Provisional Mission Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Cory Texter (Yam), 24 laps
2. Ben Lowe (Har), -00.872 seconds
3. Kolby Carlile (Har), -02.680
4. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -02.894
5. Cole Zabala (Yam), -04.964
6. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -06.270
7. Ryan Varnes (KTM), -10.378
8. Michael Hill (Yam), -11.159
9. Kasey Sciscoe (Kaw), -12.740
10. David Wiggin (Har), -17.177
11. Gary Ketchum (Har), -17.412
12. Billy Ross (Kaw), -11 laps
13. Jeffery Lowery (Yam), -11 laps
14. Jesse Janisch (Har), -18 laps
15. Cody Johncox (Yam), -22 laps
16. Patrick Buchanan (Har), -23 laps
17. Chad Cose (Har), -24 laps
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Morgen Mischler (Hon), 5 laps
2. Max Whale (KTM), -00.100 seconds
3. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -00.291
4. Justin Jones (Hon), -01.141
5. Kody Kopp (KTM), -01.575
6. Tanner Dean (KTM), -02.057
7. Dalton Gauthier (Hon), -02.768
8. Gage Smith (Hon), -02.956
9. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -03.476
10. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -03.520
11. Trent Lowe (Hon), -03.679
12. Ryan Wells (KTM), -04.094
13. Hunter Bauer (KTM), -04.888
14. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -05.081
15. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -05.412
16. Logan McGrane (KTM), -05.635
17. Tarren Santero (Yam), -16.686
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Jared Mees (Ind), 32 laps
2. JD Beach (Yam), -00.408 seconds
3. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -00.791
4. Briar Bauman (Ind), -05.618
5. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -10.797
6. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -11.712
7. Davis Fisher (Ind), -11.892
8. Bronson Bauman (Har), -13.422
9. Brandon Price (Ind), -1 lap, -01.634
10. Ben Lowe (PT) (Har), -1 lap, -03.425
11. Larry Pegram (Ind), -1 lap, -06.654
12. Kolby Carlile (PT) (Har), -1 lap, -06.787
13. Danny Eslick (Ind), -1 lap, -09.385
14. Nick Armstrong (PT) (Yam), -1 lap, -10.704
15. Robert Pearson (Ind), -1 lap, -20.307
16. Shayna Texter-Bauman (Ind), -12 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track (AFT):
Mees Strikes Back at Texas Half-Mile
Jared Mees (1). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 19, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Track superstar Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) rebounded like a champion with a convincing victory in Saturday night’s Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems at the Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway.
Few expected Mees to kick off his Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title defense as a relative non-factor, running in fifth in last weekend’s season opener at Volusia Speedway Park. That muted performance made this weekend’s showdown all that more important, and given a second chance, Mees made clear the path to the #1 plate still goes through him.
Mees looked virtually unbeatable all night long, a trend he continued once he dove underneath a quick-starting JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to take control of the Main Event while still in its opening stages.
The defending champ pulled clear and cruised to the checkered flag, only suffering a minor scare when Beach and his Estenson teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), used traffic and their own battle for second to reduce the gap to back under a second over the race’s final two laps.
“It felt really good,” Mees said. “Last weekend we were a little off for sure, but it felt good to rebound. That Main Event was really hectic with all the lappers, but the Indian Motorcycle backed by Progressive Insurance worked awesome tonight. It was so hooked up. My guys are all working so hard.
“I really wanted to come in and have a good result today with the break we have coming up. Last week didn’t sit well… I wanted this one bad.”
The Yamaha 2-3 was another sign that the series’ attempts to balance the field are working as hoped, while also providing positive feedback for Estenson Racing in regards to their offseason MT-07 DT upgrades.
It also underlined the potency of the talented Beach-Daniels tandem. That was made especially clear when Mission SuperTwins rookie Daniels not only diced with two-time class champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) but got the better of him.
A bobble on Bauman’s part put him out of podium contention, but he was well clear of the pack behind and finished alone in a safe fourth. Some five seconds back, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) won out over teammate Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in their scrap for fifth.
Meanwhile, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Brandon Price (No. 92 Briggsauto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) came home seventh through ninth, respectively, while Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) turned his Mission Production Twins Challenge entry into a top-ten premier-class finish.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
While reigning Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) got his own title defense off to a bit of a quiet start last weekend, all it took was a return to the scene of his maiden class victory in 2019 to remind the paddock of the pecking order he’s worked so hard to maintain ever since. That and a lot of perseverance.
Texter was in control throughout the Main Event despite the numerous potential pitfalls thrown his way. Moments after he claimed the initial holeshot, Chad Cose (No. 49 DPC Racing/Voodoo Ranger Harley-Davidson XG750R) crashed after coming together with Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), bringing out an early red.
Then after getting a second holeshot and opening up a healthy advantage, Texter was forced to do it a third time when a second red flag was shown following a Jeffery Lowery (No. 223 Lowery Racing/Gray Hogs Yamaha MT-07) fall. Make that a fourth time, as Billy Ross (No. 109 Pro 1 Industries/Campbells Services Kawasaki 650 Ninja) was the next to crash and cause another stoppage.
Texter then had to set the pace and avoid any mistakes of his own on an extremely tricky dry surface before at last securing his first win of the young 2022 season.
“You don’t like to see red flags when you’re leading,” Texter said. “When you have a gap, it’s like, ‘Man…’ But I’ve been in that situation before so I just stayed calm, had confidence in my starts, and trusted my instincts. The boys said to keep doing what I was doing, so at that point you just don’t want to mess up.
