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Racing News | Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

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Our homegrown talent has been battling it out on track and making us proud! Check out our monthly column that follows all things Aussies racing Internationally on and off-road, from MotoGP to AMA Motocross. This month Miller, Gardner, Kelso, Herfoss and more. Words: Ed Stratmann

Remy Gardner, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
While 13th wasn’t what Jack Miller wanted at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, positives could still be extracted from his weekend. Showing his speed and skill in the Sprint to secure seventh and blasting off the line in the Sunday race, the Aussie star will take encouragement from this in a round where frustrating rear grip problems cost him dearly, thus ensuring 13th was the best he could muster.

Jack Miller, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

“I felt good in the group for the first six laps and very comfortable. The bike was working better than yesterday, but then from lap seven I ran into some grip issues immediately and it just got worse. I couldn’t carry corner speed,” he reflected. “It was a bit confusing after we’d done ten laps and pushed so hard in the Sprint. I’d been managing the tyre and building it up, so it’s very strange. I just tried to ride as defensively as I could for the rest of the race. We’ll have a look at the data. I felt I could have done a good job here.”

“It was a bit confusing after we’d done ten laps and pushed so hard in the Sprint. I’d been managing the tyre and building it up, so it’s very strange.” 

The Red Bull KTM ace, who occupies 10th in the MotoGP standings, will now turn his attention to Jerez, where he’ll be expecting an uptick in fortunes.

Senna Agius, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Senna Agius – Moto2
On his first visit to the hugely challenging Circuit of the Americas, Senna Agius endured a tough weekend at the office. A unique beast of a track and posing a tremendously demanding obstacle to navigate, it was never going to be easy for the 18-year-old Moto2 rookie, but he still deserves credit for giving it his best shot. Qualifying 22nd before claiming 18th in the race, it was a round all about learning for the reigning European Moto2 Champion, which will surely hold him in good stead for the future.

“In this race I learned the most in the final laps and I think we’re knocking on the door to make a big step soon.”

“I had a not too bad start and the first few laps, when I felt confident, were also good. I was able to catch up well until I was in contention for the points,” insisted the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP pilot. “However, I lost time in some sectors, while I was really strong in other parts of the track. That was going through the entire distance. In this race I learned the most in the final laps and I think we’re knocking on the door to make a big step soon. As soon as we return to Europe, we will try out a lot of what we have experienced so far”.

Jacob Roulstone, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3
Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 excitement machine Jacob Roulstone continues to impress in his debut campaign in Moto3, with an eighth another strong result in Texas. Bagging a brilliant sixth in qualifying to prime himself for a quality race, he displayed what a force to be reckoned with he already is in this ultra-competitive class. Although crashes all around him scuppered his start, meaning he dropped back to 15th by lap one while he avoided the chaos, he didn’t let this define his race.

Needing to execute a long-lap penalty didn’t help his cause either, but the talented racer kept charging in his quest to power through the pack. Surging into the top 10 with nine laps to go, Roulstone ultimately went on to bank a season-best finish of eighth to cap off a crazy Sunday on a high.

“Finishing eighth after the first lap chaos and the long lap penalty is pretty good.”

“It was probably one of the most chaotic first laps that I have experienced, but we managed to stay focused, even after losing a bit of ground following the long lap, which I did quite well. Finishing eighth after the first lap chaos and the long lap penalty is pretty good, and we have to be happy with that. We have worked really hard this weekend with the team, and I cannot thank them enough for it.” Roulstone recalled.

Joel Kelso, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Joel Kelso keeps on flexing his muscles in Moto3, for the Aussie speedster was fast throughout at COTA. Starting the race fourth on the grid, this gave him a nice platform to fly off the line. Kelso annoyingly was hindered by the early drama, though, seeing him drop way back by the completion of the opening lap. Ready to fight on and overcome this adversity, there was much to admire about his charge up the field to propel himself into podium contention.

“I buckled down, and within two laps, I was back in the podium battle”…

A small crash then ruined his chances of standing on the rostrum, but he was crucially able to remount rapidly to cross the line in seventh. “What a race in Texas! I got off to an amazing start, slotting myself into P3. Unfortunately, I ran into the back of another rider on the first lap and slipped out of the top 15,” Kelso asserted. “But I buckled down, and within two laps, I was back in the podium battle. I felt comfortable sitting in the group, but made a small mistake into turn one, causing me to tuck the front. Luckily, I was able to pull the clutch in and keep the BOE Motorsports bike running. After remounting, I recovered back to P7. Despite receiving a 3-second penalty after the race, I was far enough in front to keep my position. I’m happy to be sitting P3 in the championship! It’s a long season, and I know the podiums will come.”

Remy Gardner, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Remy Gardner – World Superbike
The wait is over for Remy Gardner, as the talented Australian finally secured his maiden WorldSBK podium. Breathing life into his Saturday with a sixth in the Superpole qualifier at Assen, he then backed that up with a fourth in the red flag interrupted race one. This result was slightly disappointing, however, for Gardner was in line for a podium in the wet only for the stoppage to deny him the chance.

“It was about time! We’ve had an amazing weekend, we were fast in every session”.

Falling short of third in the Superpole race as well when he got overtaken at the end by Alex Lowes, he must have been thinking luck was against him. But the stars aligned for him in race two, with him producing a fantastic ride to eventually finish third in a race where he was in contention for victory.

“It was about time! We’ve had an amazing weekend, we were fast in every session. Unfortunately, I lost a place on the rostrum in the Superpole race. I’m honestly kicking myself for leaving the door open at the last corner, but Alex had a good race so congratulations to him,” he told the Yamaha website.

Read our previous Aussies Racing Abroad columns here…

“In race two, drops of rain made it scary and I didn’t do anything crazy, everyone closed the gas, but as soon as it started to dry again I felt I had the pace and I opened the gap. Finally, we’re back on the podium and I hope it’ll be the first of many. A huge thanks to the team.”

Oli Bayliss, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Assen proved an extremely challenging event for youngster Oli Bayliss, as the unpredictable weather conditions meant he struggled to find his groove throughout. Knowing he’s capable of far better and with the team behind him, it’ll be a case of putting this encounter in the rear vision mirror, which saw him post a 20th in race one and retire from the second, and focusing on the next one in Italy.

“In the second race I made the wrong decision to stay out on the slick tyre as I thought it would have dried earlier”…

“It was a difficult weekend overall and the weather conditions didn’t help. In race one I really struggled with the front tyre from the first lap and with the wet rear tyre in the wet parts of the track I didn’t have a good feeling with the first touch of the gas. In the second race I made the wrong decision to stay out on the slick tyre as I thought it would have dried earlier than it did. I’m sorry for the team as we worked really hard as usual, but we’ll bounce back in Misano,” lamented the Team D34G Racing hotshot.

Having impressed in the World Supersport Challenge series last term on his way to winning races and being crowned vice-champion, talented Australian Tom Edwards has secured a ride with the D34G Racing team for 2024.
Tom Edwards, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Tom Edwards – World Supersport
Stamping his mark in exceptional fashion, it was a joy to watch Tom Edwards illustrating his class in Assen. Fast all weekend and underlining what a quality operator he is, the fact he triumphed in the WorldSSP Challenge category and held his own vs. the heavy hitters in the WorldSSP class served as a testament to his expertise on the bike.

Mixing it at the pointy end of the field in the wet before the track began drying out in race one, Edwards registered an impressive fifth under immensely testing circumstances. Even though he was unable to replicate this outing in the second stanza, with 25th the best he could do, all in all, this was a hugely positive effort by Edwards. “I’m really happy with how race one went and to get a career best result. It felt so surreal to be leading the race and battling in P2/P3 right down to the end. It was a gamble for the whole grid on which tyres to run with. The team and I chose to go with wets. Unfortunately we didn’t get enough rain to keep the track wet and a few of the top runners came through late on slicks and caught me,” he commented.

“It was good to get so much experience in the wet with the Ducati and still come away with points and leading the European challenge”…

“In today’s race the decision on whether to box and change to wets or stay out on slicks was up to me and unfortunately my decision didn’t pay off. It was good to get so much experience in the wet with the Ducati and still come away with points and leading the European challenge. Now time to get busy in the seven-week break with training and testing and come back strong for the rest of the season. Thanks to the team for their hard work over the weekend. Also to all the marshals, fans, staff and supports for their efforts in the rainy cold weather over the weekend.”

Troy Herfoss – King of the Baggers
The extremely skilled Troy Herfoss keeps making waves in the King of the Baggers series, as his two wins in April have been nothing short of exceptional. Grabbing a debut win in the championship at COTA as part of the MotoGP weekend, the factory Indian rider’s masterclass earned him 1-2 finishes to flex his muscles on his competitors.

“It’s a perfect weekend for me, I never would have dreamed that”…

The three-rime ASBK champion then carried his momentum into Atlanta Speedway, where his smooth adaptation to the class and racecraft was evidenced yet again. Going 1-1 to propel himself into the lead in the title chase, his decision to opt for slicks on a wet track paid off handsomely, providing him with a firm foundation for a flawless third round.

“It’s a perfect weekend for me, I never would have dreamed that. A perfect weekend in this championship at all, let alone third weekend in the championship. So, it’s a real credit to the team that they can give me a bike that I can just concentrate on racing on and learning tracks. That’s the reason I’m able to be so competitive. So, I want to say thank you to them.“

Jett Lawrence, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Sitting pretty atop the AMA Supercross standings in the premier class, just five points clear of Cooper Webb, the stage is set for a fascinating battle to the death between phenom Jett Lawrence and Webb.

“I had a great start, which was exactly what I wanted against these guys”…

Having scored a fifth in Foxborough that allowed Webb to draw level in the title chase following a poor start, the #18 rose to the occasion in Nashville to reign supreme in scintillating style. Managing the race masterfully, negotiating the tricky track smartly and letting his riding do all the talking, there was no stopping the 20-year-old inside Nissan Stadium.

“The bike’s been handling great, and I’ve been feeling good the last few weeks; I just couldn’t put myself in good positions. From the first session today, I felt like I had a good flow with the track. I had a great start, which was exactly what I wanted against these guys. I was able to capitalise on some of the mistakes of the guys in front and get into my flow. It was good to get those solid laps in the main,” stated the gifted Honda wizard.

With just three rounds remaining in the fight for 450 class supremacy, watching to see if Jett can outlast the relentless Webb will be absolutely captivating.

Hunter Lawrence, Aussies Racing Abroad April 2024

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Supercross
The month of April has been a good one so far for Hunter Lawrence, for not only has he achieved a pair of sevenths, but he’s also won a heat race and came second in the other, to further showcase what a terrific rookie term he’s enjoying in the 450 division.

“We really focused on starts this past week to give ourselves a better shot in the main, and it paid off”…

To shine the spotlight on Nashville especially, and it was awesome to see the Lawrence Brothers both win their heat races for the second time this season, as they continue to take AMA Supercross by storm. “It was a good day of riding. My heat race was really good and our bike was really good, so there were a lot of positives,” announced the #96. “We really focused on starts this past week to give ourselves a better shot in the main, and it paid off with a pretty sweet start in the top five in the main Unfortunately, I got together with another rider early on and had to claw my way back from what felt like dead-last and then some. We’ll take a seventh on the night from that.”

Eager for more in the final three stops of the series in his quest to carry on making strides and gaining experience against the sport’s elite, don’t rule out Hunter Lawrence bettering his 10th place in the standings come season’s end.

WorldSBK Round Three Report | Razgatlioglu and Bautista impress

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Aussie hero Remy Gardner scored his first WorldSBK podium as Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu shared the spoils on Sunday in Assen, meanwhile debutant Nicholas Spinelli claimed a memorable victory in Race One in what was a thrilling round three of WorldSBK. Report: Ed Stratmann/WorldSBK

Friday practice
WorldSBK
On a tricky opening day at a windswept TT Circuit Assen, it was Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who set the pace. The weather changed multiple times throughout the day, with rain giving way to sunshine before reverting back to rain once again.

