans as a Repsol Honda Team rider will be special, I am hoping we can have another weekend of improvements. The end result in Austin was not what we wanted with the crash, but we found an important step in the race that I am looking to trying in Jerez. Austin to Jerez is a very big change in terms of layout and demands but I have always felt comfortable there. I’m also looking forward to the post-race test, a day to just focus on our work and my riding.”
Iker Lecuona
“First I want to wish Marc all the best in his recovery, he is the reference in MotoGP and I think not only the fans, but also the riders miss him a lot. For me, of course it’s an incredible opportunity to return to MotoGP and ride with the team of my dreams. Doing it in front of the Spanish crowd is extra special. But we have to be realistic, it will be a very tough and demanding weekend. I have spent this year and last year fully focused on WorldSBK with Team HRC and now I need to get used to everything that is different in MotoGP as well as learn a brand-new bike – the Honda RC213V. No matter what, I will do my best and let’s see what the outcome is.”
Marquez continues recovery, targets French GP return
Marc Marquez underwent a medical check at the Ruber Internacional Hospital after having been successfully operated on four weeks ago for an intra-articular fracture of the first metacarpal on the right hand.
The clinical and radiological progression was deemed satisfactory, however, due to the nature of the fracture and the time elapsed, the medical team led by Dr. Roger de Oña together with Marquez, have decided to continue with his recovery and preparation during the coming weeks and focus his possible return on the French GP, May 12 – 14.
Iker Lecuona from Team HRC in WorldSBK will replace Marc Marquez for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez
“Yesterday we did another CT scan and it has been confirmed that, despite the fact that the injury is progressing favourably, the bone has not yet finished healing and racing in Jerez was risky. Together with the medical team, we decided not to take any risks, to wait two more weeks and return in Le Mans. I am very sorry to miss the Spanish Grand Prix because it is always special, because of the atmosphere, racing at home and above all, seeing and enjoying the fans. I will continue with the rehabilitation and work to be back as soon as possible. Thank you for your messages of support!”
The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports can confirm the cancellation of the 2023 Kazakhstan GP. Ongoing homologation works at the circuit, paired with current global operational challenges, have obliged the cancellation of the 2023 event.
MotoGP™ looks forward to visiting Sokol International Racetrack in 2024 to welcome a new region to the calendar.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 27th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 12 MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (12 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more — and younger — racers with higher levels of accomplishments are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2023 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, placed 10th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (best race finish was 4th, 9 top-10 finishes), won 2 CVMA 2021-2022 Winter Series Championship (500 Supersport, Ultra-Lightweight Shootout, and Formula Ultra-Lightweight), was highest overall point scorer in CVMA 2021-2022 Winter Series; 2021 season, finished 14th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 top-10 finishes, best race finish was 8th); 2020 season, won CVMA 2020-2021 Winter Series 500 Supersport and Ultra-Lightweight Shootout Expert Championships, won WERA West D Superbike Expert Championship, finished 2nd in WERA West Clubman Expert Championship (won 8 WERA races), won CVMA 2019-2020 Winter Series 500 SS Amateur Championship; 2019 season, won 3 WERA West Novice-class Championships (Clubman, D Superbike, Mini 50), won 20 WERA races.
2023 racing goals: Learn to ride the Supersport bike, get the best finishes I can, win CVMA Championships 2022-2023 Championships.
Racing career goals: Compete as a Pro in MotoAmerica and move to World Superbike.
Racing heroes: Valentino Rossi, Greg Hancock.
Favorite tracks: Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Brainerd.
Favorite hobbies: Working out, photography/videography.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Playing video games or talking with friends.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Roadracing World Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and AFT SuperTwins race winner J.D. Beach;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and current Moto2 World Championship competitor Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and current powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha rider Jake Gagne is planning to have surgery on his right arm this week in California.
During the opening round of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship this past weekend at Road Atlanta, two-time and defending Superbike Champion Gagne said he was hindered in both races by “arm pump,” which is also known as compartment syndrome.
Arm pump is a condition common in motorcycle racers where overly developed muscles in the forearm restrict blood flow to and from the hand, resulting in pain, numbness, and/or a lack of strength. This obviously creates an extra challenge for someone trying to race a 220-plus-horsepower Superbike at speeds in excess of 185 mph.
The symptoms of arm pump can be diminished by surgery that involves cutting and/or removing the fascia around the forearm muscles, giving the muscles more room to expand and relieving the blood flow restriction.
While he was able to fight for the win in both races at Road Atlanta, taking a first and second, Gagne feels something must be done to fix the situation and the time to do it is now.
“I’m going to go see Dr. [Thomas] Bryan on Wednesday [April 26] and get surgery on my arm, because now is the time,” 29-year-old Gagne exclusively told Roadracingworld.com. “This is the biggest break. We have three and a half weeks until the next race [May 19-21 at Barber Motorsports Park], so I’m not worried about getting recovered in time.
“It was really, really holding me back this weekend. We managed to get a second and a first, but I just couldn’t ride the bike nearly like I wanted to. Anyone who’s ridden these things knows it gets sketchy when you’re pumped up. And especially because it’s my right arm, so working the throttle was bad and I could only brake as hard as I could pull the lever, which is tough in a battle with these guys. I couldn’t really make passes on the brakes. It was just being creative with my drives and stuff.
“I’m cool with getting it done. I got it done twice earlier in my career, but it’s been a lot of years since then. I just want to be comfortable on the bike. The bike was awesome this weekend, but two, three laps into the race I was just hanging on.
“We got lucky. We got creative. The bike was working awesome. It was all on me, and I want to ride this Yamaha the way it wants to be ridden.”
Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen had surgery to relieve arm pump symptoms prior to the start of the 2023 season.
It is with deep regret that the Dundrod and District Motorcycle Club has been forced to abandon plans to revive the Ulster Grand Prix on August 18-19, 2023.
The club began the initiative with confidence, enjoying the full backing of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and the Ulster Grand Prix Supporters’ Club. There was encouraging support from teams and riders and we also received strong commitments of financial support from the local business community for which we are extremely grateful.
However, in recent weeks those plans have been undermined by two specific issues.
Despite numerous requests by Dundrod club officials during the last six weeks, we have been totally frustrated in our attempts to gain access to a copy of the public liability insurance policy the Motorcycle Union of Ireland, Ulster Centre, has put in place for 2023.
The Dundrod club was expected to make an initial payment of £26,000 by mid-April. The finance is in place to make that payment but without sight and consideration of the policy documents, the club’s solicitor has advised this payment should not proceed.
That issue has been further compounded by ongoing uncertainty around funding for the event from Tourism NI. The Dundrod club made application to TNI last December as required. We are now in April 2023 and there has still been no indication as to whether or not this application will be successful or what level of support the UGP might be eligible to receive.
Given these uncertainties, the Dundrod club has been left with no option other than to make the unfortunate decision being announced today.
Following an eventful opening of the 2023 season in Portugal, Argentina and lately in Austin, Texas, the MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe this weekend with one of the classics in the calendar. The CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team is eager to compete at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix, one of three home rounds for team rider Raul Fernandez.
Following a strong catch up in the Sprint race as well as in the main race of the Americas Grand Prix last time out, Miguel Oliveira showed a strong comeback after being forced to sit out the second round of 2023. Starting from P15, he finished eighth in the Sprint and in an impressive fifth position of the full-length race on Sunday, collecting a total if 13 World Championship points. This weekend, the Portuguese star hopes to continue his progress aboard the Aprilia RS-GP, making similar moves with a better starting position.
At the same time, Raul Fernandez is coming home. The young rider from Spain’s capital Madrid, recently felt better and better with his RS-GP. He was ready to score some decent points in the main race at the Circuit of the Americas just a bit over one week ago, but unfortunately had to return to the pits with a technical issue, forcing him to an early retirement. On home soil, the 22-years old is aiming to make up for the lost points this weekend.
The fourth of 21 rounds in 2023 starts this Friday with Free Practice one at 10:45 local time, followed by Free Practice two at 15:00. Apart from Saturday’s action-packed program, Sunday will see the main race starting 15:00 local time in Spain.
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I’m confident after Austin, which was a track, that is difficult for me. Coming back from the injury, it was nice to score some points. The goal for Jerez will remain the same, continue on this line in scoring points in both races. Hopefully we can make another step forward in terms of speed and improving the Qualifying. I’m looking forward to discover Jerez with the Aprilia. I’m very motivated.”
Raul Fernandez (25) at speed at COTA. Photo courtesy RNF MotoGP Team.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“Jerez is a very important track for me. Of course, it’s always something special having a race in Spain, my home country in front of our fans. I will try to get a good feeling aboard the Aprilia RS-GP, like I had in Texas last time out and I hope I’ll be a bit luckier avoiding problems. We’ll try to do our best. I think we have potential and step by step we arrive closer to the top, but I think it’s time to get some results now to confirm we can be there.”
Razlan Razali, Founder and Team Principal CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team
“So far with the first round in Portimao and the first two flyaway races, we can be satisfied in some ways with our performance compared to last year. We know if that the situation was not the way it was, we could have done better, meaning the incident of Marc Marquez and Miguel in round one and the mechanical issue that Raul had in Austin.”
“Maybe the situation could be a little bit better for the team already. But it’s still a positive time for the team and now the MotoGP circus is back in Jerez this week, which I believe will be truly where the championship begins, where everybody is familiar with the circuits, beginning with Jerez, then Le Mans, followed by Mugello, Sachsenring and Assen. The most important thing is that both riders are in good health and fitness, getting to grips with the RS-GP at each track quickly. We arrive in Jerez full of enthusiasm and motivation to continue our progress to go better.”
Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team
“After mixed results from Miguel and Raul in Austin, we are quite happy to go to Jerez and see what the boys can do in Spain. Of course, we have had Portimao already, which didn’t work out really well for us, but there is much more track knowledge by both riders in Jerez than in Austin and in Austin they already seemed to have a good speed and where both in a good flow. With their entourage and the enthusiastic fans, it’s always nice to ride in Jerez. On top of that, Raul is Spanish, so it will be his first 2023 home race. Let’s see, what we can do. Hopefully, the sun will shine again for us in the South of Spain.”
Round 1 of the 2023 NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) series kicked off April 22-23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway under clear but cool conditions, typical of an April event in New England.
The excitement during this particular off-season has been palpable, as the series has been focused on the upcoming 100th running of the Loudon Classic in June. The record-breaking $250,000 purse and $55,000 winners take has attracted a group of top-level talent and teams of a size and pedigree that the Northeast has not seen in the 20 years since AMA Pro Racing last visited the speedway.
Although this opening weekend was attended by primarily the series regulars, it was apparent that many riders had made significant extra efforts to prepare top-shelf equipment for the big event in June.
In a good sign for the series and our sport, the new rider classes that open NEMRR events every Saturday were well-attended and full of new faces. Starting with the Super Street Classes, which were introduced several years ago as a half step into racing, riders on track day-prepared machines run a combined “heat race” to get a feel for what it’s like to start a session with a green flag. These mostly-for-fun classes are broken into Unlimited and Lightweight displacement divisions, with the overall win coming from Randy Morrissette on his Ducati Panigale.
The Rookie Race, which starts each race weekend for the NEMRR Novice racers and serves as a “final exam” for those seeking a license, had the largest turnout in recent memory and was won by Nino Jordan.
NEMRR is one of the only clubs in the nation that runs a novice racer class, which creates a idea atmosphere for new riders as it completely separates this group form experienced racers as they learn our sport.
The feature race of NEMRR weekend is the Michelin/MotoRace dash for cash, a Middleweight Grand Prix contest that will form the basis for the 100th running of the Loudon Classic. Conspicuously absent was 2022 champion Scott Greenwood, who dominated the class in 2022 but was forced to sit on the sidelines due to a lingering shoulder injury sustained playing hockey this winter.
Greenwood’s absence left the field wide open, and at the start of the race, Eli Block, who was the closest challenger to Greenwood in 2022, led the way on his freshly upgraded Yamaha R6. Starting from the back row, meanwhile, was the talented Tyler Sweeney on a Yamaha R6 that was the equal of Block’s machine.
Sweeney has not been a full-time participant in the NEMRR series for several years but has made an appearance at most of the Loudon Classic events and has always been a podium contender.
The dropping temperatures led NEMRR officials to shorten the normal 12-lap event to 8 laps, and Sweeney got right to work and moved into second place by lap three. From there, the gap between the two front runners closed at a rate of just over a second per lap with Sweeney taking the lead on lap six. This move lit a fire under Block, who dropped nearly a second a lap and made a strong effort to close the gap to the leader. As the two leaders rocketed out of the final corner, Block’s R6 was visibly spinning and sliding. His effort came up half a bikelength short as Sweeney held on for the win.
Sunday’s races were held under less favorable conditions as constant rain and temperatures in the low 40’s dominated the day. Of the riders who braved the conditions, the pair of Paul Duval and Tom Hynes led the way with each rider securing two wins. Both riders were Yamaha R6 -mounted and took turns churning out the fastest lap times of the day and trading wins on the racetrack. In the end, Duval secured the fastest lap and took the final head-to-head victory in the K-Tech Suspension Middleweight Supersport Class.
Round Two of the NEMRR Series with be held May 13-14 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will give fans a preview of the Loudon Classic as several of the top professionals attending the big race will be using round two as an opportunity to test. Enthusiasts looking for tickets to the historic 100th running of the Loudon Classic June 16-18 can find a link directly on the www.nemrr.com home page!
Cameron wins on MotoAmerica return, Corey and PJ bag solid points as 2023 begins
Tytlers Cycle Racing leave the opening round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as joint leaders of the series after Cameron Beaubier, who returns to the series after a couple of seasons on the world stage, romped to the win in Saturday’s first race before narrowly missing the double win on Sunday where he crossed the line second.
The team’s trio of riders Beaubier, PJ Jacobsen and reigning MotoAmerica Stock 1000 champion Corey Alexander were in fine form at Road Atlanta – all three showing a strong pace and potential throughout the weekend.
With all three inside the top ten in qualifying (Cameron second, PJ fifth and Corey ninth) the stage was set for a great opening round.
When the lights went out at the start of the opening encounter all eyes were on Cameron Beaubier as the former multiple MotoAmerica champion slowly but surely reduced the gap to early leader (and defending champion Jake Gagne). Hitting the front, the final stages were intense but as the checkered flag was waved it was the #6 who took the win to give the team the championship lead and BMW its first victory in the US national Superbike series for forty-five years.
Corey Alexander finished a credible eighth whilst unfortunately PJ Jacobsen crashed out, thankfully unhurt.
Sunday’s race was another barnstormer with Cameron once again in the battle for victory. Taking his turn to lead he would eventually be denied the win. He crossed the line second, adding another twenty points to his championship tally. He heads to the next round at Barber Motorsports Park as the joint championship leader.
PJ Jacobsen raced to his first points of his 2023 campaign with a solid ride to sixth. He finished just over a second ahead of teammate Corey Alexander who finished seventh.
Cameron Beaubier (right) with Crew Chief/Team Manager Dave Weaver (left) on top of the podium at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cameron Beaubier: “Saturday was a great day. I am super happy to start the year off a win but to be honest I wasn’t expecting it after the time gap Jake (Gagne) had on us in qualifying. Race two was a wild one with good battles all race long. I am glad we got out of there safe on the last lap. I want to say a massive thank you to the Tytlers team for this first weekend back. We know what we need to work on, and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “It was a great first race and I was able to run inside the top eight for most of it. We knew after the race that there were a few set up issues that we could work on and improve, and I was confident of improving on Sunday. I am happy with the progress we made in Sunday’s race. Our average pace was much faster than Saturday and our set up took a step in the right direction. Overall, it was a successful first weekend on the superbike and I’m excited to continue the forward momentum into Barber. Thanks to my guys for all the hard work and congrats to Cam for the unbelievable weekend. It further proves the capability of the BMW.”
PJ Jacobsen: “Race one was a complete disaster. It was a shame to crash but we worked as a team to understand what happened and I was determined to come back stronger on Sunday. We bagged some solid points on Sunday but in all honesty, I want to put the weekend behind me and move on to the next one. It was a tough one for me and I am hoping to be a lot closer to the front at Barber. Obviously, it was great for us a team with Cam getting the win, so congrats to him and I hope to be in the fight at the next one.”
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering:
Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia riders Landers, Rodio score win, pair of second-place finishes at Road Atlanta
Rodio increases MotoAmerica Twins Cup points lead at April 21-23 round
BRASELTON, Ga. — Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio each found success in different ways at this past weekend’s MotoAmerica round at Road Atlanta. Rodio’s pair of second place finishes allowed him pad his lead in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup points standings, while fill-in rider Landers found immediate success in his first weekend racing an Aprilia RS 660 by scoring a pole position and dominating victory.
Rodio came into the April 21-23 Road Atlanta round with a win and runner-up finish at Daytona under his belt, while Landers made his debut with the team in place of Ben Gloddy – who is still recovering from an injury he suffered at Daytona. The duo of Landers and Rodio ended up claiming three of the possible six podium finishes in the two Twins Cup contests at Road Atlanta, though Landers’ motorcycle suffered a mechanical problem during Saturday’s Race 1. The 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup and two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup champion Landers also lowered the race lap record for the Twins Cup at Road Atlanta during Race 2 by about 0.8 seconds.
The team kicked off the weekend’s on-track action at the top of the time sheets, as Landers paced the field in Friday morning practice. In his first session on an Aprilia RS 660, Landers posted a best time of 1:33.937 — more than half a second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio also showed good pace in practice as he finished third fastest. Later Friday, Landers was again the class of the field and lowered his best lap time for the day by about two seconds. Rodio finished Qualifying 1 in fourth.
The Twins Cup’s second and final qualifying session took place Saturday morning, but the conditions did not allow riders to improve their best lap times. Landers was again at the top of the time sheets in Qualifying 2, and Landers and Rodio ended up securing first and fourth place on the starting grid, respectively.
When Saturday’s Twins Cup Race 1 got started after a short red flag period, Rodio got a good start and had moved up to second place by the first corner. Landers didn’t get off the line as well but was running in fourth at Turn 1 and quickly moved up to third at Turn 3. Rodio, Landers and another rider then began pulling away at the front. The three riders jostled for position for several laps before Landers was forced to retire from the race at the end of Lap 3 due to a technical problem. Rodio and the other frontrunning rider took turns in the lead, and Rodio made a valiant effort to overtake the race leader on the last lap but wisely settled for a runner-up finish.
Landers’ fortunes turned around for Sunday’s race and he ended the weekend with a show of utter dominance. Landers got a very good start and led the race start to finish to claim a victory. His lead over Rodio and two other riders vying for second place grew to more than seven seconds with four laps to go, though he backed off his pace a little in the closing laps to win by a margin of more than four seconds. Rodio was at the point for the battle for second place for most of the race, as he finished nine of the race’s 12 laps running in second. In the closing laps, Rodio gradually pulled away from the third-place rider to clinch his second runner-up finish of the weekend by 0.831 seconds.
The results marked the second time in four races that a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 rider was on the top step of the podium, and Rodio’s third and fourth runner-up finishes of the season allowed him to extend his lead in the points standings. Rodio’s 85 points are 26 more than the next closest competitor in the standings. Though Landers has taken part in just two races and only finished one of them, the 25 points he earned for his victory moved him up to eighth place in the Twins Cup standings.
The Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering team will be back in action in three weeks time at the next MotoAmerica round, which takes place at Barber Motorsports Park on May 19-21.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“My first time on the Aprilia RS 660 was amazing. It handled very similar to a 600cc bike, in that it gave me a ton of feel on the front tire. I really like riding it. It’s really easy to adapt to, which is a blessing when you get on a new bike. Once I got on it, I knew I was going to gel with it immediately. Saturday’s race was a bit of a bummer, but a day like today always makes you feel better about a day like yesterday. I’m very, very happy to be able to ride the Aprilia to a win today, and I’m excited about the rest of the season.”
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“Overall, it was a pretty good weekend here at Road Atlanta. I’m super happy to get a double podium and extend my points lead to 26 points. I feel really good and learned a lot this weekend from riding with Rocco and other riders. I’m excited to take what we learned here to Barber and have a good weekend there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Altus Motorsports faces difficulties at Road Atlanta
(Atlanta, GA) Altus Motorsports WPS Fly Racing Team entered the 2023 season with ambitious plans and high hopes. The team has talented riders and competitive equipment across four different classes: Stock 1000, Supersport, Twins Cup, and the Junior Cup. However, Road Atlanta proved to be a challenging weekend due to a mechanical issue that caused failures across most of the motorcycles on Saturday.
“We are still investigating the source of the problem that sidelined three of our four bikes on Saturday,” said George Nassaney, team owner. “I feel bad for the team and the riders. We continued to do things exactly as we have done for years, so to have issues manifest like this is demoralizing. We made some changes on Saturday evening and did not have the same issues on Sunday. We are working to get to the root of the problem to ensure it does not happen again.”
Superbike & Stock 1000:
As Brandon Paasch was out with an injury, Anthony Norton stepped in to ride the Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000. Norton arrived in Georgia with zero experience at Road Atlanta. A mechanical issue caused Norton to miss the first practice, which meant his first laps were during the Stock1000 qualifying session on Friday. Despite these challenges, Norton managed to post some impressive times and finished the first qualifying session in 25th place out of thirty-five competitors. Not bad considering he was on a track he had never seen and a bike he had never ridden. Norton started Race 1 from 25th and, after a great launch, was in 21st after the first lap. Through the race, he fought his way up to 17th and crossed the finish line in 16th – dropping four seconds off his qualifying time. Another amazing start in Race 2 put Norton up to 18th on the first lap. After a race-long battle, Anthony took the checkered flag in 17th.
Anthony Norton (83). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Supersport:
Last season Jaret Nassaney really gelled with the new GSX-R750. Now, with a year of experience on that bike and building on some of the best riding of his career, Jaret is expecting great things in 2023. Based on his results on Friday at Road Atlanta, things were looking good for the weekend. Nassaney was Top 10 in both sessions and ended up qualifying 8th. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue knocked him out of Race 1. The second Supersport race was a different story. Jaret got a good start and ran most of the laps in 6th place. On the last lap, he lost that position to cross the finish line in 7th.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney: “We had some unfortunate luck on Saturday that knocked us out of the race but I’m happy with the amazing start I got! We had great pace all week and I’m really happy with how I’m jiving with the bike! Race 2 I got another great start and slotted myself into 5th but unfortunately made a couple mistakes and settled into 6th for the whole race until the last lap when I got passed into turn 10a and didn’t have any opportunity to attack back. All and all I’m happy with our pace. Barber is one of my favorite tracks so I’m ready to get back out there and try to battle a solid result!”
Twins Cup:
Joseph LiMandri Jr. qualified in P7 on the Altus Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R7 and looked good in the first race on Saturday. By lap 3 he had slotted into a solid 5th place. Unfortunately, that came to an untimely end a few laps later when a mechanical issue sent him back to the pits. In the Sunday race, LiMandri had an amazing start and completed the first lap in 4th. He ended up crossing the finish in 5th place.
Joseph LiMandri (62). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Junior Cup:
There is no doubt that Alessandro Di Mario has the talent to win races. At Road Atlanta, the 2022 North American Talent Cup Champion put the Altus Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 400 on the pole for his first race weekend in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup class. The first race ended unceremoniously when Di Mario was forced to retire with a mechanical issue. In the second Junior Cup race of the weekend, Alessandro went with the top group and led the race on more than one occasion. On the final lap, he lost the front while attempting a pass to take second place, knocking him out of the race. While he leaves the first round with no championship points, there is no doubt he will be a contender.
Alessandro Di Mario (70). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“What a crazy and stressful weekend, but our team came through like Champions” said George Nassaney Team Owner. This was our teams first race weekend after the sudden passing of our friend and Crew Chief Eric Gray. I was expecting some growing pains, but not 3 DNF’s. I can absolutely say it was not our mechanics fault. Our Crew Chiefs Mike Castro and Mike Pond along with our mechanics put their head’s together and figured out the issue. We fixed the issue and Sunday showed our riders talents with their results. We are going to come into Barber recharged and ready to battle”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
More, from a press release issued by Hayden Bicknese Racing:
Hayden converts front row to double P3 as 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup starts at Road Atlanta – heads to Alabama third overall
Hayden Bicknese on the MotoAmerica Junior Cup podium at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Hayden Bicknese Racing.
Hayden Bicknese kickstarted his MotoAmerica Junior Cup campaign in the best possible way – bagging a double podium in the season opener at Road Atlanta last weekend.
Fast from the off, the #69 Kawasaki rider ran at the front from the very first session, backing up his Free Practice pace with a strong showing in qualifying to secure a place on the front row of the grid for both races.
Saturday’s opening race was red flagged and restarted with Hayden losing a comfortable advantage that he had built. Nevertheless, he remained in contention when the second part of the opening encounter got underway. An on-track moment, that saw him take to the grass, created a gap between him and the leaders but he was still classified third at the flag after an incredible fight back in the latter stages.
With no major set up changes to his Bicknese Racing machine for warm up on Sunday morning, Hayden was once again in contention for glory when Race 2 got underway. But, as in most Junior Cup races the constant exchanging of positions enabled Bicknese to remain in the mix for the win throughout, his cool head and smart thinking allowed him to make his move on the final lap to secure his second podium of the weekend.
His double third place means he sits third overall in the standings as the series heads to Alabama and Barber Motorsports Park in a few weeks.
Hayden Bicknese: “FP1 started well, and I posted a time that was very competitive. I was surprised how fast I was at the compared to last year, almost four seconds in the first session. The bike was already set up well, but we made a small change for Q1. The change to the external pre-load helped on the brakes, but it was still not really proven with the track being a little greasy, but I was still able to improve my times. I was classified P2 and could have been P1 if I hadn’t made a mistake and hadn’t been held up by another rider on the last corner. We didn’t make any changes after first qualifying, and we skipped Q2 because of a storm the night before and we knew that the race would be dry. Race 1 started very well. I was able to set the pace at the front and as the race progressed it was just me, Alessandro (Di Mario) and Avery (Dreher). We had a huge gap but then there was a red flag. In the restart I got another good launch and was running first and was starting to open a gap, but I had a little bit of a headshake on a curb and lost drive. I got swallowed up on the straight and pushed back to fourth place. I was comfortable sitting behind. My plan was to try to just pass one-by-one to get to the front, but I got pinched-off a bit up to the esses. I got bumped off the track and lost about three seconds to the group. I was able to catch up but because there was a red flag the race was super short, so I only had a lap or two to pass three people to get to the podium. Race 2 started pretty well, and I was running third until I hit a false neutral on the first lap. I was able to remain in the fight at the front but it was so crazy so I decided to be smart and take a little less risk because I knew eventually that the riders ahead would slow each other up and I could take advantage. To take another podium is super good and a really great way to start the 2023 season. Having the data from previous years really helped us and I am confident that we can run at the front in Barber. I want to thank all of my sponsors and the team for all their hard work. See you all in Alabama!”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad North America:
BMW Motorrad Motorsports Customer Racing Teams and the BMW M 1000 RR capture six podium finishes during MotoAmerica’s Race Weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 25, 2023…This past weekend’s MotoAmerica races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta saw BMW Motorrad Motorsport M 1000 RR customer racing teams clinch two wins and six total podium finishes around the 2.55 mile track in the Superbike and Stock 1000 classes. Six BMW riders were entered in the Superbike class and nine riders competed in the Stock 1000 class.
Medallia Superbike
In the Superbike class, five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Cameron Beaubier, on the No. 6 Tytlers Cycle Racing M 1000 RR, claimed the checkered flag in Race 1, by less than half a second, marking the 55th AMA Superbike win of his career. This win also delivered BMW’s first AMA Superbike win in 45 years, when Harry Klinzman and the R 90 S won in New Hampshire in 1978. Rounding out the top BMW finishers in Race 1 were Corey Alexander / Tytlers Cycle Racing (8th place) and Nolan Lamkin / Tom Wood Powersports (12th place).
Cameron Beaubier (6) won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One at Road Atlanta on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy BMW Motorrad North America.
In Race 2 of the Superbike class, Cameron Beaubier was denied a victory but finished in 2nd place, making it two podium finishes in a row for Tytlers Cycle Racing. PJ Jacobsen / Tytlers Cycle Racing (6th), Corey Alexander / Tytlers Cycle Racing (7th), Ashton Yates / Aftercare Scheibe Racing (9th) and Nolan Lamkin / Tom Wood Powersports (15th) rounded out the BMW finishers.
PJ Jacobsen (99) and Corey Alexander (23) at speed on their Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW Superbikes at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy BMW Motorrad North America.
After the first two races of the season, Cameron Beaubier is in 2nd place in points in the Superbike class with Corey Alexander behind him in 6th position.
Stock 1000
BMW M 1000 RR riders took two wins and four total podium finishes in the two Stock 1000 races of the weekend.
In Race 1, Ezra Beaubier, riding for Orange Cat Racing, took the win and was followed closely in 2nd by Travis Wyman of Travis Wyman Racing. Ezra’s Orange Cat teammate, Kaleb De Keyrel crossed the finish line in 4th. Taylor Knapp / Taylor Knapp Racing (5th), Nolan Lamkin / Tom Wood Racing (6th), Jason Waters / Edge Racing (8th), Alex Arango / Top Pro Motorsports (9th) and Michael Henao / Hey Now Racing/On Any Moto (15th) were the BMW finishers in the first race.