“This is such an emotional win for me. The last time we were here and I won, I gave my mechanic, Jon (Reid), the victory lap, and he passed away at the end of the season. So I really wanted to win this one for him. This one means a lot.”
Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) kept Texter honest in the final leg of the Main and was well positioned to capitalize on any mistake. While that mistake never came, Lowe did finish as the runner-up, earning a strong result at his primary sponsors’ home round.
The still-mending Kolby Carlile (No. 36 KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R) rounded out the podium. He did so only after fending off last weekend’s surprise winner, Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who proved that his opening-weekend performance was no fluke with a close fourth.
New class contender Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) made a late move around Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) to complete the top five.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Best known for epic, come-from-behind rides exploiting the high line, Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) won in the complete opposite fashion on Saturday night. After beating polesitter Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) into the opening corner, Mischler immediately set about what would ultimately prove to be a race-long defense of the low line.
It was actually Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) who was the rider on the move in the early stages, blasting his way up from the third row and into third place on a track where no one else seemed to have much success overtaking.
However, the reason for that was made evident with the manner in which Brunner’s charge ended. His aggressive attempts to overhaul Whale for second concluded with the Yamaha pilot on the dirt. Making matters worse, Tanner Dean (No. 38 Waters Autobody Racing KTM 450 SX-F) had nowhere to go but over top of Brunner’s downed machine, the incident provoking a red-flag stoppage.
Mischler resumed the lead at the restart, but Whale lost another spot off the line. This time it was teammate Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) who displaced him, diving into second to take over the pursuit for the lead.
The three then raced in close formation for the remainder of the race. Despite Kopp sizing Mischler up for a final-lap attack, he thought better of it and accepted second rather than risk disaster.
Race-winner Mischer said, “Our team has a lot of great pieces that pull this whole program together. The whole Turner Factory Honda team is amazing and they have a wealth of knowledge. I felt really bad because in practice I wadded one of these bikes up pretty bad. This is actually my ‘B bike,’ but she got the job done today. Those guys put in a ton of work, and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Mischler’s teammate, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), put in a relatively lonely ride to fourth, followed by Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) and Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R).
The Mission Texas Half-Mile will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, March 27, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT., including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
For those viewing from home, you can catch the livestream free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.
Hometown hero, Mike Jones has taken pole position for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway.
Practice form certainly dictated the outcome, with Jones’ time of 1:07.673 enjoying a two-tenths margin over Staring, but for the first time this weekend – after much speculation – the top three riders finally dropped into the 1:07’s.
In the post-qualifying press conference, Jones was simply happy to tick the first box for the weekend.
“Track knowledge is a key part of being able to go fast around here and being able to refine each corner to the absolute maximum,” said Jones.
“I just need to make a good start, get my head down and put in some quick lap times and see what happens towards the end of the race.”
Starting from P2 tomorrow, Bryan Staring would not be drawn on being the top Ducati on the day – ahead of Wayne Maxwell. “That’s fine, it’s not a big deal to me. I’m really happy with that qualifying session- to be back on the front row- I actually don’t know the last time I was on the front row.
“It’s all about getting a good start for the two races tomorrow…”
For Wayne Maxwell, P3 was a good outcome, but there’s work to be done if the 2021 Champion is going to claw back from seventh in the title chase.”Look, it’s been a bit of a struggle. We’re on the back foot compared to these guys… we’ll try to make some more improvements to the bike overnight and come out tomorrow and try to close that last bit of the gap. We’ll just do our thing tomorrow.”
In Q1, Jed Metcher, Aiden Wagner and Mark Chiodo progressed to the final stage of Superbike qualifying, while in Q2, Troy Herfoss would run into technical issues, forcing him to swap onto his second bike with five minutes remaining in the session.
After a close-fought qualifying, Tom Edwards (Yamaha YZF-R6) took the Michelin Supersport pole after securing a time of 1:11.180 – pipping Friday Practice fast man John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6) by two-tenths of a second, with Olly Simpson (Yamaha YZF-R6) a further three-tenths adrift.
Until he put the bike on pole, Edwards had not topped the timesheets in any session but knew the incremental improvements the team had made was heading the bike in the right direction.
“I’m really happy with qualifying- I picked up a heap of time just in qualifying. I just went out there to do a race simulation and I just got quicker and quicker – every lap I do here I learn
more.
Edwards wrapped up his press conference while sounding an ominous warning to fellow Michelin Supersport competitors: “I still think there’s definitely more to come tomorrow…”
Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) edged Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) by a tenth of a second to take pole for Dunlop Supersport 300, with Henry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) rounding out the top three. After starting from fifth of the grid, James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) edged his way into the lead, taking out Race One ahead of Cameron Dunker and Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) in a typically exciting and varied Dunlop Supersport 300 race.
The Yamaha Finance R3 Cup grid was the first to get locked away just after lunch, with Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) taking pole with a 1.21:916 – half a second ahead of Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Macus Hamod (Yamaha YZF-R3).
In Race One, Dunker would lead from lights to flag ahead of runner-up Nelson, with Aksu rounding out the top three. A crash at Turn 3 saw Henry Snell walk away unscathed but out of contention.
It was going to be a tight bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup with Levi Russo (Yamaha YZF-15) just edging Hudson Thompson (Yamaha YZF-15) in Q1 by just 2-hundredths of a second and Hunter Corney (Yamaha YZF-15) a further tenth away.
In Race One, Ryan Larkin would vault from sixth place on the grid to take the lead with four laps remaining. After a close dice with Hunter Corney and Cameron Rende, it was Hudson Thompson who would prevail from Corney and Rende with just four-tenths of a second covering the top five riders at the flag.
Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) laid down a hot time to take pole position for the Horsell Sidecar Championship ahead of Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000), with Howard Ford and Corey Blackman (Suzuki RHR 1000) rounding out the top three.
Underwood and Vercoe went on to claim Race One victory, with Ford and Blackman edging Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall (Kawasaki RHR 1000) for the final podium spots.
In Race 2, Underwood and Vercoe would go the double, with the Turners again taking the runner-up spot ahead of Jeff Brown and Paris Halsey (Suzuki JBR 1000).
Featured In the March 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
It’s the little things that drive home the step American racers have to make when they leave the States and dive into the cauldron of International-level competition.For Garrett Gerloff, it was realizing that his one-finger front braking style simply didn’t work at the Superbike World Championship level. The ultimate braking capability on a World Superbike was so far beyond the limit of a MotoAmerica-spec machine that he discovered, he says, “With one finger, I just couldn’t pull the lever hard enough!”
Of the Americans currently racing overseas at the sport’s highest levels, Gerloff has so far been the most competitive. Aboard a GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team YZF-R1, the four-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner has scored five podiums, including two second places…
—Interview: American Garrett Gerloff, by Michael Gougis
American Garrett Gerloff talks about moving from a series in which he was nearly always at the front of the field to one in which the competition is far stiffer. Gerloff discusses his challenges and his successes, and why he’s moved to Europe, in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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More, from a press release issued by Dorna: Magnifique at Mandalika: Quartararo pulls the pin for pole in Indonesia
The Frenchman heads the grid for the first time since Catalunya as qualifying shuffles other big names on Saturday
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtuesy Dorna.
Saturday, 19 March 2022
For the first time since the 2021 Catalan GP, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will start a MotoGP™ race from pole position. After topping the timesheets on Friday at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, the Frenchman kept it rolling in qualifying to underline the contrast between a difficult Qatar GP and a turnaround in Lombok. Alongside it’s Jorge Martin and Pramac Racing teammate Johann Zarco in P2 and P3, the former taking his first front row that wasn’t a pole position, and elsewhere there was plenty of drama.
Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez crashed twice and didn’t make it out of Q1, Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro was just behind his teammate, and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) likewise suffered a damp squib, concluding with a crash and no place in Q2 for the 2020 Champion. But Sunday? Sunday is another day, and a shuffled grid should make for a spectacular showdown.
Q1
In a breath-taking Q1, eight World Champions were battling it out for the top two positions, including Repsol Honda Team duo Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and Mir. Bagnaia kept it cool, calm and collected to top the timesheets thanks to a 1.31.219, and the Italian avoided the chaos to give himself almost half a second in hand over a stunning session from Fabio Di Giannantonio in P2. The Gresini Racing rider becomes the first 2022 rookie to move through to Q2, with several heavy hitters falling by the wayside.
Marc Marquez pushed his RC213V to the absolute limits in order to find a time but crashed twice. First at Turn 13 before rushing back to the garage and back out, and then at Turn 12 after having overtaken Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) on a last ditch push. Teammate Pol Espargaro will join him in down the pack, and so will Mir, with the 2020 Champion preparing to launch from P18 after a difficult qualifying that also ended in a crash.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was right in the mix for a Q2 place and right up there in FP4, but a crash in the final sector put paid to those plans moments after he slipped out of the top two.
Q2
As Q2 began, both Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio crucially had two fresh soft rear tyres to throw on. Quartararo was the fastest rider once the first runs were completed though, a 1:31.227 proving the first benchmark, before his teammate Franco Morbidelli crashed unhurt at Turn 5. As the riders boxed for fresh rubber, it was a provisional front row of Quartararo, Bagnaia, and Martin. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was P4 ahead of Di Giannantonio and his teammate Enea Bastianini, meanwhile fellow Ducati star Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had failed to set a time with six minutes to go.
Bagnaia came out for his second run and improved his time, but Quartararo was lapping quicker just behind. El Diablo set a blistering 1:31.067, Martin climbed to P2 to demote Pecco to P3, and then Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) grabbing P4. Next, Aleix Espargaro crashed at Turn 10 unhurt and the yellow flags came out to put paid to a few lap, but the incident was cleared in time for the riders to get one last shot at pole.
There was late movement on the timesheets too, Zarco, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Bastianini all put in their personal best times on the last lap to go P3, P4, and P5 respectively, pushing Bagnaia down to P6. No one was able to beat Quartararo though, and the Frenchman took his first pole since the 2021 Catalan GP.
The Grid
Behind Quartararo on pole and with pace, the Pramac duo of Martin and Zarco get ready to duel it out in a bid to outgun the Yamaha into Turn 1. Brad Binder’s late lap sees the South African spearhead Row 2, just ahead of Bastianini as the top two from Qatar start side by side in Mandalika. P5 for Bastianini is a good result for the Italian, and joining Binder and The Beast on Row 2 is Pecco – he’ll likely take that after having to deal with Q1.
Oliveira starts P7 ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Miller. Aleix Espargaro had to settle for P10 after his crash and the Spaniard starts ahead of Di Giannantonio.
Morbidelli had qualified 12th but after qualifying had finished, the Italian was handed a three-place grid penalty for failing to comply with the notice given to all MotoGP™ teams regarding the staged practice start. That means Bezzecchi, Marini and Marc Marquez move up a position each on the grid, with Morbidelli now starting P15.
If that didn’t whet your appetite for the first Indonesian GP in 25 years on Sunday, then we don’t know what will! It promises to be an absolute stunner in Mandalika, so tune in at 15:00 local time (GMT+8) to see who claims victory!
