Dean Harrison set the fastest time in Wednesday TT qualifying on the Isle of Man, riding a Honda Fireblade. Results follow:
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Isle of Man TT: Dean Harrison Fastest in Wednesday Qualifying
Roadracing World Young Guns 2025: Eli Banish
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 29th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
- FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
- MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 14 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
- A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
- WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships; ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
- AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
- USGPRU National Championships;
- Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2025 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America, based on the 2024 season. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Eli Banish
Age: 16.
Current home: Burlington, Kentucky (currently living in Valencia, Spain).
Current height/weight: 6’1”/145 pounds.
Current school grade level: 10th grade.
Began riding at age: 4 years.
First road race: 2017, Circleville, Ohio, Ohio Mini Road Racing League, Kids50, 4th Place.
Current racebike: TBA.
Current tuners/mechanics: Mark Junge.
Primary race series: TBA.
Sponsors: Fastline Track Days, Best Western Resorts & Hotels, KMA Racing, POP Shadow Decals & Wraps, Vortex Racing, 35 Motorsports, April Cody Real Estate.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2024 season; finished tied for 24th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race result was 7th at Snetterton), finished in top-10 in wild card appearance in RFME ESBK Supersport Next Gen at Valencia; 2023 season, finished 17th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race result was 7th at Thruxton); 2022 season, tied for 29th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race finish was 12th), won WERA Sportsman Clubman National Championship, won 2 WERA North Central Regional Championships (won 18 WERA races); 2021 season, won AMA Moto3 Expert Grand Championship, took 2nd in Formula Two WERA National Challenge Series Championship, won eight WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships (won 26 WERA races); 2020 season, won D Superbike Novice WERA Sportsman North Central Championship (won six WERA races); 2019 season, named AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year, won five WERA Sportsman Regional Championships in Novice classes (won 13 WERA races).
2025 racing goal: Find a ride in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
Racing career goal: Compete in the MotoGP World Championship.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Road Atlanta.
Favorite hobbies: Cooking, cycling.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Making cooking videos for YouTube.
…..
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
Former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
Three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
FIM JuniorGP World Championship point scorer and MotoAmerica podium finisher Torin Collins;
Former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
Four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
Two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley- Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
Two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023and 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner- up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
Eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, and 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, and four-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 and 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
Two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner Rocco Landers;
Two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and powersports dealership owner Bryce Kornbau (nee Prince);
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
Two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
2021 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion and multi-time MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Tyler Scott;
Former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
Three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
FIM JuniorGP Moto2 European Championship regular Max Toth;
Multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, former World Superbike competitor, and 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Jayson Uribe;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup race winner and current Supersport regular Max Van;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
Former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner; MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and 2024 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan Champion Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup race winner and 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Champion Ashton Yates;
Two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
FIM Mini Cup: Matsudaira, Lupo Win Featured 190 Races At Apex (Updated)
Kensei Matsudaira and Anthony Lupo won the Ohvale GP 190 class races at Round Three of the FIM Mini Cup series at Apex Racing Center in Perris, California. Matsudaira won the opening Sprint race, while Lupo took the win in the first full race of the weekend. Matsudaira struck back and took the victory in Race Two. (Scroll down for results.)
Jase Dill won all three of the Ohvale GP 160 races, and Zaal Farhand swept the Ohvale GP 110 races.
World Superbike: Bulega Tops Final Day Of Testing At Misano
The sun has set on the second day of testing at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped Day 2, setting the table for an epic showdown in Ducati’s back yard at the upcoming Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his team look to have found some answers with their setup, but his work will be cut out for him at the upcoming race weekend. In P3 behind them, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) continued his good run of form as the Italian sets out for more podiums in 2025.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) didn’t participate in the Test’s Day 1, the current Championship leader, however, needed no time to leap to the top of the timesheet. His 1’32.093s time propelling him to P1 in FP4. had it happened during an official round, his time would have shattered Razgatlioglu’s 2024 track record by more than a quarter of a second. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finished in P4 after his P5 result on Day 1. His pace seems to be improving as his 1’32.820s lap was faster than his Day 1 fastest lap by around seven tenths of a second. Italian rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the second-fastest Ducati for stretches of the day; he went on to finish in P6 with his 1’32.962s lap. Montella’s teammate Danilo Petrucci was not as quick as the rookie for the second day in a row, finishing P9 on his fastest lap of 1’33.153s. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) continues to fight through his two broken toes, suffered just 11 days ago, and looks to have made some progress with his bike, even despite that. ‘The Maniac’ finished P12 with a time of 1’33.364s. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished the day in P13 and a time of 1’33.424s after his Day 1 P4. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) closed out Misano’s Testing with a fastest lap of 1’33.816s to earn P16. Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was on track as well, testing Ducati’s new Panigale V4 R, he collected a total of 25 laps worth of data, the fastest of them a 1’33.956s.
Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Bulega traded places for P1 and P2 throughout the session, with minutes left, Bulega pipped Toprak by just 0.04s in the afternoon’s FP4, relegating him to P2 despite his 1’32.133s time fast enough to have broken his track record last year. The defending Champion will need to find a way to outpace Bulega at Misano if he wants to breathe more life into the Championship Race. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished the day in P14, while his pace was not a huge improvement over his recent results, both the Dutchman and ‘El Turco’ will benefit from the data they collected en masse across both days, on Day 2 alone, the pair and the other two test riders- Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli- cumulatively collected 190 laps, the most of any team.
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was the faster of the Bimota pair on Wednesday, finishing P3 thanks to his 1’32.798s effort. Finishing in P11, Alex Lowes’ (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) fastest lap came in FP4 when he put down a 1’33.265s lap.
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the fastest Yamaha at Day 2 of the Misano Test, taking fifth place from his 1’32.890s lap. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the second fastest Yamaha, narrowly missing the 1’32 mark in eighth place from his 1’33.019s lap. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha)’s 1’33.159s lap saw him place P10. In P18 from his 1’34.428s lap, Stefano Manzi (Yamaha Test Team) finished just ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in P19. The Italian’s 1’34.428s lap was just 0.004s faster than the Swiss rider’s 1’34.432s time.
Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) wasn’t quite fast enough to replicate his Day 1 P3, his P7 on pace for his recent form. The consistency of the Spaniard, however, could boost the confidence of the Honda factory team as he earned his P7 on a 1’33.017s lap. With his teammate Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) still out with his foot injury, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the only other permanent grid rider at the test for Honda, finishing 1’35.413s. Test riders Tommy Bridewell and Ivo Lopes finished in 23rd and 24th, running a total of 46 laps.
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) followed up on his Day 1 P9 with a Day 2 P15. The Texan has shown glimpses of his pace from prior seasons, but consistent form with his new Kawasaki team has eluded him.
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) led the WorldSSP grid at Misano’s Day 2, his 1’37.595s hot lap leading Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) at 1’37.640s and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) at 1’37.716s.
MotoGP: Marini Injured In Suzuka 8-Hour Testing Crash
On Wednesday, May 28, Luca Marini suffered a heavy fall while testing for the Suzuka 8-Hour and will remain in Japan for observation and recovery.
After the British GP, Luca Marini travelled to the Suzuka Circuit for a first test on the CBR1000RR-R SP. Having completed a successful first day, the Italian began the second day of his program but crashed heavily. Suffering from a dislocated left hip, damage to the ligaments in his left knee, fractures in the sternum and left collarbone, and a right-sided pneumothorax, Marini was transferred to local hospital and stabilised.
Marini will remain under observation in Japan until he is deemed fit to travel.
Honda HRC and the Honda HRC Castrol team will support Marini fully in his recovery.
MotoAmerica: Talent Cup Heads To Road America
Talent Cup Will Race For The First Time At “America’s National Park Of Speed” As Road America Awaits Superbike And Five Additional Classes.
The Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul class is back on track this coming weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, after a 57-day hiatus since MotoAmerica’s youngest riders threw a leg over their Krämer APX-350 MAs in anger at Barber Motorsports Park.
While the calendar has changed, what hasn’t changed is the fact that, after two rounds and four races, things are tight at the top. Well, maybe not right at the top.
Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario heads to Wisconsin with a 21-point lead in the championship standings. The defending MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion has been on the podium in all four races with two wins, a second and a third.
However, Di Mario has proven to be fallible as he was beaten by CTR/D&D Cycles’ Bodie Paige in race two at Circuit of The Americas and by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg in race two at Barber Motorsports Park.
Still, when he doesn’t have the pace to win, Di Mario has shown his experience by taking what he can get. And that has treated him well thus far as he leads Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane, 86-65, with the 14-year-old Aussie showing grit with three podium finishes in the four races.
The battle for third is tight with Vossberg and Jones Honda’s Julian Correa tied, just 11 points behind Drane and only a single point ahead of Paige.
MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher has scored good points in all four races, and she’s sixth in the title chase, 10 points clear of a tie between Envy Powered by Warhorse’s Derek Sanchez and Royalty Racing’s Carson King.
Mission King Of The Baggers – So Far, It’s All Wyman
The all-time winningest racer in Mission King Of The Baggers history is also the winningest racer in the early days of the new season. That man is 21-time Mission King Of The Baggers race winner, Kyle Wyman.
