Moto2 FP3
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Where To Ride In April: Track Days, Schools, And Races
The following track days, riding schools, and racing events are scheduled by organizations based in the United States and Canada during April 2023.
Motorcycle track days, riding schools, and races are posted under the Event Calendar tab on the home page of this website, or you can access the Event Calendar for April 2023 directly by clicking HERE.
Once on the Event Calendar page, you can search for the event you are looking for by its date.
When you click on the event you want to attend you should find a link to the website and/or email address of the host organization, a link to the website of the host venue, the physical address of the host venue, a Google map to the host venue, and buttons to add the event and its information to your calendar application.
To have your motorcycle racing or riding event added to the Event Calendar on this website and published in the print edition of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine, submit your calendar and contact information via the contact page on this website or by clicking HERE.
4/1 (Progressive) AMA Pro American Flat Track (AFT), Arizona Super TT, Wild Horse Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
4/1 ASMA Track Days and Advanced Rider Training, Arroyo Seco Raceway, Deming, NM
4/1 Central Illinois Mini Moto Track Days (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Dawson, IL
4/1 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD
4/1 SFLminiGP (South Florida MiniGP) Rider Development Days (Minis), Bushnell Motorsports Park, Bushnell, FL
4/1 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA
4/1 Southeast Mini Moto Series, MidPond Raceway & Events Complex, Columbiana, AL
4/1-2 ASMA Series, Arroyo Seco Raceway, Deming, NM
4/1-2 Brake Free Track Time Track Days, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ
4/1-2 Evolve GT School and Track Days, NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
4/1-2 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/1-2 Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point, WV
4/1-2 South Florida MiniGP Series (Minis), Bushnell Motorsports Park, Bushnell, FL
4/1-3 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL
4/2 Fun Track Dayz, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/2-3 California Superbike School, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
4/3 Pacific Track Times Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/3 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/5 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Practice and Skill Reinforcement Day)
4/6-7 California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/7 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Learn To Ride Off-Road)
4/7-8 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
4/7-8 MRA New Racers School, High Plains Raceway, Deer Trail, CO
4/7-8 Performance Riding Experience (PRE) Track Days, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
4/7-10 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/8 2WTD Mini Racing (Minis) Series, Horsethief Mile, Rosamond, CA
4/8 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Off-Road Challenge Course)
4/8 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/8-9 California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/8-9 Carters@thetrack Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/8-9 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC
4/8-9 HART Rider Training/Motorcycle Lapping Days, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK
4/8-9 SoCal Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/8-9 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL
4/8-10 Racers Edge Private Coaching Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/9 Florida Trackdays, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL
4/9 John Long’s Longevity Racing School, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL
4/10 Let’s Ride Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA
4/10-13 Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp, Montgomery, TX
4/11-12 Yamaha Champions Riding School, MotorSports Ranch, Cresson, TX
4/12-13 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/12-13 Racers Edge Private Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/14 Apex Assassins Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/14 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC
4/14 Fun Track Dayz, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/14 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Private Training Day)
4/14 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL
4/14-15 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Gainesville, GA
4/14-15 The Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/14-16 FIM MotoGP World Championship, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX, USA
4/14-16 NJMiniGP (Minis) Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/15 Apex Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
4/15 Classic Track Day, Willow Springs International Raceway, Rosamond, CA
4/15 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/15 Tactical Motorcycle Dynamics Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
4/15 UtahSBA New Racer Certification (NRC), Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
4/15-16 AMA Sanctioned ASRA Team Challenge Series Presented by Michelin Tire/CCS Atlantic/Florida/Mid-Atlantic/Southeast Roadracing Championship Series, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC
4/15-16 California Superbike School, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/15-16 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC
4/15-16 CVMA 2022-2023 Winter Series, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/15-16 (Pirelli) WERA National Challenge Co-Sanctioned by AMA/WERA Sportsman Series Mid-Central/Southeast Region, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL
4/15-16 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Kids Ride & Wrench Weekend Camp)
4/15-16 Track Day Winner Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL
4/16 Motogladiator Series, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA
4/16 XCEL Trackdays Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ
4/16-17 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Gainesville, GA
4/16-17 Evolve GT School and Track Days, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA
4/16-17 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA
4/17 Aprilia Racers Days Track Day/Demo Program, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX
4/17 Motogladiator Series, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA
4/17-18 Carters@thetrack Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/17-18 CLASS Motorcycle School with 3x AMA Superbike Champion Reg Pridmore, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/17-18 Yamaha Champions Riding School, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC
4/19-20 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course)
4/20-21 The Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/21 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL
4/21 Penguin Riding School, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH
4/21-23 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
4/22 Central Illinois Mini Moto Series (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Mechanicsburg, IL
4/22 (Progressive) AMA Pro American Flat Track (AFT), Dallas Half-Mile, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, TX
4/22 TrackAddix/Ducati Omaha Racing Series, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE
4/22 ZARS Advanced Riding School, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount, MN
4/22-23 AFM Series, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA
4/22-23 Apex Assassins Track Days, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
4/22-23 CCS Mid-West Roadracing Championship Series, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL
4/22-23 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Dawsonville, GA
4/22-23 Evolve GT School and Track Days, NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
4/22-23 Evolve GT School and Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/22-23 N2 Track Days, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA
4/22-23 NEMRR Series, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH
4/22-23 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Fun Camp)
4/22-23 RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX
4/22-23 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Grattan Raceway, Belding, MI
4/22-23 TrackXperience Track Days, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/22-24 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL
4/23 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/23 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA
4/23 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA
4/23 TrackAddix/Ducati Omaha Track Days, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE
4/24 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA
4/24 Aprilia Racers Days Track Day/Demo Program, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
4/24 Fastrack Riders Academy & Apex Club Track Days & School, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA
4/26-29 Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp, Montgomery, TX
4/27-28 Yamaha Champions Riding School, NCBike Garysburg, NC
4/28 2 Wheels Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/28 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Private Training Day)
4/28 RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX
4/28 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Gingerman Raceway, S. Haven, MI
4/28 The Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/28-29 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Springfield, IL
4/28-30 CMRA Series, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX
4/29 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD
4/29 SFLminiGP (South Florida MiniGP) Rider Development Days (Minis), Anderson Racepark, Palmetto, FL
4/29-30 AMA Sanctioned ASRA Championship Series Presented by Pirelli Tire/CCS Atlantic Roadracing Championship Series, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/29-30 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC
4/29-30 CRA (California Roadrace Association) Series, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ
4/29-30 Fast Line Track Days, NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, KY
4/29-30 Fasttrax Motorcycle Performance Track Days, Nelson Ledges Road Course, Garrettsville, OH
4/29-30 N2 Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC
4/29-30 Pacific Track Times Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/29-30 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Kids Ride & Wrench Advanced Camp)
4/29-30 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/29-30 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA
4/30 Brake Free Track Times Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ
4/30 HER Track Day Track Days, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/30 N2 Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/30 Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club School & Track Days, Mission Raceway Park, Mission, BC
4/30 ZARS Advanced Riding School, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount, MN
4/30-5/1 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Springfield, IL
Roadracing World Young Guns 2023: Eli Banish
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.
Eli Banish
Age: 14.
Current home: Burlington, Kentucky.
Current height/weight: 5’6”/130 pounds.
Current school grade level: 8th grade.
Began riding at age: 4 years.
First road race: 2017, Circleville, Ohio, Ohio Mini Road Racing League, Kids50, 4th Place.
Current racebike: Honda, NSF250R.
Current tuners/mechanics: Nathan Smith, Jordan Pritchard.
Primary race series: British Talent Cup.
Top sponsors: Dainese Chicago, Best Western Resorts & Hotels; KMA Racing, Enterprise Rental, Thorneycroft Solicitors, Rising Sun Cycles, POP Shadow Decals & Wraps, HiFLo Filtro, Vortex Racing, Motul, 35 Motorsports.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, tied for 29th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race finish was 12th), won WERA Sportsman Clubman National Championship, won 2 WERA North Central Regional Championships (won 18 WERA races); 2021 season, won AMA Moto3 Expert Grand Championship, took 2nd in Formula Two WERA National Challenge Series Championship, won 8 WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships (won 26 WERA races); 2020 season, won D Superbike Novice WERA Sportsman North Central Championship (won 6 WERA races); 2019 season, named AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year, won 5 WERA Sportsman Regional Championships in Novice classes (win 13 WERA races).
2023 racing goal: Finish top 10 in British Talent Cup Championship.
Racing career goal: Compete in the MotoGP World Championship.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Road Atlanta.
Favorite hobby: Cooking.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Making cooking videos for YouTube.
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.
MotoGP: More From Friday At Termas De Rio Honda, In Argentina
Aleix Espargaro leads Aprilia 1-2, Bezzecchi heads the chasing pack
It’s advantage Aprilia on Day 1 in Argentina, with Bezzecchi and Marini on the chase, Bagnaia sixth and Quartararo in P14 on the way to Q1
Friday, 31 March 2023
1st and 2nd in Practice 1, 1st and 2nd in Practice 2 – it doesn’t get any better than that for Aprilia Racing as Day 1 at the Gran Premio Michelin® de la República Argentina belonged to the Noale factory. Ending Friday on top was Aleix Espargaro after the 2022 Termas race winner got the better of teammate and P1 pacesetter Maverick Viñales in the afternoon, while Portuguese GP podium finisher Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) claimed P3 just ahead of teammate Luca Marini.
Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) ended the day in sixth and may be glad the fight for an automatic place in Q2 is already over, but his predecessor Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) likely wished for another shot at it. El Diablo ends Day 1 in P14, with teammate Franco Morbidelli up in ninth and moving through.
P1
With rain threatening to disrupt proceedings in Termas de Rio Hondo, the final 10 minutes of P1 were hectic as riders chased that all-important top 10. A late lap from Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) placed the Japanese star in 4th, with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) going well again in 5th.
World Championship leader Bagnaia squeezed into the top 10 in P10, but Quartararo was already struggling even more ahead of the afternoon final shootout.
There was one crash to report – Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) tucked the front of his RC213V at Turn 1. The Spaniard was perfectly ok.
The rush for Q2
It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes that plenty of movement lit up the timesheets in Practice 2, as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) pounced to demote Viñales to second after the latter produced a dominant performance in Practice 1. On his second flying lap, Martin moved the goalposts further as his 1:39.092 became the time to beat, and Nakagami climbed to P3.
With all eyes focused on grabbing a top 10 spot ahead of Saturday morning’s qualifying, Practice 2 lit up. Aleix Espargaro set a new benchmark as Viñales slotted into P2, 0.009s off his teammate, before Bagnaia then went top of the pile with a 1:38.969. Then, Viñales was back at the summit – but not for long. Bezzecchi was now the pacesetter, with teammate Marini taking over as third fastest.
With 10 minutes to go, Quartararo was in P13 and 0.9s off the top. By three minutes to go, he was still outside the cut off. In contrast, Viñales found an extra dose of pace and went back to the top, but his stablemate made sure that didn’t last long. Aleix Espargaro set a 1:38.518 to beat Viñales by 0.162s. Quartararo still remained outside the top 10 with seconds to go, and that’s where he stayed.
Behind the top three, Marini bounced back from a difficult opening weekend with a solid Friday P4 in Termas de Rio Hondo, with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) rounding out the top five. Reigning World Champion Bagnaia settled for P6, 0.4s off Espargaro, with Martin, Nakagami, an upbeat Morbidelli and Rins acting as the final automatic entrants to Q2 on Saturday morning in P7, P8, P9 and P10 respectively.
Alongside Rins’ Turn 1 crash in Practice 1, reigning Moto2™ World Champion Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) was unhurt in a Practice 2 Turn 1 crash.
Some big hitters will be battling it out in Q1, including 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Brad Binder and Jack Miller, Alex Marquez, and Quartararo. Don’t miss qualifying on Saturday morning, it’s going to be a barnstormer.
Saturdays = qualifying & Tissot Sprint
So that’s it from Friday in Argentina. An intriguing day to say the least as the second installment of the Tissot Sprint fast approaches. Can Quartararo bounce back from a difficult day? Who will get themselves into the pole position shootout? Free Practice starts at 10:10 local time (GMT-3), before qualifying from 10:50. Then, it’s lights out and away we Sprint at 15:00!