Ezra Beaubier (16) won both MotoAmerica Stock 1000 races on his new Orange Cat Racing BMW. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy BMW Motorrad North America.
Race 2 saw Ezra Beaubier capture his 2nd win of the weekend and Taylor Knapp / Taylor Knapp Racing joined him on the podium after finishing in 3rd place. BMW Motorrad Motorsport customer racing teams rounding out the field in Race 2 were Travis Wyman / Travis Wyman Racing (4th), Kaleb De Keyrel / Orange Cat Racing (5th), Nolan Lamkin / Tom wood Powersports (7th), Jason Waters / Edge Racing (9th) and Michael Henao / Hey Now Racing/On Any Moto (12th).
In the Stock 1000 points standings, Ezra Beaubier leads the class in 1st place with Travis Wyman in 3rd, Taylor Knapp in 4th, Kaleb De Kreyel in 5th and Nolan Lamkin in 5th.
The next event on the MotoAmerica schedule is Barber Motorsport Park, May 19-21.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles as well as the BMW XM. The 349 BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers,146 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
www.bmwgroup.com and www.bmwmotorcycles.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMWMotorradUSA
Twitter: www.facebook.com/BMWMotorradUSA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@bmwmotorrad
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Travis Wyman kicks off MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season with podium finish Saturday at Road Atlanta
BMW rider wraps up season-opening round third in Stock 1000 points standings
Travis Wyman on the MotoAmerica podium after scoring a second place finish in Saturday’s Stock 1000 race at Road Atlanta. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson.
BRASELTON, Ga. — Travis Wyman got his sixth season racing in MotoAmerica’s Stock 1000 Class off to a positive start Saturday when he scored a podium finish in the first Stock 1000 race of the year. Wyman followed up his runner-up performance with a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s Race 2 and ended the April 21-23 event third in the Stock 1000 points standings.
Road Atlanta is one of Wyman’s favorite tracks. He recorded a commanding win in the first-ever MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race at the track in 2018 and has scored additional victories in Stock 1000 and Superstock 600 at the Braselton, Ga., track. Wyman’s on-track results were hampered some before the round even began, as he spent long days with his team at their Austin, Texas, base of operations repairing his BMW M 1000 RR’s electrical system after technical problems greatly reduced his test and development plan in the weeks leading up to the Road Atlanta round.
Wyman had good pace from the first practice session of the weekend, as he finished Friday morning practice in fifth place. He also finished the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session in fifth, but could have been even faster had more electrical issues not cut his on-track time during that session short. Qualifying 2 took place Saturday morning, but the wet conditions did not allow Wyman to improve on his best time from Qualifying 1. He therefore had to settle for fifth place on the starting grid for both of the round’s Stock 1000 races.
In Saturday’s Race 1, Wyman got a good start and was up to fourth place as the field entered Turn 1. Wyman made several attempts to move up the order during the first few laps but wisely took no unnecessary risks and maintained his fourth place until later in the race. On Lap 6 of the 13-lap race, Wyman began moving up the running order. He used the draft to move up to third place and battled with two other riders for the remainder of the race — eventually finishing in second place.
Sunday’s Race 2 wasn’t as sweet for Wyman. He got another good jump off the line and was again in the battle for the lead of the race. Wyman ran in fifth place for most of the race, despite several strategic attempts to move up the running order over the course of the 13-lap contest. A late-race mistake by one of the frontrunners allowed Wyman to clinch a fourth-place finish while missing out on his second podium finish of the weekend by a mere 0.285 seconds.
With a second- and fourth-place finish to his credit, Wyman concluded the first of five MotoAmerica Stock 1000 rounds third in the class standings — just three points behind the second-place rider.
The next Stock 1000 round is slated to take place in three weeks time — May 19-21 — at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Travis Wyman / No. 10
“My team and I started the season with some big challenges when our testing time at Barber got cut short earlier this month. I can’t thank my team and sponsors enough for giving me what I needed to race this weekend. I felt really good on the bike in first practice, but the electrical issues reappeared in Qualifying 1 and cost us a bit of track time in the only dry qualifying session we ended up having. I used Qualifying 2 to make sure the bike was running right again, and overall was happy with my result in Race 1. Things were a bit different in Race 2, as the warmer track conditions had me struggling a bit for rear grip throughout that race. It was still a positive start to the season, and I’m looking forward to having some more time to work on our BMW M 1000 RR before the next round at Barber.”
More, from a press release issued by Kreece Elliott Racing:
Double points finish as Kreece shows top six potential at Road Atlanta
A top ten finish on Saturday to score his first points of the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup season, followed by a top six fight on Sunday, Colorado teen Kreece Elliott had a satisfying start to his first full season of racing in the series.
Single race appearances last year, in which Kreece showed pace and potential, opened the door for a full campaign this year with the #47 improving steadily throughout the weekend, achieving a double point haul in the opening round of the championship at Road Atlanta.
Qualifying eleventh, Elliott rode hard in Saturday’s first race which was stopped and restarted after an on-track incident. He finished tenth. Sunday saw the race run the full distance with Kreece locked in a race long multi rider battle that saw him cross the line eleventh, a mere second from P6.
The results mean he leaves Atlanta joint tenth in the overall standings ahead of round two in Alabama in a few weeks’ time.
Kreece Elliott: “After starting P11 race one went well. I got a good start and went up to like seventh or eighth. The race was a battle with like eight other riders. I had a really fun time and learned a lot. Towards the end of the race, I got shuffled back in the draft and wasn’t able to make a smart move in the last lap and I didn’t want to risk a crash. I finished tenth which is a good way to start the season. I also made a decent start in race two but am pretty sure I stayed in the position where I started. It was hectic in the first corner, and I was in a battle for sixth for the whole race. It was super gnarly but I think we had a little issue because we couldn’t overtake on the back straight, even in the draft. I was hitting high top speeds but couldn’t get past the guys around me. I managed to work my way to the middle of the group and was very close to the top six. I wanted more on Sunday, but we scored solid points, and I am excited for Barber. I want to thank everyone that is helping and supporting me, especially mum and dad.”
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 27th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 12 MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (12 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more — and younger — racers with higher levels of accomplishments are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2023 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Hank Vossberg and two of his racebikes. Photo by William Vossberg.
Hank Vossberg
Age: 12.
Current home: De Pere, Wisconsin.
Current height/weight: 5’2”/105 pounds.
Current school grade level: 7th grade.
Began riding at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2017, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Midwest Karting Assoc., Kids Mini Supermoto, 1st.
Current racebikes: Yamaha YZF-R3, Kramer 690, Kawasaki KX450.
Current tuners/mechanics: Redeye Performance, William Vossberg (father).
Primary race series: CCS, N2/WERA, Road America Supermoto Club.
Top sponsors: Liqui Moly, Spears Racing, Pirelli, Adrenaline Engineering, Redeye Performance, Schmotter Motion Racing, Vortex, Forma Boots, LS2 Helmets, BVA Trucking, Mark and Pam Madigan.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championships (D Superbike Expert, F Superstock Expert), 10 race wins with WERA, co-rode to N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight class victory, won CCS 300 GP Expert Midwest Regional Championship, won ASRA Moto3 National race, won Road America Supermoto Mini Championship; 2021 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championship (D Superstock Novice, F Superstock Novice), won 4 WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships, won 18 WERA races.
2023 racing goals: win N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight Championship, win Road America 450 Supermoto Championship.
Racing career goal: Finish in the top five of a MotoAmerica race.
Racing hero: Josh Hayes.
Favorite track: Barber Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Playing other sports.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Building stuff in my shop.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Roadracing World Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and AFT SuperTwins race winner J.D. Beach;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and current Moto2 World Championship competitor Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and current powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
First home run for Mir as Lecuona makes Honda MotoGP debut
A still recovering Marc Marquez will be replaced by Honda WorldSBK’s Iker Lecuona, the young Valencia rider making his MotoGP return alongside Joan Mir inside the Repsol Honda Team box for his first home race as a Honda rider.
Returning to one of the most familiar tracks on the MotoGP World Championship calendar, the paddock arrives at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. First hosting a Grand Prix in 1987, the 4.42-kilometer-long circuit has seen Honda take 22 premier class Grands Prix victories, the most recent coming in 2019 when Marc Marquez won the race. The entirety of HRC arrives buoyed by Alex Rins’ victory in Austin, Texas and all are eager to continue the form and make further improvements.
Marc Marquez will continue recovering from the broken first metacarpal of the right hand sustained at the Portuguese Grand Prix. The French GP, May 12 – 14, has been set as the target for the #93 to return to competition. For the Spanish Grand Prix, he will be replaced by Iker Lecuona.
Focusing on the positives of Austin and the improvements made, Joan Mir lands back on home turf with a clear path to follow. The Jerez circuit has seen the #36 produce a string of his trademark consistent results in the premier class, sixth place in 2022 his worst finish at the venue since arriving in MotoGP in 2019. Having made a step with the ergonomics of the Repsol Honda Team RC213V in Austin, confirming this improved feeling will be the first objective of the weekend for the double World Champion.
2022 and 2023 have seen Iker Lecuona competing with Team HRC in WorldSBK, the 23-year-old from Valencia consistently fighting for the top five in his rookie season. This included a podium finish at the Dutch round in 2022, just his second weekend of competition on the Honda CBR1000RR-R. His 2023 WorldSBK season started with a string of top-ten finished in Phillip Island with more speed shown in Mandalika and Assen. Lecuona is no stranger to the premier class, having competed full time from 2020 to the end of 2021. He achieved a best result of sixth place at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2021 during this time.
Stefan Bradl will contest the Spanish Grand Prix aboard a fifth Honda RC213V with the Honda HRC Test Team.
