Dion throws wrench into Mackay/Simpson title decider
Toronto, ON – Entering the season finale of what has been a wide-open Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike campaign, it’s hard to imagine any more curveballs being thrown at David MacKay or Matt Simpson as they prepare for their title showdown at Shannonville Motorsport Park, September 15-17.
However, the biggest twist of all is just now entering the equation.
Reigning champion Trevor Dion will return to the middleweight championship for the last weekend of the year, having initially decided not to defend his #1 plate and focus instead on his first full Superbike campaign.
The only rookie champion in the category’s history, Dion won twice last season and stood on the podium in six of eight races to clinch the title by eight points over MacKay, breaking plenty of Sport Bike records in the process.
The 21-year-old will now return to the grid aboard his LDS Consultants Kawasaki for the first time in over a calendar year, and while he will be making his national debut at SMP after missing round one due to injury, it’s hard not to pencil Dion in as at least a podium threat in both races if not the rider to beat.
If Dion isn’t the betting favourite, though, that honour will likely go to yet another name trying to play spoiler in the finale, as Sebastien Tremblay is set to debut his Turcotte Performance Suzuki GSX-R750 machine.
While mathematically still in the championship hunt, Tremblay would need to overcome a 52-point deficit as he sits fifth in the overall standings. Instead, the 2021 champion will focus on piloting the bigger-displacement Suzuki to a victory in its Sport Bike debut, after beginning the year on a GSX-R600.
This is exactly the position that Matt Simpson (91) hopes to be in next weekend during the Bridgestone CSBK season finale at Shannonville. The Yamaha rider currently sits second in the Pro Sport Bike championship behind David MacKay (82). Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
That may seem like a disaster for title leader MacKay and the chasing Simpson, but the reality is that the plan hardly changes for the two title rivals. With 16 points between them and then a 29-point cushion to third, it seems the main thing either side needs to worry about is just finishing ahead of the other.
The math becomes easier for MacKay, though, who has guided his ODH Snow City Cycle Kawasaki to the top spot thanks to five podiums and two wins this season. Both are the most in the Sport Bike class for 2023, a year which has seen a record six different winners in seven races and nine different podium finishers.
A quick look at the point structure will show that the biggest difference in points comes at the top – with 25 for a win, 20 for second, and 16 for third – while the difference tails off to just a single point between each place from fifth down to 15th.
That means MacKay might actually welcome the threat of Dion and Tremblay at the front, as his 16-point lead over Simpson will be tougher to overcome if the two rivals find themselves battling for places outside the podium.
Simpson has thus far found himself off the list of race winners despite his title challenge, benefitting from his consistent run of four podiums to stay in the championship mix. The Blackstock Motorsports Yamaha rider won’t necessarily need to win in order to beat MacKay for the title, but a pair of podiums seem like the necessary minimum if MacKay is able to stay near the front.
He did just that in his last appearance at SMP, finishing third and second as he looked to avoid the chaos at the front, a smart move at the time but a luxury he now won’t have at the final round with the title on the line.
Podium spots are hardly a guarantee for either rider, though, as Dion and Tremblay are far from the only ones capable of beating the two championship favourites.
Brad Macrae has already done so at Shannonville, winning race two of the opener after crashing out of the lead on the last lap of race one, and the Colron Excavating Yamaha rider will feel more than capable of adding a second career victory to close out the year.
Another rider keen to add another victory to his resumé will be Francis Martin, who recently confirmed his entry at the season finale. The two-time Superbike champion had his sensational comeback ruined by a bizarre mechanical failure at CTMP, but will look to make up for it with his first Sport Bike win since 2007 aboard his Purple Skull Brewing/Liqui Moly Suzuki.
Elliot Vieira will also have something to say for the frontrunners, after finally shaking the rust off his GP Bikes Ducati at the most recent round in CTMP. While Vieira endured a disastrous season opener at the venue in May, he has since come to grips with his V2 Panigale, evidenced by a win and second-place finish last time out.
The other breakout star of the CTMP weekend, John Laing, will also be eyeing some Shannonville redemption after his debut showing five months ago. The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider grabbed the holeshot twice in his CSBK introduction, crashing out in race one but finishing fourth in race two, and his confidence will be at an all-time high after his debut win in the AMP make-up race.
One former Shannonville winner won’t be taking the grid, though, as Connor Campbell’s graduation to the Superbike field will come at the expense of his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki program, which opened the season with an SMP victory.
Another storyline to watch will be in the inaugural Bickle Racing Pro Twins class, where Andrew Van Winkle looks poised to make history as the youngest pro champion in CSBK history.
The 16-year-old FD Racing Suzuki star appeared set for a runner-up finish in his debut season, but an unfortunate crash and slew of injuries for championship leader Jeff Williams have opened the door for Van Winkle to snatch the inaugural trophy.
Van Winkle finished second in both of the opening races at Shannonville, earning a haul of 40 points on the weekend, and he will only need 26 this time around to move past the sidelined Williams and bring home a historic title.
As it stands, Tomas Casas became the youngest ever pro champion when he clinched the Sport Bike crown at 18 years old in 2017, but Van Winkle could break that record by nearly two years if he can erase his championship deficit at the season finale.
The full schedule for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike season finale doubleheader can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.
James Rispoli won the wild MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Rispoli took the lead on lap four of six and rode his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson Road Glide to the victory.
Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim said his bike lost power during the race, but he was able to hold on and get second, which moved him into the Championship point lead heading into the final round.
Kyle Ohnsorg earned his first MotoAmerica podium finish with third place on his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger.
Ohnsorg’s teammate Bobby Fong was leading the race on lap four when he pulled off with a mechanical problem.
Before that, Tyler O’Hara was leading the race until he started experiencing problems with his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian Challenger and eventually retired.
Kyle Wyman, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, came together with Ohnsorg on the first lap and crashed. Wyman was able to pick up his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide and continue to salvage a ninth-place finish.
Wyman’s teammate and brother Travis Wyman was having one of his best weekends of the year and was running second on the final lap when he crashed. Travis Wyman was able to remount and finish 10th.
Josh Herrin won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas. Herrin got the holeshot on the restart of the race, led all 10 laps, and won his second race of the season by 4.078 seconds on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Newly crowned three-time Champion Jake Gagne shadowed Herrin throughout the race but could not make any moves and finished in second place on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
PJ Jacobsen said he battled a lack of traction on his way to placing third on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Bobby Fong got fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1, while Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch took fifth.
Riders who crashed during the race included: Paasch’s teammate Richie Escalante, who fell in Turn 13 while battling for the lead; and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, who was taken out in the second crash of Gagne’s teammate JD Beach.
Beach also crashed in the original portion of the race, which lasted less than a lap because Hayden Gillim’s Disrupt Racing Suzuki suffered a broken oil line, causing a red flag.
Herrin Takes Race Two Over Gagne At Circuit Of The Americas
Ducati-Mounted Josh Herrin Wins His Second Medallia Superbike Race Of The Season In Austin, Texas
Josh Herrin (2) leads Jake Gagne (1), Richie Escalante (54), PJ Jacobsen (99) and the rest of the Medallia Superbike pack on the opening lap of the race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin made up for a dismal Saturday at Circuit of The Americas with a straight-fight win over three-time Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne in Sunday’s finale in the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Texas.
A day after his Ducati Panigale V4 R failed him in race one, the bike was perfect on Sunday and so was Herrin. After all, you don’t beat Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 unless you’re at the top of your game.
Herrin led off the start and stayed out front for all 10 laps of the red-flag-interrupted race with Gagne on his tail the entire time. At the finish it was Herrin four seconds ahead with Gagne giving up the chase on the final lap. The pair were the only riders to lap in the 2:09s with Gagne getting the fastest lap of the race with his 2:09.746 to Herrin’s 2:09.776.
Third place went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker some five seconds behind Gagne.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong was a come-from-behind fourth and closing on Jacobsen, ending up some six seconds adrift of the BMW.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch ended up fifth, five seconds ahead of Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who had Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa nipping at his heels and just .341 of a second behind at the finish line.
Mesa’s teammate Corey Alexander was in the fight for seventh when he made a great save of what looked like a certain crash on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was well clear of Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis with Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
Among the non-point scoring riders were two of the three podium finishers from yesterday – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s JD Beach and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with both riders crashing. For Beach it was his second crash of the day as he also crashed in the first portion of the race, prior to the red flag. Escalante, meanwhile, crashed out of third place while right behind Gagne.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was collected by the sliding Beach. None of the riders suffered injury.
There were three different manufacturers on the podium and four different makes in the top five: Ducati, Yamaha, BMW and Suzuki.
With just the two races from New Jersey Motorsports Park remaining on the schedule, Gagne and his insurmountable 382 points have wrapped up the championship with Herrin solidifying his hold on second place. Herrin is 28 points ahead of Jacobsen, 261-233.
Superbike Race 2
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Stefano Mesa (BMW)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Danilo Lewis (BMW)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin celebrates his victory, the 10th Superbike win of his career. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Quotes… Josh Herrin – Winner
“I feel like a broken record saying this, but getting track time at this track prior to coming here and having some time on this bike before we came here to race is what we needed. I knew that. I knew all year that we were struggling with just trying to get up to speed. It took all the way until the second half of the Saturday race for us to be comfortable and then Sunday would be good for us. I don’t want to celebrate too much. I feel like a linebacker getting a sack or something in a football game when you’re down by 30 points because we lost the championship. But it feels good to get this win. I’m so happy to be a part of this team. Bobby Shek, the DeNaples, Ducati USA. Everybody that puts this program together, Warhorse and HSBK Racing. It’s an amazing program. I don’t think anybody realizes how special of a relationship we have with everybody on the team. It’s just truly something special and I’m happy to be a part of it. Just so pumped that we could get another win. Glad that we have two more chances. It’s special too because we got the Ducati DRE event tomorrow, so it’s going to be a really awesome way to celebrate with all the awesome Ducati family and spin some laps around COTA and just have some fun. So, congrats to these guys. Congrats to Jake (Gagne) on the championship. Congrats to my teammate, Xavi (Forés), on wrapping up the championship this weekend in Supersport. That was cool to see us get two back-to-back championships in the Supersport class. I’m stoked. Thank you to everybody.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“Josh (Herrin) seriously rode his butt off. I think he stepped it up a lot. I know he got screwed yesterday, but he rode an awesome pace. I wasn’t even looking at the lap times, honestly. I was just struggling after a few laps. After the halfway point I was just kind of hanging on. But the bike was working really good. It was hot and greasy. At that point, I wanted to bring it home. That was all the fight I had today, for sure. So again, hats off to Josh and the team. It’s good to see him up here and get some redemption from yesterday. Still a good weekend. We’re up here on the box. Of course, I would have liked to make it a little bit more of a race, but I just couldn’t pass him anywhere. I was struggling with my own stuff. Good race, again. I’m happy to leave here with another podium. We brought this Yamaha home. Again, congrats to Josh because I think he rode really awesome from my perspective.”
PJ Jacobsen – Third Place
“Yeah, I think I was a bit lucky there to get third with some guys crashing out. Richie (Escalante) was pretty strong. I could see Josh (Herrin) and Jake (Gagne) in the distance, but I could just never close the gap. As the track got greasier for me, I was losing the front in a lot of spots. Then the rear was going past the TC and would just come around. It was really difficult. It was hard to get the grip for me because I was struggling with both front and rear, so I really couldn’t push. It was hard. Just trying to get back to the podium with my gap I had on I think it was Bobby (Fong). That was coming down a little bit too because I kind of just eased up as I was having some issues and problems. It’s good to take home another podium here. Josh rode great. He did a great job getting the win, and Jake. They’re super-fast and super strong all the time, so they did a good job. They beat me today.”