Fabio Quartararo: “It’s great to be back in here, it was a long time. Super happy and I’m even happier with my FP4 that I did 15 laps in a row, really good pace. My two laps in qualifying were fast, the last one I tried to push but on this track it’s only the first lap. If you make a mistake then you know the second lap will be worse and I think we didn’t make many mistakes in qualifying. I think that’s paid off. Thanks to the team because we never gave up and even with the bad result we are here again. Feeling great for tomorrow and that’s the most important thing.”
Jake Dixon (96). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Dixon takes maiden Moto2™ pole at Mandalika
Two Brits set to start from the front row in Moto2™ for the first time ever, with Fernandez taking second to split the duo
Free Practice pacesetter Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed a dream debut Moto2™ pole position in qualifying at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia thanks to a 1:35.799, making him the 50th different rider to take a Moto2™ pole position. Second place went the way of Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Spaniard missed out by 0.102s, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) taking P3 to make it the first time in Moto2™ history that two British riders start from the front row.
Q1
A trio of key names in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) found themselves in Q1, and in the end none would end up progressing into Q2 either. Instead, it was Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) who moved through to take part in the pole position battle.
Q2
Chantra came straight out in Q2 and went top of the timesheets in the early stages as Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) took tumbles – separately – at Turn 2. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) then also fell foul of Turn 2, with all riders ok but the yellow flags causing some laps to be cancelled.
Two British riders then climbed to the summit with five minutes to go, with Dixon leading Lowes by 0.154s and Fernandez on the provisional front row ahead of Chantra. Bendsneyder then pounced up to P5, as another rider then crashed at Turn 2. This time, it was reigning Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – rider ok. In the closing stages, there were very few improvers. Dixon held onto P1 to bag his first intermediate class pole position, with Fernandez then pipping Lowes and the two the only riders to get within 0.4s of the top.
The Grid
Behind Dixon, Fernandez and Lowes, Chantra claims a commendable P4 after coming through Q1. The Thai rider starts ahead of Bendsneyder and Arenas, who holds onto P6 despite his crash. World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) will launch from P7, and the Italian has compatriots Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Corsi for company on Row 3. Acosta, meanwhile, starts from P10 – and the rookie has a Long Lap Penalty to contend with in the race. Beaubier and Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) join Acosta on the fourth row in P11 and P12 respectively.
Don’t miss the Moto2™ race at 13:20 local time (GMT+8)!
3 Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +0.154
Jake Dixon: “Honestly, it’s so good, it’s just… I know its only pole but it’s the first step to go on to the next step. I feel like I’ve finally been given the package from the team. My team have been amazing all year. From the first minute I got on the bike in November, I felt such a transformation. Honestly, I’m not riding any different and Ive not just grown in talent. I’ve been faster all the preseason, all the first two races so it’s not just one race. Now people are finally seeing what all my family and friends know I can do.”
Carlos Tatay (99). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Debut pole for Tatay, Aji claims home GP front row
A new rider heads the grid and fresh faces lock out the front row in Indonesia
Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) will start from his first World Championship pole position after beating rookie Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) by 0.083s in Moto3™ qualifying at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. Home hero and rookie Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) claimed a sensational front row start for the first Indonesian GP in 25 years in third, and that after coming through Q1.
Q1
That Q1 saw many eyes on Aji, as well as Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GAGAS Aspar Team) as the 2021 title contender looked for a way through. Aji was the pacesetter heading into the final runs and Garcia crashed early to put himself under pressure for his, but by the end of the shuffle it was Garcia able to just pip the Indonesian to the top. They moved through, joined by Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) and Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team).
Q2
After coming through Q1 and seemingly in the groove, Aji led Q2 in the early stages from Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). But with track conditions improving lap by lap, the times were likewise improving all the time. Tatay went P1 with teammate Xavier Artigas slotting into P3, and Foggia then crashed at Turn 2 – the same place Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) went down earlier in the session.
Tatay then moved the goalposts to a 1:41.232, Artigas jumped into second and Foggia, recovering from his tumble, managed to put himself onto the provisional front row in third. But it wasn’t quite over, and rookies Moreira and Aji then crossed the line on their final laps to take front row starts and deny the veterans.
The Grid
Behind Tatay, Moreira and Aji, Artigas leads the second row in P4 ahead of Free Practice pacesetter and World Championship leader Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), with Foggia forced to settle for P6. Garcia took P7 after recovering from his crash in Q1, and the Spaniard is joined on the third row by teammate Izan Guevara and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Sasaki, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Surra make up Row 4 and the leading 12 riders on the grid.
What a front row we have for the Moto3™ race in Mandalika. Tatay leads two rookies, with the experienced guard not too far behind. It promises to be another classic, so make sure you don’t miss it at 12:00 local time (GMT+8) on Sunday!
Moto3™ FRONT ROW
1 Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – CFMoto – 1’41.232
2 Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) – KTM – +0.083
3 Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) – Honda – +0.335
Carlos Tatay: “It feels really good, I’m really enjoying it. This is something I’ve been looking for for too long so now I need to enjoy and then focus for tomorrow’s race. I did a good lap, I did it alone, I was feeling really good and I enjoyed it. We did it and now let’s enjoy the watch!”