Wyman has been nearly perfect with three wins out of four starts on his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glide. The race he didn’t win was a wet race one at Road Atlanta, where class rookie Loris Baz snatched victory from Wyman on the final lap. The Frenchman’s victory vaulted him to second in the championship just four races into his King Of The Baggers career.
Another rookie, not only the class but also to the MotoAmerica series, is Brit Bradley Smith. Wyman’s Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing teammate was sixth and third in the two races at Road Atlanta, and that puts him third in the championship – nine behind Baz and 43 behind the hot-starting Wyman.
Where art thou defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Troy Herfoss? The Australian is fourth in the championship with his season taking a big hit in race two at Road Atlanta when a mechanical failure knocked him and his S&S/Indian Motorcycle Challenger out of the race. But this is Baggers racing and anything can happen, so Herfoss will be looking for nothing but wins as the series heads to America’s Dairyland.
Herfoss’s teammate Tyler O’Hara, who was third in both races at Road America last year, is tied for fifth in the title chase with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim.
Motovation Supersport – Jacobsen Vs. Scholtz
The two protagonists from last year’s Motovation Supersport Championship are protagonists again in 2025. Those two are defending series champion Mathew Scholtz and 2024 championship runner-up PJ Jacobsen.
But after four races, the order has been flipped with Jacobsen at the top of the standings over Scholtz by just eight points. Strack Racing’s Scholtz has two wins to Jacobsen’s one, but Jacobsen and his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 have been on the podium in every race. And therein lies the difference.
But it’s early days, and the rest of the Supersport gang can’t be counted out of mixing it up with the two at the top. The rest are being led by Scholtz’s teammate Blake Davis with his season bookended so far by two third-place finishes. He’s 32 points behind Jacobsen and just four points ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. Scott has one podium finish to show from the four races.
Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis is fifth in the standings as the series heads to Road America with the lanky Kentuckian’s best finish being an impressive second behind Jacobsen in race one at Road Atlanta.
Lewis is just a single point ahead of BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, with the five-time AMA Superbike Champion tasting victory in horrendous conditions in race two at Barber Motorsports Park to open the season.
Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov, Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Max Van and ADR’s David Anthony round out the top 10 after four races.
Stock 1000 – Teammates Are Tied
The Stock 1000 season is truly in its infancy with just one round and two races run so far in 2025. What we can glean from that opening round at Road Atlanta is that the top two are going to be difficult to beat.
OrangeCat Racing teammates Jayson Uribe and Andrew Lee split wins at Road Atlanta. Lee won race one on his BMW M 1000 RR, and Uribe flipped the results in race two. They sit tied atop the standings with 45 points apiece.
That puts them 13 points ahead of Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, the Georgian putting his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on the podium in both of his home races at Road Atlanta.
Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach made his Stock 1000 debut in the series opener, and he came away from it with two fourth-place finishes on his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The two fourths put him fourth in the title chase, six points behind Yates and seven ahead of Edge Racing’s Jason Waters and his BMW M 1000 RR.
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. – Knebel On Top
So far in 2025, the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. series is one of brevity. They’ve only had one round at Barber Motorsports Park, and they only raced once with the second of the two races being cancelled due to storms that made a schedule change necessary. The BTR women will make up for the missing race when the series goes to Ridge Motorsports Park in July.
So, they will line up at Road America with just one race under their belts and so far, it’s Kira Knebel who sits atop the standings with her victory at Barber. Knebel is five points clear of race-one runner-up Shea MacGregor with Camille Conrad, who was on the podium in race one at Road America a year ago, in third.
Pre-Road America Notes…
PJ Jacobsen and Tyler Scott won the two Supersport races at Road America in 2024. Jacobsen topped Mathew Scholtz by just .040 of a second in race one with Jake Lewis finishing third. In race two, it was Scott by a scant .001 of a second over Scholtz, with the South African missing out on victory in both by just .041 of a second. Jacobsen was third in race two.
Troy Herfoss won the first of two Mission King Of The Baggers races in 2024 by a whopping 5.2 seconds over Kyle Wyman and Tyler O’Hara. In race two, it was Wyman taking the victory with Herfoss coming up just. .039 of a second short of sweeping the two races. O’Hara again finished third.
Mikayla Moore didn’t start race one of the two Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. events last year after suffering bruising from a crash in a Twins Cup practice session. That left Cassie Creer to take full advantage, and she took victory over Emma Betters and Camille Conrad. Moore was back in race two, however, and she was dominant, topping Aubrey Credaroli by 23.9 seconds. Creer ended up third in race two.
102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic Pays $400,000 Purse June 14-15
Dunlop is proud to announce its role as the title sponsor for the 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic, the oldest and richest motorcycle road race in the United States. Scheduled for June 13-15, this year’s event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire is set to achieve new heights with an impressive purse of $400,000 distributed across four exciting classes.
Following the landmark celebration of the 100th Classic in 2023, which featured a remarkable $250,000 purse, and the subsequent $300,000 purse in 2024, the 102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic is positioned to elevate American road racing. NEMRR Executive Director John Grush stated, “We aim to foster growth in our sport by providing an unparalleled platform for both professional and local racers. The record-setting purse generates considerable media interest, enabling us to highlight our riders and teams while backing their racing pursuits throughout the season. We take great pride in offering such a significant opportunity for positive exposure within the sport.”
The centerpiece of the three-day event will be the four premier races on Saturday. The Loudon Classic Main Event will pay an impressive $285,000, showcasing the top Middleweight GP class from NEMRR along with MotoAmerica Supersport Next Gen bikes. The top 32 qualifiers will have the chance to compete in the Main, with the champion of the 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic earning a historic $60,000 prize.
In what promises to be a thrilling addition for 2025, the Streetfighter class, dedicated to naked twin-cylinder and three-cylinder motorcycles, will feature a substantial $100,000 purse. Additionally, the total purse for the Classic and Streetfighter classes includes $25,000 and $10,000 in bonus incentives, respectively, for local participants. The popular Pro Thunderbike and 500 Superbike classes will also make a return, each offering a $7,500 purse.
Dunlop is excited to provide trackside support, including technical assistance and sales. Racers can conveniently order Sportmax Slick tires through www.dunlopracing.com. Dunlop is dedicated to ensuring that competitors have access to high-quality products and expert guidance.
Please note that participation is limited to 60 riders for the Dunlop Loudon Classic and 48 riders for the new Streetfighter class. For registration, riders may visit https://nemrr.volarehq.com/, or contact NEMRR at 603-738-2190, or email [email protected].
Dunlop looks forward to an exhilarating 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic and is honored to officially support this prestigious event!
About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:
Dunlop is the number one selling and largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in North America. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.
MotoAmerica: Road America Superbike Preview
Red-Hot Beaubier Leads The Superbike Pack As MotoAmerica Heads To Road America
Five-Time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier Off To A Fast Start In 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
A red-hot Cameron Beaubier struts his way into Wisconsin this week, hoping to maintain the advantage he currently holds after a near-perfect beginning to his quest for a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as the series heads into round three at Road America, May 30-June.
How hot is hot? There have been 100 points handed out from the opening two rounds of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Beaubier and his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR have snatched 95 of those 100 points.
Thus, with three wins and a second-place finish on his scorecard from the first four races, Beaubier is in the catbird seat as the series heads to “America’s National Park of Speed.”
After winning race one in the Barber Motorsports Park series opener, Beaubier was beaten in the wet second race by Jake Gagne, proving that Beaubier wasn’t infallible. Then came Road Atlanta, and a clean sweep of the two races for the 31-year-old Californian – and plenty of his rivals’ smiles turned upside down.
But the credo that “it ain’t over til it’s over” definitely applies to motorcycle racing.
Case in point, last year: After five races in the first two rounds (Barber’s round featured three Superbike races), Beaubier had won three of them, finished second, and had a DNF. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, the man who would march on to the 2024 Superbike title, was sixth and 47 points behind Beaubier.
Then came Road America, and everything changed when Beaubier crashed in the rain and suffered a broken heel that required surgery. Gagne inherited the championship lead and was 18 points ahead of Beaubier. Herrin was 34 points behind in sixth place.
After missing the two races at Brainerd International Raceway and coming back too soon to try and race at Ridge Motorsports Park, Beaubier was on the back foot (his good one). Bobby Fong led the championship by a point over Gagne, who was suffering with carpal tunnel in his wrist and would eventually end his season early. Herrin was up to fourth, just nine points out of first and about to go on a tear, winning five of the last 10 races and finishing on the podium in all but one of the races he didn’t win.
Herrin won the title by 55 points over Beaubier, who somehow clawed his way back to second in the points after his injury. Gagne dropped all the way down to seventh.
So, you can see that a fast start doesn’t mean much if you get injured or have mechanical issues.
It’s way too early for anyone in the Superbike pack to panic, though they must be wary of Beaubier’s pace and how he has been able to dominate the season thus far. He’s in his third year on the BMW, his third year in the Tylers team, and he is comfortable and happy. And a happy and comfortable Beaubier can prove to be unbeatable.
As if three wins out of four races wasn’t enough to make him smile, Beaubier also moved into a tie with Josh Hayes on the all-time AMA wins list across all classes with his 89th victory coming at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Number 90 could come this weekend.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne sits second in the title chase with three podium finishes in the first four races in his quest for a fourth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne again thrived in the wet conditions of race one at Road Atlanta, finishing a close second to Beaubier. In Sunday’s dry race, Gagne slipped back to fifth. Gagne is 23 points behind Beaubier and 13 ahead of Herrin.