Tyler Scott and Xavi Fores fought bar-to-bar throughout the last lap of restarted and shortened MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two, but 17-year-old Scott would not be denied and came out on top with his third win of the season on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Fores, who clinched the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship in Saturday’s Race One, finished Race Two in second place on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Scott’s teammate, 18-year-old Canadian Torin Collins came out top of his battle with veterans David Anthony and Josh Hayes to score third place and his career-first MotoAmerica podium finish.
Anthony was a very close fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R750, while Hayes rounded out the top five on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
The race was interrupted on lap two of the original start when Teagg Hobbs suffered a huge highside crash on the third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Hobbs walked away from the crash, and after a lengthy delay, the race was restarted for a six-lap final stint.
Gillim Takes Steel Commander Stock 1000 Crown With Victory At COTA
Hayden Gillim Does The Double And Wins The Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship
Travis Wyman (10) leads Hayden Gillim (69) early in the Steel Commander Stock 1000 race at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Gillim would get past Wyman and take not only the victory but also the series championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – The 2023 Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship was decided on the final day of the class’s season, and even though Disrupt Racing Suzuki rider Hayden Gillim didn’t need to win the race to the win the title, the Kentuckian got the victory anyway, which was his sixth race win of the year.
Gillim started from the pole, but he had to withstand an early challenge from Travis Wyman Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman. At about the halfway point of the race, Gillim overtook Wyman for the lead, and he kept it all the way to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Wyman crossed the finish line in second.
Third place went to PDR Motorsports Kawasaki rider Diego Perez, who was competing in his first Steel Commander Stock 1000 race weekend of the year.
Hayden Gillim celebrates winning the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“Everybody before the race was telling me where I needed to be and everything,” Gillim said. “Like I said yesterday, I’m not good at math, so I wanted to win the last one. I didn’t want to sit there. I knew Travis (Wyman) from the first couple of laps was going to be hard to pass. It took me a while. The first pass I made on him, immediately he came back by. So, the second pass, I made sure to kind of block a little bit going into that next-to-last corner. Knew I had a little bit on the brakes going up into one, just from the first time he came back by me. But it was good. It was so much fun to race with him. We’ve raced so hard over the years. For us to be dicing it out the last race of the year is a lot of fun. He definitely made me work for it today, though. But the whole team, Disrupt Racing 4SR team, has been working their butts off this year. We had a really bad start to the season and to be able to finish it off with the couple wins we did here is pretty special, and to have the whole Nichol family here running 4SR in the U.S. is amazing. They’re like family to me. Having them here with us is really awesome. To be able to bring it home for Jesse and Danny Hwilka this year is really special. They’ve been wanting it really bad. I got their first win for them and the first podium. And now, the first championship. So, it’s really special. It’s a bummer because my wife isn’t here and my son isn’t here, but they’re at home watching. She made me tear up a little bit on the podium because she was crying on the phone. So, I wasn’t able to get out some of the stuff I wanted to say on the podium. This is really awesome.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – Rispoli Wins A Weird One
The city of Austin goes by the credo of “Keep Austin Weird.” Well, Sunday’s Mission King Of The Baggers race two definitely filled the bill.
The race was ultimately won by Vance & Hines/Mission/Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli. It was Rispoli’s second victory of the season and his first since the very first race of the year back in March at Daytona International Speedway.
Weird? Well here goes: Tyler O’Hara led the first lap before his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Challenger expired. By this point, championship points leader Kyle Wyman had crashed, but would remount and ultimately finish ninth. Then Bobby Fong led for a lap before his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian blew up. Rispoli was then back in front, a spot he held on to until the finish of the six-lap race. Behind him, however, things still changed with H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman crashing out of second place on the last lap, which handed the spot to Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim. Wyman’s crash also elevated Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Kyle Ohnsorg to his first career podium.
Phew.
James Rispoli (43) leads Hayden Gillim (79) and Travis Wyman (10) en route to winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race at COTA on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Fourth place went to Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Jeremy McWilliams, despite a five-second penalty for jumping the start, with Team Saddlemen’s Jake Lewis rounding out the top five.
The bottom line: With two races left to run in the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Gillim leads the title chase by just two points over Rispoli with Wyman third, 11 points behind Gillim and nine adrift of Rispoli.
“It was mental,” Rispoli said. “Did Jeremy (McWilliams) jump the start? That’s the best start I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I got to be honest. Did Tyler (O’Hara) or did he just go? McWilliams has got that guy’s back. He had five seconds on the first lap. Me and Hayden (Gillim), I’m shaking my head like, ‘We’re going to get smoked because we can’t pass McWilliams right now.’ Not saying he’s not fast, he was just rolling everywhere. You could just see it. Just using that engine horsepower. But it’s carnage. I don’t know what happened. I thought everybody was stacked up behind me. When Bob (Fong) came through, he had some stuff kind of coming out. I got a little nervous because I had some stuff on my shield and I kind of let him go. I saw him looking back. Then he started cutting the chicane and I was like, ‘Man, if I was a betting man, he’s probably not going to get away with that twice.’ Then I kind of put my head down and I saw on the tower number 10. I was like, Travis (Wyman) is in second. Then I saw Hayden there. I just took a peek back and I saw I had some daylight. I was like, ‘dude, we’re just riding slow.’ I was doing 18s. I did a 17.9 when I kind of felt comfortable, when Bob was far enough away. Then I looked on the last lap. I looked back and there was no one there. Super thankful. Sometimes you don’t race against the fastest guys at the time of the race. To win like this probably has an asterisk, but we finished and we got points back and we got a win. I’m stoked. I’m really just pumped for the whole team. We struggled this weekend and it just goes to show you that as a team we can still persevere, we can still put things one and two and be on the box. Single digits going into the last round. Anything can happen. That’s what we want for the sport.”
Supersport – Scott In A Thriller
Old age and treachery was defeated by youth and enthusiasm in Sunday’s Supersport race with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott besting Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Fores in a race that featured a thrilling last lap.
After a heated last lap that saw both riders on COTA’s expansive run-off areas at certain times, Scott withstood the constant pressure of Forés with the cool head of a rider well beyond what you’d expect of a 17-year-old.
The Supersport race came down to a thrilling battle between Xavi Forés (12) and Tyler Scott (70) with Scott prevailing for his third win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The win was Scott’s third of the year and what he called the best of his young career. For Fores, it was his 11th podium of his championship-winning year.
Scott’s new Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Torin Collins finished third in just his second ride ever on a Supersport bike – a day after he finished fourth in what was his debut with the team and in MotoAmerica.
“This morning we made a few changes from yesterday,” Scott said. “They were all very minor, one or two very minor changes. But the big question was we were running out of gearing on the back straightaway. So, we were hitting the limiter. Before the restart, I tried to draft him and then see if I could pass in the braking zone. But the gearing, I started hitting the limiter at the first braking marker and was actually losing ground. So, I knew for the rest of the race and what eventually would become the restart that I would have to be really aggressive, really deep into the brakes, or lead down the big straightaway and hopefully he gets beside me. I had the confidence in the front end to be able to out-brake Xavi (Forés) for one of the first times this season. I was able to match him in the braking zones and came out on top in those battles. I can’t give enough thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for preparing a beautiful bike this weekend, dialing in the electronics, Barry from Öhlins dialing in the suspension. It couldn’t be more perfect. The one thing also, I went with the zero front tire which was super soft. About halfway, I started tucking the front a little bit and I just had to be careful in the closing laps not to put a lot of bar input at the apex.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara Again
Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara wrapped up the 2023 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship on Saturday and continued his party with a second victory on Sunday at COTA. The win was O’Hara’s fifth of the season and it came after a rough and tumble win on Saturday that saw his teammate Jeremy McWilliams crash out on the final lap in the last corner with the two basically locked in combat.
A banged up and bruised McWilliams finished second for his sixth podium finish of the season and it earned him second in the championship point standings.
Tyler O’Hara (1) beat his teammate Jeremy McWilliams (99) to win the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship round at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DiBrino Racing KTM’s Andy DiBrino earned his sixth podium of the season and that placed him third in the final championship standings. DiBrino and McWilliams went into Sunday’s series finale tied in points with Ulsterman McWilliams coming away with the runner-up spot in both the race and the title chase.
“Today definitely wasn’t as hot, which was nice,” O’Hara said “A little cooler today. Yesterday was just an all-out, epic, one of those days like fighting with your brother in the backyard or something with the gloves off. It was epic. It was just clean all year. He didn’t hit me. He didn’t bump me. He rubbed me, and rubbing’s racing, and I’m okay with that. We push each other, and he’s great at putting in fast laps when he needs to. I’ve worked a lot on that this year and really had to dig deep to bring my level up and my speed. A lot of speed work in the training. He brings a lot to the development of this team. He brings a world championship level of preparation to our whole program. He makes everybody on our team better. He’s a warrior. We were both at the medical center this morning. We both had pretty good ones this morning. Hats off to them. S&S Cycles. They’ve been working so hard all year. Today we had a great first start. I could hear him. I was like, okay. I had a little battle with (Stefano) Mesa there. Then we got the red flag and just tried to kind of go around the first lap, keep my bike cool and kind of get some heat in the tires the last couple corners so I don’t have to sit there with my clutch. Got not the best jump. Jeremy (McWilliams) got a better jump and he stayed inside. I think that kind of pinched off a couple of the other guys. I kind of swung wide in, too. Three lap dash, it’s like the dash for cash. You’ve just got to go for it and bite your lip and get a little western. It was really fun. To cap it off with a win feels really good. Again, this one is for the team, everyone that works so hard. It feels really good. Andy (DiBrino) rode awesome all year. Looking forward to Daytona in March.”
Piqueras grabs record 9th Rookies win in Misano photo finish finale
Race 2 in Misano was just as thrilling as Saturday’s classic and this time Angel Piqueras flashed across the line first ahead of fellow Spaniards Max Quiles and Alvaro Carpe. Less than 2 seconds covered the top 12 KTMs after 15 laps on the Adriatic coast.
The 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has belonged to Piqueras since the Dutch round but now he is the most successful Rookie in the 17 seasons, 9 wins in one year and 11 in two seasons.
Piqueras perfect
“Yesterday I said that everyone was overtaking me and that I couldn’t run my race at my pace,” explained the 16-year-old. “Today I only focused on doing my best and I knew that I had a very good pace.”
“I was trying and trying hard to make a gap but it is quite difficult here the slipstream is so important.”
“This time I did manage to get across the line first but it was so close, I was not sure I had won it.”
“I did get my 9th victory this year and I am very happy to now have the record for Rookies wins in a season. I’d only just been born when the Cup started in 2007.
“I thank the Cup and everyone that supports me and I’m now looking forward to the World Championship.”
Quiles so close
“A very good race,” enthused the 15-year-old who is 3rd in the points table. “I enjoyed it a lot. Everyone was pushing a lot so it was very difficult, then in the last laps it got harder and harder.”
“On the last lap, I was preparing to overtake Piqueras in the last 3 or 4 corners. I overtook Carpe but then I went a bit wide in the third fast corner at the back and he overtook me back.”