Provisional Mission Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Cory Texter (Yam), 24 laps
2. Ben Lowe (Har), -00.872 seconds
3. Kolby Carlile (Har), -02.680
4. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -02.894
5. Cole Zabala (Yam), -04.964
6. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -06.270
7. Ryan Varnes (KTM), -10.378
8. Michael Hill (Yam), -11.159
9. Kasey Sciscoe (Kaw), -12.740
10. David Wiggin (Har), -17.177
11. Gary Ketchum (Har), -17.412
12. Billy Ross (Kaw), -11 laps
13. Jeffery Lowery (Yam), -11 laps
14. Jesse Janisch (Har), -18 laps
15. Cody Johncox (Yam), -22 laps
16. Patrick Buchanan (Har), -23 laps
17. Chad Cose (Har), -24 laps
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Morgen Mischler (Hon), 5 laps
2. Max Whale (KTM), -00.100 seconds
3. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -00.291
4. Justin Jones (Hon), -01.141
5. Kody Kopp (KTM), -01.575
6. Tanner Dean (KTM), -02.057
7. Dalton Gauthier (Hon), -02.768
8. Gage Smith (Hon), -02.956
9. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -03.476
10. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -03.520
11. Trent Lowe (Hon), -03.679
12. Ryan Wells (KTM), -04.094
13. Hunter Bauer (KTM), -04.888
14. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -05.081
15. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -05.412
16. Logan McGrane (KTM), -05.635
17. Tarren Santero (Yam), -16.686
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Jared Mees (Ind), 32 laps
2. JD Beach (Yam), -00.408 seconds
3. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -00.791
4. Briar Bauman (Ind), -05.618
5. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -10.797
6. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -11.712
7. Davis Fisher (Ind), -11.892
8. Bronson Bauman (Har), -13.422
9. Brandon Price (Ind), -1 lap, -01.634
10. Ben Lowe (PT) (Har), -1 lap, -03.425
11. Larry Pegram (Ind), -1 lap, -06.654
12. Kolby Carlile (PT) (Har), -1 lap, -06.787
13. Danny Eslick (Ind), -1 lap, -09.385
14. Nick Armstrong (PT) (Yam), -1 lap, -10.704
15. Robert Pearson (Ind), -1 lap, -20.307
16. Shayna Texter-Bauman (Ind), -12 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track (AFT):
Mees Strikes Back at Texas Half-Mile
Jared Mees (1). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 19, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Track superstar Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) rebounded like a champion with a convincing victory in Saturday night’s Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems at the Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway.
Few expected Mees to kick off his Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title defense as a relative non-factor, running in fifth in last weekend’s season opener at Volusia Speedway Park. That muted performance made this weekend’s showdown all that more important, and given a second chance, Mees made clear the path to the #1 plate still goes through him.
Mees looked virtually unbeatable all night long, a trend he continued once he dove underneath a quick-starting JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to take control of the Main Event while still in its opening stages.
The defending champ pulled clear and cruised to the checkered flag, only suffering a minor scare when Beach and his Estenson teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), used traffic and their own battle for second to reduce the gap to back under a second over the race’s final two laps.
“It felt really good,” Mees said. “Last weekend we were a little off for sure, but it felt good to rebound. That Main Event was really hectic with all the lappers, but the Indian Motorcycle backed by Progressive Insurance worked awesome tonight. It was so hooked up. My guys are all working so hard.
“I really wanted to come in and have a good result today with the break we have coming up. Last week didn’t sit well… I wanted this one bad.”
The Yamaha 2-3 was another sign that the series’ attempts to balance the field are working as hoped, while also providing positive feedback for Estenson Racing in regards to their offseason MT-07 DT upgrades.
It also underlined the potency of the talented Beach-Daniels tandem. That was made especially clear when Mission SuperTwins rookie Daniels not only diced with two-time class champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) but got the better of him.
A bobble on Bauman’s part put him out of podium contention, but he was well clear of the pack behind and finished alone in a safe fourth. Some five seconds back, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) won out over teammate Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in their scrap for fifth.
Meanwhile, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Brandon Price (No. 92 Briggsauto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) came home seventh through ninth, respectively, while Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) turned his Mission Production Twins Challenge entry into a top-ten premier-class finish.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
While reigning Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) got his own title defense off to a bit of a quiet start last weekend, all it took was a return to the scene of his maiden class victory in 2019 to remind the paddock of the pecking order he’s worked so hard to maintain ever since. That and a lot of perseverance.
Texter was in control throughout the Main Event despite the numerous potential pitfalls thrown his way. Moments after he claimed the initial holeshot, Chad Cose (No. 49 DPC Racing/Voodoo Ranger Harley-Davidson XG750R) crashed after coming together with Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), bringing out an early red.
Then after getting a second holeshot and opening up a healthy advantage, Texter was forced to do it a third time when a second red flag was shown following a Jeffery Lowery (No. 223 Lowery Racing/Gray Hogs Yamaha MT-07) fall. Make that a fourth time, as Billy Ross (No. 109 Pro 1 Industries/Campbells Services Kawasaki 650 Ninja) was the next to crash and cause another stoppage.
Texter then had to set the pace and avoid any mistakes of his own on an extremely tricky dry surface before at last securing his first win of the young 2022 season.
“You don’t like to see red flags when you’re leading,” Texter said. “When you have a gap, it’s like, ‘Man…’ But I’ve been in that situation before so I just stayed calm, had confidence in my starts, and trusted my instincts. The boys said to keep doing what I was doing, so at that point you just don’t want to mess up.
“This is such an emotional win for me. The last time we were here and I won, I gave my mechanic, Jon (Reid), the victory lap, and he passed away at the end of the season. So I really wanted to win this one for him. This one means a lot.”
Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) kept Texter honest in the final leg of the Main and was well positioned to capitalize on any mistake. While that mistake never came, Lowe did finish as the runner-up, earning a strong result at his primary sponsors’ home round.
The still-mending Kolby Carlile (No. 36 KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R) rounded out the podium. He did so only after fending off last weekend’s surprise winner, Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who proved that his opening-weekend performance was no fluke with a close fourth.