Like last year, Herrin’s start to the season is nothing to write home about. He was third in both races at Road Atlanta on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R and looking forward to the wide-open spaces of Road America.
Gagne’s teammate Bobby Fong was fast in Sunday’s dry race at Road Atlanta where he hounded Beaubier in race two, finishing just a tad over two seconds behind him. That came a day after Fong slipped off and remounted, scoring five points for finishing 11th.
Fong is just three points behind Herrin in the title chase and has Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly breathing down his neck, just four points behind. Kelly carded a pair of fourth-place finishes as he continues to shine on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Real Steel Honda teammates Hayden Gillim and JD Beach are sixth and seventh in the title chase, with Beach remaining undefeated in the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship for those racing Stock 1000-spec motorcycles in the Superbike class.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was a consistent sixth in both races in Georgia as he starts to make up ground from his first-race crash in the series opener at Barber Motorsports Park.
FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith earned a career-best fifth in race one at Road Atlanta, and he’s just a point behind Escalante and 11 points ahead of Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders, who rounds out the top 10 as the series readies for its third round in Wisconsin.
Pre-Road America Notes…
Cameron Beaubier earned pole position for last year’s two Superbike races at Road America with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion breaking the Superbike lap record with his 2:08.464. Josh Herrin was second fastest with his 2:09.197 and Jake Gagne’s 2:09.564 earned him the final spot on the front row.
It was a second Cameron who won race one at Road America last year with Cameron Petersen beating his teammate Jake Gagne by a miniscule .004 of a second in a Wisconsin rainstorm. Loris Baz, who now competes in the Mission King Of The Baggers series was third. Josh Herrin was dominant in winning race two on Sunday, topping Bobby Fong by nine seconds with JD Beach a shadow third.
Cameron Beaubier’s hopes for a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship were derailed at Road America in 2024 when he crashed out of a wet race one, suffering a broken heel that would require surgery.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer’s victory in what was the first-ever AMA Superbike race at Road America in 1980. Road America opened its gates to racing in 1955 with an SCCA National.
Cameron Beaubier has won 11 Superbike races at Road America. That’s two more than Australian Mat Mladin and three more than Josh Hayes.
Active MotoAmerica racers with Superbike wins at Road America other than Beaubier include Josh Herrin, Jake Gagne, and Bobby Fong, as well as Cameron Petersen and Mathew Scholtz, who are now both racing in the Supersport class.
Yamaha continues to lead the way in manufacturer Superbike wins at Road America with 27 victories. Suzuki is second with 18 Superbike race wins at the venue in Elkhart Lake, followed by Honda with 12, Ducati with 10 and Kawasaki with four. Cameron Beaubier’s race-one victory in 2023 was the first Superbike win for BMW at Road America
World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest In Day One Of Misano Test
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid finished their first of two testing days as the 2025 season approaches its midway point. Italy’s Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” hosted the event, split between a pair of Free Practice sessions on Tuesday, allowing the field to get used to the track ahead of the upcoming Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished fastest of the day, followed by Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC). The day featured an early pair of red flags, including a crash for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) from which he walked away uninjured, as well as a return from injury for Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven).
Current Riders’ Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) didn’t take to the track to test on Day 1, however, his Ducati factory teammate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) tied Razgatlioglu for the second-most laps run with 88 laps completed. His 1’33.361s time landed the #19 fourth on the timesheet. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) looked fast on the day, and while his bike suffered a red-flag-inducing tech issue in FP1, he returned to lay down a 1’33.451s lap for fifth place. Rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) finished the fastest of the two Barni Spark riders, pipping ‘Petrux’ for P6 via his 1’33.487s lap. Hot off his trio of P3’s at Most, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) looks to in his setup for the race weekend. The #9 finished the day in P7 with a time of 1’33.541s. Andrea Iannone was able to make his return to the track at the Misano Test’s Day 1 after fracturing his 3rd and 4th toes on his right foot from his FP1 crash at Most. Sporting a larger-sized boot on his right foot, the ‘Maniac’ finished in P16, his 1’34.153s fastest lap coming in the afternoon’s British Rookie Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) finished Day 1 11th fastest thanks to his 1’34.091s lap.
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu are focused on addressing their new M 1000 RR’s rear grip issues, which, however, didn’t stop the defending Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) from laying down the fastest lap of the day. His 1’32.559s lap made him the only rider to break into the 1’32 range, and his lap was faster than the circuit’s standing Race lap record he set last year of 1’32.687s Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) suffered a red-flag inducing crash as he and his bike were sent tumbling in the T16 ‘Misano’ corner. He was uninjured and able to continue, returning to set his fastest lap of 1’33.839s for 13th place and run the most laps of any rider. Sylvain Guintoli and Markus Reiterberger were also on track as test riders for the German manufacturer, recording a total of 114 laps.
Winding back the clock, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the fastest rider in blue on the day, returning to form after his injury before Phillip Island. The #65 finished in P8 with his 1’33.635s time behind Petrucci. In P10, two places behind Rea and just a thousandth of a second behind Gerloff in P9, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) stays hot after a strong performance to close out Most with his time of 1’33.783s. Subsequently, another two places back was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in P12, registering his fastest lap in FP2 of 1’33.822s. In P14 was Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), his 1’34.095s lap placing him between van der Mark and Iannone. The last Yamaha on the timesheet was Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha Test Team), riding as a test rider after his stint earlier this season, when he filled in for Rea during his injury, and recorded 81 laps.
Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) set the bar high for the Japanese manufacturer, his 1’33.195s lap placing him third-fastest and just a tenth of a second from Bassani in P2. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the sole rider on the day for his team, finishing 18th fastest with his time of 1’35.265, ahead of test riders Tommy Bridewell and Ivo Lopes, who finished in P20 and P26 respectively, and fastest times of 1’36.191s and 1’37.757s
Bimota’s Italian-British rider pair earned a top 8 finish at Most; coming into the Misano test with that feather in their caps, Day 1 saw Axel Bassani finish the quicker of the pair, his 1’33.178s lap earing him P2 and Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) finish P8 via his 1’33.779s lap.
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) looks to be bit by bit getting up to speed atop his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. After his season-high P10 in Most’s Race 2, he finished P9 behind Alex Lowes with a fastest lap of 1’33.782s. In 2024, Gerloff improved greatly from the first to the second half of the season, with the added complication of a new bike and a new team. Perhaps the American is in for a similar turnaround now into 2025.
WorldSBK test Misano Day1_FP2
EWC : Jack Miller Racing 2025 Suzuka 8-Hours For Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to make a first update on its factory rider line-up for the 2025 Coca-Cola Suzuka 8-Hours Endurance Road Race. After eight years, MotoGP star Jack Miller is set to make his return to FIM Endurance World Championship racing with the factory Yamaha Racing Team. Miller will team with seasoned Suzuka 8-Hours rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, under the guidance of Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa, for the 46th edition of the FIM Endurance World Championship Coca-Cola Suzuka 8-Hours Endurance Road Race.
The Suzuka 8-Hours event is one of Japan’s most prestigious motorcycle races, and the 2025 edition holds extra significance for Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. as they celebrate their 70th anniversary this year.
Yamaha was founded on July 1, 1955, and its motorsports activities started only 9 days later at the 3rd Mount Fuji Ascent Race on July 10. To commemorate this upcoming milestone, Yamaha will enter a factory equipe at the Suzuka 8-Hours for the first time since 2019.
Miller already has experience in endurance racing. He took part in the Suzuka 8-Hours once before in 2017. Though he finished just off the podium in fourth place, he caught the endurance racing bug and fell in love with the prominent Japanese event. He has been dreaming of a do-over ever since, and he feels all the more honoured to have been selected by Yamaha for the 2025 factory line-up.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga played an integral part in Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s four-consecutive victories (2015-2018) and is also a 12-time All Japan Road Race JSB1000 Champion. Yamaha’s third rider for the 2025 Suzuka 8-Hours event will be selected from Yamaha’s current crop of WorldSBK riders, with an announcement to follow shortly.
The appointed Team Manager for the factory entry is a rider who himself contested in the 1999 Suzuka 8-Hours and took the All Japan Road Racing Superbike title that same year: Wataru Yoshikawa, one of Yamaha’s iconic stars of the 1990s.
The Yamaha Racing Team will complete two private test days on July 3-4 before they officially return to action at the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race on Friday, August 1 when practice and qualifying get underway ahead of the traditional Top Ten Trial on Saturday and the Race on Sunday.
PAOLO CAMPINOTI – Team Principal, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP:
“I’m very pleased to see Jack taking part in the next edition of the Suzuka 8-Hours, representing the official Yamaha team. Beyond the sporting value of his involvement — defending the colors of Iwata in one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world — this is above all a confirmation of how strong and solid our still-young collaboration with Yamaha has already become.“
GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP:
“The Suzuka 8-Hours is one of the most captivating races for any true motorcycle racing fan. Whether you’ve competed in it as a rider or followed it as a spectator, it’s one of those legendary events that has earned its place in the sport’s epic history. That‘s why I‘m particularly happy that Yamaha has chosen Jack as one of the three riders to represent their official team. Jack‘s enthusiasm, generosity, and always-positive attitude in taking on any kind of challenge, combined with the genuine affection he receives from fans all over the world, make him the perfect ambassador for Yamaha—not only in terms of top-level competition, but also as a personality who continues to attract new audiences to our sport.“
JACK MILLER – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider:
“It’s obviously a massive honour for me to be able to represent Yamaha at the Suzuka 8-Hours this year. It’s a race I’ve been wanting to go back to since 2017 when I finished fourth, losing to Yamaha that time. It’s a big pleasure that I get to ride that Yamaha R1 motorcycle this time and represent the factory Yamaha Racing Team in Japan at such a prestigious race. Like I said, I’ve been dreaming of this race, and to have the opportunity to come back with such a strong team is a massive pleasure. I look forward to hopefully a good result for them at home and receiving some big support from the Japanese fans.”
