The Aussie Flat Track Nationals Have Arrived

By

-

September 29, 2022

The Aussie Flat Track Nationals (AFTN) is set to launch on October 29 & 30, 2022 as Australia’s best flat track racers battle it out for cash and prizes over both TT and Flat Track layouts at Appin, south-west of Sydney.

The two-round, two-day inaugural AFTN has been designed to give riders and spectators alike an opportunity to understand what the series is about before heading into a larger scale multi-state series in 2023.

Each AFTN race day will consist of practice, qualifying and five races per class, varying in length from six to fifteen laps. The format has been carefully considered to offer competitors not only great track time, but also a point-score style tally where the points earned in each race count for not only the round results but the overall championship, giving riders the opportunity to chase their championship down if they have a bad race.

Classes of Competition:

Pro 450 – 450cc 4-stroke | MX Frame | 19-inch flat track tyre | 16+
Pro Street – 499cc 4-stroke and above | Street Frame – multi cylinder* Any wheel combination (in line with dirt track rules) | 16+
Pro Twins – 499cc 4-stroke and above | Street Frame – Twin cylinder* | 19-inch flat track tyre | 16+
Pro Open – 451cc – 691cc 2 or 4-stroke | MX Frame | Any wheel combination (in line with dirt track rules) | 16+
Clubman 250 – 250cc 2 or 4-stroke | MX Frame | Any wheel combination (in line with dirt track rules) | 16+
Clubman 450 – 251cc – 450cc 2 or 4-stroke | MX Frame | Any wheel combination (in line with dirt track rules) | 16+
Junior Lites – 150cc 2-stroke or 250cc 4-stroke | MX Frame | 19-inch flat track tyre | 13 – U16 years

Designed with clear intentions to lift the profile of the discipline and the riders that participate, while also giving those that succeed a path that aligns with similar style racing in the US and Europe on 19″ flat track tyres. Entries for the AFTN Appin double-header are set to open later this week. Stay tuned to AFTN social channels, supporting media and www.AFTN.com.au for details when entries open.

Triumph Announce 2024 MXGP Factory Team

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

This landmark new Triumph Racing Team has been set-up in partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, who will field two of Triumph's all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 MX2 class.

Triumph Motorcycles confirms plans to compete in the prestigious FIM Motocross World Championship in 2024, with a factory-supported race programme under an all-new Triumph Racing banner. Details are still very scarce, but here is what Triumph have released about the new Motocross team!

This landmark new Triumph Racing Team has been set-up in partnership with Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni, one of the sport’s most experienced and successful team owners, who will field two of Triumph’s all-new 250cc 4-stroke MX bikes in the 2024 MX2 class and will add an entry into the 450cc MXGP class in 2025.

Under the new Triumph Racing banner, which will now cover all of Triumph’s racing-related activities including Moto2 and Supersport racing, the partnership between Triumph and Thierry will encompass his well-established and highly successful team structure and facilities. Triumph also say they’re pleased announce that his long-standing Team Manager, Vincent Bereni, will continue leading the team with a full crew of highly experienced technical staff all focused on bringing Triumph to the pinnacle of motocross racing performance.

Triumph say new long-term partnership between the brand and Thierry reflects a shared goal and commitment to build depth and success into Triumph Racing’s approach to competition. As a part of Triumph Racing’s portfolio of commitments, Thierry and Vincent’s team will focus on the FIM Motocross World Championship – in MX2 and MXGP, together with development of technology and talent to build Triumph’s future strength in international motocross racing.

Thierry and Vincent’s past racing record speaks for itself – with over 80 MXGP World Championship victories and a huge reputation for technical and preparation excellence. Backed by Triumph’s in-house motocross design engineering department, which is responsible for the concept and development of its all-new MX and Enduro motorcycle range, Triumph Racing is committed to building its resources and performance capability with world-class knowledge and experience.

Triumph Racing is based at Triumph’s Global Headquarters in Hinckley, UK, where the brand’s research, design, engineering development and prototype build are located, and the Motocross World Championship team will be based at Thierry’s race facility near Eindhoven in Holland, where race team personnel, operations and competition development will be housed. Engineering groups at the Triumph factory and the race team are working closely together on continuously enhancing chassis and engine performance through an intensive testing schedule underway in the US, UK and mainland Europe, building towards the first MX2 Grand Prix of the 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship.

Testing of the new Triumph motocross and enduro bikes is well underway and information on the specifications, performance characteristics and components of each model will be released in due course, along with more news on Triumph Racing’s entry into further top-tier Championships.

Nick Bloor – CEO, Triumph: “Our new partnership with Thierry demonstrates Triumph’s long-term commitment to competing at the highest levels of racing. We share a passion for delivering world-class performance, and the experience Thierry and his team bring will prove invaluable in our ambition to make our mark on a very competitive championship. Our entry into the FIM Motocross World Championship with a Factory supported Triumph Racing team signifies a landmark moment at the beginning of our new top-tier off-road racing campaign”.

Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni – Triumph Racing Team Owner (MX2 and MXGP): “Triumph have made a major commitment to build an MX bike and go racing in the FIM World Motocross Championship. I am happy that my team is going to be the official Triumph Racing Team in MX2 and MXGP. Nick Bloor and the Triumph Board of Directors have made their long-term ambitions for the project very clear and I see a huge amount of passion from everyone at the Factory. I am happy with progress on the bike, it looks great, has speed on the track and Vincent and my staff are working with the engineers at Hinckley on building it into a competitive package for entry into the MX2 Championship in 2024. MXGP continues to grow around the world, I am very happy to be back and looking forward to going racing with Triumph”.

David Luongo – CEO, Infront Moto Racing: “It is a great news! Probably one the most important in recent years. Infront Moto Racing will welcome a new manufacturer in the MX2 and MXGP World Championship. We are talking about one of the most emblematic motorcycle brands in the world. Triumph will join our championship from 2024 with a full program in MX2 and MXGP categories. This is a very important announcement and is a fantastic sign about the interest and the importance of MXGP in the international motorsport scene. During the last 20 years, MXGP has been growing and has established globally. With an average of 19 events per year, it gives the best platform for manufacturers to develop their bikes, components and to advertise them worldwide. From Asia to South America, going through Europe, MXGP is covering all the different markets and is touching most of the off-road fans in the world. It is with a great pride and excitement that we welcome Triumph to MXGP and we wish them a lot of success in the years to come and a great competition with the other Factory Teams already present!”

