World Endurance: 2023 Season Kicks Off April 15-16 With 24 Hours Of Le Mans

David Swarts

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April 10, 2023

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World Endurance: 2023 Season Kicks Off April 15-16 With 24 Hours Of Le Mans

Event preview: EWC 2023 all set for lift-off at Le Mans

April 10 2023

*It’s 24 Heures Motos time as famous race opens FIM Endurance World Championship

*12 former EWC champions and 12 former winners of 24 Heures Motos in action

*Interest strong in Formula EWC and Superstock with 37 permanent teams due to race

*Extensive live global broadcasting with non-stop coverage on Eurosport Player

The waiting is over in the all-action FIM Endurance World Championship. From 13-16 April, the Circuit Bugatti at Le Mans in France will host the 46th 24 Heures Motos as the latest chapter in the ultimate test of rider and machine begins.

A sky-high 38 permanent EWC teams have registered for the 2023 season, which marks a 22 per cent increase compared to 2022. Of the 54-bike line-up assembling at Le Mans, a total of 37 permanent EWC teams will be in action split between the Formula EWC and Dunlop-equipped Superstock categories.

With 12 EWC world champions and 12 winners of the 24 Heures Motos taking part, there will be no shortage of talent taking to the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti during four days of intense track activity, which begins with Free Practice followed by First Qualifying on Thursday 13 April ahead of the race beginning at 15h00 CET on Saturday after Second Qualifying on Friday.

Multiple rider changes, teams switching bike manufacturers, plus new teams and riders entering the EWC for the first time – many of whom have MotoGP or World Superbike experience – has created an exciting unknown prior to the 2023 season getting underway.

The 24 Heures Motos is the first of four ultra-challenging day and night races featuring on the 2023 EWC calendar. Following the Le Mans season opener, the 24H SPA EWC Motos takes place in Belgium from 16-18 June, with the 43rd Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race in Japan up next from 4-6 August. The 24-hour Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard in France completes the 2023 EWC season from 14-17 September.

Mike Di Meglio, part of the F.C.C. TSR Honda France line-up that won the FIM Endurance World Championship in 2022, said: “In Le Mans if you need to find the way to ride with not too much pushing but with good riding. The most difficult thing in the night for me is because I sleep between my stints so when my manager is trying to wake me up this is the worst part of the night. But when I get on the bike I enjoy because the bike in the night is very fast, there is more power, the tyre is more stiff so you have more grip, you just need to adapt with the visibility. But Le Mans is a very good track and you can see very well. It’s not so difficult.”

Sylvain Guintoli, who is vying to help Yoshimura SERT Motul win the 24 Heures Motos for a third year running, said: “There’s no pressure on us to win three seasons in a row but we’ve been thinking and talking about it because it would be pretty cool to do that and not many people have. Cold temperatures is something you always have to expect at Le Mans and you’ve got to make the bike work and be efficient with the cold temperatures as well because it changes quite a lot, especially for the tyres.”

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team rider Niccolò Canepa, said: “The only thing we need is to have more luck because we have all what we need to perform well and to be successful. We have a great team, great bike, great tyres, great team-mates so we are ready to fight, we just need luck. Myself I have trained a lot, I feel fit, I feel ready. In the last couple of years, it has been more difficult because before I get an injury during a winter test. Last year in January the screws and plates that I had in my ankle were taken out so that meant surgery again. It means this year is actually the first time in three years that I have been able to prepare the way I want for the season so I feel good and full of energy to start the season.”

STEINMAYR READY TO FIGHT HARD TO DEFEND SUPERSTOCK CROWN

Philipp Steinmayr won’t be able to back off as he bids to win the FIM Endurance World Cup for Superstock teams for the second season running. The Yamaha-powered Austrian, who partners new recruits Enzo De La Vega and Axel Maurin at Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore, is expecting plenty of tough competition in 2023: “Superstock is very competitive to be honest. Already last year you could see it was very close racing and also with the gaps in lap time. Having Dunlop as a mono-brand tyre supplier is a very good concept to make it as similar or as fair as possible for everyone. I expect this year it will even stronger because the championship is gaining momentum with more and more people and more and more riders entering. I can see from my colleagues in the IDM series that there are more and more riders coming to EWC and I expect it to be a really interesting season.” While Steinmayr is aiming for more Superstock category success, his 2022 team-mates Hugo Clere and Baptiste Guittet are graduating to Formula EWC with TATI Team Beringer Racing.