Just 0.080 splits Arbolino, Salač and Acosta on Friday
It’s tight at the top after Day 1 for Moto2™, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) quickest off the mark but the Italian enjoying close company from both Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™), 0.066 in arrears, and Portuguese GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at a deficit of just 0.080.
It stayed close from there on out, too. Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Moto2™) was 0.121 off the top, and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) just 0.005 off the Brit. Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) are tightly packed just behind them, with Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up) completing the top ten.
The top 14 head through to Q2 directly, check out the combined timesheets and then come back for P3 before qualifying on Saturday from 13:45 (GMT-3).
Sasaki holds early advantage in Argentina
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) topped the timesheets on Friday in Moto3™, the Japanese rider 0.186 clear of Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI). Moreira, fresh from taking his first Grand Prix podium and the first for Brazil in the lightweight class, was less than half a tenth clear of veteran campaigner Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) in third.
The top three had a small advantage by the end of play, with Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) in fourth but three and a half tenths off his teammate. Suzuki also had a couple of tenths in hand over Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) as the Italian headed a closer gaggle completing the top ten: Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team), Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), David Alonso (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Moto3™), Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) and Portuguese GP winner Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3). So close that Dutch rookie Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) missed out on that top ten by just 0.002.
One rider currently set to miss out on Q2 is Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), something he’ll be keen to rectify on Saturday morning! Come back for more then, before qualifying for the lightweight class from 12:50 (GMT -3).
More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory RAcing Tech3:
ENCOURAGING OPENING DAY IN TERMAS DE RIO HONDO FOR ROOKIE AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ
Sole GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 representative at the Gran Premio Michelin® de la República Argentina, rookie Augusto Fernandez started his Argentinian campaign on Friday with the learnings from his positive opening round in Portimao last week, eager to continue his progress in the MotoGP™ class. Dry track conditions were declared at the start of the day, but that did not mean it was not tricky for rider and technical crew, with small drops of rain playing around all day in Termas de Río Hondo.
In Practice 1, the rookie delivered an impressive performance this morning, with encouraging lap times on a circuit he was just discovering with his RC16. Halfway through the practice, he saw a great lap getting cancelled for exceeding track limits, but that did not prevent him from continuing to push, until he registered a lap in 1’39.994, placing him thirteenth of the morning session, just 0.787 seconds from the fastest man.
In the afternoon, the sky continued to threaten the action, but Practice 2 continued to roll on in dry track conditions. His progress was stopped after a couple of laps into the session when he lost the front of his bike at Turn 1, and thrumbled through the gravel. Luckily, he came back to his pit box feeling ok, and was back on track after a quick change of leathers, with a bit less than thirty minutes to refocus. Quickly he seemed to settle back in his pace, before trying to get a fast lap in the final five minutes of the session with a new set of tyres. 1’39.561, his personal best so far in Termas, places him seventeenth in the combined standings. Just 1.043 seconds away from the top, Fernandez has a good margin to improve and will work hard for a good grid position tomorrow morning in qualifying, before lining up for his second sprint. The MotoGP™ action will return on Saturday at 10:10 (GMT+3).
Augusto Fernandez
Position: 17th
Time: 1’39.561
Laps: 40
“We are learning a new track with a MotoGP bike, so I tried to take it easy, but I am quite happy about my fast adaptation. In the afternoon, I lost a bit of confidence after my crash at Turn 1 when I lost the front. It was not ideal, but I recovered pretty well into the session. I got back the confidence in the braking points and the time attacks were not too bad. We are not very far from the fastest riders, but we are still missing a little something to grab a few hundredths. We will continue working hard for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
TEAM GRESINI ONE TENTH AWAY FROM ARGENTINE Q2
The racing weekend at Termas de Rio Hondo began with good feelings for Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, both close to each other lap-time wise and only a few thousandths of a second away from the top ten. 0.096secs separate the Spanish rider from the Italian one, with the #73 who missed the chance to get into Q2 due to some traffic encountered in the third split (after potentially improving in the first two) whole the other worked more on the feeling with the bike – which he fully recovered.
On-track action will resume tomorrow morning at 10:50 local time for a Q1 who could see both Gresini standard bearers as protagonist. A spot in the first four rows will be crucial for aiming at something important in the sprint race (scheduled at 15:00) as well as in Sunday’s encounter.
11th – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’39.184s)
“It was a very positive Friday. We worked well with both the new and the used tyres. Shame that I encountered some traffic om my good lap: we had a big chance to get into Q2 today but somehow we seem not to like the easy way. We have everything in order to get into Q2 tomorrow and we’ll be ready for the sprint race. Tyres and track are very different here, but I expect a very similar sprint race to the one we had in Portimao.”
15th – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’39.288s)
“Things are a bit better than what they look like… We’re all very close and the feeling with the bike is now similar to the one we had in the tests. We made a plan with tyres a little different to everybody else’s and we didn’t have two sets to use in the afternoon, but we were still one tenth or so away from the Q2 lot. We’re working well and trying to improve in all areas; here the grip is very low, but we’re getting there.”
More, from a press release issued by RNF MotoGP Team:
Learning day for Raul Fernandez in Argentina
Mixed weather conditions accompanied the opening day of the Gran Premio Michelin de la República Argentina. Following some hot and humid days, there have been some drops of rain this morning, yet both Friday’s sessions for MotoGP stayed mainly dry.
Raul Fernandez, the sole rider of the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team this weekend, started to develop a feeling with his Aprilia RS-GP at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. Riding on the track for the first time on his new machine, Fernandez was fortunate to not be bothered by the numbness he experienced in his arm during the race in Portugal less than a week ago. He made significant progress throughout the day, improving his lap time by 0.761 seconds from Practice one to the end of Practice two. Although he finished in P18, he was just a bit over a second behind the fastest rider of the day and missed out on the top 10 by only 0.458 seconds.
Meanwhile, encouraging signs were also seen from Aprilia Racing next door with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales covering the first and second positions.
Saturday promises to be another action-packed day, with Free Practice starting at 10:10 local time (15:10 CET), giving Raul a final chance to fine-tune his race settings ahead of the Qualifying itself, which begins at 10:50 local time (15:50 CET). The Sprint race, with a distance of 12 laps, will begin at 15:00 local time (20:00 CET).
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“I feel good and I am lucky with my arm. The track doesn’t have a lot of grip and there are quite many bumps. I don’t know why, but always when the grip level is low, I do struggle. Especially here, I lost a lot of time. We need to work on that and analyze it. It’s just about small details, mainly on corner exit. We saw the data and we have an idea on what we need to work on and we think it’s just some minor changes, we need to do. Overall, I am happy about today. We are not far from the front, but obviously the position doesn’t look very nice.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Mir finds a second in Argentina
Big improvements for Joan Mir saw the #36 narrowly miss out on the top ten in Argentina, Saturday set to be a day of comebacks for the double World Champion.
It was a lone Joan Mir left to face the changeable conditions of the two Friday practice sessions inside the Repsol Honda Team garage as Marc Marquez continued his recovery at home in Spain. Morning showers threatened a wet start to the day for the MotoGP field at the 4.8-kilometer long Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, but the track dried quickly. Rain would threaten most of the day, but it would ultimately remain dry.
Mir avoided fitting a soft rear slick and pushing for a fast lap in the morning session as he worked on improving the feeling of his Honda RC213V in Argentina. Down the timesheets, Mir and the Repsol Honda Team worked solidly throughout the lunch break to find solutions to the situation for the crucial afternoon session. Improving to a best time of 1’39.257, almost 1.5 seconds faster than his FP1 time, Mir ended the day in 13th. 0.120s shy of a spot in the combined top ten, the #36 was left disappointed with the day and is already plotting his comeback on Saturday.
Saturday will see the second MotoGP Sprint race take place; 12 laps of all-out action scheduled to start at 15:00 Local Time.
Joan Mir
13TH 1’39.257
“It was a pretty tough day. We started with a base setting which was not the best for this track, and we spent a lot of time working on it to improve. There is clearly a lot of potential there with the bike, Taka and Rins were strong, but I am just missing the final few tenths. We made a lot of progress and finally our pace at the end, especially with used tyres, was quite close to the top five. We just need more time now to work on the fine details, it’s still just our second race so this is part of the process. Even like this we were able to make some big improvements today and we aim to continue it tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
LOW GRIP IN ARGENTINA MEANS MIXED FRIDAY RESULTS FOR MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP
Termas de Río Hondo (Argentina), 31st March 2023
GRAND PRIX OF ARGENTINA
PRACTICE
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Franco Morbidelli found the improvement he was looking for just a week ago at the Portuguese GP. He started the Gran Premio de la República Argentina with a strong pace, 9th in the combined P1+P2 results, and a place in tomorrow‘s Q2. It was an overcast day for Fabio Quartararo in more ways than one. Ranking 14th in today‘s overall results, he will have to take part in Q1.
LOCAL TIME: 15:00 GMT-3
AIR TEMPERATURE: 24°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE: 31°C
WEATHER: CLOUDY / HUMIDITY 66%
MORE CIRCUIT INFO
9th FRANCO MORBIDELLI 1’39.080 / 16 + 23 LAPS
14th FABIO QUARTARARO 1’39.264 / 19 + 27 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Franco Morbidelli showed strong performance in the two Friday MotoGP sessions at the Autódromo Internacional de Termas de Río Hondo, securing 9th place in the combined standings and a place in Q2. It was a difficult day at the office for Fabio Quartararo. He ended the Friday in Argentina in 14th position and will have to take part in tomorrow‘s Q1.
Morbidelli showed brilliant pace throughout P1. The Italian featured inside the top 3 for most of the 45-minute session and set the provisional fastest lap multiple times. Though he finished in eighth place and 0.489s off the top time in the end, with a 1‘39.696s set on lap 15/16, his improved performance gave him a confidence boost for the remainder of the weekend.
The Italian kept the momentum going in the overcast but perfectly dry P2, underlining that his solid pace from the morning session was here to stay. Morbido worked diligently and managed to shave an extra 0.6s off his P1 best lap, posting a 1‘39.080s on lap 21/23. It earned him ninth place in the P2 and the combined rankings, 0.562s off the fastest time, and a place in Saturday‘s Q2.
Things didn‘t go to plan in the morning session for Quartararo. His strategy was to work on his bike‘s settings for most of the session and then push for a hot lap in the final stages. However, he didn‘t have the perfect lap on his first and second try during his time attack, and he thought he had taken the chequered flag before his third lap and rolled out. He ended the session in 15th place, with a 1‘40.116s set on lap 17/19, 0.909s from first.
The Frenchman was thankful that the 1-hour long P2 session was dry, so he could use the time to work on his bike‘s set-up. He put in a total of 27 laps and improved on his best morning time by almost a second, with a 1‘39.264s set on lap 25/27. However, it was not enough to get him into the top 10. He finished 14th in the P2 and combined results, 0.746s from the top, and will have to take part in tomorrow‘s Q1.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
The Argentina GP weekend has not started the way we expected. There are positives and negatives. Starting with the positives: Franky has found something here this weekend. His pace is good, as he showed in both sessions, and he is inside the top 10 and in Q2 where he belongs. Fabio, on the other hand, seems to be struggling much more from the lack of grip at the circuit. He made an improvement in P2, but he is not at the level where he should be. Tomorrow, he will have to take part in Q1. It will be a tough day, so we have to work hard to find a solution overnight to help him get into Q2 – because we have seen from last weekend how vital qualifying is for the outcome of Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Race.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
It was a positive Friday for us. We started already with a good feeling, and we went ahead with the weekend and started improving the bike little by little. I feel that we have improved today, that’s positive. There are some areas to work on, for sure. But, so far, it’s been a positive start to the GP weekend. Tomorrow, it would be very nice for me to be somewhere on the front two rows. Let’s see if it’s possible.
FABIO QUARTARARO
It was a bad day for us. The feeling is not so bad, but there are many things to work on. We lack corner speed and drive. But the corner speed is the thing I’m missing the most. We have to understand why this is happening, because we haven’t changed that much on the bike compared to before. I hope that later today I will understand why. I was expecting to do better, considering that we had a strong pace last year.
More, from a press release issued by Lenovo Ducati:
Bagnaia sets the sixth fastest time at the end of Day 1 of the Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina at Termas de Rio Hondo
Francesco Bagnaia was the sixth fastest at the end of Day 1 of the Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina, the second round of the 2023 MotoGP season, held this weekend at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit.