Joan Mir
“My first time riding in front of the Spanish fans as a Repsol Honda Team rider will be special, I am hoping we can have another weekend of improvements. The end result in Austin was not what we wanted with the crash, but we found an important step in the race that I am looking to trying in Jerez. Austin to Jerez is a very big change in terms of layout and demands but I have always felt comfortable there. I’m also looking forward to the post-race test, a day to just focus on our work and my riding.”
Iker Lecuona
“First I want to wish Marc all the best in his recovery, he is the reference in MotoGP and I think not only the fans, but also the riders miss him a lot. For me, of course it’s an incredible opportunity to return to MotoGP and ride with the team of my dreams. Doing it in front of the Spanish crowd is extra special. But we have to be realistic, it will be a very tough and demanding weekend. I have spent this year and last year fully focused on WorldSBK with Team HRC and now I need to get used to everything that is different in MotoGP as well as learn a brand-new bike – the Honda RC213V. No matter what, I will do my best and let’s see what the outcome is.”
Marquez continues recovery, targets French GP return
Marc Marquez underwent a medical check at the Ruber Internacional Hospital after having been successfully operated on four weeks ago for an intra-articular fracture of the first metacarpal on the right hand.
The clinical and radiological progression was deemed satisfactory, however, due to the nature of the fracture and the time elapsed, the medical team led by Dr. Roger de Oña together with Marquez, have decided to continue with his recovery and preparation during the coming weeks and focus his possible return on the French GP, May 12 – 14.
Iker Lecuona from Team HRC in WorldSBK will replace Marc Marquez for the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix.
Marc Marquez
“Yesterday we did another CT scan and it has been confirmed that, despite the fact that the injury is progressing favourably, the bone has not yet finished healing and racing in Jerez was risky. Together with the medical team, we decided not to take any risks, to wait two more weeks and return in Le Mans. I am very sorry to miss the Spanish Grand Prix because it is always special, because of the atmosphere, racing at home and above all, seeing and enjoying the fans. I will continue with the rehabilitation and work to be back as soon as possible. Thank you for your messages of support!”
Sokol International Racetrack. Photo courtesy Dorna.
2023 Kazakhstan GP cancelled
Wednesday, 26 April 2023
The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports can confirm the cancellation of the 2023 Kazakhstan GP. Ongoing homologation works at the circuit, paired with current global operational challenges, have obliged the cancellation of the 2023 event.
MotoGP™ looks forward to visiting Sokol International Racetrack in 2024 to welcome a new region to the calendar.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 27th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 12 MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (12 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more — and younger — racers with higher levels of accomplishments are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2023 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, placed 10th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (best race finish was 4th, 9 top-10 finishes), won 2 CVMA 2021-2022 Winter Series Championship (500 Supersport, Ultra-Lightweight Shootout, and Formula Ultra-Lightweight), was highest overall point scorer in CVMA 2021-2022 Winter Series; 2021 season, finished 14th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (3 top-10 finishes, best race finish was 8th); 2020 season, won CVMA 2020-2021 Winter Series 500 Supersport and Ultra-Lightweight Shootout Expert Championships, won WERA West D Superbike Expert Championship, finished 2nd in WERA West Clubman Expert Championship (won 8 WERA races), won CVMA 2019-2020 Winter Series 500 SS Amateur Championship; 2019 season, won 3 WERA West Novice-class Championships (Clubman, D Superbike, Mini 50), won 20 WERA races.
2023 racing goals: Learn to ride the Supersport bike, get the best finishes I can, win CVMA Championships 2022-2023 Championships.
Racing career goals: Compete as a Pro in MotoAmerica and move to World Superbike.
Racing heroes: Valentino Rossi, Greg Hancock.
Favorite tracks: Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Brainerd.
Favorite hobbies: Working out, photography/videography.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Playing video games or talking with friends.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Roadracing World Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and AFT SuperTwins race winner J.D. Beach;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and current Moto2 World Championship competitor Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and current powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha rider Jake Gagne is planning to have surgery on his right arm this week in California.
During the opening round of the MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Championship this past weekend at Road Atlanta, two-time and defending Superbike Champion Gagne said he was hindered in both races by “arm pump,” which is also known as compartment syndrome.
Arm pump is a condition common in motorcycle racers where overly developed muscles in the forearm restrict blood flow to and from the hand, resulting in pain, numbness, and/or a lack of strength. This obviously creates an extra challenge for someone trying to race a 220-plus-horsepower Superbike at speeds in excess of 185 mph.
The symptoms of arm pump can be diminished by surgery that involves cutting and/or removing the fascia around the forearm muscles, giving the muscles more room to expand and relieving the blood flow restriction.
While he was able to fight for the win in both races at Road Atlanta, taking a first and second, Gagne feels something must be done to fix the situation and the time to do it is now.
“I’m going to go see Dr. [Thomas] Bryan on Wednesday [April 26] and get surgery on my arm, because now is the time,” 29-year-old Gagne exclusively told Roadracingworld.com. “This is the biggest break. We have three and a half weeks until the next race [May 19-21 at Barber Motorsports Park], so I’m not worried about getting recovered in time.
“It was really, really holding me back this weekend. We managed to get a second and a first, but I just couldn’t ride the bike nearly like I wanted to. Anyone who’s ridden these things knows it gets sketchy when you’re pumped up. And especially because it’s my right arm, so working the throttle was bad and I could only brake as hard as I could pull the lever, which is tough in a battle with these guys. I couldn’t really make passes on the brakes. It was just being creative with my drives and stuff.
“I’m cool with getting it done. I got it done twice earlier in my career, but it’s been a lot of years since then. I just want to be comfortable on the bike. The bike was awesome this weekend, but two, three laps into the race I was just hanging on.
“We got lucky. We got creative. The bike was working awesome. It was all on me, and I want to ride this Yamaha the way it wants to be ridden.”
Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen had surgery to relieve arm pump symptoms prior to the start of the 2023 season.
Peter Hickman (60) in action at the 2019 Ulster Grand Prix. Photo by Pacemaker Press International, courtesy of the Ulster Grand Prix.
It is with deep regret that the Dundrod and District Motorcycle Club has been forced to abandon plans to revive the Ulster Grand Prix on August 18-19, 2023.
The club began the initiative with confidence, enjoying the full backing of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and the Ulster Grand Prix Supporters’ Club. There was encouraging support from teams and riders and we also received strong commitments of financial support from the local business community for which we are extremely grateful.
However, in recent weeks those plans have been undermined by two specific issues.
Despite numerous requests by Dundrod club officials during the last six weeks, we have been totally frustrated in our attempts to gain access to a copy of the public liability insurance policy the Motorcycle Union of Ireland, Ulster Centre, has put in place for 2023.
The Dundrod club was expected to make an initial payment of £26,000 by mid-April. The finance is in place to make that payment but without sight and consideration of the policy documents, the club’s solicitor has advised this payment should not proceed.
That issue has been further compounded by ongoing uncertainty around funding for the event from Tourism NI. The Dundrod club made application to TNI last December as required. We are now in April 2023 and there has still been no indication as to whether or not this application will be successful or what level of support the UGP might be eligible to receive.
Given these uncertainties, the Dundrod club has been left with no option other than to make the unfortunate decision being announced today.
Miguel Oliveira's results at COTA resulted in him feeling confident and motivated heading into Round Four at Jerez. Photo courtesy RNF MotoGP Team.
CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team returns to Europe
Following an eventful opening of the 2023 season in Portugal, Argentina and lately in Austin, Texas, the MotoGP World Championship returns to Europe this weekend with one of the classics in the calendar. The CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team is eager to compete at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix, one of three home rounds for team rider Raul Fernandez.
Following a strong catch up in the Sprint race as well as in the main race of the Americas Grand Prix last time out, Miguel Oliveira showed a strong comeback after being forced to sit out the second round of 2023. Starting from P15, he finished eighth in the Sprint and in an impressive fifth position of the full-length race on Sunday, collecting a total if 13 World Championship points. This weekend, the Portuguese star hopes to continue his progress aboard the Aprilia RS-GP, making similar moves with a better starting position.
At the same time, Raul Fernandez is coming home. The young rider from Spain’s capital Madrid, recently felt better and better with his RS-GP. He was ready to score some decent points in the main race at the Circuit of the Americas just a bit over one week ago, but unfortunately had to return to the pits with a technical issue, forcing him to an early retirement. On home soil, the 22-years old is aiming to make up for the lost points this weekend.
The fourth of 21 rounds in 2023 starts this Friday with Free Practice one at 10:45 local time, followed by Free Practice two at 15:00. Apart from Saturday’s action-packed program, Sunday will see the main race starting 15:00 local time in Spain.
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I’m confident after Austin, which was a track, that is difficult for me. Coming back from the injury, it was nice to score some points. The goal for Jerez will remain the same, continue on this line in scoring points in both races. Hopefully we can make another step forward in terms of speed and improving the Qualifying. I’m looking forward to discover Jerez with the Aprilia. I’m very motivated.”
Raul Fernandez (25) at speed at COTA. Photo courtesy RNF MotoGP Team.
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“Jerez is a very important track for me. Of course, it’s always something special having a race in Spain, my home country in front of our fans. I will try to get a good feeling aboard the Aprilia RS-GP, like I had in Texas last time out and I hope I’ll be a bit luckier avoiding problems. We’ll try to do our best. I think we have potential and step by step we arrive closer to the top, but I think it’s time to get some results now to confirm we can be there.”
Razlan Razali, Founder and Team Principal CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team
“So far with the first round in Portimao and the first two flyaway races, we can be satisfied in some ways with our performance compared to last year. We know if that the situation was not the way it was, we could have done better, meaning the incident of Marc Marquez and Miguel in round one and the mechanical issue that Raul had in Austin.”