HANIKA ON A HIGH WITH SUB-LAP RECORD RUN AT EWC 24 HEURES MOTOS TEST

Karel Hanika will head to the 24 Heures Motos as the rider to beat after he completed an astonishing sub-lap record run for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team during the final day of the Pre-Test for round one of the 2023 FIM EWC season (29 March). The Czech star, riding a Bridgestone-shod Yamaha YZF-R1 and backed up by team-mates Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Robin Mulhauser, clocked a best effort of 1m34.759s around the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti, which eclipsed his record-breaking qualifying run of 1m34.878s set during last April’s 45th 24 Heures Motos.

RECOVERING HERO REA READY FOR PARADE LAP

Gino Rea, who was seriously injured in a practice crash ahead of the Suzuka Hours last June, will complete a Parade Lap shortly before the start of the 24 Heures Motos on Saturday. “It’s going to very exciting but very emotional because I want to be at Le Mans racing, that’s a given,” said Rea, who is recovering from serious head injuries. “I’ve seen people doing these Parade Laps before after they’ve come back from similar things. I’ve always looked up to them doing it and now it’s me doing it. I feel very appreciative that they’ve allowed me to do it. It’s going to be emotional for me because I can’t believe I’m going to be there and they’ve given me a Parade Lap. But the amount of people that know I’ve had this accident is quite mind-blowing really, I’ve had messages from famous motorcycle racers.”

ENTRY LIST:

More information is available at this link:
https://www.fimewc.com/event/24-heures-motos-2023/

PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE:

Key FIM EWC timings are as follows:

Thursday 13 April:

10h00-12h00: Free Practice

16h00-16h20: First Qualifying (Blue Rider)

16h30-16h50: First Qualifying (Yellow Rider)

17h00-17h20: First Qualifying (Red Rider)

17h30-17h50: First Qualifying (Green Rider)

20h30-22h00: Night Practice

Friday 14 April:

10h20-10h40: Second Qualifying (Blue Rider)

10h50-11h10: Second Qualifying (Yellow Rider)

11h20-11h40: Second Qualifying (Red Rider)

11h50-12h10: Second Qualifying (Green Rider)

12h45: Post-Qualifying press conference, Briefing Room 305

Saturday 15 April:

09h30-10h15: Warm-up

15h00: Start of 46th 24 Heures Motos

Sunday 16 April:

15h00: Finish of 46th 24 Heures Motos

15h10: Podium

15h30: Post-race press conference, Briefing Room 305

LIVE TIMING: https://www.its-live.net/#/live/ewc/2023/24hmans

24 HEURES MOTOS IN 100 WORDS:

Following two years without spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans were back in their thousands for the 45th edition in April 2022. And they witnessed a thriller with Suzuki-powered Gregg Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Xavier Siméon combining in style for Le Mans-based Yoshimura SERT Motul. Rather than the 13.626-kilometre Circuit de La Sarthe, the traditional EWC curtain-raiser takes place on the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti. It comes complete with the famous Le Mans start/finish straight, Dunlop Esses and Ford Chicane, while a twisty infield section ensures there’s little respite, nevertheless. Riders also face the prospect of competing during shorter daylight hours.

24 HEURES MOTOS FAST FACTS:

*The first 24 Heures Motos took place from 22-23 April 1978 with Jean-Claude Chemarin and Christian Léon riding a Honda to victory.

*It followed the Bol d’Or – the other French 24-hour classic bike race appearing on the EWC schedule – relocating to Circuit Paul Ricard after the 1977 event.

*However, event organiser, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, staged its first race for motorbikes in 1912, long before the Bugatti Circuit’s inauguration in September 1966.

*After starting at 14h00 local time in 2020 and 2021, the 2022 edition of the 24 Heures Motos was flagged-off at 15h00.

*As well as hosting the EWC, Circuit Bugatti is home to the MotoGP Grand Prix de France.