Jack Miller Biography
Jack Miller made his road racing debut in 2009 after starting his career on dirt and soon made his appearance in the 125cc World Championship. Taking the IDM 125 crown on his way to full-time competition on the world stage, Miller first impressed in 2013 when he proved to be a consistent frontrunner with Racing Team Germany. Finishing as the Vice Champion with Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2014, Miller made the incredible move from Moto3 straight to MotoGP in 2015 with the LCR Honda team.
Following a tough rookie season, Miller moved to the Marc VDS Racing Team. He took a stunning maiden win at the 2016 Dutch GP in heavy rain that flooded the TT circuit at Assen, after starting the season with a broken leg. With a good number of top-10 results, Miller remained with the Marc VDS team for 2017, impressing once again before moving to Pramac Racing for the 2018 season, switching from Honda to Ducati.
It was a solid season for the Australian, highlighted by a superb pole position at the Argentinian GP: his growth and competitiveness secured him a place on the Pramac Ducati for 2019. It was a season in which Miller improved his results with five podiums, and he added four more in the following year, his third with the Pramac team, which secured him the team’s factory bike for the 2021 season.
His debut year as a Ducati factory rider turned out to be the best of his career so far, with Miller taking two wins, three other podiums, and a fourth place in the overall standings. In 2022 the Aussie again proved his quality with seven podiums, including the best MotoGP performance of his career when he dominated the race in Japan. Miller – who proved to be a great help to Francesco Bagnaia in the Italian’s hunt for his first MotoGP World Title – finished the season in fifth place overall with 189 points.
After five years with Ducati, Miller swapped his red leathers for KTM’s orange in 2023, claiming a double podium at the Spanish GP and another Sprint podium at the German GP and ending the season in 11th before a difficult 2024 season saw him finish 14th in the riders’ standings.
Because there is nothing like the air of home to rejuvenate, Miller returned to Paolo Campinoti’s court in 2025 as one of the two riders defending the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP colours as a Yamaha factory rider.
Miller showed quick adaptability to the YZR-M1, with a fifth place at the Grand Prix of The Americas Race as a highlight.
Jack Miller
Date of Birth: 18-01-1995
Place of Birth: Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Nationality: Australian
Instagram: @jackmilleraus
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Place of Birth: Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Nationality: Australian
Instagram: @jackmilleraus
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Highlights:
First Grand Prix: 2011 German GP (125cc)
First GP Win: 2014 Qatar GP (Moto3)
First Premier Class Grand Prix: 2015 Qatar GP
First Premier Class Grand Prix Win: 2016 Dutch
GP Grand Prix Wins: 10 (4x MotoGP, 6x Moto3)
Podiums: 33 (23x MotoGP, 10x Moto3)
Sprint Podiums: 2x (2023 Spanish GP & 2023 German GP)
Pole position: 10 (2x MotoGP, 8x Moto3)
Racing Career:
2025 MotoGP World Championship (17th – 20 points) [With Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP after the British GP Sprint]
2024 MotoGP World Championship (14th – 87 points)
2023 MotoGP World Championship (11th – 163 points)
2022 MotoGP World Championship (5th – 189 points)
2021 MotoGP World Championship (4th – 181 points)
2020 MotoGP World Championship (7th – 132 points) [With Pramac Racing]
2019 MotoGP World Championship (8th– 165 points) [With Pramac Racing]
2018 MotoGP World Championship (13th – 91 points) [With Pramac Racing]
2017 MotoGP World Championship (11th – 82 points)
2016 MotoGP World Championship (18th – 57 points)
2015 MotoGP World Championship (19th – 17 points)
2014 Moto3 World Championship (2nd – 276 points)
2013 Moto3 World Championship (7th – 110 points)
2012 125cc World Championship (23rd – 17 points)
2011 125cc World Championship (NC – 0 points)
Yamaha’s Suzuka 8-Hours History
Yamaha‘s factory effort at Suzuka began in earnest in 1985. Before 2002, Yamaha had at times fielded international star-studded full factory teams and had hoisted the winner‘s trophy high beneath the firework-filled skies at Suzuka a total of four times: in 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1996.
From 2003 onward, Yamaha discontinued having full factory team entries and limited itself to a support role assisting Europe-based Yamaha teams competing as part of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
However, in 2015 Yamaha brought back its full factory team to highlight its 60th anniversary and the release of an all-new YZF-R1. After taking Yamaha’s fifth win at the Suzuka 8-Hours that year in stunning fashion following a 19-year drought, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team was nigh unbeatable, winning the race again the next two years for a hat-trick of victories. With 2018 marking the YZF-R1’s 20th anniversary, a special red-and-white race livery was run to commemorate the original R1, and the factory team secured a record-setting fourth straight win.
In 2019, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team sported a revival of the colour scheme used by the legendary 1985 Yamaha TECH21 Team, the origin of Yamaha’s now iconic #21 race number. The factory squad battled for victory the entire race. Though a record-resetting fifth consecutive win eluded the team, the race was a thrilling addition to the storied history of the Suzuka 8 Hours.
In 2020 and 2021, the Suzuka 8-Hours was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned to the EWC calendar in 2022. However, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team did not take part in the 2022, 2023, or 2024 editions, but Yamaha still landed a podium.
In 2024, the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (YART) secured their first pole position since 2012 and 2013 (both set by Nakasuga) thanks to Marvin Fritz recording a 2’05.130s lap in the Top 10 Trial. It was Yamaha’s first pole since 2017 and 2019 (also both set by Nakasuga).
Niccolò Canepa was chosen to ride the opening stint for the Race. Canepa, Fritz, and Karel Hanika, showed grit in the 8-hour competition, riding in extreme temperatures and high humidity. In the end, YART completed 220 laps, the same as the leader, which set a record for the most laps ever recorded in a Suzuka 8-Hours race. The YART team finished on the podium in second place, 7.86s from the winners (after the 40-second penalty that the ‘Team HRC with Japan Post’ received for violating a rule during their final pit stop). It was the YART team’s first time visiting the Suzuka 8 Hours rostrum.
As part of Yamaha’s 70th anniversary celebrations, the factory Yamaha Racing Team will make a comeback in the renowned Suzuka 8-Hours event this year with the rider line-up consisting of 12-time All Japan Road Race JSB1000 Champion and Suzuka 8-Hours legend Katsuyuki Nakasuga, MotoGP-star Jack Miller, and one of Yamaha’s WorldSBK riders (to be announced shortly).
The appointed Team Manager for the factory team, Wataru Yoshikawa, is a rider who himself contested the 1999 Suzuka 8-Hours on the YZF-R7 in addition to winning an All Japan title on that iconic machine. He was one of Yamaha’s star factory riders in the 1990s and is to many a representative of that era of racing.
The 2025 team will race a specially liveried YZF-R1, adorned with the traditional #21. The special new design is inspired by Yamaha Racing Team’s YZF-R7 that Yoshikawa rode in 1999. The YZF-R7 model was first released in that year in a limited edition of 500 units worldwide.
In 2025, the team is called ‘Yamaha Racing Team’ as this name was used by Yamaha’s factory Suzuka 8-Hours team in the late 1990s. The 2025 team logo is a version of the logo used at the time with an updated motif. Rider and team staff clothing and the look of the team’s garage are also coordinated to reflect the 1999 design.
Yamaha’s Suzuka 8-Hours Victories:
1987 – Shiseido TECH21 Racing Team – YZF750 (Martin Wimmer, Kevin Magee)
1988 – Team Lucky Strike Roberts – YZF750 (Kevin Magee, Wayne Rainey)
1990 – Shiseido TECH21 Racing Team – YZF750 (Tadahiko Taira, Eddie Lawson)
1996 – Yamaha Racing Team – YZF750 (Colin Edwards, Noriyuki Haga)
2015 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Pol Espargaró, Bradley Smith)
2016 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Pol Espargaró)
2017 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark)
2018 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark)
Isle of Man TT: Dean Harrison Fastest in Wednesday Qualifying
Dean Harrison set the fastest time in Wednesday TT qualifying on the Isle of Man, riding a Honda Fireblade. Results follow:
Isle+of+Man+TT+Races+2025+-+Qualifying+1-Superbike-fast_laps-1
Roadracing World Young Guns 2025: Eli Banish
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 29th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
- FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
- MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 14 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
- A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
- WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships; ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
- AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
- USGPRU National Championships;
- Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2025 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America, based on the 2024 season. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Eli Banish
Age: 16.
Current home: Burlington, Kentucky (currently living in Valencia, Spain).
Current height/weight: 6’1”/145 pounds.
Current school grade level: 10th grade.
Began riding at age: 4 years.