Tenth after the first session, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider lowered his time by more than half a second in the afternoon session. With a fastest lap time in 1:38.944, Bagnaia ended the day in sixth, thus gaining direct access to tomorrow morning’s Q2.
In addition to the official qualifying, scheduled at 10:50am local time, the MotoGP riders will also face the first race of the weekend at the Argentine track tomorrow. The Sprint Race will start at 3:00pm local time (CEST -5:00) on a 12-lap distance.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th (1:38.944)
“It was a positive day all in all, and I am satisfied with our work. Compared to Portimão, where we had two days of testing before the race weekend, we were not starting in the best conditions. The time available to fine-tune the bike is not much, but we still did a good job. On used tires, my pace is competitive, and we are not far from the frontrunners. Tomorrow morning it will be very important to keep riding on used tyres again to try to make an additional step forward, and in qualifying, it will be crucial to secure a spot in the first two rows of the starting grid.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
ALEX RINS SECURES Q2 SPOT IN ARGENTINA
LCR Honda CASTROL rider Alex Rins has completed the first practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Argentina. The Spaniard has classified 10th after a very intense day.
At the Circuit of Termas de Rio Hondo, Alex has tested new items brought by HRC and has been able to decide and compare which ones are more performing. Considering some strong wind and track conditions, Rins and the crew have carried out a solid Friday that has secured a Q2 spot. The job at the box never finishes, however, these small steps mean extra motivation to embrace the rest of the weekend.
Alex Rins 10th
(1’39.117)
“I’m quite satisfied after today’s performance, it’s true that there’s still work to do because we haven’t had time to find the best setup, but being able to test different parts has given us important information to keep pushing; I’ve had better feelings and step by step we are getting closer to our rivals.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI SECURES Q2 SPOT IN ARGENTINA
LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami has completed the first practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Argentina. The Japanese rider and the crew have accomplished a performing Friday, classifying 8th on the general standings, and securing a Q2 spot.
Nakagami has been one of the most consistent riders of the day, as at the end of the first session he had set the 4th fastest lap time. Considering strong wind and track conditions, the rider admits having found better feelings on the bike that have allowed him to be smoother. Things this way, finishing the first day of track activity with a positive result means the extra motivation to embrace the rest of the weekend.
Takaaki Nakagami 8th
(1’39.071)
“I’ve always liked this track and I’ve felt good on the bike today. We are always working hard to improve because we still miss a bit compared to our rivals. Today I’ve enjoyed the sessions and I believe we are always closer, as session after session we are confirming our progression”.
More, from a press release issued by Moony VR46 Racing Team:
GOOD START FOR THE MOONEY VR46 RACING TEAM IN ARGENTINA
Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini gain the direct access into the Q2 in P3 and P4 respectively at the end of the Day1
Termas de Rio Hondo (Argentina), March 31st 2023 – Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini immediately among the fastest guys at Argentina GP which takes place on Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo (Sprint tomorrow at 03:00 pm local time) . At ease on the Ducati Desmosedici GP bikes of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, both have set the direct access to tomorrow’s Q2 (11:15 am) respectively in third and fourth place in the combined standings.
Only two tenths behind the poleman of the day (Espargaro, 1’38.518) for Marco who signs a superb 1’38.767, excellent time and feeling on the flying lap and also a decent pace on the long run.
Very positive sensations also for Luca, consistent in both sessions and looking for redemption on the Argentine track. He sets a good 1’38.833 right at the end of the session.
LUCA MARINI – 10
A positive day: I’m satisfied with the work done and the changes brought to the track, especially in terms of settings. I have to say that the asphalt conditions, especially this morning, were particularly difficult to manage even in terms of grip. We have to keep working: I need a step forward on the engine braking and rear tire management, at least for the long race. We changed bike 1 a lot, I didn’t feel at ease even if the lap time is very similar to the one I set with the bike 2. I’m not confident on the front and the rear moves a lot. It is normal that the two bikes are not identical, it is, at the same time, strange that they are so different.
MARCO BEZZECCHI – 72
The aim of the weekend is, as always, to work as hard as possible but, immediately, I managed to be very fast. Here in Argentina I’ve always had a good feelings, but the conditions are tough, even with the grip, and the level is very high. We haven’t made any radical changes compared to Portimao, the first bike was identical, while in the second we made some small changes that worked right away. Friday is crucial: we need to start immediately strong. I took great care with my riding style today, in order not to overload the tires, and I’m happy both in terms of the Sprint and the race. We are all there.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA SWEEPS FRIDAY AT THE GP OF ARGENTINA
MAVERICK FIRST AND ALEIX SECOND IN THE FIRST QUALIFYING SESSION, ALEIX FIRST AND MAVERICK SECOND AT THE END OF THE DAY
EVEN SWAPPING THE ORDER, THE RESULT IS THE SAME: TWO APRILIAS ARE AHEAD OF THE REST
Aprilia kicks off the second round of the World Championship season, the Argentine weekend, in the best possible way. In the first session of the morning, Maverick Viñales was fastest ahead of Aleix Espargaró and in the second (faster) practice session, it was Aleix who came away with the upper hand over Maverick.
In short, a double one-two which is a first for the Italian team and demonstrates the good progress the RS-GP machines and all of Aprilia Racing are achieving.
Naturally, these are only the results of the first day of practice and the riders and the team are well aware of the improvements that must be made in order to stay at the top end of the standings, but it was unquestionably a good day that boosts confidence in view of the rest of the season.
Aleix
“Even though, before arriving here, everyone said we’d be fast like we were last year, I was still convinced that we’d have to demonstrate that on the track. The risk was that we might have gotten ahead of ourselves and that has happened to me in the past, so I tried to find my pace little by little today. Evidently it worked. I lapped at a good pace and, when it came time to find the speed for a flying lap, I did it.”
Maverick
“A decidedly positive day. We still need to improve our pace a bit, but overall I’m satisfied. I’m confident because our pace already seems to be good and knowing that we still have margin for improvement is a good feeling. Now we need sit down and calmly analyse all the data we gathered today. I can’t wait to get back out on the track to see what we’ll be able to accomplish tomorrow.”
WorldSBK: Bautista Best As Testing Concludes At Catalunya
Bautista and Lecuona closing on lap record pace in Barcelona despite crashes
Riders concluded testing before moving onto the Pirelli Dutch Round in a couple of weeks
Alvaro Bautista remained the fastest rider on day two despite a crash. His best time was half a tenth from the all time lap record.
Iker Lecuona concluded the two-day test in second place despite a crash at Turn 14 in the morning which ended his test day early.
Six-time Champion Jonathan Rea was third after setting a 1’40.659s in the afternoon. Lowes finished 0.194s off Rea to take fifth place.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was fourth, finishing 0.359s adrift of his teammate.
Dominique Aegerter was the fastest Rookie on Day 2 as he completed the top six.
WorldSBK Day 2 Report
It was a dramatic day of testing action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with several crashes and exhilarating pace on display during the two-day test. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times by less than a tenth of a second ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) despite the pair crashing in the morning of Day 2. Both riders closed in on the all-time lap record but the pair were just shy of it while three different manufacturers were in the top three at the end of the as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took third spot.
The factory Ducati team opted to run for just half-a-day on Friday but were still able to conclude the second day on top with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as the Spaniard edged closer to the all-time lap record. Bautista posted a 1’40.459s to top the time, faster than he went yesterday and only half-a-tenth down on the lap record set by Tom Sykes in 2021.
Lecuona was second after setting a 1’40.521s despite a crash at Turn 14 in the morning which ended his day’s running before lunchtime. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and did not return to track action on Day 2
The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK duo of Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea opted to only test on the second day of the two-day test in Barcelona and the pair finished third and fifth respectively on the second day.
Yamaha’s charge in the timing sheets was led by Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the Swiss rookie taking sixth place on his first visit to the circuit on WorldSBK machinery. The factory Yamahas finished the day with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in seventh place with a 1’41.196s and teammate Andrea Locatelli in 13th place, three tenths behind the 2021 Champion.
Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (ROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) enjoyed a good Day 2 of testing as he finished in eighth place, with BMW bringing plenty of upgrades to the test. Van der Mark’s best time was a 1’41.221s, finishing seven tenths down on Bautista’s time, as he tried some rider ergonomic items including two additions to the fuel tank.
Read the full report from Day 2 on worldsbk.com
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest rider on Day 2 out of the four WorldSSP riders on track. Bulega’s best lap time was a 1’44.638s to top the timesheets ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he stepped up his recovery from the broken collarbone he sustained in Australia.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team:
WorldSBK – Syahrin and Granado complete important testing in Barcelona
The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team has today concluded an important two-day test session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, alongside many other WorldSBK riders. For riders Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado, this was a useful opportunity to test certain components and setups, having had no time to do so during the first two championship rounds in Australia and Indonesia.
On track on both Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March, the team was able to complete the long list of tasks that it had set itself for this test. Work on the riders’ CBR1000RR-R machines involved testing in preparation for the Catalunya round, which will take place in May, and more general refinement of the setup and electronics ahead of the next championship round at Assen (21-23 April).
The team’s work was facilitated by almost ideal conditions on both days, Syahrin and Granado thus able to make the most of the track time and improve their feeling aboard their respective bikes. The team’s technicians will now continue to prepare for the Assen round, while riders Syahrin and Granado will focus on their physical and mental training so as to be in the best possible shape for next month’s races.
Hafizh Syahrin
“We’ve had two very useful days, completing almost 140 laps. On day two, we tried a few new things, some of which worked better than others. We continued to try and understand the bike but although I feel we’ve improved a little here, we’re not yet where we want to be. Overall, these tests have been very constructive anyway, and I hope we can give a little more already during the next round at Assen.”
Eric Granado
“We’ve had two good days and have been able to really make the most of the track time, completing many laps. This is basically the first time I’ve been able to ride so much and that’s really helped me to better understand the bike. We’ve made changes to the geometry and electronics and my feeling with the bike has improved. Of course we still have areas in which to work but we’ve taken a step with the braking and have a better base setup overall. So it’s been positive and now we’ll see what we can at Assen.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha:
SOLID TEST FOR AEGERTER AND GARDNER IN BARCELONA
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action with a two-day test on 30th-31st March at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, to prepare for the upcoming 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship rounds.
Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter were eager to work on their Yamaha R1 WorldSBK machines to improve their feeling. They enjoyed dry conditions both days throughout the test session, where almost the whole WorldSBK field was on track.
On Day 1, the GYTR GRT Yamaha duo ran from 10:00 to 18:00, without any break, aiming to build confidence. The #87 completed 85 laps, recording a 1’41.728, while his Swiss teammate finished with seven more, clocking a 1’42.000 as personal best from 92 laps in total.
On the second day, both Aegerter and Gardner kept putting in the laps in Barcelona, finding dry tarmac once again. After working on settings to improve their speed, in the latter stages the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair went for flying laps, both improving their lap times. Thereby, the Swiss rider set a 1’40.857 (88 laps) to be sixth fastest, with the Australian registering a 1’41.294 (65 laps) to finish just three places behind.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will now move to TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands, for the third round of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship season on 21st-23rd April.
Dominique Aegerter #77
1’40.857 (180 laps)
“For sure I’m happy to be back on the bike! This was once again a new track for me with the Superbike machine, so it was nice to have the chance to test in Barcelona. We tried many different things and we’re not too far away, even though we know we need to improve to be more competitive. The grip was not amazing and the Superbike uses the rear quite a lot, we have to manage it. Anyway, we took a lot of data and positive things, we know there’s work to do to be competitive, but we’re faithful we’ll be ready for Assen.”
Remy Gardner #87
1’41.294 (150 laps)
“Overall it was a good test; we worked quite well and we had good pace in the final part. We were quite fast with the softer tyre: we needed to find the speed and I think we did it. Also, we focused on finding a solution to the past problems we had and we think we’re heading in the right direction. We tested some parts as well and we’ll try to be as ready as possible for the next round in the Netherlands.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Prepare For European Leg at Catalunya Test
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli both worked through extensive “to-do lists” in a two-day test programme for Yamaha at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, following the final day of running today in Spain.