RECENT WINNERS:

2022: Yoshimura SERT Motul (Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon, Sylvain Guintoli) 840 laps

2021: Yoshimura SERT Motul (Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon, Sylvain Guintoli) 855 laps

2020: F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Josh Hook, Freddy Foray, Mike De Meglio) 816 laps

2019: Team SRC Kawasaki France (Jérémy Guarnoni, David Checa, Erwan Nigon) 839 laps

2018: F.C.C. TSR Honda France (Josh Hook, Freddy Foray, Alan Techer) 843 laps

EWC MEDIA SPORTITY APP CHANNEL REMINDER

A dedicated Sportity app channel is now available to media reporting on the FIM Endurance World Championship. It includes timetables, a calendar refresher, track details, entry lists, press release archive, results, standings, rider profiles, key contacts and other essential information to assist media reporting on the EWC onsite or remotely. Users are made aware of new information becoming available through push notifications and the app can be downloaded for free via the App Store or Google Play. Once the Sportity app has been downloaded, the EWC Media Sportity channel can be accessed using the following password: 2023FIMewc-media.

MotoGP: Oliveira Plans To Race At COTA

David Swarts

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April 10, 2023

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CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team prepares for Grand Prix of The Americas

The CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team is gearing up for the third round of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, set to take place at the Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The team is eagerly awaiting the event and hopes to have a full squad on hand to compete.

Miguel Oliveira, who suffered an unfortunate injury at his home round less than three weeks ago, is ready to come back to racing this week and is traveling to the United States full of expectations. However, he needs to pass a medical test on Thursday to be declared fit to race after damaging tendons in his right leg. Despite the setback, Oliveira has some good sensations regarding his recovery and aims to make a touch-and-go landing.

Raul Fernandez, who scored the first points of this season and managed to keep up with his fellow Factory Aprilia colleagues in Argentina last time out, is also eager to keep the momentum going. The young Spaniard is aware that the COTA isn’t an easy circuit for the MotoGP class, but he is determined to build on his performance and understanding of his Aprilia RS-GP from round two of 2023.

The American weekend starts this Friday with the first two Free Practice sessions at 10:45 local time (17:45 CET) and 15:00 local time (22:00 CET) for the premier class ahead of a busy Saturday with the new Sprint Race format, which riders and teams still need to get used to.

MIGUEL OLIVEIRA

“I’m obviously excited to start the trip to the US. It was a shame for me to have missed the Argentina GP, but I’m really looking forward to start again working with the team and discover the bike again on this track. It has not been an easy track for me in the past, so I hope that this year I can start turning things around and start the weekend strong. To score points in both the Sprint and the main Race would be really nice and of course important after not being able to do anything the last three opportunities basically. So, overall, I’m very excited.”

RAUL FERNANDEZ

“We had a difficult race Sunday in Argentina. All of us Aprilia riders together with our crews are working a lot to understand what was happening there. Anyway, I think COTA is a good track for me. I really want to enjoy riding and that is the main target, plus trying to understand why we were slower in the race in Argentina. Nevertheless, I think we did a step during the last weekend and in Texas, we aim to confirm this step.”

Razlan Razali, Founder and Team Principal CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team

“We are looking forward to the return of Miguel, which is of course still subject to the medical check on Thursday, but we are confident that he will be cleared to race during the weekend. So, we are back to nearly full strength for the Americas Grand Prix. The COTA is a demanding track with 20 corners and a traditional track that in the past hasn’t been too friendly to the Aprilia.”

“We will continue our work with Raul. He is getting to grips with the RS-GP, has a better understanding now and we hope that in Austin he can be even better. Overall, we look forward to the return of Miguel, continue the development with Raul and aim to score points.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Team Manager CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team

“After a rainy race in Argentina, we hope we come to a sunny Texas. As we are back together with two riders, we are looking forward to this third round. Missing Miguel in the second round, was very sad for the whole team, being reduced by half. Raul did his best in the rain though, we scored two points. But now we are looking forward to have both crews there and both riders, so we are able to fight together to get good results.”

“Austin is quite a special race track, I’d say. It’s difficult to judge what we can expect there, as both riders have never ridden the circuit with the Aprilia, so we are pretty blind going into that weekend. Also, when we arrive in Austin, it’s always a bit unsure what they have done with the track, as it’s usually quite bumpy. So, let’s see how things look when we arrive in in America. First of all, we hope that Miguel gets declared fit and that the weather is nice and dry throughout the whole weekend. Of course, it’s a long trip again, but we hope everybody is arriving safe and sound in sunny Texas.”