“Maybe the situation could be a little bit better for the team already. But it’s still a positive time for the team and now the MotoGP circus is back in Jerez this week, which I believe will be truly where the championship begins, where everybody is familiar with the circuits, beginning with Jerez, then Le Mans, followed by Mugello, Sachsenring and Assen. The most important thing is that both riders are in good health and fitness, getting to grips with the RS-GP at each track quickly. We arrive in Jerez full of enthusiasm and motivation to continue our progress to go better.”
Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team
“After mixed results from Miguel and Raul in Austin, we are quite happy to go to Jerez and see what the boys can do in Spain. Of course, we have had Portimao already, which didn’t work out really well for us, but there is much more track knowledge by both riders in Jerez than in Austin and in Austin they already seemed to have a good speed and where both in a good flow. With their entourage and the enthusiastic fans, it’s always nice to ride in Jerez. On top of that, Raul is Spanish, so it will be his first 2023 home race. Let’s see, what we can do. Hopefully, the sun will shine again for us in the South of Spain.”
Tyler Sweeney (745). Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
Round 1 of the 2023 NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) series kicked off April 22-23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway under clear but cool conditions, typical of an April event in New England.
The excitement during this particular off-season has been palpable, as the series has been focused on the upcoming 100th running of the Loudon Classic in June. The record-breaking $250,000 purse and $55,000 winners take has attracted a group of top-level talent and teams of a size and pedigree that the Northeast has not seen in the 20 years since AMA Pro Racing last visited the speedway.
Although this opening weekend was attended by primarily the series regulars, it was apparent that many riders had made significant extra efforts to prepare top-shelf equipment for the big event in June.
In a good sign for the series and our sport, the new rider classes that open NEMRR events every Saturday were well-attended and full of new faces. Starting with the Super Street Classes, which were introduced several years ago as a half step into racing, riders on track day-prepared machines run a combined “heat race” to get a feel for what it’s like to start a session with a green flag. These mostly-for-fun classes are broken into Unlimited and Lightweight displacement divisions, with the overall win coming from Randy Morrissette on his Ducati Panigale.
The Rookie Race, which starts each race weekend for the NEMRR Novice racers and serves as a “final exam” for those seeking a license, had the largest turnout in recent memory and was won by Nino Jordan.
NEMRR is one of the only clubs in the nation that runs a novice racer class, which creates a idea atmosphere for new riders as it completely separates this group form experienced racers as they learn our sport.
The feature race of NEMRR weekend is the Michelin/MotoRace dash for cash, a Middleweight Grand Prix contest that will form the basis for the 100th running of the Loudon Classic. Conspicuously absent was 2022 champion Scott Greenwood, who dominated the class in 2022 but was forced to sit on the sidelines due to a lingering shoulder injury sustained playing hockey this winter.
Greenwood’s absence left the field wide open, and at the start of the race, Eli Block, who was the closest challenger to Greenwood in 2022, led the way on his freshly upgraded Yamaha R6. Starting from the back row, meanwhile, was the talented Tyler Sweeney on a Yamaha R6 that was the equal of Block’s machine.
Sweeney has not been a full-time participant in the NEMRR series for several years but has made an appearance at most of the Loudon Classic events and has always been a podium contender.
The dropping temperatures led NEMRR officials to shorten the normal 12-lap event to 8 laps, and Sweeney got right to work and moved into second place by lap three. From there, the gap between the two front runners closed at a rate of just over a second per lap with Sweeney taking the lead on lap six. This move lit a fire under Block, who dropped nearly a second a lap and made a strong effort to close the gap to the leader. As the two leaders rocketed out of the final corner, Block’s R6 was visibly spinning and sliding. His effort came up half a bikelength short as Sweeney held on for the win.
Sunday’s races were held under less favorable conditions as constant rain and temperatures in the low 40’s dominated the day. Of the riders who braved the conditions, the pair of Paul Duval and Tom Hynes led the way with each rider securing two wins. Both riders were Yamaha R6 -mounted and took turns churning out the fastest lap times of the day and trading wins on the racetrack. In the end, Duval secured the fastest lap and took the final head-to-head victory in the K-Tech Suspension Middleweight Supersport Class.
Round Two of the NEMRR Series with be held May 13-14 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will give fans a preview of the Loudon Classic as several of the top professionals attending the big race will be using round two as an opportunity to test. Enthusiasts looking for tickets to the historic 100th running of the Loudon Classic June 16-18 can find a link directly on the www.nemrr.com home page!
Cameron Beaubier (6) and Jake Gagne (1), as seen during a MotoAmerica Superbike race at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cameron wins on MotoAmerica return, Corey and PJ bag solid points as 2023 begins
Tytlers Cycle Racing leave the opening round of the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as joint leaders of the series after Cameron Beaubier, who returns to the series after a couple of seasons on the world stage, romped to the win in Saturday’s first race before narrowly missing the double win on Sunday where he crossed the line second.
The team’s trio of riders Beaubier, PJ Jacobsen and reigning MotoAmerica Stock 1000 champion Corey Alexander were in fine form at Road Atlanta – all three showing a strong pace and potential throughout the weekend.
With all three inside the top ten in qualifying (Cameron second, PJ fifth and Corey ninth) the stage was set for a great opening round.
When the lights went out at the start of the opening encounter all eyes were on Cameron Beaubier as the former multiple MotoAmerica champion slowly but surely reduced the gap to early leader (and defending champion Jake Gagne). Hitting the front, the final stages were intense but as the checkered flag was waved it was the #6 who took the win to give the team the championship lead and BMW its first victory in the US national Superbike series for forty-five years.
Corey Alexander finished a credible eighth whilst unfortunately PJ Jacobsen crashed out, thankfully unhurt.
Sunday’s race was another barnstormer with Cameron once again in the battle for victory. Taking his turn to lead he would eventually be denied the win. He crossed the line second, adding another twenty points to his championship tally. He heads to the next round at Barber Motorsports Park as the joint championship leader.
PJ Jacobsen raced to his first points of his 2023 campaign with a solid ride to sixth. He finished just over a second ahead of teammate Corey Alexander who finished seventh.
Cameron Beaubier (right) with Crew Chief/Team Manager Dave Weaver (left) on top of the podium at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cameron Beaubier: “Saturday was a great day. I am super happy to start the year off a win but to be honest I wasn’t expecting it after the time gap Jake (Gagne) had on us in qualifying. Race two was a wild one with good battles all race long. I am glad we got out of there safe on the last lap. I want to say a massive thank you to the Tytlers team for this first weekend back. We know what we need to work on, and I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Corey Alexander (23). Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Corey Alexander: “It was a great first race and I was able to run inside the top eight for most of it. We knew after the race that there were a few set up issues that we could work on and improve, and I was confident of improving on Sunday. I am happy with the progress we made in Sunday’s race. Our average pace was much faster than Saturday and our set up took a step in the right direction. Overall, it was a successful first weekend on the superbike and I’m excited to continue the forward momentum into Barber. Thanks to my guys for all the hard work and congrats to Cam for the unbelievable weekend. It further proves the capability of the BMW.”
PJ Jacobsen: “Race one was a complete disaster. It was a shame to crash but we worked as a team to understand what happened and I was determined to come back stronger on Sunday. We bagged some solid points on Sunday but in all honesty, I want to put the weekend behind me and move on to the next one. It was a tough one for me and I am hoping to be a lot closer to the front at Barber. Obviously, it was great for us a team with Cam getting the win, so congrats to him and I hope to be in the fight at the next one.”
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering:
Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia riders Landers, Rodio score win, pair of second-place finishes at Road Atlanta
Rodio increases MotoAmerica Twins Cup points lead at April 21-23 round
BRASELTON, Ga. — Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering riders Rocco Landers and Gus Rodio each found success in different ways at this past weekend’s MotoAmerica round at Road Atlanta. Rodio’s pair of second place finishes allowed him pad his lead in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup points standings, while fill-in rider Landers found immediate success in his first weekend racing an Aprilia RS 660 by scoring a pole position and dominating victory.
Rodio came into the April 21-23 Road Atlanta round with a win and runner-up finish at Daytona under his belt, while Landers made his debut with the team in place of Ben Gloddy – who is still recovering from an injury he suffered at Daytona. The duo of Landers and Rodio ended up claiming three of the possible six podium finishes in the two Twins Cup contests at Road Atlanta, though Landers’ motorcycle suffered a mechanical problem during Saturday’s Race 1. The 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup and two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup champion Landers also lowered the race lap record for the Twins Cup at Road Atlanta during Race 2 by about 0.8 seconds.
The team kicked off the weekend’s on-track action at the top of the time sheets, as Landers paced the field in Friday morning practice. In his first session on an Aprilia RS 660, Landers posted a best time of 1:33.937 — more than half a second faster than the next fastest rider. Rodio also showed good pace in practice as he finished third fastest. Later Friday, Landers was again the class of the field and lowered his best lap time for the day by about two seconds. Rodio finished Qualifying 1 in fourth.
The Twins Cup’s second and final qualifying session took place Saturday morning, but the conditions did not allow riders to improve their best lap times. Landers was again at the top of the time sheets in Qualifying 2, and Landers and Rodio ended up securing first and fourth place on the starting grid, respectively.
When Saturday’s Twins Cup Race 1 got started after a short red flag period, Rodio got a good start and had moved up to second place by the first corner. Landers didn’t get off the line as well but was running in fourth at Turn 1 and quickly moved up to third at Turn 3. Rodio, Landers and another rider then began pulling away at the front. The three riders jostled for position for several laps before Landers was forced to retire from the race at the end of Lap 3 due to a technical problem. Rodio and the other frontrunning rider took turns in the lead, and Rodio made a valiant effort to overtake the race leader on the last lap but wisely settled for a runner-up finish.