“That spoilt the possibility I had to overtake for the win but I said to myself that I will set up the final corner as well as I can for a fast exit. I got close to the win but took P2 so I am very happy with that,” concluded Quiles who was just 0.009 seconds behind Piqueras and 0.008 ahead of Carpe on the line.
Carpe couldn’t repeat
“Another really good race with all the riders very aggressive,” explained the 16-year-old who won on Saturday. “It was just like yesterday, I knew that I had to be just as aggressive or I would not keep at the front of the group.”
“Of course, I was trying to win again, it was so close across the line but this time I was 3rd. Still, it’s another podium in my Rookie season in the Cup so I am happy about that.”
“It is so important for me and my career to have this success. I have enjoyed this season and especially the races in Spielberg and here.”
Rico Salmela from pole to 4th
“Yes, a good race, obviously better than yesterday,” stated the 15-year Finn who fell in Race 1. “The track was better than yesterday so a bit more easy to ride.”
“With a few laps to go, I made a small mistake, I went back to P7 or 8. I worked back to P5, then I overtook Pini in the last lap but in the end, I was fighting too much with Pini. Then I couldn’t make the move on Maximo, Pini was all the time trying to pass me back, I had to defend.”
“Finally I was 4th because Pini got a track limits penalty on the last lap and I am also 4th in the championship. Better than last, I wanted more but we’ll see for next year. There are things to improve in the winter.”
Guido Pini penalised to 5th
“It was a good race for me, the podium was so close but I couldn’t quite make it,” explained the 15-year-old Italian who crossed the line 4th but dropped a place due to exceeding track limits on the final lap.
“I am happy because after Austria, which was a very difficult weekend I am so happy to feel right on the bike again and being able to fight for the front, we are back.”
“I was so close to the podium but I think I needed to push a bit more earlier, to be right at the front with Angel and Carpe. Then I would have been able to go for the podium on the last lap.”
“I hope to stay another year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and do better.”
Ruche Moodley enjoyed the lead more than finishing 6th
“I tried 100%,” stated the 16-year-old South African. “I knew after yesterday I had a lot of things to improve so last night I just watched the race so many times, just to see all the good overtaking spots. And today I think I did it perfectly.”
“After yesterday we made the rear a little bit harder for a bit more stability. Yesterday when I overtook someone the back was always going up because the front was really soft. We made it harder and it was better today.”
“I felt quite good in front but then I thought, ‘Maybe let Piqueras lead for a bit and I’ll see where he is strong’. But he has a different riding style, he stops and goes a lot more where I carry a lot of corner speed.”
“So behind him, it was difficult to keep the same rhythm behind. That was my mistake, I should have just stayed in front.”
Tyler O’Hara put an exclamation point on his second straight MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan Championship by winning Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. O’Hara clinched the 2023 title with a dramatic win in Race One Saturday, and then O’Hara won Sunday’s restarted and shortened three-lap Race Two on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian FTR 1200.
In spite of being battered and bruised from his crash at the end of Race One, O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams was able to score a runner-up finish in Race Two.
Andy DiBrino came home third, right behind McWilliams, on his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R.
Energica elevates electric appeal in outstanding season finale at CoTA
Stefano Mesa (137) in action on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric motorcycle at COTA. Photo courtesy Energica.
Life is about perspective, and so is competitive sport. When a big result comes, the overall level of expectations rises like a giant wave out of a flat sea, so much that a top-five finish does not feel as incredible as it may have been before. This is exactly what happened at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas in Race 2 of the Super Hooligan National Championship, when Stefano Mesa put together another masterful performance to cross the line fifth position, after yet another red flag had cut the race in two.
Were Energica and Tytlers Cycle Racing hoping for another podium after yesterday’s monumental second place in Race 1? Absolutely. Is a fifth place a good result to wrap up the season? Without a doubt, for it helped Mesa and the team led by Michael Kiley secure fourth place overall in the championship standings (click here to view them), an unbelievable result considering the novelty represented by the arrival of the only full-bore electric machine in the series: the Kit Corsa Clienti-equipped EVA Ribelle RS.
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Everything that happened this year went beyond the wildest dreams of everyone involved. It started as a possibility of even competing, with more question marks than certainties as no electric motorcycle ever had plans to seriously contend against an ICE field.
Mesa and the Eva Ribelle RS are now a force to be reckoned with, as their adversaries have learned to make sure of their positioning on the grid, knowing they may see that green bolt fly past them after the lights go out. And in Austin, they also learned to expect an out-braking manoeuvre and resistance when trying to overtake.
And the excitement within the garage and out on the pit-lane grew with each event, and it was palpable in the heat of the Circuit of The Americas as the team was joined by Energica owners who were just as shocked as the members of the squad to witness these results on a track that was perceived more as a threat than an opportunity for any electric motorcycle.
But the confidence boost was evident, as no one questioned the ability of the Eva Ribelle RS to keep functioning at maximum power after yet another red flag happening in Race 2. Unlike our previous races, and especially here, everyone suddenly realized that we had nothing to worry about.
This is what racing does: it stresses a package to the fullest, and sometimes reveals capabilities that even their creators couldn’t fathom. In the end, our first Superhooligan season closes with a job well done: far better than anyone could have imagined.
We thank all those who embarked on this journey with us: Stefano Mesa and the whole Tytlers Cycle Racing team, the technical team at Energica who flew from Italy for each race; PETRONAS iona and all our sponsors. We had a clear goal knowing our destination how be a difficult one. And it is only the beginning.
Hayden Gillim won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Gillim, riding his Disrupt Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000R, battled for the lead with Travis Wyman until lap six of eight. That’s when Gillim took control and rode home to a victory that also earned him the 2023 Stock 1000 Championship.
Wyman was a close second on his Travis Wyman Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Diego Perez rode his PDR Motorsports Kawasaki ZX-10R to third place by holding off Kaleb De Keyrel (fourth) and his Orange Cat Racing BMW and Benjamin Smith (fifth) and his Benjamin Smith Racing Yamaha.
De Keyrel’s teammate Ezra Beaubier, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, missed both races at COTA due to illness.
Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at Magny-Cours, in France. The defending World Champion and current point leader won the re-started 17-lap race by nearly six seconds on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R
Toprak Razgatlioglu finished second on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1, just ahead of Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished fifth overall on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR and was the top Independent rider and the top-finishing BMW pilot.
Bautista seizes victory in Red-Flagged Race 2 at Magny-Cours
Alvaro Bautista (1) leads Jonathan Rea (65), Toprak Razgatlioglu (54), and the rest of the field early in Race Two at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy Dorna.
In Race 2 at Magny-Cours, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured victory to leave France with a 57-point advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).
Bautista started Race 2 strong, quickly taking the lead. However, Rea and Razgatlioglu were prompt to challenge him. Rea made a move at Turn 5 but couldn’t overtake Bautista, and while the Ducati rider gradually increased his lead, the race was interrupted on Lap 5. The red flag was waved following an incident involving Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Aegerter declared unfit for racing due to a suspected concussion. The restart saw Bautista retain his lead, while Razgatlioglu eventually secured second place after a tense battle with Rea. Bautista maintained his lead until the end, winning by a six-second margin.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) fought his way to fourth place in his 100th race, with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) taking fifth ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Among the French riders, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) finished in 12th place, while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) faced technical issues and could not restart the race.
Alvaro Bautista regained his form to seize his 19th win of the season in Race 2 at Magny-Cours.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“For sure, I’m so happy to end the weekend like this, especially because I was ill on Friday and I was recovering during the weekend. Yesterday I felt better but today I felt almost 100%. In Race 2, with these conditions, it was difficult but it was similar to yesterday’s so I already knew the feeling with the bike. I tried to do a good start, and I had good feeling and pace. And after 5 laps, the race was stopped and it was difficult because in that moment I was riding really well. I tried to stay focused in the box. The second start, I felt well too and I could push from the beginning as well. At the end, I was alone but I kept pushing because I enjoyed riding like this. I’m happy overall with the weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu secured a hard-fought second place, while Jonathan Rea, demonstrated his trademark consistency to claim the third position.
Andrea Locatelli celebrated his 100th race with a commendable fourth place finish.
Garrett Gerloff put on an impressive display, surging from tenth on the grid to secure fifth place.
WorldSBK Race 2 Results
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +5.893s
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +6.779s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +10.978s
5. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +11.482s
6. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +15.258s
WorldSBK Championship standings
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 467 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 410 points
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 290 points
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) held off a relentless challenge from Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) to secure a hard-fought victory in Race 2. Bulega’s triumph further extended his championship lead, now 60 points ahead of his closest rival, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who finished in third place.
Bulega started strongly, attempting to break away from the pack, but Debise matched his pace lap after lap, staying within striking distance. The Frenchman’s relentless pursuit kept the pressure on Bulega until Lap 14 when the Italian managed to pull away slightly and clinch his 11th win of the season.
Behind them, the battle for fourth was a fierce one, with Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) edging out Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in a race-long duel. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) finished just a fraction of a second behind Tuuli in sixth place.
Nicolo Bulega held his ground against Valentin Debise, securing a vital Race 2 victory and extending his championship lead.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“It was a great weekend with pole position and two victories again. It’s always something special. I want to enjoy this moment with my team. We did a great job. My feeling with the bike was very good all the weekend. I want to congratulate Debise because he was very fast. I had to push from the first corner and every lap. In the end, I won so this is important for the Championship because I take 25 points, and Manzi lost a few points. 60 points is a good advantage but I don’t want to think of the Championship now. When it’s time, we will think about it. Last year in Aragon, I had my first podium after two difficult years in Moto2TM, and then coming back on the podium was very nice. So, I have a good memory of Aragon and I’m looking forward to going there and trying to win.”
Having applied relentless pressure on Bulega throughout the race, Valentin Debise ultimately secured his second podium this weekend.
Stefano Manzi completed the podium, losing valuable points to Bulega in the championship standings.
WorldSSP Race 2 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +1.991s
3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +12.441s
Buis takes control leading the Championship with Magny-Cours win
In a captivating showdown at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) surged to victory in WorldSSP300 Race 2, significantly altering the Championship landscape. The 2020 Champion secured his second win of the weekend, moving him into the lead of the fiercely contested Championship – while a last-lap crash meant that previous leader Dirk Geiger could only finish in 9th. This victory marked Buis’ historic tenth win in the WorldSSP300 category, making him the first rider to reach double-digit wins in this class.
Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) exhibited incredible determination and racecraft as he fought his way through the pack from fifth row on the grid, ultimately finishing in second place. Meanwhile, Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) showcased his consistent form with a well-earned third-place finish. Perez Gonzalez’s strong performance in Race 2 added valuable points to his Championship tally, keeping him firmly in the title battle. The dramatic twists and turns of the Magny-Cours race left the top three riders separated by just 13 points in the overall championship standings, setting the stage for an electrifying remainder of the season.
In the midfield, the contest for fourth, fifth, and sixth places was fierce. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) showed great determination, clinching fourth place by a mere 0.226-second gap behind Perez Gonzalez. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) took fifth place, highlighting his potential as a strong contender. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) completed the top six, finishing only 0.160 seconds behind Veneman in a race marked by intense on-track duels.
Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Spaniard won the 27-lap race by 1.350 seconds. It was his second win of the season.
Marco Bezzecchi finished second on his Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati, and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia made it a Ducati sweep of the podium with third on his Lenovo Team Ducati.