Roadracing World Young Guns 2023: Alexander Enriquez

David Swarts

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April 10, 2023

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Roadracing World Young Guns 2023: Alexander Enriquez

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.

The entire Roadracing World Young Guns, Class of 2023 is featured in the April 2023 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.

Alexander Enriquez

Age: 15.

Current home: Daly City, California.

Current height/weight: 5’4”/105 pounds.

Current school grade level: 9th grade.

Began riding at age: 4 years.

First road race: 2012, Atwater, California, Mini Moto USA, MiniMoto Beginner, 3rd place.

Current racebikes: Honda, NSF250R, Kawasaki, Ninja 400, Aprilia RS250 SP2, Ohvale GP-0 160cc and 190cc.

Current tuners/mechanics: NorCal Cycles, Edmund Enriquez (father), Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Primary race series: Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Top sponsors: Red Bull, KTM, Alpinestars, Ipone, HJC, Dunlop, KYT Helmets, California Mini Grand Prix, Dainese, Cycle Gear, Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning, Galfer USA, NorCal Cycles, Woodcraft Technologies, Motion Pro, Global Racing Oils.

Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, selected to join 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, placed 3^rd in North America Talent Cup Championship (2 wins, 5 total podiums), placed 23^rd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (2 top-10 finishes in 4 starts), placed 3^rd in AFM Formula III Championship; 2021 Season, won MotoAmerica Mini Cup 190 Race Two at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, won AFM Formula III Championship, placed 2nd in AFM Formula Singles, finished 2^nd in WERA West Clubman Expert Championship, took 3rd in WERA West D Superbike Expert Championship, won GP1 and GP2 Supermoto USA Asphalt Mini Championships.

2023 racing goals: Learn tracks, improve, keep my spot in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2024.

Racing career goal: Become a professional motorcycle racer.

Racing hero: Valentino Rossi

Favorite track: Laguna Seca.

Favorite hobby: Skateboarding.

If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Skating or playing basketball 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;

five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier;

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.

Razgatlioglu To Test Yamaha MotoGP Bike At Jerez

David Swarts

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April 9, 2023

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Razgatlioglu To Test Yamaha MotoGP Bike At Jerez

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu to Test Yamaha YZR-M1 at Jerez MotoGP Test

2021 Superbike World Champion, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, will have a new opportunity to test the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine during a planned development test at the Jerez circuit in Andalucía, Spain.

Razgatlıoğlu will join Yamaha’s MotoGP Test Rider, Cal Crutchlow, for two days of testing on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th April in Jerez.

It will be the Turkish star’s second test aboard the YZR-M1, after his first outing at Motorland Aragon in June last year was cut short by inclement weather.

The characteristics of the 4.428 km Jerez circuit are well suited to Razgatlıoğlu’s riding style and the test should provide an ideal opportunity for him to accrue plenty of track time and adapt himself to the YZR-M1.

Lin Jarvis – Managing Director Yamaha Motor Racing Srl

“Firstly, let me say it is our pleasure to be able to give Toprak another opportunity to ride the YZR-M1. I was unable to be present at his previous test but this time I will be in Jerez to follow the testing and I will depart straight from there to attend the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin next weekend. Toprak is an extraordinarily talented motorcycle racer, and I am very curious to see his speed on our Factory MotoGP machine. He will have the chance to ride alongside Cal who will be there for the ongoing development testing of our 2023 YZR-M1.”

Andrea Dosoli – Road Racing Manager Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

“I would like to thank both Yamaha Motor Company and Yamaha Motor Racing for giving Toprak the opportunity to test the YZR-M1 once again. As the reigning Superbike World Champion, Toprak’s test aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 last year was highly anticipated by many in both the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks. Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to fully familiarise with the YZR-M1 at the Aragon test due to the disruption caused by the weather. This time around at Jerez, a track at which Toprak has traditionally been very strong, it looks like we’re going to enjoy almost perfect testing conditions. Toprak’s focus at this test will, once again, be on getting a feel for the characteristics of the YZR-M1 and the Michelin tyres, whereas we are very interested to see how quickly a WorldSBK rider of his calibre can adapt to the unique demands of riding a MotoGP bike.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“I am looking forward to testing the YZR-M1 MotoGP bike at Jerez, a track I like a lot. The last test in Aragon was limited by the weather, but in Jerez it looks like we’ll have better conditions and more track time. It will give me the chance to understand better the demands of racing a Factory MotoGP bike. Thanks to Yamaha for giving me this opportunity.”