New class contender Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) made a late move around Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) to complete the top five.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Best known for epic, come-from-behind rides exploiting the high line, Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) won in the complete opposite fashion on Saturday night. After beating polesitter Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) into the opening corner, Mischler immediately set about what would ultimately prove to be a race-long defense of the low line.
It was actually Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) who was the rider on the move in the early stages, blasting his way up from the third row and into third place on a track where no one else seemed to have much success overtaking.
However, the reason for that was made evident with the manner in which Brunner’s charge ended. His aggressive attempts to overhaul Whale for second concluded with the Yamaha pilot on the dirt. Making matters worse, Tanner Dean (No. 38 Waters Autobody Racing KTM 450 SX-F) had nowhere to go but over top of Brunner’s downed machine, the incident provoking a red-flag stoppage.
Mischler resumed the lead at the restart, but Whale lost another spot off the line. This time it was teammate Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) who displaced him, diving into second to take over the pursuit for the lead.
The three then raced in close formation for the remainder of the race. Despite Kopp sizing Mischler up for a final-lap attack, he thought better of it and accepted second rather than risk disaster.
Race-winner Mischer said, “Our team has a lot of great pieces that pull this whole program together. The whole Turner Factory Honda team is amazing and they have a wealth of knowledge. I felt really bad because in practice I wadded one of these bikes up pretty bad. This is actually my ‘B bike,’ but she got the job done today. Those guys put in a ton of work, and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Mischler’s teammate, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), put in a relatively lonely ride to fourth, followed by Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) and Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R).
The Mission Texas Half-Mile will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, March 27, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT., including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
For those viewing from home, you can catch the livestream free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.
Hometown hero, Mike Jones has taken pole position for Round Two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway.
Practice form certainly dictated the outcome, with Jones’ time of 1:07.673 enjoying a two-tenths margin over Staring, but for the first time this weekend – after much speculation – the top three riders finally dropped into the 1:07’s.
In the post-qualifying press conference, Jones was simply happy to tick the first box for the weekend.
“Track knowledge is a key part of being able to go fast around here and being able to refine each corner to the absolute maximum,” said Jones.
“I just need to make a good start, get my head down and put in some quick lap times and see what happens towards the end of the race.”
Starting from P2 tomorrow, Bryan Staring would not be drawn on being the top Ducati on the day – ahead of Wayne Maxwell. “That’s fine, it’s not a big deal to me. I’m really happy with that qualifying session- to be back on the front row- I actually don’t know the last time I was on the front row.
“It’s all about getting a good start for the two races tomorrow…”
For Wayne Maxwell, P3 was a good outcome, but there’s work to be done if the 2021 Champion is going to claw back from seventh in the title chase.”Look, it’s been a bit of a struggle. We’re on the back foot compared to these guys… we’ll try to make some more improvements to the bike overnight and come out tomorrow and try to close that last bit of the gap. We’ll just do our thing tomorrow.”
In Q1, Jed Metcher, Aiden Wagner and Mark Chiodo progressed to the final stage of Superbike qualifying, while in Q2, Troy Herfoss would run into technical issues, forcing him to swap onto his second bike with five minutes remaining in the session.
After a close-fought qualifying, Tom Edwards (Yamaha YZF-R6) took the Michelin Supersport pole after securing a time of 1:11.180 – pipping Friday Practice fast man John Lytras (Yamaha YZF-R6) by two-tenths of a second, with Olly Simpson (Yamaha YZF-R6) a further three-tenths adrift.
Until he put the bike on pole, Edwards had not topped the timesheets in any session but knew the incremental improvements the team had made was heading the bike in the right direction.
“I’m really happy with qualifying- I picked up a heap of time just in qualifying. I just went out there to do a race simulation and I just got quicker and quicker – every lap I do here I learn
more.
Edwards wrapped up his press conference while sounding an ominous warning to fellow Michelin Supersport competitors: “I still think there’s definitely more to come tomorrow…”
Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) edged Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) by a tenth of a second to take pole for Dunlop Supersport 300, with Henry Snell (Yamaha YZF-R3) rounding out the top three. After starting from fifth of the grid, James Jacobs (Kawasaki Ninja) edged his way into the lead, taking out Race One ahead of Cameron Dunker and Taiyo Aksu (Yamaha YZF-R3) in a typically exciting and varied Dunlop Supersport 300 race.
The Yamaha Finance R3 Cup grid was the first to get locked away just after lunch, with Cameron Dunker (Yamaha YZF-R3) taking pole with a 1.21:916 – half a second ahead of Glenn Nelson (Yamaha YZF-R3) and Macus Hamod (Yamaha YZF-R3).
In Race One, Dunker would lead from lights to flag ahead of runner-up Nelson, with Aksu rounding out the top three. A crash at Turn 3 saw Henry Snell walk away unscathed but out of contention.
It was going to be a tight bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup with Levi Russo (Yamaha YZF-15) just edging Hudson Thompson (Yamaha YZF-15) in Q1 by just 2-hundredths of a second and Hunter Corney (Yamaha YZF-15) a further tenth away.
In Race One, Ryan Larkin would vault from sixth place on the grid to take the lead with four laps remaining. After a close dice with Hunter Corney and Cameron Rende, it was Hudson Thompson who would prevail from Corney and Rende with just four-tenths of a second covering the top five riders at the flag.
Phillip Underwood and Tristan Vercoe (Suzuki LCR 1000) laid down a hot time to take pole position for the Horsell Sidecar Championship ahead of Jamie and Shelby Turner (Suzuki LCR 1000), with Howard Ford and Corey Blackman (Suzuki RHR 1000) rounding out the top three.