Along with new hardware upgrades, the key area of development came in the form of improved electronics strategies for Razgatlıoğlu, targeted to match his riding style. The Turkish rider had an extremely positive initial shakedown on Tuesday afternoon at the Catalonian circuit, using a half-day of his test allocation thanks to the assistance of Belgian track-day company Bikers’ Days.
Locatelli joined his teammate for the remaining two full days of testing, where the riders both completed a combined total of 196 laps working closely with their engineers on a raft of potential improvements across electronics, set-up specific to the challenging circuit layout and components aimed at increasing rear grip and acceleration. Data collected during the two days focused solely on race pace, without either rider attempting an outright qualifying time.
Three weeks remain until the first European round of the season at TT Circuit Assen, with Free Practice starting on 21 April. This “riders’ circuit” has played host to many last lap battles since its inclusion on the WorldSBK calendar in 1992 and Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, alongside Yamaha’s engineers, are leaving no stone unturned in the quest to fight for the win once again.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – 1:41.196
“The second day for me was not easy because we tried many, many parts. But in general, I am not really happy – we did a fast lap of 1’41.1 but for me it is not a “real” time, because my bike was not full ready for time attack – I just ride new Pirelli tyre but the feeling is good grip. Now we use updated electronics which have been working good and we are improving this every session, but today my big problem was more on the bike set-up for this circuit, when we tried new parts I am not finding the good bike set-up. Testing is difficult – I enjoyed yesterday morning but it can be hard because we try many new parts and sometimes we are lost and sometimes the feeling is good. Now testing is finished and we are focused on Assen. Thanks to my team for a huge effort in the past two days.”
Andrea Locatelli – 1’41.476
“We tried a lot of things and tried to find a good way with the bike but it was really difficult, I don’t know why. This track for sure is a bit different in respect to the other tracks – we also did not try to use the qualifying tyre so we don’t know our full potential. The pace was not so bad with the race tyre but we still have some work to do for the race. On the long run, it was difficult in the final laps of the simulation – but it was important to be back on track and try to learn something here and understand what we need to do. I have a good confidence from Phillip Island and Mandalika, so we will try to be back in the fight when we are in Assen – we will try to push and see what’s possible. It was an important two days, we were riding a lot and we give the guys a lot of data to work through to find a good solution when we come back here for the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Successful Home Test For KRT
Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes took to the track again for one day of private testing at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya on Friday 31 March, finding set-up improvements on their Ninja ZX-10RR machines around a circuit located just a few hundred yards from KRT’s European base.
The team had originally planned to do two days of testing at the 4.657km ‘Montmelo’ track but opted to ride on the second day only to try and best simulate the hot track conditions that would allow them to make the greatest progress in real world race conditions. This also gives the team the option of one more day of testing later in the season.
Even though the track temperature was little changed on the second and final day of testing at Montmelo the intense day of work provided both KRT riders with confirmation of recent set-up developments to take forward to the next few rounds of the 2023 Superbike World Championship.
Even over one day of track action at Montmelo both Lowes and Rea got to try out the latest front and rear development tyres provided by WorldSBK single make supplier Pirelli, with each rider praising their performance.
Rea ended up third fastest overall, with a 1’40.659 pace. Lowes was fifth fastest, with a 1’40.853 best single lap time.
After the two recent private tests in Iberia the WorldSBK championship restarts at Assen in the Netherlands, between 21-23 April. The two opening rounds have already been completed, in Australia and Indonesia.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We are trying some new things and the team is working really hard. We decided to sacrifice yesterday in favour of the final day as we expected the track conditions would be a bit warmer. That was what we were looking for. In reality we got similar track conditions to the first day and some more wind. There was a big headwind going into T1 along the front straight. But we were able to consistently set-up the bike and do the work that we needed to do. Our plan was to continue working with our new set-up change that we used in Motorland at the previous test. We have taken some weight out of the front end, in the heavy braking areas, to save the front tyre for the end of the races. I think we have had some positive results. Barcelona is a very critical track for tyre consumption. We never did a full race simulation but I felt my pace was OK to fight, to be there. We found some positives here because what we found in Aragon is also working at Barcelona. It is quite a different set-up to what we normally run. The bike feels easier to ride as well. Electronically, we squeezed in another item at the end that our test rider Florian Marino had been working on today. All-in-all, a decent day of riding. I tried the latest Pirelli front and rear tyre solutions and both had positive results. I think they are tyre options we will see in the coming races, especially in the summer. For me, they were better than the base tyre, which is always good. It shows Pirelli are working hard and listening to the feedback of all the riders.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “We had a good test. We were hoping for some really hot and slippery track conditions to test different items on the bike. I have a different riding position that I have already spoken about after the Aragon test. We kept that development here at Montmelo and it feels positive for me. I felt great on the bike. We did some good long runs on used tyres, trying to improve front tyre life after 10-12 laps. I think we found a good direction. In the afternoon we tried some softer tyres from Pirelli and I was able to make a series of good laps. It was really positive. We would have liked hotter track conditions but we did plenty of laps, enjoyed it, and improved my feeling on the bike a little bit. We know our limitations with a little bit of speed but if we can extract everything from the bike at Assen, I think we can fight for the podium, which is our target. Thanks to all the guys, it has been a good test and now we need to recharge and get ready for the start of the European season.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “We had one day on track and we decided to save one for later in the year. This test at Montmelo was good. Everybody else did two days and we only did the final day, but Johnny was fast right away from the first session in the morning. He feels OK with the bike and we confirmed a couple of things from the chassis side that we had tested in Motorland Aragon recently. Now it is clear what we will use as a base in Assen for the next round. From the engine side, and especially in electronics, we have kept working with our new crew member Sander Donkers on different areas that we still think we can improve. In the end we also tried some development tyres from Pirelli, front and rear, and they were quite good. Overall, it seems to have been a positive test and now we will go to Assen for the next round.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “In the end we managed the test similar to the recent one in Aragon. We needed time on a different track to understand our bike a bit better. Over the winter we made quite a few changes to our bike set-up and in the first two rounds we couldn’t extract the maximum performance, because we didn’t really understand the behaviour of the bike. In the Aragon test we made some good steps forward and in this Montmelo test we confirmed those settings again on a different track. We also used a bike similar to last year and we confirmed that our latest package is working better than last year’s race bike. Overall, we did 77 laps in one day, I think, and they were good. We also got to try two new tyres. What they brought was again a big step better. We are happy with the progress of Pirelli.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
The Aruba Racing – Ducati Team concludes testing in Barcelona with Bautista on top and Rinaldi in fourth. Positive test also for Bulega in WorldSSP
The last testing session leading up to the long European segment of the 2023 WorldSBK season has come to an end at Barcelona.
Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi worked intensively on their Ducati Panigale V4R machines, also testing the new tyres brought by Pirelli, and concluded their activities at the Montmeló circuit at the end of today’s morning session.
The Spanish rider ended in P1 with a fastest time of 1’40.459 (set this morning, despite a crash without any particular consequences), completing a total of 142 laps.
Positive indications also for Michael Rinaldi, who worked with his team on the set-up, trying new solutions – especially on the front end – and finishing with a best time of 1’40.820 (152 laps completed).
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #1)
“It was a very positive test where we also had the chance to try the new tyres brought by Pirelli. We gathered valuable information that will be useful during the season. I am very happy with the feeling with the bike and I can’t wait to be at Assen”.
P4 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I’m very satisfied: we worked in several directions, completing many laps. We tried different solutions on the front end that will be useful in the future; moreover, we focused on electronics and tires. My very positive sensations are confirmed by the fact that for the first time at Barcelona, I managed to lap under 1’41”.
WorldSSP
Nicolò Bulega and the Ducati Panigale V2 of the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team close the Barcelona test with high confidence. Despite a technical problem that forced the Italian rider to stop halfway through the first day of testing, Bulega (1’44.638) lapped the entire Day-2 and the indications that emerged were extremely positive.
P1 – Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“We took a good step forward in terms of feeling compared to last year when things didn’t go well at this circuit. It’s been an intense two days: the work on the bike setup has been incisive and I think it can also bring benefits for the next round”.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC Honda:
Strong and fruitful test in Catalunya for Team HRC; just bruises for Lecuona after a crash
Team HRC has been at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain this week, completing another two-day testing session on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March, which follows on from the tests completed just last week at Motorland Aragón.
As the squad continues to prepare for the first European round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship, set to take place at Assen in The Netherlands on 21-23 April, riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge made the most of these Spanish sessions, which fortunately played out in warm and sunny conditions.
During this test, the team essentially picked up from where it had left off at Aragón last week. Lecuona and Vierge continued to assess the potential of several items including a new exhaust, while also testing some different Pirelli tyres and making adjustments to their electronics packages together with their technicians. This, in order to confirm the Aragón findings and really understand bike behaviour at a different circuit, particularly considering that Team HRC will be back at the Barcelona-Catalunya track for a WorldSBK round already in May.
Vierge left the track at the end of two very busy days, satisfied to have confirmed the same good feeling on his bike in terms of pure race pace. On day 2 Lecuona was improving further on his pace when a high-side at turn 14, which occurred at around 11.30am, put a premature end to his work on track. A precautionary check-up at the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya ruled out any serious injury and the young rider was able to re-join his team at the track in time for a final technical debrief before heading home for a few weeks of rest before the April round at Assen.
Iker Lecuona 7
“I’m very happy for several reasons, starting with the very thing that put an early end to a very positive test, funnily enough. I was so lucky to come away from a high-side with only a black eye and some bruises but nothing broken. I lost the front at corner 14, over a bump, I think. I wasn’t doing anything “crazy” but it’s true I was on a qualifying tyre and so was riding fast. The bike hit my right foot in the gravel, and a stone hit my eye after I lost my visor. Anyway, the tests at the hospital were all OK and I feel fine, and basically no pain. As for the test, I’m very pleased because after trying some new items and settings at Aragón last week, we’ve been able to complete back-to-back tests here at Catalunya, a very different track to Motorland and also more challenging in terms of tyre drop-off. We’ve worked well and have had confirmation that we’ve really taken a step forward. I lapped alone basically the whole time and our race pace was good, better than last year, my fastest lap quicker than my pole position time. This is only testing of course, and conditions have been different too, ideal conditions basically, but the feeling has been very good and I’ve felt comfortable on the bike. And this is the most important thing. We basically repeated most of the tests we did last week, including work with the bike geometries and exhaust, and focused a bit more on electronics where we know we have margin for improvement. We also completed some long runs, and lap times were again fast and consistent. Big thanks to the team and everyone at Honda because they are doing a very good job.”
Xavi Vierge 97
“It has again been a very productive test, apart from one thing we must keep working on, which is making the most of the new, soft tyre over the flying lap. We tried a lot of things and collected a large amount of data that we can now analyse to achieve this. That aside, we’re very happy because we’ve shown strong race pace which is ultimately the most important thing. We arrived here after another positive two-day session in Aragón and so were able to complete some useful back-to-back tests. We’re generally trying to improve the base setup of the bike, not specifically for the Montmelo track but in general. The feeling’s good and this is very important especially here at Barcelona where tyre management is crucial. We improved on our best race time set here, and on used tyres, so I’m quite happy with that. Thanks as always to the team for their hard work and now let’s focus on Assen after taking a few days off.”
Video: “Agony To Ecstasy” Episode Two, Daytona
Follow MP13 Racing Team Owner Melissa Paris, and young riders Aiden Sneed and Kayla Yaakov as they take on the 2023 MotoAmerica motorcycle racing season.
Moto2: Lopez Leads, SDK P12, Roberts P19 In FP3 In Argentina
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Where To Ride In April: Track Days, Schools, And Races
The following track days, riding schools, and racing events are scheduled by organizations based in the United States and Canada during April 2023.
Motorcycle track days, riding schools, and races are posted under the Event Calendar tab on the home page of this website, or you can access the Event Calendar for April 2023 directly by clicking HERE.
Once on the Event Calendar page, you can search for the event you are looking for by its date.
When you click on the event you want to attend you should find a link to the website and/or email address of the host organization, a link to the website of the host venue, the physical address of the host venue, a Google map to the host venue, and buttons to add the event and its information to your calendar application.
To have your motorcycle racing or riding event added to the Event Calendar on this website and published in the print edition of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine, submit your calendar and contact information via the contact page on this website or by clicking HERE.