AMA Supercross: Race Report And Results From Glendale, Arizona

David Swarts

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April 9, 2023

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AMA Supercross: Race Report And Results From Glendale, Arizona

Eli Tomac Takes Glendale Supercross Win and Championship Points Lead

Jett Lawrence Wins His First 250SX Class Triple Crown Overall

Glendale, Ariz., (April 9, 2023) Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac took the win at Round 12 of the 2023 Monster Energy AMA Supercross season and with it broke clear of the championship points tie. Tomac is now the sole holder of the red plate. Tomac earned the victory with 1, 2, 1 race scores in the third Triple Crown-format event of the season.

Eli Tomac (1) took the win in Glendale and pulled seven points clear in the points lead with five races remaining in the Supercross season. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Team Honda HRC’s Chase Sexton earned second place points inside State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona with 4, 1, 3 race scores and with it earned the 2023 Triple Crown Championship – a secondary championship held within the Supercross season. Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia finished third at the event that pays points not only into the Triple Crown and the 17-round Supercross season, but also toward the inaugural 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. In Round 6 of the Western Regional 250SX Class, Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence earned his first Triple Crown win and extended his points lead in that regional series.

In race one of the 450SX Class Eli Tomac grabbed the Holeshot with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson, Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen, Team Honda HRC’s Colt Nichols, and Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb right behind. Webb moved up into second place before the first lap was completed. Roczen quickly took over third place but Justin Barcia was the rider on the move early in the race. Two and a half minutes into the 12-minute plus one lap race, Barcia took over third while Webb worked to close the 1.3 second gap to Tomac. After a bad start, Chase Sexton passed Anderson to take over fifth spot with just under seven minutes left on the race clock. The tension grew as Webb inched closer to Tomac on the high-speed Arizona track. Sexton pulled up to Roczen’s rear fender at the white flag then made the pass for fourth in final corner. The race ended with Tomac, Webb, and Barcia on the podium.

Chase Sexton jumped into the lead off the start of Race 2. He was followed by Tomac, Roczen, Anderson, Red Bull KTM’s Aaron Plessinger, Webb, and Barcia. Sexton looked to have the field covered but stalled the engine in the early laps. Tomac grabbed the lead position but only held it down one rhythm lane; Sexton blitzed back past in the whoops and began steadily inching away. With just under four minutes left Webb bumped past Anderson for fourth. Anderson charged back, took Webb high in the next bowl turn, and got back the spot. The move clipped Webb’s momentum and Barcia also got around Webb. Sexton was clear of the group but spots two through five tightened again on the final lap. Webb took fifth from Barcia. Then, late in the lap, Anderson made a big move in the whoops in an attempt to take third from Roczen, but Roczen battled back into the final corner and held the spot. Sexton got the race win ahead of Tomac, and Roczen. Going into the final race Tomac held three points, Sexton had five, Webb carried seven, Roczen sat with eight, Barcia had nine, and Anderson had ten.

Colt Nichols was the first racer across the Holeshot stripe in Race 3. Tomac blitzed into the lead on the first pass through the whoops with Barcia following along to secure second place. Sexton was ninth at the Holeshot stripe but moved up to fourth in the first minute of racing. In another lap Sexton reached third. As the race neared the halfway point Jason Anderson, running fourth, had a big crash in the whoops. Webb took over the spot with Roczen right behind. Barcia made a push for the lead but never got within true striking distance of Tomac. Sexton held steady in third. In the final laps Roczen applied heavy pressure on Webb for fourth and what would mean fourth place between the two riders in the overall. Tomac grabbed the race win and his 51st career 450SX Class win. Barcia took second in the race for a third place overall on the night. Sexton’s third in the race gave him the runner-up spot overall in Glendale. The finish also earned Sexton the 2023 three-race Triple Crown Championship. Webb held strong in fourth to earn that same position in the night’s overall.