Landers’ fortunes turned around for Sunday’s race and he ended the weekend with a show of utter dominance. Landers got a very good start and led the race start to finish to claim a victory. His lead over Rodio and two other riders vying for second place grew to more than seven seconds with four laps to go, though he backed off his pace a little in the closing laps to win by a margin of more than four seconds. Rodio was at the point for the battle for second place for most of the race, as he finished nine of the race’s 12 laps running in second. In the closing laps, Rodio gradually pulled away from the third-place rider to clinch his second runner-up finish of the weekend by 0.831 seconds.
The results marked the second time in four races that a Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 rider was on the top step of the podium, and Rodio’s third and fourth runner-up finishes of the season allowed him to extend his lead in the points standings. Rodio’s 85 points are 26 more than the next closest competitor in the standings. Though Landers has taken part in just two races and only finished one of them, the 25 points he earned for his victory moved him up to eighth place in the Twins Cup standings.
The Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering team will be back in action in three weeks time at the next MotoAmerica round, which takes place at Barber Motorsports Park on May 19-21.
Rocco Landers (97). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering.
Rocco Landers / No. 97
“My first time on the Aprilia RS 660 was amazing. It handled very similar to a 600cc bike, in that it gave me a ton of feel on the front tire. I really like riding it. It’s really easy to adapt to, which is a blessing when you get on a new bike. Once I got on it, I knew I was going to gel with it immediately. Saturday’s race was a bit of a bummer, but a day like today always makes you feel better about a day like yesterday. I’m very, very happy to be able to ride the Aprilia to a win today, and I’m excited about the rest of the season.”
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering.
Gus Rodio / No. 96
“Overall, it was a pretty good weekend here at Road Atlanta. I’m super happy to get a double podium and extend my points lead to 26 points. I feel really good and learned a lot this weekend from riding with Rocco and other riders. I’m excited to take what we learned here to Barber and have a good weekend there.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2023 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.
Rodio Racing’s technical partners for 2023 include NJ MiniGP, Luxestar VIP, MAR Contractors, Evolve GT, N2 Racing, Dunlop, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral, The Martinn and MVR Endeavor.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Altus Motorsports faces difficulties at Road Atlanta
(Atlanta, GA) Altus Motorsports WPS Fly Racing Team entered the 2023 season with ambitious plans and high hopes. The team has talented riders and competitive equipment across four different classes: Stock 1000, Supersport, Twins Cup, and the Junior Cup. However, Road Atlanta proved to be a challenging weekend due to a mechanical issue that caused failures across most of the motorcycles on Saturday.
“We are still investigating the source of the problem that sidelined three of our four bikes on Saturday,” said George Nassaney, team owner. “I feel bad for the team and the riders. We continued to do things exactly as we have done for years, so to have issues manifest like this is demoralizing. We made some changes on Saturday evening and did not have the same issues on Sunday. We are working to get to the root of the problem to ensure it does not happen again.”
Superbike & Stock 1000:
As Brandon Paasch was out with an injury, Anthony Norton stepped in to ride the Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000. Norton arrived in Georgia with zero experience at Road Atlanta. A mechanical issue caused Norton to miss the first practice, which meant his first laps were during the Stock1000 qualifying session on Friday. Despite these challenges, Norton managed to post some impressive times and finished the first qualifying session in 25th place out of thirty-five competitors. Not bad considering he was on a track he had never seen and a bike he had never ridden. Norton started Race 1 from 25th and, after a great launch, was in 21st after the first lap. Through the race, he fought his way up to 17th and crossed the finish line in 16th – dropping four seconds off his qualifying time. Another amazing start in Race 2 put Norton up to 18th on the first lap. After a race-long battle, Anthony took the checkered flag in 17th.
Anthony Norton (83). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Supersport:
Last season Jaret Nassaney really gelled with the new GSX-R750. Now, with a year of experience on that bike and building on some of the best riding of his career, Jaret is expecting great things in 2023. Based on his results on Friday at Road Atlanta, things were looking good for the weekend. Nassaney was Top 10 in both sessions and ended up qualifying 8th. Unfortunately, a mechanical issue knocked him out of Race 1. The second Supersport race was a different story. Jaret got a good start and ran most of the laps in 6th place. On the last lap, he lost that position to cross the finish line in 7th.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney: “We had some unfortunate luck on Saturday that knocked us out of the race but I’m happy with the amazing start I got! We had great pace all week and I’m really happy with how I’m jiving with the bike! Race 2 I got another great start and slotted myself into 5th but unfortunately made a couple mistakes and settled into 6th for the whole race until the last lap when I got passed into turn 10a and didn’t have any opportunity to attack back. All and all I’m happy with our pace. Barber is one of my favorite tracks so I’m ready to get back out there and try to battle a solid result!”
Twins Cup:
Joseph LiMandri Jr. qualified in P7 on the Altus Motorsports Yamaha YZF-R7 and looked good in the first race on Saturday. By lap 3 he had slotted into a solid 5th place. Unfortunately, that came to an untimely end a few laps later when a mechanical issue sent him back to the pits. In the Sunday race, LiMandri had an amazing start and completed the first lap in 4th. He ended up crossing the finish in 5th place.
Joseph LiMandri (62). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Junior Cup:
There is no doubt that Alessandro Di Mario has the talent to win races. At Road Atlanta, the 2022 North American Talent Cup Champion put the Altus Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 400 on the pole for his first race weekend in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup class. The first race ended unceremoniously when Di Mario was forced to retire with a mechanical issue. In the second Junior Cup race of the weekend, Alessandro went with the top group and led the race on more than one occasion. On the final lap, he lost the front while attempting a pass to take second place, knocking him out of the race. While he leaves the first round with no championship points, there is no doubt he will be a contender.
Alessandro Di Mario (70). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“What a crazy and stressful weekend, but our team came through like Champions” said George Nassaney Team Owner. This was our teams first race weekend after the sudden passing of our friend and Crew Chief Eric Gray. I was expecting some growing pains, but not 3 DNF’s. I can absolutely say it was not our mechanics fault. Our Crew Chiefs Mike Castro and Mike Pond along with our mechanics put their head’s together and figured out the issue. We fixed the issue and Sunday showed our riders talents with their results. We are going to come into Barber recharged and ready to battle”
Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, FLY Racing WPS, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Company, Barnett, Maxima Racing Oils, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, SBS Brakes, BrakeTech USA, Inc., Ohlins, K-Tech, RS Taichi, Arai, Yoshimura, Chicken Hawk Tire Warmers, CarbonSmith, Law Tigers Oklahoma, and Altus Factory Racing
More, from a press release issued by Hayden Bicknese Racing:
Hayden converts front row to double P3 as 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup starts at Road Atlanta – heads to Alabama third overall
Hayden Bicknese on the MotoAmerica Junior Cup podium at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Hayden Bicknese Racing.
Hayden Bicknese kickstarted his MotoAmerica Junior Cup campaign in the best possible way – bagging a double podium in the season opener at Road Atlanta last weekend.
Fast from the off, the #69 Kawasaki rider ran at the front from the very first session, backing up his Free Practice pace with a strong showing in qualifying to secure a place on the front row of the grid for both races.
Saturday’s opening race was red flagged and restarted with Hayden losing a comfortable advantage that he had built. Nevertheless, he remained in contention when the second part of the opening encounter got underway. An on-track moment, that saw him take to the grass, created a gap between him and the leaders but he was still classified third at the flag after an incredible fight back in the latter stages.
With no major set up changes to his Bicknese Racing machine for warm up on Sunday morning, Hayden was once again in contention for glory when Race 2 got underway. But, as in most Junior Cup races the constant exchanging of positions enabled Bicknese to remain in the mix for the win throughout, his cool head and smart thinking allowed him to make his move on the final lap to secure his second podium of the weekend.
His double third place means he sits third overall in the standings as the series heads to Alabama and Barber Motorsports Park in a few weeks.
Hayden Bicknese: “FP1 started well, and I posted a time that was very competitive. I was surprised how fast I was at the compared to last year, almost four seconds in the first session. The bike was already set up well, but we made a small change for Q1. The change to the external pre-load helped on the brakes, but it was still not really proven with the track being a little greasy, but I was still able to improve my times. I was classified P2 and could have been P1 if I hadn’t made a mistake and hadn’t been held up by another rider on the last corner. We didn’t make any changes after first qualifying, and we skipped Q2 because of a storm the night before and we knew that the race would be dry. Race 1 started very well. I was able to set the pace at the front and as the race progressed it was just me, Alessandro (Di Mario) and Avery (Dreher). We had a huge gap but then there was a red flag. In the restart I got another good launch and was running first and was starting to open a gap, but I had a little bit of a headshake on a curb and lost drive. I got swallowed up on the straight and pushed back to fourth place. I was comfortable sitting behind. My plan was to try to just pass one-by-one to get to the front, but I got pinched-off a bit up to the esses. I got bumped off the track and lost about three seconds to the group. I was able to catch up but because there was a red flag the race was super short, so I only had a lap or two to pass three people to get to the podium. Race 2 started pretty well, and I was running third until I hit a false neutral on the first lap. I was able to remain in the fight at the front but it was so crazy so I decided to be smart and take a little less risk because I knew eventually that the riders ahead would slow each other up and I could take advantage. To take another podium is super good and a really great way to start the 2023 season. Having the data from previous years really helped us and I am confident that we can run at the front in Barber. I want to thank all of my sponsors and the team for all their hard work. See you all in Alabama!”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad North America:
BMW Motorrad Motorsports Customer Racing Teams and the BMW M 1000 RR capture six podium finishes during MotoAmerica’s Race Weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – April 25, 2023…This past weekend’s MotoAmerica races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta saw BMW Motorrad Motorsport M 1000 RR customer racing teams clinch two wins and six total podium finishes around the 2.55 mile track in the Superbike and Stock 1000 classes. Six BMW riders were entered in the Superbike class and nine riders competed in the Stock 1000 class.