4/1 (Progressive) AMA Pro American Flat Track (AFT), Arizona Super TT, Wild Horse Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
4/1 ASMA Track Days and Advanced Rider Training, Arroyo Seco Raceway, Deming, NM
4/1 Central Illinois Mini Moto Track Days (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Dawson, IL
4/1 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD
4/1 SFLminiGP (South Florida MiniGP) Rider Development Days (Minis), Bushnell Motorsports Park, Bushnell, FL
4/1 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA
4/1 Southeast Mini Moto Series, MidPond Raceway & Events Complex, Columbiana, AL
4/1-2 ASMA Series, Arroyo Seco Raceway, Deming, NM
4/1-2 Brake Free Track Time Track Days, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ
4/1-2 Evolve GT School and Track Days, NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
4/1-2 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/1-2 Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School, Summit Point Motorsports Park, Summit Point, WV
4/1-2 South Florida MiniGP Series (Minis), Bushnell Motorsports Park, Bushnell, FL
4/1-3 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL
4/2 Fun Track Dayz, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/2-3 California Superbike School, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
4/3 Pacific Track Times Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/3 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/5 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Practice and Skill Reinforcement Day)
4/6-7 California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/7 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Learn To Ride Off-Road)
4/7-8 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
4/7-8 MRA New Racers School, High Plains Raceway, Deer Trail, CO
4/7-8 Performance Riding Experience (PRE) Track Days, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
4/7-10 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/8 2WTD Mini Racing (Minis) Series, Horsethief Mile, Rosamond, CA
4/8 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Off-Road Challenge Course)
4/8 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/8-9 California Superbike School, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/8-9 Carters@thetrack Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/8-9 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC
4/8-9 HART Rider Training/Motorcycle Lapping Days, Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Hallett, OK
4/8-9 SoCal Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/8-9 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, AL
4/8-10 Racers Edge Private Coaching Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/9 Florida Trackdays, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL
4/9 John Long’s Longevity Racing School, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, FL
4/10 Let’s Ride Track Days, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA
4/10-13 Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp, Montgomery, TX
4/11-12 Yamaha Champions Riding School, MotorSports Ranch, Cresson, TX
4/12-13 JP43 Training School, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/12-13 Racers Edge Private Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/14 Apex Assassins Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/14 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC
4/14 Fun Track Dayz, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/14 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Private Training Day)
4/14 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL
4/14-15 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Gainesville, GA
4/14-15 The Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/14-16 FIM MotoGP World Championship, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX, USA
4/14-16 NJMiniGP (Minis) Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/15 Apex Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
4/15 Classic Track Day, Willow Springs International Raceway, Rosamond, CA
4/15 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/15 Tactical Motorcycle Dynamics Track Days, Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
4/15 UtahSBA New Racer Certification (NRC), Utah Motorsports Campus, Grantsville, UT
4/15-16 AMA Sanctioned ASRA Team Challenge Series Presented by Michelin Tire/CCS Atlantic/Florida/Mid-Atlantic/Southeast Roadracing Championship Series, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC
4/15-16 California Superbike School, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/15-16 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC
4/15-16 CVMA 2022-2023 Winter Series, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/15-16 (Pirelli) WERA National Challenge Co-Sanctioned by AMA/WERA Sportsman Series Mid-Central/Southeast Region, Talladega Gran Prix Raceway, Munford, AL
4/15-16 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Kids Ride & Wrench Weekend Camp)
4/15-16 Track Day Winner Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL
4/16 Motogladiator Series, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA
4/16 XCEL Trackdays Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ
4/16-17 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Gainesville, GA
4/16-17 Evolve GT School and Track Days, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA
4/16-17 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA
4/17 Aprilia Racers Days Track Day/Demo Program, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, TX
4/17 Motogladiator Series, VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, VA
4/17-18 Carters@thetrack Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/17-18 CLASS Motorcycle School with 3x AMA Superbike Champion Reg Pridmore, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/17-18 Yamaha Champions Riding School, Carolina Motorsports Park, Kershaw, SC
4/19-20 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (POST Motorcycle Officer Update Course)
4/20-21 The Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/21 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL
4/21 Penguin Riding School, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH
4/21-23 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
4/22 Central Illinois Mini Moto Series (Minis), Mid-State Kart Club, Mechanicsburg, IL
4/22 (Progressive) AMA Pro American Flat Track (AFT), Dallas Half-Mile, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, TX
4/22 TrackAddix/Ducati Omaha Racing Series, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE
4/22 ZARS Advanced Riding School, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount, MN
4/22-23 AFM Series, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA
4/22-23 Apex Assassins Track Days, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
4/22-23 CCS Mid-West Roadracing Championship Series, Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, IL
4/22-23 Evolve GT School and Track Days, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Dawsonville, GA
4/22-23 Evolve GT School and Track Days, NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
4/22-23 Evolve GT School and Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/22-23 N2 Track Days, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, PA
4/22-23 NEMRR Series, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, NH
4/22-23 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Fun Camp)
4/22-23 RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX
4/22-23 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Grattan Raceway, Belding, MI
4/22-23 TrackXperience Track Days, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/22-24 Jennings GP Track Days, Jennings GP, Jennings, FL
4/23 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/23 SoCal Supermoto School, Adams Motorsport Park, Riverside, CA
4/23 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA
4/23 TrackAddix/Ducati Omaha Track Days, Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE
4/24 2Fast Motorcycle Track Days & Instruction, Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, WA
4/24 Aprilia Racers Days Track Day/Demo Program, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA
4/24 Fastrack Riders Academy & Apex Club Track Days & School, Buttonwillow Raceway Park, Buttonwillow, CA
4/26-29 Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp, Montgomery, TX
4/27-28 Yamaha Champions Riding School, NCBike Garysburg, NC
4/28 2 Wheels Track Days, Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, Desert Center, CA
4/28 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Private Training Day)
4/28 RideSmart Motorcycle School, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX
4/28 Sportbike Track Time Track Days, Gingerman Raceway, S. Haven, MI
4/28 The Riders Club Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/28-29 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Springfield, IL
4/28-30 CMRA Series, MSR Houston, Angleton, TX
4/29 Sandy Hook Mini Moto Road Race Series (Minis), Sandy Hook Speedway, Street, MD
4/29 SFLminiGP (South Florida MiniGP) Rider Development Days (Minis), Anderson Racepark, Palmetto, FL
4/29-30 AMA Sanctioned ASRA Championship Series Presented by Pirelli Tire/CCS Atlantic Roadracing Championship Series, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/29-30 Cornerspin School: Roadracing In The Dirt (Dirt Track School), Cornerspin Facility, Spencer, NC
4/29-30 CRA (California Roadrace Association) Series, The Podium Club at Attesa, Casa Grande, AZ
4/29-30 Fast Line Track Days, NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, KY
4/29-30 Fasttrax Motorcycle Performance Track Days, Nelson Ledges Road Course, Garrettsville, OH
4/29-30 N2 Track Days, NCBike, Garysburg, NC
4/29-30 Pacific Track Times Track Days, Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows, CA
4/29-30 Rich Oliver’s Mystery School (Dirt Track School), Prather, CA (Kids Ride & Wrench Advanced Camp)
4/29-30 Road America Motorplex Open Track Days, Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
4/29-30 Superbike-Coach Corp. (Schools), Little 99 Raceway, Stockton, CA
4/30 Brake Free Track Times Track Days, Arizona Motorsports Park, Litchfield Park, AZ
4/30 HER Track Day Track Days, Streets of Willow, Rosamond, CA
4/30 N2 Track Days, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ
4/30 Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club School & Track Days, Mission Raceway Park, Mission, BC
4/30 ZARS Advanced Riding School, Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount, MN
4/30-5/1 American Supercamp (Dirt Track School), Springfield, IL
Roadracing World Young Guns 2023: Eli Banish
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.
Eli Banish
Age: 14.
Current home: Burlington, Kentucky.
Current height/weight: 5’6”/130 pounds.
Current school grade level: 8th grade.
Began riding at age: 4 years.
First road race: 2017, Circleville, Ohio, Ohio Mini Road Racing League, Kids50, 4th Place.
Current racebike: Honda, NSF250R.
Current tuners/mechanics: Nathan Smith, Jordan Pritchard.
Primary race series: British Talent Cup.
Top sponsors: Dainese Chicago, Best Western Resorts & Hotels; KMA Racing, Enterprise Rental, Thorneycroft Solicitors, Rising Sun Cycles, POP Shadow Decals & Wraps, HiFLo Filtro, Vortex Racing, Motul, 35 Motorsports.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2022 season, tied for 29th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race finish was 12th), won WERA Sportsman Clubman National Championship, won 2 WERA North Central Regional Championships (won 18 WERA races); 2021 season, won AMA Moto3 Expert Grand Championship, took 2nd in Formula Two WERA National Challenge Series Championship, won 8 WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships (won 26 WERA races); 2020 season, won D Superbike Novice WERA Sportsman North Central Championship (won 6 WERA races); 2019 season, named AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year, won 5 WERA Sportsman Regional Championships in Novice classes (win 13 WERA races).
2023 racing goal: Finish top 10 in British Talent Cup Championship.
Racing career goal: Compete in the MotoGP World Championship.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Road Atlanta.
Favorite hobby: Cooking.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Making cooking videos for YouTube.
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.
MotoGP: More From Friday At Termas De Rio Honda, In Argentina
Aleix Espargaro leads Aprilia 1-2, Bezzecchi heads the chasing pack
It’s advantage Aprilia on Day 1 in Argentina, with Bezzecchi and Marini on the chase, Bagnaia sixth and Quartararo in P14 on the way to Q1
Friday, 31 March 2023
1st and 2nd in Practice 1, 1st and 2nd in Practice 2 – it doesn’t get any better than that for Aprilia Racing as Day 1 at the Gran Premio Michelin® de la República Argentina belonged to the Noale factory. Ending Friday on top was Aleix Espargaro after the 2022 Termas race winner got the better of teammate and P1 pacesetter Maverick Viñales in the afternoon, while Portuguese GP podium finisher Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) claimed P3 just ahead of teammate Luca Marini.
Reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) ended the day in sixth and may be glad the fight for an automatic place in Q2 is already over, but his predecessor Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) likely wished for another shot at it. El Diablo ends Day 1 in P14, with teammate Franco Morbidelli up in ninth and moving through.
P1
With rain threatening to disrupt proceedings in Termas de Rio Hondo, the final 10 minutes of P1 were hectic as riders chased that all-important top 10. A late lap from Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) placed the Japanese star in 4th, with Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) going well again in 5th.
World Championship leader Bagnaia squeezed into the top 10 in P10, but Quartararo was already struggling even more ahead of the afternoon final shootout.
There was one crash to report – Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) tucked the front of his RC213V at Turn 1. The Spaniard was perfectly ok.
The rush for Q2
It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes that plenty of movement lit up the timesheets in Practice 2, as Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) pounced to demote Viñales to second after the latter produced a dominant performance in Practice 1. On his second flying lap, Martin moved the goalposts further as his 1:39.092 became the time to beat, and Nakagami climbed to P3.
With all eyes focused on grabbing a top 10 spot ahead of Saturday morning’s qualifying, Practice 2 lit up. Aleix Espargaro set a new benchmark as Viñales slotted into P2, 0.009s off his teammate, before Bagnaia then went top of the pile with a 1:38.969. Then, Viñales was back at the summit – but not for long. Bezzecchi was now the pacesetter, with teammate Marini taking over as third fastest.
With 10 minutes to go, Quartararo was in P13 and 0.9s off the top. By three minutes to go, he was still outside the cut off. In contrast, Viñales found an extra dose of pace and went back to the top, but his stablemate made sure that didn’t last long. Aleix Espargaro set a 1:38.518 to beat Viñales by 0.162s. Quartararo still remained outside the top 10 with seconds to go, and that’s where he stayed.
Behind the top three, Marini bounced back from a difficult opening weekend with a solid Friday P4 in Termas de Rio Hondo, with Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) rounding out the top five. Reigning World Champion Bagnaia settled for P6, 0.4s off Espargaro, with Martin, Nakagami, an upbeat Morbidelli and Rins acting as the final automatic entrants to Q2 on Saturday morning in P7, P8, P9 and P10 respectively.