The victory broke Tomac from his tie with James Stewart for most career Supercross overall wins. Tomac now solely holds the spot for second-most career wins with 51; he sits 21 behind Jeremy McGrath with 72. The overall results earned Tomac seven points over Webb in the 2023 title chase. And Tomac’s win delivered two more designations. Tomac extended his Triple Crown career-most win record with seven overall wins. He is also now the winningest rider in Phoenix-area Supercross races with a total of five, breaking the previous tie with both James Stewart and Ricky Carmichael.

Jett Lawrence captured a win that had eluded him: a 250SX Class Triple Crown overall victory. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Race 1 for the Western Regional 250SX Class started with two passes in the opening laps as Jett Lawrence and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Levi Kitchen traded the lead with Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire right behind. A red flag stopped the race for a full-reset. The racers lined up again and the race clock went back to its full 10-minutes. Kitchen grabbed the holeshot with Lawrence right behind and Hampshire in third. Lawrence waited nearly until the race’s midpoint before he made his move for the lead exiting the whoops. The lead change spurred Hampshire, who immediately attacked Kitchen. Hampshire took over the second place spot as the race clock ticked to five minutes remaining. Lawrence never let Hampshire shave off much of his 2.4 second lead and the top three held their positions to the checkered flag.

Levi Kitchen holeshot Race 2 of the 250SX Class with RJ Hampshire, Jett Lawrence, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Carson Mumford, and Red Bull KTM’s Max Vohland on his tail. Hampshire took over the lead and Vohland moved into second. Kitchen reclaimed second place and Lawrence was settled into fourth before one minute had expired off the race clock. Lawrence was soon around Vohland for third while Hampshire put down fast laps out front. The white flag came out and Lawrence put in a sprint to catch Kitchen; he made it close but didn’t better his spot. Hampshire took the win ahead of Kitchen and Lawrence, setting the three riders up with 3 points for Hampshire, 4 points for Lawrence, and 5 points for Kitchen.

Levi Kitchen was three-for-three on starts with the Holeshot in Race 3. Lawrence, Partzilla PRMX Racing’s Hunter Yoder, AJE Motorsport GASGAS’s Mitchell Harrison and Hampshire were right behind. In less than a lap Hampshire was up to third. Early in the race Hampshire pushed too hard in the whoops; what normally would have been a crash turned into a miraculous save. Just a few seconds later, further up the track, Lawrence took over the lead from Kitchen. From there Lawrence rode smoothly and maintained a comfortable gap. With Lawrence moving up to the 450SX Class next season it was his final opportunity to win a 250SX Class Triple Crown overall. The win also extended his points lead to 26 with only three races remaining in the Western Regional 250SX Class.

The racers line up again at Atlanta Motor Speedway on April 15th for a daytime race, then battle each Saturday after that for the following four consecutive weekends. The five remaining Monster Energy Supercross rounds will take place inside open-air stadiums and raceways, adding weather as an additional variable in one of the tightest Supercross title battle in the sport’s history.

Each round also pays points toward the brand-new SuperMotocross World Championship, which combines 17 Monster Energy AMA Supercross rounds, 11 AMA Pro Motocross rounds, two SMX Playoff events and one SMX World Championship Final scheduled for September 23rd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The 450cc Class SuperMotocross World Champion will earn a cool $1,000,0000 championship win bonus, and the 250cc champion will claim a $500,000 title win bonus.

All 31-rounds are streamed live on PeacockTV with select rounds also broadcast on NBC, USA Network, and CNBC. International coverage is available at SuperMotocrossTV. For results, highlight videos, power rankings, and ticket sales please go to SupercrossLIVE.com.

