Qualifying was based on the average times of the two best riders, specifically Ruka Wada and Italian Samuele Cavalieri, a former Aprilia rider in the Italian Superbike Championship but at his first experience in an endurance race. Starting in fourth place in their category (26th overall), the three riders tackled the eight-hour race by focusing on consistency, avoiding mistakes, especially when a light rain animated the strategies.

The box then decided to refuel at every rider change but change tyres every two stints, a choice that turned out to be correct. On its debut the team also occupied second place in its category for a long time, a result that vanished only 30mins from the chequered flag.

The podium in such a demanding competition as the 8 Hours of Suzuka is nevertheless a remarkable result, which adds to the Aprilia RSV4’s extraordinary palmarés. After 7 World Titles in Superbike and countless trophies in the various categories, the Italian super sports bike continues to make history in road bike racing.

The post Aprilia On The Podium At Suzuka 8 Hour appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Like all EWC riders, Buisson places a huge focus on physical fitness although having tackled a 78-kilometre through-the-night running race between Saint-Étienne and Lyon means he’ll be even fitter than most, as he continues to prepare for the three-round FIM Endurance World Cup for Superstock-specification bikes running on Dunlop tyres.

As well as a rider at the top of his physical powers, Falcon Racing can also count on a rider with podium pedigree in the EWC. In 2013, Buisson was part of the Team R2CL entry that finished second overall in the 24 Heures Motos. Riding for TATI Team Beaujolais in 2017, Buisson claimed Superstock category honours at Le Mans.

The 34-year-old will have nine starts in the 24 Heures Motos to his name when he joins forces with new Falcon Racing team-mates and fellow Frenchmen David Chevalier and Loïc Millet for the start of their 2023 EWC campaign.

“He has a lot of endurance experience and that’s what we were looking for,” said Falcon Racing Team Manager Mickaël Le Dévéhat. “We want him to be a new engine for the team. He works on his physical condition throughout the season. This means that our relays will be more regular.”

Buisson said: “It’s with great pleasure that I announce my participation in the 2023 Endurance World Championship with Falcon Racing on the #121 Yamaha R1. Thanks to the team manager and team for trusting me. I can’t wait to start the adventure on this beautiful machine.”

With five and two starts in the EWC-counting 24 Heures Motos respectively, Chevalier, 30, and Millet, 20, won’t be short of experience of the 4.185-kilometre Bugatti Circuit and the traditional EWC season opener either.

“For 2023 we want to be in the top five and achieve regular podiums, that would be a good reward,” said Le Dévéhat, whose team receives support from Yamaha France. “Certainly, we are progressing, but so is the level. We face teams that have been around longer than us. We mustn’t forget that.”

Falcon Racing was heading to seventh place in the EWC Superstock category at Le Mans last season when engine failure struck in the final quarter of an hour. With the #121 Yamaha unable to cross the finishing line, Falcon Racing was therefore not classified in the final results.

“It was our first big mechanical problem, because we had always reached the finish since 2016,” Le Dévéhat said. “It was a blow to morale but the whole team has reacted well because everyone has re-motivated themselves so that it does not happen again. This winter, we implemented a new working method which should bear fruit.”

The post Falcon Racing Sign Dylan Buisson For 2023 EWC Season appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

My entire “racing career” has been built upon getting the most smiles per dollar. I started my career when I was around six-years-old racing go-karts, my dad would seek out the best deals and the only thing we didn’t buy second hand were tyres and protective gear. This brought me up in a low-stress and low-pressure environment surrounding racing, dad never expected me to win and we were always out there having fun, with smiles way greater than fellow racers plunging tens of thousands into their equipment (who were also getting beaten by a kid in a much older kart).

Check out our gallery from the Six Hour Bucket Endurance here…

Racing karts for six or seven years, I saw a bit of success, winning a few rounds at Oran Park, Kembla Grange, Lithgow etc. and also scoring championship podiums and small sponsorship deals. I was hooked on racing at this point, the rules changed and the class needed an essentially brand new engine to compete in. Dad said “why don’t we give bikes a go now”.