Martin and Bezzecchi pip Pecco to cut the Championship deficit as Pedrosa threatens to spoil the party at Misano
Jorge Martin (89). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 10 September 2023
Pole position, Tissot Sprint win and a Sunday race victory. Jorge Martin’s (Prima Pramac Racing) weekend at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini couldn’t have gone any better as the Spaniard made no mistakes to take maximum points on his title rivals’ stomping ground. The winning margin over second place Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was just 1.3s as Bez homed in though, with reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) fighting through the pain to claim an important third. And Pecco was only just ahead of some familiar company at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Martin untouchable again as Pecco fends off Pedrosa
Just like he did in the Tissot Sprint, Martin got a perfect launch and pocketed the holeshot as Bezzecchi and Bagnaia slotted in behind. Pedrosa got away well again and was up to P4, and the MotoGP™ Legend held on after a moment between Turn 1 and 2 looking for a way through on Bagnaia. But Bagnaia then picked his way past Bezzecchi at Turn 3 as the #1 immediately began to hound Martin.
Unlike yesterday, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made good progress off the start and at the beginning of Lap 2, the South African was up to P4 and began to chase Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi.
A fascinating early race fight was unfolding at the front. Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi were locked together, with Binder 0.7s adrift heading onto Lap 5. On Lap 6, Bezzecchi passed Pecco for P6 down at Turn 8 but just like he did a lap previous, the Italian was wide at Turn 10 to allow the Champion back through. That gave Martin a little bit of breathing room – if you can call 0.3s that – as Binder went quicker than the trio in front of him.
Disaster then struck for Binder at Turn 14 on Lap 8. The KTM star was down at the tight right-hand hairpin as his podium hopes ended, handing Pedrosa the lead KTM baton. The #26 was 1.5s off the leaders, as KTM’s afternoon then got worse as Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed out of contention after being involved in an incident with Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing).
Elsewhere, on Lap 12 of 27, it was time to cue the jaws music. Who for? Pedrosa. The wildcard was beginning to close at a vast rate of knots and with 15 laps left, Pedrosa was just 0.6s off Bezzecchi’s rear wheel. Unbelievable. The Little Samurai was the only rider lapping in the 1:31s at this stage of the race.
Pedrosa’s pace dropped off soon after but the gap remained at just over a second. At the front, with 10 laps to go, Martin’s lead grew to over a second for the first time as the #89 began to get the hammer down. Were the injuries to Bagnaia and Bezzecchi starting to take their toll or was Martin’s pace just too good? Bezzecchi was looking impatient behind VR46 compatriot Bagnaia, and a move came at Turn 8. By now though, Martin’s advantage was 2.2s.
Bagnaia was fading. Pedrosa was coming. 0.7s split the double World Champion from the three-time World Champion, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and an extremely classy ride for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) putting him a further four seconds back after initially closing on the number 12. A huge six laps beckoned, could Bagnaia hold on to what would be a very valuable and hard-earned 16 points?
With four laps to go, Bagnaia was holding Pedrosa at bay by 0.6s. Bezzecchi was now under two seconds away from Martin but it was too little too late, with the latter controlling his advantage nicely as he powered towards completing the perfect weekend.
With two to go, Pedrosa was right on Bagnaia’s coattails. Catching the Ducati rider was one thing but as he found out in the Sprint, passing was a whole different kettle of fish. In the end, Bagnaia did hold on to a crucial P3 as Martin made no mistake to cap off a sensational weekend. Bezzecchi bagged P2 despite his injured hand to gain ground in the title chase.
The points scorers in Misano
Just off the podium of Martin, Bezzecchi and Bagnaia, Pedrosa took the chequered flag just 0.6s away from the rostrum as the Little Samurai again demonstrates why he’s a three-time World Champion and a MotoGP™ Legend. Unreal from the popular Spaniard, who finished six seconds up the road from fifth place Viñales.
Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) was sixth ahead of Marc Marquez, who somehow bags a brilliant P7 after racing with a soft rear tyre. Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) takes home his best MotoGP™ finish in P8, as the Ducatis of Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) complete the top 10.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Catalan GP winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), a recovering Binder and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) closed out the points in San Marino.
Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) joined Miller and Pirro as the riders to notch up DNFs.
36 points in it heading to India!
A brand-new challenge awaits us next time out as India hosts MotoGP™ for the very first time. Martin’s perfect weekend sees the gap between him and Championship leader Pecco sit at 36 points as the flyaway tour of the season begins… for the first time in some time, it’s back below the 37 points on offer in one weekend. Don’t miss it!
Masterclass: Acosta stamps some authority on Misano
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was back in business at Misano, putting in an inch-perfect performance to take victory The Spaniard controlled the race perfectly at the front as he edged away from home hero Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) pilling on the pressure mid race. The Italian brought home an important second place, with Alonso Lopez (+Ego SpeedUp) keeping Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) at bay to round out the podium.
Acosta came out the gates with fire in his belly as he took the holeshot from the polesitter Vietti. Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Mastercamp) tried to hold on from his front row start, but the Spaniard quickly fell victim to Lopez and Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) who charged their way through on the first lap.
The front three then began to break away as Lopez dropped off the back of the group, with a few bike lengths back to Gonzalez in fifth. Acosta was pushing on at the front and was asking big questions of Vietti, who was keeping the Spaniard in his sights. Still, the Championship leader’s pace began to stretch out the field and it wasn’t long before the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine was almost a second up the road.
With the pace getting hotter and hotter, Canet then cracked as a tiny mistake at Carro corner saw him crash out of a podium position with 14 laps to go, promoting Lopez to P3. That left Vietti in a lonely 2nd place and with some ground to cover to Acosta out the front. Vietti responded to the Spaniard’s hot pace however as he began to reel in the Championship leader tenth by tenth.
The Italian was throwing absolutely everything he had at it with the prospect of a home Grand Prix victory dangling before his eyes. Vietti’s bike was making all sorts of shapes as the Italian had no choice but to push the limits to try and match Acosta’s pace.
After a couple of big moments, that was all she wrote in terms of the Italian’s charge for the win though. With five laps remaining Acosta had stretched the gap back out to over two seconds, and it was game set and match from there going forward as Acosta had done all the hard work and cruised to victory by 6.3s, extending his Championship lead.
Whilst the battle for victory had been decided the battle for third was raging on. Arbolino had been carving his way through the field from the moment the lights went out. The Italian desperately needed a good result to keep his Championship hopes alive and after charging from ninth on the grid to fourth, with five laps to go he had just under a second to Lopez in the final rostrum position…
Arbolino had the bit between his teeth as he proceeded to hit his markers in a valiant attempt to reel in the Boscoscuro machine. Lopez had it covered however as the Spaniard’s pace just made it too difficult for the Italian to bridge the gap. The SpeedUp rider took his first podium since Le Mans, with Arbolino forced to settle for P4.
A late charge from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra saw them pip Gonzalez as the Spaniard dropped to P7, with Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and wildcard home hero Mattia Pasini (Fieten Olie Racing GP) completing the top ten.
The attention now turns to Buddh International Circuit in India as a brand-new challenge awaits the Moto2™ grid. Join us in India from the 22nd to the 24th of September!
Back-to-back glory for Alonso
David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), take a bow. The young Colombian takes his third victory in four races after beating Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in a phenomenal Moto3™ battle at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini. The top three crossed the line 0.2s apart as World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) struggled to P16, blowing the title race wide open.
It was Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) who got the best launch from the middle of the front row as the Japanese star grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, but Masia immediately responded to take the lead at Turn 4. Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) lost ground on the first lap, he was shoved down to P5 as Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and Alonso made forward progress.
Masia held a 0.6s advantage on Lap 2 as Sasaki and Moreira squabbled for second place. The lead was up to a second heading onto Lap 3, with the chasing pack needing to settle down and work together to try and reel in the early runaway leader. However, settling down isn’t something Öncü can do. The Turk shoved his way past Moreira and set his sights on catching Masia.
By Lap 6 of 20, Öncü and Moreira had bridged the gap. Sasaki, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Alonso and Toba were a further 0.7s adrift, with World Championship leader Holgado battling outside the top 10.
With 12 laps left, a lead group of seven had formed with Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) tagging onto the back of the battle in P8 and P9. Lap 11 of 20 saw the lead change for the first time as Masia went from P1 to P3 in the blink of an eye, with Öncü now at the front.
With seven laps remaining, a top four of Öncü, Masia, Muñoz and Alonso had gapped Moreira, Sasaki, Toba, Veijer and Rueda. The front quartet were two seconds up the road, with Holgado still P11 and over a second off tenth place Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team).
It was bubbling up nicely for a final lap spectacular in Misano. The top four was as you were for a few laps before Muñoz had a big front-end moment at Turn 2 – the Spaniard did well to keep it upright but lost P3 to Alonso.
Heading onto the final lap, Öncü led from Masia and Alonso, with Muñoz 0.6s adrift in P4. Alonso slammed in the fastest lap of the race as we strapped in for a last-lap thriller. It stayed the same through the first half of the lap before Alonso grabbed P2 at Turn 10. Then on the run into Turn 14, Masia pocketed a two-for-one deal. It was a cracking move but Alonso returned the favour on the cutback and managed to hold onto the lead all the way to the flag. The Colombian beat Masia by 0.036s to P1 with Öncü settling for P3 having led for most of the second half of the race.
Muñoz bounced back from his Catalan GP disappointment with a solid P4, as Veijer takes home a top five after showing great late race pace. Japan’s Toba and Sasaki crossed the line in P6 and P7 respectively, with Ortola doing well to claim P8 after being shoved well wide in the early exchanges. Rueda and Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounded out the top 10, as Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), Moreira, Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) rounded out the points.
For Holgado, P16 is what the Spaniard has to swallow in Misano. The #96 remains the title leader, but his gap has been cut to just four points ahead of the inaugural Grand Prix of India. The top six – Holgado, Sasaki, Masia, Öncü, Alonso and Ortola – are split by just 29 points now. It’s game on in the Moto3™ title race! Joins us for more in India!
Pedro Acosta won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex, the Spaniard won the 22-lap race by 6.305 seconds.
Celestino Vietti was the best of the rest on his Fantic Racing Kalex.
Alonso Lopez scored third place on his +Ego SpeedUp Boscoscuro racebike
American Joe Roberts got eighth on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, and his countryman Sean Dylan Kelly (SDK) finished 20th in his first race on his new Forward Racing machine.
2022 Pro Sport Bike champ Trevor Dion (20) is making an appearance in the class for the first time this season. The Kawasaki rider will be pulling double-duty at the Shannonville finale, also competing in the Superbike class. Photo by Rob O'Brien, courtesy CSBK.
Dion throws wrench into Mackay/Simpson title decider
Toronto, ON – Entering the season finale of what has been a wide-open Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike campaign, it’s hard to imagine any more curveballs being thrown at David MacKay or Matt Simpson as they prepare for their title showdown at Shannonville Motorsport Park, September 15-17.
However, the biggest twist of all is just now entering the equation.
Reigning champion Trevor Dion will return to the middleweight championship for the last weekend of the year, having initially decided not to defend his #1 plate and focus instead on his first full Superbike campaign.
The only rookie champion in the category’s history, Dion won twice last season and stood on the podium in six of eight races to clinch the title by eight points over MacKay, breaking plenty of Sport Bike records in the process.
The 21-year-old will now return to the grid aboard his LDS Consultants Kawasaki for the first time in over a calendar year, and while he will be making his national debut at SMP after missing round one due to injury, it’s hard not to pencil Dion in as at least a podium threat in both races if not the rider to beat.
If Dion isn’t the betting favourite, though, that honour will likely go to yet another name trying to play spoiler in the finale, as Sebastien Tremblay is set to debut his Turcotte Performance Suzuki GSX-R750 machine.