Alongside Rins’ Turn 1 crash in Practice 1, reigning Moto2™ World Champion Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) was unhurt in a Practice 2 Turn 1 crash.
Some big hitters will be battling it out in Q1, including 2020 World Champion Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Brad Binder and Jack Miller, Alex Marquez, and Quartararo. Don’t miss qualifying on Saturday morning, it’s going to be a barnstormer.
Saturdays = qualifying & Tissot Sprint
So that’s it from Friday in Argentina. An intriguing day to say the least as the second installment of the Tissot Sprint fast approaches. Can Quartararo bounce back from a difficult day? Who will get themselves into the pole position shootout? Free Practice starts at 10:10 local time (GMT-3), before qualifying from 10:50. Then, it’s lights out and away we Sprint at 15:00!
Just 0.080 splits Arbolino, Salač and Acosta on Friday
It’s tight at the top after Day 1 for Moto2™, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) quickest off the mark but the Italian enjoying close company from both Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™), 0.066 in arrears, and Portuguese GP winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) at a deficit of just 0.080.
It stayed close from there on out, too. Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Moto2™) was 0.121 off the top, and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) just 0.005 off the Brit. Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) are tightly packed just behind them, with Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up) completing the top ten.
The top 14 head through to Q2 directly, check out the combined timesheets and then come back for P3 before qualifying on Saturday from 13:45 (GMT-3).
Sasaki holds early advantage in Argentina
Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) topped the timesheets on Friday in Moto3™, the Japanese rider 0.186 clear of Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI). Moreira, fresh from taking his first Grand Prix podium and the first for Brazil in the lightweight class, was less than half a tenth clear of veteran campaigner Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) in third.
The top three had a small advantage by the end of play, with Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) in fourth but three and a half tenths off his teammate. Suzuki also had a couple of tenths in hand over Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) as the Italian headed a closer gaggle completing the top ten: Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team), Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse), David Alonso (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Moto3™), Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) and Portuguese GP winner Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3). So close that Dutch rookie Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) missed out on that top ten by just 0.002.
One rider currently set to miss out on Q2 is Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo), something he’ll be keen to rectify on Saturday morning! Come back for more then, before qualifying for the lightweight class from 12:50 (GMT -3).
More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory RAcing Tech3:
ENCOURAGING OPENING DAY IN TERMAS DE RIO HONDO FOR ROOKIE AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ
Sole GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 representative at the Gran Premio Michelin® de la República Argentina, rookie Augusto Fernandez started his Argentinian campaign on Friday with the learnings from his positive opening round in Portimao last week, eager to continue his progress in the MotoGP™ class. Dry track conditions were declared at the start of the day, but that did not mean it was not tricky for rider and technical crew, with small drops of rain playing around all day in Termas de Río Hondo.
In Practice 1, the rookie delivered an impressive performance this morning, with encouraging lap times on a circuit he was just discovering with his RC16. Halfway through the practice, he saw a great lap getting cancelled for exceeding track limits, but that did not prevent him from continuing to push, until he registered a lap in 1’39.994, placing him thirteenth of the morning session, just 0.787 seconds from the fastest man.
In the afternoon, the sky continued to threaten the action, but Practice 2 continued to roll on in dry track conditions. His progress was stopped after a couple of laps into the session when he lost the front of his bike at Turn 1, and thrumbled through the gravel. Luckily, he came back to his pit box feeling ok, and was back on track after a quick change of leathers, with a bit less than thirty minutes to refocus. Quickly he seemed to settle back in his pace, before trying to get a fast lap in the final five minutes of the session with a new set of tyres. 1’39.561, his personal best so far in Termas, places him seventeenth in the combined standings. Just 1.043 seconds away from the top, Fernandez has a good margin to improve and will work hard for a good grid position tomorrow morning in qualifying, before lining up for his second sprint. The MotoGP™ action will return on Saturday at 10:10 (GMT+3).
Augusto Fernandez
Position: 17th
Time: 1’39.561
Laps: 40
“We are learning a new track with a MotoGP bike, so I tried to take it easy, but I am quite happy about my fast adaptation. In the afternoon, I lost a bit of confidence after my crash at Turn 1 when I lost the front. It was not ideal, but I recovered pretty well into the session. I got back the confidence in the braking points and the time attacks were not too bad. We are not very far from the fastest riders, but we are still missing a little something to grab a few hundredths. We will continue working hard for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
TEAM GRESINI ONE TENTH AWAY FROM ARGENTINE Q2
The racing weekend at Termas de Rio Hondo began with good feelings for Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, both close to each other lap-time wise and only a few thousandths of a second away from the top ten. 0.096secs separate the Spanish rider from the Italian one, with the #73 who missed the chance to get into Q2 due to some traffic encountered in the third split (after potentially improving in the first two) whole the other worked more on the feeling with the bike – which he fully recovered.
On-track action will resume tomorrow morning at 10:50 local time for a Q1 who could see both Gresini standard bearers as protagonist. A spot in the first four rows will be crucial for aiming at something important in the sprint race (scheduled at 15:00) as well as in Sunday’s encounter.
11th – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’39.184s)
“It was a very positive Friday. We worked well with both the new and the used tyres. Shame that I encountered some traffic om my good lap: we had a big chance to get into Q2 today but somehow we seem not to like the easy way. We have everything in order to get into Q2 tomorrow and we’ll be ready for the sprint race. Tyres and track are very different here, but I expect a very similar sprint race to the one we had in Portimao.”
15th – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’39.288s)
“Things are a bit better than what they look like… We’re all very close and the feeling with the bike is now similar to the one we had in the tests. We made a plan with tyres a little different to everybody else’s and we didn’t have two sets to use in the afternoon, but we were still one tenth or so away from the Q2 lot. We’re working well and trying to improve in all areas; here the grip is very low, but we’re getting there.”
More, from a press release issued by RNF MotoGP Team:
Learning day for Raul Fernandez in Argentina
Mixed weather conditions accompanied the opening day of the Gran Premio Michelin de la República Argentina. Following some hot and humid days, there have been some drops of rain this morning, yet both Friday’s sessions for MotoGP stayed mainly dry.
Raul Fernandez, the sole rider of the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP Team this weekend, started to develop a feeling with his Aprilia RS-GP at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. Riding on the track for the first time on his new machine, Fernandez was fortunate to not be bothered by the numbness he experienced in his arm during the race in Portugal less than a week ago. He made significant progress throughout the day, improving his lap time by 0.761 seconds from Practice one to the end of Practice two. Although he finished in P18, he was just a bit over a second behind the fastest rider of the day and missed out on the top 10 by only 0.458 seconds.
Meanwhile, encouraging signs were also seen from Aprilia Racing next door with Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales covering the first and second positions.
Saturday promises to be another action-packed day, with Free Practice starting at 10:10 local time (15:10 CET), giving Raul a final chance to fine-tune his race settings ahead of the Qualifying itself, which begins at 10:50 local time (15:50 CET). The Sprint race, with a distance of 12 laps, will begin at 15:00 local time (20:00 CET).
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“I feel good and I am lucky with my arm. The track doesn’t have a lot of grip and there are quite many bumps. I don’t know why, but always when the grip level is low, I do struggle. Especially here, I lost a lot of time. We need to work on that and analyze it. It’s just about small details, mainly on corner exit. We saw the data and we have an idea on what we need to work on and we think it’s just some minor changes, we need to do. Overall, I am happy about today. We are not far from the front, but obviously the position doesn’t look very nice.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Mir finds a second in Argentina
Big improvements for Joan Mir saw the #36 narrowly miss out on the top ten in Argentina, Saturday set to be a day of comebacks for the double World Champion.
It was a lone Joan Mir left to face the changeable conditions of the two Friday practice sessions inside the Repsol Honda Team garage as Marc Marquez continued his recovery at home in Spain. Morning showers threatened a wet start to the day for the MotoGP field at the 4.8-kilometer long Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, but the track dried quickly. Rain would threaten most of the day, but it would ultimately remain dry.
Mir avoided fitting a soft rear slick and pushing for a fast lap in the morning session as he worked on improving the feeling of his Honda RC213V in Argentina. Down the timesheets, Mir and the Repsol Honda Team worked solidly throughout the lunch break to find solutions to the situation for the crucial afternoon session. Improving to a best time of 1’39.257, almost 1.5 seconds faster than his FP1 time, Mir ended the day in 13th. 0.120s shy of a spot in the combined top ten, the #36 was left disappointed with the day and is already plotting his comeback on Saturday.
Saturday will see the second MotoGP Sprint race take place; 12 laps of all-out action scheduled to start at 15:00 Local Time.
Joan Mir
13TH 1’39.257
“It was a pretty tough day. We started with a base setting which was not the best for this track, and we spent a lot of time working on it to improve. There is clearly a lot of potential there with the bike, Taka and Rins were strong, but I am just missing the final few tenths. We made a lot of progress and finally our pace at the end, especially with used tyres, was quite close to the top five. We just need more time now to work on the fine details, it’s still just our second race so this is part of the process. Even like this we were able to make some big improvements today and we aim to continue it tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
LOW GRIP IN ARGENTINA MEANS MIXED FRIDAY RESULTS FOR MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP
Termas de Río Hondo (Argentina), 31st March 2023
GRAND PRIX OF ARGENTINA
PRACTICE
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Franco Morbidelli found the improvement he was looking for just a week ago at the Portuguese GP. He started the Gran Premio de la República Argentina with a strong pace, 9th in the combined P1+P2 results, and a place in tomorrow‘s Q2. It was an overcast day for Fabio Quartararo in more ways than one. Ranking 14th in today‘s overall results, he will have to take part in Q1.
LOCAL TIME: 15:00 GMT-3
AIR TEMPERATURE: 24°C
TRACK TEMPERATURE: 31°C
WEATHER: CLOUDY / HUMIDITY 66%
MORE CIRCUIT INFO
9th FRANCO MORBIDELLI 1’39.080 / 16 + 23 LAPS
14th FABIO QUARTARARO 1’39.264 / 19 + 27 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Franco Morbidelli showed strong performance in the two Friday MotoGP sessions at the Autódromo Internacional de Termas de Río Hondo, securing 9th place in the combined standings and a place in Q2. It was a difficult day at the office for Fabio Quartararo. He ended the Friday in Argentina in 14th position and will have to take part in tomorrow‘s Q1.
Morbidelli showed brilliant pace throughout P1. The Italian featured inside the top 3 for most of the 45-minute session and set the provisional fastest lap multiple times. Though he finished in eighth place and 0.489s off the top time in the end, with a 1‘39.696s set on lap 15/16, his improved performance gave him a confidence boost for the remainder of the weekend.
The Italian kept the momentum going in the overcast but perfectly dry P2, underlining that his solid pace from the morning session was here to stay. Morbido worked diligently and managed to shave an extra 0.6s off his P1 best lap, posting a 1‘39.080s on lap 21/23. It earned him ninth place in the P2 and the combined rankings, 0.562s off the fastest time, and a place in Saturday‘s Q2.
Things didn‘t go to plan in the morning session for Quartararo. His strategy was to work on his bike‘s settings for most of the session and then push for a hot lap in the final stages. However, he didn‘t have the perfect lap on his first and second try during his time attack, and he thought he had taken the chequered flag before his third lap and rolled out. He ended the session in 15th place, with a 1‘40.116s set on lap 17/19, 0.909s from first.
The Frenchman was thankful that the 1-hour long P2 session was dry, so he could use the time to work on his bike‘s set-up. He put in a total of 27 laps and improved on his best morning time by almost a second, with a 1‘39.264s set on lap 25/27. However, it was not enough to get him into the top 10. He finished 14th in the P2 and combined results, 0.746s from the top, and will have to take part in tomorrow‘s Q1.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
The Argentina GP weekend has not started the way we expected. There are positives and negatives. Starting with the positives: Franky has found something here this weekend. His pace is good, as he showed in both sessions, and he is inside the top 10 and in Q2 where he belongs. Fabio, on the other hand, seems to be struggling much more from the lack of grip at the circuit. He made an improvement in P2, but he is not at the level where he should be. Tomorrow, he will have to take part in Q1. It will be a tough day, so we have to work hard to find a solution overnight to help him get into Q2 – because we have seen from last weekend how vital qualifying is for the outcome of Saturday’s Sprint and Sunday’s Race.