First road race: 2017, Circleville, Ohio, Ohio Mini Road Racing League, Kids50, 4th Place.
Current racebike: TBA.
Current tuners/mechanics: Mark Junge.
Primary race series: TBA.
Sponsors: Fastline Track Days, Best Western Resorts & Hotels, KMA Racing, POP Shadow Decals & Wraps, Vortex Racing, 35 Motorsports, April Cody Real Estate.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2024 season; finished tied for 24th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race result was 7th at Snetterton), finished in top-10 in wild card appearance in RFME ESBK Supersport Next Gen at Valencia; 2023 season, finished 17th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race result was 7th at Thruxton); 2022 season, tied for 29th in British Talent Cup Championship (best race finish was 12th), won WERA Sportsman Clubman National Championship, won 2 WERA North Central Regional Championships (won 18 WERA races); 2021 season, won AMA Moto3 Expert Grand Championship, took 2nd in Formula Two WERA National Challenge Series Championship, won eight WERA Sportsman Regional Class Championships (won 26 WERA races); 2020 season, won D Superbike Novice WERA Sportsman North Central Championship (won six WERA races); 2019 season, named AMA Youth Road Racer of the Year, won five WERA Sportsman Regional Championships in Novice classes (won 13 WERA races).
2025 racing goal: Find a ride in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
Racing career goal: Compete in the MotoGP World Championship.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Road Atlanta.
Favorite hobbies: Cooking, cycling.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Making cooking videos for YouTube.
…..
Some of the riders who have graduated from Young Guns and gone on to racing success in National or International series include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion and Moto2 World Championship point scorer Cameron Beaubier;
Former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
Three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
FIM JuniorGP World Championship point scorer and MotoAmerica podium finisher Torin Collins;
Former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
Four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
Two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley- Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
Two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023and 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner- up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
Eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, and 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion, and four-time Daytona 200 winner Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up and former MotoGP and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 and 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship point scorer, MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
Two-time MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers race winner Rocco Landers;
Two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and two-time BRL Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and powersports dealership owner Bryce Kornbau (nee Prince);
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
Two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship runner-up James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2022 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up and 2023 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship runner-up Gus Rodio;
2021 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion and multi-time MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Tyler Scott;
Former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
Three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
FIM JuniorGP Moto2 European Championship regular Max Toth;
Multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, former World Superbike competitor, and 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship runner-up Jayson Uribe;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup race winner and current Supersport regular Max Van;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
Former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner; MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, and 2024 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan Champion Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup race winner and 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Champion Ashton Yates;
Two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.
FIM Mini Cup: Matsudaira, Lupo Win Featured 190 Races At Apex (Updated)
Kensei Matsudaira and Anthony Lupo won the Ohvale GP 190 class races at Round Three of the FIM Mini Cup series at Apex Racing Center in Perris, California. Matsudaira won the opening Sprint race, while Lupo took the win in the first full race of the weekend. Matsudaira struck back and took the victory in Race Two. (Scroll down for results.)
Jase Dill won all three of the Ohvale GP 160 races, and Zaal Farhand swept the Ohvale GP 110 races.
World Superbike: Bulega Tops Final Day Of Testing At Misano
The sun has set on the second day of testing at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped Day 2, setting the table for an epic showdown in Ducati’s back yard at the upcoming Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his team look to have found some answers with their setup, but his work will be cut out for him at the upcoming race weekend. In P3 behind them, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) continued his good run of form as the Italian sets out for more podiums in 2025.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) didn’t participate in the Test’s Day 1, the current Championship leader, however, needed no time to leap to the top of the timesheet. His 1’32.093s time propelling him to P1 in FP4. had it happened during an official round, his time would have shattered Razgatlioglu’s 2024 track record by more than a quarter of a second. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finished in P4 after his P5 result on Day 1. His pace seems to be improving as his 1’32.820s lap was faster than his Day 1 fastest lap by around seven tenths of a second. Italian rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the second-fastest Ducati for stretches of the day; he went on to finish in P6 with his 1’32.962s lap. Montella’s teammate Danilo Petrucci was not as quick as the rookie for the second day in a row, finishing P9 on his fastest lap of 1’33.153s. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) continues to fight through his two broken toes, suffered just 11 days ago, and looks to have made some progress with his bike, even despite that. ‘The Maniac’ finished P12 with a time of 1’33.364s. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished the day in P13 and a time of 1’33.424s after his Day 1 P4. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) closed out Misano’s Testing with a fastest lap of 1’33.816s to earn P16. Ducati test rider Michele Pirro was on track as well, testing Ducati’s new Panigale V4 R, he collected a total of 25 laps worth of data, the fastest of them a 1’33.956s.
Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Bulega traded places for P1 and P2 throughout the session, with minutes left, Bulega pipped Toprak by just 0.04s in the afternoon’s FP4, relegating him to P2 despite his 1’32.133s time fast enough to have broken his track record last year. The defending Champion will need to find a way to outpace Bulega at Misano if he wants to breathe more life into the Championship Race. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished the day in P14, while his pace was not a huge improvement over his recent results, both the Dutchman and ‘El Turco’ will benefit from the data they collected en masse across both days, on Day 2 alone, the pair and the other two test riders- Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli- cumulatively collected 190 laps, the most of any team.
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was the faster of the Bimota pair on Wednesday, finishing P3 thanks to his 1’32.798s effort. Finishing in P11, Alex Lowes’ (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) fastest lap came in FP4 when he put down a 1’33.265s lap.
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the fastest Yamaha at Day 2 of the Misano Test, taking fifth place from his 1’32.890s lap. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the second fastest Yamaha, narrowly missing the 1’32 mark in eighth place from his 1’33.019s lap. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha)’s 1’33.159s lap saw him place P10. In P18 from his 1’34.428s lap, Stefano Manzi (Yamaha Test Team) finished just ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in P19. The Italian’s 1’34.428s lap was just 0.004s faster than the Swiss rider’s 1’34.432s time.
Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) wasn’t quite fast enough to replicate his Day 1 P3, his P7 on pace for his recent form. The consistency of the Spaniard, however, could boost the confidence of the Honda factory team as he earned his P7 on a 1’33.017s lap. With his teammate Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) still out with his foot injury, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the only other permanent grid rider at the test for Honda, finishing 1’35.413s. Test riders Tommy Bridewell and Ivo Lopes finished in 23rd and 24th, running a total of 46 laps.
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) followed up on his Day 1 P9 with a Day 2 P15. The Texan has shown glimpses of his pace from prior seasons, but consistent form with his new Kawasaki team has eluded him.
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) led the WorldSSP grid at Misano’s Day 2, his 1’37.595s hot lap leading Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) at 1’37.640s and Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) at 1’37.716s.
MotoGP: Marini Injured In Suzuka 8-Hour Testing Crash
On Wednesday, May 28, Luca Marini suffered a heavy fall while testing for the Suzuka 8-Hour and will remain in Japan for observation and recovery.
After the British GP, Luca Marini travelled to the Suzuka Circuit for a first test on the CBR1000RR-R SP. Having completed a successful first day, the Italian began the second day of his program but crashed heavily. Suffering from a dislocated left hip, damage to the ligaments in his left knee, fractures in the sternum and left collarbone, and a right-sided pneumothorax, Marini was transferred to local hospital and stabilised.
Marini will remain under observation in Japan until he is deemed fit to travel.
Honda HRC and the Honda HRC Castrol team will support Marini fully in his recovery.
MotoAmerica: Talent Cup Heads To Road America
Talent Cup Will Race For The First Time At “America’s National Park Of Speed” As Road America Awaits Superbike And Five Additional Classes.
The Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul class is back on track this coming weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, after a 57-day hiatus since MotoAmerica’s youngest riders threw a leg over their Krämer APX-350 MAs in anger at Barber Motorsports Park.
While the calendar has changed, what hasn’t changed is the fact that, after two rounds and four races, things are tight at the top. Well, maybe not right at the top.
Warhorse Ducati/American Racing’s Alessandro Di Mario heads to Wisconsin with a 21-point lead in the championship standings. The defending MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion has been on the podium in all four races with two wins, a second and a third.
However, Di Mario has proven to be fallible as he was beaten by CTR/D&D Cycles’ Bodie Paige in race two at Circuit of The Americas and by Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Hank Vossberg in race two at Barber Motorsports Park.
Still, when he doesn’t have the pace to win, Di Mario has shown his experience by taking what he can get. And that has treated him well thus far as he leads Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing’s Sam Drane, 86-65, with the 14-year-old Aussie showing grit with three podium finishes in the four races.
The battle for third is tight with Vossberg and Jones Honda’s Julian Correa tied, just 11 points behind Drane and only a single point ahead of Paige.
MP13 Racing’s Ella Dreher has scored good points in all four races, and she’s sixth in the title chase, 10 points clear of a tie between Envy Powered by Warhorse’s Derek Sanchez and Royalty Racing’s Carson King.
Mission King Of The Baggers – So Far, It’s All Wyman
The all-time winningest racer in Mission King Of The Baggers history is also the winningest racer in the early days of the new season. That man is 21-time Mission King Of The Baggers race winner, Kyle Wyman.
Wyman has been nearly perfect with three wins out of four starts on his Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing Road Glide. The race he didn’t win was a wet race one at Road Atlanta, where class rookie Loris Baz snatched victory from Wyman on the final lap. The Frenchman’s victory vaulted him to second in the championship just four races into his King Of The Baggers career.