Read our WorldSBK 2024 Round Two Report here…

Bautista, winner of the last four Superbike races at the Dutch Round, completed 26 laps of the 4.555km circuit to end the day two tenths of a second faster than Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) ended the day third fastest. 17 times winner at the Dutch Round, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was fifth fastest in both sessions but completed just 18 laps over the course of the day.

Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was riding for the first time since undergoing surgery for compartment syndrome and was sixth fastest.

 WorldSSP
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) timed his Superpole session to perfection, as the Italian was able to claim the second pole position of his World Supersport career.

With the session having started in wet conditions, Manzi was one of the first riders to switch to slick tyres, and almost immediately after he set his fastest time, the rain came down once again. Manzi claimed the pole position as a result, with his Ten Kate teammate, Glenn van Straalen, alongside him on the front row of the grid. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) rounded out the front row of the grid for Race 1.

Full Friday Superbike and Supersport results available here…

Saturday
WorldSK
Rain started falling just seconds before the pit lane opened to add even more drama to the 15-minute session. At the halfway stage of the session, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was the pacesetter with a 1’43.444s before going even faster to post a 1’42.650s. He did, however, face competition from Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who was just a tenth away from the #65.

Despite the track drying, times didn’t improve too much with Rea able to hold on to claim a first Yamaha pole position, thus making it poles with three different manufacturers, joining Noriyuki Haga and Stephane Mertens and only behind Troy Corser with six. It was his 44th pole position and his first in 203 days, with his last coming at Portimao last year. It was also Great Britain’s 160th pole position.

He was 0.094s clear of Bulega, who had been so impressive in the fully wet FP3 session. He made it three front row starts in three rounds in his rookie season. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed third place with a 1’43.003s, around 0.353s down on Rea.

Full Superbike Superpole results here…

 WorldSBK Race 1
After bursting into the lead and pulling out a 25-second lead on intermediate tyres before his rivals started closing him down, the Italian was able to take a memorable debut win during the Pirelli Dutch Round following the red flag.

Spinelli gambled with tyres by starting with a front and rear intermediate tyre on his Panigale V4 R, becoming a race leader in his first WorldSBK outing and moving four seconds clear at the end of Lap 1. His advantage then increased to 14 seconds at the end of Lap 2. In doing so, he became the 10th youngest race leader in WorldSBK history.

With conditions improving, riders on slick tyres were able to find grip and time, although Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) pushed a bit too hard and crashed at Turn 3.

By the end of Lap 8, Spinelli’s lead had been cut to 19 seconds as the track continued to dry. At the start of Lap 13, the gap was down to 11 seconds as he ran about three seconds slower on his intermediates, with Bautista leading the hunt of the Italian.

However, on Lap 14, Razgatlioglu overtook Bautista at the final chicane to move into second place and was soon on Spinelli’s tail with his pace advantage.

However, with the #54 closing in, the red flags were shown due to oil on track after Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) had a technical issue at Turn 15 on Lap 15. It’s the first time WorldSBK’s had two debutant winners in a single season – after Nicolo Bulega in Australia and Spinelli – since 1996 and only the third time in history.

The red flag meant Razgatlioglu finished second, with Bautista third. It was Razgatlioglu’s 120th podium as he closes in on Troy Corser in second place in the all-time list, it was also Bautista’s 94th rostrum to put him level with Bayliss.

“It’s incredible because this is my first race and I am in front of Toprak and Bautista! It’s really incredible. The first time I rode a Superbike was in Friday Practice,” reflected a delighted Spinelli.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

  1. Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team)
  2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.979s
  3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.089s
  4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +4.851s
  5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.147s

View Full Results

 WorldSSP Race 1
Adrian Huertas won his second race of the season after charging from outside the points with 12 laps remaining to win Race 1 in the Netherlands.

It was a race of two halves, with Huertas’ gamble paying off, winning the race on slick tyres on a drying track. Behind the Spaniard was Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who stole second place on the final corner – claiming a 16th second-place finish. Rounding off the podium and finishing as the top rain tyre runner was Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), who claimed a third WorldSSP podium and his first outside of France.

Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) ended his home round in fourth position, ahead of Aussie Tom Edwards in fifth, who spent the entire race on the slick tyres.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

  1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
  2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +8.149s
  3. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +9.180s
  4. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +9.291s
  5. Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) +14.695s

View Full Results

Sunday
Superpole Race

Once the lights went out, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) dropped to third on the exit to turn one, with rookie Bulega storming into the lead for the opening stage of the race and building a gap of almost three seconds.

Bautista made a mistake early on, dropping to eighth. However, the #1 was not the only rider to make a mistake, with Razgatlioglu running wide and dropping from second to fourth – leaving the #54 with work to do.

Bautista’s pace picked up, gaining positions and carving his way through the field into second position, and eventually catching his teammate. Bulega, who like the rest of the field, opted for the SCQ tyre for the Superpole Race, set the fastest lap in lap three with a 1’33.882. Once Bautista passed on the penultimate lap, though, the #11 had no response.

Bautista crossed the line to win and complete an incredible comeback ahead of Bulega in second. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) stole third place at the final corner to claim his 37th career podium finish while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) bagged fourth.

Superpole Race Results

  1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
  2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.686s
  3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +7.403s
  4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +7.551s
  5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +8.177s

View Full Results

WorldSBK Race 2
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his first win at the TT Circuit Assen in sensational style after some mid-race rain provided plenty of excitement for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field.

When the lights went out, Bautista got a great start from first on the grid, as did teammate Nicolo Bulega next to him, with the #1 holding on to P1 through the first lap. The rider on the move was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) as he powered from sixth to second on the first lap and challenged Bautista.

However, ‘Loka’ soon found himself behind Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who was determined to claim a first podium and then Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), as the Turkish star battled from ninth to third in the first few laps.

On Lap 6, Razgatlioglu moved into second as he overtook Gardner to move into second place. It wasn’t long until he made his move for P1 by passing the #1 into the final chicane under braking; a trademark move of ‘El Turco’.

Rain started to fall on Lap 8, with the white flags shown, signalling that riders could change tyres if they wanted – although no one dived into the pits immediately. Elsewhere, Locatelli passed Gardner on Lap 8 for the podium through the chicane, although Gardner responded a lap later, and Bautista re-claimed P1 with a pass over Razgatlioglu.

With the rain falling harder, it was Gardner’s Yamaha machine who had the pace advantage, passing Bautista at the final chicane to take the lead and demote Bautista into second, before Locatelli moved ahead of the reigning Champion.

The #55 soon moved into the lead with an aggressive move on Gardner at Turn 8 before Bautista followed him through, with the #1 putting the pressure on ‘Loka’, passing him at the start at Lap 16 when the Italian ran wide.

Soon, Razgatlioglu was back in front when he passed Bautista at the Geert Timmer Chicane for the lead, with Gardner all over the pair of them.

With four laps to go, the gaps stretched out a little but everything remained close despite Razgatlioglu edging out a gap. It enabled the 2021 Champion to hold on for victory, his third of the season as well as his and BMW’s first win at the Dutch venue.

Bautista took second, moving onto 96 rostrums and three behind Chaz Davies in the all-time list, while Gardner held on to finally take his first WorldSBK rostrum after so many fourth-place finishes and his first in any class since the 2021 Algarve Grand Prix. He became the first Australian on the podium since Misano Race 1 in 2010, when Troy Corser was on the rostrum.

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was on the move throughout the race as he moved into podium contention but had to settle for fourth place ahead of Locatelli in fifth despite leading the race at times, finishing just a tenth behind Iannone.

“Grid position isn’t important because it’s the race that matters. I enjoyed this race. I’ve never won here before and also for BMW they hadn’t won here. I’m very happy today,” insisted Razgatlioglu.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

  1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
  2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.625s
  3. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.022
  4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +3.120s
  5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +3.217s

View Full Results

 Championship Points

  1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 123 points
  2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 117 points
  3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 109 points
  4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 93 points
  5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 64 points

View Championship Standings

WorldSSP Race 2
After finishing fourth in Race 1, van Straalen put on an incredible display to win after pitting for wet tyres on lap two.

Although rain fell during the warm-up lap with the entire grid on slick tyres, as the race began it really started to pour down. This saw eight riders pit at the end of the first lap. Race leader Huertas then decided to pit on lap two and was followed by another eight riders, with each rider needing to spend at least a 76-second intervention time in the pitlane.

Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) led the race in the early stages after deciding to stay out on slick tyres. John McPhee (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) was another rider who stayed on slicks, eventually crashing out of the race.

Edwards was passed by Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), who claimed the lead before Lorenzo Baldassarri (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) then took over, with there being over 20 seconds difference per lap between the slick and rain tyre runners.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) pitted on lap five, dropping the #62 to 25th position – outside the points. Things soon went from bad to worse for Manzi, receiving an 11.82s penalty for not completing the 76-second intervention time.

With 10 laps remaining, the battle for second place was tense, with Tuuli soon finding his way through Huertas and Toba. Van Straalen, however, was on a charge as he made his way into second before stealing the lead.

On the last lap of the race, all eyes were on Dutch rider van Straalen and the riders in second and third, with Huertas finding his way through on Tuuli. The #66 could not respond to Huertas’ pace, with the Spaniard stretching the gap to over half a second. With a strong pace on the last lap, van Straalen was able to take his maiden victory and become a home hero. The #28 became the first Dutch winner at Assen in 10 years and the fourth Dutch winner in WorldSSP.

Nicolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) finished in fourth. Rounding out the top five was Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), who showed consistent pace throughout.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

  1. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
  2. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +1.352s
  3. Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) 2.944s
  4. Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) 4.167s
  5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +10.872s

View Full Results

Championship Points

  1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 86 points
  2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 85 points
  3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 84 points
  4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 84 points
  5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 55 points

View Championship Standings

WorldSSP 300 and R3 World Cup Results can be viewed here…

MotoGP Round Three Report | Vinales claims historic victory

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Maverick Viñales became the first rider to win on three different brands in the MotoGP era courtesy of his scintillating comeback ride at the Grand Prix of the Americas. Miller suffered tyre issues, Kelso fell and came back, Roulstone and Agius rode well. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Check out our other race news, including MotoGP, here…

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
Friday at the Bull Grand Prix of the Americas was a duel at the top, and the shootout for direct entry to Q2 went to the wire as lap records fell in MotoGP Practice. Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) set a statement 2:01.397 to destroy the lap record by 0.495 and secure top honours by the end of the day, but that was only enough to deny Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) by less than a tenth after a fast start for the Aprilia Racing rider, who also topped FP1 ahead of Martin.

With 10 minutes to go, Bagnaia was one of those outside the top 10. As the #1 has often managed before, though, with less than two minutes on the clock he pulled out a 2:01.808, ultimately ending the session in fourth. Meanwhile, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) concluded a storming Friday with a late lunge into the top five.

Qualifying for the 2024 Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas was a true classic, with a dash of drama and magic creating an incredible grid for lights out in Austin. On pole position was Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), who smashed the lap record set on Friday by half a second to carve out his own postcode at the front, three tenths clear in Q2. His pole lap was also a second quicker than pole in 2023.

In second was rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3), who took his first premier class front row as his pace in Austin continued to awe. And completing that front row was eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) after his first qualifying top three with Ducati, aiming for an eighth win at COTA. Just behind the #93 on the timesheets was reigning Champion Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team).

Moto2
After a rollercoaster season so far, pre-season favourite Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) put in another statement Friday at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas as he looked for that elusive first win, or even podium, of the year.

Setting an unbelievable 2:08.359, he destroyed the lap record by 0.392. The Spaniard ended a fantastic session ahead of MT – Helmets MSI’s Sergio Garcia, who was 0.282 behind but also under the previous lap record. Dennis Foggia put in a great day for the Italtrans Racing Team in third, also spending most of the session inside the top five.

Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) then went on to steal pole position in the closing moments of qualifying, setting a fantastic 2:07.631 to overhaul compatriot Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp). The #54 ended the session 0.109 adrift after spending most of the session at the top of the timesheets. Qatar podium finisher Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) ended the session in third for his second front-row start in the Moto2™ class.

Albert Arenas (QJMotor Gresini Moto2) heads the second row of the grid after a fantastic final lap to place the Spaniard in fourth, losing out on a front-row start by just 0.046. Home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) rounded out the top five as the American put himself in a strong spot for a podium push.

Moto3
David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team) jumped to the top at the end of Friday, setting 14 laps in Practice 1 to hammer home his performance from Free Practice after he’d also started the day fastest. The Colombian’s 2:15.173 in the afternoon saw him edge out Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda, with Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) slotting into third after having been passed fit to ride.

Thanks to David Alonso (CFMOTO Valresa Aspar Team), Colombia secured a debut Grand Prix pole position to celebrate as the #80 left it late to bag a first Saturday P1. Alonso launches ahead of key rivals Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was just 0.017 adrift in P2, and Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) completing the front row.

Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) will head the second row of the grid, with Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) keeping up his good qualifying record in 2024 to earn a P5.

Check out the full Practice and Qualifying results here…

Tissot Sprint
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) made it back-to-back wins in the Tissot Sprint. The #12 started from a lap record pole, took off at full chat and never looked back at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, leaving the King of COTA – Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – to battle it out for second on Saturday.

That battle for second pitted the eight-time World Champion against rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) first, and then Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), but Marquez dug in and held on for P2. Martin was able to get ahead of the rookie by the flag too, further extending his points lead.

Martin was the rider on the move in the early stages, getting past Bastianini when the gap to Acosta was hovering around a second and starting to hunt down the leading trio. By the time he’d cut that gap in half, Viñales was already over a second clear at the front, ominous from the off.

By seven to go, Marquez had Acosta and Martin for serious company, with the machines all locked together as they snaked round the mammoth Circuit of the Americas. The rookie didn’t take long to try a move either, attacking with five to go, but the number 93 was ready and repelled him on the cutback. That was Martin’s signal to try his own move and the #89 sliced past Acosta just before the back straight, shutting the door firmly and locking his sights on Marquez.

Up ahead, Viñales’ lead was increasing and increasing until it hit the two second mark, where it stayed within a few tenths here and there as his awesome pace continued. Neither the king of COTA nor the king of the Tissot Sprint had an answer on Saturday, with the #12 crossing the line for a second Sprint win in succession to defeat both on the same day.

“Can I just say I’m dreaming! I want to keep going. The level was amazing. We deserve it,” said a delighted Vinales.

Second on the road at COTA, meanwhile, went to Marquez. The #93 had enough in hand to make sure Martin had no chance to attack, although the Championship leader extended his advantage with third place. Acosta was forced to settle for fourth, able to hold off a late charge from Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).

Tissot Sprint Race Results

  1. Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing (20m 27.825s)
  2. Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+2.294s)
  3. 3.Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+4.399s)
  4. Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+6.480s)
  5. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia Racing (+6.657s)

Check out the full Tissot Sprint results here…

Sunday
MotoGP Race
If you’re going to make history, it’s best to do it in style – and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) got the memo. After a chaotic start that saw the #12 punted down to P11, the race was absolutely on to claw back through the field and unleash his stunning pace. And that he did. Pass after pass after pass put him back in the postcode of the podium, and from there he threaded the needle to the front and got the hammer down to make history as the first rider to win with three manufacturers in the MotoGP™ era, in what was one of the greatest races of all time.

Behind Batmav, and not by much, Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) came home second to become the youngest rider to take back-to-back premier class podiums, and the rookie was box office – as ever. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the podium, making a late move on Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing).

Turn 1 caused a shuffle and set the scene for what was to come. Acosta took the holeshot with a storming start, and Martin caused a chain reaction with a tough move up the inside that sent Sprint winner Viñales wide, and a few more. But Martin converted that smash and grab into second behind Acosta, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) up eight places into third. Soon, however, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) were on the scene.

The next shuffle came as Martin attacked, and this time took over at the front. Sensing the time was now, Marquez immediately made his move on Bagnaia, and then the rookie ahead was just wide – allowing the #93 through to chase down Martin. The #89, #93, #1 and #31 were locked together, and soon enough after enough shuffles, Bastianini and Miller were right on their tail too.

Meanwhile, Viñales was coming. After dropping to P11, he’d made it past a handful of riders already, including Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), before passing Bastianini with 14 to go.

Once Viñales was onto the back of Bagnaia, a spectacular duel ensued between the two as they danced a perfect 200mph ballet, but the reigning Champion couldn’t hold the Aprilia back. Now Viñales was in pursuit of the top three and the podium, and Acosta had likewise been making hay.

The rookie had cut Championship leader Martin’s advantage right back down, and he had Marquez for company. Once a move was plausible, the sensation struck for P1, pulling the door open to shoot past Martin and take over in the lead. Marquez was able to follow him through and take over second.

And so the rookie led the eight-time World Champion, as Viñales started to harry Martin for third. But the next move came from Marquez as he sliced through to lead.

Marquez then slid out, as the American dream of an eighth win at the track was over for the #93, leaving the rookie to sail to the lead over the line. But that wasn’t for long either, with another dance about to begin – because Viñales was past Martin and chasing Acosta.

The Aprilia was stuck to the back of the RC16 looking for a way past, which he found a lap later at Turn 11. From there he was able to pull out some tenths of breathing space for the moment, with the next action looking likely to come from Bastianini homing in on Martin. The Beast divebombed the Pramac at Turn 1 with five to go, but it was optimistic and the #89 hit back on the cutback.

From there the gaps went out, came back in, and went out agaim. And by the final lap, Viñales just had to focus on getting to the flag to make history. Crossing the line after plummeting down the order and ending even the first lap in P9, the #12 won with a third different bike, taking his 75th podium and completing the double for the first time in his career. The hat-trick of pole, win and fastest lap likewise go the way of Viñales after a spectacular Sunday.

“I made a lot of sacrifices to get here and it is all finally paying off. This shows us that you can never give up. You must have faith in your own abilities and keep growing. This is a historic achievement,” reflected Vinales.

MotoGP Race Results

  1. Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing (41m 9.503s)
  2. Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+1.728s)
  3. Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+2.703s)
  4. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+4.690s)
  5. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+7.392s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points After Round Three

  1. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati – 80
  2. Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo – 59
  3. Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing – 56
  4. Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 54
  5. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 50

Moto2 Race
Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) stunned at the Circuit Of The Americas to take a maiden Moto2™ win, just finding enough in the tank to hold off home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing).

Garcia stole the Championship lead in the process, and in only the MT Helmets – MSI team’s third race in the Moto2™ class, is now two points ahead of Roberts in the standings. Pre-season favourite Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) claimed a first podium of the year after a nail-biting race start and comeback in what’s becoming a calling card until the #54’s luck changes.

The Moto2™ field roared into action on the entry to the technical turn one, with Garcia claiming the holeshot, leading the field from home hero Roberts in second – sending the American crowd to their feet.

It was also gloves off for QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™ riders Manuel Gonzalez and Albert Arenas, with the teammates having a near miss and touching – handing Aldeguer sixth place which he happily accepted. Gonzalez would later receive a penalty for a start that was too good to be true – forced to serve a double LLP, thus dropping Gonzalez to a disappointing 15th.

The same fate could not be said for Aldeguer, who made his way inside the top five and latched onto the back of teammate Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp). The SpeedUp teammates did not give each other an inch of room before Aldeguer found a way through and did not look back, with nine laps remaining.

As the race progressed, Garcia’s rhythm looked perfect – stretching a gap of over one second to Roberts. Roberts then made a mistake, running wide at turn 12 to crush the hopes of an American win in the process.

However, the Austin crowd was treated to a fantastic Texan duel for P2 with two laps remaining between Roberts and Aldeguer, with the American able to get the upper hand. Meanwhile, at the front, Garcia made a handful of mistakes in the braking zone – losing time and the gap coming back down.

By the flag it was down to just under half a second, but Garcia held on to take a maiden Moto2™ victory and celebrated his success in the Texas sunshine, taking the lead in the standings too.

Roberts was forced to settle for second but took back-to-back podiums for the first time, and celebrated that incredible result on home turf for both him and the team. Aldeguer came across the line to finish in a rock-solid third, ahead of teammate Lopez who was just unable to match the podium pace. Marcos Ramirez added to the OnlyFans American Racing Team’s point tally at COTA – rounding out a talent-packed top five.

Aussie Senna Agius finished in 17th place on the Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP bike. 

Moto2 Race Results

  1. Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI (34m 25.954s)
  2. Joe Roberts OnlyFans American Racing Team (+0.492s)
  3. Fermin Aldeguer Beta Tools Speed Up (+3.293s)
  4. Alonso Lopez Beta Tools Speed Up (+6.967s)
  5. Marcos Ramirez OnlyFans American Racing Team (+7.102s)

Check out the full Moto2 race results here…

Moto2 Championship Points After Round Three

  1. Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI – 51 points
  2. Joe Roberts OnlyFans American Racing Team – 49 points
  3. Alonso Lopez Beta Tools Speed Up – 38 points
  4. Aron Canet Fantic Racing – 38 points
  5. Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI- 33 points

Moto3 Race
David Alonso (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team) proved unstoppable at the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, taking off from pole and able to escape a dramatic contest behind to take his second Grand Prix win of the season in some style.

Up at the front to start proceedings, it was all Alonso, who grabbed the holeshot, with Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) a distance back in second before he peeled off to take the first of his three Long Lap penalties, leaving the Colombian with an even bigger gap.

By 11 to go, it was just over three seconds up the road to Alonso, and the second group was six strong: Holgado, Piqueras, Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), Kelso and Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI). But Furusato then crashed out from the chase while Kelso slid off, with the latter able to remount.

Veijer and Holgado were making inroads into the gap before even more drama as the Dutchman suddenly highsided out, right as Yamanaka went for a move on Holgado. Veijer was out, but Yamanaka and Holgado were both able to avoid the incident and straightline it across the run off. Piqueras got past both though.

After that, the lead was back up to over six seconds by the start of the final lap, but the podium fight was close as Holgado led Piqueras, who was ahead of Yamanaka, teasing a photo finish. And that it was. The Japanese rider couldn’t quite make an attack but Piqueras tucked in behind Holgado on the back straight and made a move stick at the end of it, no nerves on show as he fought for his first podium. But Holgado was able to hit back, and it went down to a drag to the line.

Looking for one more shot at second, Piqueras took a different line round the final corner and the two headed for the flag side-by-side, split over the line by just 0.013 as Holgado just held on. In doing so the #96 retains the points lead, but Piqueras still takes that maiden Grand Prix podium on only his third Grand Prix start. Alonso, meanwhile, took his second win of the season to move to just two points off Holgado in the standings.

Yamanaka took fourth, his best GP result yet, ahead of a gap back to David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Kelso 7th after the Australian remounted but then got an LLP that became a time penalty for the early race incident with Holgado. Rookie Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GAGAS Tech3) took P8 ahead of fellow debutant Joel Esteban (CFMoto Valresa Aspar Team).

Moto3 Race Results

  1. David Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (31m 38.427s(
  2. Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+5.613s)
  3. Angel Piqueras Leopard Racing (+5.176s)
  4. Ryusei Yamanaka MT Helmets – MSI (+5.676s)
  5. David Munoz BOE Motorsports (+13.285s)

Check out the full Moto3 race results here…

Moto3 Championship Points After Round Three

  1. Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 65 points
  2. David Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team – 63 points
  3. Joel Kelso BOE Motorsports – 28 points
  4. Ivan Ortola MT Helmets – MSI – 23 points
  5. Tatsuki Suzuki Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP – 22 points

MotoGP Round Two Report | Masterful Martin reigns supreme

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The 2024 Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal was a stunning lights to flag win for Jorge Martin as the number #89 took the victory and Championship lead. But this is the world’s most exciting sport, and there are no single sentence explanations to cover 25 laps on the rollercoaster. Report: Ed Stratmann/MotoGP

Check out our other race news, including MotoGP, here…

Friday Practice and Saturday Qualifying
MotoGP – The rollercoaster delivered a tantalising top ten as some key names headed for Q1 – and some familiar ones fought back. Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) blistered his way to the top by 0.118, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jack Miller in second as he got back into the top echelons. Then came Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), still within only 0.153 of Bastianini at the top.

