The Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) is pleased to announce a pre-season Corner Marshal training and trackside safety protocol course on April 23rd from 11am – 1pm. Race of the Rockies GTO sponsor Fay Myers Motorcycle World is hosting the event and contributing their top-notch classroom space to further improve and exemplify safety awareness at the racetrack and in the motorcycling community overall. The event will be open at no charge to any interested parties and individuals. On offer will be instruction on a variety of topics covering the needed general knowledge for safe track side support operations. The MRA’s Race Director, John McKown, will be on-site coordinating and presenting the procedural materials. The class will be geared to enrich both the experienced veteran and the novice of live road racing track side support. A light lunch will be provided to attendees of the full course and the MRA hopes that turnout and enthusiasm will be high with the club’s race school and round one fast approaching. The MRA remains dedicated to providing a safe and family friendly environment, while providing competitive motorcycle racing.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Rea remains on top overall with Bautista fastest in FP2, Razgatlioglu third
2022 is well-and-truly off and running, with a titanic trio at the front and a close challenge behind
Jonathan Rea (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The opening day of action from the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has come to a close as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) topped day one. The six-time World Champion’s aim to reclaim the title started well, as he fended off a late challenge from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who topped FP2 but was second overall, whilst reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) took third, making it three manufacturers inside the top three.
KAWASAKI VS DUCATI VS YAMAHA: a titanic battle awaits the titanic trio
Jonathan Rea was in magnificent form at MotorLand Aragon, the circuit at which he took a 100th victory of his career at in 2021. Topping FP1 and doing so once again in FP2, Rea is certainly the rider to beat. Decent runs and improving incrementally throughout the morning, Rea was also top for the majority of the session in the afternoon, albeit not quicker until later on, ultimately finishing second in the session but in-turn setting a long second run. Rea still led the way on the combined times whilst teammate Alex Lowes (had a more than solid day at the office, with fourth in the morning and was in the top five throughout the second session. He was sixth at the end of the day.
Alvaro Bautista (was one of the early improvers in FP2, going two tenths of a second quicker in the afternoon. The Spaniard, who is returning to Ducati for 2022, set 18 laps in the morning session but put in a good race simulation in FP2, using the SCX tyre to assess the tyres performance. Bautista, who was using the swingarm he had tried throughout testing, improved his time at the end with SCQ tyre, topping the session and finishing second overall. On the other side of the garage, Michael Ruben Rinaldi was also strong and inside the top five in the afternoon, finishing fifth on the combined times.
Second in the morning session and inside the top three for the majority of the afternoon, reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu was looking good after day one at MotorLand Aragon. The Turkish rider was fractionally slower in the afternoon, but nonetheless, finished the session in third overall and got a long run in too. Teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) had a rather unassuming session, finishing eighth overall after being eighth in FP1, it was a consistent start for 2021’s best rookie.
INDEPENDENT SENSATIONS: a familiar face and a huge surprise
Three Independent riders inside the top nine was one of the claims of the day as Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished fourth overall as he goes in search of a solid start to his campaign. The next Independent and top BMW on combined times, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was just over a second off Rea’s top time but over three tenths quicker than the next BMW. Ninth place went to one of day one’s revelations; eleventh-hour replacement at the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team, Roberto Tamburini was a star on Friday, finishing FP2 in seventh after lapping with Jonathan Rea at the end, putting him a surprise ninth on the combined times for Sandro Carusi’s team.
HONDA AND BMW: mixed opening day of 2022
As for Honda and Team HRC, it was tenth overall for rookie Iker Lecuona and 13th for Xavi Vierge, although Lecuona could only place in 17th at the end of FP2. Seven tenths slower in FP2 than FP1, Lecuona will hope that the cooler temperatures in FP3 and Tissot Superpole allow him to improve once more. As for Vierge, he did improve his time in the afternoon session, putting him 11th in the session. Working away well, Team HRC will hope to put in a strong Saturday and Sunday.
For the factory BMW, it was a mixed day; Ukraine’s Illia Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was in fine form on his WorldSBK debut and finished 11th in FP1, whilst finishing FP2 in ninth place and top BMW, leaving him 12th overall. On the other side of the garage, one of 2022’s headline switches was not having the best day. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was only 16th in FP1, 14th in FP2 and finished in 16th at the end of the day. Adapting from a V4 to an inline four engine configuration, Redding’s adaptation is in process.
COMPLETING THE ORDER: Independent riders and a rookie round-up
For the other Independent riders, Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was a tenth away from the top ten as his first day of competitive action concluded in WorldSBK. Fellow Independent Ducati rider Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) had a quiet day and finished 14th overall, one place ahead of Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW).
After a fast crash in FP1, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) got back out on track halfway through FP2, finishing 17th on the combined times, ahead of Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), rookie Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) and wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing). Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was 21st ahead of Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), his rookie teammate Hafizh Syahrin and Belgium’s Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), who suffered a broken chain in FP1.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Fastest As New Season Begins
Official KRT WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finished the first day of 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship track action in first and sixth places on the combined timesheets at Motorland Aragon.
Both Ninja ZX-10RR riders were fast in the morning session, with Rea relying on his FP1 time to set his class-leading overnight pace. Lowes went marginally faster than his early pace in the afternoon FP2 session.
Two days of final pre-season testing earlier this week preceded the first day of practice at Motorland, which allowed both riders the opportunity to concentrate on their final race set-ups. Rea’s best Friday lap was set very early in the opening session, as he had arrived at the track full of confidence. His best of 1’49.301 was 0.305 seconds faster than the rider in second place.
The track and ambient temperatures were higher today than those experienced during the recent tests, which introduced the element of evaluating tyre choices in readiness to face whatever weather conditions are experienced in the 18-lap Race One on Saturday afternoon. Each rider has a clear idea of which tyre options to use, dependent on what the final track temperature will be.
Race One will take place at 14.00 local time on Saturday 9 April, after the final FP3 session and Superpole qualifying have been completed. An all new qualifying rear tyre has been brought into use by Pirelli for the 2022 season, which will make Superpole a particularly interesting session before the riders fight it out for the first championship points of the new season.
Sunday 10 April will feature the ten lap Superpole Race at 11.00 local time, and the final 18-lap Race Two will take place at 14.00.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I am satisfied with today. We just kept working in the same way as we did at the tests, polishing some items. I think the test was the hardest work as we defined the package that we will race with this weekend. I worked on a longer run today, in the afternoon, on one option of tyre, just to have the information about it. On the front we also tried an option during our long run. Now I think we are quite equipped to know what to do tomorrow. It will all depend on the track temperature. My rhythm here is quite OK and if I need to push for a lap time I know I can be fast over one lap as well. So, it is just understanding what temperature we will have tomorrow and trying to make a good start. It’s the first race of the year and I am super-excited about it. I never had that feeling until today. It always felt a bit more exciting at Phillip Island going there to start the season, because it had a different ambience. But now I am pretty excited to race!”
Alex Lowes, stated: “In the recent tests I was doing a lot more work on used tyres compared to the others. In the tests we did not have very much track time. I have got a lot of experience now so I know that tomorrow, in the race, between lap nine and eighteen sometimes the difference in lap time can be massive – because the track is so long here. It is so important to have a bike set-up that you can manage in this part of the race, so maybe I was working more on this. Now my body is good, I feel good and I can ride properly. I need to find a bit more feeling in the front end as some other riders are a little bit ahead. But if I can have a good qualifying, and stay there with them, I think in the second part of the race I can be quite strong. That is how I have tried to plan the week. I am ready to race tomorrow.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) ended his first day in 17th position despite suffering a heavy crash in FP1. Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 22nd fastest today and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) 25th.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Podium Pace in Tricky Conditions for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK in Aragon
Defending FIM Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu finished Friday’s sessions at MotorLand Aragon third quickest, as competition looks fierce for the first race weekend of the 2022 season.