Jeremy Appleton – Global Racing Manager, Triumph: “The launch of Triumph Racing is a pivotal step in our journey to bring Triumph to the pinnacle of racing across an even wider range of disciplines. Building on Triumph’s success as the sole engine supplier to the Moto2 World Championship and our participation in Supersport racing, the move into MX2 and MXGP opens the door on a strategically important new chapter in top-tier off-road racing. We well know the demands of World Championship competition and that is the reason for forming the partnership with Thierry. Together with Vincent, their approach to racing and development of performance is impressive and we are looking forward to building the project together and adding to the success that they have already achieved in the Motocross World Championship”

Ricky Carmichael – Global Off-Road Ambassador, Triumph: “I’m really excited about today’s news. It’s been a long time coming. Since the start of this project with Triumph, I have been amazed at just how hard everyone has been working. It must not go without mentioning, the whole R&D and engineering group that have been a part of the development of the motorcycles have done an absolutely incredible job. From the first stages of the prototypes, I was really taken back at how well the performance was, since then, being in the UK testing the newest developments, I can tell you that it has the capabilities of winning at the highest level and I personally believe the riders, from professional to amateur, across the entire range of off-road models, will really like what has been developed!”

Remy Gardner To Race In WorldSBK 2023 Season

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

As the 2022 WorldSBK Championship continues to deliver title twists, the 2023 grid is forming and a big name is coming to join the WSBK family. Remy Gardner will switch from the MotoGP Championship, where he’s been aboard the Tech 3 KTM RC16 and join the GYTR GRT Yamaha WSBK Team.

The 2021 Moto2 World Champion will switch paddocks after his rookie season in MotoGP, and bringing Australian representation to the World Superbike family for 2023.

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager, welcomed Gardner into the family: “Remy is an exciting young talent, who boasts an impressive career inside the Grand Prix paddock. We are obviously delighted to have a rider on board who’s not only shown great progression but has experience at the top level of motorcycle racing. We believe that he is the perfect fit for Yamaha’s WorldSBK programme and are keen to see what he can do on one of our R1 WorldSBK machines. We’d also like to thank Garrett Gerloff for his commitment to Yamaha these past three seasons and we wish him all the best for the future.”

Team manager Filippo Conti likewise welcomed Gardner, and paid respect to Gerloff, who leaves the team at the end of the year: “We are delighted to welcome Remy to our team. He fits perfectly with our programme and is a top rider who has proven his abilities as a World Champion in the Grand Prix paddock. We strongly believe he will be a great asset for Yamaha and the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. At the same time, we would like to thank Garrett for the three years we have spent together. We are parting ways at the end of the season but highly respect him, so wish him all the best.”

Jack Miller Announces Team Mates For ASBK Finale

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

It was always unlikely that Jack Miller would be the sole rider in the Thriller Motorsport garage, ASBK have now announced some additional riders set to descend upon The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia as part of the 2022 finale from 25-27 November. Check out the international lineup!

The Bend Motorsport Park, Adelaide, Australia. 4 December, 2021. Autograph signing session. Jack Miller Photo: Optikal — It was always unlikely that Jack Miller would be the sole rider in the Thriller Motorsport garage, ASBK have now announced some additional riders set to descend upon The Bend Motorsport Park.

Josh Hook: The newly crowned 2022 Endurance World Champion was at The Bend in 2021 and will be back again, this time alongside good friend Jack Miller. “Hooky” will race in Alpinestars Superbikes.

Marcel Schrötter: The Twenty-nine-year-old German motorcycle racer is currently with Liqui Moly Intact GP competing in Moto2 where he is a regular top ten finisher. Marcel will also compete in the Alpinestars Superbike class at The Bend finale.

With teammate Gino Rea suffering a horrific head injury following a frightening crash, Hook and Mike de Meglio were forced to compete as a two man team while their colleague was in intensive care. — The newly crowned 2022 Endurance World Champion was at The Bend in 2021 and will be back again, this time alongside good friend Jack Miller. “Hooky” will race in Alpinestars Superbikes.

Harrison Voight: The sixteen-year-old Queenslander recently raced in Moto3 at the San Marino GP event, finishing 23rd. His regular race category is the Red Bull Rookies Cup where he is a top ten contender. Harry will compete in the Michelin Supersport 600 class at The Bend Finale.

For Peter Doyle, CEO of Motorcycling Australia, the growing numbers in the Thriller Motorsport team is a boost to the event and the finale: “Last year Jack came back to- as he put it; have some fun with his mates, and the three riders announced today shows he’s really continuing that commitment to the event and to having fun..! It will be great to welcome back Josh (Hook) and Harrison (Voight) to the ASBK paddock and for Marcel (Schrötter) I am sure it will be an interesting debut in both the Championship and a first time at the world-class Bend circuit”

Harrison Voight will be back in Australia racing a Supersport 600 machine at The Bend for the ASBK Finale... — Harrison Voight will be back in Australia racing a Supersport 600 machine at The Bend for the ASBK Finale…

“I want to commend Jack for his efforts to bring these quality riders to our event and for fans of Australian motorsport, there’s no better reason to come along or tune in to see what will be an epic finale to season 2022!”

Tickets to the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) finale at The Bend are on sale now via Outix.com.au, thebend.com.au or asbk.com.au.

Tickets On Sale Now For The ASBK Finale At The Bend!

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

Headlined by the premier class Alpinestars Superbikes, the nation’s fastest riders will battle it out at the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) as the riders and their machines return to the fast and challenging 4.9km Circuit at The Bend.

ASBK Talem Bend — This year, seven spectacular national classes will compete for supremacy and glory across the 3-day-event showcasing Australia’s top two-wheeled warriors, alongside the stars of the future.

This year, seven spectacular national classes will compete for supremacy and glory across the 3-day-event showcasing Australia’s top two-wheeled warriors, alongside the stars of the future.

Read last year’s ASBK Finale reports here…

Classes at the ASBK finale will include:

Alpinestars Superbike
Michelin SuperSport
Dunlop SuperSport 300
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup
Superbike Masters
Australian Sidecar Championship

After battling it out all season long, nearly every class will have to wait until their final race on Sunday to crown their champion for season 2022.

For the first time ever, the Superbike Masters and Australian Sidecar Championship will leave their mark on The Bend’s world-class 4.95km International circuit. The amazing sidecars and classic class of Superbike Masters will return to the ASBK line-up, the first occasion that these historic race bikes from the 70s, 80s and 90s will race at the venue.

Miller will be back again, giving Australia's top riders a run for their money on an unfamiliar machine! — Miller will be back again, giving Australia’s top riders a run for their money on an unfamiliar machine!

The finale offers ASBK fans from across Australia the opportunity to kick-start their summer adventures with all GA tickets enjoying a free upgrade to access prime ride ‘n’ view spectator areas. Additionally, all ticket holders will have access to the paddock area where you get up close to the riders and machines.

Tickets are on sale now via Outix.com.au, thebend.com.au or asbk.com.au.

Dr Sam Shahin, Managing Director, The Bend Motorsport Park: “The Bend is thrilled to welcome the Australian Superbike Championship back to South Australia this November. Interest in Superbike racing is at all-time high driven by the wonderful spectacle the category always offers. Intense racing in previous visits to The Bend has already created some memorable highlights, and the 2022 finale promises to be another exciting event for motorcycle fans.”