When the afternoon session began, however, it was Red Bull KTM Factory Racing at the top, first Miller and then teammate Brad Binder. The next gambit saw Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Ducati) steal the KTM thunder, nudging the RC-16s off the top, but there was plenty of shuffling left in the ultra-tight top ten.

After Bastianini had taken to the top, that’s where he stayed amid the drama, throwing down the gauntlet on Day 1. Miller made his late lunge for glory to slot into second, forcing Marc Marquez to settle for third.

Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) continued his statement weekend with pole position on Saturday morning. Beast mode most definitely engaged. It was close at the top, however, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) getting to within less than a tenth of the number 23 after a late charge. Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) completed the front row only a further 0.024 behind, setting the stage for some serious fireworks.

Moto2 – In a fast and furious session, Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) ended Practice 1 on top as he picked up where he left off in Qatar, setting a stunning 1:42.362 to edge out Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) by just 0.013. Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) was only a further 0.170 behind as it got tight at the top in Portugal. Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) then stole a maiden pole position in the final 20 seconds of qualifying, beating Fermin Aldeguer and Aron Canet.

Behind the trio on the front row of the grid was Qatar GP winner Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up), while Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) springboarded from 11th to fifth in the final five minutes.

Moto3 – Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) stormed to pole after a near-perfect lap in the closing stages of qualifying. BOE Motorsports’ Joel Kelso was just 0.059 behind after a brave lap, ending a brilliant Saturday for the Australian. David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) joined them on the front row, unable to take a maiden pole position.

Behind a tight front row was Holgado, who lined up alongside Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power) on the second row of the grid. Alongside them was Dutchman Colin Veijer, who was the sole Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP bike in Q2.

Check out the full Practice and Qualifying results here…

Saturday
Tissot Sprint
A stunning showdown on the Algarve saw Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) get his elbows out and hold off Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), who had their own battle down to the last lap. That culminated in a classic, brutal but clean lunge from the #93 to slice through into second and take his best Sprint result yet, with Martin relegated to third.

At lights out, it was a brilliant start to the race from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who grabbed the holeshot and started storming away on the first lap. Bagnaia was on a march though. He hit the front early, trying to quickly build a comfortable gap. On the chase, Marc Marquez soon found his way through to pass Viñales, and he held that for a handful of laps. But he wasn’t making headway, for he ran wide at the tricky Turn 5.

Bagnaia seemed in the clear, over a second up the road from Viñales, with Martin and Marc Marquez not far off the Aprilia. But then the #1 machine was suddenly sailing off at Turn 1, keeping it together but watching the front group flash past as he rejoined just ahead of Miller.

And so Viñales led the Sprint, with some close company. By the last lap, Viñales seemed to have things under control, with Martin vs. Marquez set to decide second and third places on the podium barring any serious late drama. And there was none – but there was a spectacular, on-the-edge, old skool lunge from a master of the craft.

Down into Turn 5, there wasn’t really an open door and he wasn’t really in perfect striking distance, but Marc Marquez went for it. And he made it stick. Brutal, close, and just clean enough to be worth a handshake in parc ferme, the eight-time World Champion took his best Sprint result, holding Martin off to the line in a drag race.

After rejoining ahead of Miller, Bagnaia managed to hold off the KTM to the flag, but it was close – and Bastianini was even closer as the trio took P4, P5 and P6.

And so, after another Saturday spectacle, a new Sprint winner headed into Sunday with another point to prove, as Viñales was hoping to become the first to win with three machines in the MotoGP™ era. All was to be revealed on Sunday.

Tissot Sprint Race

  1. Maverick Viñales Aprilia Racing
  2. Marc Marquez Gresini Ducati (+1.039s)
  3. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati (+1.122s)
  4. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo (+4.155s)
  5. Jack Miller Red Bull KTM (RC16) (+4.329s)

Check out the full Tissot Sprint results here…

Sunday
MotoGP Race
11 World Championships went toe-to-toe, and all of them slid off into the runoff. Riders okay, but in one of the most dramatic incidents for some time, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) collided with only a handful of laps to go. The FIM MotoGP™ Stewards officially deemed it a racing incident, but it’ll be a moment that will be debriefed for weeks, months, if not years to come.

But back to the start, and it was a stunning launch from Martin to take the holeshot, with Bastianini slotting in behind as Bagnaia shot up a place. Viñales initially dropped to fourth then fought back. Bastianini was then slightly wide and Viñales headed through, with the two Ducatis then shuffling. Marc Marquez tried his luck with a move through too, but things settled down slightly after the adrenaline spike with Martin leading Viñales, Bastianini, Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

The gloves were off further back, as Brad Binder and Acosta made their move on Miller. The rookie then also attacked Binder at the same place not long after. The charge to history was on.

Acosta’s charge didn’t stop after he made Marc Marquez his next victim as the rookie zoned in on the reigning Champion next. He chose Turn 1 again, but the rear slipped once, then twice, and he headed wide before getting it back under control to let Pecco back through. Not long after, Acosta was able to get past Bagnaia, and that left the reigning Champion to go toe-to-toe with Marc Marquez. And then came the drama.

Marquez went for one attempt but the door was shut. This time he wasn’t going to try and push it open. The #93 struck again with another lunge – and it nearly worked. But Bagnaia is Bagnaia and the reigning Champion had anticipated and took back the inside line as tightly as possible. And that was that. The two diverged on the same space, and two into one doesn’t fit. Contact made, they both slid out as the crowd erupted.

“I told the stewards it’s a racing incident on the very limit. But the stewards must decide what the limit is,” said Marquez.

Meanwhile, the rider sweeping past to take fourth place was Acosta. But there was another twist in the tale for another rider up ahead.

Crossing the line for the last lap, Martin had enough in hand to bet on. But Viñales was suddenly slowing, hanging off the bike and then looking down as he headed into the run off. A late technical issue made it a heartbreaking end to the GP race for the Sprint winner, as he disappointingly crashed out. And that put Acosta on the podium after his gung-ho charge for glory.

Up ahead, Bastianini was close to Martin, but not close enough to strike. The #89 achieved the 89th victory for Ducati in style, winning holeshot to flag despite the drama and the tension in the chase. Bastianini, after a tougher Qatar GP and Sprint in Portugal, got that coveted podium to begin his count for the season, and then came Acosta.

The number #31 is the third youngest premier class podium finisher of all time, getting it done in only his second race to join an exclusive club. Acosta was also the first over the line of the trio of KTM/GASGAS RC16s, with Binder taking fourth and Miller fifth.

“I knew what I was capable of. I started fast and I was trying to manage the tyres. Maverick and Enea were super close but at the end I saw a gap and it was enough to fight for the win,” explained Martin.

MotoGP Race Top Five

  1. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati
  2. Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo (+0.882s)
  3. Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 (+5.362s)
  4. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM (+11.129s)
  5. Jack Miller Red Bull KTM (+16.437s)

Check out the full MotoGP race results here…

MotoGP Championship Points After Round Two

  1. Jorge Martin Pramac Ducati – 60
  2. Brad Binder Red Bull KTM – 42
  3. Enea Bastianini Ducati Lenovo – 39
  4. Francesco Bagnaia Ducati Lenovo – 37
  5. Pedro Acosta Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 – 28

Moto2 Race
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) is a Moto2™ race winner! The Spaniard broke his victory drought with a stylish win by two seconds as the podium fight exploded behind him in Portugal. Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) completed a brilliant weekend at Portimao to take second, fighting off polesitter Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™).

Canet set the pace early on, stealing the fastest lap of the race while sitting in second – setting sights on a first Moto2™ win. Polesitter Gonzalez sat in third position after finding a way through on the fast-charging Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI). Ogura’s fourth did not last long as Roberts and Albert Arenas (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) found a way through.

As the laps ticked down, Lopez maintained an advantage at the front until lap 11, when the race was blown wide open as the Spaniard lost the front at turn 13 – crashing out of the lead. That promoted Canet to P1 and Roberts into second at the venue where the American claimed his first win in 2021.

All eyes were now on Canet in the lead and Aldeguer, who was carving through the field and back inside the top 10 in two laps. The Spaniard soon set the fastest lap, circulating quicker than Canet at the front of the field with 10 laps remaining.

Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was having a ferocious battle with Jeremy Alcoba (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team) for seventh position, allowing Arenas to escape in front. They could not match the pace of Aldeguer on his mission to the front, as the #54 flew down the inside and remarkably entered fifth place.

Now with just three laps to go, the action heated up after Aldeguer launched a brave attack at turn three to pass Ogura briefly before the Japanese rider responded. As the chequered flag loomed, Canet even celebrated around the last corner before finally turning his dreams into a reality to become a Moto2™ race winner. Roberts continues to celebrate success in Portimao, finishing second ahead of Gonzalez, who finally got the better of Aldeguer after Ogura dropped to fifth on the final lap after a near highside on the exit of turn four battling the #54.

Moto2 Race Top Five

  1. Aron Canet Fantic Racing
  2. Joe Roberts OnlyFans American Racing Team (+2.059s)
  3. Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (+0.551s)
  4. Fermin Aldeguer Beta Tools SpeedUp (+0.602s)
  5. Ai Ogura MT Helmets – MSI (+0.516s)

Check out the full Moto2 race results here…

Moto2 Championship Points After Round Two

  1. Aron Canet Fantic Racing 31 – points
  2. Joe Roberts OnlyFans American Racing Team 29 – points
  3. Manuel Gonzalez QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 27 – points
  4. Sergio Garcia MT Helmets – MSI – 26 points
  5. Alonso Lopez Sync SpeedUp – 25 points

Moto3 Race
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) won a classic drag to the finish, staying ahead of Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) by just 0.044 as the two battled it out on the last lap. Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) completed the podium as the lead trio turned up the wick in the final few laps to escape the clutches of David Alonso (CFMoto Gaviota Aspar Team).

Rueda took the holeshot and had his turn making a gap, managing to stay ahead of the group until 10 to go. Then Alonso made his move and looked to be trying to make a break as the gap extended. But it wasn’t to be, as Holgado and Rueda closed the CFMoto Aspar rider down, got past, and in a handful of laps were able to make their own gap.

Onto the last lap, it seemed likely it would remain a duel. Holgado led over the line with Rueda for close company. Ortola was just off the back, but forced to wait in the wings for any possible drama. Rueda went for a move at Turn 14 and was briefly ahead taking a tighter line, but the number 99 couldn’t keep it as Holgado pinned it and swept back into the lead. It all came down to the final corner and again, the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 was able to stay ahead and gas it towards the line with just enough metres in hand to take his first win of the year and the Championship lead.

Rueda may not have taken the win, but it’s his best Grand Prix result yet, as well as only his second podium. Ortola completed the rostrum another seven tenths back, but managing to keep more than a second in hand over those on the chase: Alonso, Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) and Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) in that order.

Moto3 Race Top Five

  1. Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3
  2. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo (+0.044s)
  3. Ivan Ortola MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) (+0.776s)
  4. David Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team (+1.398s)
  5. Joel Kelso BOE Motorsports (+0.028s)

Check out the full Moto3 race results here…

Moto3 Championship Points After Two Rounds

  1. Daniel Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 45 – points
  2. David Alonso CFMOTO Aspar Team 38 – points
  3. Ivan Ortola MT Helmets – MSI 23 – points
  4. Collin Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP 21 – points
  5. Jose Antonio Rueda Red Bull KTM Ajo 20 – points

WORLDSBK ROUND TWO REPORT | TOPRAK AND BAUTISTA SHINE

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In what was a fascinating weekend of WorldSBK in Spain, Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed two wins in two very different styles and Alvaro Bautista triumphed in race two while the action was aplenty in the WorldSSP 600 class too. Here’s our WorldSBK Round Two Report: Ed Stratmann/WorldSBK

Friday
WorldSBK
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued his impressive start to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with P1 on Friday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, beating two-time Champion teammate Alvaro Bautista by more than two tenths.