Both Razgatlıoğlu and teammate Andrea Locatelli found track conditions tricky compared to the WorldSBK Supported Test at the same venue earlier this week, as the difference in ambient temperatures and stronger winds contributed to a lack of available grip on track for many of the premier class field.
All eyes were focused on last year’s championship winner as well as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s nearest rivals, as the team worked on a combination of race simulations and further data collection including Pirelli’s new tyre option for 2022 – the SCQ qualifying tyre – that can also be utilised during the 10-lap Superpole Race on Sunday morning.
For Razgatlıoğlu, his crew will work to improve front grip on his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK to allow the Turkish ace to deploy his signature hard-braking style, while Locatelli’s side of the pit box aim to help the Italian rider find an improvement in the rear tyre performance.
Tomorrow, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK will line up for the first race of the year at 14:00 local time (UTC+2) but not before one final Free Practice 3 session at 09:00 of 30 minutes to finalise set-ups, and the all-important Superpole qualifying to determine start positions at 11:10.
Toprak Razgatlioğlu
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
Position: 3rd Time: 1’49.665
“Compared to testing, there was not good grip here in the first Free Practice session and in the afternoon we worked for the race bike and try a race simulation – but after nine or ten laps I feel the front tyre drop and after I come back to the box. Tomorrow we will improve this problem because in the race I need the front tyre to be strong, I like it for hard braking! I am very happy with the rear tyre and after ten laps I feel very good grip. My dream is always to be fighting for the win, it is not easy for us, I think everyone is very strong this year. From 2020 to 2022 at this track, we improve a lot and we will improve race-by-race, so we will see.”
Andrea Locatelli
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
Position: 8th Time: 1’50.442
“I’m a bit frustrated because the feeling with the bike in the second session was not bad, but the feeling with the rear grip is strange – I want to be able to push more and use the throttle, so this is our main problem now and we need to work on this part. If I can work a little bit more here, maybe we can improve a lot, start more in front and maybe we can have a good race. The feeling in the front and on the bike as a whole is good, but in the rear I don’t have grip so tonight we will try to find more. In the end, not an easy day for me but we will continue to work and see what is possible tomorrow.”
Paul Denning
Team Principal – Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It’s great to start the WorldSBK race season at last, even if it was a challenging day here at Aragon with track conditions very different to those experienced at the test earlier this week. We got through a lot of work and the team, as always, were very focused. Neither rider is completely happy with the package in these conditions, but with both of them having done long runs this afternoon, the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team has all the information it needs to make a step forward for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Fourth on Opening Day in Aragón
The FIM Superbike World Championship has kicked off with the first free practice sessions of the year at MotorLand Aragón. The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action with Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane, making progress throughout the day, finishing fourth and 18th respectively on combined times.
In Free Practice 1, Gerloff ended the session sixth fastest on a 1’50.269, while Nozane managed 17th with a 1’51.622. Both worked on race pace, completing longer runs, as they also found a solid base set-up heading into the rest of the weekend.
The riders both improved their times in the afternoon free practice session, taking good steps forward with the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK. The Japanese rider’s best lap, a 1’51.118, saw him end FP2 in 15th position, while his American teammate ran an impressive 1’49.900 to go fourth fastest overall.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will be back on track tomorrow, with the first race of the 2022 season set for 14:00 (CET). Before that will come the Superpole qualifying session at 11:00, after FP3 at 09:00.
Garrett Gerloff
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK
Team Position: 4th Time: 1’49.900
“I’m feeling confident, even though some of the guys look to have really strong race pace. Anyway, we did a good job, and in the morning I went out with just one set of tyres to do a long run, as we needed to see the performance. In FP2, I got a feel of the track in hotter conditions for the first time properly this year. I feel Yamaha has done a really good job and we have a great package overall. I just want to have a good qualifying and to keep building from there.”
Kohta Nozane
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Position: 18th Time: 1’51.118
“Today was not an easy one. Conditions were different and it was a bit tough for me to get a good feeling with the track. We need to check what happened, but we’ll push hard to overcome the problems. Anyway, we made some improvements from morning to afternoon, so I’m confident we can make another step forward tomorrow. Let’s see what happens and I’ll do my best in the qualifying session and Race 1 to get a good result.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Solid Friday for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team at Aragon: Bautista ends up second, Rinaldi fifth. P2 also for Bulega in WorldSSP
The Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain) held today the free practices for the Pirelli Aragon Round, the first race weekend of the 2022 WorldSBK season.
Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi – with the Ducati Panigale V4 R of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team – finished the first day in second and fifth position respectively.
Following an intense work on setup and tyres, Bautista was able to pick up the pace in the afternoon FP2, running a sort of race simulation session. In the final time attack with the SCQ tyre, the spaniard set the fastest time of 1’49.606, (second quickest of the day).
From the very first laps of the morning, Rinaldi put behind him the difficulties encountered during testing earlier in the week. After recording a time of 1’50.000 in FP1 (which allowed him to close FP1 in third position and in fifth in the final combined standings), in FP2 the Italian rider worked well on his race pace but was unable to make the most of the SCQ tyre in the final time attack.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“It was a very positive Friday, especially after a difficult FP1. We tried a different setup to the one we had in testing but the feeling was not right. In the afternoon things went very well. We did a lot of intense work with the tyres to get more data and try to make the best choice for the Superpole and the races”.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I am satisfied with what we did today. The bike’s set-up has improved a lot compared to the tests at the beginning of the week and that has given me a very positive feeling. I think the race pace is strong, in line with the front guys. Certainly, however, we need to do something more with the qualifying tyre, which up until now I have not been able to exploit to the full”.
WorldSSP
After a lackluster FP1 (12th place overall) Nicolò Bulega and the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team worked hard on the Ducati Panigale V2 and in the afternoon found the ideal feeling for a solid session. Bulega ended the first day of free practice for the Pirelli Aragon Round in second place with a time of 1’53.986.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP Team #11)
“I am quite happy with this first day of free practice. Especially in the afternoon, we found again the good sensations of the test. We didn’t do too badly even though, obviously, there is room for improvement. We are all close to each other except for Aegerter who made a bit of a difference today. But if we can fix some details we can definitely do well”.
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 26th 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 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (11 times);
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 2022 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Kristian Daniel, Jr. (left) with IGAX Racing Team Owner Alex Martinez (right). Photo courtesy Kristian Daniel.
Kristian Daniel, Jr.
Age: 13.
Current home: Barcelona, Spain.
Current height/weight: 5’2/103 pounds.
Current school grade level: 8th grade.
Began riding at age: 6 years.
First road race: 2015, Apple Valley, California, M1GP, Terminator 50cc Class, 2nd place.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, youngest full-time rider in European Talent Cup, best race finish was 28th at Valencia; 2020 season, placed 4th in Cuna de Campeones Moto5 Championship in Spain (1 win, 2 total podiums); 2019 season, placed 4th in Spanish Cuna de Campeones MiniGP 110 Championship (2 podium finishes).
2022 racing goal: Finish in the points in the FIM CEV European Talent Cup.
Racing career goal: Make it to MotoGP.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Jerez.
Favorite hobby: Watching Anime, playing Roblox.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: A professional football or basketball player.
“Hopefully we can give them something to dream about”
Americans Joe Roberts, Cameron Beaubier and Sean Dylan Kelly talk Texas, progress and American riders in the World Championship
How are you feeling ahead of this weekend?