While mathematically still in the championship hunt, Tremblay would need to overcome a 52-point deficit as he sits fifth in the overall standings. Instead, the 2021 champion will focus on piloting the bigger-displacement Suzuki to a victory in its Sport Bike debut, after beginning the year on a GSX-R600.
This is exactly the position that Matt Simpson (91) hopes to be in next weekend during the Bridgestone CSBK season finale at Shannonville. The Yamaha rider currently sits second in the Pro Sport Bike championship behind David MacKay (82). Photo by Rob O’Brien, courtesy CSBK.
That may seem like a disaster for title leader MacKay and the chasing Simpson, but the reality is that the plan hardly changes for the two title rivals. With 16 points between them and then a 29-point cushion to third, it seems the main thing either side needs to worry about is just finishing ahead of the other.
The math becomes easier for MacKay, though, who has guided his ODH Snow City Cycle Kawasaki to the top spot thanks to five podiums and two wins this season. Both are the most in the Sport Bike class for 2023, a year which has seen a record six different winners in seven races and nine different podium finishers.
A quick look at the point structure will show that the biggest difference in points comes at the top – with 25 for a win, 20 for second, and 16 for third – while the difference tails off to just a single point between each place from fifth down to 15th.
That means MacKay might actually welcome the threat of Dion and Tremblay at the front, as his 16-point lead over Simpson will be tougher to overcome if the two rivals find themselves battling for places outside the podium.
Simpson has thus far found himself off the list of race winners despite his title challenge, benefitting from his consistent run of four podiums to stay in the championship mix. The Blackstock Motorsports Yamaha rider won’t necessarily need to win in order to beat MacKay for the title, but a pair of podiums seem like the necessary minimum if MacKay is able to stay near the front.
He did just that in his last appearance at SMP, finishing third and second as he looked to avoid the chaos at the front, a smart move at the time but a luxury he now won’t have at the final round with the title on the line.
Podium spots are hardly a guarantee for either rider, though, as Dion and Tremblay are far from the only ones capable of beating the two championship favourites.
Brad Macrae has already done so at Shannonville, winning race two of the opener after crashing out of the lead on the last lap of race one, and the Colron Excavating Yamaha rider will feel more than capable of adding a second career victory to close out the year.
Another rider keen to add another victory to his resumé will be Francis Martin, who recently confirmed his entry at the season finale. The two-time Superbike champion had his sensational comeback ruined by a bizarre mechanical failure at CTMP, but will look to make up for it with his first Sport Bike win since 2007 aboard his Purple Skull Brewing/Liqui Moly Suzuki.
Elliot Vieira will also have something to say for the frontrunners, after finally shaking the rust off his GP Bikes Ducati at the most recent round in CTMP. While Vieira endured a disastrous season opener at the venue in May, he has since come to grips with his V2 Panigale, evidenced by a win and second-place finish last time out.
The other breakout star of the CTMP weekend, John Laing, will also be eyeing some Shannonville redemption after his debut showing five months ago. The Vass Performance Kawasaki rider grabbed the holeshot twice in his CSBK introduction, crashing out in race one but finishing fourth in race two, and his confidence will be at an all-time high after his debut win in the AMP make-up race.
One former Shannonville winner won’t be taking the grid, though, as Connor Campbell’s graduation to the Superbike field will come at the expense of his B&T MacFarlane/Kubota Kawasaki program, which opened the season with an SMP victory.
Another storyline to watch will be in the inaugural Bickle Racing Pro Twins class, where Andrew Van Winkle looks poised to make history as the youngest pro champion in CSBK history.
The 16-year-old FD Racing Suzuki star appeared set for a runner-up finish in his debut season, but an unfortunate crash and slew of injuries for championship leader Jeff Williams have opened the door for Van Winkle to snatch the inaugural trophy.
Van Winkle finished second in both of the opening races at Shannonville, earning a haul of 40 points on the weekend, and he will only need 26 this time around to move past the sidelined Williams and bring home a historic title.
As it stands, Tomas Casas became the youngest ever pro champion when he clinched the Sport Bike crown at 18 years old in 2017, but Van Winkle could break that record by nearly two years if he can erase his championship deficit at the season finale.
The full schedule for the Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike season finale doubleheader can be found on the series’ official website at CSBK.ca.
James Rispoli won the wild MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Rispoli took the lead on lap four of six and rode his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson Road Glide to the victory.
Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim said his bike lost power during the race, but he was able to hold on and get second, which moved him into the Championship point lead heading into the final round.
Kyle Ohnsorg earned his first MotoAmerica podium finish with third place on his Roland Sands Design Indian Challenger.
Ohnsorg’s teammate Bobby Fong was leading the race on lap four when he pulled off with a mechanical problem.
Before that, Tyler O’Hara was leading the race until he started experiencing problems with his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian Challenger and eventually retired.
Kyle Wyman, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, came together with Ohnsorg on the first lap and crashed. Wyman was able to pick up his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide and continue to salvage a ninth-place finish.
Wyman’s teammate and brother Travis Wyman was having one of his best weekends of the year and was running second on the final lap when he crashed. Travis Wyman was able to remount and finish 10th.
Josh Herrin won MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas. Herrin got the holeshot on the restart of the race, led all 10 laps, and won his second race of the season by 4.078 seconds on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Newly crowned three-time Champion Jake Gagne shadowed Herrin throughout the race but could not make any moves and finished in second place on his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
PJ Jacobsen said he battled a lack of traction on his way to placing third on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Bobby Fong got fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1, while Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch took fifth.
Riders who crashed during the race included: Paasch’s teammate Richie Escalante, who fell in Turn 13 while battling for the lead; and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, who was taken out in the second crash of Gagne’s teammate JD Beach.
Beach also crashed in the original portion of the race, which lasted less than a lap because Hayden Gillim’s Disrupt Racing Suzuki suffered a broken oil line, causing a red flag.
Herrin Takes Race Two Over Gagne At Circuit Of The Americas
Ducati-Mounted Josh Herrin Wins His Second Medallia Superbike Race Of The Season In Austin, Texas
Josh Herrin (2) leads Jake Gagne (1), Richie Escalante (54), PJ Jacobsen (99) and the rest of the Medallia Superbike pack on the opening lap of the race on Sunday at Circuit of The Americas. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin made up for a dismal Saturday at Circuit of The Americas with a straight-fight win over three-time Medallia Superbike Champion Jake Gagne in Sunday’s finale in the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Texas.
A day after his Ducati Panigale V4 R failed him in race one, the bike was perfect on Sunday and so was Herrin. After all, you don’t beat Gagne and his Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha Racing YZF-R1 unless you’re at the top of your game.
Herrin led off the start and stayed out front for all 10 laps of the red-flag-interrupted race with Gagne on his tail the entire time. At the finish it was Herrin four seconds ahead with Gagne giving up the chase on the final lap. The pair were the only riders to lap in the 2:09s with Gagne getting the fastest lap of the race with his 2:09.746 to Herrin’s 2:09.776.
Third place went to Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker some five seconds behind Gagne.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong was a come-from-behind fourth and closing on Jacobsen, ending up some six seconds adrift of the BMW.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch ended up fifth, five seconds ahead of Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates, who had Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa nipping at his heels and just .341 of a second behind at the finish line.
Mesa’s teammate Corey Alexander was in the fight for seventh when he made a great save of what looked like a certain crash on his BMW M 1000 RR. Alexander was well clear of Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis with Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders rounding out the top 10.
Among the non-point scoring riders were two of the three podium finishers from yesterday – Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha’s JD Beach and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with both riders crashing. For Beach it was his second crash of the day as he also crashed in the first portion of the race, prior to the red flag. Escalante, meanwhile, crashed out of third place while right behind Gagne.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was collected by the sliding Beach. None of the riders suffered injury.
There were three different manufacturers on the podium and four different makes in the top five: Ducati, Yamaha, BMW and Suzuki.
With just the two races from New Jersey Motorsports Park remaining on the schedule, Gagne and his insurmountable 382 points have wrapped up the championship with Herrin solidifying his hold on second place. Herrin is 28 points ahead of Jacobsen, 261-233.
Superbike Race 2
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
PJ Jacobsen (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
Ashton Yates (BMW)
Stefano Mesa (BMW)
Corey Alexander (BMW)
Danilo Lewis (BMW)
Max Flinders (Yamaha)
Josh Herrin celebrates his victory, the 10th Superbike win of his career. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Quotes… Josh Herrin – Winner
“I feel like a broken record saying this, but getting track time at this track prior to coming here and having some time on this bike before we came here to race is what we needed. I knew that. I knew all year that we were struggling with just trying to get up to speed. It took all the way until the second half of the Saturday race for us to be comfortable and then Sunday would be good for us. I don’t want to celebrate too much. I feel like a linebacker getting a sack or something in a football game when you’re down by 30 points because we lost the championship. But it feels good to get this win. I’m so happy to be a part of this team. Bobby Shek, the DeNaples, Ducati USA. Everybody that puts this program together, Warhorse and HSBK Racing. It’s an amazing program. I don’t think anybody realizes how special of a relationship we have with everybody on the team. It’s just truly something special and I’m happy to be a part of it. Just so pumped that we could get another win. Glad that we have two more chances. It’s special too because we got the Ducati DRE event tomorrow, so it’s going to be a really awesome way to celebrate with all the awesome Ducati family and spin some laps around COTA and just have some fun. So, congrats to these guys. Congrats to Jake (Gagne) on the championship. Congrats to my teammate, Xavi (Forés), on wrapping up the championship this weekend in Supersport. That was cool to see us get two back-to-back championships in the Supersport class. I’m stoked. Thank you to everybody.”
Jake Gagne – Second Place
“Josh (Herrin) seriously rode his butt off. I think he stepped it up a lot. I know he got screwed yesterday, but he rode an awesome pace. I wasn’t even looking at the lap times, honestly. I was just struggling after a few laps. After the halfway point I was just kind of hanging on. But the bike was working really good. It was hot and greasy. At that point, I wanted to bring it home. That was all the fight I had today, for sure. So again, hats off to Josh and the team. It’s good to see him up here and get some redemption from yesterday. Still a good weekend. We’re up here on the box. Of course, I would have liked to make it a little bit more of a race, but I just couldn’t pass him anywhere. I was struggling with my own stuff. Good race, again. I’m happy to leave here with another podium. We brought this Yamaha home. Again, congrats to Josh because I think he rode really awesome from my perspective.”
PJ Jacobsen – Third Place
“Yeah, I think I was a bit lucky there to get third with some guys crashing out. Richie (Escalante) was pretty strong. I could see Josh (Herrin) and Jake (Gagne) in the distance, but I could just never close the gap. As the track got greasier for me, I was losing the front in a lot of spots. Then the rear was going past the TC and would just come around. It was really difficult. It was hard to get the grip for me because I was struggling with both front and rear, so I really couldn’t push. It was hard. Just trying to get back to the podium with my gap I had on I think it was Bobby (Fong). That was coming down a little bit too because I kind of just eased up as I was having some issues and problems. It’s good to take home another podium here. Josh rode great. He did a great job getting the win, and Jake. They’re super-fast and super strong all the time, so they did a good job. They beat me today.”
Tyler Scott and Xavi Fores fought bar-to-bar throughout the last lap of restarted and shortened MotoAmerica Supersport Race Two, but 17-year-old Scott would not be denied and came out on top with his third win of the season on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750.
Fores, who clinched the 2023 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship in Saturday’s Race One, finished Race Two in second place on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Scott’s teammate, 18-year-old Canadian Torin Collins came out top of his battle with veterans David Anthony and Josh Hayes to score third place and his career-first MotoAmerica podium finish.
Anthony was a very close fourth on his Wrench Motorcycles Suzuki GSX-R750, while Hayes rounded out the top five on his Squid Hunter Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
The race was interrupted on lap two of the original start when Teagg Hobbs suffered a huge highside crash on the third Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. Hobbs walked away from the crash, and after a lengthy delay, the race was restarted for a six-lap final stint.
Gillim Takes Steel Commander Stock 1000 Crown With Victory At COTA
Hayden Gillim Does The Double And Wins The Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship
Travis Wyman (10) leads Hayden Gillim (69) early in the Steel Commander Stock 1000 race at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday. Gillim would get past Wyman and take not only the victory but also the series championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
AUSTIN, TX (September 10, 2023) – The 2023 Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship was decided on the final day of the class’s season, and even though Disrupt Racing Suzuki rider Hayden Gillim didn’t need to win the race to the win the title, the Kentuckian got the victory anyway, which was his sixth race win of the year.
Gillim started from the pole, but he had to withstand an early challenge from Travis Wyman Racing BMW’s Travis Wyman. At about the halfway point of the race, Gillim overtook Wyman for the lead, and he kept it all the way to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Wyman crossed the finish line in second.
Third place went to PDR Motorsports Kawasaki rider Diego Perez, who was competing in his first Steel Commander Stock 1000 race weekend of the year.
Hayden Gillim celebrates winning the Steel Commander Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
“Everybody before the race was telling me where I needed to be and everything,” Gillim said. “Like I said yesterday, I’m not good at math, so I wanted to win the last one. I didn’t want to sit there. I knew Travis (Wyman) from the first couple of laps was going to be hard to pass. It took me a while. The first pass I made on him, immediately he came back by. So, the second pass, I made sure to kind of block a little bit going into that next-to-last corner. Knew I had a little bit on the brakes going up into one, just from the first time he came back by me. But it was good. It was so much fun to race with him. We’ve raced so hard over the years. For us to be dicing it out the last race of the year is a lot of fun. He definitely made me work for it today, though. But the whole team, Disrupt Racing 4SR team, has been working their butts off this year. We had a really bad start to the season and to be able to finish it off with the couple wins we did here is pretty special, and to have the whole Nichol family here running 4SR in the U.S. is amazing. They’re like family to me. Having them here with us is really awesome. To be able to bring it home for Jesse and Danny Hwilka this year is really special. They’ve been wanting it really bad. I got their first win for them and the first podium. And now, the first championship. So, it’s really special. It’s a bummer because my wife isn’t here and my son isn’t here, but they’re at home watching. She made me tear up a little bit on the podium because she was crying on the phone. So, I wasn’t able to get out some of the stuff I wanted to say on the podium. This is really awesome.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – Rispoli Wins A Weird One
The city of Austin goes by the credo of “Keep Austin Weird.” Well, Sunday’s Mission King Of The Baggers race two definitely filled the bill.
The race was ultimately won by Vance & Hines/Mission/Harley-Davidson’s James Rispoli. It was Rispoli’s second victory of the season and his first since the very first race of the year back in March at Daytona International Speedway.
Weird? Well here goes: Tyler O’Hara led the first lap before his Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods Challenger expired. By this point, championship points leader Kyle Wyman had crashed, but would remount and ultimately finish ninth. Then Bobby Fong led for a lap before his Sac Mile/SDI Racing/Roland Sands/Indian blew up. Rispoli was then back in front, a spot he held on to until the finish of the six-lap race. Behind him, however, things still changed with H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman crashing out of second place on the last lap, which handed the spot to Rispoli’s teammate Hayden Gillim. Wyman’s crash also elevated Roland Sands Design/Indian Motorcycle’s Kyle Ohnsorg to his first career podium.
Phew.
James Rispoli (43) leads Hayden Gillim (79) and Travis Wyman (10) en route to winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race at COTA on Sunday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Fourth place went to Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Jeremy McWilliams, despite a five-second penalty for jumping the start, with Team Saddlemen’s Jake Lewis rounding out the top five.
The bottom line: With two races left to run in the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Gillim leads the title chase by just two points over Rispoli with Wyman third, 11 points behind Gillim and nine adrift of Rispoli.
“It was mental,” Rispoli said. “Did Jeremy (McWilliams) jump the start? That’s the best start I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I got to be honest. Did Tyler (O’Hara) or did he just go? McWilliams has got that guy’s back. He had five seconds on the first lap. Me and Hayden (Gillim), I’m shaking my head like, ‘We’re going to get smoked because we can’t pass McWilliams right now.’ Not saying he’s not fast, he was just rolling everywhere. You could just see it. Just using that engine horsepower. But it’s carnage. I don’t know what happened. I thought everybody was stacked up behind me. When Bob (Fong) came through, he had some stuff kind of coming out. I got a little nervous because I had some stuff on my shield and I kind of let him go. I saw him looking back. Then he started cutting the chicane and I was like, ‘Man, if I was a betting man, he’s probably not going to get away with that twice.’ Then I kind of put my head down and I saw on the tower number 10. I was like, Travis (Wyman) is in second. Then I saw Hayden there. I just took a peek back and I saw I had some daylight. I was like, ‘dude, we’re just riding slow.’ I was doing 18s. I did a 17.9 when I kind of felt comfortable, when Bob was far enough away. Then I looked on the last lap. I looked back and there was no one there. Super thankful. Sometimes you don’t race against the fastest guys at the time of the race. To win like this probably has an asterisk, but we finished and we got points back and we got a win. I’m stoked. I’m really just pumped for the whole team. We struggled this weekend and it just goes to show you that as a team we can still persevere, we can still put things one and two and be on the box. Single digits going into the last round. Anything can happen. That’s what we want for the sport.”
Supersport – Scott In A Thriller
Old age and treachery was defeated by youth and enthusiasm in Sunday’s Supersport race with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott besting Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Xavi Fores in a race that featured a thrilling last lap.
After a heated last lap that saw both riders on COTA’s expansive run-off areas at certain times, Scott withstood the constant pressure of Forés with the cool head of a rider well beyond what you’d expect of a 17-year-old.
The Supersport race came down to a thrilling battle between Xavi Forés (12) and Tyler Scott (70) with Scott prevailing for his third win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
The win was Scott’s third of the year and what he called the best of his young career. For Fores, it was his 11th podium of his championship-winning year.
Scott’s new Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Torin Collins finished third in just his second ride ever on a Supersport bike – a day after he finished fourth in what was his debut with the team and in MotoAmerica.
“This morning we made a few changes from yesterday,” Scott said. “They were all very minor, one or two very minor changes. But the big question was we were running out of gearing on the back straightaway. So, we were hitting the limiter. Before the restart, I tried to draft him and then see if I could pass in the braking zone. But the gearing, I started hitting the limiter at the first braking marker and was actually losing ground. So, I knew for the rest of the race and what eventually would become the restart that I would have to be really aggressive, really deep into the brakes, or lead down the big straightaway and hopefully he gets beside me. I had the confidence in the front end to be able to out-brake Xavi (Forés) for one of the first times this season. I was able to match him in the braking zones and came out on top in those battles. I can’t give enough thanks to the whole Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for preparing a beautiful bike this weekend, dialing in the electronics, Barry from Öhlins dialing in the suspension. It couldn’t be more perfect. The one thing also, I went with the zero front tire which was super soft. About halfway, I started tucking the front a little bit and I just had to be careful in the closing laps not to put a lot of bar input at the apex.”
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – O’Hara Again
Indian Motorcycle/Progressive/Mission Foods’ Tyler O’Hara wrapped up the 2023 Mission Super Hooligan National Championship on Saturday and continued his party with a second victory on Sunday at COTA. The win was O’Hara’s fifth of the season and it came after a rough and tumble win on Saturday that saw his teammate Jeremy McWilliams crash out on the final lap in the last corner with the two basically locked in combat.
A banged up and bruised McWilliams finished second for his sixth podium finish of the season and it earned him second in the championship point standings.
Tyler O’Hara (1) beat his teammate Jeremy McWilliams (99) to win the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship round at COTA. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
DiBrino Racing KTM’s Andy DiBrino earned his sixth podium of the season and that placed him third in the final championship standings. DiBrino and McWilliams went into Sunday’s series finale tied in points with Ulsterman McWilliams coming away with the runner-up spot in both the race and the title chase.
“Today definitely wasn’t as hot, which was nice,” O’Hara said “A little cooler today. Yesterday was just an all-out, epic, one of those days like fighting with your brother in the backyard or something with the gloves off. It was epic. It was just clean all year. He didn’t hit me. He didn’t bump me. He rubbed me, and rubbing’s racing, and I’m okay with that. We push each other, and he’s great at putting in fast laps when he needs to. I’ve worked a lot on that this year and really had to dig deep to bring my level up and my speed. A lot of speed work in the training. He brings a lot to the development of this team. He brings a world championship level of preparation to our whole program. He makes everybody on our team better. He’s a warrior. We were both at the medical center this morning. We both had pretty good ones this morning. Hats off to them. S&S Cycles. They’ve been working so hard all year. Today we had a great first start. I could hear him. I was like, okay. I had a little battle with (Stefano) Mesa there. Then we got the red flag and just tried to kind of go around the first lap, keep my bike cool and kind of get some heat in the tires the last couple corners so I don’t have to sit there with my clutch. Got not the best jump. Jeremy (McWilliams) got a better jump and he stayed inside. I think that kind of pinched off a couple of the other guys. I kind of swung wide in, too. Three lap dash, it’s like the dash for cash. You’ve just got to go for it and bite your lip and get a little western. It was really fun. To cap it off with a win feels really good. Again, this one is for the team, everyone that works so hard. It feels really good. Andy (DiBrino) rode awesome all year. Looking forward to Daytona in March.”
Ruche Moodley (11) leading Angel Piqueras (18), Alvaro Carpe (behind Piqueras), Alberto Ferrandez (54), and Rico Salmela (27) in Race Two. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
Piqueras grabs record 9th Rookies win in Misano photo finish finale
Race 2 in Misano was just as thrilling as Saturday’s classic and this time Angel Piqueras flashed across the line first ahead of fellow Spaniards Max Quiles and Alvaro Carpe. Less than 2 seconds covered the top 12 KTMs after 15 laps on the Adriatic coast.
The 2023 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has belonged to Piqueras since the Dutch round but now he is the most successful Rookie in the 17 seasons, 9 wins in one year and 11 in two seasons.
Piqueras perfect
“Yesterday I said that everyone was overtaking me and that I couldn’t run my race at my pace,” explained the 16-year-old. “Today I only focused on doing my best and I knew that I had a very good pace.”
“I was trying and trying hard to make a gap but it is quite difficult here the slipstream is so important.”
“This time I did manage to get across the line first but it was so close, I was not sure I had won it.”
“I did get my 9th victory this year and I am very happy to now have the record for Rookies wins in a season. I’d only just been born when the Cup started in 2007.
“I thank the Cup and everyone that supports me and I’m now looking forward to the World Championship.”
Quiles so close
“A very good race,” enthused the 15-year-old who is 3rd in the points table. “I enjoyed it a lot. Everyone was pushing a lot so it was very difficult, then in the last laps it got harder and harder.”
“On the last lap, I was preparing to overtake Piqueras in the last 3 or 4 corners. I overtook Carpe but then I went a bit wide in the third fast corner at the back and he overtook me back.”
“That spoilt the possibility I had to overtake for the win but I said to myself that I will set up the final corner as well as I can for a fast exit. I got close to the win but took P2 so I am very happy with that,” concluded Quiles who was just 0.009 seconds behind Piqueras and 0.008 ahead of Carpe on the line.
Carpe couldn’t repeat
“Another really good race with all the riders very aggressive,” explained the 16-year-old who won on Saturday. “It was just like yesterday, I knew that I had to be just as aggressive or I would not keep at the front of the group.”
“Of course, I was trying to win again, it was so close across the line but this time I was 3rd. Still, it’s another podium in my Rookie season in the Cup so I am happy about that.”
“It is so important for me and my career to have this success. I have enjoyed this season and especially the races in Spielberg and here.”
Rico Salmela from pole to 4th
“Yes, a good race, obviously better than yesterday,” stated the 15-year Finn who fell in Race 1. “The track was better than yesterday so a bit more easy to ride.”
“With a few laps to go, I made a small mistake, I went back to P7 or 8. I worked back to P5, then I overtook Pini in the last lap but in the end, I was fighting too much with Pini. Then I couldn’t make the move on Maximo, Pini was all the time trying to pass me back, I had to defend.”
“Finally I was 4th because Pini got a track limits penalty on the last lap and I am also 4th in the championship. Better than last, I wanted more but we’ll see for next year. There are things to improve in the winter.”
Guido Pini penalised to 5th
“It was a good race for me, the podium was so close but I couldn’t quite make it,” explained the 15-year-old Italian who crossed the line 4th but dropped a place due to exceeding track limits on the final lap.
“I am happy because after Austria, which was a very difficult weekend I am so happy to feel right on the bike again and being able to fight for the front, we are back.”
“I was so close to the podium but I think I needed to push a bit more earlier, to be right at the front with Angel and Carpe. Then I would have been able to go for the podium on the last lap.”
“I hope to stay another year in the Red Bull Rookies Cup and do better.”
Ruche Moodley enjoyed the lead more than finishing 6th
“I tried 100%,” stated the 16-year-old South African. “I knew after yesterday I had a lot of things to improve so last night I just watched the race so many times, just to see all the good overtaking spots. And today I think I did it perfectly.”
“After yesterday we made the rear a little bit harder for a bit more stability. Yesterday when I overtook someone the back was always going up because the front was really soft. We made it harder and it was better today.”
“I felt quite good in front but then I thought, ‘Maybe let Piqueras lead for a bit and I’ll see where he is strong’. But he has a different riding style, he stops and goes a lot more where I carry a lot of corner speed.”
“So behind him, it was difficult to keep the same rhythm behind. That was my mistake, I should have just stayed in front.”
Tyler O’Hara put an exclamation point on his second straight MotoAmerica Mission Super Hooligan Championship by winning Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. O’Hara clinched the 2023 title with a dramatic win in Race One Saturday, and then O’Hara won Sunday’s restarted and shortened three-lap Race Two on his Progressive Insurance/Mission Foods Indian FTR 1200.
In spite of being battered and bruised from his crash at the end of Race One, O’Hara’s teammate Jeremy McWilliams was able to score a runner-up finish in Race Two.
Andy DiBrino came home third, right behind McWilliams, on his DiBrino Racing KTM 890 Duke R.
Energica elevates electric appeal in outstanding season finale at CoTA
Stefano Mesa (137) in action on his Energica Eva Ribelle RS electric motorcycle at COTA. Photo courtesy Energica.
Life is about perspective, and so is competitive sport. When a big result comes, the overall level of expectations rises like a giant wave out of a flat sea, so much that a top-five finish does not feel as incredible as it may have been before. This is exactly what happened at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas in Race 2 of the Super Hooligan National Championship, when Stefano Mesa put together another masterful performance to cross the line fifth position, after yet another red flag had cut the race in two.
Were Energica and Tytlers Cycle Racing hoping for another podium after yesterday’s monumental second place in Race 1? Absolutely. Is a fifth place a good result to wrap up the season? Without a doubt, for it helped Mesa and the team led by Michael Kiley secure fourth place overall in the championship standings (click here to view them), an unbelievable result considering the novelty represented by the arrival of the only full-bore electric machine in the series: the Kit Corsa Clienti-equipped EVA Ribelle RS.
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Everything that happened this year went beyond the wildest dreams of everyone involved. It started as a possibility of even competing, with more question marks than certainties as no electric motorcycle ever had plans to seriously contend against an ICE field.
Mesa and the Eva Ribelle RS are now a force to be reckoned with, as their adversaries have learned to make sure of their positioning on the grid, knowing they may see that green bolt fly past them after the lights go out. And in Austin, they also learned to expect an out-braking manoeuvre and resistance when trying to overtake.
And the excitement within the garage and out on the pit-lane grew with each event, and it was palpable in the heat of the Circuit of The Americas as the team was joined by Energica owners who were just as shocked as the members of the squad to witness these results on a track that was perceived more as a threat than an opportunity for any electric motorcycle.
But the confidence boost was evident, as no one questioned the ability of the Eva Ribelle RS to keep functioning at maximum power after yet another red flag happening in Race 2. Unlike our previous races, and especially here, everyone suddenly realized that we had nothing to worry about.
This is what racing does: it stresses a package to the fullest, and sometimes reveals capabilities that even their creators couldn’t fathom. In the end, our first Superhooligan season closes with a job well done: far better than anyone could have imagined.
We thank all those who embarked on this journey with us: Stefano Mesa and the whole Tytlers Cycle Racing team, the technical team at Energica who flew from Italy for each race; PETRONAS iona and all our sponsors. We had a clear goal knowing our destination how be a difficult one. And it is only the beginning.
Hayden Gillim won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Stock 1000 Race Two Sunday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Gillim, riding his Disrupt Racing Suzuki GSX-R1000R, battled for the lead with Travis Wyman until lap six of eight. That’s when Gillim took control and rode home to a victory that also earned him the 2023 Stock 1000 Championship.
Wyman was a close second on his Travis Wyman Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Diego Perez rode his PDR Motorsports Kawasaki ZX-10R to third place by holding off Kaleb De Keyrel (fourth) and his Orange Cat Racing BMW and Benjamin Smith (fifth) and his Benjamin Smith Racing Yamaha.
De Keyrel’s teammate Ezra Beaubier, the Championship point leader coming into the weekend, missed both races at COTA due to illness.
Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at Magny-Cours, in France. The defending World Champion and current point leader won the re-started 17-lap race by nearly six seconds on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R
Toprak Razgatlioglu finished second on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1, just ahead of Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished fifth overall on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR and was the top Independent rider and the top-finishing BMW pilot.
Bautista seizes victory in Red-Flagged Race 2 at Magny-Cours
Alvaro Bautista (1) leads Jonathan Rea (65), Toprak Razgatlioglu (54), and the rest of the field early in Race Two at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy Dorna.
In Race 2 at Magny-Cours, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured victory to leave France with a 57-point advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).
Bautista started Race 2 strong, quickly taking the lead. However, Rea and Razgatlioglu were prompt to challenge him. Rea made a move at Turn 5 but couldn’t overtake Bautista, and while the Ducati rider gradually increased his lead, the race was interrupted on Lap 5. The red flag was waved following an incident involving Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Aegerter declared unfit for racing due to a suspected concussion. The restart saw Bautista retain his lead, while Razgatlioglu eventually secured second place after a tense battle with Rea. Bautista maintained his lead until the end, winning by a six-second margin.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) fought his way to fourth place in his 100th race, with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) taking fifth ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Among the French riders, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) finished in 12th place, while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) faced technical issues and could not restart the race.
Alvaro Bautista regained his form to seize his 19th win of the season in Race 2 at Magny-Cours.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“For sure, I’m so happy to end the weekend like this, especially because I was ill on Friday and I was recovering during the weekend. Yesterday I felt better but today I felt almost 100%. In Race 2, with these conditions, it was difficult but it was similar to yesterday’s so I already knew the feeling with the bike. I tried to do a good start, and I had good feeling and pace. And after 5 laps, the race was stopped and it was difficult because in that moment I was riding really well. I tried to stay focused in the box. The second start, I felt well too and I could push from the beginning as well. At the end, I was alone but I kept pushing because I enjoyed riding like this. I’m happy overall with the weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu secured a hard-fought second place, while Jonathan Rea, demonstrated his trademark consistency to claim the third position.
Andrea Locatelli celebrated his 100th race with a commendable fourth place finish.
Garrett Gerloff put on an impressive display, surging from tenth on the grid to secure fifth place.
WorldSBK Race 2 Results
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +5.893s
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +6.779s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +10.978s
5. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +11.482s
6. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +15.258s
WorldSBK Championship standings
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 467 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 410 points
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 290 points
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) held off a relentless challenge from Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) to secure a hard-fought victory in Race 2. Bulega’s triumph further extended his championship lead, now 60 points ahead of his closest rival, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who finished in third place.
Bulega started strongly, attempting to break away from the pack, but Debise matched his pace lap after lap, staying within striking distance. The Frenchman’s relentless pursuit kept the pressure on Bulega until Lap 14 when the Italian managed to pull away slightly and clinch his 11th win of the season.
Behind them, the battle for fourth was a fierce one, with Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) edging out Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in a race-long duel. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) finished just a fraction of a second behind Tuuli in sixth place.
Nicolo Bulega held his ground against Valentin Debise, securing a vital Race 2 victory and extending his championship lead.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“It was a great weekend with pole position and two victories again. It’s always something special. I want to enjoy this moment with my team. We did a great job. My feeling with the bike was very good all the weekend. I want to congratulate Debise because he was very fast. I had to push from the first corner and every lap. In the end, I won so this is important for the Championship because I take 25 points, and Manzi lost a few points. 60 points is a good advantage but I don’t want to think of the Championship now. When it’s time, we will think about it. Last year in Aragon, I had my first podium after two difficult years in Moto2TM, and then coming back on the podium was very nice. So, I have a good memory of Aragon and I’m looking forward to going there and trying to win.”
Having applied relentless pressure on Bulega throughout the race, Valentin Debise ultimately secured his second podium this weekend.
Stefano Manzi completed the podium, losing valuable points to Bulega in the championship standings.
WorldSSP Race 2 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +1.991s
3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +12.441s
Buis takes control leading the Championship with Magny-Cours win
In a captivating showdown at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) surged to victory in WorldSSP300 Race 2, significantly altering the Championship landscape. The 2020 Champion secured his second win of the weekend, moving him into the lead of the fiercely contested Championship – while a last-lap crash meant that previous leader Dirk Geiger could only finish in 9th. This victory marked Buis’ historic tenth win in the WorldSSP300 category, making him the first rider to reach double-digit wins in this class.
Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) exhibited incredible determination and racecraft as he fought his way through the pack from fifth row on the grid, ultimately finishing in second place. Meanwhile, Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) showcased his consistent form with a well-earned third-place finish. Perez Gonzalez’s strong performance in Race 2 added valuable points to his Championship tally, keeping him firmly in the title battle. The dramatic twists and turns of the Magny-Cours race left the top three riders separated by just 13 points in the overall championship standings, setting the stage for an electrifying remainder of the season.
In the midfield, the contest for fourth, fifth, and sixth places was fierce. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) showed great determination, clinching fourth place by a mere 0.226-second gap behind Perez Gonzalez. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) took fifth place, highlighting his potential as a strong contender. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) completed the top six, finishing only 0.160 seconds behind Veneman in a race marked by intense on-track duels.
Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. Photo courtesy Michelin.
Jorge Martin won the MotoGP World Championship race Sunday at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati Desmosedici, the Spaniard won the 27-lap race by 1.350 seconds. It was his second win of the season.
Marco Bezzecchi finished second on his Mooney VR46 Racing Team Ducati, and defending World Champion Francesco Bagnaia made it a Ducati sweep of the podium with third on his Lenovo Team Ducati.
Martin and Bezzecchi pip Pecco to cut the Championship deficit as Pedrosa threatens to spoil the party at Misano
Jorge Martin (89). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 10 September 2023
Pole position, Tissot Sprint win and a Sunday race victory. Jorge Martin’s (Prima Pramac Racing) weekend at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini couldn’t have gone any better as the Spaniard made no mistakes to take maximum points on his title rivals’ stomping ground. The winning margin over second place Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was just 1.3s as Bez homed in though, with reigning World Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) fighting through the pain to claim an important third. And Pecco was only just ahead of some familiar company at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: wildcard Dani Pedrosa (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Martin untouchable again as Pecco fends off Pedrosa
Just like he did in the Tissot Sprint, Martin got a perfect launch and pocketed the holeshot as Bezzecchi and Bagnaia slotted in behind. Pedrosa got away well again and was up to P4, and the MotoGP™ Legend held on after a moment between Turn 1 and 2 looking for a way through on Bagnaia. But Bagnaia then picked his way past Bezzecchi at Turn 3 as the #1 immediately began to hound Martin.
Unlike yesterday, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) made good progress off the start and at the beginning of Lap 2, the South African was up to P4 and began to chase Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi.
A fascinating early race fight was unfolding at the front. Martin, Bagnaia and Bezzecchi were locked together, with Binder 0.7s adrift heading onto Lap 5. On Lap 6, Bezzecchi passed Pecco for P6 down at Turn 8 but just like he did a lap previous, the Italian was wide at Turn 10 to allow the Champion back through. That gave Martin a little bit of breathing room – if you can call 0.3s that – as Binder went quicker than the trio in front of him.
Disaster then struck for Binder at Turn 14 on Lap 8. The KTM star was down at the tight right-hand hairpin as his podium hopes ended, handing Pedrosa the lead KTM baton. The #26 was 1.5s off the leaders, as KTM’s afternoon then got worse as Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed out of contention after being involved in an incident with Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing).
Elsewhere, on Lap 12 of 27, it was time to cue the jaws music. Who for? Pedrosa. The wildcard was beginning to close at a vast rate of knots and with 15 laps left, Pedrosa was just 0.6s off Bezzecchi’s rear wheel. Unbelievable. The Little Samurai was the only rider lapping in the 1:31s at this stage of the race.
Pedrosa’s pace dropped off soon after but the gap remained at just over a second. At the front, with 10 laps to go, Martin’s lead grew to over a second for the first time as the #89 began to get the hammer down. Were the injuries to Bagnaia and Bezzecchi starting to take their toll or was Martin’s pace just too good? Bezzecchi was looking impatient behind VR46 compatriot Bagnaia, and a move came at Turn 8. By now though, Martin’s advantage was 2.2s.
Bagnaia was fading. Pedrosa was coming. 0.7s split the double World Champion from the three-time World Champion, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and an extremely classy ride for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) putting him a further four seconds back after initially closing on the number 12. A huge six laps beckoned, could Bagnaia hold on to what would be a very valuable and hard-earned 16 points?
With four laps to go, Bagnaia was holding Pedrosa at bay by 0.6s. Bezzecchi was now under two seconds away from Martin but it was too little too late, with the latter controlling his advantage nicely as he powered towards completing the perfect weekend.
With two to go, Pedrosa was right on Bagnaia’s coattails. Catching the Ducati rider was one thing but as he found out in the Sprint, passing was a whole different kettle of fish. In the end, Bagnaia did hold on to a crucial P3 as Martin made no mistake to cap off a sensational weekend. Bezzecchi bagged P2 despite his injured hand to gain ground in the title chase.
The points scorers in Misano
Just off the podium of Martin, Bezzecchi and Bagnaia, Pedrosa took the chequered flag just 0.6s away from the rostrum as the Little Samurai again demonstrates why he’s a three-time World Champion and a MotoGP™ Legend. Unreal from the popular Spaniard, who finished six seconds up the road from fifth place Viñales.
Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) was sixth ahead of Marc Marquez, who somehow bags a brilliant P7 after racing with a soft rear tyre. Raul Fernandez (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) takes home his best MotoGP™ finish in P8, as the Ducatis of Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) complete the top 10.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Catalan GP winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), a recovering Binder and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) closed out the points in San Marino.
Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) joined Miller and Pirro as the riders to notch up DNFs.
36 points in it heading to India!
A brand-new challenge awaits us next time out as India hosts MotoGP™ for the very first time. Martin’s perfect weekend sees the gap between him and Championship leader Pecco sit at 36 points as the flyaway tour of the season begins… for the first time in some time, it’s back below the 37 points on offer in one weekend. Don’t miss it!
Masterclass: Acosta stamps some authority on Misano
Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was back in business at Misano, putting in an inch-perfect performance to take victory The Spaniard controlled the race perfectly at the front as he edged away from home hero Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) pilling on the pressure mid race. The Italian brought home an important second place, with Alonso Lopez (+Ego SpeedUp) keeping Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) at bay to round out the podium.
Acosta came out the gates with fire in his belly as he took the holeshot from the polesitter Vietti. Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Mastercamp) tried to hold on from his front row start, but the Spaniard quickly fell victim to Lopez and Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) who charged their way through on the first lap.
The front three then began to break away as Lopez dropped off the back of the group, with a few bike lengths back to Gonzalez in fifth. Acosta was pushing on at the front and was asking big questions of Vietti, who was keeping the Spaniard in his sights. Still, the Championship leader’s pace began to stretch out the field and it wasn’t long before the Red Bull KTM Ajo machine was almost a second up the road.
With the pace getting hotter and hotter, Canet then cracked as a tiny mistake at Carro corner saw him crash out of a podium position with 14 laps to go, promoting Lopez to P3. That left Vietti in a lonely 2nd place and with some ground to cover to Acosta out the front. Vietti responded to the Spaniard’s hot pace however as he began to reel in the Championship leader tenth by tenth.
The Italian was throwing absolutely everything he had at it with the prospect of a home Grand Prix victory dangling before his eyes. Vietti’s bike was making all sorts of shapes as the Italian had no choice but to push the limits to try and match Acosta’s pace.
After a couple of big moments, that was all she wrote in terms of the Italian’s charge for the win though. With five laps remaining Acosta had stretched the gap back out to over two seconds, and it was game set and match from there going forward as Acosta had done all the hard work and cruised to victory by 6.3s, extending his Championship lead.
Whilst the battle for victory had been decided the battle for third was raging on. Arbolino had been carving his way through the field from the moment the lights went out. The Italian desperately needed a good result to keep his Championship hopes alive and after charging from ninth on the grid to fourth, with five laps to go he had just under a second to Lopez in the final rostrum position…
Arbolino had the bit between his teeth as he proceeded to hit his markers in a valiant attempt to reel in the Boscoscuro machine. Lopez had it covered however as the Spaniard’s pace just made it too difficult for the Italian to bridge the gap. The SpeedUp rider took his first podium since Le Mans, with Arbolino forced to settle for P4.
A late charge from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura and Somkiat Chantra saw them pip Gonzalez as the Spaniard dropped to P7, with Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), Filip Salač (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and wildcard home hero Mattia Pasini (Fieten Olie Racing GP) completing the top ten.
The attention now turns to Buddh International Circuit in India as a brand-new challenge awaits the Moto2™ grid. Join us in India from the 22nd to the 24th of September!
Back-to-back glory for Alonso
David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), take a bow. The young Colombian takes his third victory in four races after beating Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in a phenomenal Moto3™ battle at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini. The top three crossed the line 0.2s apart as World Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) struggled to P16, blowing the title race wide open.
It was Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) who got the best launch from the middle of the front row as the Japanese star grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, but Masia immediately responded to take the lead at Turn 4. Kaito Toba (SIC58 Squadra Corse) lost ground on the first lap, he was shoved down to P5 as Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and Alonso made forward progress.
Masia held a 0.6s advantage on Lap 2 as Sasaki and Moreira squabbled for second place. The lead was up to a second heading onto Lap 3, with the chasing pack needing to settle down and work together to try and reel in the early runaway leader. However, settling down isn’t something Öncü can do. The Turk shoved his way past Moreira and set his sights on catching Masia.
By Lap 6 of 20, Öncü and Moreira had bridged the gap. Sasaki, David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Alonso and Toba were a further 0.7s adrift, with World Championship leader Holgado battling outside the top 10.
With 12 laps left, a lead group of seven had formed with Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) tagging onto the back of the battle in P8 and P9. Lap 11 of 20 saw the lead change for the first time as Masia went from P1 to P3 in the blink of an eye, with Öncü now at the front.
With seven laps remaining, a top four of Öncü, Masia, Muñoz and Alonso had gapped Moreira, Sasaki, Toba, Veijer and Rueda. The front quartet were two seconds up the road, with Holgado still P11 and over a second off tenth place Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team).
It was bubbling up nicely for a final lap spectacular in Misano. The top four was as you were for a few laps before Muñoz had a big front-end moment at Turn 2 – the Spaniard did well to keep it upright but lost P3 to Alonso.
Heading onto the final lap, Öncü led from Masia and Alonso, with Muñoz 0.6s adrift in P4. Alonso slammed in the fastest lap of the race as we strapped in for a last-lap thriller. It stayed the same through the first half of the lap before Alonso grabbed P2 at Turn 10. Then on the run into Turn 14, Masia pocketed a two-for-one deal. It was a cracking move but Alonso returned the favour on the cutback and managed to hold onto the lead all the way to the flag. The Colombian beat Masia by 0.036s to P1 with Öncü settling for P3 having led for most of the second half of the race.
Muñoz bounced back from his Catalan GP disappointment with a solid P4, as Veijer takes home a top five after showing great late race pace. Japan’s Toba and Sasaki crossed the line in P6 and P7 respectively, with Ortola doing well to claim P8 after being shoved well wide in the early exchanges. Rueda and Romano Fenati (Rivacold Snipers Team) rounded out the top 10, as Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), Moreira, Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team), Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) rounded out the points.
For Holgado, P16 is what the Spaniard has to swallow in Misano. The #96 remains the title leader, but his gap has been cut to just four points ahead of the inaugural Grand Prix of India. The top six – Holgado, Sasaki, Masia, Öncü, Alonso and Ortola – are split by just 29 points now. It’s game on in the Moto3™ title race! Joins us for more in India!
Misano World Circuit - Marco Simoncelli. Photo courtesy Michelin.
Pedro Acosta won the FIM Moto2 World Championship race Sunday at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, in San Marino. Riding his Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex, the Spaniard won the 22-lap race by 6.305 seconds.
Celestino Vietti was the best of the rest on his Fantic Racing Kalex.
Alonso Lopez scored third place on his +Ego SpeedUp Boscoscuro racebike
American Joe Roberts got eighth on his Italtrans Racing Kalex, and his countryman Sean Dylan Kelly (SDK) finished 20th in his first race on his new Forward Racing machine.
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Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