Medallia Superbike
In the Superbike class, five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, Cameron Beaubier, on the No. 6 Tytlers Cycle Racing M 1000 RR, claimed the checkered flag in Race 1, by less than half a second, marking the 55th AMA Superbike win of his career. This win also delivered BMW’s first AMA Superbike win in 45 years, when Harry Klinzman and the R 90 S won in New Hampshire in 1978. Rounding out the top BMW finishers in Race 1 were Corey Alexander / Tytlers Cycle Racing (8th place) and Nolan Lamkin / Tom Wood Powersports (12th place).
Cameron Beaubier (6) won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race One at Road Atlanta on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy BMW Motorrad North America.
In Race 2 of the Superbike class, Cameron Beaubier was denied a victory but finished in 2nd place, making it two podium finishes in a row for Tytlers Cycle Racing. PJ Jacobsen / Tytlers Cycle Racing (6th), Corey Alexander / Tytlers Cycle Racing (7th), Ashton Yates / Aftercare Scheibe Racing (9th) and Nolan Lamkin / Tom Wood Powersports (15th) rounded out the BMW finishers.
PJ Jacobsen (99) and Corey Alexander (23) at speed on their Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW Superbikes at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy BMW Motorrad North America.
After the first two races of the season, Cameron Beaubier is in 2nd place in points in the Superbike class with Corey Alexander behind him in 6th position.
Stock 1000
BMW M 1000 RR riders took two wins and four total podium finishes in the two Stock 1000 races of the weekend.
In Race 1, Ezra Beaubier, riding for Orange Cat Racing, took the win and was followed closely in 2nd by Travis Wyman of Travis Wyman Racing. Ezra’s Orange Cat teammate, Kaleb De Keyrel crossed the finish line in 4th. Taylor Knapp / Taylor Knapp Racing (5th), Nolan Lamkin / Tom Wood Racing (6th), Jason Waters / Edge Racing (8th), Alex Arango / Top Pro Motorsports (9th) and Michael Henao / Hey Now Racing/On Any Moto (15th) were the BMW finishers in the first race.
Ezra Beaubier (16) won both MotoAmerica Stock 1000 races on his new Orange Cat Racing BMW. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy BMW Motorrad North America.
Race 2 saw Ezra Beaubier capture his 2nd win of the weekend and Taylor Knapp / Taylor Knapp Racing joined him on the podium after finishing in 3rd place. BMW Motorrad Motorsport customer racing teams rounding out the field in Race 2 were Travis Wyman / Travis Wyman Racing (4th), Kaleb De Keyrel / Orange Cat Racing (5th), Nolan Lamkin / Tom wood Powersports (7th), Jason Waters / Edge Racing (9th) and Michael Henao / Hey Now Racing/On Any Moto (12th).
In the Stock 1000 points standings, Ezra Beaubier leads the class in 1st place with Travis Wyman in 3rd, Taylor Knapp in 4th, Kaleb De Kreyel in 5th and Nolan Lamkin in 5th.
The next event on the MotoAmerica schedule is Barber Motorsport Park, May 19-21.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles as well as the BMW XM. The 349 BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 350 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers,146 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
www.bmwgroup.com and www.bmwmotorcycles.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMWMotorradUSA
Twitter: www.facebook.com/BMWMotorradUSA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@bmwmotorrad
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Travis Wyman kicks off MotoAmerica Stock 1000 season with podium finish Saturday at Road Atlanta
BMW rider wraps up season-opening round third in Stock 1000 points standings
Travis Wyman on the MotoAmerica podium after scoring a second place finish in Saturday’s Stock 1000 race at Road Atlanta. Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson.
BRASELTON, Ga. — Travis Wyman got his sixth season racing in MotoAmerica’s Stock 1000 Class off to a positive start Saturday when he scored a podium finish in the first Stock 1000 race of the year. Wyman followed up his runner-up performance with a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s Race 2 and ended the April 21-23 event third in the Stock 1000 points standings.
Road Atlanta is one of Wyman’s favorite tracks. He recorded a commanding win in the first-ever MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race at the track in 2018 and has scored additional victories in Stock 1000 and Superstock 600 at the Braselton, Ga., track. Wyman’s on-track results were hampered some before the round even began, as he spent long days with his team at their Austin, Texas, base of operations repairing his BMW M 1000 RR’s electrical system after technical problems greatly reduced his test and development plan in the weeks leading up to the Road Atlanta round.
Wyman had good pace from the first practice session of the weekend, as he finished Friday morning practice in fifth place. He also finished the Friday afternoon Qualifying 1 session in fifth, but could have been even faster had more electrical issues not cut his on-track time during that session short. Qualifying 2 took place Saturday morning, but the wet conditions did not allow Wyman to improve on his best time from Qualifying 1. He therefore had to settle for fifth place on the starting grid for both of the round’s Stock 1000 races.
In Saturday’s Race 1, Wyman got a good start and was up to fourth place as the field entered Turn 1. Wyman made several attempts to move up the order during the first few laps but wisely took no unnecessary risks and maintained his fourth place until later in the race. On Lap 6 of the 13-lap race, Wyman began moving up the running order. He used the draft to move up to third place and battled with two other riders for the remainder of the race — eventually finishing in second place.
Sunday’s Race 2 wasn’t as sweet for Wyman. He got another good jump off the line and was again in the battle for the lead of the race. Wyman ran in fifth place for most of the race, despite several strategic attempts to move up the running order over the course of the 13-lap contest. A late-race mistake by one of the frontrunners allowed Wyman to clinch a fourth-place finish while missing out on his second podium finish of the weekend by a mere 0.285 seconds.
With a second- and fourth-place finish to his credit, Wyman concluded the first of five MotoAmerica Stock 1000 rounds third in the class standings — just three points behind the second-place rider.
The next Stock 1000 round is slated to take place in three weeks time — May 19-21 — at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.
Travis Wyman / No. 10
“My team and I started the season with some big challenges when our testing time at Barber got cut short earlier this month. I can’t thank my team and sponsors enough for giving me what I needed to race this weekend. I felt really good on the bike in first practice, but the electrical issues reappeared in Qualifying 1 and cost us a bit of track time in the only dry qualifying session we ended up having. I used Qualifying 2 to make sure the bike was running right again, and overall was happy with my result in Race 1. Things were a bit different in Race 2, as the warmer track conditions had me struggling a bit for rear grip throughout that race. It was still a positive start to the season, and I’m looking forward to having some more time to work on our BMW M 1000 RR before the next round at Barber.”
More, from a press release issued by Kreece Elliott Racing:
Double points finish as Kreece shows top six potential at Road Atlanta
A top ten finish on Saturday to score his first points of the 2023 MotoAmerica Junior Cup season, followed by a top six fight on Sunday, Colorado teen Kreece Elliott had a satisfying start to his first full season of racing in the series.
Single race appearances last year, in which Kreece showed pace and potential, opened the door for a full campaign this year with the #47 improving steadily throughout the weekend, achieving a double point haul in the opening round of the championship at Road Atlanta.
Qualifying eleventh, Elliott rode hard in Saturday’s first race which was stopped and restarted after an on-track incident. He finished tenth. Sunday saw the race run the full distance with Kreece locked in a race long multi rider battle that saw him cross the line eleventh, a mere second from P6.
The results mean he leaves Atlanta joint tenth in the overall standings ahead of round two in Alabama in a few weeks’ time.
Kreece Elliott: “After starting P11 race one went well. I got a good start and went up to like seventh or eighth. The race was a battle with like eight other riders. I had a really fun time and learned a lot. Towards the end of the race, I got shuffled back in the draft and wasn’t able to make a smart move in the last lap and I didn’t want to risk a crash. I finished tenth which is a good way to start the season. I also made a decent start in race two but am pretty sure I stayed in the position where I started. It was hectic in the first corner, and I was in a battle for sixth for the whole race. It was super gnarly but I think we had a little issue because we couldn’t overtake on the back straight, even in the draft. I was hitting high top speeds but couldn’t get past the guys around me. I managed to work my way to the middle of the group and was very close to the top six. I wanted more on Sunday, but we scored solid points, and I am excited for Barber. I want to thank everyone that is helping and supporting me, especially mum and dad.”
Hank Vossberg (31). Photo by Raul Jerez - Highside Photo.
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 27th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 12 MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (12 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more — and younger — racers with higher levels of accomplishments are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2023 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Hank Vossberg and two of his racebikes. Photo by William Vossberg.
Hank Vossberg
Age: 12.
Current home: De Pere, Wisconsin.
Current height/weight: 5’2”/105 pounds.
Current school grade level: 7th grade.
Began riding at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2017, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Midwest Karting Assoc., Kids Mini Supermoto, 1st.
Current racebikes: Yamaha YZF-R3, Kramer 690, Kawasaki KX450.
Current tuners/mechanics: Redeye Performance, William Vossberg (father).
Primary race series: CCS, N2/WERA, Road America Supermoto Club.
Top sponsors: Liqui Moly, Spears Racing, Pirelli, Adrenaline Engineering, Redeye Performance, Schmotter Motion Racing, Vortex, Forma Boots, LS2 Helmets, BVA Trucking, Mark and Pam Madigan.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championships (D Superbike Expert, F Superstock Expert), 10 race wins with WERA, co-rode to N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight class victory, won CCS 300 GP Expert Midwest Regional Championship, won ASRA Moto3 National race, won Road America Supermoto Mini Championship; 2021 season, won 2 WERA Sportsman National Championship (D Superstock Novice, F Superstock Novice), won 4 WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships, won 18 WERA races.
2023 racing goals: win N2/WERA National Endurance Ultra-Lightweight Championship, win Road America 450 Supermoto Championship.
Racing career goal: Finish in the top five of a MotoAmerica race.
Racing hero: Josh Hayes.
Favorite track: Barber Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Playing other sports.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Building stuff in my shop.
Some of the riders who have graduated from Roadracing World Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and AFT SuperTwins race winner J.D. Beach;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and two-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport front-runner Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and current Moto2 World Championship competitor Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and current powersports dealership owner Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
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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