Multiple gumtree motocross bikes later and no real luck with it, I threw a leg over the Yamaha YZF-R3 Cup bike that was being passed around to journalists at the time. First outing on the track with no training and I was decently quick for someone who hadn’t ridden on a road track before. I hassled the shit out of dad to get into racing after the R3 Cup bike went back, so we went down the cheap path and purchased two Honda CBR250RR’s off Ken Watson and his son, Keo. This was back before CBR250RR’s skyrocketed, so it was somewhere in the realm of $2k for a race-ready bike.

Along the timeline, a Honda CB125 Commuterlite racer was thrown in the mix to race in the Commuterlite class of the PCRA series, with these bikes, we were racing something like four or five different classes across a race weekend. We got entire seasons out of the tyres we used on the bikes, with only maintenance and entry fees being the only expenses.

I remember the Honda CB125 being a ball to ride, essentially flat pelt around 90 per cent of Wakefield and SMSP, tucking my 184cm frame the best I could underneath the fairing. The best part of it all, even at a complete loss of bike in an accident, you’re only out like $1000-$2000!

After hanging up the gloves for a few years to focus on my journalism career and drifting cars, Ken Watson gave me a ring and asked if I was interested in giving the Six Hour Endurance Race, at Pheasant Wood in Marulan, a go. Troy Corser and others in the industry had just recently competed in the Four Hour challenge and Ken was calling around trying to get some names in the industry involved, adding to the awareness of the event.

At this point I hadn’t raced a bike in five years or so, granted I do the occasional track day and testing day on stock bikes, but having to compete against other people is a whole other ball-game. I teamed up with Luca Gardner and we were ready to tackle the six hours as a two man team. The rules are simple, Commuterlite class allows for a modified 125cc single, four-stroke while the 150cc Production class allows for no modifications besides the tyres and suspension. Keeping costs low and the competition close between the two different capacities…

“The idea behind the Four and Six Hour was to provide a cost affordable race class that involves minimal machine prep. This is to put the “Fun” back into racing.” – Ken Watson

Ken Watson, who runs around organising these events, is an absolute legend in the low-cost racing scene, racing against some of the biggest Australian names on a national level back in the 1980s and 1990s and racing internationally with great success. He’s had quite an impressive career but ever the modest man, it’s hard to get a peep out of him about his national and international achievements. He now spends his spare time helping son Keo with his racing career, also organising low cost racing weekends like PCRA rounds and these Bucket endurance races. Ken says he makes nothing from these weekends and just wants to let everyone have a go.

“The idea behind the Four and Six Hour races was to provide a cost affordable race class that involves minimal machine preparation. This is mainly to put the “Fun” back into racing.” Said Ken “We always try to have people from the industry involved as guest riders, primarily so that they see the people who spend money in motorcycle shops are the people who race these commuter-based bikes in these types of classes. This has worked very well with members of the motorcycle industry and shops getting right behind the series with support and prizes.

“Pheasant Wood has been awesome in the success of this class and has been instrumental in the design of rules and to make it all very even. All riders competing love the track, love the format, and most of all love the fun atmosphere. Out of very simple beginnings it has developed into probably the richest race series for small bikes in Australia, with over $6000 in prizes at the Six Hour alone. Sponsors have made this a success. People who see the value in fun, like: Les Corish, John Stamnas Goodridge, Wemoto, Belt and Bevel, Carr Brothers Motorcycles ,Shark Leathers, Whites Racing Products, Pryce Race Engines, Stay Upright, Motoproducts.com.au”

Ken’s son, Keo, has also become an integral part of the series. Keo can be seen running around the pits helping out fellow racers in need of parts, repairs or advice. He runs his small business around the series too, offering a trade in for your stock suspension and a few bucks for a race-ready front and rear end, which makes a huge difference over stock. With the little bikes having very few modification options off the shelf, Keo says the idea around the series is to keep it cheap.