Joe Roberts: “Feels like we were just here, back in October. I’m so happy to be back. We only get to come to the US once and it’s always…the atmosphere is amazing, the fans that come out, the support we get it always surprises me, well, no, Americans fans are the best. At this track the expectations, to be honest the track doesn’t suit my style, I find it tricky and have never been happy with a result here. So, I think for me, it would be to come away with a great result. We haven’t had the start I was expecting but we seem to be getting on top of it, I just want to turn it around and put on a show for the fans.”
What do you think is coming together better now that will allow you to take that step and get a result on home turf?
Roberts: “Grip and the rear end. I haven’t had the traction. Tracks we’ve been going to demand a lot of grip and if you don’t have hooked up you’re kinda stuck. This track is more stop and go and we have a setting for that. I hope it helps.”
Even last year you were in the top five here. How are you feeling now with more experience?
Cameron Beaubier: “I feel good. Last year was an important step for me, for my confidence, knowing I can run with the top guys. This class is brutal it’s easy to get beat down. So it felt good to get a good result in front of the fans and receiving their support was special. Gives me the drive to be up there and looking forward to the weekend.”
Do the fans, family and friends make a big difference out on track?
Beaubier: “It really does. This track, in particular, is not my best track since MotoAmerica but just being here in front of the fans after travelling the world, just coming back and being able to race in front of friends and family gives me that extra little push.”
How excited are you to try the track out for the first time in Moto2™?
Sean Dylan Kelly: “Yeah, huge excitement level, hard for me to keep my already big smile looking normal! It was my first pre-event with Dorna and it was so exciting to be out with Aleix and Jorge Martin. It was important for me to live the dream, travelling, doing pre-events and even this press conference. I’m extremely excited to be here at COTA, it’s gonna be the first track that I really do know, I did a test here last year. Gonna use it to my full advantage and yeah I’m really excited to be here with the full American racing team, plus Joe, it’s gonna be good for everyone watching and supporting us.”
How does it feel to have more Americans on the grid?
Kelly: “I think it’s extremely important and it’s incredible to see where we are now to have 3 Americans in Moto2, only a few years back in 2017 there was no American in the World Championship. From my side, I’d like to say, that there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. The American team and the American Racing Academy with John Hopkins etc. have been doing a lot of work to get young Americans back on the stage. There are young ones in the works. It started with Joe. He made a big step and is doing well. Cameron as well, and now me. I’m the young one. These guys are old! It’s been growing, not only that, there’s a lot of brewing going on in the US, even in South Florida. We are trying to grow it. If you look back, the Americans were the best. So yeah it’s exciting to see. Just hoping we can get us three at the front. And best of luck to the little ones.”
Roberts: “I was thinking about what it means to me. When I was a kid it was so important to me to see US riders in MotoGP I think it was the number one motivating thing that made me want to do MotoGP. Seeing Colin, Ben, John. It made it seem possible to be there because MotoGP is a big show that is usually in Europe and it’s a long way to go for young Americans. It’s a big deal to have Americans here; it was lonely for a few years! It’s great honestly, great for the sport, great for kids and now we have NATC here and obviously what the American Racing Academy is doing. It’s really important and really happy that we are here racing in the US. We need to do more of it. F1 is doing it!”
How does it feel to have more Americans on the grid, and does you going from MotoAmerica help them, to now see you fighting in Moto2™?
Beaubier: “I think so. I came over to Europe under different circumstances. I came over older, after racing here as a kid, in Rookies Cup, JuniorGP and 125cc and I know personally how much that helped me, being a kid in Europe and growing up racing with the kids, well look at them now, how fast they are at such a young age. That’s what we are lacking in the States. We don’t know how fast some of those kids are in the Pre-Moto3 or JuniorGP stage. I think that’s what really great about the American Racing Academy taking young kids in and getting them to Europe at a young age because I feel like it’s hard to get your kid into Europe from racing here in the States. So American Racing is doing a great job. Hopefully us three can get upfront and represent the US well and give them something to dream about.”
“I love a challenge!”: the rodeo is ready to begin
Marc Marquez, Aleix Espargaro, Martin and Quartararo join the pre-event Press Conference as the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas gets in gear
Friday, 08 April 2022
Howdy, Texas! The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas is ready for action and the Sheriff is back in town. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who has earned that name thanks to his seven wins from eight at the track, is back, and the Spaniard was joined in the pre-event Press Conference by Argentina GP winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), podium finisher Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).
QUOTES
Aleix Espargaro. Photo courtesy Dorna.
How does it feel to be a winner and World Championship leader?
Aleix Espargaro: “Sounds good, sounds good. Feels strange for me to hear that but I’m very happy. These last few days have been fantastic, I feel happy but at the same time relaxed because I had the confidence I didn’t have in the past. In the past I dreamed I could win, now I know I can. It’s not going to be an easy weekend for me because last year we suffered a lot in this track, it was one of the most difficult, but this year is different. We have new asphalt, the bumps will be a lot better, the 2022 machine is a lot better than last year and we arrive in a completely different position. I can’t wait to go out on track and see how fast I can go.”
How confident are you the new RS-GP will make the situation more positive this weekend?
AE41: “I have no doubt that it will be completely different. I was very happy to win in Argentina but what made me happier is that we showed in the first three rounds that we are very competitive, I feel good with the new bike, the new bike is a lot better. The proof was that I was also able to over Jorge on the Ducati in the straight, so it means that overall the Aprilia has grown up a lot and this gives me a lot of positive energy for this round. I know it’s not going to be an easy one, I’m sure in Portimao and Jerez it will be easier for me and my bike but this is a challenge. This weekend is a big challenge for me, I love a challenge so I cant wait.”
How much are you looking forward to trying the new asphalt?
AE41: “I tried it already yesterday with the bicycle and it looks like they did a good job. Sincerely last year was very very tricky and looks like the new asphalt is quite good, for sure a lot better in the past. Let’s see about the grip, when you put new asphalt for sure you improve the bumps but you have to also see how the new tarmac grip is. I cant wait, it looks like it’s gong to be a very windy weekend so we have to deal with this. And yeah, let’s see tomorrow.
Fabio Quartararo. Photo courtesy Dorna.
It’s been a difficult and inconsistent start to the season. What are your expectations this weekend? Is it hard to know your level?
Fabio Quartararo: “Not an easy start. In Argentina our pace was not too bad, but first few laps we struggled, and I was far back. It was difficult. It was difficult to overtake. I felt our pace was great but then we couldn’t make our riding style and our grip was less. It was not an easy race. But, last year wasn’t so bad here so I think we can make a great result.”
Last year you were second behind MM93… but now it’s different circumstances, then you were thinking about the Championship. Can you now be more aggressive than October?
FQ20: “Yeah I was in a completely different position to now so yeah I will be more relaxed. Let’s see how the new asphalt is and if there is more grip. I hope it has grip, it could predict our weekend. Looking forward to it, could be a great weekend.”
Are you surprised by how unpredictable 2022 is?
FQ20: “Of course, it was totally different to last year because we have nine different podium finishers. I think it’s great for the fans. Let’s see if we can make a great weekend!”
Jorge Martin. Photo courtesy Dorna.
How much confidence has the result in Argentina given you?
Jorge Martin: “Yeah for sure after a really good weekend in Argentina I’m really confident for this weekend. All year we’ve been super competitive but I was missing to finish a race because starting from pole in Qatar, second in Indonesia, and again in front in Argentina is good, but finally finishing a race in Argentina was a good boost of confidence. Also last year here I was super competitive, I was close to the podium but I had the Long Lap at the end so I couldn’t finish there, but I think we van do a great race. How we worked in Argentina, we need to focus here in the same way and yeah we will also be really competitive here.”
What do you think the new Ducati will be like around this track?