FRANCO MORBIDELLI
It was a positive Friday for us. We started already with a good feeling, and we went ahead with the weekend and started improving the bike little by little. I feel that we have improved today, that’s positive. There are some areas to work on, for sure. But, so far, it’s been a positive start to the GP weekend. Tomorrow, it would be very nice for me to be somewhere on the front two rows. Let’s see if it’s possible.
FABIO QUARTARARO
It was a bad day for us. The feeling is not so bad, but there are many things to work on. We lack corner speed and drive. But the corner speed is the thing I’m missing the most. We have to understand why this is happening, because we haven’t changed that much on the bike compared to before. I hope that later today I will understand why. I was expecting to do better, considering that we had a strong pace last year.
More, from a press release issued by Lenovo Ducati:
Bagnaia sets the sixth fastest time at the end of Day 1 of the Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina at Termas de Rio Hondo
Francesco Bagnaia was the sixth fastest at the end of Day 1 of the Michelin Grand Prix of Argentina, the second round of the 2023 MotoGP season, held this weekend at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit.
Tenth after the first session, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider lowered his time by more than half a second in the afternoon session. With a fastest lap time in 1:38.944, Bagnaia ended the day in sixth, thus gaining direct access to tomorrow morning’s Q2.
In addition to the official qualifying, scheduled at 10:50am local time, the MotoGP riders will also face the first race of the weekend at the Argentine track tomorrow. The Sprint Race will start at 3:00pm local time (CEST -5:00) on a 12-lap distance.
Francesco Bagnaia (#1, Ducati Lenovo Team) – 6th (1:38.944)
“It was a positive day all in all, and I am satisfied with our work. Compared to Portimão, where we had two days of testing before the race weekend, we were not starting in the best conditions. The time available to fine-tune the bike is not much, but we still did a good job. On used tires, my pace is competitive, and we are not far from the frontrunners. Tomorrow morning it will be very important to keep riding on used tyres again to try to make an additional step forward, and in qualifying, it will be crucial to secure a spot in the first two rows of the starting grid.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
ALEX RINS SECURES Q2 SPOT IN ARGENTINA
LCR Honda CASTROL rider Alex Rins has completed the first practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Argentina. The Spaniard has classified 10th after a very intense day.
At the Circuit of Termas de Rio Hondo, Alex has tested new items brought by HRC and has been able to decide and compare which ones are more performing. Considering some strong wind and track conditions, Rins and the crew have carried out a solid Friday that has secured a Q2 spot. The job at the box never finishes, however, these small steps mean extra motivation to embrace the rest of the weekend.
Alex Rins 10th
(1’39.117)
“I’m quite satisfied after today’s performance, it’s true that there’s still work to do because we haven’t had time to find the best setup, but being able to test different parts has given us important information to keep pushing; I’ve had better feelings and step by step we are getting closer to our rivals.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI SECURES Q2 SPOT IN ARGENTINA
LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami has completed the first practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Argentina. The Japanese rider and the crew have accomplished a performing Friday, classifying 8th on the general standings, and securing a Q2 spot.
Nakagami has been one of the most consistent riders of the day, as at the end of the first session he had set the 4th fastest lap time. Considering strong wind and track conditions, the rider admits having found better feelings on the bike that have allowed him to be smoother. Things this way, finishing the first day of track activity with a positive result means the extra motivation to embrace the rest of the weekend.
Takaaki Nakagami 8th
(1’39.071)
“I’ve always liked this track and I’ve felt good on the bike today. We are always working hard to improve because we still miss a bit compared to our rivals. Today I’ve enjoyed the sessions and I believe we are always closer, as session after session we are confirming our progression”.
More, from a press release issued by Moony VR46 Racing Team:
GOOD START FOR THE MOONEY VR46 RACING TEAM IN ARGENTINA
Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini gain the direct access into the Q2 in P3 and P4 respectively at the end of the Day1
Termas de Rio Hondo (Argentina), March 31st 2023 – Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini immediately among the fastest guys at Argentina GP which takes place on Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo (Sprint tomorrow at 03:00 pm local time) . At ease on the Ducati Desmosedici GP bikes of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team, both have set the direct access to tomorrow’s Q2 (11:15 am) respectively in third and fourth place in the combined standings.
Only two tenths behind the poleman of the day (Espargaro, 1’38.518) for Marco who signs a superb 1’38.767, excellent time and feeling on the flying lap and also a decent pace on the long run.
Very positive sensations also for Luca, consistent in both sessions and looking for redemption on the Argentine track. He sets a good 1’38.833 right at the end of the session.
LUCA MARINI – 10
A positive day: I’m satisfied with the work done and the changes brought to the track, especially in terms of settings. I have to say that the asphalt conditions, especially this morning, were particularly difficult to manage even in terms of grip. We have to keep working: I need a step forward on the engine braking and rear tire management, at least for the long race. We changed bike 1 a lot, I didn’t feel at ease even if the lap time is very similar to the one I set with the bike 2. I’m not confident on the front and the rear moves a lot. It is normal that the two bikes are not identical, it is, at the same time, strange that they are so different.
MARCO BEZZECCHI – 72
The aim of the weekend is, as always, to work as hard as possible but, immediately, I managed to be very fast. Here in Argentina I’ve always had a good feelings, but the conditions are tough, even with the grip, and the level is very high. We haven’t made any radical changes compared to Portimao, the first bike was identical, while in the second we made some small changes that worked right away. Friday is crucial: we need to start immediately strong. I took great care with my riding style today, in order not to overload the tires, and I’m happy both in terms of the Sprint and the race. We are all there.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA SWEEPS FRIDAY AT THE GP OF ARGENTINA
MAVERICK FIRST AND ALEIX SECOND IN THE FIRST QUALIFYING SESSION, ALEIX FIRST AND MAVERICK SECOND AT THE END OF THE DAY
EVEN SWAPPING THE ORDER, THE RESULT IS THE SAME: TWO APRILIAS ARE AHEAD OF THE REST
Aprilia kicks off the second round of the World Championship season, the Argentine weekend, in the best possible way. In the first session of the morning, Maverick Viñales was fastest ahead of Aleix Espargaró and in the second (faster) practice session, it was Aleix who came away with the upper hand over Maverick.
In short, a double one-two which is a first for the Italian team and demonstrates the good progress the RS-GP machines and all of Aprilia Racing are achieving.
Naturally, these are only the results of the first day of practice and the riders and the team are well aware of the improvements that must be made in order to stay at the top end of the standings, but it was unquestionably a good day that boosts confidence in view of the rest of the season.
Aleix
“Even though, before arriving here, everyone said we’d be fast like we were last year, I was still convinced that we’d have to demonstrate that on the track. The risk was that we might have gotten ahead of ourselves and that has happened to me in the past, so I tried to find my pace little by little today. Evidently it worked. I lapped at a good pace and, when it came time to find the speed for a flying lap, I did it.”
Maverick
“A decidedly positive day. We still need to improve our pace a bit, but overall I’m satisfied. I’m confident because our pace already seems to be good and knowing that we still have margin for improvement is a good feeling. Now we need sit down and calmly analyse all the data we gathered today. I can’t wait to get back out on the track to see what we’ll be able to accomplish tomorrow.”
WorldSBK: Bautista Best As Testing Concludes At Catalunya
Bautista and Lecuona closing on lap record pace in Barcelona despite crashes
Riders concluded testing before moving onto the Pirelli Dutch Round in a couple of weeks
Alvaro Bautista remained the fastest rider on day two despite a crash. His best time was half a tenth from the all time lap record.
Iker Lecuona concluded the two-day test in second place despite a crash at Turn 14 in the morning which ended his test day early.
Six-time Champion Jonathan Rea was third after setting a 1’40.659s in the afternoon. Lowes finished 0.194s off Rea to take fifth place.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was fourth, finishing 0.359s adrift of his teammate.
Dominique Aegerter was the fastest Rookie on Day 2 as he completed the top six.
WorldSBK Day 2 Report
It was a dramatic day of testing action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with several crashes and exhilarating pace on display during the two-day test. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times by less than a tenth of a second ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) despite the pair crashing in the morning of Day 2. Both riders closed in on the all-time lap record but the pair were just shy of it while three different manufacturers were in the top three at the end of the as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took third spot.
The factory Ducati team opted to run for just half-a-day on Friday but were still able to conclude the second day on top with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as the Spaniard edged closer to the all-time lap record. Bautista posted a 1’40.459s to top the time, faster than he went yesterday and only half-a-tenth down on the lap record set by Tom Sykes in 2021.
Lecuona was second after setting a 1’40.521s despite a crash at Turn 14 in the morning which ended his day’s running before lunchtime. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and did not return to track action on Day 2
The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK duo of Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea opted to only test on the second day of the two-day test in Barcelona and the pair finished third and fifth respectively on the second day.
Yamaha’s charge in the timing sheets was led by Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the Swiss rookie taking sixth place on his first visit to the circuit on WorldSBK machinery. The factory Yamahas finished the day with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in seventh place with a 1’41.196s and teammate Andrea Locatelli in 13th place, three tenths behind the 2021 Champion.
Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (ROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) enjoyed a good Day 2 of testing as he finished in eighth place, with BMW bringing plenty of upgrades to the test. Van der Mark’s best time was a 1’41.221s, finishing seven tenths down on Bautista’s time, as he tried some rider ergonomic items including two additions to the fuel tank.
Read the full report from Day 2 on worldsbk.com
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest rider on Day 2 out of the four WorldSSP riders on track. Bulega’s best lap time was a 1’44.638s to top the timesheets ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he stepped up his recovery from the broken collarbone he sustained in Australia.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team:
WorldSBK – Syahrin and Granado complete important testing in Barcelona
The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team has today concluded an important two-day test session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, alongside many other WorldSBK riders. For riders Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado, this was a useful opportunity to test certain components and setups, having had no time to do so during the first two championship rounds in Australia and Indonesia.
On track on both Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March, the team was able to complete the long list of tasks that it had set itself for this test. Work on the riders’ CBR1000RR-R machines involved testing in preparation for the Catalunya round, which will take place in May, and more general refinement of the setup and electronics ahead of the next championship round at Assen (21-23 April).
The team’s work was facilitated by almost ideal conditions on both days, Syahrin and Granado thus able to make the most of the track time and improve their feeling aboard their respective bikes. The team’s technicians will now continue to prepare for the Assen round, while riders Syahrin and Granado will focus on their physical and mental training so as to be in the best possible shape for next month’s races.
Hafizh Syahrin
“We’ve had two very useful days, completing almost 140 laps. On day two, we tried a few new things, some of which worked better than others. We continued to try and understand the bike but although I feel we’ve improved a little here, we’re not yet where we want to be. Overall, these tests have been very constructive anyway, and I hope we can give a little more already during the next round at Assen.”
Eric Granado
“We’ve had two good days and have been able to really make the most of the track time, completing many laps. This is basically the first time I’ve been able to ride so much and that’s really helped me to better understand the bike. We’ve made changes to the geometry and electronics and my feeling with the bike has improved. Of course we still have areas in which to work but we’ve taken a step with the braking and have a better base setup overall. So it’s been positive and now we’ll see what we can at Assen.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha:
SOLID TEST FOR AEGERTER AND GARDNER IN BARCELONA
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action with a two-day test on 30th-31st March at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, to prepare for the upcoming 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship rounds.
Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter were eager to work on their Yamaha R1 WorldSBK machines to improve their feeling. They enjoyed dry conditions both days throughout the test session, where almost the whole WorldSBK field was on track.
On Day 1, the GYTR GRT Yamaha duo ran from 10:00 to 18:00, without any break, aiming to build confidence. The #87 completed 85 laps, recording a 1’41.728, while his Swiss teammate finished with seven more, clocking a 1’42.000 as personal best from 92 laps in total.
On the second day, both Aegerter and Gardner kept putting in the laps in Barcelona, finding dry tarmac once again. After working on settings to improve their speed, in the latter stages the GYTR GRT Yamaha pair went for flying laps, both improving their lap times. Thereby, the Swiss rider set a 1’40.857 (88 laps) to be sixth fastest, with the Australian registering a 1’41.294 (65 laps) to finish just three places behind.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will now move to TT Circuit Assen, Netherlands, for the third round of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship season on 21st-23rd April.