With all 2022 final broadcast agreements now locked in, ASBK Management say they are pleased to confirm SBS once again as the Official free-to-air TV broadcaster for ASBK for 2022. — The finale offers ASBK fans from across Australia the opportunity to kick-start their summer adventures with all GA tickets enjoying a free upgrade to access prime ride ‘n’ view spectator areas.

Peter Doyle, Motorcycling Australia CEO: “After the runaway success that was last year’s event, the ASBK paddock is very much looking forward to returning to the internationally renowned circuit for what promises to be a fitting finale to season 2022 for all of our categories.’’

Zoe Bettison MP, South Australian Minister for Tourism: “Events like the Superbike Championships provide huge opportunities to showcase once again how South Australia loves an event, and in particular loves motorsport. Not only will the weekend be terrific for race fans, but it will also be a terrific for the region. Historically, visitors tend to explore parts of the stunning Murray River, Lakes & Coorong throughout their time at The Bend – that is great for both the local economy and for our tourism sector.”

MotoGP Gallery: All The Best Shots From Motegi, Japan

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

The Australian flag flew last weekend in Japan for the Motegi round of MotoGP. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a scintillating win at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, hitting the front and never looking back.

Read the race reports here…

MotoGP Reports: All The Action At Motegi, Japan

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

The Australian flag flew last weekend in Japan for the Motegi round of MotoGP. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a scintillating win at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, hitting the front and never looking back.

Jack Miller set the pace in a Ducati Lenovo Team one-two in an extended opening practice session at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, but it could hardly have been closer at the top as Miller headed the three closest in the title fight: Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – and all four were split by just 0.068. Aragon GP winner Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), on the other hand, was just 14th-fastest after a late crash and he’ll be looking for more on Saturday.

With a special timetable in place for the Japanese GP, the premier class’s sole Friday practice session was an extended, 75-minute affair. While that gave teams and riders plenty of flexibility to work on race runs, the threat of rain in Saturday morning’s FP2 session, the only other running before the starting order for Q1 is set, meant that there was always going to be a big emphasis on single-lap pace. Even the appearance of the rain flag, 30 minutes in, for some very light showers was not enough to dissuade anyone, with riders coming on for fresh Michelin slicks at regular intervals.

Miller had a very brief spell at the top inside the first quarter-hour of the session, but it was not until his final run that he really laid down a marker. The ‘Thriller’ leapt from 17th to first with a 1:44.660 as he lapped Motegi with a brand-new soft front tyre and soft rear. Then, despite seemingly being held up by Team Suzuki Ecstar replacement Takuya Tsuda through the Hairpin, he went quicker again with the 1:44.509 which would not be beaten. Just for good measure, Miller clocked a 1:44.549 next time through which would be bettered only by Bagnaia.

By the time everyone had completed their time attacks, Miller was back on top, Bagnaia just behind, and Quartararo moved up with a 1:44.558. Aleix Espargaro, who was only 14th with a minute to go before the chequered flag came out, then pulled out a great lap to end the session fourth and just 0.068 seconds off the very best pace.

Fifth was also a fair bit to write home about as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), who has never ridden around Motegi on a MotoGP™ bike before, rounded out the top five on a 1:44.645 and was top Independent Team rider to boot.

Then comes Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). At Honda’s home track, the number 93 claimed sixth with a 1:44.656 after also proving the initial pace-setter very early in the session. It was an encouraging result for the eight-time World Champion despite displaying obvious shoulder soreness when he got off his RC213V at the end of one run, in what is his second round back following surgery on his right arm. There was one mishap for MM93 though, when he got his leathers snagged on the onboard camera as a crew member wheeled his bike back into the Honda box. Teammate Pol Espargaro finished seventh with a time of 1:44.678.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira took eighth and ninth, respectively, while Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) rounded out the top 10.

Those who will be hoping weather forecasts of rain on Saturday morning don’t come true include Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) in 11th and Bastianini in 14th. Both had late crashes, Zarco at Turn 7 after Bastianini had gone down at Turn 5, and for the latter it could prove to be a big blow to the title hopes which he had breathed life back into with his win just five days ago at Aragon. Splitting them in 13th was Alex Rins, who debuted some eye-catching new aerodynamic pieces (pictured below) on the tail unit of his Team Suzuki Ecstar entry.

MotoGP Motegi Friday Top Three (Full Results Here)

1 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 1’44.509
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.028
3 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.049

Saturday
1071 days is a little less than three years; it’s 50 MotoGP™ races and 25 starts for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). It’s also the time that’s passed since the eight-time World Champion started from pole and what a stage to do it on: the very same Mobility Resort Motegi. After a tough, tough run for Honda, the number 93 gave the factory plenty of reasons to smile on home turf as he danced through the rain to head the grid with a couple of tenths in hand. What will a likely dry race on Sunday bring? We don’t know yet, and Marquez says he doesn’t either. But Saturday was a statement.

The headlines overflowed behind the number 93, too. The highest starting title challenger is Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) on the outside of the second row. Points leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) starts ninth, on the edge of the third. And completing the perfect straight line of the top three title hopefuls all hurrying into Turn 1 in a row comes Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) down in 12th.

Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), meanwhile, crashed on Friday to dent his place on the combined timesheets and then slid out in Q1, so he’ll start P15. One may need to buckle up for quite a Sunday afternoon…

It was certainly a dramatic Saturday. After FP3 was cancelled due to adverse weather and limited daylight time, qualifying got underway for the premier class a little later than scheduled, but the show did not disappoint as the rain abated just enough. Marquez’ display was a stunner, and the last challenger keeping the fight going to the flag was Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as he put in a couple of red sectors. In the end, the South African couldn’t quite complete the deposition and he lines up in P3, but he takes his first MotoGP™ front row. Given the charge we saw only seven days ago, that promises much once the lights go out.

Between Marquez’ goosebump-inducer and BB33’s little piece of history made in third, Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) went from Q1 to second on the grid and ensures Ducati’s roll of 36 races in a row with a bike on the front row keeps going.

Aprilia Racing emerged as the factory team with the best positions on aggregate, with Maverick Viñales in P4 ahead of Q1 graduate Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro in P6. Viñales was another whose first couple of sectors looked to be on to ruin Marquez’ Honda fairytale, but it just came up short.

Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) had an uncharacteristic run in Q2 to end up P7, aiming higher on race day, and the man of the wet weather masterclass in Lombok, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), had a tip off that stopped his pace converting into more than P8 on the grid. Then comes Quartararo, who is top Yamaha but will want to remain top title contender by the flag – and with his closest rivals in a straight line right behind.

Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) completes the top ten, ahead of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), who has taken a step forward this weekend, and Bagnaia in that lowly 12th. In the dry, however, what’s the biggest bet anyone would make against Pecco of late…?

MotoGP Motegi Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – 1’55.214
2 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.208
3 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – +0.323

Motegi Sunday
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a scintillating win at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, hitting the front and never looking back. Behind him, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder came home in a stunning second after a last lap attack on Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with the former taking a second podium of the season from his first ever premier class front row and the latter back on the box for the first time since Barcelona.

Elsewhere for the title contenders there was drama of differing measures, leaving the top three to take home only eight points between them – and they were all scored by Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) despite the fact that he could only manage eighth. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) suffered the first drama as he found his first machine stuck in fuel saving mode and dived into the pits after the Sighting Lap to change, only able to make it up to P16 thereafter, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) created the second as he made a last lap blunder in the battle with Quartararo and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – taking home nil points in the process as he slid out.

The duel into Turn 1 saw Binder move into the lead courtesy of the inside line, as Martin passed Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for second through Turn 3. Miller’s charge started early though, and he made a forceful move for fifth on Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) at Turn 5 and then passed both Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marc Marquez in one fell swoop at the 90 Degree Corner. He then dispatched Binder at the same place before also pinching the lead from Martin not long after, free in the lead and the hammer immediately down. From there, he didn’t look back and only extended the gap – crossing the line three and a half seconds clear for a stunning Thriller of a win.

In classic Binder style, the South African was chipping away at the gap to Martin ahead of him and by the last few laps was within striking distance. But he waited, and Binder vs Martin was decided on the last lap as the KTM rider chose his moment, making it stick and able to pull out a few tenths. Marquez vs Oliveira vs Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was similarly decided late, with Marquez dispatching the Portuguese rider late on and the number 88 then left to defend against Marini. That he did, repelling an attack on the final lap.

Marquez’ fourth place from pole is another step in the right direction as the number 93 begins to remind the grid, if they needed it, that he really is back, and Oliveira’s fifth wasn’t quite a podium but it makes two KTMs in the top five. Marini, meanwhile, continues his impressive consistency and points hauls in sixth.

Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) took seventh, and the number 12 was just to the front of a title fight in miniature: Quartararo, Bagnaia and Bastianini, all in a row and battling for eighth. Bagnaia snatched ninth back from Bastianini through Turn 12/Turn 13 on Lap 20 after an earlier shuffle, and that gave him a clear shot at Quartararo. Could he or even would he? The three were incredibly close together and Pecco misjudged it as the front tyre said no more, and he slid out. Quartararo continued to take those eight points, Bagnaia took a 0 after his overambitious move – his words, to accompany his sarcastic applause at himself as he walked away – and Bastianini inherited ninth. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.

So what of Aleix Espargaro? The Aprilia rider had a different tyre than his race choice on the second bike, and that hampered an already difficult comeback task. He took P16, finishing but just missing out on points.

That’s a wrap on the paddock’s return to Japan. After mayhem in Motegi, Quartararo’s World Championship lead has grown to 18 over Bagnaia, while Aleix Espargaro is another seven behind, but there are still four rounds to go. The next is already on the horizon as the OR Thailand Grand Prix beckons and the paddock returns to Chang International Circuit, with action back underway on Friday!

Jack Miller: “I can ride a motorcycle sometimes. [Laughs] I mean, I felt amazing all weekend, to be honest, since I rolled out in the first Free Practice. It feels so awesome to be back racing on this side of the world and the Japanese fans have been incredible all weekend, sitting there through the miserable rain yesterday. These guys are some of the best fans we have, so thank you to them, thank you to the team. What an amazing day. It’s awesome; we’ve got a home Grand Prix coming up shortly, wedding coming up in a couple of weeks, it’s amazing points. So, over the moon, can’t thank everybody enough.

“It was an emotional one that’s for certain, as it always is with me, I don’t know why. I was crying like a baby on the in lap. It was awesome, I didn’t know I had that in me, it was amazing to lead from almost start to finish. When you’re riding or racing like that, the biggest opponent you’ve got is the man inside your head – so I was just trying to not listen to him too much, and it was relatively easy to not listen to him today when the bike’s working as well as it was, it was just a case of hitting my marks and not making any silly mistakes, which is quite easy to do here, to outbrake yourself or whatever – it can cost you a lot of time.”

MotoGP Motegi Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 42’29.174
2 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory) – KTM – +3.409
3 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +4.136

Moto2 Motegi
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) became the first Japanese rider to win on home turf since 2006 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, holding off key Championship rival Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to the flag after both had to pick their way through from outside the top ten on the grid. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) made life difficult at times for both with another stellar ride, ultimately forced to settle for third but taking another impressive podium finish in his rookie season.

With Ogura’s historic win in front of the home crowd, he cuts the gap in the Championship to just two points behind Fernandez with four races to go. Polesitter Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40), meanwhile, crashed out and falls to 57 points off the top in third overall. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also crashed out, now 72 behind and facing a last stand to stay in it at Buriram.

Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) made a late run at the podium but couldn’t get close enough to Lopez to attack, but he came home ahead of early race leader Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the Thai rider ultimately took home a top five ahead of his home round next time out.

Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) made an early challenge for the podium before going wide and slotting back in just behind, taking sixth with a few tenths in hand over Aragon winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) completed the top ten.

Next up it’s Buriram as the intermediate class arrives with just two points in it between what looks like it could be the last two riders standing in the title fight. Will there be a twist in Thailand? We’ll find out next weekend.

Moto2 Motegi Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 40’56.269
2 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +1.192
3 Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpedUp) – Boscoscuro- +7.168

Moto3 Motegi
Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) has done it again! Despite never riding at the Mobility Resort Motegi before, the number 28 took another impressive win as he was able to hold off Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. The last lap was a showcase in precision and pushing to the limit for all three, with no one quite able to make a decisive move before the flag flew.

The win for Guevara puts him a whopping 45 points clear of teammate Sergio Garcia in the standings. Foggia closes to within 18 points of the second place held by Garcia for the moment, with Sasaki still fourth but also gaining ground on the number 11.

Garcia started well before fading from the podium fight, eventually beating David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) to fourth place.

Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had been in the battle for the win before a late highside out of second place, putting a dent in his place in the standings, and polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) fought at the front in the early stages before his race came to an early end with a crash.

Now the title fight goes down to the OR Thailand Grand Prix, with Guevara not yet able to take his first shot at the crown but getting ever closer to it. What will Buriram bring? We’ll find out next weekend!

Moto3 Motegi Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 39:26.526
2 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – +0.593
3 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – Husqvarna – +1.741

WorldSBK Race Reports: All The Action In Catalunya

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

Bautista got a stunning start to move into the lead and withstood early pressure from the reigning Champion before extending his lead to win by more than eight seconds in Race 1. The Championship leader then led from the start to win Race 2, leading every single racing lap throughout the Catalunya Round!

Race One
Race 1 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was a stunning affair at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Catalunya Round with all three in the title race having to make stunning fightback. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) extended his Championship lead with victory as he moved from fifth to first, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled from losing out at the start to take second while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) went from eighth to second at the start before dropping back.

After missing out on front row starts in the Tissot Superpole session, both Bautista and Razgatlioglu were able to move to the head of the field before Turn 1, with Bautista jumping from fifth to first while Razgatlioglu went from eighth to second. In the early stages of the race, Razgatlioglu looked to make a move on Bautista but the Championship leader was able to hold on to claim a relatively pressure-free victory ahead of Rea. Six-time Champion Rea was able to battle back up to second place after dropping down to fight in the opening laps of the race ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in third, who started from sixth place and showed strong pace throughout the race to take the best result of his 2022 campaign and his first podium.

As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu lost ground to Bautista before losing out to the riders behind him, with Razgatlioglu being passed by Rea, Gerloff and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim fifth place at the end of the race, finishing 2.785s seconds behind Rinaldi despite the Italian only passing him at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap of the race.

The winning margin of 8.665s meant Bautista took his 25th win in WorldSBK, only one behind 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu, and his ninth win of the season with his Championship lead up from 30 points to 44. Bautista became the first rider to start fifth or lower and lead all laps in a race since Rea did, from ninth, at Jerez Race 2 in 2017. It was also Ducati’s 385th win in WorldSBK and the 680th race on the podium. Gerloff’s second place took his sixth career podium and his first podium since Donington Park Race 2 in 2021, with a span of more than a year between podiums. It was also Yamaha’s 325th race on the WorldSBK podium, lots of records!

Rinaldi finished in fourth place, just 1.494s away from Gerloff in third place despite starting from tenth and running wide in the early stages of the race. Rinaldi has now secured ten top-seven finishes in the last 11 races including five inside the top-four as he leads the battle for fourth in the Championship. Razgatlioglu was fifth and his streak of leading races came to an end at 17 races, while the reigning Champion had to fend off a late charge from Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). Lecuona started from pole position but opted to use Pirelli’s SC0 tyre, inspired by Rinaldi’s victory in Race 2 in 2021. Lecuona dropped down at the start of the race but was able to stabilise his pace to finish in sixth place.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was another who initially fought in the lead group but dropped down in the latter stages as he claimed seventh place, ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani, like Lecuona, used the SC0 tyre and had a strong start to the race but lost out as the race progressed, eventually finishing in eighth place. He was 15 seconds clear of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) at the end of the race, with Locatelli losing out in a battle with Rinaldi in the latter stages of the race. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) was the lead BMW rider in the race as he took tenth place; his first top-ten finish since the opening race of the season, as he finished just three tenths behind Locatelli.

Laverty’s teammate, Loris Baz, was 11th and just 0.296s behind Laverty at the end of the 20-lap race, ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in 12th place. Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 13th place ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 14th and Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) rounding out the points-paying positions; Ponsson’s first points since the Tissot Superpole Race at the Circuito Estoril in May. Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was in 16th place ahead of home rider Oscar Gutierrez (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 17th in just his second WorldSBK round. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 18th and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 19th to complete the classified riders.

There were three retirements in the opening stages of the 20-lap race, with Phillip Oettl (Team Goeleven) retiring after suffering a technical issue on the opening lap. On the same lap, Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) crashed at Turn 3 after contact with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Bernardi re-joining the race, before bringing his bike back to the pits, and van der Mark continuing. The incident will be investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards after the race. On Lap 3, Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Lap 1 which put the British rider out of the race. Van der Mark retired from the race after a technical issue on Lap 9 of 20.

WorldSBK Catalunya Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +8.665s
3 Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +9.289s

Tissot Superpole
The Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had a familiar start to Race 1 but a very different feel at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Catalunya Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second win on home soil. It means Bautista will line up from first for Race 2 at 14:00 Local Time (GMT+2) after he, once again, got a lightning start on the grid as the lights went out.

Bautista started the 10-lap race from fifth place but, like in Race 1 yesterday, got a lightning start to move into the lead before Turn 1. From there, he was able to stretch his gap throughout the race to claim victory by more than a second ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in second and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Lowes was running in second until Turn 1 on the final lap when his teammate overtook him to move ahead and limit Bautista’s gain in the Championship standings. Bautista claimed his 26th career win and the tenth of 2022 for the Spanish rider, with Rea taking his 233rd career podium while teammate Lowes moved on to 31 podiums and his first since Donington Park Race 1.

Despite a poor start and dropping down to tenth, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fourth spot after a battle with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the reigning Champion passing Rinaldi at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 5 with a move up the inside. They will be joined by Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) on the second row after the German rookie took a career-best sixth place; Oettl was one of only two riders to use Pirelli’s “SCQ” front tyre, a development solution that could only be used in the Tissot Superpole session and Superpole Race.

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) moved up the field to claim seventh place to take a third-row start for Race 2, with two BMW riders joining him on the third row. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will line up from eighth after taking that position in the Superpole Race ahead of Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in ninth. Baz had a scrap with Race 1 podium finisher Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) in the closing stages of the race, with the pair often swapping positions, but Baz was able to hold on by just 0.026s to take a third row start in Race 2.

There was drama for riders who started inside the front two rows on the opening lap. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) had an incident at Turn 10, with Lecuona retiring from the race and Locatelli re-joining in last place. Lecuona will therefore start Race 2 from tenth place, with Locatelli in 11th. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was a retirement from the race after a Turn 7 crash on Lap 8. The Dutchman had to serve a Long Lap Penalty in the race for irresponsible riding following a collision with Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) in Race 1.

Tissot Superpole Race Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.185s
3 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.377s

Race Two
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) romped home to his third win of the Catalunya Round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after claiming Race 2 victory from pole position in the final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action of the weekend. Bautista had claimed victory in both Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race, and he followed that up with a lights-to-flag win in Race 2 to further extend his Championship lead.

Starting from pole position, Bautista once again led the race into Turn 1, before remaining unchallenged as he extended his gap at the front with the Championship leader able to take advantage of the squabbling behind him to claim victory. By the halfway mark of the race, Bautista’s gap had got up to five seconds and he continued to increase that throughout the second half of the race to claim victory by more than eight seconds.

Behind Bautista, the battle for second was taking place between four riders. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) all fought it out for the remaining podium places, with the pair often swapping places. In the end, it was Bautista’s teammate Rinaldi who claimed second place after a thrilling battle, with the crucial move for Rinaldi coming on Lap 11 at Turn 1, when he passed Bassani.

As Rinaldi escaped in second place, Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continued their fight with Rea moving into third place on Lap 14 as he passed both Razgatlioglu and Bassani into Turn 1. Razgatlioglu got ahead of Bassani on Lap 13 after the Italian rider made a mistake at Turn 12, which then allowed Rea to get ahead a lap later. However, on Lap 16, Rea lost a lot of time after running wide at Turn 7 which allowed both Bassani and Razgatlioglu through, although he did re-pass Bassani shortly afterwards, Razgatlioglu going on to take third.

The results allowed Bautista to extend his Championship lead to 59 points over Razgatlioglu, a gain of 29 points across the weekend, as he took his first treble since Aragon 2019 and the fourth of his career. He became the first rider to take three wins at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and he is edging closer to 50 podiums; now on 48. Rinaldi took his 14th WorldSBK podium with second place and it is the 135th time Ducati have finished 1-2, while taking their fourth straight win at the Spanish venue. Razgatlioglu’s third place gave him his 72nd podium in WorldSBK.

Rea, after re-passing Bassani after his mistake, was able to pull out a gap to take fourth place ahead of the Italian who took fifth place. Behind Bassani came a run of three rookies who all had a strong Race 2. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) took sixth place after taking advantage of his Superpole Race result to finish in the top six, ahead of Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) in seventh place. Oettl, like Vierge, gained on the grid in the Superpole Race and took advantage to conclude a strong Catalunya Round in seventh place. He was ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in eighth place with Lecuona, who took pole in the Tissot Superpole session, taking another top-ten finish.

Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) finished as the lead BMW rider in ninth place, finishing just 0.084s behind Lecuona at the end of the race. The end of the race was highlighted by a charge from Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxraxing WorldSBK Team) as the Italian rookie surged into the top ten in the closing stages, taking his best WorldSBK result to date. He demoted Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) to 11th with just a couple of laps to go, with Bernardi running inside the top ten throughout the majority of the race; his best result since Race 2 at the Autodrom Most.

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was involved in a battle for tenth place but eventually took 12th place, finishing just 0.419s behind Bernardi at the end of the 20-lap battle. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 13th ahead of fellow BMW rider Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) in 14th and Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the points-paying positions with 15th.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was classified in 16th place 20-lap race. The Italian rider was running inside the top ten but a Turn 10 crash on Lap 4 dropped him down the order after he re-joined the action, with Locatelli having to fight to take 16th place and missing out on a point by 2.6s. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 17th ahead of Czech rider Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP), the last classified rider in 18th place.

Two riders crashed out of the race on the opening lap with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) going down at Turn 10 and Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashing at Turn 14; putting both riders out of the race. Redding was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash, and was declared fit but diagnosed with a chest bruise. On Lap 5, Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) retired from the race following a Turn 10 crash. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had enjoyed a strong weekend but, in Race 2, crashed out at Turn 2 on Lap 12. Home rider Oscar Gutierrez (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) brought his Kawasaki machine into the pits to retire from the race.

Race Two Catalunya Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.103s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +9.090s

Championship Standings After Catalunya Round (Full Standings Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 394 points
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 335
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 327

Technical Regulations Announced For The 2023 ASBK SuperTwins Cup

By

PB

-

September 29, 2022

0

The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) say they are pleased to announce that a new class – the SuperTwins Cup – will be introduced from Round One of the 2023 ASBK Championship. The technical regulations have just been announced.

The SuperTwins Cup - will be introduced from Round One of the 2023 ASBK Championship. — The SuperTwins Cup – will be introduced from Round One of the 2023 ASBK Championship.

The base concept will see the SuperTwins Cup feature as a class within the Supersport Championship battle, where they will be scored separately to the in-line four-cylinder Supersport Class. The aim of the SuperTwins Cup is to develop a cost-effective mid-level platform, as a steppingstone from the ranks of the Supersport 300 class and prior to the bigger jump to the Superbike Class.

At present, four bikes are set to be homologated in SuperTwins Cup*:

Aprilia RS 660
Kawasaki Ninja 650
Suzuki SV 650
Yamaha R7

*Australian compliant models only:

Peter Doyle, CEO, Motorcycling Australia: “The SuperTwins Cup is a new class for the ASBK Championship in 2023 that services a number of goals: market relevance, affordability, easier race preparation and close racing. The SuperTwins Cup ticks all the boxes and we believe this will be become a popular class for fans and competitors. The Supersport class is the number two racing category in the ASBK Championship and having the SuperTwins Cup racing as a class within a class, this popular and competitive category will ensure maximum exposure as well. The ASBK Championship had market relevance as a key aim for this project and this growing segment will now be represented at the pinnacle of the sport.”

ASBK SuperTwins Technical Regulations 2023

Aussie’s Racing Abroad: September 2022

By

PB

-

September 28, 2022

0

Recording his first win since he was triumphant at Le Mans last year, an emotional Miller couldn't hide his delight with his triumph, doing the Aussie athlete tradition of a "shoey".

With many Australians showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines both on-track and off-road, our monthly column focuses on how they’re faring battling it out with the best in their chosen classes against the best riders in the world. Edward Sratmann has our September update…

Miller has been in a class of his own when it comes to Aussies racing overseas this year... — Miller has been in a class of his own when it comes to Aussies racing overseas this year…

Jack Miller – MotoGP
Jack Miller ended the month of September in scintillating fashion by recording an outstanding victory in Japan. Looking fast all weekend and riding full of authority, composure and intelligence, there would be no denying the likeable Australian, on a day where he finished 3.409s ahead of Brad Binder in second.

Recording his first win since he was triumphant at Le Mans last year, an emotional Miller couldn’t hide his delight with his triumph. “It was an emotional one that’s for certain, as it always is with me, I don’t know why. I was crying like a baby on the in-lap. It was awesome, I didn’t know I had that in me, it was amazing to lead from almost start to finish,” he disclosed.

“When you’re riding or racing like that, the biggest opponent you’ve got is the man inside your head – so I was just trying to not listen to him too much, and it was relatively easy to not listen to him today when the bike’s working as well as it was. I got asked afterwards whether that was the race of my life, and I’d have to say 100 percent yes. Ever since we kicked things off here in Japan on Friday afternoon, I felt incredible on the bike. Everything felt like it was coming relatively easy. The bike was working fantastic and every little thing we tried was getting better.”

While the rest of the month saw him mix the highs, such as coming fifth in Aragon, with the lows, his 18th at San Marino, Miller now heads into Thailand buoyed with confidence following his win in Japan.

Remy Gardner's challenging first campaign in MotoGP continued, with him scoring an 18th place finish at Silverstone and 20th in Austria. — Remy has been struggling all year with the KTM. Hopefully he will see some more success on a WorldSBK machine…

Remy Gardner – MotoGP
Having confirmed his switch to World Superbikes for next season after a frustrating campaign that’s been littered with obstacles, such as being axed by KTM, niggling injuries and issues with the bike, Remy Gardner has admirably kept plugging away.

Obtaining a decent 19th in San Marino, a great 16th at Aragon, where he fought doggedly before ultimately missing the points, and a 19th at Motegi, it’s hard to fault his recent efforts considering the circumstances he’s in.

Knowing he hasn’t got the package to beat the big guns in the class, he’s still finishing his races and gaining vital experience in this elite class that will surely hold the former Moto2 World Champion in good stead for his future endeavors.

Senna Agius – Moto2
Serving as Sam Lowes’ replacement for two more rounds as the Brit recovered from injury for the Marc VDS Racing Team in Moto2, Senna Agius keeps highlighting his class. After an unsatisfactory round at Misano, where he unintentionally took out Filip Salac to DNF, the man who usually competes in European Moto2 got back in the groove at Aragon.

Coming in to replace the injured Sam Lowes for the Marc VDS Racing Team in Moto2, Senna Agius, who usually competes in European Moto2 Championship, admirably handled the step up in class. Photo: Marc VDS Racing.

Grabbing a terrific 16th in what was his third Moto2 race, things could’ve been even better for him had he not had to perform two long lap penalties – one for the aforementioned Salac move and one for exceeding track limits. Putting in lap times that rivalled those inside the top 10 and gaining crucial experience duking it out in this fiercely competitive division, the Sydneysider will have learned plenty yet again while instilling himself with the belief he can compete at this high level.

“I felt really mentally solid out there today. After the first long lap I just put my head down and caught the group again. I was managing the drop of the tyres really well compared to the last races where I kind of lost my way a bit. I met some personal goals there,” he insisted. “In the end I was pushing a bit hard and on the exit of turn 10 in the third sector, I ran onto the track limit. I knew I had made a mistake. But I didn’t give up on the last lap. A top twelve was definitely on the cards today. We have to take these two penalties into consideration and be happy about today.”

Come the race on Sunday, there was much to be admired about his determined day at the office, which saw him finish the race in 22nd, roughly 27 seconds back from winner Ayumu Sasaki. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing. — Although his last three races haven’t been what he’s looking for, positives can still be extracted from Joel Kelso’s September even though he had a DNF at the Japanese GP last weekend. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing.

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Although his last three races haven’t been what he’s looking for, positives can still be extracted from Joel Kelso’s September even though he had a DNF at the Japanese GP last weekend. To start with Misano, and the way he scorched through the field from 30th to finish 14th was very impressive indeed, as he demonstrated his super speed.

Off to Aragon with momentum, sadly his race day was scuppered when Ryusei Yamanaka crashed near him on the first lap, thus forcing Kelso to avoid him, which cost him valuable time. Pushed to the back and effectively ruining his race, ultimately had to settling for 21st.

Having been forced to sit out for roughly six weeks due to injury, Kelso finally made his Moto3 comeback in Austria. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing. — Kelso will be making the move to CFMOTO Moto3 team for the 2023 season… Photo: Joel Kelso Racing.

Another interesting piece of news surrounding the 19-year-old comes in the form of the announcement that he’ll be switching teams to CFMOTO for the 2023 Moto3 crusade. “First of all, I’m really excited about this new project for next year, being a part of the team and racing for CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP,” gleamed Kelso.

“Honestly, the goal is to be in the front in most of the races and I think it’s a doable task for me. Especially since the team is very strong, experienced and competitive. I want to show my speed, so I’m grateful to have the opportunity at CFMOTO to fight for podiums.”

Jason O'Halloran continued his excellent form at round six of the BSB Championship at Thruxton by going 1-1-3. Photo: BSB. — Having endured some challenging recent rounds that saw him relinquish the championship lead, Jason O’Halloran was desperate to get back on track at the first of the three Showdown rounds. Photo: BSB Championship.

Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Having endured some challenging recent rounds that saw him relinquish the championship lead, Jason O’Halloran was desperate to get back on track at the first of the three Showdown rounds. Starting his weekend promisingly to secure third in qualifying, things took a turn for the worse in the races, though. Crashing twice after collisions in two of the races, it just wasn’t his weekend at all, with luck clearly not on his side at Oulton Park.*

When speaking after the first spill, it was clear the weekend’s action left him devastated and dejected. “I’m disappointed, we’ve worked all year for this and someone that’s not even in it has just absolutely cleaned me out,” he lamented.

Heading into Caldwell Park, the "O Show" holds a crucial 24 point lead over Ray, as his immaculate recent form has propelled him into a commanding position. Photo: BSB Championship. — Jason has been working extremely hard this year as he sits in 5th on the leader board. Photo: BSB Championship.

“Physically I’m alright, the bike is bent in half so the boys have got a big job on tonight. I’m gutted, I was lining Tommy up for a pass into the last turn, it should have been 20 points for us and now we are a pretty big chunk behind. I’ve worked my balls off all year for this and I’ve been taken out just like that. I felt like I was riding really well, we did a couple of 1:33s in the race which I was really happy about and I had the pace to match Tommy, Brad had a bit more but I definitely had enough for second so I’m sure we’ll be in the fight tomorrow.”

With his title charge as good as over with two rounds left, the Aussie should still be proud of his efforts, as he’s shown consistently what an accomplished rider he is.

Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight – Red Bull Rookies & Moto3 Junior World Championship
Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight returned to action in the The Red Bull Rookies Cup at Aragon, as both enjoyed solid weekends at the office.

In the case of Roulstone, it was another valuable weekend of work, for he displayed some handy pace in the first race especially, where he methodically worked his way through the field after a rocky start to finish 13th. The second race didn’t go as well for him courtesy of him getting bumped off the track and then getting hit in the head with a knee slider, thus dropping him way back. To his credit, though, Roulstone recalibrated his focus and stuck at it, with him eventually clawing himself back to 17th.

Meanwhile, Voight’s Aragon adventure got off to a sparkling start, qualifying in an outstanding fourth position to kick off his weekend wonderfully. Desperate to translate his pace into race day, unfortunately things didn’t go as well as he envisaged. But Voight nonetheless registered a commendable ninth in the opening race and 11th in the final stanza of the day. “A good start to the weekend yet a not so satisfying end. Although I have a positive mindset knowing I had a crack & also what I need to work harder on,” he said afterwards.

Sitting 10th in the championship in a class that’s full of gifted youngsters heading into the final round, there’s every chance he could rise even higher if everything goes to plan at the Valencia round.

Josh Hook – FIM EWC Endurance
Drawing the curtain on his 2022 season by becoming EWC Champion, Josh Hook rounded out the year in fine style.

Getting the job done by virtue of their fourth placed finish at the 100th anniversary of the Bol d’Or at Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet, the Aussie and his TSR Honda France teammates in Mike Di Meglio and Alan Techer couldn’t have been happier at the completion of the gruelling 24 hour race.

In what was a hugely eventful Suzuka 8 Hours race, Josh Hook did everything in his power to help his F.C.C TSR Honda France team claim a hard-fought 10th. — The Aussie and his team have had an excellent year of endurance racing. Winning the Championship once again!

Having faced some adversity with tire and radiator problems during the race, which dropped them back to 27th, they produced a magnificent comeback as a collective to ultimately secure fourth place to ensure their status as World Champions.

“I have learned from the past to never take a result for granted before the chequered flag. We have come back from complicated situations in the past and nothing is ever certain,” a delighted Hook told the Honda website. “Like everyone else, we did our race and never gave up. We did very well, all three of us were fast, especially at night. We were quickly no longer in a position to fight for victory, so we focused on the championship, which was clearly the priority goal. We chose to take care of the engine as much as possible to avoid the problems that most of our competitors have. And it’s done!”

Although the results haven't always matched his speed in an action packed month of MXGP, Mitch Evans has illustrated why he's one of the fastest men in the class. Photo: Team Honda HRC. — Ending a largely positive MXGP season 10th in the hugely competitive class, Mitch Evans should be proud of his efforts even though his results didn’t always match his undoubted pace. Photo: Team Honda HRC.

Mitch Evans – MXGP
Ending a largely positive MXGP season 10th in the hugely competitive class, Mitch Evans should be proud of his efforts even though his results didn’t always match his undoubted pace. While he produced some exceptional rides, such as his qualifying race win in Sweden, the popular Aussie was still slightly disappointed he couldn’t achieve his goal of securing a podium. But all things considered, it was fantastic to see him come back from his long-term wrist injury to complete the entire season.

Building as the campaign progressed and showing he had the speed to match it with the frontrunners on a variety of surfaces, there was much to admire about his crusade.

After missing the entire 2021 MXGP season with a troublesome wrist injury, it's been terrific to see Team Honda HRC's Mitch Evans back at the races. — Building as the campaign progressed and showing he had the speed to match it with the frontrunners on a variety of surfaces, there was much to admire about his crusade.

Marcus Pereira de Freitas, HRC MXGP General Manager, gave an insightful summary of his 2022, explaining: “For Mitch, we really thought he could achieve his goal of a podium, and for the first part of race one it looked really likely. However, we are still proud of his efforts because he never gave up and put in all the work necessary to get back to the front of the field. The results might not always show it, but he is one of the best motocross riders on the planet.”

Jed Beaton – MXGP
Starting the season off with a bang in MXGP by banking a masterful sixth overall at Matterley Basin, Jed Beaton proved he has what it takes to duel with the elite pilots in MXGP. Frustratingly, though, he was unable to replicate this effort for the remainder of the term due to a shoulder injury he suffered at Mantova, which severely impacted the rest of his term.

Jed Beaton deserves credit for battling through the pain to show he belongs at this elite level. — Starting the season off with a bang in MXGP by banking a masterful sixth overall at Matterley Basin, Jed Beaton proved he has what it takes to duel with the elite pilots in MXGP.

Forced to sit out a few rounds after initially attempting to carry on, upon his return to action, the F&H Kawasaki man bravely rode through the pain to put in some credible results on his way to closing the season with nine top fifteen overall finishes.

“It’s been a tough and struggling year to say the least, I don’t really have too much to say about it as it’s done now and I can just move forward. I’m sure this year will make me a better person/athlete overall in the future,” he stated. “I just want to say a huge thank you to every single person at F&H Kawasaki Racing Team, they all play a part in us going racing week in, week out. They were all behind me in the good and bad times, and I’ll be forever thankful for that! Even though it wasn’t a good year on the bike it was still awesome to be a part of the team this year – thanks for having me.”

Clinching his second consecutive 250 AMA Pro Motocross championship, Jett Lawrence was unquestionably a cut above his competitors once more. Photo: HRC.

Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Clinching his second consecutive 250 AMA Pro Motocross championship in style by claiming the overall at Pala II to accompany his 250 East Supercross title, Jett Lawrence was unquestionably a cut above his competitors once more.

Winning nine of the 12 rounds, there was no stopping the gifted 19-year-old on his path to glory. Riding with consistency and with a maturity that belies his tender years, the ultra fast Australian’s crown was the latest step in a career that’s destined to be littered with even more silverware.

Limiting the damage on his off days and able to cope if he got a poor start, the effortlessly speedy Honda HRC wizard cut a content figure when reflecting on his outdoor campaign. “It’s awesome to get it done back-to-back. I’m definitely grateful,” he asserted.

“The team has been awesome this year. Honda brought out an awesome new CRF250R and I’m super pumped to be on it again in Supercross next year. I’m also excited to ride the 450 in Pro Motocross next summer.”

Falling just short of making it a clean sweep for the Lawrence brothers in the 250s, Hunter was forced to settle for second in the 250 West standings, a measly 10 points behind Christian Craig. — Not riding to his full potential, making some uncharacteristic mistakes and enduring the odd bike issue, Hunter Lawrence incredibly finished his motocross season without an overall victory.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Not riding to his full potential, making some uncharacteristic mistakes and enduring the odd bike issue, Hunter Lawrence incredibly finished his motocross season without an overall victory unfortunately.

Knowing he has the speed to match it with anyone on his day, the older Lawrence brother still impressively recorded nine overall podiums. Engaging in some captivating battles with Jett and Jo Shimoda and highlighting what a skilful operator he is, claiming third in the standings wasn’t a bad outcome in the end. Eager to come out swinging in 2023 to truly stamp his mark and win a title after coming close indoors and outdoors, expect him to be a major player in both disciplines.

Entering the Motocross of Nations as one of the favourites, Team Australia, that consisted of the Lawrence brothers and Mitch Evans, did their country proud by bagging a tremendous third overall.

Team Australia Motocross of Nations
Entering the Motocross of Nations as one of the favourites, Team Australia, that consisted of the Lawrence brothers and Mitch Evans, did their country proud by bagging a tremendous third overall. Starting off the showpiece tidily, their third place in qualifying served as a good omen for things to come, as the Aussies looked comfortable and fast on the RedBud circuit.

Come race day, and all three men did their job in the rain soaked, treacherous conditions to propel the boys from Down Under onto the podium. While Evans and Hunter Lawrence proved their quality to claim ninth and second in their respective classes, Jett’s debut on the 450 was particularly impressive, as the 19-year-old immediately found his rhythm to win the Open class ahead of seasoned stars like Chase Sexton and Dylan Ferrandis.

“It is great to get on the podium with Team Australia. It hasn’t happened much in our history, so to be part of a team that’s done it is a massive honour,” Evans stated after the event. “The first moto went well, just rode a nice consistent race and kept a good pace throughout. I knew it was important to get us off to a good start and together with Hunter we did that in race one. Jett and Hunter then did a great race two to give us a solid shot at the podium, and that’s what happened in race three.”

“I would have liked to have done a bit better but it’s motocross and anything can happen, but thankfully we still did well enough to land on the podium. A big thank you to all of the team for the job they did in what ended up being really tough conditions, and I can’t wait to be part of this event again, where we will try to do even better.”

The Aussie Flat Track Nationals Have Arrived

Triumph Announce 2024 MXGP Factory Team

Remy Gardner To Race In WorldSBK 2023 Season

Jack Miller Announces Team Mates For ASBK Finale

Tickets On Sale Now For The ASBK Finale At The Bend!

MotoGP Gallery: All The Best Shots From Motegi, Japan

MotoGP Reports: All The Action At Motegi, Japan

WorldSBK Race Reports: All The Action In Catalunya

Technical Regulations Announced For The 2023 ASBK SuperTwins Cup

ASBK SuperTwins Technical Regulations 2023

Aussie’s Racing Abroad: September 2022

Latest Posts

ASBK Round 1 | Sunday Reports, Roulstone and Voight Rule

WorldSBK Round 1 | Bulega Wins On Sunday, Bimota Double Podium

WorldSBK Gallery | Phillip Island, Day Two Action Shots

Most Popular

Racer Test: CFMoto 650NK-TT, Chinese-Built Supertwin

Track Guide: Phillip Island, Victoria by Andrew Pitt

Racer Test: 2009 Yamaha TZ250 GP Bike

Fast Access