JM88: “For sure this year’s bike is much easier to turn and I think it will be much better than last year. For sure we’re missing some place where we were strong last year and now we’re not, so w e need to focus on those sides too as on the straight we lost a bit of speed. I’m confident in general because the base of the bike is better than last year for this track.”
How curious are you about the resurfacing?
JM88: “Well let’s see, in the end it will be the same for everyone, I’m not really thinking about the surface. I’m not so enthusiastic about the conditions because maybe we go on track and there are bumps, I’m expecting a bit of everything. We just need to get focused really quickly.”
Marc Marquez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Great to have you back after another difficult period. How relieved are you by the quick recovery?
Marc Marquez: “Of course after Mandalika was really hard week, but lucky for me that the vision injury was less than last time. Even for Argentina, I almost came back but didn’t feel motivated to take that risk, and I didn’t want it. I spoke with the doctor and we decided to stay at home and relax and then train again in a good way. This week I had another doctor’s check and the vision was fixed. I tried a bike as well and let’s see. I’m not arriving in the best way here in Americas GP but we will try to do a great FP1 and start a great weekend.”
It’s the first time we’ve talked to you since the crash, can you tell us anything about it?
MM93: “Actually, I don’t remember a lot. I remember more from the images than what I remember. The Indonesian GP was one of the worst GPs in my career. I crashed too much, and some I didn’t understand. I had a new tyre and high-sided. It’s in the past and now it’s time to build the confidence and build again that process…it was hard what happened but the week after was harder. But lucky for me, I am here so that’s positive.”
You have a great record here in COTA. What’s your target? Are you here to win? Is it possible?
MM93: “It’s possible, but not the way to approach the weekend. We are coming from the Indonesia GP where I struggled, I crashed a lot and had a huge highside. I only just started training again a few days ago so it’s not the approach this weekend. Just trying to build the confidence and let’s see…”
Compete for cash, prizes and the chance to become the “King of Builders.”
Tickets are on sale and available here for this year’s eight-city tour.
Santa Monica, Calif. –Progressive IMS Outdoors, the Powersports industry’s leading consumer motorcycle tour that connects enthusiasts with top brands, today announced two strategic partnerships for Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show(UBCBS).
Dennis Kirk, the world’s largest retailer of aftermarket parts, apparel and accessories for every powersport, is the new title sponsor of UBCBS.
Jordan Mastagni, president of Hot Bike Magazine, will take over management of UBCBS.
Builder registration for the 2022 competition is now open – new and returning builders alike are encouraged to sign up for this year’s edition at www.motorcycleshows.com/UBCBS.
Jordan is gearing up to bring his 20+ years in the motorcycle industry as a moto-journalist and builder enthusiast to the Progressive IMS Outdoors staple attraction, which has evolved into the industry’s most prominent competition throughout its 11-year tenure. Year after year, hundreds of builders use the competition as a springboard to showcase their rolling works of art and compete for cash, prizes, and the “King of Builders” title, crowned in the championship round held in Southern California at the last event of the tour.
“It’s an honor to work alongside the Progressive IMS Outdoors team this year,” Jordan says. “I’ve worked closely with the custom motorcycle community throughout my career and have so much respect for the time and creativity it takes to produce a custom build and I look forward to seeing what this year’s group brings to the competition.”
Dennis Kirk, Powersports aftermarket parts and gear leader, signs on as the UBCBS title sponsor.
“UBCBS is one of the most well-known and widely respected competitions in the builder community and we are excited to be on board as the title sponsor for the 2022 edition,” said Tammy Becklin, Chief Marketing Officer of Dennis Kirk. “The opportunity to further align our brand with the custom builder community, while celebrating the grit and talent that goes into motorcycle building, is a remarkable milestone for Dennis Kirk. We look forward to this year’s competition and are eager to introduce Dennis Kirk to the builders and thousands of riders and enthusiasts that attend Progressive IMS Outdoors.
Classes for the 2022 competition include Custom Street, Custom Classic and Freestyle, plus the People’s Choice Award. Winners of the Custom Street, Custom Classic, and Freestyle classes will take home $500 – $1,000 in cash from Progressive IMS Outdoors, plus prizes from sponsors. Winners of each round are invited to compete in the Championship Round at the end of the tour for the title “King of Builders”, $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Classes
Custom Street Class
Must start with 2000 and later major OEM engine and frame as a base. Must maintain original engine cradle configuration. The neck may be cut to rake or stretch frame. Hardtail sections and wide tire alterations are acceptable. Must be a two or three-wheel motorcycle configuration as defined by DMV. The vehicle must run and be operable.
Custom Classic Class
Must have a 1999 or earlier OEM engine; replica engines are not allowed. Custom or stock modified frames are acceptable. Must be a two or three-wheel motorcycle configuration as defined by DMV. The vehicle must run and be operable.
Freestyle Class
Anything goes, two or three-wheel drivetrain/chassis motorcycle configuration defined by the DMV. The only limitation is the builder’s imagination and resources. The vehicle must run and be operable.
“UBCBS is a staple program that people return to year-after-year, as competitors and attendees to see all-new unique builds, said Tracy Harris, SVP of Progressive IMS Outdoors. “The program is a highlight of each event, as builders travel from all over the nation and compete alongside their peers to showcase the bikes they have been working on for months and, in many cases, years. We’re excited to see new and returning faces on this year’s IMS tour under Jordan’s new management.”
Jordan Mastagni is a seasoned 20-year veteran in the motorcycle industry as a moto-journalist and most recently the head of sales and marketing at ARCH Motorcycle Company, co-founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves. Recently, Jordan purchased the intellectual property of Hot Bike, the world’s largest custom V-twin media company, and is working hard to keep this iconic, 50-year-old brand shredding tires for many years to come. Being a fan of all motorcycle makes, Jordan brings a keen eye for attention to detail, making him a great fit to be the ambassador for UBCBS.
Please visit here for more information on judging criteria, awards categories, and prizes.
Interested in registering for the 2022 UBCBS competition? Builder registration is now live. Please visit https://motorcycleshows.com/UBCBS to enter.
The 2022 tour is sponsored by Progressive Insurance, with this year’s edition marking Progressive’s role as title sponsor for the 13th consecutive year.
Connect with IMS (#RidersUnite and #imsoutdoors):
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
About Dennis Kirk
Dennis Kirk was first created in 1969 as a little snowmobile parts store and mail-order business in the small town of Rush City, MN. As the years went on, we began to grow and expand into other powersports, including Motorcycles, Dirt Bikes, and ATV’s as well as snowmobiles. Because of our great selection, competitive prices and excellent customer service, Dennis Kirk quickly grew to become one of the largest aftermarket parts dealers in the world. Today, Dennis Kirk is a leader in aftermarket hard parts, accessories and riding gear.