Dominique Aegerter #77
1’40.857 (180 laps)
“For sure I’m happy to be back on the bike! This was once again a new track for me with the Superbike machine, so it was nice to have the chance to test in Barcelona. We tried many different things and we’re not too far away, even though we know we need to improve to be more competitive. The grip was not amazing and the Superbike uses the rear quite a lot, we have to manage it. Anyway, we took a lot of data and positive things, we know there’s work to do to be competitive, but we’re faithful we’ll be ready for Assen.”
Remy Gardner #87
1’41.294 (150 laps)
“Overall it was a good test; we worked quite well and we had good pace in the final part. We were quite fast with the softer tyre: we needed to find the speed and I think we did it. Also, we focused on finding a solution to the past problems we had and we think we’re heading in the right direction. We tested some parts as well and we’ll try to be as ready as possible for the next round in the Netherlands.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Prepare For European Leg at Catalunya Test
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli both worked through extensive “to-do lists” in a two-day test programme for Yamaha at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, following the final day of running today in Spain.
Along with new hardware upgrades, the key area of development came in the form of improved electronics strategies for Razgatlıoğlu, targeted to match his riding style. The Turkish rider had an extremely positive initial shakedown on Tuesday afternoon at the Catalonian circuit, using a half-day of his test allocation thanks to the assistance of Belgian track-day company Bikers’ Days.
Locatelli joined his teammate for the remaining two full days of testing, where the riders both completed a combined total of 196 laps working closely with their engineers on a raft of potential improvements across electronics, set-up specific to the challenging circuit layout and components aimed at increasing rear grip and acceleration. Data collected during the two days focused solely on race pace, without either rider attempting an outright qualifying time.
Three weeks remain until the first European round of the season at TT Circuit Assen, with Free Practice starting on 21 April. This “riders’ circuit” has played host to many last lap battles since its inclusion on the WorldSBK calendar in 1992 and Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, alongside Yamaha’s engineers, are leaving no stone unturned in the quest to fight for the win once again.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – 1:41.196
“The second day for me was not easy because we tried many, many parts. But in general, I am not really happy – we did a fast lap of 1’41.1 but for me it is not a “real” time, because my bike was not full ready for time attack – I just ride new Pirelli tyre but the feeling is good grip. Now we use updated electronics which have been working good and we are improving this every session, but today my big problem was more on the bike set-up for this circuit, when we tried new parts I am not finding the good bike set-up. Testing is difficult – I enjoyed yesterday morning but it can be hard because we try many new parts and sometimes we are lost and sometimes the feeling is good. Now testing is finished and we are focused on Assen. Thanks to my team for a huge effort in the past two days.”
Andrea Locatelli – 1’41.476
“We tried a lot of things and tried to find a good way with the bike but it was really difficult, I don’t know why. This track for sure is a bit different in respect to the other tracks – we also did not try to use the qualifying tyre so we don’t know our full potential. The pace was not so bad with the race tyre but we still have some work to do for the race. On the long run, it was difficult in the final laps of the simulation – but it was important to be back on track and try to learn something here and understand what we need to do. I have a good confidence from Phillip Island and Mandalika, so we will try to be back in the fight when we are in Assen – we will try to push and see what’s possible. It was an important two days, we were riding a lot and we give the guys a lot of data to work through to find a good solution when we come back here for the race.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Successful Home Test For KRT
Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes took to the track again for one day of private testing at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya on Friday 31 March, finding set-up improvements on their Ninja ZX-10RR machines around a circuit located just a few hundred yards from KRT’s European base.
The team had originally planned to do two days of testing at the 4.657km ‘Montmelo’ track but opted to ride on the second day only to try and best simulate the hot track conditions that would allow them to make the greatest progress in real world race conditions. This also gives the team the option of one more day of testing later in the season.
Even though the track temperature was little changed on the second and final day of testing at Montmelo the intense day of work provided both KRT riders with confirmation of recent set-up developments to take forward to the next few rounds of the 2023 Superbike World Championship.
Even over one day of track action at Montmelo both Lowes and Rea got to try out the latest front and rear development tyres provided by WorldSBK single make supplier Pirelli, with each rider praising their performance.
Rea ended up third fastest overall, with a 1’40.659 pace. Lowes was fifth fastest, with a 1’40.853 best single lap time.
After the two recent private tests in Iberia the WorldSBK championship restarts at Assen in the Netherlands, between 21-23 April. The two opening rounds have already been completed, in Australia and Indonesia.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We are trying some new things and the team is working really hard. We decided to sacrifice yesterday in favour of the final day as we expected the track conditions would be a bit warmer. That was what we were looking for. In reality we got similar track conditions to the first day and some more wind. There was a big headwind going into T1 along the front straight. But we were able to consistently set-up the bike and do the work that we needed to do. Our plan was to continue working with our new set-up change that we used in Motorland at the previous test. We have taken some weight out of the front end, in the heavy braking areas, to save the front tyre for the end of the races. I think we have had some positive results. Barcelona is a very critical track for tyre consumption. We never did a full race simulation but I felt my pace was OK to fight, to be there. We found some positives here because what we found in Aragon is also working at Barcelona. It is quite a different set-up to what we normally run. The bike feels easier to ride as well. Electronically, we squeezed in another item at the end that our test rider Florian Marino had been working on today. All-in-all, a decent day of riding. I tried the latest Pirelli front and rear tyre solutions and both had positive results. I think they are tyre options we will see in the coming races, especially in the summer. For me, they were better than the base tyre, which is always good. It shows Pirelli are working hard and listening to the feedback of all the riders.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “We had a good test. We were hoping for some really hot and slippery track conditions to test different items on the bike. I have a different riding position that I have already spoken about after the Aragon test. We kept that development here at Montmelo and it feels positive for me. I felt great on the bike. We did some good long runs on used tyres, trying to improve front tyre life after 10-12 laps. I think we found a good direction. In the afternoon we tried some softer tyres from Pirelli and I was able to make a series of good laps. It was really positive. We would have liked hotter track conditions but we did plenty of laps, enjoyed it, and improved my feeling on the bike a little bit. We know our limitations with a little bit of speed but if we can extract everything from the bike at Assen, I think we can fight for the podium, which is our target. Thanks to all the guys, it has been a good test and now we need to recharge and get ready for the start of the European season.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “We had one day on track and we decided to save one for later in the year. This test at Montmelo was good. Everybody else did two days and we only did the final day, but Johnny was fast right away from the first session in the morning. He feels OK with the bike and we confirmed a couple of things from the chassis side that we had tested in Motorland Aragon recently. Now it is clear what we will use as a base in Assen for the next round. From the engine side, and especially in electronics, we have kept working with our new crew member Sander Donkers on different areas that we still think we can improve. In the end we also tried some development tyres from Pirelli, front and rear, and they were quite good. Overall, it seems to have been a positive test and now we will go to Assen for the next round.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “In the end we managed the test similar to the recent one in Aragon. We needed time on a different track to understand our bike a bit better. Over the winter we made quite a few changes to our bike set-up and in the first two rounds we couldn’t extract the maximum performance, because we didn’t really understand the behaviour of the bike. In the Aragon test we made some good steps forward and in this Montmelo test we confirmed those settings again on a different track. We also used a bike similar to last year and we confirmed that our latest package is working better than last year’s race bike. Overall, we did 77 laps in one day, I think, and they were good. We also got to try two new tyres. What they brought was again a big step better. We are happy with the progress of Pirelli.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
The Aruba Racing – Ducati Team concludes testing in Barcelona with Bautista on top and Rinaldi in fourth. Positive test also for Bulega in WorldSSP
The last testing session leading up to the long European segment of the 2023 WorldSBK season has come to an end at Barcelona.
Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi worked intensively on their Ducati Panigale V4R machines, also testing the new tyres brought by Pirelli, and concluded their activities at the Montmeló circuit at the end of today’s morning session.
The Spanish rider ended in P1 with a fastest time of 1’40.459 (set this morning, despite a crash without any particular consequences), completing a total of 142 laps.
Positive indications also for Michael Rinaldi, who worked with his team on the set-up, trying new solutions – especially on the front end – and finishing with a best time of 1’40.820 (152 laps completed).
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #1)
“It was a very positive test where we also had the chance to try the new tyres brought by Pirelli. We gathered valuable information that will be useful during the season. I am very happy with the feeling with the bike and I can’t wait to be at Assen”.
P4 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I’m very satisfied: we worked in several directions, completing many laps. We tried different solutions on the front end that will be useful in the future; moreover, we focused on electronics and tires. My very positive sensations are confirmed by the fact that for the first time at Barcelona, I managed to lap under 1’41”.
WorldSSP
Nicolò Bulega and the Ducati Panigale V2 of the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team close the Barcelona test with high confidence. Despite a technical problem that forced the Italian rider to stop halfway through the first day of testing, Bulega (1’44.638) lapped the entire Day-2 and the indications that emerged were extremely positive.
P1 – Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11)
“We took a good step forward in terms of feeling compared to last year when things didn’t go well at this circuit. It’s been an intense two days: the work on the bike setup has been incisive and I think it can also bring benefits for the next round”.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC Honda:
Strong and fruitful test in Catalunya for Team HRC; just bruises for Lecuona after a crash
Team HRC has been at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain this week, completing another two-day testing session on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March, which follows on from the tests completed just last week at Motorland Aragón.
As the squad continues to prepare for the first European round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship, set to take place at Assen in The Netherlands on 21-23 April, riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge made the most of these Spanish sessions, which fortunately played out in warm and sunny conditions.
During this test, the team essentially picked up from where it had left off at Aragón last week. Lecuona and Vierge continued to assess the potential of several items including a new exhaust, while also testing some different Pirelli tyres and making adjustments to their electronics packages together with their technicians. This, in order to confirm the Aragón findings and really understand bike behaviour at a different circuit, particularly considering that Team HRC will be back at the Barcelona-Catalunya track for a WorldSBK round already in May.
Vierge left the track at the end of two very busy days, satisfied to have confirmed the same good feeling on his bike in terms of pure race pace. On day 2 Lecuona was improving further on his pace when a high-side at turn 14, which occurred at around 11.30am, put a premature end to his work on track. A precautionary check-up at the Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya ruled out any serious injury and the young rider was able to re-join his team at the track in time for a final technical debrief before heading home for a few weeks of rest before the April round at Assen.
Iker Lecuona 7
“I’m very happy for several reasons, starting with the very thing that put an early end to a very positive test, funnily enough. I was so lucky to come away from a high-side with only a black eye and some bruises but nothing broken. I lost the front at corner 14, over a bump, I think. I wasn’t doing anything “crazy” but it’s true I was on a qualifying tyre and so was riding fast. The bike hit my right foot in the gravel, and a stone hit my eye after I lost my visor. Anyway, the tests at the hospital were all OK and I feel fine, and basically no pain. As for the test, I’m very pleased because after trying some new items and settings at Aragón last week, we’ve been able to complete back-to-back tests here at Catalunya, a very different track to Motorland and also more challenging in terms of tyre drop-off. We’ve worked well and have had confirmation that we’ve really taken a step forward. I lapped alone basically the whole time and our race pace was good, better than last year, my fastest lap quicker than my pole position time. This is only testing of course, and conditions have been different too, ideal conditions basically, but the feeling has been very good and I’ve felt comfortable on the bike. And this is the most important thing. We basically repeated most of the tests we did last week, including work with the bike geometries and exhaust, and focused a bit more on electronics where we know we have margin for improvement. We also completed some long runs, and lap times were again fast and consistent. Big thanks to the team and everyone at Honda because they are doing a very good job.”
Xavi Vierge 97
“It has again been a very productive test, apart from one thing we must keep working on, which is making the most of the new, soft tyre over the flying lap. We tried a lot of things and collected a large amount of data that we can now analyse to achieve this. That aside, we’re very happy because we’ve shown strong race pace which is ultimately the most important thing. We arrived here after another positive two-day session in Aragón and so were able to complete some useful back-to-back tests. We’re generally trying to improve the base setup of the bike, not specifically for the Montmelo track but in general. The feeling’s good and this is very important especially here at Barcelona where tyre management is crucial. We improved on our best race time set here, and on used tyres, so I’m quite happy with that. Thanks as always to the team for their hard work and now let’s focus on Assen after taking a few days off.”
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