Underwood and Vercoe went on to claim Race One victory, with Ford and Blackman edging Des Harvey and Stephen Marshall (Kawasaki RHR 1000) for the final podium spots.
In Race 2, Underwood and Vercoe would go the double, with the Turners again taking the runner-up spot ahead of Jeff Brown and Paris Halsey (Suzuki JBR 1000).
While similar in spec to the Attack YZF-R1 he raced in MotoAmerica Superbike competition, Garrett Gerloff (31) says the GRT Yamaha World Superbike is more refined, demanding changes in his riding style. "It still feels like a Yamaha, but it's a lot more subtle, more smooth. It's easier to ride it more aggressively because the bike isn't aggressive," he says. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Featured In the March 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
It’s the little things that drive home the step American racers have to make when they leave the States and dive into the cauldron of International-level competition.For Garrett Gerloff, it was realizing that his one-finger front braking style simply didn’t work at the Superbike World Championship level. The ultimate braking capability on a World Superbike was so far beyond the limit of a MotoAmerica-spec machine that he discovered, he says, “With one finger, I just couldn’t pull the lever hard enough!”
Of the Americans currently racing overseas at the sport’s highest levels, Gerloff has so far been the most competitive. Aboard a GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team YZF-R1, the four-time MotoAmerica Superbike race winner has scored five podiums, including two second places…
—Interview: American Garrett Gerloff, by Michael Gougis
American Garrett Gerloff talks about moving from a series in which he was nearly always at the front of the field to one in which the competition is far stiffer. Gerloff discusses his challenges and his successes, and why he’s moved to Europe, in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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More, from a press release issued by Dorna: Magnifique at Mandalika: Quartararo pulls the pin for pole in Indonesia
The Frenchman heads the grid for the first time since Catalunya as qualifying shuffles other big names on Saturday
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtuesy Dorna.
Saturday, 19 March 2022
For the first time since the 2021 Catalan GP, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will start a MotoGP™ race from pole position. After topping the timesheets on Friday at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, the Frenchman kept it rolling in qualifying to underline the contrast between a difficult Qatar GP and a turnaround in Lombok. Alongside it’s Jorge Martin and Pramac Racing teammate Johann Zarco in P2 and P3, the former taking his first front row that wasn’t a pole position, and elsewhere there was plenty of drama.
Eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez crashed twice and didn’t make it out of Q1, Repsol Honda’s Pol Espargaro was just behind his teammate, and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) likewise suffered a damp squib, concluding with a crash and no place in Q2 for the 2020 Champion. But Sunday? Sunday is another day, and a shuffled grid should make for a spectacular showdown.
Q1
In a breath-taking Q1, eight World Champions were battling it out for the top two positions, including Repsol Honda Team duo Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and Mir. Bagnaia kept it cool, calm and collected to top the timesheets thanks to a 1.31.219, and the Italian avoided the chaos to give himself almost half a second in hand over a stunning session from Fabio Di Giannantonio in P2. The Gresini Racing rider becomes the first 2022 rookie to move through to Q2, with several heavy hitters falling by the wayside.
Marc Marquez pushed his RC213V to the absolute limits in order to find a time but crashed twice. First at Turn 13 before rushing back to the garage and back out, and then at Turn 12 after having overtaken Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) on a last ditch push. Teammate Pol Espargaro will join him in down the pack, and so will Mir, with the 2020 Champion preparing to launch from P18 after a difficult qualifying that also ended in a crash.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was right in the mix for a Q2 place and right up there in FP4, but a crash in the final sector put paid to those plans moments after he slipped out of the top two.
Q2
As Q2 began, both Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio crucially had two fresh soft rear tyres to throw on. Quartararo was the fastest rider once the first runs were completed though, a 1:31.227 proving the first benchmark, before his teammate Franco Morbidelli crashed unhurt at Turn 5. As the riders boxed for fresh rubber, it was a provisional front row of Quartararo, Bagnaia, and Martin. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was P4 ahead of Di Giannantonio and his teammate Enea Bastianini, meanwhile fellow Ducati star Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had failed to set a time with six minutes to go.
Bagnaia came out for his second run and improved his time, but Quartararo was lapping quicker just behind. El Diablo set a blistering 1:31.067, Martin climbed to P2 to demote Pecco to P3, and then Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) grabbing P4. Next, Aleix Espargaro crashed at Turn 10 unhurt and the yellow flags came out to put paid to a few lap, but the incident was cleared in time for the riders to get one last shot at pole.
There was late movement on the timesheets too, Zarco, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Bastianini all put in their personal best times on the last lap to go P3, P4, and P5 respectively, pushing Bagnaia down to P6. No one was able to beat Quartararo though, and the Frenchman took his first pole since the 2021 Catalan GP.
The Grid
Behind Quartararo on pole and with pace, the Pramac duo of Martin and Zarco get ready to duel it out in a bid to outgun the Yamaha into Turn 1. Brad Binder’s late lap sees the South African spearhead Row 2, just ahead of Bastianini as the top two from Qatar start side by side in Mandalika. P5 for Bastianini is a good result for the Italian, and joining Binder and The Beast on Row 2 is Pecco – he’ll likely take that after having to deal with Q1.
Oliveira starts P7 ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Miller. Aleix Espargaro had to settle for P10 after his crash and the Spaniard starts ahead of Di Giannantonio.
Morbidelli had qualified 12th but after qualifying had finished, the Italian was handed a three-place grid penalty for failing to comply with the notice given to all MotoGP™ teams regarding the staged practice start. That means Bezzecchi, Marini and Marc Marquez move up a position each on the grid, with Morbidelli now starting P15.