“The rules have been designed to keep the racing as simple and cost effective as possible. Modifications on the 150s are limited to external gearing, suspension preload and oil, brake pads, and tyres. For an idea on the cost, the bike Zane Dobie and Luca Gardner finished 2nd on was sold, race ready, for $2500.” Said Keo

“I’ve prepared a few bikes for this series as well as doing the suspension on the majority of the field. The Commuterlite class which runs with PCRA was already quite popular but it could be difficult at times for new riders to find bikes. That led Pheasant Wood (along with some advice from dad) to introduce the 150 Production class… As well as keeping the cost low, the limited modifications keeps the 150s relatively even with the slightly more modified Commuterlites.”

The Track
Pheasant Wood itself is a tiny and tight track, nine turns over just 1.4km on some of the nicest track surfaces I’ve been on. It’s located just under two hours from Sydney in the small town of Marulan, NSW. I have been on this track in a drift car but never on a bike, it became apparent very quickly that it’s made for bikes 600cc and under, with the motorcycle record being held by a KTM450 Supermoto at just 0:53.42.

The track was built back in 2009 as a driver training centre, it then went under some huge changes when Steve Shelley purchased it in 2016. Since the ownership change, Steve has made the track an integral part of grass-roots motorsport, often hosting lots of low-cost race meetings while developing the circuit further every year. It is a seriously impressive little track that gives the impression the owners simply want to see people have fun, especially with the closure of Wakefield Park last year which is situated about 20 minutes away from Pheasant Wood.

You’ll get to grips pretty quick as there aren’t too many places that’ll catch you out, but a lot of testing how late you can brake. The track starts with a run up the hill along the main straight, heading into turn one where trail braking is extremely popular. You then run down to turn two which is a nicely banked hairpin, here is where I think a lot of time can be made up as you run in from the wall on the entry, turn in late and gun it mid corner. Turn three, you quickly switch sides and find out how brave you are to not touch the brakes through here.

You then begin the climb uphill as it’s flat through turn four then hard on the brakes leading to turn five. This corner saw a few accidents as it’s very easy to get wrong and is one of the tighter sections of the track. You hit the peak before turn six where you’re met with another bravery test, holding it flat as you go through turn six on the downhill leading to turn seven which is where you set up your braking for turn eight. When you reach turn eight, it’s off the brakes leaning in, trying to make the corner as smooth as possible. Turn nine, light on the brakes through this heavily banked corner to get a run up the hill and start it all over again!

The Bike
Our weapon for the weekend was a version two Yamaha YZF-R15 that Ken and Keo prepared for us. Basically a stock bike with engine guards made out of a tough plastic, some of Keo’s special forks,  rear shock and some Bridgestone R11’s (review coming on these very soon)! An extremely simple setup that would most likely run you between $1000-$2000 or you can contact Ken and Keo for a race prepped one circa $2500.

The little Yamaha hosts a 149cc, liquid cooled DOHC four-valve engine in the tiny Deltabox frame, making a whopping 17hp@8500rpm and 15Nm@8500rpm. Those specs alone prove that you really have to rev these things all the way out to even move. The Watsons kept the exhaust system stock as Ken and I are both agree that “loud does not equal fast”, plus who wants to hear a single-cylinder revving its nuts off for six hours?

Check out our stock Yamaha R15 review here...

The modified stock forks up the front along with the RS11 tyre makes the bike much more sturdy than expected. The front-end feeling is awesome, no diving under braking like you would normally expect from decade old forks, you really can’t go past the Keo upgrade. Braking is sorted via a twin-piston caliper gripping a single disc and a single piston caliper on the rear.

All of the lights were pulled off to shed a little bit of weight, seemingly in vein when my 184cm 80kg frame jumped on the bike. There is only just enough room for me to tuck under the fairing on the straights, you wouldn’t want to be much taller on it though…

Race Weekend
The whole weekend was setup like your average race weekend, so we rolled in on Saturday morning for the practice and qualifying day, which slotted in with a normal track day, so anyone could show-up and have a run.