About Progressive IMS Outdoors (motorcycleshows.com)
Progressive IMS Outdoors is an evolution of the Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® tour’s nearly 40-year stint that not only transitions IMS from the traditional convention center setup to a new open outdoor experience but will also create a festival-like atmosphere that promotes enthusiasts of all ages and levels to come together to better engage with products, each other, and the industry. While continuing its presence as the nation’s largest consumer motorcycle tour, Progressive IMS Outdoors will support the growth of the Powersports community by offering a unique experience the industry has yet to see. IMS Outdoors is organized by Informa Markets, a division within Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information, visit www.informa.com
The 2021 MRA Corner Marshal and trackside support crew. Photo courtesy MRA.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) is pleased to announce a pre-season Corner Marshal training and trackside safety protocol course on April 23rd from 11am – 1pm. Race of the Rockies GTO sponsor Fay Myers Motorcycle World is hosting the event and contributing their top-notch classroom space to further improve and exemplify safety awareness at the racetrack and in the motorcycling community overall. The event will be open at no charge to any interested parties and individuals. On offer will be instruction on a variety of topics covering the needed general knowledge for safe track side support operations. The MRA’s Race Director, John McKown, will be on-site coordinating and presenting the procedural materials. The class will be geared to enrich both the experienced veteran and the novice of live road racing track side support. A light lunch will be provided to attendees of the full course and the MRA hopes that turnout and enthusiasm will be high with the club’s race school and round one fast approaching. The MRA remains dedicated to providing a safe and family friendly environment, while providing competitive motorcycle racing.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Rea remains on top overall with Bautista fastest in FP2, Razgatlioglu third
2022 is well-and-truly off and running, with a titanic trio at the front and a close challenge behind
Jonathan Rea (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
The opening day of action from the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has come to a close as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) topped day one. The six-time World Champion’s aim to reclaim the title started well, as he fended off a late challenge from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who topped FP2 but was second overall, whilst reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) took third, making it three manufacturers inside the top three.
KAWASAKI VS DUCATI VS YAMAHA: a titanic battle awaits the titanic trio
Jonathan Rea was in magnificent form at MotorLand Aragon, the circuit at which he took a 100th victory of his career at in 2021. Topping FP1 and doing so once again in FP2, Rea is certainly the rider to beat. Decent runs and improving incrementally throughout the morning, Rea was also top for the majority of the session in the afternoon, albeit not quicker until later on, ultimately finishing second in the session but in-turn setting a long second run. Rea still led the way on the combined times whilst teammate Alex Lowes (had a more than solid day at the office, with fourth in the morning and was in the top five throughout the second session. He was sixth at the end of the day.
Alvaro Bautista (was one of the early improvers in FP2, going two tenths of a second quicker in the afternoon. The Spaniard, who is returning to Ducati for 2022, set 18 laps in the morning session but put in a good race simulation in FP2, using the SCX tyre to assess the tyres performance. Bautista, who was using the swingarm he had tried throughout testing, improved his time at the end with SCQ tyre, topping the session and finishing second overall. On the other side of the garage, Michael Ruben Rinaldi was also strong and inside the top five in the afternoon, finishing fifth on the combined times.
Second in the morning session and inside the top three for the majority of the afternoon, reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu was looking good after day one at MotorLand Aragon. The Turkish rider was fractionally slower in the afternoon, but nonetheless, finished the session in third overall and got a long run in too. Teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) had a rather unassuming session, finishing eighth overall after being eighth in FP1, it was a consistent start for 2021’s best rookie.
INDEPENDENT SENSATIONS: a familiar face and a huge surprise
Three Independent riders inside the top nine was one of the claims of the day as Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished fourth overall as he goes in search of a solid start to his campaign. The next Independent and top BMW on combined times, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was just over a second off Rea’s top time but over three tenths quicker than the next BMW. Ninth place went to one of day one’s revelations; eleventh-hour replacement at the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team, Roberto Tamburini was a star on Friday, finishing FP2 in seventh after lapping with Jonathan Rea at the end, putting him a surprise ninth on the combined times for Sandro Carusi’s team.
HONDA AND BMW: mixed opening day of 2022
As for Honda and Team HRC, it was tenth overall for rookie Iker Lecuona and 13th for Xavi Vierge, although Lecuona could only place in 17th at the end of FP2. Seven tenths slower in FP2 than FP1, Lecuona will hope that the cooler temperatures in FP3 and Tissot Superpole allow him to improve once more. As for Vierge, he did improve his time in the afternoon session, putting him 11th in the session. Working away well, Team HRC will hope to put in a strong Saturday and Sunday.
For the factory BMW, it was a mixed day; Ukraine’s Illia Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was in fine form on his WorldSBK debut and finished 11th in FP1, whilst finishing FP2 in ninth place and top BMW, leaving him 12th overall. On the other side of the garage, one of 2022’s headline switches was not having the best day. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was only 16th in FP1, 14th in FP2 and finished in 16th at the end of the day. Adapting from a V4 to an inline four engine configuration, Redding’s adaptation is in process.
COMPLETING THE ORDER: Independent riders and a rookie round-up
For the other Independent riders, Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was a tenth away from the top ten as his first day of competitive action concluded in WorldSBK. Fellow Independent Ducati rider Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) had a quiet day and finished 14th overall, one place ahead of Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW).
After a fast crash in FP1, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) got back out on track halfway through FP2, finishing 17th on the combined times, ahead of Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), rookie Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) and wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing). Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was 21st ahead of Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), his rookie teammate Hafizh Syahrin and Belgium’s Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), who suffered a broken chain in FP1.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Fastest As New Season Begins
Official KRT WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finished the first day of 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship track action in first and sixth places on the combined timesheets at Motorland Aragon.
Both Ninja ZX-10RR riders were fast in the morning session, with Rea relying on his FP1 time to set his class-leading overnight pace. Lowes went marginally faster than his early pace in the afternoon FP2 session.
Two days of final pre-season testing earlier this week preceded the first day of practice at Motorland, which allowed both riders the opportunity to concentrate on their final race set-ups. Rea’s best Friday lap was set very early in the opening session, as he had arrived at the track full of confidence. His best of 1’49.301 was 0.305 seconds faster than the rider in second place.
The track and ambient temperatures were higher today than those experienced during the recent tests, which introduced the element of evaluating tyre choices in readiness to face whatever weather conditions are experienced in the 18-lap Race One on Saturday afternoon. Each rider has a clear idea of which tyre options to use, dependent on what the final track temperature will be.
Race One will take place at 14.00 local time on Saturday 9 April, after the final FP3 session and Superpole qualifying have been completed. An all new qualifying rear tyre has been brought into use by Pirelli for the 2022 season, which will make Superpole a particularly interesting session before the riders fight it out for the first championship points of the new season.
Sunday 10 April will feature the ten lap Superpole Race at 11.00 local time, and the final 18-lap Race Two will take place at 14.00.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I am satisfied with today. We just kept working in the same way as we did at the tests, polishing some items. I think the test was the hardest work as we defined the package that we will race with this weekend. I worked on a longer run today, in the afternoon, on one option of tyre, just to have the information about it. On the front we also tried an option during our long run. Now I think we are quite equipped to know what to do tomorrow. It will all depend on the track temperature. My rhythm here is quite OK and if I need to push for a lap time I know I can be fast over one lap as well. So, it is just understanding what temperature we will have tomorrow and trying to make a good start. It’s the first race of the year and I am super-excited about it. I never had that feeling until today. It always felt a bit more exciting at Phillip Island going there to start the season, because it had a different ambience. But now I am pretty excited to race!”
Alex Lowes, stated: “In the recent tests I was doing a lot more work on used tyres compared to the others. In the tests we did not have very much track time. I have got a lot of experience now so I know that tomorrow, in the race, between lap nine and eighteen sometimes the difference in lap time can be massive – because the track is so long here. It is so important to have a bike set-up that you can manage in this part of the race, so maybe I was working more on this. Now my body is good, I feel good and I can ride properly. I need to find a bit more feeling in the front end as some other riders are a little bit ahead. But if I can have a good qualifying, and stay there with them, I think in the second part of the race I can be quite strong. That is how I have tried to plan the week. I am ready to race tomorrow.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) ended his first day in 17th position despite suffering a heavy crash in FP1. Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 22nd fastest today and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) 25th.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Podium Pace in Tricky Conditions for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK in Aragon
Defending FIM Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu finished Friday’s sessions at MotorLand Aragon third quickest, as competition looks fierce for the first race weekend of the 2022 season.
Both Razgatlıoğlu and teammate Andrea Locatelli found track conditions tricky compared to the WorldSBK Supported Test at the same venue earlier this week, as the difference in ambient temperatures and stronger winds contributed to a lack of available grip on track for many of the premier class field.
All eyes were focused on last year’s championship winner as well as Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK’s nearest rivals, as the team worked on a combination of race simulations and further data collection including Pirelli’s new tyre option for 2022 – the SCQ qualifying tyre – that can also be utilised during the 10-lap Superpole Race on Sunday morning.
For Razgatlıoğlu, his crew will work to improve front grip on his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK to allow the Turkish ace to deploy his signature hard-braking style, while Locatelli’s side of the pit box aim to help the Italian rider find an improvement in the rear tyre performance.
Tomorrow, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK will line up for the first race of the year at 14:00 local time (UTC+2) but not before one final Free Practice 3 session at 09:00 of 30 minutes to finalise set-ups, and the all-important Superpole qualifying to determine start positions at 11:10.
Toprak Razgatlioğlu
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
Position: 3rd Time: 1’49.665
“Compared to testing, there was not good grip here in the first Free Practice session and in the afternoon we worked for the race bike and try a race simulation – but after nine or ten laps I feel the front tyre drop and after I come back to the box. Tomorrow we will improve this problem because in the race I need the front tyre to be strong, I like it for hard braking! I am very happy with the rear tyre and after ten laps I feel very good grip. My dream is always to be fighting for the win, it is not easy for us, I think everyone is very strong this year. From 2020 to 2022 at this track, we improve a lot and we will improve race-by-race, so we will see.”
Andrea Locatelli
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
Position: 8th Time: 1’50.442
“I’m a bit frustrated because the feeling with the bike in the second session was not bad, but the feeling with the rear grip is strange – I want to be able to push more and use the throttle, so this is our main problem now and we need to work on this part. If I can work a little bit more here, maybe we can improve a lot, start more in front and maybe we can have a good race. The feeling in the front and on the bike as a whole is good, but in the rear I don’t have grip so tonight we will try to find more. In the end, not an easy day for me but we will continue to work and see what is possible tomorrow.”
Paul Denning
Team Principal – Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“It’s great to start the WorldSBK race season at last, even if it was a challenging day here at Aragon with track conditions very different to those experienced at the test earlier this week. We got through a lot of work and the team, as always, were very focused. Neither rider is completely happy with the package in these conditions, but with both of them having done long runs this afternoon, the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK team has all the information it needs to make a step forward for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Fourth on Opening Day in Aragón
The FIM Superbike World Championship has kicked off with the first free practice sessions of the year at MotorLand Aragón. The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action with Garrett Gerloff and Kohta Nozane, making progress throughout the day, finishing fourth and 18th respectively on combined times.
In Free Practice 1, Gerloff ended the session sixth fastest on a 1’50.269, while Nozane managed 17th with a 1’51.622. Both worked on race pace, completing longer runs, as they also found a solid base set-up heading into the rest of the weekend.
The riders both improved their times in the afternoon free practice session, taking good steps forward with the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK. The Japanese rider’s best lap, a 1’51.118, saw him end FP2 in 15th position, while his American teammate ran an impressive 1’49.900 to go fourth fastest overall.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will be back on track tomorrow, with the first race of the 2022 season set for 14:00 (CET). Before that will come the Superpole qualifying session at 11:00, after FP3 at 09:00.
Garrett Gerloff
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK
Team Position: 4th Time: 1’49.900
“I’m feeling confident, even though some of the guys look to have really strong race pace. Anyway, we did a good job, and in the morning I went out with just one set of tyres to do a long run, as we needed to see the performance. In FP2, I got a feel of the track in hotter conditions for the first time properly this year. I feel Yamaha has done a really good job and we have a great package overall. I just want to have a good qualifying and to keep building from there.”
Kohta Nozane
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Position: 18th Time: 1’51.118
“Today was not an easy one. Conditions were different and it was a bit tough for me to get a good feeling with the track. We need to check what happened, but we’ll push hard to overcome the problems. Anyway, we made some improvements from morning to afternoon, so I’m confident we can make another step forward tomorrow. Let’s see what happens and I’ll do my best in the qualifying session and Race 1 to get a good result.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Solid Friday for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team at Aragon: Bautista ends up second, Rinaldi fifth. P2 also for Bulega in WorldSSP
The Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain) held today the free practices for the Pirelli Aragon Round, the first race weekend of the 2022 WorldSBK season.
Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi – with the Ducati Panigale V4 R of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team – finished the first day in second and fifth position respectively.
Following an intense work on setup and tyres, Bautista was able to pick up the pace in the afternoon FP2, running a sort of race simulation session. In the final time attack with the SCQ tyre, the spaniard set the fastest time of 1’49.606, (second quickest of the day).
From the very first laps of the morning, Rinaldi put behind him the difficulties encountered during testing earlier in the week. After recording a time of 1’50.000 in FP1 (which allowed him to close FP1 in third position and in fifth in the final combined standings), in FP2 the Italian rider worked well on his race pace but was unable to make the most of the SCQ tyre in the final time attack.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“It was a very positive Friday, especially after a difficult FP1. We tried a different setup to the one we had in testing but the feeling was not right. In the afternoon things went very well. We did a lot of intense work with the tyres to get more data and try to make the best choice for the Superpole and the races”.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I am satisfied with what we did today. The bike’s set-up has improved a lot compared to the tests at the beginning of the week and that has given me a very positive feeling. I think the race pace is strong, in line with the front guys. Certainly, however, we need to do something more with the qualifying tyre, which up until now I have not been able to exploit to the full”.
WorldSSP
After a lackluster FP1 (12th place overall) Nicolò Bulega and the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team worked hard on the Ducati Panigale V2 and in the afternoon found the ideal feeling for a solid session. Bulega ended the first day of free practice for the Pirelli Aragon Round in second place with a time of 1’53.986.
Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP Team #11)
“I am quite happy with this first day of free practice. Especially in the afternoon, we found again the good sensations of the test. We didn’t do too badly even though, obviously, there is room for improvement. We are all close to each other except for Aegerter who made a bit of a difference today. But if we can fix some details we can definitely do well”.
Jonathan Rea (65) used to get a smaller salary and bigger bonuses from Kawasaki for his successes. After winning a few of his six Superbike World Championships, however, he and Kawasaki switched over to a larger salary with smaller bonuses. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
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 26th 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 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (11 times);
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 2022 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Kristian Daniel, Jr. (left) with IGAX Racing Team Owner Alex Martinez (right). Photo courtesy Kristian Daniel.
Kristian Daniel, Jr.
Age: 13.
Current home: Barcelona, Spain.
Current height/weight: 5’2/103 pounds.
Current school grade level: 8th grade.
Began riding at age: 6 years.
First road race: 2015, Apple Valley, California, M1GP, Terminator 50cc Class, 2nd place.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, youngest full-time rider in European Talent Cup, best race finish was 28th at Valencia; 2020 season, placed 4th in Cuna de Campeones Moto5 Championship in Spain (1 win, 2 total podiums); 2019 season, placed 4th in Spanish Cuna de Campeones MiniGP 110 Championship (2 podium finishes).
2022 racing goal: Finish in the points in the FIM CEV European Talent Cup.
Racing career goal: Make it to MotoGP.
Racing hero: Nicky Hayden.
Favorite track: Jerez.
Favorite hobby: Watching Anime, playing Roblox.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: A professional football or basketball player.
American Moto2 riders (from left) Joe Roberts, Cameron Beaubier, and Sean Dylan Kelly at a pre-race press conference at COTA. Photo courtesy Dorna.
“Hopefully we can give them something to dream about”
Americans Joe Roberts, Cameron Beaubier and Sean Dylan Kelly talk Texas, progress and American riders in the World Championship
How are you feeling ahead of this weekend?
Joe Roberts: “Feels like we were just here, back in October. I’m so happy to be back. We only get to come to the US once and it’s always…the atmosphere is amazing, the fans that come out, the support we get it always surprises me, well, no, Americans fans are the best. At this track the expectations, to be honest the track doesn’t suit my style, I find it tricky and have never been happy with a result here. So, I think for me, it would be to come away with a great result. We haven’t had the start I was expecting but we seem to be getting on top of it, I just want to turn it around and put on a show for the fans.”
What do you think is coming together better now that will allow you to take that step and get a result on home turf?
Roberts: “Grip and the rear end. I haven’t had the traction. Tracks we’ve been going to demand a lot of grip and if you don’t have hooked up you’re kinda stuck. This track is more stop and go and we have a setting for that. I hope it helps.”
Even last year you were in the top five here. How are you feeling now with more experience?
Cameron Beaubier: “I feel good. Last year was an important step for me, for my confidence, knowing I can run with the top guys. This class is brutal it’s easy to get beat down. So it felt good to get a good result in front of the fans and receiving their support was special. Gives me the drive to be up there and looking forward to the weekend.”
Do the fans, family and friends make a big difference out on track?
Beaubier: “It really does. This track, in particular, is not my best track since MotoAmerica but just being here in front of the fans after travelling the world, just coming back and being able to race in front of friends and family gives me that extra little push.”
How excited are you to try the track out for the first time in Moto2™?
Sean Dylan Kelly: “Yeah, huge excitement level, hard for me to keep my already big smile looking normal! It was my first pre-event with Dorna and it was so exciting to be out with Aleix and Jorge Martin. It was important for me to live the dream, travelling, doing pre-events and even this press conference. I’m extremely excited to be here at COTA, it’s gonna be the first track that I really do know, I did a test here last year. Gonna use it to my full advantage and yeah I’m really excited to be here with the full American racing team, plus Joe, it’s gonna be good for everyone watching and supporting us.”
How does it feel to have more Americans on the grid?
Kelly: “I think it’s extremely important and it’s incredible to see where we are now to have 3 Americans in Moto2, only a few years back in 2017 there was no American in the World Championship. From my side, I’d like to say, that there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. The American team and the American Racing Academy with John Hopkins etc. have been doing a lot of work to get young Americans back on the stage. There are young ones in the works. It started with Joe. He made a big step and is doing well. Cameron as well, and now me. I’m the young one. These guys are old! It’s been growing, not only that, there’s a lot of brewing going on in the US, even in South Florida. We are trying to grow it. If you look back, the Americans were the best. So yeah it’s exciting to see. Just hoping we can get us three at the front. And best of luck to the little ones.”
Roberts: “I was thinking about what it means to me. When I was a kid it was so important to me to see US riders in MotoGP I think it was the number one motivating thing that made me want to do MotoGP. Seeing Colin, Ben, John. It made it seem possible to be there because MotoGP is a big show that is usually in Europe and it’s a long way to go for young Americans. It’s a big deal to have Americans here; it was lonely for a few years! It’s great honestly, great for the sport, great for kids and now we have NATC here and obviously what the American Racing Academy is doing. It’s really important and really happy that we are here racing in the US. We need to do more of it. F1 is doing it!”
How does it feel to have more Americans on the grid, and does you going from MotoAmerica help them, to now see you fighting in Moto2™?
Beaubier: “I think so. I came over to Europe under different circumstances. I came over older, after racing here as a kid, in Rookies Cup, JuniorGP and 125cc and I know personally how much that helped me, being a kid in Europe and growing up racing with the kids, well look at them now, how fast they are at such a young age. That’s what we are lacking in the States. We don’t know how fast some of those kids are in the Pre-Moto3 or JuniorGP stage. I think that’s what really great about the American Racing Academy taking young kids in and getting them to Europe at a young age because I feel like it’s hard to get your kid into Europe from racing here in the States. So American Racing is doing a great job. Hopefully us three can get upfront and represent the US well and give them something to dream about.”
MotoGP riders (from left) Fabio Quartararo, Aleix Espargaro, Jorge Martin, and Marc Marquez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
“I love a challenge!”: the rodeo is ready to begin
Marc Marquez, Aleix Espargaro, Martin and Quartararo join the pre-event Press Conference as the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas gets in gear
Friday, 08 April 2022
Howdy, Texas! The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas is ready for action and the Sheriff is back in town. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who has earned that name thanks to his seven wins from eight at the track, is back, and the Spaniard was joined in the pre-event Press Conference by Argentina GP winner Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), podium finisher Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™).
QUOTES
Aleix Espargaro. Photo courtesy Dorna.
How does it feel to be a winner and World Championship leader?
Aleix Espargaro: “Sounds good, sounds good. Feels strange for me to hear that but I’m very happy. These last few days have been fantastic, I feel happy but at the same time relaxed because I had the confidence I didn’t have in the past. In the past I dreamed I could win, now I know I can. It’s not going to be an easy weekend for me because last year we suffered a lot in this track, it was one of the most difficult, but this year is different. We have new asphalt, the bumps will be a lot better, the 2022 machine is a lot better than last year and we arrive in a completely different position. I can’t wait to go out on track and see how fast I can go.”
How confident are you the new RS-GP will make the situation more positive this weekend?
AE41: “I have no doubt that it will be completely different. I was very happy to win in Argentina but what made me happier is that we showed in the first three rounds that we are very competitive, I feel good with the new bike, the new bike is a lot better. The proof was that I was also able to over Jorge on the Ducati in the straight, so it means that overall the Aprilia has grown up a lot and this gives me a lot of positive energy for this round. I know it’s not going to be an easy one, I’m sure in Portimao and Jerez it will be easier for me and my bike but this is a challenge. This weekend is a big challenge for me, I love a challenge so I cant wait.”
How much are you looking forward to trying the new asphalt?
AE41: “I tried it already yesterday with the bicycle and it looks like they did a good job. Sincerely last year was very very tricky and looks like the new asphalt is quite good, for sure a lot better in the past. Let’s see about the grip, when you put new asphalt for sure you improve the bumps but you have to also see how the new tarmac grip is. I cant wait, it looks like it’s gong to be a very windy weekend so we have to deal with this. And yeah, let’s see tomorrow.
Fabio Quartararo. Photo courtesy Dorna.
It’s been a difficult and inconsistent start to the season. What are your expectations this weekend? Is it hard to know your level?
Fabio Quartararo: “Not an easy start. In Argentina our pace was not too bad, but first few laps we struggled, and I was far back. It was difficult. It was difficult to overtake. I felt our pace was great but then we couldn’t make our riding style and our grip was less. It was not an easy race. But, last year wasn’t so bad here so I think we can make a great result.”
Last year you were second behind MM93… but now it’s different circumstances, then you were thinking about the Championship. Can you now be more aggressive than October?
FQ20: “Yeah I was in a completely different position to now so yeah I will be more relaxed. Let’s see how the new asphalt is and if there is more grip. I hope it has grip, it could predict our weekend. Looking forward to it, could be a great weekend.”
Are you surprised by how unpredictable 2022 is?
FQ20: “Of course, it was totally different to last year because we have nine different podium finishers. I think it’s great for the fans. Let’s see if we can make a great weekend!”
Jorge Martin. Photo courtesy Dorna.
How much confidence has the result in Argentina given you?
Jorge Martin: “Yeah for sure after a really good weekend in Argentina I’m really confident for this weekend. All year we’ve been super competitive but I was missing to finish a race because starting from pole in Qatar, second in Indonesia, and again in front in Argentina is good, but finally finishing a race in Argentina was a good boost of confidence. Also last year here I was super competitive, I was close to the podium but I had the Long Lap at the end so I couldn’t finish there, but I think we van do a great race. How we worked in Argentina, we need to focus here in the same way and yeah we will also be really competitive here.”
What do you think the new Ducati will be like around this track?
JM88: “For sure this year’s bike is much easier to turn and I think it will be much better than last year. For sure we’re missing some place where we were strong last year and now we’re not, so w e need to focus on those sides too as on the straight we lost a bit of speed. I’m confident in general because the base of the bike is better than last year for this track.”
How curious are you about the resurfacing?
JM88: “Well let’s see, in the end it will be the same for everyone, I’m not really thinking about the surface. I’m not so enthusiastic about the conditions because maybe we go on track and there are bumps, I’m expecting a bit of everything. We just need to get focused really quickly.”
Marc Marquez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Great to have you back after another difficult period. How relieved are you by the quick recovery?
Marc Marquez: “Of course after Mandalika was really hard week, but lucky for me that the vision injury was less than last time. Even for Argentina, I almost came back but didn’t feel motivated to take that risk, and I didn’t want it. I spoke with the doctor and we decided to stay at home and relax and then train again in a good way. This week I had another doctor’s check and the vision was fixed. I tried a bike as well and let’s see. I’m not arriving in the best way here in Americas GP but we will try to do a great FP1 and start a great weekend.”
It’s the first time we’ve talked to you since the crash, can you tell us anything about it?
MM93: “Actually, I don’t remember a lot. I remember more from the images than what I remember. The Indonesian GP was one of the worst GPs in my career. I crashed too much, and some I didn’t understand. I had a new tyre and high-sided. It’s in the past and now it’s time to build the confidence and build again that process…it was hard what happened but the week after was harder. But lucky for me, I am here so that’s positive.”
You have a great record here in COTA. What’s your target? Are you here to win? Is it possible?
MM93: “It’s possible, but not the way to approach the weekend. We are coming from the Indonesia GP where I struggled, I crashed a lot and had a huge highside. I only just started training again a few days ago so it’s not the approach this weekend. Just trying to build the confidence and let’s see…”
Compete for cash, prizes and the chance to become the “King of Builders.”
Tickets are on sale and available here for this year’s eight-city tour.
Santa Monica, Calif. –Progressive IMS Outdoors, the Powersports industry’s leading consumer motorcycle tour that connects enthusiasts with top brands, today announced two strategic partnerships for Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show(UBCBS).
Dennis Kirk, the world’s largest retailer of aftermarket parts, apparel and accessories for every powersport, is the new title sponsor of UBCBS.
Jordan Mastagni, president of Hot Bike Magazine, will take over management of UBCBS.
Builder registration for the 2022 competition is now open – new and returning builders alike are encouraged to sign up for this year’s edition at www.motorcycleshows.com/UBCBS.
Jordan is gearing up to bring his 20+ years in the motorcycle industry as a moto-journalist and builder enthusiast to the Progressive IMS Outdoors staple attraction, which has evolved into the industry’s most prominent competition throughout its 11-year tenure. Year after year, hundreds of builders use the competition as a springboard to showcase their rolling works of art and compete for cash, prizes, and the “King of Builders” title, crowned in the championship round held in Southern California at the last event of the tour.
“It’s an honor to work alongside the Progressive IMS Outdoors team this year,” Jordan says. “I’ve worked closely with the custom motorcycle community throughout my career and have so much respect for the time and creativity it takes to produce a custom build and I look forward to seeing what this year’s group brings to the competition.”
Dennis Kirk, Powersports aftermarket parts and gear leader, signs on as the UBCBS title sponsor.
“UBCBS is one of the most well-known and widely respected competitions in the builder community and we are excited to be on board as the title sponsor for the 2022 edition,” said Tammy Becklin, Chief Marketing Officer of Dennis Kirk. “The opportunity to further align our brand with the custom builder community, while celebrating the grit and talent that goes into motorcycle building, is a remarkable milestone for Dennis Kirk. We look forward to this year’s competition and are eager to introduce Dennis Kirk to the builders and thousands of riders and enthusiasts that attend Progressive IMS Outdoors.
Classes for the 2022 competition include Custom Street, Custom Classic and Freestyle, plus the People’s Choice Award. Winners of the Custom Street, Custom Classic, and Freestyle classes will take home $500 – $1,000 in cash from Progressive IMS Outdoors, plus prizes from sponsors. Winners of each round are invited to compete in the Championship Round at the end of the tour for the title “King of Builders”, $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Classes
Custom Street Class
Must start with 2000 and later major OEM engine and frame as a base. Must maintain original engine cradle configuration. The neck may be cut to rake or stretch frame. Hardtail sections and wide tire alterations are acceptable. Must be a two or three-wheel motorcycle configuration as defined by DMV. The vehicle must run and be operable.
Custom Classic Class
Must have a 1999 or earlier OEM engine; replica engines are not allowed. Custom or stock modified frames are acceptable. Must be a two or three-wheel motorcycle configuration as defined by DMV. The vehicle must run and be operable.
Freestyle Class
Anything goes, two or three-wheel drivetrain/chassis motorcycle configuration defined by the DMV. The only limitation is the builder’s imagination and resources. The vehicle must run and be operable.
“UBCBS is a staple program that people return to year-after-year, as competitors and attendees to see all-new unique builds, said Tracy Harris, SVP of Progressive IMS Outdoors. “The program is a highlight of each event, as builders travel from all over the nation and compete alongside their peers to showcase the bikes they have been working on for months and, in many cases, years. We’re excited to see new and returning faces on this year’s IMS tour under Jordan’s new management.”
Jordan Mastagni is a seasoned 20-year veteran in the motorcycle industry as a moto-journalist and most recently the head of sales and marketing at ARCH Motorcycle Company, co-founded by Gard Hollinger and Keanu Reeves. Recently, Jordan purchased the intellectual property of Hot Bike, the world’s largest custom V-twin media company, and is working hard to keep this iconic, 50-year-old brand shredding tires for many years to come. Being a fan of all motorcycle makes, Jordan brings a keen eye for attention to detail, making him a great fit to be the ambassador for UBCBS.
Please visit here for more information on judging criteria, awards categories, and prizes.
Interested in registering for the 2022 UBCBS competition? Builder registration is now live. Please visit https://motorcycleshows.com/UBCBS to enter.
The 2022 tour is sponsored by Progressive Insurance, with this year’s edition marking Progressive’s role as title sponsor for the 13th consecutive year.
Connect with IMS (#RidersUnite and #imsoutdoors):
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
About Dennis Kirk
Dennis Kirk was first created in 1969 as a little snowmobile parts store and mail-order business in the small town of Rush City, MN. As the years went on, we began to grow and expand into other powersports, including Motorcycles, Dirt Bikes, and ATV’s as well as snowmobiles. Because of our great selection, competitive prices and excellent customer service, Dennis Kirk quickly grew to become one of the largest aftermarket parts dealers in the world. Today, Dennis Kirk is a leader in aftermarket hard parts, accessories and riding gear.
About Progressive IMS Outdoors (motorcycleshows.com)
Progressive IMS Outdoors is an evolution of the Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® tour’s nearly 40-year stint that not only transitions IMS from the traditional convention center setup to a new open outdoor experience but will also create a festival-like atmosphere that promotes enthusiasts of all ages and levels to come together to better engage with products, each other, and the industry. While continuing its presence as the nation’s largest consumer motorcycle tour, Progressive IMS Outdoors will support the growth of the Powersports community by offering a unique experience the industry has yet to see. IMS Outdoors is organized by Informa Markets, a division within Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information, visit www.informa.com
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
April 3, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