Another rookie, not only the class but also to the MotoAmerica series, is Brit Bradley Smith. Wyman’s Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Racing teammate was sixth and third in the two races at Road Atlanta, and that puts him third in the championship – nine behind Baz and 43 behind the hot-starting Wyman.
Where art thou defending Mission King Of The Baggers Champion Troy Herfoss? The Australian is fourth in the championship with his season taking a big hit in race two at Road Atlanta when a mechanical failure knocked him and his S&S/Indian Motorcycle Challenger out of the race. But this is Baggers racing and anything can happen, so Herfoss will be looking for nothing but wins as the series heads to America’s Dairyland.
Herfoss’s teammate Tyler O’Hara, who was third in both races at Road America last year, is tied for fifth in the title chase with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim.
Motovation Supersport – Jacobsen Vs. Scholtz
The two protagonists from last year’s Motovation Supersport Championship are protagonists again in 2025. Those two are defending series champion Mathew Scholtz and 2024 championship runner-up PJ Jacobsen.
But after four races, the order has been flipped with Jacobsen at the top of the standings over Scholtz by just eight points. Strack Racing’s Scholtz has two wins to Jacobsen’s one, but Jacobsen and his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 have been on the podium in every race. And therein lies the difference.
But it’s early days, and the rest of the Supersport gang can’t be counted out of mixing it up with the two at the top. The rest are being led by Scholtz’s teammate Blake Davis with his season bookended so far by two third-place finishes. He’s 32 points behind Jacobsen and just four points ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. Scott has one podium finish to show from the four races.
Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis is fifth in the standings as the series heads to Road America with the lanky Kentuckian’s best finish being an impressive second behind Jacobsen in race one at Road Atlanta.
Lewis is just a single point ahead of BPR Racing Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, with the five-time AMA Superbike Champion tasting victory in horrendous conditions in race two at Barber Motorsports Park to open the season.
Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s Kayla Yaakov, Celtic/Economy Lube+Tire/Warhorse HSBK Ducati’s Cameron Petersen, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Max Van and ADR’s David Anthony round out the top 10 after four races.
Stock 1000 – Teammates Are Tied
The Stock 1000 season is truly in its infancy with just one round and two races run so far in 2025. What we can glean from that opening round at Road Atlanta is that the top two are going to be difficult to beat.
OrangeCat Racing teammates Jayson Uribe and Andrew Lee split wins at Road Atlanta. Lee won race one on his BMW M 1000 RR, and Uribe flipped the results in race two. They sit tied atop the standings with 45 points apiece.
That puts them 13 points ahead of Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, the Georgian putting his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP on the podium in both of his home races at Road Atlanta.
Real Steel Honda’s JD Beach made his Stock 1000 debut in the series opener, and he came away from it with two fourth-place finishes on his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The two fourths put him fourth in the title chase, six points behind Yates and seven ahead of Edge Racing’s Jason Waters and his BMW M 1000 RR.
Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. – Knebel On Top
So far in 2025, the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. series is one of brevity. They’ve only had one round at Barber Motorsports Park, and they only raced once with the second of the two races being cancelled due to storms that made a schedule change necessary. The BTR women will make up for the missing race when the series goes to Ridge Motorsports Park in July.
So, they will line up at Road America with just one race under their belts and so far, it’s Kira Knebel who sits atop the standings with her victory at Barber. Knebel is five points clear of race-one runner-up Shea MacGregor with Camille Conrad, who was on the podium in race one at Road America a year ago, in third.
Pre-Road America Notes…
PJ Jacobsen and Tyler Scott won the two Supersport races at Road America in 2024. Jacobsen topped Mathew Scholtz by just .040 of a second in race one with Jake Lewis finishing third. In race two, it was Scott by a scant .001 of a second over Scholtz, with the South African missing out on victory in both by just .041 of a second. Jacobsen was third in race two.
Troy Herfoss won the first of two Mission King Of The Baggers races in 2024 by a whopping 5.2 seconds over Kyle Wyman and Tyler O’Hara. In race two, it was Wyman taking the victory with Herfoss coming up just. .039 of a second short of sweeping the two races. O’Hara again finished third.
Mikayla Moore didn’t start race one of the two Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race. events last year after suffering bruising from a crash in a Twins Cup practice session. That left Cassie Creer to take full advantage, and she took victory over Emma Betters and Camille Conrad. Moore was back in race two, however, and she was dominant, topping Aubrey Credaroli by 23.9 seconds. Creer ended up third in race two.
102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic Pays $400,000 Purse June 14-15
Dunlop is proud to announce its role as the title sponsor for the 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic, the oldest and richest motorcycle road race in the United States. Scheduled for June 13-15, this year’s event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire is set to achieve new heights with an impressive purse of $400,000 distributed across four exciting classes.
Following the landmark celebration of the 100th Classic in 2023, which featured a remarkable $250,000 purse, and the subsequent $300,000 purse in 2024, the 102nd Dunlop Loudon Classic is positioned to elevate American road racing. NEMRR Executive Director John Grush stated, “We aim to foster growth in our sport by providing an unparalleled platform for both professional and local racers. The record-setting purse generates considerable media interest, enabling us to highlight our riders and teams while backing their racing pursuits throughout the season. We take great pride in offering such a significant opportunity for positive exposure within the sport.”
The centerpiece of the three-day event will be the four premier races on Saturday. The Loudon Classic Main Event will pay an impressive $285,000, showcasing the top Middleweight GP class from NEMRR along with MotoAmerica Supersport Next Gen bikes. The top 32 qualifiers will have the chance to compete in the Main, with the champion of the 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic earning a historic $60,000 prize.
In what promises to be a thrilling addition for 2025, the Streetfighter class, dedicated to naked twin-cylinder and three-cylinder motorcycles, will feature a substantial $100,000 purse. Additionally, the total purse for the Classic and Streetfighter classes includes $25,000 and $10,000 in bonus incentives, respectively, for local participants. The popular Pro Thunderbike and 500 Superbike classes will also make a return, each offering a $7,500 purse.
Dunlop is excited to provide trackside support, including technical assistance and sales. Racers can conveniently order Sportmax Slick tires through www.dunlopracing.com. Dunlop is dedicated to ensuring that competitors have access to high-quality products and expert guidance.
Please note that participation is limited to 60 riders for the Dunlop Loudon Classic and 48 riders for the new Streetfighter class. For registration, riders may visit https://nemrr.volarehq.com/, or contact NEMRR at 603-738-2190, or email [email protected].
Dunlop looks forward to an exhilarating 2025 Dunlop Loudon Classic and is honored to officially support this prestigious event!
About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires:
Dunlop is the number one selling and largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in North America. For more information, visit www.DunlopMotorcycleTires.com. Follow @ridedunlop on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X for the latest Dunlop news. Use #RideDunlop and/or #RaceDunlop to share your Dunlop moments.
MotoAmerica: Road America Superbike Preview
Red-Hot Beaubier Leads The Superbike Pack As MotoAmerica Heads To Road America
Five-Time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier Off To A Fast Start In 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
A red-hot Cameron Beaubier struts his way into Wisconsin this week, hoping to maintain the advantage he currently holds after a near-perfect beginning to his quest for a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship as the series heads into round three at Road America, May 30-June.
How hot is hot? There have been 100 points handed out from the opening two rounds of the 2025 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Beaubier and his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR have snatched 95 of those 100 points.
Thus, with three wins and a second-place finish on his scorecard from the first four races, Beaubier is in the catbird seat as the series heads to “America’s National Park of Speed.”
After winning race one in the Barber Motorsports Park series opener, Beaubier was beaten in the wet second race by Jake Gagne, proving that Beaubier wasn’t infallible. Then came Road Atlanta, and a clean sweep of the two races for the 31-year-old Californian – and plenty of his rivals’ smiles turned upside down.
But the credo that “it ain’t over til it’s over” definitely applies to motorcycle racing.
Case in point, last year: After five races in the first two rounds (Barber’s round featured three Superbike races), Beaubier had won three of them, finished second, and had a DNF. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin, the man who would march on to the 2024 Superbike title, was sixth and 47 points behind Beaubier.
Then came Road America, and everything changed when Beaubier crashed in the rain and suffered a broken heel that required surgery. Gagne inherited the championship lead and was 18 points ahead of Beaubier. Herrin was 34 points behind in sixth place.
After missing the two races at Brainerd International Raceway and coming back too soon to try and race at Ridge Motorsports Park, Beaubier was on the back foot (his good one). Bobby Fong led the championship by a point over Gagne, who was suffering with carpal tunnel in his wrist and would eventually end his season early. Herrin was up to fourth, just nine points out of first and about to go on a tear, winning five of the last 10 races and finishing on the podium in all but one of the races he didn’t win.
Herrin won the title by 55 points over Beaubier, who somehow clawed his way back to second in the points after his injury. Gagne dropped all the way down to seventh.
So, you can see that a fast start doesn’t mean much if you get injured or have mechanical issues.
It’s way too early for anyone in the Superbike pack to panic, though they must be wary of Beaubier’s pace and how he has been able to dominate the season thus far. He’s in his third year on the BMW, his third year in the Tylers team, and he is comfortable and happy. And a happy and comfortable Beaubier can prove to be unbeatable.