Read our WorldSBK 2024 Round One Report here…

Bulega went faster in FP2, and fastest overall, for Friday, with the two Ducati riders running split strategies to test SCX tyres in FP2. Bulega started on the development SCX C0900 tyre before switching to the standard, where he dipped into the 1:40s with a 1:40.907s. Across the box, Bautista began with the standard SCX, but went on the C0900 to end his session as they focused on race performance. In the end, Bulega’s 1:40.90s was the fastest time of FP2, and the day, with Bautista 0.247s back.

Barcelona is a circuit Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) hadn’t won at yet, but he put himself in contention after Friday’s running along with teammate Michael van der Mark as the pair took third and fourth in the combined classification.

WorldSSP
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) stormed to a second pole position of the 2024 season on home soil with an almost three-tenths margin over his rivals at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The #99 came into his home round on the back of a podium last time out in Australia and was targeting a first victory in WorldSSP during the Pirelli Catalunya Round.

The session was red flagged around halfway through when Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) had a tech issue on the run into Turn 1, which led him into the gravel and officials working to clean up the track.

When the session resumed, it was a dramatic fight for pole. Huertas went head-to-head with Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), with the #99 posting an incredible 1:44.197s to take his second pole of 2024 by 0.274s ahead of Oncu. The #61 was able to hold on to second ahead of Manzi, with the Yamaha rider finding time in the closing stages but just falling short, with the #62 still claiming a front row start.

Experience paid dividends for Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha), with the 2017 Champion often running in the top three before securing P4 for the Race 1 grid. He was joined by Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in fifth after the German, who secured two podiums here last year, posted a 1:44.828s.

Full Friday Superbike and Supersport results here…

Saturday
Superpole
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his first BMW pole position in record-breaking pace, setting a lap in the 1:39s to lead his rivals at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The speed up and down the grid was incredible with ten riders under the existing all-time lap record during the Pirelli Catalunya Round.

The first runs were completed with Razgatlioglu posting a barely-believable 1:39.489s to lead his rivals by more than two tenths. Initially, Michael van der Mark had been in P2 but lost his first, and best, lap in his first stint for a track limits infringement at Turn 13, with that time being a 1:40.088s. It left Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second, 0.251s behind Razgatlioglu, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) provisionally completing the front row – half-a-second down on the #54. With the red-hot pace in the first run, Razgatlioglu’s time remained unbeatable as he claimed a first BMW pole position in his second round on the M 1000 RR.

Full Superbike Superpole results here…

WorldSBK Race One
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led the majority of the race. At one point the Italian had opened a four second lead but in Catalunya tyre consumption is a key factor and with a harder front tyre Razgatlioglu could close down that margin. The BMW rider would take the lead on the 20th and final lap.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), winner of six races in a row at this circuit, was handed a grid penalty that dropped him to the fifth row of the grid for the start. The reigning World Champion recovered to finish third and move up to fourth position in the Championship standings. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) continued to impress as a rookie with fourth.

Having smashed the lap record in the Superpole session, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was aiming for a podium in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Instead the Turkish star came from behind to claim the race victory in the opening race of the Pirelli Catalunya Round. “It’s been a dream of mine to win in Catalunya and this is unbelievable. Every day the team has done an unbelievable job and they have worked really hard,” insisted Razgatlioglu.

The win marked BMW’s first success since 2021 and validated Razgatlioglu’s decision to switch manufacturers for this season.

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

  1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
  2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.868s
  3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.338s
  4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +8.543s
  5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +9.818s

Download Full Results

WorldSSP Race One
Adrian Huertas converted pole position into his first career victory in the Supersport class. The Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team rider kept a cool head under intense pressure from Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) to win by just over one second. The victory underlined Huertas’ title credentials.

Manzi was one of the few riders to opt to use a harder rear tyre and was rewarded with his second podium of the season. Marcel Schroetter’s (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) third place notably meant he emerged as the only rider to finish on the podium in each race this season (a streak he continued in the second race). The German was involved in a race-long battle with championship leader Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who finished fourth to hold an 11 point championship lead over Schroetter.

WorldSSP Race One Results

  1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
  2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1.277s
  3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +5.840s
  4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +8.653s
  5. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +9.798s

Download Full Results

Sunday
Superpole Race
The Pirelli Catalunya Round gave its second final lap showdown of the weekend with an absolute hair-raiser between Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), which went down to the final corner of the race. Off the line, it was another poor start from Championship leader Nicolo Bulega, whilst it was the traditional fast-starting Andrea Iannone who grabbed the holeshot from Race 1 winner Toprak.

Changing backwards and forwards, the race really exploded into life at Turn 5. Sam Lowes had been dropped down to P5 but at the front, the gloves came off as Razgatlioglu, Iannone, Alex Lowes and Nicolo Bulega battled side-by-side through Turn 5 up until Turn 9, when Toprak took two in one move to lead. Iannone settled down, but as was the case in the early stages, the #11 Bulega struggled in battle.

Bautista made his way into the podium places on Lap 7 when Iannone ran wide at Turn 10 and then battled back ahead of Bulega, putting the reigning WorldSSP Champion wide and allowing Bautista into third. Toprak, however, was leading and looking comfortable, even if Bautista managed to get ahead of Iannone with three to go, with the top four covered by a second into the final lap.

Making his move for the lead, Alvaro Bautista hit the front at Turn 1, out-braking Toprak. He wasn’t done there, as the favourite had many overtaking opportunities left yet.

Building through the downhill sweep of Turn 13, Toprak made a huge lunge at the final corner to pass Bautista in a replica of Valentino Rossi vs Jorge Lorenzo from MotoGP™ in 2009. Toprak forced Bautista to pick up, which allowed rookie Iannone to surge through his fellow Ducati rider, but he couldn’t quite get Toprak. Two from two, Razgatlioglu doubled up in Barcelona ahead of Iannone and Bautista, with Bulega and Alex Lowes completing the top five.

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race Results

  1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
  2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.075s
  3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.260s
  4. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.411s
  5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.611s

Download Full Results

WorldSBK Race Two
With Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) surprising Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to take the victory in the Tissot Superpole Race, the Turkish rider became the first BMW rider since Chaz Davies in 2013 to take back-to-back WorldSBK wins. Despite having to settle for a podium in Race 2, this was a superb weekend for Razgatlioglu who now sits fourth in the Championship standings.

The much touted battle of Alvaro Bautista versus Nicolo Bulega played out in Race 2. On this occasion, it was double WorldSBK Champion Bautista, who used his guile to win. The victory margin would eventually be just over two seconds, with Bautista completing a weekend of podium finishes having dropped from the lead to third at the final corner of the Superpole Race. “I feel really happy! It’s been a long time since my last win so we’re going to celebrate,” explained a delighted Bautista.

Bulega, from pole position in the Superpole Race, finished fourth before his second place finish in Race 2. The final race of the day also marked the first points of the season for Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), who finished in eighth position. With four different winners from the opening six races of the season the 2024 WorldSBK season has started in style.

WorldSBK Race Two Results

  1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
  2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.041s
  3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.005s
  4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +12.452s
  5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +15.076s

Download Full Results

WorldSBK Championship Standings

  1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 87 points
  2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 75 points
  3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 75 points
  4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 71 points
  5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 51 points

Download Championship Standings

WorldSSP Race Two
A red flag following a Piotr Biesiekirski (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) crash saw Race 2 shortened to just six laps for the WorldSSP field. Starting from pole position, Adrian Huertas was in contention for the victory, but the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team rider suffered a late race crash while battling for the lead.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) emerged victorious with the Italian taking the sixth victory of his career. The win was the rider’s first of the season as he narrowly defeated Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) to the line. The result continued Schroetter’s perfect podium record for the season but the German is still awaiting his first victory.

On the podium for the first time since Estoril 2020, Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) was happy to round out the podium spots. Yari Montella continues to lead the Championship with the Barni Spark Racing Team rider finishing fourth to now hold an 11 point advantage.

WorldSSP Race Two Results

  1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
  2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.086s
  3. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.201s
  4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.681s
  5. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.714s

Download Full Results

WorldSSP Championship Standings

  1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 76 points
  2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 72 points
  3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 65 points
  4. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) 44
  5. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 41

Download Championship Standings

WorldSSP 300
Having switched manufacturers for 2024 Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) immediately showed KTM why he’s a double WorldSSP300 champion. The Dutchman proved his mettle by keeping a cool head to come through from the fourth row of the grid to claim the 12th victory of his career.

The victory was confirmed by the FIM Race Stewards after Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) was handed a post race penalty for causing an accident on the last lap. The penalty dropped the Spaniard to 13th position in the classification. Rookie Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) was classified in second position while Samuel di Sora (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) was third having been forced to start the race from the back of the field.

WorldSSP 300 Race One Results

1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Raging)
2. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +0.040s
3. Samuel Di Sora (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) +0.227s

Download Full Results

WorldSSP 300 Race Two
After a penalty dropped him to 13th position yesterday Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) was officially confirmed as a race winner in the WorldSSP300 class. The Spaniard, in his 44th start, led across the line for the last three laps but critically held off the pack to claim the race victory.

A last corner reshuffle saw Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team) come through for second position and the first ever World Championship podium for the Chinese manufacturer. Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki) finished third.For Race 2 the top nine positions on the grid are set by fastest laps in Race 1. Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) will be rewarded for the fastest lap with pole position.

WorldSSP 300 Race Two Results

1. Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki)
2. Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team) +0.064s
3. Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki) +0.116s

Download Full Results

WorldSSP 300 Championship Standings

1. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) 29 points
2. Iñngo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 28 points
3. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) 25 points

Download Full Standings

 

ASBK Round Two SMSP | Brilliant Waters Victorious Again

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Round two of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) produced a spectacular show for the night races, especially in the Superbike class, as Josh Waters made it back-to-back round wins to kickstart 2024.  Report: Ed Stratmann/ASBK

Stop & Seal’s Tom Toparis (Yamaha) triumphed in the Supersport class.

The support acts that took to the track for round two produced sensational racing as Stop & Seal’s Tom Toparis (Yamaha) triumphed in the Supersport class and Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha) came away with the win in the Race and Road Supersport 300 category.

Read our ASBK Round One 2024 Reports here…

mi-bike insurance Australian Superbike
The McMartin Racing man Josh Waters continued his strong form at the Western Sydney circuit to make it back-to-back across two seasons, while local Sydney rider Cru Halliday (Yamaha) brought home the chocolates with friends and family watching on. While Waters and Halliday were the ultimate stars of the show in the premier class, it was a dirty day for Troy Herfoss (Ducati), who was unable to take the grid in race one, following ongoing issues as a result of a crash in the warm-up session, and then crashed while leading on the second lap of race two.

The round podium featured Waters, Halliday and Broc Pearson.

Race One
With Herfoss failing to complete the warm-up lap due to an electrical gremlin, grid number three was left vacant for the start of race one, where McMartin Racing’s Harrison Voight (Ducati) made a great initial jump, but played cat and mouse with teammate Waters over the first couple of laps as the field sorted themselves out.

Waters retook the lead of the race on lap two and headed an angry pack of Superbikes that included Voight, Halliday, Yamaha Racing’s Mike Jones and Pearson. Lap three saw the red flag come out, as Matt Walters (Aprilia) made a spectacular crash at turn one, with all riders returning to pitlane as officials recovered the motorcycle.

Halliday was victorious in race one on the Yamaha YZF-R1.

At the restart, Waters again got a nice jump to lead the rescheduled 10-lap race from Voight, Halliday, Jones and Penrite Racing’s Max Stauffer (Yamaha). As the race reached the half-way mark, Waters remained in control of his opposition, but would go on a downward slide as his tyres started to wear and fell into the clutches of his closest rivals.

As Halliday passed Voight on lap seven, he then set off on a mission to chase after Waters, where he succeeded in his quest with a nice pass on lap nine. It was clear afterward that the tyre performance of Waters’ Ducati was shot as he came under attack from his teammate, but managed to not succumb to the pressure and held on for second, with Voight third.

Race One Top 5

  1. Cru Halliday
  2. Josh Waters (+0.526)
  3. Harrison Voight (+0.271)
  4. Mike Jones (+0.285)
  5. Cameron Dunker (+6.567)

Race Two
As the rain arrived for race two, the racing initially got going under the lights, but the race was red-flagged moments later, as it became apparent that the track was too wet and greasy for the riders to safely navigate their way around.

With most changing to a wet tyre, just like the opening act, the second encounter was rescheduled to a 10-lap affair, as Waters again led off the start-line. Not a lap would go by before he was passed by the DesmoSport Ducati rider of Herfoss, who played pioneer of the slippery circuit ahead of the field.

“The conditions made it very sketchy, I was really lucky to have stayed on the motorcycle to cross the line first.”

His taste of front-running would be brief, however, as he came off at turn seven, which gave teammate Pearson the race lead. Pearson and Waters would dice at the front for several laps afterwards as the field behind gently cruised around the circuit, taking opportunities to make a pass where the risk of crashing was minimal. Not all riders were lucky to get through the race unscathed, as Glenn Allerton (BMW) crashed on lap nine in the same spot as Herfoss, which promoted Halliday forward.

True to the professional he is, Waters did what he needed to do by taking it easy to the finish line, greeting the chequered flag first and maintaining a solid lead in the championship ahead of Pearson, Stauffer and Halliday. “The conditions made it very sketchy, I was really lucky to have stayed on the motorcycle to cross the line first,” explained Waters. With a second-place finish in race two doubling with third overall for the round, Pearson also took great confidence from this event and looks forward to the season ahead.

Race Two Top 5

  1. Josh Waters
  2. Broc Pearson (+3.678)
  3. Max Stauffer (+4.339)
  4. Cru Halliday (+2.198)
  5. Harrison Voight (+0.184)

Championship Points

  1. Josh Waters – 109.5 points
  2. Cru Halliday – 84 points
  3. Harrison Voight – 82 points
  4. Broc Pearson – 71.5 points
  5. Mike Jones – 61.5 points

Michelin Supersport
Race One
Despite an initial red-flag brought out on the opening lap of race one due to a Luke Sanders (Yamaha) crash at turn four, it did little to deter Toparis’ mindset as he got a great jump over his competitors at the restart and it was immediately evident that he meant business, as he took off and was never headed by his rivals for the remainder of the rescheduled nine-lapper.

Points leader Nahlous threw a spanner in the works for the momentum of Toparis.

And that in itself was clear, with the lap record set on Michelin tyres giving a clear indication to the field that he was prepared to do what was necessary to put them away early and stay out in front.

“We achieved what we set out to do this weekend by taking pole position, two race wins and a new lap record in the Supersport class” Tom Toparis.

With the race virtually over at the half-way mark, it was a battle against the rest as the field sorted themselves out with plenty of moves made. The most significant of the movers and shakers was Mark Chiodo (Honda), who from second on the grid fell to 10th. With Toparis crossing the finish line 3.384 seconds clear of Sean Condon (Yamaha), the top five was rounded out by Jonathan Nahlous (Yamaha), Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha) and Archie McDonald (Yamaha).

Race One Top 5

  1. Tom Toparis
  2. Sean Condon (+3.384)
  3. Jonathan Nahlous (+0.058)
  4. Jake Farnsworth (+6.341)
  5. Archie Mcdonald (+2.322)

Race Two
The opening lap of race two saw the usual flurry of chaos with riders racing to the first couple of corners to get into the best position possible, but the field was quickly brought to a halt as a Hayden Nelson’s (Kawasaki) crash at turn three brought out the red flag. At the restart, points leader Nahlous threw a spanner in the works for the momentum of Toparis with a great jump to lead the opening lap, but it didn’t last long as the Stop & Seal man made a pass for the lead on the second lap. The next several laps saw plenty of great battles as Condon and Nahlous fought over second while Farnsworth and Chiodo had their own scrap for fourth.

With the intensity reaching a climax as the mission to obtain the best outcome possible became the clear focus, it all became too much for Condon and McDonald as they crashed simultaneously at turn four on the final lap, promoting those behind them up two positions.

Nahlous, Toparis and Farnsworth on the podium.

At the finish line, it was Toparis, Nahlous, Farnsworth, Chiodo and Tom Bramich (Yamaha) rounding out the top five. “We achieved what we set out to do this weekend by taking pole position, two race wins and a new lap record in the Supersport class,” insisted a delighted Toparis. Despite not getting a win this weekend, Nahlous remains the championship leader and takes great confidence knowing he is in with a genuine shot of winning the Michelin Supersport Championship.

Race Two Top 5

  1. Tom Toparis
  2. Jonathan Nahlous (+2.952)
  3. Jake Farnsworth (+4.686)
  4. Mark Chiodo (+0.225)
  5. Tom Bramich(+2.933)

Championship Points

  1. Jonathan Nahlous -114
  2. Jake Farnsworth – 85
  3. Tom Bramich – 76
  4. Olly Simpson – 70
  5. Marcus Hamod – 66

Race and Road Supersport 300
Race One
It was Jesse Stroud (Kawasaki) who took the honours in race one under lights at Sydney in Race and Road Supersport 300.Topping the timesheets in practice, and then in qualifying, the Kawasaki racer fought a close battle with his fellow competitors over the eight-lapper, but ultimately came up short as Stroud stole the show under lights for race one. The top five was rounded out by Valentino Knezovic (Yamaha), Ryan Larkin (Yamaha) and Mitch Simpson (Yamaha).

Jesse Stroud (Kawasaki) who took the honours in race one.

Race Two
Aiming to go one better than his outing in race one on Friday night, Newman managed to do just that by leading from start to finish in race two to put himself in a great position heading into race three under lights sitting pretty. The field sorted themselves out behind him as second to sixth were caught in a constant jostle, with the top five at the chequered flag following Newman being Watts, Mitch Simpson (Yamaha), Jesse Stroud (Kawasaki) and Jordan Simpson (Yamaha).

Watts, Knezovic and Newman

Race Three
The start of race three saw the usual scrap for positions as Newman settled in and led the first three laps before the bunched up, slipstreaming action typically seen in this class shone through as riders jostled for position over the ensuing laps to the end. With the heightened intensity that comes with trying to finish in the best position possible at the chequered flag, it all came to a head on the final lap, when an attempted dive bomb by Stroud at turn nine went horribly wrong, as he crashed into Newman who was running third. With an opportunity for those behind to capitalise presenting itself, the mad rush to the finish resulted in a first ASBK victory for Knezovic followed by Will Nassif (Yamaha), Calvin Moylan (Kawasaki), Simpson and Watts.

Championship Points

  1. Joshua Newman -106
  2. Harrison Watts – 106
  3. Valentino Knezovic – 97
  4. Mitch Simpson – 92
  5. Jordy Simpson – 83

Superbike Masters
The popular Superbike Masters class produced some great racing where the legendary motorcycles of old put on a great show, as part of the spectacle that was the ASBK Night Race. The race victories were taken out by Jack Passfield (Yamaha) in races one and two, while Keo Watson (Yamaha) got one back on the former in the final race of the weekend under lights.

Watson, Passfield and Mathers.

Those to feature on the race podiums included Alex Phillis (Suzuki) and Josh Mathers (Yamaha), while Passfield was the overall round winner from Watson and Mathers.

Championship Points

  1. Jack Passfield – 70
  2. Keo Watson – 65
  3. Josh Mathers – 48
  4. Dean Oughtred – 47
  5. Ryan Taylor – 45

Oceania Junior Cup
The two ‘Hunters’ – Corney and Charlett – captured most of the headlines in the ASBK Night Races, with the former claiming the overall honours with a 1-1-3 scorecard and the latter scoring his first class win in race three.

The OJC riders kicked of the racing at SMSP on Friday night, with Corney taking maximum advantage of pole position to win by nearly two seconds ahead of Ethan Johnson, with Nikolas Lazos close behind in third. Corney then produced another powerful performance in race two, using his smarts to cross the line first ahead of Charlett and Connor Lewis – the trio separated by less than half a second.

Rossi McAdam and Lazos completed the top five. “I felt like I did good in the race,” Corney beamed afterwards. “I had a two-second lead and made a mistake that enabled them to catch up to me which is where Charlett passed me on a few occasions. But luckily, I took him back and crossed the line first.”

In race three, Lewis led until lap three before he was passed by Corney and McAdam and then spectacularly crashed out. Corney then looked on track for a three-peat before he erroneously thought the race was over when he was heading into the final lap. He then relinquished the lead and dropped several positions, with Charllett the main benficiary as he claimed his first race win in OJC followed by McAdam, Corney, Lazos and Johnson. “It felt really good to win my first race in OJC,” said Charlett. “I had heaps of fun this weekend, as I was running around at the back of the grid last year, so to be at the front is a sign of how much I’ve improved in 12 months.”

All detailed ASBK Championship class results are here.

The 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul will continue at Queensland Raceway for round three of the championship on April 26-28.

 

Vale Graeme Robert Morris – 14/10/1961 – 25/3/2024 | Australian motorcycle legend

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Australian motorcycle racers and ex racers, officials, industry members, riders and fans woke to sad news recently, with the announcement that Graeme Morris had passed away the day prior, aged 62, after a courageous three year battle with cancer. Graeme’s memorial service is tomorrow in Mayfield, Newcastle, NSW.

Graeme Morris (#5) finished third behind Kevin Curtain and Tony Rees in his final race, the Formula Bathurst races in 2000, he finished third in both heats on a YZF-R1 Superbike. Pic: Keith Muir.

“It is with great sadness that I inform you that our father (Graeme Morris) has past away to bowel cancer yesterday. His courageous battle with bowel cancer over the past three years is a testament to his strength and dedication to be there for his family. He was my best friend, a loving father and the best role model you could ask for. Rest in peace dad”… Aaron Morris

“A loving and caring husband, wonderful father to Ryan, Aaron, Jayden and David”…

“It is with a  very heavy heart and enormous sadness that I advise my wonderful husband of 38 years,  Graeme Robert Morris, has lost his battle with cancer and passed away age 62 on Monday 25th March 2024. A loving and caring husband, wonderful father to Ryan, Aaron , Jayden and David, a brother, son and much loved friend to many”… Wendy Morris

There will be a memorial service for Graeme at Pettigrew Family funerals Mayfield Chapel at 12 noon tomorrow Thursday 4th April. Click here to watch the service live stream.

Graeme was much liked, respected and extremely well known in the industry he was part of for over 40-years. A late starter when it comes to motorcycle racing, Morris was already in his very early 20s before he had a crack at road racing back in 1982 at Oran Park on his own Yamaha RD250LC proddie racer. He would eventually become the first NSW rider to reach A-Grade on production motorcycles.

On the way to third at the Arai 500 in 1985 on the Warren Willing/Yamaha backed RZ250FN production racer, in a comeback from serious injury sustained in 1984 on an RZ500 at Lakeside… Pic: Leone Faivre.

Lots of two-stroke production success followed, and some four-stroke racing including the 1983 Castrol 6-Hour, where he was noticed by Willing, who ended up signing Graeme for the 1984 season riding a trio of Yamaha models (RZ250, RZ500, XJ900), in production racing, with a view to going overseas from 1985 to the world 250GPs.

Unfortunately a serious accident at Lakeside in 1984 left Graeme in rehab and off the track for almost a year. He had been on the RZ500 and it tank slapped him feet-first into the armco at high speed. He was lucky to survive… He would come back in 1985, and dice up front with Mick Doohan and Michael Dowson just to name a few. There is no doubting Morris had the talent to win a world championship.