First run out on the track, getting to grips with the bike and a track I had never ridden on before, I soon became accustomed to just how much lean angle these little machines have. The R11’s weren’t an option back when I first raced Commuterlites, but I wish they were because these hoops grip hard. The YZF-R15 is a perfect pairing for the Pheasant Wood circuit, they may not look quick from the outside but teach brake discipline and corner momentum better than anything I’ve ridden.

After plenty of track time during practice, qualifying saw me head out to get a few extra laps of practice in. Luca had already raced the four hour previously on the same bike so he was our obvious choice for the quali fast lap. I passed the bike off to him and off he went, everyone had their eyes on the timing chart as Luca and Keo went tit for tat, we had pretty much secured second place on the grid but Luca was in the zone and determined to catch Keo. This ultimately lead to a low-side on turn two, no stress as Keo and Ken had the forks straightened out for us on Sunday morning!

Sunday morning and spirits are high, bike looks awesome and feels straight. Heading out for an early morning practice, the brand-new Bridgestone RS11s are fitted so the first few laps are spent scrubbing them in. After a good 40 minutes, it’s time to line all the bikes up for a good old Le Mans style start! The race has a minimum of 10, one minute long stops and a three minute refuel, so it worked out that Luca and I would spend 30 minutes each on the bike at a time.

We lined up between Team Shark Silkoline and Team Shark Leathers, we agreed that Luca should do the first stint since he was faster and try to gain a gap. Unfortunately, the other two teams on the front row had the same idea, so Luca was battling with Keo Watson and ASBK Supersport 600 rider, Mitch Khune for the first half hour! The flag drops and Luca gets an awesome start, overtaking Keo into turn one. This was short lived as Keo instantly fought back and took control of the race within the opening minutes. We started to lose some ground on Shark Silkoline as Luca had already caught up to some lap-down traffic within the first half hour stint!

The pit-board waving for Luca to come in for the first stop and I start gearing up. Pitlane chaos wasn’t a thing as the minute is more than enough time to have a quick chat and get comfortable on the bike. Of course, the first thing I do when I leave the pits is go as fast as possible, around the 10 minute mark of my first stint, I’m puffed. I managed to keep my head down and keep us in second place for the time being. No worries though, I keep it together for the whole half an hour, pull into the pits and a small mishap! We sent Luca out at 58 seconds instead of one minute since we were going off a manual stopwatch and not the timing board. Rules are rules, so Luca had to come in for an extra minute long stop.

The next few stints had no hiccups, we would see glimmers of catching up to Shark Silkoline when Keo was on the bike or I was in the same stint as their slower rider but we were ever trying to make up time, we had pulled about a lap lead on the Shark Leathers team in third place at least.

Nearly right on the third hour, there was a rider down and the red flags came out. The whole race had a few stacks but Ken and flaggies managed to keep the race going un-interrupted until this point. This would become our three minute fuel stop, I filled the bike to the brim and headed out to do another stint as I had only done about five minutes of my stint before the red flag. I was ready to try my best to get a tow from Keo, at least for half a lap, when the bike started to bog down. Desperately scrambling to find a solution, it became apparent that I could either go in and lose our second place or just see out the 30 minutes losing heaps of time.

During these issues, John Stamnas riding with Team Shark Leathers managed to sneak past me with his big, grey beard and ponytail hanging out of his lid, I couldn’t believe how quick he still is! The bogging issue managed to fix itself for a few laps so I got a good battle with John. I was later on the brakes and carrying a bit more speed through corners but John was much more confident getting through the traffic so we made for an even match for a good few laps. I finally had enough and dived up the inside of him on turn one, expecting him to attack back into turn two, I moved to the inside, but no one there!

Coming back around the next lap and poor John is picking his bike up off turn one! Lucky he’s such a nice guy, there was no kicking and screaming just laughs and smiles, he had tried to get me back mid corner and hit the ripple-strip.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch besides the on and off issues, which I believe may have been a fuel venting issue from over-filling the tank and me going a little bit wide into turn five while lapping an unpredictable rider but keeping the bike upright.

We gave Luca the final stint to do his best to claw back some time from the three lap lead by Shark Silkoline. No chance though, Keo was out for the fastest lap and that he scored. Not only did this man beat Troy Corser’s 150cc production lap record, he did it on lap 290… and then went even faster on lap 297, Madness!

We managed to ride it back home for a second place finish, an exciting addition to my trophy shelf that had remained the same for the past four or five years! It’s a shame I didn’t spend some time at the track prior as I began really shaving some time off my laps mid-race, I was a good five seconds quicker during the race than I was on Saturday even with all the traffic. Towards the end, I was sitting relatively upright, a different style from my usual moving off the bike, trying to preserve the most amount of energy as possible.

A sensational weekend, I couldn’t move for a day or two afterwards, which is a testament to how much track time you get with theses events. You don’t even have to be quick, there were a few people just putting around at the back but still having the time of their lives. The best part, the track is so short that even if you’re the slowest on the track, you’re bound to have a battle with someone at some point as you get lapped or overtaken and you get to experience racing to the fullest!

Thanks to Ken and Keo Watson for organising the bike for Luca and I, McLeod Accessories for supplying the Bridgestone hoops and of course, all the prize sponsors: Les Corish, John Stamnas Goodridge, Wemoto, Belt and Bevel, Carr Brothers Motorcycles ,Shark Leathers, Whites Racing Products, Pryce Race Engines, Stay Upright and Motoproducts.com.au. Last but not least, thank you to Pheasant Wood circuit, your dedication to grassroots motorsport does not go unnoticed.

If you’re looking to get into Commuterlite/150cc racing then join the Facebook group here. Alternatively, you can contact Keo Watson on 0497186898 for all your suspension needs. I hope to see even more people out there for the Four Hour Bucket Race on April 15th 2023!

Pheasant Wood Six Hour Endurance Race Outright Podium

1 Shark Silkoline – Yamaha YZF-R15 – 311 Laps
2 Team Bridgestone BikeReview – Yamaha YZF-R15 – 308 Laps
3 Shark Leathers – Yamaha YZF-R15 – 306 Laps

Full Timing Sheet

The post Feature: Six Hour Bucket Endurance Race, The Cheapest Way To Go Racing! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

After Luca set a scorching time and qualifying second on the Saturday. Both Luca and Zane kept the bike upright for over 300 laps around the 1.4km tight and twisty track to bring the micro machine home for a podium finish. Battling with the other top two teams, the Shark Silkoline entry were just too quick to catch, with Keo Watson setting the 150cc Production record on lap 297!

Check out all the awesome shots from the race weekend below… And keep an eye out for Zane’s full feature on the event… 

Pheasant Wood Six Hour Endurance Race Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Shark Silkoline – Yamaha YZF-R15 – 311 Laps
2 Team BikeReview – Yamaha YZF-R15 – 308 Laps
3 Shark Leathers – Yamaha YZF-R15 – 306 Laps

The post Gallery: Pheasant Wood Bucket Six Hour Endurance Race appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Jack Miller – MotoGP
Showing great consistency and riding with a nice blend of intensity, composure and intelligence, Jack Miller’s two consecutive podiums in August have been a joy to watch. To start with Silverstone, and the Factory Ducati star managed the race expertly, striking the right balance of when to preserve his tyres and when to go for it. Having been in the top three the entire race, Miller eventually claimed third, with Maverick Vinales passing him late to bump him out of second. 

The popular Australian then backed up this ride with another outstanding effort in Austria at the Red Bull Ring by securing third once more. Giving himself terrific grid position by virtue of qualifying third fastest, he jumped out of the blocks smartly to be up with the frontrunners from the outset. From here, Miller further flexed his muscles and underlined what an elite operator he is by pushing the likes of Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Jorge Martin, in a race where he even briefly held the lead.

Coming across the line third in the end after enduring tyre issues as the race drew to a close, there was no hiding his happiness at the result, which bagged him his third podium in the last four races. “I’m thrilled with today’s result. I pushed as hard as possible to stay with Pecco until the end, but after I tried to pass him, he brought up the pace, and it was difficult for me to respond,” he gleamed.

“Then, I started to suffer a bit with the tyres towards the end. We fought hard with Fabio and Jorge for second place, and I was hoping to get the better of them, but in any case, it’s our second, third place in a row, and the aim is to continue fighting for the podium in all the upcoming races. It is a great moment for the team, so I hope we can continue with this momentum at our home race in Misano”.

Remy Gardner – MotoGP
Remy Gardner’s challenging first campaign in MotoGP continued, with him notching 18th at Silverstone and 20th in Austria. Battling niggling injuries and struggling with the bike, like many of his fellow KTM riders, Gardner did, however make some positive gains at the British GP, where he felt happy with things on track and enjoyed dueling near the main group. Even though he severely lost edge grip in the closing stages of the race, he left feeling content with the weekend. 

Turning his attention to the Red Bull Ring, and this was a round to forget for the reigning Moto2 champion, for his day was ruined when he crashed before valiantly remounting to finish 20th. Another big takeaway from last weekend came in the form of Gardner admitting that he’ll most likely be out of MotoGP at the end of the season due to there being no open spots for him.

With news emerging that KTM are reportedly not looking to keep him on, a dejected Gardner was frank in his assessment of the situation, stating: “No, it’s not [looking great for next year]. In MotoGP, it doesn’t look like there’s anything… KTM’s done it again!”

Senna Agius – Moto2
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.

Chipping away and improving in every session, it was fantastic to see the Australian make the most of his opportunity. Having qualified in a credible 21st, how the 17-year-old then handled the race was wonderful, as he was battling for points before a long lap penalty ultimately dropped him back to 17th. Not bad at all for a Moto2 debut.

“It was a really good race. At the beginning, I made some mistakes that I could have maybe avoided. But it was my first race so it was bound to happen,” a content Agius insisted. “For sure the level in the World Championship is higher and the way these guys go fast is a bit different to what I’m used to. But it’s the way they ride and they’re really fast. I’m learning to do what they’re doing. I felt I learnt a lot this weekend and my riding style has changed a lot from the beginning of the weekend to the end.”

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Having been forced to sit out for roughly six weeks due to injury, Kelso finally made his Moto3 comeback in Austria. Bagging an impressive 13th in qualifying, this was a great effort by the Darwinian to get his weekend rolling.

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 the winner, Ayumu Sasaki.

Back racing again, expect Kelso to keep getting better and better as his physical condition improves and he regains his comfort on the bike, with him knowing he has the speed to be fighting for top 10s.

Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Jason O’Halloran continued his excellent form at round six of the BSB Championship at Thruxton by going 1-1-3.

Kicking off his weekend in style by winning the sprint race, this served as the catalyst for him to shine in race two and three, where he recorded impressive first and third place finishes respectively. Engaging in some captivating battles with Tarran Mackenzie and Bradley Ray, the fans were treated to a real spectacle as the last two races saw the ultra fast trio separated by less than 0.300s.

“We won two races this weekend and took a third, the fastest lap of the weekend and felt really comfortable in all of the races,” the elated Aussie explained.

“I managed the first two races quite well and in the last race I got a worse start so it changed the strategy, I sat behind Taz and Brad for as long as I could and then I probably went to the front one lap too early thinking I had more tyre than I did. Maybe I pushed too much too soon and cooked the tyre a bit, but they were very enjoyable races. I love racing here, it’s more like a cycling race than a tyre race as you’re conserving the tyres and thinking about strategy. It would have been easier if there was two of us, as when there’s three it makes the strategy a bit more tricky. I’m really enjoying it at the minute and looking forward to Cadwell Park.”

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.

Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight – Red Bull Rookies & Moto3 Junior World Championship
Aussie talents Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight returned to action in the The Red Bull Rookies Cup, with both coming into Spielberg full of optimism. Unfortunately it wasn’t the weekend they’d hoped for despite them gaining some vital experience racing at the incredible Red Bull Ring.

Roulstone recorded finishes of 15th and 17th while Voight went 16-12 in the two races, as the young duo continue to build in this highly regarded competition that’s littered with gifted riders.

Josh Hook – FIM EWC Endurance
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.

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. Pushing on bravely in the absence of Rea, who is now thankfully recovering, Hook started the race in fine fashion to sit comfortably in the top five in the early running. Unfortunately, some mechanical issues saw the team lose plenty of time, as they dropped all the way back to 19th before valiantly recovering to finish an admirable 10th.

“The last few days have been very difficult for us and the whole team. First of all, we would like to say that our thoughts and prayers are with Gino. We are thinking of him during this difficult time,” a clearly distressed Hook said afterwards. 

“The race was very, very difficult with only two riders, it was physically demanding, and we weren’t able to perform as well as we had hoped today. But today’s result was definitely the best we could have done. Both Mike and I gave 100% and that’s all we could’ve done at this point. Thanks to everyone in the team for their hard work as always.”

Mitch Evans – MXGP
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. 

Kicking off his August with an exceptional qualifying race win in Sweden, he then had a mixed raceday, where an early mistake meant 10th was the best he could muster in the first moto. But in race two, Evans well and truly put that behind him by snatching his finest result of the season to come home in fourth place.

The subsequent two rounds in Finland and France haven’t gone his way despite him showing plenty of speed in practice and qualifying, as falls and bad luck have cost him dearly in his quest for a podium. After recording moto finishes of 14-20 at Finland, where he suffered two first lap crashes, he crucially picked things up in France to go 7-11 to restore some confidence. “Another weekend where I’m disappointed with how the motos went,” he stated after Sunday’s GP. 

“I was in a strong position in race one, staying in fourth place for the majority of the race and just a mistake near the end dropped me to seventh. I feel like I’m putting a bit too much pressure on myself to get on the podium, so I just need to focus a bit more on just taking each lap as it comes. Race two wasn’t as easy and another small mistake meant I dropped from seventh to 10th, and in the end, I finished 11th. Of course, I want more, and that’ll be the aim when we head to the final round in Turkey in two weeks’ time.”

Jed Beaton – MXGP
Still struggling to find his groove in MXGP in what’s been an injury interrupted debut campaign in the premier class, Jed Beaton deserves credit for battling through the pain to show he belongs at this elite level. Clocking some promising times in practice this month, the problem has been transferring his speed into raceday. 

Recording finishes of 19-18-19-14-15-13 in his six previous motos importantly shows he’s making steps in the right direction in this fiercely competitive, stacked class even if he knows he’s capable of better. With just one round remaining, the F&H Kawasaki pilot will be looking to close the season on a high in Turkey in the first weekend of September.

Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Leading the championship by 37 points with two rounds left, Jett Lawrence is in a commanding position to seal his second consecutive 250 AMA Pro Motocross title.

Although the 18-year-old sensation hasn’t been at his best this month, with some unfortunate crashes when pushing too hard hindering him, he’s still managed to go 7-2-2-3 in the last four combined motos at Unadilla and Budds Creek.

Even though he’s been disappointed with his recent results, it’s important to note how well he’s salvaged his bad days, with his capacity to limit the damage being crucial towards him maintaining his gap atop the standings.

With just Ironman and Pala Two left on the calendar, if all goes to plan, winning another title would be the perfect way to head into the Motocross of Nations, where he’ll be joined by his brother and Mitch Evans to form an incredibly strong, all HRC Honda team for Aus.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
After a challenging couple of rounds Hunter Lawrence has slipped back to third in the standings behind sibling Jett and Japanese star Jo Shimoda.