If that didn’t whet your appetite for the first Indonesian GP in 25 years on Sunday, then we don’t know what will! It promises to be an absolute stunner in Mandalika, so tune in at 15:00 local time (GMT+8) to see who claims victory!
Fabio Quartararo: “It’s great to be back in here, it was a long time. Super happy and I’m even happier with my FP4 that I did 15 laps in a row, really good pace. My two laps in qualifying were fast, the last one I tried to push but on this track it’s only the first lap. If you make a mistake then you know the second lap will be worse and I think we didn’t make many mistakes in qualifying. I think that’s paid off. Thanks to the team because we never gave up and even with the bad result we are here again. Feeling great for tomorrow and that’s the most important thing.”
Jake Dixon (96). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Dixon takes maiden Moto2™ pole at Mandalika
Two Brits set to start from the front row in Moto2™ for the first time ever, with Fernandez taking second to split the duo
Free Practice pacesetter Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed a dream debut Moto2™ pole position in qualifying at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia thanks to a 1:35.799, making him the 50th different rider to take a Moto2™ pole position. Second place went the way of Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as the Spaniard missed out by 0.102s, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) taking P3 to make it the first time in Moto2™ history that two British riders start from the front row.
Q1
A trio of key names in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) found themselves in Q1, and in the end none would end up progressing into Q2 either. Instead, it was Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) who moved through to take part in the pole position battle.
Q2
Chantra came straight out in Q2 and went top of the timesheets in the early stages as Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) took tumbles – separately – at Turn 2. Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) then also fell foul of Turn 2, with all riders ok but the yellow flags causing some laps to be cancelled.
Two British riders then climbed to the summit with five minutes to go, with Dixon leading Lowes by 0.154s and Fernandez on the provisional front row ahead of Chantra. Bendsneyder then pounced up to P5, as another rider then crashed at Turn 2. This time, it was reigning Moto3™ World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – rider ok. In the closing stages, there were very few improvers. Dixon held onto P1 to bag his first intermediate class pole position, with Fernandez then pipping Lowes and the two the only riders to get within 0.4s of the top.
The Grid
Behind Dixon, Fernandez and Lowes, Chantra claims a commendable P4 after coming through Q1. The Thai rider starts ahead of Bendsneyder and Arenas, who holds onto P6 despite his crash. World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) will launch from P7, and the Italian has compatriots Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Corsi for company on Row 3. Acosta, meanwhile, starts from P10 – and the rookie has a Long Lap Penalty to contend with in the race. Beaubier and Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) join Acosta on the fourth row in P11 and P12 respectively.
Don’t miss the Moto2™ race at 13:20 local time (GMT+8)!
3 Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +0.154
Jake Dixon: “Honestly, it’s so good, it’s just… I know its only pole but it’s the first step to go on to the next step. I feel like I’ve finally been given the package from the team. My team have been amazing all year. From the first minute I got on the bike in November, I felt such a transformation. Honestly, I’m not riding any different and Ive not just grown in talent. I’ve been faster all the preseason, all the first two races so it’s not just one race. Now people are finally seeing what all my family and friends know I can do.”
Carlos Tatay (99). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Debut pole for Tatay, Aji claims home GP front row
A new rider heads the grid and fresh faces lock out the front row in Indonesia
Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) will start from his first World Championship pole position after beating rookie Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) by 0.083s in Moto3™ qualifying at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia. Home hero and rookie Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) claimed a sensational front row start for the first Indonesian GP in 25 years in third, and that after coming through Q1.
Q1
That Q1 saw many eyes on Aji, as well as Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GAGAS Aspar Team) as the 2021 title contender looked for a way through. Aji was the pacesetter heading into the final runs and Garcia crashed early to put himself under pressure for his, but by the end of the shuffle it was Garcia able to just pip the Indonesian to the top. They moved through, joined by Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) and Alberto Surra (Rivacold Snipers Team).
Q2
After coming through Q1 and seemingly in the groove, Aji led Q2 in the early stages from Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). But with track conditions improving lap by lap, the times were likewise improving all the time. Tatay went P1 with teammate Xavier Artigas slotting into P3, and Foggia then crashed at Turn 2 – the same place Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) went down earlier in the session.
Tatay then moved the goalposts to a 1:41.232, Artigas jumped into second and Foggia, recovering from his tumble, managed to put himself onto the provisional front row in third. But it wasn’t quite over, and rookies Moreira and Aji then crossed the line on their final laps to take front row starts and deny the veterans.
The Grid
Behind Tatay, Moreira and Aji, Artigas leads the second row in P4 ahead of Free Practice pacesetter and World Championship leader Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), with Foggia forced to settle for P6. Garcia took P7 after recovering from his crash in Q1, and the Spaniard is joined on the third row by teammate Izan Guevara and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Sasaki, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Surra make up Row 4 and the leading 12 riders on the grid.
What a front row we have for the Moto3™ race in Mandalika. Tatay leads two rookies, with the experienced guard not too far behind. It promises to be another classic, so make sure you don’t miss it at 12:00 local time (GMT+8) on Sunday!
Moto3™ FRONT ROW
1 Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – CFMoto – 1’41.232
2 Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) – KTM – +0.083
3 Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia) – Honda – +0.335
Carlos Tatay: “It feels really good, I’m really enjoying it. This is something I’ve been looking for for too long so now I need to enjoy and then focus for tomorrow’s race. I did a good lap, I did it alone, I was feeling really good and I enjoyed it. We did it and now let’s enjoy the watch!”
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 7, 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