Graeme and the Maxima CBR600F, a force to be reckoned with. Those that had the fortune to watch Graeme in action, either spectating or on the track with him, will have enjoyed his smooth, extremely quick and compact riding style. He was great to watch. Pic: Keith Muir.

Graeme teamed up with Roy Leslie on the Frasers DDT Ducati 851 Superbike in 1990 and had some great races, before switching to SuperStreet in 1991, winning the serious on his Action Suzuki GSX-R750. From there, it was the start of a dominant number of years in Australian SuperSport 600 riding the Maxima Oils Honda CBR600F models, winning two Australian Supersport titles on the way.

Graeme Morris and Roy Leslie with the Frasers Ducati/Epicycle DDT Ducati 851 Superbikes in 1990.

Proving the extreme talent and experience Morris had, he was riding against riders like Troy Bayliss and Fred Bayens. Then, into the mid 1990s, taking many wins against the likes of Andrew Pitt, Kevin Curtain, Dean Thomas, Paul Young, Mal Campbell, Shawn Giles, Damon Buckmaster, Paul Free, Sean Brenton, Warwick Nolan just to name a few top riders Graeme gave a hard time to on track in the 600 class, where he was older than most of the field by a fair margin, too.

On the way to his second victory of the 1993 Bathurst weekend on the Maxima CBR600F, Morris also won both 600 races in 1994. Pic: Graeme Munro.

Away from the racetrack Morris was extremely well known, having worked in the motorcycle industry much of his life after completing his trade as a fitter and machinist out of school. After he retired from racing following the 2000 Bathurst superbike podium, Graeme opened up Graeme Morris Motorcycles in Newcastle, which became a thriving shop and the place where we picked up our CFMOTO and KYMCO press bikes. It was a great family business, which ran for over 20-years until the family closed up to concentrate on Graeme’s fight against this horrible disease. Our condolences go to all of Graeme’s family and friends, and we will have a multi part series on Graeme in the near future. Jeff Ware. 

Graeme Robert Morris – 14/10/1961 – 25/3/2024. Pic: Alex Gobert.

RACING NEWS | AUSSIES RACING ABROAD APRIL 2024

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Our homegrown talent has been battling it out on track and making us proud! Check out our monthly column that follows all things Aussies racing Internationally on and off-road, from MotoGP to AMA Motocross. This month we have lots of updates! Words: Ed Stratmann

With many Australians showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines both on-track and off-road, our latest column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes. This month we have Jack Miller, Senna Agius, Jacob Roulstone, Joel Kelso, Remy Gardner, Oli Bayliss, Tom Edwards, Jett Lawrence and Hunter Lawrence.

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
Jack Miller’s endured a mixed start to the 2024 MotoGP season, with one unsatisfactory and one positive result. Kicking things off with a tough opener in Qatar, where an early fall dashed his hopes of achieving a strong outcome, this wasn’t ideal at all. But, to his credit, the popular pilot remounted to valiantly finish in 21st.

Moving on to Portugal, and he enjoyed a far better time at the iconic circuit, with his fifth on Friday and in the sprint underlining his speed and skill ahead of the Sunday action. The #43 then carried on the theme of the weekend by securing fifth in the main race despite encountering some tire problems to pick up some quality points to propel himself to ninth in the standings.

Miller took third place and that's now premier class podiums with three different bikes, as well as his first GP rostrum visit with KTM.

“We still have a bit of work to do but this was a massive improvement over Qatar.”

“I wanted a little bit more today. I wanted to go with the boys at the front early on but just didn’t quite have the pace mid-corner to get my claws-in and hang on for the [tire] drop. We got a bit lucky with some of the crashes at the end there…but we’ll take it. We have to have some luck sometimes! We still have a bit of work to do but this was a massive improvement over Qatar. The bike has plenty of potential, so we’ll do our homework, look at the data and come back for another go in Austin,” Miller mused.

Senna Agius – Moto2
Making steady progress in Portugal following his difficult weekend in Qatar, where he battled tire issues to ultimately claim 17th, Portimao was a valuable step in the right direction for Senna Agius. Gaining a boost of confidence by getting fourth in Q1, this held him in good stead to enjoy a solid weekend full of vital track time and learning.

Eventually clinching 13th in qualifying, not far off the pacesetters, Agius headed to Sunday aiming to secure a points scoring position. And that’s what he did, even though he was handed a long lap penalty for a pass when the yellow flag was out, to ride to 14th. Getting better with every passing race and gaining crucial experience in the elite confines of Moto2, expect him to keep levelling up when the series heads to America.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling. The first points of the season and the gap to the winner was the smallest I’ve had in the championship so far. Anyway, the first five laps were a good improvement, but during the race I had a little problem when I did an overtake under the yellow flag,” he reflected.

“A big thank you to the team, we are working well because I felt the best all weekend today and we are competitive.”

“Nevertheless, I had to give back the position and so I had to ride super slowly. In the end, the situation was a bit confusing, and it turned into a long lap penalty. So, I thought I’d do my best afterwards and bring the points home. A big thank you to the team, we are working well because I felt the best all weekend today and we are competitive. Unfortunately, the top ten slipped away from us due to one or two mistakes, but the most important thing is that we made a good step in pace and the overall feeling is good. A big thank you to the whole LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP team for the weekend, we are ready for Texas.”

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3
Having began his rookie campaign in Moto3 under the Tech3 awning with a solid 10th at the opening round, young Aussie flyer Jacob Roulstone backed that up with an 11th in Portugal. Making improvements all the time with the bike and in terms of his riding while he adapts to the class, Roulstone’s navigated the step up admirably so far.

“Quite happy with the race. I left it all out there, which was the main thing. The only thing that could be better was my first laps and I need to be more aggressive. Still, it was a step up from Qatar. I fought my way back as much as I could. The bike felt really good with a couple of changes we made for the race. The team is leading the championship, which is great, and I learnt a lot today.”

“The team is leading the championship, which is great, and I learnt a lot today.”

Immediately shifting his focus to Texas, it’ll be intriguing to see if he can keep along his upward trajectory and keep making strides in all areas.

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Starting his 2024 term with a handy eighth in Qatar on a night that could’ve been even better if his tires didn’t deteriorate so severely, Joel Kelso is proving what a class act he is. Continuing to flex his muscles in Moto3, the Australian’s speed was tremendous all weekend at Portimao, for the man who loves the thrilling circuit let his riding do all the talking.

Stamping his mark in the early sessions before bagging second in qualifying, this set him up nicely to put his best foot forward in the race. In the fight for victory throughout, super comfortable mixing it with the frontrunners and gelling superbly with the bike, Kelso ended the bout in fifth to round out a brilliant weekend of action.

“It was a good weekend, we worked really well. In the race the bike was perfect, so I’m really happy with how everything went.”

“We scored some good points today. It was a pity not to finish on the podium, but overall it was a very good race. In Moto3 it’s like a lottery, there are a lot of fights and anything can happen in the front group. It was a good weekend, we worked really well. In the race the bike was perfect, so I’m really happy with how everything went. We will have many more opportunities, the season is very long, it’s not how it starts, it’s how it ends. Every race we are stronger and we are already fighting at the front, we have shown that we are candidates for the victory,” he explained.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike
Although he knows there’s huge scope for refinement, the second stop on the WorldSBK calendar didn’t treat Remy Gardner too badly. Looking fast from the off and slotting neatly inside the top five in the early free practice session before nailing down eighth on the grid for race one, a frustrated Gardner battled with tire life to finish 15th.

Sunday saw an uptick in performance after some bike adjustments, though, allowing him to record ninth in the superpole race and sixth in race two, which was amended to seventh due to him being docked a spot for exceeding track limits on the last lap.

“The pace overall was good and in the sprint race everyone was close and I managed to finish ninth”…

“The day was okay, I think we made the correct choices. The pace overall was good and in the sprint race everyone was close and I managed to finish ninth, which allowed me to start again from the third row in race two. Then, I had a good getaway gaining places, ending up fighting for the top five; in the last lap I tried everything I could and crossed the line in sixth before being demoted to seventh due to track limits. I don’t think that’s right, even after checking, but it is what it is,” he insisted.

“We come back home scoring valuable points and being aware that we could enjoy a strong weekend in Assen. I’d like to thank the team for the great job done and the support, see you in the Netherlands.”

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Mixing the ups and downs in Catalunya, Oli Bayliss left round two with many positives to extract in his quest to get back to a level resembling his best. Struggling in the early stages of the event, which led to him only managing to grasp 17th and 21st in the superpole race and race one respectively, it was terrific to see him flip the script for the final race.

Blasting through the field in the red flag interrupted race, there was much to admire how Bayliss surged from 24th to 11th in just six laps. Showcasing his capabilities emphatically and giving himself a real injection of confidence, he’ll be eager to translate this momentum into Assen in April.

“It wasn’t an easy weekend, I struggled more than expected, but we did a good job in understanding what needed to be changed”…

“Obviously it feels good to finish the weekend off with a pretty good result, considering my starting position after the red flag. It wasn’t an easy weekend, I struggled more than expected, but we did a good job in understanding what needed to be changed and things went differently today. From my side, we know what I need to improve come qualifying in Assen and for the remainder of the year. Thank you to the team and all the sponsors for their great support,” recalled Bayliss.

Chomping at the bit to get stuck in and stamp his mark again in the Challenge category that competes in the European World Supersport rounds, it'll be fascinating seeing if he can adapt quickly to the Ducati after being on a Yamaha.

Tom Edwards – World Supersport
Heading into the opening WorldSSP Challenge round mentally and physically in top shape, Tom Edwards was full of excitement that he could assert his authority early on a track he’d previously shown speed at. The Aussie did precisely that in his first outing with the D34G Racing squad to bank the win in his class, plus prove he has the pace to mix it with some of the WorldSSP heavy hitters.

While his weekend began on the wrong foot with a technical gremlin that the team subsequently resolved and a crash in race one, Edwards stuck at it manfully to produce an excellent second stanza to win his category by virtue of his 13th place finish (just behind Bayliss).

“Obviously. I was very disappointed with the race one crash, but we managed to make amends today”…

“I am happy with today and the weekend overall and I think it is a positive start to the season. Obviously. I was very disappointed with the race one crash, but we managed to make amends today – this is racing, after all. I feel like we have much more potential, and I am excited for what is ahead with the D34G Racing team. The team and I have learned a lot together over the weekend and are ready to fight further up the field in Assen. Big thanks to all the team who worked their hardest all week,” read his statement on the team’s website.

Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Currently leading the championship by 16 points having won three of the last four races, Jett Lawrence continues to captivate audiences across the globe in AMA Supercross. Clearly the fastest man in the absolutely stacked 450 division, it’s been a joy to watch the Aussie sensation strut his stuff in March, and over the course of the campaign as a whole.

Although his three race winning streak this month was broken in Seattle, the fact he picked up third was fine, in a race where mistakes cost him. Owning the fastest lap time in the main event by over a second, an unfortunate incident with eventual winner Cooper Webb, in combination with some extra missteps, ensured he was unable to reign supreme in this one. Nonetheless, Jett still remains the man to beat with seven rounds left, as the series heads to St. Louis.

Jett still remains the man to beat with seven rounds left, as the series heads to St. Louis.

“It was a bit of an up-and-down day – good qualifying, good heat race, not that good of a start in the main. I had a really good flow for the first 10 minutes and started catching the guys in front of me. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t check up when I caught second in the sand and took the fall. I still got away with a third. I lost some points overall, but I’m excited to get them back in St. Louis,” Lawrence stated.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Considering he’s suffering with a lingering shoulder injury that kept him out of Birmingham, Hunter Lawrence deserves immense credit for charging through the pain barrier since. Indeed, his latest body of work in Seattle was a testament to the tenacious #96’s mental and physical fortitude, where he won his heat race, just like his brother, and went on to secure seventh in the main.

“It was awesome to get my first career heat-race win”…

“It was awesome to get my first career heat-race win; I wish we had the same kind of start in the main. I struggled the first 10 minutes, but I felt like I caught fire in the last half of the race and caught a bunch of guys, so that was epic. Thanks to the team because we put in a ton of work lately, and I can feel it paying off,” he concluded.

More than holding his own in the premier class, it’ll be a case of more of the same for Hunter in St. Louis, as the 250 champ’s next aim will be grabbing a coveted 450 podium finish.

 

ASBK | Sydney Round This Weekend, Download Official Program Here!

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The mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) has finally returned to Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) for Rd2 of the 2023 season, this time under lights!

The 2024 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance ASBK presented by Motul switches into night mode for round two at SMSP this weekend. There’s a packed on-track schedule across both days (Friday and Saturday), with no racing on Sunday. Check out the ticketing details and download a program. Press: ASBK/Mark Fattore.

With 10 minutes remining, Halliday and Staring took to the circuit, while Josh Waters quietly went to P1 with a 1:29.071.

Download the full ASBK Round Two Program here…

And when Australia’s best riders aren’t punching and counterpunching around the 3.93km grand prix circuit, there’s a wide variety of activities for the whole family including the ASBK pit-walk and fan engagement experiences, and the opportunity to rub shoulders and grab an autograph and selfie from seven ASBK legends: Chris Vermeulen, Garry McCoy, Steve Martin, Troy Corser, Peter Goddard, Mat Madlin and Robbie Phillis.

Corser and fellow ASBK ambassador Steve Martin will also continue the popular ASBK Pillion Program for lucky patrons, while Corser, Vermeulen, McCoy and Phillis will also feature in a Superbike Masters parade on Saturday night.

Check out our ASBK Round One report here…

The ASBK Fan Zone and Trade Alley will also be in full swing, complete with a giant screen for the ASBK TV feed, manufacturer and industry displays and a wide variety of food options. For the kids, there’s the ASBK Mini Moto Program – a 50cc mini motorcycle experience that is free on Saturday afternoon, with all gear supplied.

ALPINETARS SUPERBIKE
The overriding question in the Alpinestars Superbike category is if anyone can interrupt the march of three-time champion Josh Waters and his McMartin Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R. After just missing out on a fourth ASBK title last year after being overrun by a fast-finishing Troy Herfoss, Waters is doubly keen and fully fit to reclaim the honour. The sample size in 2024 is still relatively small – three races at the Phillip Island opener in February – but Waters’s clean sweep at the seaside venue was a carbon copy of 2023.

Ominously, he then went onto score maximum points at Sydney Motorsport Park as well, so will history repeat itself in 2024? The lap record holder at Sydney Motorsport Park is undoubtedly the favourite, but it certainly wasn’t outright domination at Phillip Island as he was pushed to the limit by his teenage teammate Harrison Voight and Herfoss, now on a DesmoSport Ducati in an ‘event-by-event’ commission after winning last year’s championship on a Honda.

Buy tickets here…

While the trio ultimately battled for the race wins, it was just as intense behind as the likes of Yamaha Racing Team duo Cru Halliday and Mike Jones, Bryan Staring (MotoGo Yamaha) and Anthony West (Addicted to Track Yamaha) were involved in rolling scrums.

Waters may have won, but it was Voight who announced himself on the big stage in truly emphatic fashion. He’s not only second in the Alpinestars Superbike standings, but also set a new lap record around Phillip Island. Voight and Waters both won races at the western Sydney venue during the recently completed St George Summer Night Series and, with no team orders, Voight is primed to stand on the top step of the podium at least once before he begins his European Moto2 campaign in Italy next month.

And don’t discount Herfoss, who’s on a high after a superb performances in the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligans classes during his return to the American racing scene in Daytona. No doubt he will use that experience to his advantage alongside teammate Broc Pearson as he aims to defend his title – notwithstanding his commitments in America. Josh Waters opened his 2024 Alpinestars Superbike account with a clean sweep at Phillip Island. Meanwhile, the mercurial Halliday will be a definite threat in Sydney after a 2-3 scorecard in 2023, and the rejuvenated West – the reigning New Zealand Superbike champion – will be aiming to climb on the podium.

Then there is three-time champion Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW), who is back to somewhere near full fitness after a massive crash at Sydney Motorsport Park in February. And don’t forget the two youngsters in the class on the Penrite Racing Yamahas: best buddies Max Stauffer and Cameron Dunker. It’s Max’s third year in the class but for Dunker it will be his second meeting on the YZF-R1 after claiming last year’s Supersport Championship on the day he turned the spritely age of 16!

Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing Yamaha) will again be pushing hard in the 24-rider field, while his fellow South Aussie Ty Lynch (AMR Motorsports Yamaha) will be making his Superbike debut after finishing third in the 2023 Supersport title. The two 13-lap Alpinestars Superbike races will be held at 4:55pm and 9:10pm on Saturday.

MICHELIN SUPERSPORT
The Michelin Supersport Championship has a new rising star on the scene in the shape of Jonathan Nahlous – and if Phillip Island is any indication, he will be a household name very soon. After serving his apprenticeship in the Oceania Junior Cup and Supersport 300 classes, “JJ” – as he prefers to be called – is now in his second year of Supersport, and he began the season in a blaze of glory at Phillip Island on his Yamaha.

He claimed new qualifying and lap records and backed it up with three dominant victories, the smallest winning margin by 2.4 seconds over Tom Bramich (Yamaha) in race three.bWhether he can continue that stellar form under lights in Sydney will be another matter as the Michelin Supersport field is the strongest it has been for some time with a healthy combination of experience and those graduating from the feeder classes.

One rider with plenty of experience is two-time Australian Supersport champion, Tom Toparis (Yamaha), who will hold off on his Superbike debut and remain in a class he knows well. Toparis is yet to score championship points after he focussed on a World Supersport wildcard at Phillip Island.

Other contenders in the two 11-lappers include the battle-hardened Olly Simpson (Yamaha), who’s second in the 2024 standings behind Nahlous and in front of Jake Farnsworth (Yamaha), Bramich – in comeback mode after a knee reconstruction in 2023 – reigning Supersport 300 champion Marcus Hamod (Honda), Hayden Nelson (Kawasaki), Archie McDonald (Yamaha) and Mark Chiodo (Honda).

RACE AND ROAD SUPERSPORT 300
The form guide for the Race and Road Supersport 300 category at Sydney Motorsport Park is wide open, so picking a winner is anyone’s guess. While there was a Czech ‘interloper’ at the first round – Petr Svoboda – who won two of the three races, he certainly got the hurry up from the local stars, including ex-OJC and FIM MiniGP champion Harrison Watts who has found a new life with a Kawasaki.

Another Kawasaki rider who impressed at the Island was Joshua Newman, who is second in the standings. Newman will be at his home track and knocking on the door for his first win in the class.

Yamaha quartet Ryan Larkin, Mitch Simpson, Valentino Knezovic and Lincoln Knight will also be in the mix, and there’s a sharp-shooter from New Zealand making his ASBK debut – Jesse Stroud (Kawasaki), the son of nine-time NZ Superbike champion, multiple Daytona Battle of the Twins winner and former 500GP and WorldSBK rider, Andrew Stroud. Jesse recently won the Supersport 300 class in both the NZ TT and NZ championship, and he’ll now attempt to carry that winning form over into the Race and Road Supersport 300 class in Sydney.

Unfortunately, one rising star who will be missing across the three eight-lap races is Tara Morrison (Kawasaki), the daughter of ex-stunt rider Allan Morrison. She crashed in last weekend’s combined Victoria-SA Championships at The Bend and broke a collarbone, which is a bitter pill to swallow after she claimed her maiden podium at Phillip Island.

BLU CRU OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
The opening round of the 2024 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park, with the FIM Oceania and Dorna Sports-supported academy continuing to provide a clear pathway for riders to progress to international categories such as the Asia Talent Cup and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

And in 2024 history has already been made with Jacob Roulstone, who was an OJC competitor in 2019 and is now a full-time world championship grand prix rider in the Moto3 class for KTM. And in more exciting news, the 2024 bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup now has Australian championship status as well.

With the little kids with big dreams strutting their talents alongside the best riders in Australia, all the riders will be aboard identical race-prepped Yamaha YZF-R15s.

SUPERBIKE MASTERS
The big historic machines return in 2024 across three rounds of the ASBK Championship, starting at the ASBK Night Race. Among the 25-strong entry list is Garry McCoy on a Yamaha TZ750, Alex Phillis on a Suzuki XR69, defending Superbike Masters champion Keo Watson on a Yamaha FZR1000, Ryan Taylor on a Suzuki Katana, Cory Glock on a Suzuki GSX-R750 and Robert Young on a Ducati 888.

Sureflight Superbike Masters.

All the machines are exquisitely prepared, so wander into the paddock – entry is free – to check them out and talk to the riders who have motorcycle racing history coursing through their bodies 24/7.

Historic debut of the Ducati Desmo450 MX in the Italian Motocross Championship

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The Ducati Desmo450 MX ridden by Alessandro Lupino has taken pole and a victory on debut in the Motocross Pro-Prestige MX1 Italian Championship, finishing second overall in the first round of 2024. The win marks Ducati’s return to MX racing and represents the first step in the birth of a complete range. Press: Ducati

In the first round of the Italian MX1 Championship, held on the International Circuit of Mantua, the eight-time Italian Champion, after having set the best benchmark both in free practice and in qualifying, led the opening heat from the first to the last lap. In the second heat, after a difficult start, Lupino finished seventh after a great comeback, sealing the second overall place in the round.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding: “This weekend in Mantua we wrote another chapter in the history of Ducati. Alessandro Lupino and our team gave us some great fun and, despite it being the first motocross race in our recent history, we immediately demonstrated outstanding performance. Best time in free practice, pole and victory in the first heat are truly a debut that lives up to expectations: we have gathered a lot of information which will be fundamental to best develop the bike that will be available to all enthusiasts next year. Congratulations to Alessandro and our entire off-road team, a fantastic start to a new story of sport and passion.”

Alessandro Lupino, official rider of the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team: “These were two very exciting days, my debut with the Ducati was truly a dream: they told me it would be, but today I experienced it! Feeling like a Ducatista is a truly special sensation. Congratulations to all the guys who worked on this project, because in a very short time they created a spectacular bike, with a lot of potential, doing an incredible job. Together we wrote a page of history: first pole and first heat victory for the Ducati Desmo450 MX. Unfortunately, the second heat didn’t go as I would have liked: I got the start wrong and wasn’t able to recover. But that’s okay, now the engineers have the data to analyse two completely different situations!”

Sunday’s two heats allowed Ducati engineers to collect the first important data to continue the development of the Desmo450 MX which, upon its debut, has confirmed the validity of the technical base of the prototype. The focus of the Ducati Off-Road project is a combination of the search for lightness pushed to the extreme, top-of-the-line components and engines characterised by a very broad delivery curve. The latter is obtained thanks to the utilisation of the Desmodromic system, used on all the sports bikes of the Borgo Panigale company starting from MotoGP. Ducati is in fact the only company in the world that uses the same valve return system on its highest performing production motorcycles as it uses on racing prototypes.

The next round of the Italian Motocross Championship is scheduled for 27 and 28 April on the Cingoli (MC) circuit. In the meantime, the tests of the Ducati Corse R&D – Factory MX Team will continue together with Alessandro Lupino and Tony Cairoli, present in Mantua to support the eight-time Italian Motocross Champion.

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PitBoard.com.au brings you the latest news, features and results in motorcycle racing from MotoGP, WorldSBK to ASBK and local club as well as some off-road.

We have features on track days, motorcycle racing, set up, track guides, tech tips and race schools and so much more.

If you're into motorcycle sport and track culture, then you'll find it all here! Jeff Ware, Publisher.

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