Having endured some mechanical issues, mistakes and untimely tip overs, Hunter has only managed to go 2-5-8-9 in his last quartet of races. There is certainly time to overtake Shimoda in the standings, however, for on his day when everything clicks he’s proven he has what it takes to beat anyone. Knowing there’s much scope for improvement, expect him to come out firing in the final two rounds and put his recent adversity behind him in his pursuit to wrestle back second in the standings.

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The crazy finish at Most, with only 0.07 seconds between BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team, resulted in a significant achievement for the factory BMW team. The win at Most was the very first for the Belgian team managed since 2019 by Werner Daemen.

Third at the Bol d’Or and the 8 Hours of Sepang last season with the BMW S 1000 RR, this year BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team finished third at the 24 Heures Motos and the 12 Hours of Estoril with the new M 1000 RR. The only race in which they did not score points was the Bol d’Or where they had to withdraw following a mechanical problem. 

At the 6 Hours of Most, the BMW M 1000 RR #37 moved quickly into the lead. YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team were the only ones able to compete towards the end of the race. The result of their epic duel was that Markus Reiterberger in the saddle of the BMW #37 crossed the finish line with the Yamaha #7 ridden by Marvin Fritz right behind. 

Werner Daemen is very pleased with the success of Markus Reiterberger and Ilya Mikhalchik (Kenny Foray did not ride the race at Most) and his entire team in the Czech Republic.

“I am overjoyed. This weekend has been perfect from the word go. To win the race by 0.07 seconds after six hours of racing is a dream. It is simply excellent, and I know how much work we have all invested in this success. Despite the races at Le Mans and Estoril not running entirely smoothly, we still finished on the podium. We then retired with a technical issue in the Bol d’Or, but these things can happen. Despite this, we still managed to finish the season in second place in the championship.”

The last time a BMW team won the runner-up spot in the FIM Endurance World Championship was in the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In those years, BMW Motorrad France won two races, the 2011 8 Hours of Albacete and the 2012 8 Hours of Doha.

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Kevin Calia, Luca Scassa and Alexis Masbou were able to steer clear of the traps in store at the Bol d’Or and the rainy night. They took No Limits Motor Team’s Suzuki to 5th place at the finish and climbed onto the 3rd step of the Superstock podium. If it hadn’t been for a selector issue towards the end they might have claimed the win in the category. This is No Limits Motor Team’s first win in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy, with an accompanying €7,000 prize.

OG Motorsport by Sarazin were in 4th place in the Superstock class. A crash on Sunday morning deprived them of the Superstock podium. Their excellent performance at the Bol d’Or won them 2nd place in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy. The French team on Yamaha with a cosmopolitan line-up comprising Frenchman Alex Plancassagne, British rider Stefan Hill and Japanese rider Kokoro Atsumi received €6,000 in prize money.

Maco Racing Team had a tough race, with a crash and technical issues. The Slovakian team and their trio of riders, the Australian Anthony West, Germany’s Marc Moser and Czech rider Ondřej Ježek, were 10th past the finish line and climbed onto the third step of the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy podium, receiving a €5,000 purse.

Six other independent teams using Dunlop tyres were awarded prizes at this year’s tough and highly selective Bol d’Or. Only 20 machines managed to make it to the finish. The six teams received amounts ranging from €4,000 down to €1,800 for the team ranked 9th in the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy.

Renewed for the 6th successive season by FIM EWC promoter Eurosport Events, the organizers of each race in the FIM Endurance World Championship and tyre manufacturer Dunlop, the EWC Dunlop Independent Trophy gives backing to privateer teams using Dunlop tyres who do not receive direct support from a constructor. €120,000 will be awarded this season to support teams participating in the EWC Independent Trophy.

Check out the full results from Bol d’Or here…

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