450SX Class podium (racers from left) Justin Barcia, Eli Tomac, and Chase Sexton. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

450SX Class Results

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (1-2-1)

2. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill. Honda (4-1-3)

3. Justin Barcia, Monroe, NY, GASGAS (3-6-2)

4. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (2-5-4)

5. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Ger., Suzuki (5-3-5)

6. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (7-7-7)

7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (9-9-6)

8. Colt Nichols, Muskogee, Oak., Honda (8-8-8)

9. Dean Wilson, Glasgow, Scotland, Honda (10-10-9)

10. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (6-4-21)

450SX Class Championship Standings

1. Eli Tomac, Cortez, Colo., Yamaha (274)

2. Cooper Webb, Newport, N.C., KTM (267)

3. Chase Sexton, La Moille, Ill., Honda (249)

4. Ken Roczen, Mattstedt, Ger., Suzuki (217)

5. Justin Barcia, Monroe, NY, GASGAS (216)

6. Jason Anderson, Rio Rancho, N.Mex., Kawasaki (212)

7. Aaron Plessinger, Hamilton, Ohio, KTM (196)

8. Christian Craig, Clermont, Fla., Husqvarna (150)

9. Adam Cianciarulo, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., Kawasaki (139)

10. Justin Hill, Yoncalla, Ore., KTM (127)

250SX Class podium (racers from left) RJ Hampshire, Jett Lawrence, and Levi Kitchen. Photo courtesy Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

Western Regional 250SX Class Results

1. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Australia., Honda (1-3-1)

2. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (2-1-3)

3. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (3-2-2)

4. Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (4-4-5)

5. Enzo Lopes, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Yamaha (7-5-4)

6. Derek Kelley, Riverside, Calif., KTM (5-8-7)

7. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (6-7-12)

8. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (18-6-6)

9. Robbie Wageman, Newhall, Calif., Suzuki (9-15-8)

10. Carson Mumford, Simi Valley, Calif., Kawasaki (13-9-10)

Western Regional 250SX Class Championship Standings

1. Jett Lawrence, Landsborough, Australia, Honda (153)

2. RJ Hampshire, Minneola, Fla., Husqvarna (127)

3. Levi Kitchen, Washougal, Wash., Yamaha (101)

4. Cameron McAdoo, Sioux City, Iowa, Kawasaki (101)

5. Enzo Lopes, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Yamaha (100)

6. Mitchell Oldenburg, Godley, Tex., Honda (99)

7. Pierce Brown, Sandy, Utah, GASGAS (86)

8. Max Vohland, Granite Bay, Calif., KTM (85)

9. Cole Thompson, Brigden, Ont., Yamaha (71)

10. Derek Kelley, Riverside, Calif., KTM (70)

British Superbike: Race Two & Race Three Results From Silverstone (Updated)

David Swarts

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April 9, 2023

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British Superbike: Race Two & Race Three Results From Silverstone (Updated)

Josh Brookes, riding his FHO Racing BMW M 1000 RR, won Bennetts British Superbike (BSB) Race Two Sunday morning at Silverstone Circuit, in England.

Then Glenn Irwin, riding his BeerMonster Ducati Panigale V4 R, took the victory in Race Two.

After round one and three races, Brookes holds the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship point lead.

Americans Julian Correa and Eli Banish finished 8th and 23rd, respectively, in British Talent Cup Race Two Sunday at Silverstone.

BSB R2
BSB R3
BSB Points after R3

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:

2023 Bennetts British Superbike kicks off with three different race winners at Silverstone

The 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship kicked off at Silverstone this weekend with an exhilarating start to the season as three different race winners, representing three different teams and manufacturers celebrated a race victory.

Reigning Champions LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha had the edge in yesterday’s Bennetts BikeSocial Sprint race with Kyle Ryde, but today they narrowly missed out on the podium in race two with a fourth place and ended the weekend with seventh in race three.

The second race of the weekend marked the triumphant return of Josh Brookes to winning ways as the double Champion claimed his first victory in two seasons, delivering a determined ride on his first race weekend with the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team.

Brookes held off the BeerMonster Ducati teammates led by Tommy Bridewell by just 0.094s when the race was red flagged with three laps remaining when Danny Buchan crashed out, claiming his 55th win in the Championship as Glenn Irwin completed the podium after fighting his way through the pack.

O’Halloran held onto fifth after holding off Leon Haslam with reigning Quattro Group British Supersport Champion Jack Kennedy in seventh place. Danny Kent had another solid performance in eighth place ahead of Andrew Irwin and Lee Jackson, who fought his way through to tenth after starting 16th on the grid.

Glenn Irwin then became the third different race winner of the opening round in a hard fought final race of the weekend as he held off tough opposition to end the weekend on top for PBM on the BeerMonster Ducati.

Jason O’Halloran, Brookes and Kent had all been at the front of the pack before Irwin captured the advantage on lap 18. He was defending hard from Brookes who had regained second place with three laps to go, whilst Bridewell had also moved up the order and fought his way into third.

O’Halloran meanwhile regained fourth place on the final lap, as he got ahead of Kent with Haslam again in the leading battle to finish race three in sixth place.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, Race 2 result:

Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad)
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.094s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.603s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.669s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.004s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +1.709s
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) +2.436s
Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) +5.587s
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +5.731s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +6.714s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, Race 3 result:

Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.120s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.412s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.179s
Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) +1.297s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +2.037s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +3.443s
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) +3.713s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +4.046s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 4.137s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Silverstone:

Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) 48
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 46
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 43
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 39
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 35
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) 30
Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) 26
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) 26
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 15
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 15

For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Josh Brookes – Race 2 winner

FHO Racing BMW Motorrad

“It’s perfect, to lead the championship after the first round is ideal. You know, we are always optimistic we are going to have a good bike, good package, but to get into the opening round and have three podiums is ideal. We are in a perfect place to build for the rounds to come.

“I think as a racer and as a competitor you always have this idea that everything will go smoothly and you’ll win everything. I think it’s natural for competitors to have that mindset, so I always believed that if things were good we could do this and better, but you also have this realistic mind that it’s a difficult series, lots of good riders and it’s always hard fought racing and you can never be sure you are gonna get good results like this, so definitely pleased to take these positions.

“I have spent a lot of time thinking about the moment when I would win again; when I was winning regularly you would think it would just come. The last two years have been hard, people start to doubt you and I don’t blame them for that. It feels good to win for myself, the team, and it is a feeling of success.”

Glenn Irwin – Race 3 winner

BeerMonster Ducati

“It didn’t go to plan at the beginning! The first race start today was terrible, again I did something not so good with the clutch. My plan was if you’re in the front two or three, take it easy through the last corner as it’s very hard on tyres and if one or two get by you are still in the top four. That wasn’t the case, and I ended up back again and I tried to conserve my tyre and had to try and pass Leon Haslam.

“Danny Kent was doing a really good job; I could see where he was weak as I had spent three years on the Honda and that was probably an advantage. I just did a bit of a dive, then he came back through, once he did I repassed him and it was then I decided to try and drop the hammer a bit more.

“It it was just really good set up by the boys in the team and they worked very hard last night. I didn’t sleep thinking how we could improve last night! The bike was fantastic, we could still be strong in some areas but I struggled a lot in the last corner and turn one but I never gave up.

“I said this morning I wanted to play like an Oscar winning role today and not a support role and I knew after warm up that we could do that. Today’s first race I think was really good because we came 13th to third and it was tough, but I really enjoyed it and to go on then and go on and grab the Bafta at the end of the day was just fantastic!”

Roadracing World Young Guns 2023: Avery Dreher

David Swarts

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April 9, 2023

0

Roadracing World Young Guns 2023: Avery Dreher

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.

The entire Roadracing World Young Guns, Class of 2023 is featured in the April 2023 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine.

Avery Dreher

Age: 16.

Current home: Rockledge, Florida.

Current height/weight: 5’11”/138 pounds.

Current school grade level: 11^th grade.

Began riding at age: 10.

First road race: 2018, Jupiter, Florida, SFLminiGP, Spec 50, 3^rd place.

Current racebikes: Kawasaki Ninja 400, KTM 450 SMR, Yamaha YZF-R6.

Current tuners/mechanics: Aaron Dreher (father), John Ludwig, Dale Quarterley.

Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.

Top sponsors: Bad Boys Racing, Envy Racing Apparel, Brevard Superbike, South Florida Thermosman, Monkey Works Cycle.

Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, placed 7^th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (1 podium finish, 11 top-10 finishes); 2021 season, placed 17^th (best finish race was 7^th, 4 top-10 finishes), multiple FMRRA race wins; 2020 season, won CCS Moto3 National Championship, won 3 FMRRA Championships.

2023 racing goals: Finish in top five of MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship, fight for the win in every race.

Racing career goal: Progress to bigger machines and go as far as I can in racing.

Racing hero: Aaron Dreher (father).

Favorite track: Pittsburgh International Race Complex.

Favorite hobby: Fishing.

If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Riding my supermotard at my local track.