As if three wins out of four races wasn’t enough to make him smile, Beaubier also moved into a tie with Josh Hayes on the all-time AMA wins list across all classes with his 89th victory coming at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Number 90 could come this weekend.
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne sits second in the title chase with three podium finishes in the first four races in his quest for a fourth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Gagne again thrived in the wet conditions of race one at Road Atlanta, finishing a close second to Beaubier. In Sunday’s dry race, Gagne slipped back to fifth. Gagne is 23 points behind Beaubier and 13 ahead of Herrin.
Like last year, Herrin’s start to the season is nothing to write home about. He was third in both races at Road Atlanta on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R and looking forward to the wide-open spaces of Road America.
Gagne’s teammate Bobby Fong was fast in Sunday’s dry race at Road Atlanta where he hounded Beaubier in race two, finishing just a tad over two seconds behind him. That came a day after Fong slipped off and remounted, scoring five points for finishing 11th.
Fong is just three points behind Herrin in the title chase and has Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly breathing down his neck, just four points behind. Kelly carded a pair of fourth-place finishes as he continues to shine on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Real Steel Honda teammates Hayden Gillim and JD Beach are sixth and seventh in the title chase, with Beach remaining undefeated in the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship for those racing Stock 1000-spec motorcycles in the Superbike class.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante was a consistent sixth in both races in Georgia as he starts to make up ground from his first-race crash in the series opener at Barber Motorsports Park.
FLO4LAW/SBU Racing’s Benjamin Smith earned a career-best fifth in race one at Road Atlanta, and he’s just a point behind Escalante and 11 points ahead of Thrashed Bike Racing’s Max Flinders, who rounds out the top 10 as the series readies for its third round in Wisconsin.
Pre-Road America Notes…
Cameron Beaubier earned pole position for last year’s two Superbike races at Road America with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion breaking the Superbike lap record with his 2:08.464. Josh Herrin was second fastest with his 2:09.197 and Jake Gagne’s 2:09.564 earned him the final spot on the front row.
It was a second Cameron who won race one at Road America last year with Cameron Petersen beating his teammate Jake Gagne by a miniscule .004 of a second in a Wisconsin rainstorm. Loris Baz, who now competes in the Mission King Of The Baggers series was third. Josh Herrin was dominant in winning race two on Sunday, topping Bobby Fong by nine seconds with JD Beach a shadow third.
Cameron Beaubier’s hopes for a sixth MotoAmerica Superbike Championship were derailed at Road America in 2024 when he crashed out of a wet race one, suffering a broken heel that would require surgery.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of three-time World Champion Freddie Spencer’s victory in what was the first-ever AMA Superbike race at Road America in 1980. Road America opened its gates to racing in 1955 with an SCCA National.
Cameron Beaubier has won 11 Superbike races at Road America. That’s two more than Australian Mat Mladin and three more than Josh Hayes.
Active MotoAmerica racers with Superbike wins at Road America other than Beaubier include Josh Herrin, Jake Gagne, and Bobby Fong, as well as Cameron Petersen and Mathew Scholtz, who are now both racing in the Supersport class.
Yamaha continues to lead the way in manufacturer Superbike wins at Road America with 27 victories. Suzuki is second with 18 Superbike race wins at the venue in Elkhart Lake, followed by Honda with 12, Ducati with 10 and Kawasaki with four. Cameron Beaubier’s race-one victory in 2023 was the first Superbike win for BMW at Road America
World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest In Day One Of Misano Test
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid finished their first of two testing days as the 2025 season approaches its midway point. Italy’s Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” hosted the event, split between a pair of Free Practice sessions on Tuesday, allowing the field to get used to the track ahead of the upcoming Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished fastest of the day, followed by Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC). The day featured an early pair of red flags, including a crash for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) from which he walked away uninjured, as well as a return from injury for Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven).
Current Riders’ Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) didn’t take to the track to test on Day 1, however, his Ducati factory teammate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) tied Razgatlioglu for the second-most laps run with 88 laps completed. His 1’33.361s time landed the #19 fourth on the timesheet. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) looked fast on the day, and while his bike suffered a red-flag-inducing tech issue in FP1, he returned to lay down a 1’33.451s lap for fifth place. Rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) finished the fastest of the two Barni Spark riders, pipping ‘Petrux’ for P6 via his 1’33.487s lap. Hot off his trio of P3’s at Most, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) looks to in his setup for the race weekend. The #9 finished the day in P7 with a time of 1’33.541s. Andrea Iannone was able to make his return to the track at the Misano Test’s Day 1 after fracturing his 3rd and 4th toes on his right foot from his FP1 crash at Most. Sporting a larger-sized boot on his right foot, the ‘Maniac’ finished in P16, his 1’34.153s fastest lap coming in the afternoon’s British Rookie Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) finished Day 1 11th fastest thanks to his 1’34.091s lap.
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu are focused on addressing their new M 1000 RR’s rear grip issues, which, however, didn’t stop the defending Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) from laying down the fastest lap of the day. His 1’32.559s lap made him the only rider to break into the 1’32 range, and his lap was faster than the circuit’s standing Race lap record he set last year of 1’32.687s Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) suffered a red-flag inducing crash as he and his bike were sent tumbling in the T16 ‘Misano’ corner. He was uninjured and able to continue, returning to set his fastest lap of 1’33.839s for 13th place and run the most laps of any rider. Sylvain Guintoli and Markus Reiterberger were also on track as test riders for the German manufacturer, recording a total of 114 laps.
Winding back the clock, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the fastest rider in blue on the day, returning to form after his injury before Phillip Island. The #65 finished in P8 with his 1’33.635s time behind Petrucci. In P10, two places behind Rea and just a thousandth of a second behind Gerloff in P9, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) stays hot after a strong performance to close out Most with his time of 1’33.783s. Subsequently, another two places back was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in P12, registering his fastest lap in FP2 of 1’33.822s. In P14 was Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), his 1’34.095s lap placing him between van der Mark and Iannone. The last Yamaha on the timesheet was Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha Test Team), riding as a test rider after his stint earlier this season, when he filled in for Rea during his injury, and recorded 81 laps.
Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) set the bar high for the Japanese manufacturer, his 1’33.195s lap placing him third-fastest and just a tenth of a second from Bassani in P2. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the sole rider on the day for his team, finishing 18th fastest with his time of 1’35.265, ahead of test riders Tommy Bridewell and Ivo Lopes, who finished in P20 and P26 respectively, and fastest times of 1’36.191s and 1’37.757s
Bimota’s Italian-British rider pair earned a top 8 finish at Most; coming into the Misano test with that feather in their caps, Day 1 saw Axel Bassani finish the quicker of the pair, his 1’33.178s lap earing him P2 and Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) finish P8 via his 1’33.779s lap.
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) looks to be bit by bit getting up to speed atop his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. After his season-high P10 in Most’s Race 2, he finished P9 behind Alex Lowes with a fastest lap of 1’33.782s. In 2024, Gerloff improved greatly from the first to the second half of the season, with the added complication of a new bike and a new team. Perhaps the American is in for a similar turnaround now into 2025.
WorldSBK test Misano Day1_FP2
EWC : Jack Miller Racing 2025 Suzuka 8-Hours For Yamaha
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to make a first update on its factory rider line-up for the 2025 Coca-Cola Suzuka 8-Hours Endurance Road Race. After eight years, MotoGP star Jack Miller is set to make his return to FIM Endurance World Championship racing with the factory Yamaha Racing Team. Miller will team with seasoned Suzuka 8-Hours rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, under the guidance of Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa, for the 46th edition of the FIM Endurance World Championship Coca-Cola Suzuka 8-Hours Endurance Road Race.
The Suzuka 8-Hours event is one of Japan’s most prestigious motorcycle races, and the 2025 edition holds extra significance for Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. as they celebrate their 70th anniversary this year.
Yamaha was founded on July 1, 1955, and its motorsports activities started only 9 days later at the 3rd Mount Fuji Ascent Race on July 10. To commemorate this upcoming milestone, Yamaha will enter a factory equipe at the Suzuka 8-Hours for the first time since 2019.
Miller already has experience in endurance racing. He took part in the Suzuka 8-Hours once before in 2017. Though he finished just off the podium in fourth place, he caught the endurance racing bug and fell in love with the prominent Japanese event. He has been dreaming of a do-over ever since, and he feels all the more honoured to have been selected by Yamaha for the 2025 factory line-up.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga played an integral part in Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s four-consecutive victories (2015-2018) and is also a 12-time All Japan Road Race JSB1000 Champion. Yamaha’s third rider for the 2025 Suzuka 8-Hours event will be selected from Yamaha’s current crop of WorldSBK riders, with an announcement to follow shortly.
The appointed Team Manager for the factory entry is a rider who himself contested in the 1999 Suzuka 8-Hours and took the All Japan Road Racing Superbike title that same year: Wataru Yoshikawa, one of Yamaha’s iconic stars of the 1990s.
The Yamaha Racing Team will complete two private test days on July 3-4 before they officially return to action at the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race on Friday, August 1 when practice and qualifying get underway ahead of the traditional Top Ten Trial on Saturday and the Race on Sunday.
PAOLO CAMPINOTI – Team Principal, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP:
“I’m very pleased to see Jack taking part in the next edition of the Suzuka 8-Hours, representing the official Yamaha team. Beyond the sporting value of his involvement — defending the colors of Iwata in one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world — this is above all a confirmation of how strong and solid our still-young collaboration with Yamaha has already become.“
GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP:
“The Suzuka 8-Hours is one of the most captivating races for any true motorcycle racing fan. Whether you’ve competed in it as a rider or followed it as a spectator, it’s one of those legendary events that has earned its place in the sport’s epic history. That‘s why I‘m particularly happy that Yamaha has chosen Jack as one of the three riders to represent their official team. Jack‘s enthusiasm, generosity, and always-positive attitude in taking on any kind of challenge, combined with the genuine affection he receives from fans all over the world, make him the perfect ambassador for Yamaha—not only in terms of top-level competition, but also as a personality who continues to attract new audiences to our sport.“
JACK MILLER – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider:
“It’s obviously a massive honour for me to be able to represent Yamaha at the Suzuka 8-Hours this year. It’s a race I’ve been wanting to go back to since 2017 when I finished fourth, losing to Yamaha that time. It’s a big pleasure that I get to ride that Yamaha R1 motorcycle this time and represent the factory Yamaha Racing Team in Japan at such a prestigious race. Like I said, I’ve been dreaming of this race, and to have the opportunity to come back with such a strong team is a massive pleasure. I look forward to hopefully a good result for them at home and receiving some big support from the Japanese fans.”
Jack Miller Biography
Jack Miller made his road racing debut in 2009 after starting his career on dirt and soon made his appearance in the 125cc World Championship. Taking the IDM 125 crown on his way to full-time competition on the world stage, Miller first impressed in 2013 when he proved to be a consistent frontrunner with Racing Team Germany. Finishing as the Vice Champion with Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2014, Miller made the incredible move from Moto3 straight to MotoGP in 2015 with the LCR Honda team.
Following a tough rookie season, Miller moved to the Marc VDS Racing Team. He took a stunning maiden win at the 2016 Dutch GP in heavy rain that flooded the TT circuit at Assen, after starting the season with a broken leg. With a good number of top-10 results, Miller remained with the Marc VDS team for 2017, impressing once again before moving to Pramac Racing for the 2018 season, switching from Honda to Ducati.
It was a solid season for the Australian, highlighted by a superb pole position at the Argentinian GP: his growth and competitiveness secured him a place on the Pramac Ducati for 2019. It was a season in which Miller improved his results with five podiums, and he added four more in the following year, his third with the Pramac team, which secured him the team’s factory bike for the 2021 season.
His debut year as a Ducati factory rider turned out to be the best of his career so far, with Miller taking two wins, three other podiums, and a fourth place in the overall standings. In 2022 the Aussie again proved his quality with seven podiums, including the best MotoGP performance of his career when he dominated the race in Japan. Miller – who proved to be a great help to Francesco Bagnaia in the Italian’s hunt for his first MotoGP World Title – finished the season in fifth place overall with 189 points.
After five years with Ducati, Miller swapped his red leathers for KTM’s orange in 2023, claiming a double podium at the Spanish GP and another Sprint podium at the German GP and ending the season in 11th before a difficult 2024 season saw him finish 14th in the riders’ standings.
Because there is nothing like the air of home to rejuvenate, Miller returned to Paolo Campinoti’s court in 2025 as one of the two riders defending the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP colours as a Yamaha factory rider.
Miller showed quick adaptability to the YZR-M1, with a fifth place at the Grand Prix of The Americas Race as a highlight.
Jack Miller
Date of Birth: 18-01-1995
Place of Birth: Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Nationality: Australian
Instagram: @jackmilleraus
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Place of Birth: Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Nationality: Australian
Instagram: @jackmilleraus
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 64 kg
Highlights:
First Grand Prix: 2011 German GP (125cc)
First GP Win: 2014 Qatar GP (Moto3)
First Premier Class Grand Prix: 2015 Qatar GP
First Premier Class Grand Prix Win: 2016 Dutch
GP Grand Prix Wins: 10 (4x MotoGP, 6x Moto3)
Podiums: 33 (23x MotoGP, 10x Moto3)
Sprint Podiums: 2x (2023 Spanish GP & 2023 German GP)
Pole position: 10 (2x MotoGP, 8x Moto3)
Racing Career:
2025 MotoGP World Championship (17th – 20 points) [With Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP after the British GP Sprint]
2024 MotoGP World Championship (14th – 87 points)
2023 MotoGP World Championship (11th – 163 points)
2022 MotoGP World Championship (5th – 189 points)
2021 MotoGP World Championship (4th – 181 points)
2020 MotoGP World Championship (7th – 132 points) [With Pramac Racing]
2019 MotoGP World Championship (8th– 165 points) [With Pramac Racing]
2018 MotoGP World Championship (13th – 91 points) [With Pramac Racing]
2017 MotoGP World Championship (11th – 82 points)
2016 MotoGP World Championship (18th – 57 points)
2015 MotoGP World Championship (19th – 17 points)
2014 Moto3 World Championship (2nd – 276 points)
2013 Moto3 World Championship (7th – 110 points)
2012 125cc World Championship (23rd – 17 points)
2011 125cc World Championship (NC – 0 points)
Yamaha’s Suzuka 8-Hours History
Yamaha‘s factory effort at Suzuka began in earnest in 1985. Before 2002, Yamaha had at times fielded international star-studded full factory teams and had hoisted the winner‘s trophy high beneath the firework-filled skies at Suzuka a total of four times: in 1987, 1988, 1990, and 1996.
From 2003 onward, Yamaha discontinued having full factory team entries and limited itself to a support role assisting Europe-based Yamaha teams competing as part of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
However, in 2015 Yamaha brought back its full factory team to highlight its 60th anniversary and the release of an all-new YZF-R1. After taking Yamaha’s fifth win at the Suzuka 8-Hours that year in stunning fashion following a 19-year drought, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team was nigh unbeatable, winning the race again the next two years for a hat-trick of victories. With 2018 marking the YZF-R1’s 20th anniversary, a special red-and-white race livery was run to commemorate the original R1, and the factory team secured a record-setting fourth straight win.
In 2019, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team sported a revival of the colour scheme used by the legendary 1985 Yamaha TECH21 Team, the origin of Yamaha’s now iconic #21 race number. The factory squad battled for victory the entire race. Though a record-resetting fifth consecutive win eluded the team, the race was a thrilling addition to the storied history of the Suzuka 8 Hours.
In 2020 and 2021, the Suzuka 8-Hours was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, but it returned to the EWC calendar in 2022. However, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team did not take part in the 2022, 2023, or 2024 editions, but Yamaha still landed a podium.
In 2024, the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (YART) secured their first pole position since 2012 and 2013 (both set by Nakasuga) thanks to Marvin Fritz recording a 2’05.130s lap in the Top 10 Trial. It was Yamaha’s first pole since 2017 and 2019 (also both set by Nakasuga).
Niccolò Canepa was chosen to ride the opening stint for the Race. Canepa, Fritz, and Karel Hanika, showed grit in the 8-hour competition, riding in extreme temperatures and high humidity. In the end, YART completed 220 laps, the same as the leader, which set a record for the most laps ever recorded in a Suzuka 8-Hours race. The YART team finished on the podium in second place, 7.86s from the winners (after the 40-second penalty that the ‘Team HRC with Japan Post’ received for violating a rule during their final pit stop). It was the YART team’s first time visiting the Suzuka 8 Hours rostrum.
As part of Yamaha’s 70th anniversary celebrations, the factory Yamaha Racing Team will make a comeback in the renowned Suzuka 8-Hours event this year with the rider line-up consisting of 12-time All Japan Road Race JSB1000 Champion and Suzuka 8-Hours legend Katsuyuki Nakasuga, MotoGP-star Jack Miller, and one of Yamaha’s WorldSBK riders (to be announced shortly).
The appointed Team Manager for the factory team, Wataru Yoshikawa, is a rider who himself contested the 1999 Suzuka 8-Hours on the YZF-R7 in addition to winning an All Japan title on that iconic machine. He was one of Yamaha’s star factory riders in the 1990s and is to many a representative of that era of racing.
The 2025 team will race a specially liveried YZF-R1, adorned with the traditional #21. The special new design is inspired by Yamaha Racing Team’s YZF-R7 that Yoshikawa rode in 1999. The YZF-R7 model was first released in that year in a limited edition of 500 units worldwide.
In 2025, the team is called ‘Yamaha Racing Team’ as this name was used by Yamaha’s factory Suzuka 8-Hours team in the late 1990s. The 2025 team logo is a version of the logo used at the time with an updated motif. Rider and team staff clothing and the look of the team’s garage are also coordinated to reflect the 1999 design.
Yamaha’s Suzuka 8-Hours Victories:
1987 – Shiseido TECH21 Racing Team – YZF750 (Martin Wimmer, Kevin Magee)
1988 – Team Lucky Strike Roberts – YZF750 (Kevin Magee, Wayne Rainey)
1990 – Shiseido TECH21 Racing Team – YZF750 (Tadahiko Taira, Eddie Lawson)
1996 – Yamaha Racing Team – YZF750 (Colin Edwards, Noriyuki Haga)
2015 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Pol Espargaró, Bradley Smith)
2016 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Pol Espargaró)
2017 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark)
2018 – Yamaha Factory Racing Team – YZF-R1 (Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark)