On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

Kicking his August off with a 12th in the Sprint after starting 14th in Catalunya, this was a solid effort in a bout where he displayed some excellent pace and engaged in some fierce battles throughout. In the main race, he recovered from early adversity to secure 14th place, fighting his way back into the points after being pushed wide by Brad Binder on the opening lap, which had dropped him to the back of the field. Keen for more at Misano, Jack Miller (#43) began his weekend with a decent 14th in the Sprint, clawing his way back from 20th on the grid despite him not feeling overly confident on the bike. He followed that up with a gritty ride to 12th in Sunday’s main race, once again carving through the field – this time from 21st – to round out what was another tidy body of work.

“It’s been a relatively good day, considering where we started and where we finished. I lost quite a bit of time in the opening laps while settling into my rhythm, but from around lap eight until about six laps from the end, I felt pretty good and confident on the bike, even setting my best lap of the race in that stint. From then on, with a low fuel load and worn tyres, the bike started moving around a lot, and it was difficult to manage the weight transfer – that‘s something we need to work on. Overall though, I’m satisfied: I had a solid Sprint and a solid Sunday. We’re still missing a bit of speed, but the team did a good job. We have an important test, where I’ll try the new Yamaha YZR-M1 V4 prototype,” he commented.

Read our previous Aussies Racing Abroad columns here…

Speaking of the test, and Miller was content following his first outing on Yamaha’s new V4, noting that there’s much to like already even though there’s huge scope for improvement given the project’s still in its early stages.

Senna Agius – Moto2

Despite banking an impressive P8 in qualifying, Senna Agius frustratingly could only manage 14th in the race, as he was hindered by a sluggish start, grip issues and a long lap penalty on his return from his brutal crash in Austria. Eager to come out swinging in Misano, this is exactly what the Aussie flyer did, for he produced a sterling showing, which began with a strong P7 in qualifying: just 0.190 seconds off the fastest time. He then positively transferred his pace into the race, with him riding with plenty of intensity and fight to clinch fifth, which secured him a valuable points haul to propel him from tenth to eighth in the Moto2 standings.

“It was a good race, I can’t complain. Fourth place would have been the best I could have hoped for today. Maybe even a little better, because I saw the podium and relived that feeling I’ve been missing over the last months. But I got a little kick from behind and ended up on the kerbs, where I almost lost control of the front on the outside. I almost had a serious crash because it was at a fast place. Fifth place at the end is good, and we’ve made up a little ground in the championship, which is nice.” Agius reflected.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

Joel Kelso rocketed to P2 in qualifying at Barcelona, setting himself up nicely for an uplifting race. However, he was unable to fully convert that speed when it counted, slipping as far back as 14th before fighting back to finish a respectable seventh.

At Misano, Kelso wanted to carry that momentum. And he did just that by bagging an eye-catching P3 in Friday practice. He duly backed it up with another front-row start in qualifying and went on to finish fourth in the race to cap off a fine round at the office.

“Not the smoothest race today – made it to the front but got shuffled back after a small mistake. Fought my way through to finish with solid points. Happy to have the good feeling back on the bike and ready to build for the second half of the season. Time to tidy up a few things and go again next weekend,” Kelso stated.

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3

While he was dissatisfied with only logging P11 in qualifying, mainly due to getting stuck behind others on slow laps at Catalunya, Jacob Roulstone was ready to show his class in Sunday’s showdown. But his race ended in devastation after a technical issue forced him to retire.

“Really unfortunate once again. It seems that when everything is going good, I can’t catch any luck. I don’t know how many ladders I walked under this year, but I am really upset. It is the third time this year that I am having this issue. I know it is out of the team’s control, so it’s just a really big shame. I felt really strong from lap one, I showed top speed, so it is sad,” he lamented.

It was a weekend of highs and lows in San Marino too. After securing the first front row of his GP career with a superb P3 in qualifying, tyre issues meant P11 was the best he could salvage in the race.

“We felt good at the start. I tried to manage myself, but I quickly struggled with the tyre drop, and I was a bit lost. I am a bit disappointed, of course, but we take the positives from this weekend, and let’s keep working,” admitted Roulstone.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike

Despite feeling sore from his Balaton spill, Remy Gardner produced a valiant effort on the physically demanding Magny-Cours circuit to register a brave sixth in the opening race. An 11th in the Superpole Race then followed for the #87 before he picked up an admirable P13 in the final race to close out the French round.

“Unfortunately, in the sprint race we couldn’t hold our position early on, even though our pace was good in the closing stages. That meant starting one row further back for race two, which made things a bit tougher. We tried to work our way through the field and kept a consistent pace, but it wasn’t quite enough to gain more places. Now we’ll focus on Aragon and take some time to rest,” Gardner said.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport

While beginning race one from the back after a collision with Kaito Toba prevented him from completing a qualifying lap, Oli Bayliss mounted a spirited charge, gaining 18 spots to finish 12th over the 19-lapper. Bayliss once again put in a remarkable comeback in the second stanza, where, having started from the back, the Australian steadily sliced through the field at a rate of over one place per lap, showing both pace and determination. His remarkable surge to tenth at the chequered flag was certainly a supreme effort.

“It was a frustrating kind of a weekend. We had a pretty good free practice, and as we all know, we got taken out of the first lap of qualifying, so we had to start at the back of the grid. We were really close to making the lap time in race one to start one of the first nine in race two, we just missed out, so we had to start at the back again. We made good progress throughout the race and finished tenth. We were really fast at the end of the race, it’s annoying because I think we could have had some really good results, but we are just going to have to try again next time,” he noted.

Off-Track
Jett Lawrence – SuperMotocross

Jett Lawrence capped off an extraordinary 2025 season with another sensational performance at the SMX finale in Las Vegas to secure his third consecutive SuperMotocross 450 Championship. Entering the final round with just a six-point edge over his brother Hunter and facing a triple-points format, Jett was under intense pressure in a winner-take-all duel. And he delivered when it mattered most, overcoming average starts in both motos to go 1-2 on the night. A critical late-race pass on Eli Tomac in the second moto clinched the overall victory and the title, netting him $1 million and his 10th career AMA crown – tying him with legends Jeremy McGrath and Ryan Villopoto. At just 22, Jett remains the only rider to have claimed every premier category SMX title since the series began in 2023, cementing his place as one of the sport’s all-time greats.

“It was a good race weekend. Hunter rode well and executed two starts, which made it hard on me. The first moto, I was able to dig deep and get that moto win, thankfully, it saved me for sure. In the second moto, I got another bad start, and the boys were riding well. Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to be able to catch Eli to make the pass, but in the last few laps I was able to close up. I saw an opportunity to pass and jumped on it real quick. I was able to make it stick and get the win. It’s awesome to go 1-2 with Hunter and me,” Jett explained.

Hunter Lawrence – SuperMotocross

Hunter Lawrence may have narrowly missed out on the SMX 450 title, but his exertions in Las Vegas were nothing short of impressive. With the championship on the line and only six points separating him from his younger brother Jett, Hunter came out all guns blazing. He led both motos early and even held on to win the second, showcasing his speed, maturity and racecraft. His third in moto one and triumph in the second earned him second overall on the night and in the final standings – along with a hefty $500,000 payout. While he fell just short of the title, Hunter’s consistency and ability to push his brother to the limit underlined why he’s a top-tier contender in the premier class.

“Yeah, I’m gutted. I did everything I could in that one, felt like I just gave it 110% every time I went on the track. Just came up short,” Hunter insisted.

Jake Cannon – EMX250

Aussie Bud Racing ace Jake Cannon ended his EMX250 season well despite enduring some adversity. Although all the signs were looking good in race one, where he was running fourth, his moto was scuppered when he got run into by another rider, which relegated him to eleventh. Recalibrating his focus swiftly, he notably fought back to finish seventh.

Then, in the second moto, Cannon didn’t let being pushed wide condition his race, as he rapidly regained his composure, and charged from ninth to fourth. His resilient output saw him secure fourth overall and eighth in the final EMX250 standings.

Liam Owens – EMX250

Liam Owens wrapped up his 2025 EMX250 crusade in style by powering himself to the podium at the finale in Turkey to close out the term with back-to-back podiums to clinch an outstanding fifth in the gruelling EMX250 championship.

While battling a bout of food poisoning wasn’t ideal in race one, Owens charged from 13th on the first lap to finish an excellent fourth. Feeling better on Sunday, the hotshot found his groove again to take home third to earn third overall.

“Back-to-back podiums to finish my 2025 EMX250 campaign. This weekend in Turkey was definitely an experience, from eating the wrong food and throwing up in race one to riding in the altitude and bikes feeling slower because of it,” Owens posted.

The post Aussies Racing Abroad | September 2025 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

After a tough 17th in the Austrian sprint, where he struggled with severe rear wheel spin, Jack Miller endured more of the same in the main race, limping home in 18th to cap off a weekend to forget.

“It’s quite clear on paper that this weekend our bike simply doesn‘t work with this rear tyre and its construction. There‘s just no way to make it work. I tried everything I know – from short-shifting to being super patient on the throttle – just trying to find a way to defend myself,” Miller reflected.

Heading to Hungary, the popular #43 secured a positive 12th in the Sprint on a track where overtaking was difficult. The main race was always going to be a challenge, with Miller forced to start 17th after receiving a three-place grid penalty for impeding Francesco Bagnaia during Friday’s practice. Despite a brilliant start, Jack Miller frustratingly crashed out of the race to end another challenging round.

“Definitely not the day I wanted or expected. I got off to a decent start, settled in behind Pol (Espargaro) and waited a bit before making a move, knowing I had the pace to get ahead. But then, at turn one, as soon as I touched the throttle, the front went away and that was it. Honestly, I hadn‘t done anything different from the lap before. I picked the bike up and tried to push, hoping to catch someone, even with a small clutch issue. But a few laps later I went down again at Turn 11. A real shame, because we had a decent pace this weekend and I feel it was a missed opportunity,” he lamented.

Senna Agius – Moto2

Kicking off his weekend with a strong P5 in FP2 and sixth in qualifying in Austria, things were looking promising for Senna Agius to deliver a fine race. But it wasn’t to be, as a brutal crash at turn two on the opening lap, involving Ivan Ortola and Alonso Lopez, saw Agius get run over, ending his race early. Fortunately, he escaped without serious injury. Though scans at the Red Bull Ring came back clear, he was transferred to Judenburg Hospital for precautionary checks and underwent further tests in Barcelona.

“Lucky to be walking away today, relatively okay after a scary crash on lap one. Time to recover to get back on it soon,”Agius recalled. While he had to sit out the Hungarian GP to rest and recuperate, he positively plans to return to action in Catalunya, pending medical clearance.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

Back from injury in Austria following the summer break, exciting talent Joel Kelso claimed 10th on the grid before producing a commendable 11th in the race. Leaving determined and motivated to build on this ahead of the subsequent round in Hungary, his words illustrated he wasn’t content.

“Not the result we wanted coming back from the summer break. Didn’t feel fully dialled in this weekend, but we’ll regroup and go again,” stated the #66. Although it wasn’t the weekend Joel Kelso had envisaged in Hungary on a track he enjoyed riding, the Australian dynamo showed plenty of grit to fight his way back from P14 to a respectable eighth.

“It wasn’t an ideal weekend, starting from P14, but we fought hard and managed to move forward. We’re still in a bit of a rut – no point sugar-coating it. The focus now is on finding solutions, and we won’t stop until we do,” asserted the Aussie.

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3

Having toiled earlier in the weekend, it was admirable how Jacob Roulstone made steady progress on the Saturday to qualify P12 at the Red Bull Ring. Sadly, grip issues hindered his race, thus ensuring he couldn’t get any higher than 14th.

“I’m taking some positives away from what was definitely a tricky round, at not one of my favourite tracks. In today’s race, I managed to get a decent start and maintain a decent pace throughout. I did struggle with grip toward the end of the race. It seems we’re making small steps in the right direction, even if the results aren’t quite reflecting that yet,”commented Roulstone.

After qualifying P7, Jacob Roulstone continued his admirable Moto3 momentum with a P10 in Sunday’s race in Hungary. While a reasonable result, the Aussie felt more was possible with better tyre management.

“Really good start, and I was able to stay near the front for a while. But I just didn’t manage the tyre well enough. Small steps forward again. Not the results I’m aiming for, but I’m giving my best day in and day out to get to where I know I can be. Just need to work things out on and off the bike a little earlier in the weekend. A week off now, but see you in Barcelona,” insisted the gifted prospect.

Off-Track
Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross

Jett Lawrence wrapped up his second 450 AMA Pro Motocross crown and his fifth title in the premier class after enjoying his latest masterful season. His achievement was made all the more remarkable given the fact he’d only just recovered in time from an ACL injury for the start of the Pro Motocross series. Winning nine of the 11 overalls on offer, there was no denying the 22-year-old phenom, who was a cut above his adversaries throughout. Combining superb technique, elite line selection, tremendous starts and outstanding racecraft, it was a joy to watch the #18 flex his muscles.

“I think the biggest moment in this championship was round one. Leading up to it, I was dealing with my knee injury. It was my first one, so mentally it felt horrible, and I was originally told I’d be out four months. I didn’t think I was going to make the opener at all. Just making it to the first round had me stoked, and to go there and win made it one of my best races ever. To wrap up the title one round early makes it even more rewarding,” Lawrence explained. The younger Lawrence sibling will now immediately shift his attention to the upcoming SMX Playoffs.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross

Hunter Lawrence rounded out an excellent Pro Motocross season by finishing second in the standings behind his sensational brother, in a campaign which memorably included him banking his first-ever victory outdoors in the 450 category when he reigned supreme at Ironman.

“I haven’t got the energy to be emotional or happy. It’s hot and I’m finished. I’m just happy to get one [a win]. A lot of second-place finishes, but it’s good to get the monkey off my back,” he divulged. Launching out of the gate wonderfully throughout the crusade and riding in a disciplined and calculated manner, Hunter deserves huge credit for what was an accomplished body of work over 11 gruelling stops on the calendar. Expect him to come out swinging in SMX too, where he’ll aim to go one better after falling just short last time around.

Jake Cannon – EMX250

Consistency has been key for Jake Cannon in August in the fiercely competitive EMX250 division. Beginning with a solid P5 in Sweden despite a spill in race one and having an off-track excursion in the second race, there were many positives to extract from his Uddevalla. Feeling good on the bike, possessing podium speed and comfortable on the iconic venue, a podium was in reach if only he’d avoided those mishaps.

“I felt good on the bike and was enjoying the track, but the first moto just didn’t go my way. I rode strong to get back to ninth after crashing on the second lap, but I need to get better starts and minimise the errors. I’m frustrated with my first lap in the second moto, as I jumped off the side of the track after a good start. After ten minutes I started riding like myself again and came back to fifth for fifth overall. I just have to put it all together for a full moto. I know I have the speed to be at the front,” Cannon told the Bud Racing website.

The Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki hotshot then ventured to Arnhem ready for more, but unsatisfactory starts ensured he had to surge through the pack to eventually clinch a hard-earned sixth overall.

Liam Owens – EMX250

Liam Owens continues to make impressive strides in EMX250, with the Aussie flyer notching his maiden podium at Arnhem last weekend, which was a just reward for all his hard work. Riding superbly on the demanding sand circuit, his 4-2 moto scores saw him claim a deserved third overall and his spot on the box.

“Finally made it on the podium. If you had told me, when I first moved here from Australia, that my first EMX250 podium would come in the sand, I would’ve fallen off my chair. Big thanks to everyone involved in my first podium. Getting that feeling once just makes me want it even more,” said a delighted Owens.

In another piece of uplifting news, it was also confirmed that the Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ace will stay with the team for 2026, where his sights will be firmly set on the coveted EMX250 title.

The post Aussies Racing Abroad | August 2025 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP

Jack Miller began his June with a determined showing at the Aragon round. Despite receiving a long-lap penalty following a second-lap incident with Joan Mir, he fought hard to secure 13th in the Sprint race. Then, in Sunday’s main event, the Australian got off to a strong start, jumping from 14th to 10th on the opening lap. However, as the race wore on, tyre degradation took its toll, and he eventually crossed the line in 14th.

“Not the day we wanted, but we’ll take it. At least we finished with a couple of points. At the beginning I felt I had a good speed, after a few laps I also tried to attack Fabio at turn 12, but it was hard to stop, went a little wide, and from that moment my pace dropped. And it was really difficult to get back to the rhythm. I could see the issues he was having, very similar to mine, and when he lost the bike at turn one, I almost did the same. It was not an easy weekend for us, but that is how it goes sometimes,” he reflected.

Read previous Aussie’s Abroad here...

Venturing to Mugello next, Jack Miller embarked on an early charge from 13th to 10th in the Sprint, but his difficulties with the hard tyre saw him slip back to 16th in the punishing heat. Hoping for a stronger result on Sunday, Miller’s exertions were cut short when a clutch issue forced him to retire on lap 10, just when he was hoping to bag some valuable points.

“Right from the start, the clutch basically burnt itself out as soon as I let it go – even though my launch was good. For the first three laps, it was slipping badly. I was short-shifting everywhere, trying to bring it back to life. It recovered somewhat, but every time I hit a bump, it felt like a kick and threw me wide. I got passed by everyone, and after contact with someone on the first lap, I also lost a wing, which had me wheeling all over the place. Then we had a fuel issue that made the bike even more aggressive. At that point, it was basically unrideable. I tried to keep going, but in the end, I had to retire. It was a tough one, but we‘ll reset and look ahead,” lamented Miller.

Senna Agius – Moto2

Although Senna Agius was left frustrated with 13th in qualifying at Aragon, he produced an admirable comeback in the race, powering through the pack to log an impressive fourth. Showing tremendous maturity and discipline, Agius managed his pace well despite battling tyre issues, turning a challenging start into one of his finest performances of the campaign.

An unsatisfactory qualifying at Mugello saw Senna Agius lose his best lap to a yellow flag, leaving him further down the grid than hoped. Starting 17th, he initially fell back amid the early chaos but rebounded from this adversity by putting in a spirited performance. Surging through the field with a host of commanding overtakes and advancing a hefty ten positions, there was much to like about his efforts in Mugello.

“My race began with a really bad start, and then I was pushed wide by another rider. So, I dropped back to P23 or P24 on the first lap. Then I just tried to make up as many positions as possible until the end. My pace wasn’t bad, but the position doesn’t reflect the step we made today. We have to work on qualifying, that was the big problem this weekend, and it cost us a better result today. I can be a little bit satisfied with the pace at Mugello, but we will start again at Assen, where we will try to get back to a normal position,” Agius told the Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP squad’s website.

Sitting sixth in the Moto2 standings after nine rounds, he’ll be eager for an improved display at the historic Assen.

Joel Kelso – Moto3

Joel Kelso kicked off June with another commendable body of work at Aragon, where he battled to find his rhythm. Despite that, he earned a hard-fought seventh to underline his resilience. Given his fierce approach and desire to come out swinging, seeing how he fared at Mugello would be fascinating.

“Difficult weekend for us, we never really found our flow. Seventh is never a result I’m happy with, but this weekend we did a good recovery job. Already looking ahead to Mugello and how I can be best prepared to fight for that win! Let’s keep moving,” he declared.

Despite dealing with a tricky headwind in qualifying at Mugello, the Australian ace managed a solid ninth on the grid to make the most of a difficult session. On race day, he was in the mix early on, but a run-in with Guido Pini disrupted his momentum, limiting his chances of pushing further up the order. Ninth was therefore the best he could salvage under the circumstances.

Jacob Roulstone – Moto3

Jacob Roulstone began his Aragon in style with a wonderful sixth in qualifying, setting himself up for a productive race. Unfortunately, his encouraging run was cut short by a technical issue beyond his control, forcing him to retire on lap five while running near the front.

Heading to Mugello for the subsequent stop on the calendar, his speed and skill were clear for all to see, with him marauding to fifth in qualifying. Although he led for the first time in a Moto3 race, luck wasn’t on his side, for he had to avoid two crashes around him, which dropped him way back. To his credit, he valiantly kept pushing to clinch a respectable 13th. He’ll extract the positives and hope to carry his momentum into Assen next weekend.

“To be honest, I think I would have more luck winning the lottery than in that race! I got caught up with two incidents, which I had to avoid, so I lost a lot of positions. I am very disappointed, of course, because I had once again taken a good start, and I was up there with the front group in the first laps. Anyway, we have a lot of positives to take away from this weekend – the pace has been there and the confidence is back, so I just need to keep trying. Luckily, we already have another round coming next week in Assen, so I am just already focused on that one, and hopefully we can finally get a strong finish,” stated a dejected Roulstone.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike

While Remy Gardner experienced a turbulent day on Friday at Misano, with two spills scuppering his progress, it was notable how he pulled it all together to bank fifth. Despite a strong qualifying to grab sixth, Gardner annoyingly crashed out of race one while showing excellent speed, with grip issues serving as the catalyst for his misstep. The Australian was keen to make amends and stamp his mark in the Superpole race but failed to translate his pace into a podium, with him ultimately settling for P8.

“Unfortunately the feeling was not too great, but we were still able to battle in the sprint race, trying our best to secure a good result and a decent starting grid position for race two. At the end, we managed to finish eighth, which wasn’t great, but not too bad either. We then tried to improve the performance in the afternoon, but the feeling was not amazing overall, to be honest. It was enough to try to fight with those around, but unfortunately I was hit by another rider, and I couldn’t do anything, and the race was over. Not the way I wanted to finish the weekend, but that’s racing. Let’s try to move on and stay positive for the next rounds,” asserted Gardner.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport

Oli Bayliss endured a rough opening to round six at Misano, sliding from P12 to P18 in race one, as he toiled with the bike throughout the bout, before crossing the line 19th. Although improvement was evident in race two, as he moved from P13 to 11th, a red flag halted his progress to end the race early.

“A step in the right direction today. Made good progress but didn’t have the pace to go in the first couple of laps. After that we kept a nice pace until the red flag,” insisted Bayliss.

His racing for June wasn’t done there, for Bayliss made an impressive BSB debut at Snetterton, enjoying a fantastic weekend and marking the occasion nicely by securing second in the second race aboard the Macadam Triumph Factory Racing steed in place of the injured Max Wadsworth.

“Really happy with my weekend here in Snetterton for the BSB Championship. First of all, I need to thank Dave and the whole Macadam Triumph Factory team for getting me here in the first place and for getting these results, which is a great confidence boost. We finished fourth yesterday and second in the last race, so we’re really happy with that, especially with Luke getting the win too. I had a really great weekend, and we’ll see what happens in the future. Big thank you to the team and all my sponsors,” he commented.

Luke Power – World Supersport

Luke Power experienced a forgettable Misano, with a fall in Friday’s free practice leaving him 28th. He then proceeded to qualify 30th following a crash. Even though he retired in the first race, there was much to like about his race two, where he propelled himself to 18th before a crash cut his race short on lap nine.

“Overall, it was a disappointing weekend. I was quite confident and hopeful of a good result coming into Misano, but sometimes you get weekends like we had. A couple of technical problems and a couple of crashes were not ideal, but in the second race we found a bit of pace and a bit of confidence, which we will take. We had a good round in Phillip Island and a decent round in Most where we showed some speed, so we need to keep the momentum going as we head to Donington. I am looking forward to a smooth weekend in the UK, where we can build from FP1 and everything comes together, and we can show our potential. I am not happy with Misano, but I am motivated for the rest of the season,”explained Power.

Off-Track

Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross

Jett Lawrence has been unstoppable in the first four rounds of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross season on his way to reigning supreme to win the overall at each event. In what’s been a phenomenal return from his nasty ACL injury that sidelined him during AMA Supercross, the outrageously talented Aussie has looked a cut above his adversaries, consistently outpacing the field and holding the edge. Firmly established as the title favourite, watch for more as the series resumes at Southwick this weekend.

Here’s what he had to say about his latest victory at High Point: “Another win in the books, but I really had to work for this one! The first moto was decent – I made a few mistakes but was able to capitalise. Then in the second one, it started pouring out of nowhere, and the track soaked up every bit of water – it got slippery really fast. I didn’t get the best start, but I managed to fight through and finished third for the overall win. I’m super-pumped on that, and now I’m looking forward to the break.”

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross

Hunter Lawrence has opened his Pro Motocross crusade with solid 3-5-5-2 results, demonstrating his consistency, racecraft and all-round skills. Returning from a shoulder injury, the elder Lawrence brother is steadily gaining form and confidence. With each round, he’s edging closer to the front and is expected to be a serious contender for wins in the coming weeks.

Having been just one point short of his first 450 overall outdoors win, all eyes will be on the sands of Southwick to see if he can triumph there.

“High Point was a good day – another step forward and definitely better than Thunder Valley. We actually had the overall in our hands, but Jett made his way through a few more guys, and we lost it by just one point – so a little bittersweet, but still a lot of positives to take away. I’m happy heading into the break, and we’ll keep on working,” said the #96 following the recent round.

Jake Cannon – EMX250

Jake Cannon registered his maiden podium finish in the fiercely competitive EMX250 with a brilliant performance in Great Britain. Setting the tone with some handy jumps of the gate, Cannon went 3-3 to claim third overall at the iconic Matterley Basin circuit. It was a breakthrough result for the young Australian, who’s mixed the highs with the lows this crusade.

“I’m very happy with how everything went all day. It started well with P4 in free practice, then sixth in timed practice to give me a good gate pick for the races. That is what has been missing; it’s been my anchor. I took a top-five start, rode to the conditions and got through to second behind my teammate. I had a really nice battle with Reisulis; unfortunately he got me near the end. I always knew I could do it, but it was all in my head. Anyway, it was a nice birthday present for the boss to put us both on the podium today,” recalled Cannon.

Liam Owens – EMX250

June has been a standout month for Liam Owens, who’s rewarded his efforts with quality results. On top of making his MX2 World Championship debut, he crucially delivered a superb fifth overall in EMX250 Latvia, which he backed up by claiming a terrific seventh overall at Matterley Basin in the UK. With momentum building, Owens is clearly heading in a promising direction, as he keeps illustrating his undeniable talent on his Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna machine.

“So yeah, this weekend was nothing to jump and skip about, but it was also not horrible. Riding and speed were there; starts were not, but I did love the jumps. Race one: P7, I came from 16th to 7th. Race two: P7, started just outside the top 10, and my speed was good, but I didn’t make passes happen and ran out of tear-offs. Disappointed in myself, and I will be looking to bounce further up the ladder in the coming rounds,” shared Owens.

“We have a three-week break from racing now after 11 weekends in a row of racing. We will take a breather and then keep on keeping on. Thanks to the whole team for pushing to be their best selves, and see you in Finland.”

The post Aussies Racing Abroad | June 2025 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Our full report for the WorldSSP Round 1 weekend can be found here…

The post WorldSSP 600 Gallery | Phillip Island, Round 1… appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
The D34G Racing squad have confirmed they’ll be retaining the services of Oli Bayliss for this year, as he’ll be looking for a much better 2024 following an injury-interrupted 2023, which saw him struggle to produce his best due to spending so much time on the sidelines.

The D34G Racing squad have confirmed they’ll be retaining the services of Oli Bayliss for this year, as he’ll be looking for a much better 2024 following an injury-interrupted 2023…

Eager to put in a strong off-season of training to hit the ground running at his season opening home round at the iconic Phillip Island circuit, he’ll be hoping to get the ball rolling in a positive direction from the off, as Bayliss is keen to repay the faith shown in him by his team.

“I’m very excited to be racing for Team D34G Racing again. I feel like last year I didn’t get to show my speed due to some injuries and unlucky moments. I really enjoyed being with these guys and I’m happy to be going around the clock one more time to show how fast we can be. A big thank you to all of my sponsors, supporters and the whole D34G Racing for giving me this opportunity,” he declared.

Team owner Davide Giugliano is equally looking forward to seeing what the hotshot can achieve. “Obviously I’m really excited to dive into this new season and I can’t wait to get to the track. I’m really happy with this year’s rider line-up. We will continue with Oli and for him it’ll be another season of growth and we’ll try to maximise the work done this year, which for him was a bit of an unlucky one due to injuries. In any case I’m happy with him and he surely has mine and the team’s full trust,” 

Tom Edwards – World Supersport
Having impressed in the World Supersport Challenge series last term on his way to winning races and being crowned vice-champion, talented Australian Tom Edwards has secured a ride with the D34G Racing team for 2024, where he’ll be teammates with countryman Oli Bayliss.

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

“I’m very excited to be joining the D34G racing team next season and to be staying in the WorldSBK paddocks. I made a lot of progress towards the end of last season, and I’m looking forward to keeping that momentum going. I’m confident that the team and I will work well together and be competitive,” he said.

“It’ll be great to be under the leadership of team owner Davide Giugliano with all his experience. Can’t wait to get on the V2 and test it out in the new year, I think it’ll really suit my riding style. I’d like to thank Davide, the D34G team, my sponsors and my supporters for the opportunity.”

Jett Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Jett Lawrence began his first 450 AMA Supercross race in fine style by claiming a memorable victory to become the first-ever rookie in history to win on their premier class debut. Launching out of the gate masterfully to bank the holeshot, this saw him ideally placed to avoid the early chaos to ride his own race. And that he did, on his way to leading every lap against an absolutely stacked field at Anaheim.

Making a real statement with his seven-second win under the bright lights, there was no denying the gifted 20-year-old, who emphatically carried his exceptional form from last year into the season opener.

Jett Lawrence began his first 450 AMA Supercross race in fine style by claiming a memorable victory to become the first-ever rookie in history to win on their premier class debut…

“It’s an unreal thing to grasp, winning my first 450 Supercross. With how many years the sport has been around, you’d think someone has done it before, so I’m definitely grateful and happy to do it for Honda; it’s an awesome feeling getting into the history books for them. The season’s off to a great start, and hopefully we can keep doing the same throughout the season,” explained a delighted Jett.

Heading into the second round in San Francisco, and this bout certainly didn’t go to plan here because of the savage muddy conditions throwing a real spanner in the works for everyone. Forced to negotiate the rain and the sloppy and unpredictable conditions, Jett struggled to find his groove. To his credit, though, he fought through some missteps to claim ninth in the shortened main.

Next stop on the calendar was San Diego, which posed a great opportunity for him to rebound, in a round where the weather played its part too inside Snapdragon Stadium, with the rain making things challenging once more. Although it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as San Francisco, it still made the racing treacherous.

Starting the weekend with a nasty crash on press day, this left him with a jammed thumb. But, to his credit, the phenom battled the pain and a rough start to ride to a solid fourth. Engaging in a robust duel with Jason Anderson, the pair’s altercation after the race stole the headlines, with them clearly annoyed at one another in the heat of the moment. Jett has since apologised for his role in the disagreement. Sitting third in the standings and well and truly in the title hunt, he’ll be hoping to get back on the box when the series heads back to Anaheim.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Hunter Lawrence’s step up to the 450 class certainly wasn’t what he envisaged, as the Honda star failed to make the main event in Anaheim on his class debut. Enduring a night to forget that was littered with bad luck and adversity, the determined Aussie was justifiably disappointed afterwards.

“That obviously wasn’t how we planned for my 450 debut to play out, but there’s only one way to go from here, and it’s one I’m very familiar with: put my head down and get back to work,” he asserted.

Responding positively in the muddy quagmire in San Francisco, there was much to admire about how he rallied to secure a credible 10th. Ready for more at round three in San Diego his day at the office started off on the right foot, for he grabbed seventh in qualifying before the rain arrived.

Managing the hazardous track wisely to progress from his heat and into the main, it was terrific to see him claim a confidence-boosting seventh in the main. “We had a good learning curve. Unfortunately, our result didn’t really reflect the riding in the main event – I feel like we rode very well. A lot of positives and an improvement on last weekend, so we just have to keep on building. Our time is coming,” he told the HRC website.

Aaron Tanti – AMA Supercross
Making the full-time step to race 450 AMA Supercross for 2024, the former Aussie champion and WSX heavy hitter disappointingly suffered an injury after a nasty practice crash in the lead up to Anaheim 1. Forced to delay the start of his crusade, this latest setback came at a terrible time, for he’d only just returned to training following breaking some ribs at the WSX round in Abu Dhabi.

“Well not the post I want to be doing leading into A1. Not long ago I had a practice crash and I thought everything was okay, but when I rode a few times after and I had some issues and unfortunately found out yesterday that I need to get them fixed. Devastated to say the least, but I’ll be back when I can to continue the series. Thank you to everyone supporting me and the whole PRMX team,” he stated.

Toby Price – Dakar Rally
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star produced an accomplished showing in his 10th Dakar Rally to claim fifth in the brutal event. Riding with intelligence and consistency as he navigated the 12 stage slog smartly, his best finish was second in the final leg.

When speaking after the completion of the gruelling Dakar Rally, Price cut a reasonably content figure, saying: “For us, it’s definitely been a really tough event this year. Thankfully, it’s always a good result when you can get to the finish line in one piece at the Dakar, and here we are, happy and healthy.”

“Looking back over the week, we were never far off the pace, just made a few too many mistakes out there and as you know that can cost some serious time at Dakar. The whole Red Bull KTM team have been incredible over the two weeks and have worked so hard. It’s a shame we’ve not been able to reward them with a podium. Big credit to the top guys as well, they got it done this year, so congratulations to them.”

Daniel Sanders – Dakar Rally
Although his preparation for the iconic Dakar Rally was far from ideal courtesy of him suffering a broken femur back in May, the popular pilot put in a valiant effort to finish a very respectable eighth.

Considering he underwent his final surgery in November, and this makes his achievement all the more impressive. Bagging many top five results and displaying just what a class act he is on the big stage, there was plenty to admire about his character-filled performance.

Bagging many top five results and displaying just what a class act he is on the big stage, there was plenty to admire about his character-filled performance…

“Coming in I didn’t have much preparation at all. I broke my femur really badly eight months ago and I only had December on the bike to prepare, so all I could really do was spend as much time on the bike as possible. But we were able to get the bike good and here we are at the finish line,” he shared.

“My last surgery was only three months ago, and the bone still isn’t fully healed. I didn’t expect to be here back in November so I’m really happy to finish another Dakar. It’s certainly been a challenge this year and I’ve missed a lot of racing during the last two years, so my goal now is to stay healthy, then return bigger and better next year. I’ll be doing everything I can to make that happen.”

The post Aussies Racing Abroad: February 2024 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

2023 WorldSBK Championship Standings (Full Standings Here)

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 628
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 552
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 370
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 327
5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 251

The post WorldSBK Gallery: All The Best Shots From 2023 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

2023 Season Top Five Riders (Full Standings Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – 467 points
2 Jorge Martin – Prima Pramac Racing – 428 points
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Mooney VR46 Racing Team – 329 Points
4 Brad Binder – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – 293 points
5 Johan Zarco – Prima Pramac Racing – 225 points

2023 Season Best Shots

The post MotoGP Gallery: All The Best Shots From The 2023 Season appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Jack Miller – MotoGP
Australian Red Bull KTM star Jack Miller ended his 2023 MotoGP campaign in mixed fashion, with some solid efforts in Malaysia and Qatar before closing out his campaign with a DNF at Valencia in the finale.

Beginning the month of November with a strong display at Sepang, where his highlights included a third in Friday practice, a handy sixth in the Sprint and a crafty eighth in the race. Miller was, however, concerned with his lack of speed and how he couldn’t find any specific reasons as to why he was way back from the frontrunners.

Moving on to Qatar for the penultimate round of the campaign, a ninth in the race was actually a decent result considering he struggled throughout the weekend and was 12th in the Sprint. Then for the last stop on the calendar at Valencia, Miller showcased good speed all weekend, with him notably securing fourth in qualifying and scorching into the lead in the race before disappointingly crashing out with nine laps to go.

“Not much to say. I didn’t do much different compared to the previous lap. I’d had a few moments with the front so decided to take it easy and not do anything too savage and, yeah, she just got away from me. It could have been an amazing result, but we’ll take stock and bounce back,” he reflected.

“It has been a year of firsts in many ways and a bittersweet way to end because it’s nice to know we have pace and we’re heading in the right direction. We have been working our butts off. The rider is just one small part because there is so much going on behind the scenes. Everyone has worked tirelessly, so I thank them all for that.”

Ending the season 11th in the final MotoGP championship standings on his first year with Red Bull KTM, he’ll now enjoy a well-deserved break and then get straight back to work in his quest to enjoy an even better 2024 and get back up the front.

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Starting off his November in fine style, Joel Kelso bagged an excellent seventh in Sepang, with him thankfully surviving the carnage around him to finish where he began the race. Venturing to Qatar, there were many positives to be extracted from his output here despite enduring an untimely mistake during the main bout while in the top five. The Darwinian admirably recovered to 13th to still salvage some points, as he was ultimately left to rue what could have been at Losail.

Concluding his 2023 term at Valencia, it was great to see him finding his form in the early stages of the event, for he was third quickest on Friday and qualified fourth by virtue of his rapidity on the Saturday. Enjoying a successful body of work in his Pruestel GP team’s last race in Moto3 as the CFMOTO factory squad, Kelso transferred his speed over nicely into the main event and handled the occasion smartly to claim a credible seventh – crossing the line less than five seconds behind the winner.

“The second half of the season has been good; we moved up six places in the standings and were on the front row of the grid five times, almost six yesterday! Happy enough. This is motorsport so it can go anyway and I started off with a broken leg! Thankfully the second half of the year has been better and I hope I did the team proud. I always gave my maximum and I think they appreciated that. An emotional time,” Kelso explained.

The young Aussie sensation on the rise will now look to carry his momentum into 2024, where he’ll be lining up in Moto3 under the BOE Motorsports awning.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike
In what’s been an up and down debut season in WorldSBK, it was positive to see Remy Gardner end his crusade on a high. Looking the goods at Jerez from the outset, grabbing a fifth in Superpole was a nice way to kick things off. Frustratingly, while in podium contention in race one, a nasty crash not only dashed his chances but also saw him suffer a painful wrist contusion and a deep cut on his right elbow.

Bravely opting to fight through the pain to suit up, his decision paid off emphatically, for he got the ball rolling with a sixth in the Superpole race even though he had issues with rear grip. Coming out swinging for the finale, the #87 put in an outstanding shift aboard his GYTR GRT Yamaha to equal his season-best finish to secure fourth.

“To be honest, today I wasn’t even sure about racing due to the crash I suffered yesterday. After warm-up I felt I could do the races, but it was painful, I’m not going to lie. The Superpole race was a decent one, unfortunately due to the red flag our rear tyre was quite used, and I struggled with grip in the latter stages of the race,” he told the Yamaha Racing website.

“Then, in race two I could smell the podium, we finished so close, and I could catch the group fighting for the victory. Unfortunately, I missed a bit of pace in the end as I pushed a lot to close the gap and I felt a bit of pain as well, which maybe prevented me from doing more. Anyway, it’s not a bad way to finish the year, we’re aware we have good potential and that we can have a strong 2024. To finish on the top of the Independent Teams is also nice, and I would like to dedicate this win to Mirko (Giansanti), who sadly passed away a few months ago.”

It also warrants mention that Gardner impressively recorded the fastest lap time on both days of the post-season test at Jerez, which will certainly give him some crucial confidence heading into next year.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Having been out since July when he tried to ride at Imola following a shoulder injury that he initially suffered at Donington Park, Oli Bayliss made his long-awaited return to action for D34G Racing at the season closer at Jerez.

While he inherently had a difficult time getting comfortable with the bike and the track, plus had to adapt to being back in the heat of the battle, concluding his 2023 with a pair of 18th place finishes wasn’t too bad at all considering the circumstances.

“That’s a wrap on the 2023 World Supersport Championship. Struggled a fair bit this weekend. Wasn’t exactly what I was after, but I have to remember that I have not been on a bike for quite some time due to my shoulder. So, looking at the bigger picture, it was nice to be able to just get back to racing and finish the year out with the D34G Racing team and build into the 2024 season from here,” he stated.

“Massive thanks to my team, sponsors and everyone who supports me. We’ll regroup, and now turn our attention to next year. Hopefully I can give you guys some news soon, but it’s looking like I’ll see you at round one at the end of February.”

Senna Agius – European Moto2 Championship and Moto2
Senna Agius rounded out his scintillating championship winning European Moto2 crusade in the best way possible by powering to an exceptional victory. His incredible feat was made all the more magnificent due to the fact he was forced to start from 17th courtesy of being handed a penalty for slow riding in qualifying two. Relishing the challenge ahead, the gifted hotshot rose to the occasion masterfully, as he carved through the field after a searing start that saw him launch up to eighth by the conclusion of lap one.

From there, he went from strength to strength to steadily pick up positions as the race progressed. Agius eventually propelled himself to within striking distance of leader Alberto Surra in the dying embers of the race before incisively getting past his rival to claim a phenomenal triumph against the odds.Having already inked a deal to move up to the Moto2 World Championship next term, more exciting times appear to be on the horizon for the 18-year-old ace.

Jacob Roulstone – Red Bull Rookies Cup & JuniorGP Moto3
Talented youngster Jacob Roulstone wrapped up his season with another accomplished performance in the JuniorGP series to bag upside-filled finishes of ninth and sixth to supplement his fifth in qualifying in the challenging cold and windy conditions.

“It has been a great year in the JuniorGP Championship, taking two podiums and front row starts. My goals going into the season were to be fighting at the front consistently and hard as well as to secure a Moto3 World Championship ride. I have achieved both,” he said.

“I would like to thank the Aspar Team for the past two years. It has been an honour to ride in these colours and for this successful team. I have come a long way as a racer and they have helped me develop. Thank you to Nico and Sergio for all you have done, as well as Amadeo and Pula for everything you do to get us there as a team. And the whole Aspar crew.”

“But most of all thank you to Santi and Fran for being two great mechanics and Antonio for all the hard work in the data area, and all three for being great mates. We made a fantastic team this year. As well thank you to my Dad, Mum and Sister who work their ass off to support me and make my dreams come true. Thank you to NHK Helmets and Furygan for supplying me with the best gear to wear. Can’t thank them, the rest of my family, my sponsors and everyone behind the scenes enough for everything that they do to contribute to my racing.”

With a hugely bright future ahead of him, it’ll be captivating watching how Roulstone fares in 2024, where he’ll be making the step up to the Moto3 World Championship with Red Bull KTM Tech3.

The post Aussies Racing Abroad: November 2023 appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The bike was a Ducati Pantah that started life as a wreck. Bob had rebuilt it and, as Magee points out, “Had turned it into a superbike and ‘Bob Browned’ it.” Magee took to the bike like it was built for him.

Read our full feature on the Bob Brown Pantah here…

“I’d heard a lot about this young kid,” says Bob Brown, “People said he crashed a lot. But I watched him and kept an eye on him when he raced the RDs. I needed a rider as my rider at the time, Jeff Thyme, was getting married on race weekend. I decided to give Kevin a chance. It was the right decision”!

Kevin tested the bike and was immediately on the pace. In his first meeting on the Ducati, Magee won both Thunderbike races from Peter Muir. It was an astonishing result.

Check out part one of our Kevin Magee series here…

“I remember his face at the trophy presentation,” recalls Bob, “I think at the time Fat Head, as I called him, was an apprentice and he earned about $29 per week. You should have seen his face when he was handed a cheque for $700 with his trophy! He handed it to me, and I passed it back and said ‘No mate, that is your winnings’. He just couldn’t wipe the smile off his dial. He spent all of his money racing and he was always broke. I’ll never forget the time he drove his old ute into the Kookaburra Petrol Station at Melton and asked the attendant to put one-litre of gas in his car so he could get to my workshop. He really was a character!”

The 1983 season was a huge success for the duo. Kevin won the Victorian Thunderbike Series and the NSW Formula European Championship, a series that he won all but one race, and that was because he snapped a drive chain off the start!

“I remember his face at the trophy presentation, [Kevin] was an apprentice and he earned about $29 per week. You should have seen his face when he was handed a cheque for $700″ said Bob.

“We also raced in the Eastern States rounds of the Australian Superbike Championships, “adds Kevin, “Plus the Mallala round, where I set a new outright lap record. I won the Tom Phillis Memorial meeting at Winton also. It was a good deal for me. Bob paid for tyres, entry fees and tent site fees because we stayed in a tent. I got to keep the prize money!”

The essential element of 1983 was racing against the factory teams on the 680 Pantah. They were on 1000cc and 1100cc superbikes and Magee was really giving them some curry. That year he scored a third in one race against the factory boys and finished the championship fifth against the likes of Rob Phillis, Wally Campbell and Andrew Johnston.

Read more about Magoo’s time on the Bob Brown Ducati here…

“It was a good learning year for me,” says Magee, “Because I was finding out that I was pretty fast and getting faster against guys who I thought would hose me… We also did the Swann Series at the end of the year and I did well in that. Bob was a dedicated Seventh Day Adventist, so we wouldn’t practice on Saturday. We didn’t do anything and Bob wouldn’t even open his shop. We would do Friday practice and if there was anything that needed checking we would do it in the warm up on Sunday morning. It didn’t worry me at all though. I was being looked after very well and I had a great bike to ride”…

1984 saw Magee race the Bob Brown Pantah again, with the same race meetings scheduled as 1983, plus the plan to travel to NZ for the end of year races. But the season didn’t kick off too well…

“All I wanted to do that year was race against the likes of Wally, AJ and Phillis. Early in the year I raced the TTF2 Ducati for the first time. It was like a real GP bike. I raced two classes in the 1 Hour at Calder; Up to 500cc and 500 – 1000cc. I was chasing down AJ, who was riding the factory Honda V4 860 and had a big lead over third place. There had been a sidecar blow up in the race before on the back straight, leaving oil everywhere. Five laps in I tipped it into the right-hander through the cement dust. The front tyre hit the curb and I went down, catching my right pinkie between the ‘bar and the road. Now it’s permanently bent and I almost lost it. That crash put me out for six weeks”.

The next race was at Mallala. Bob Brown was on his way to Horsham to pick Magee up for the trip to SA. Meanwhile, Kevin was mucking around with a mate on a three-wheeler up in the back paddock of his family property. They were two-up, and Magee over stepped the mark and highsided. 

Kevin continues the story, “I looked down and thought, ‘Oops.’ My foot was looking at me. I’d broken my leg. I was out for another six weeks. Bob wasn’t happy”!

“Here I was driving into Horsham,” says Bob, “When someone flags me down to tell me that Fat Head was in hospital with a broken leg. I could have strangled him”!

When fit, Kevin did all of the same races as 1983, plus raced in NZ at Gracefield International (the only time Bob let Kevin ride on a Saturday) and the Wanganui Street Races, where Magee finished second behind Dave Hiscock, the then World TTF1 Champion, who was riding his Macintosh Suzuki 1100…

“1983 was tough but a good year. We were really giving all the superbikes a tough time as I was learning more about riding and how to control a bike when going so fast,” says Magee, “But by the end of the year I was really getting keen to get on the same machinery as the factory boys as I knew I could run with them”…

1985 was Magee’s third year without Saturday practice but he didn’t mind, as Bob was very good to him. It was a huge year in Kevin’s career… In the Australian Superbike Championships, Magee was really starting to get under the factory team’s skin. At Winton, he broke the lap record in the morning warm up – by half a second!

“The factory team bosses rarely talked to each other,” recalls Bob, “As it was very competitive back then. But that morning, all of the team managers were seen huddled together, talking to ACU officials and trying to get rid of us”!

Magoo continues, “We’d show up in a Falcon XD panel van with a trailer. They’d be in big trucks with all the gear. And we’d make them look silly”.

Magee’s results were getting him some recognition, and offers started to come in to ride other bikes. Bob was fine with it, as he could see that Kevin had a lot of talent and could go a long way. But they still had plenty to accomplish that year…

Check out our Rob Phillis “Legends” feature here…

Yamaha announced the RZ National Invitation Series, plus all States had their own RZ Series. Bob bought a bike for Kevin to ride in the State Series, while the RZ National Invitation Series bikes were supplied; You simply turned up, dug the key out of a hat and raced your lucky bike. The winner of the series was to go on and race in the finals in Holland.

Magee and Bob went 50/50 in earnings and debt. They won both the Victorian State RZ Series and the RZ National Invitation Series that year. Magoo was over the moon. He now had a chance to prove himself overseas at the final… But it didn’t happen…

“In May, Yamaha invited me to race in the Nippon Denso 500 with Michael Dowson,” says Magee, “We won it. And that led to more offers. In June Trevor Flood invited me to ride his Yamaha FZ750 road bike in the Calder round of the Aussieland Superbike Series. I finished third behind Wally and Phillis. That race confirmed to me that I could run with the best of them”.

In July Magee went to Japan for the first time, to compete in the Suzuka 8 hour with Rob Phillis on a Moriwaki CBX750. It was one week before the final round of the RZ National Invitation Series. In the second session Magee highsided on some oil and broke his scaphoid. He didn’t go to a doctor, but knew something was broken… Amazingly, Magee finished the race and he and Phillis crossed the line in ninth position!

Magee travelled home to compete at Oran Park, finishing third and winning the title. The Surfer’s Paradise Three Hour was coming up, so Magee went to the doc and got his wrist put in a splint. In a gut-wrenching decision, he handed his trip to Holland for the world final to the RZ National Invitation Series runner up in the series… Opting to heal up for the Three Hour, which he competed in. He also went on to finish third overall in a wet Castrol Six Hour, and second in the 750 class.

Late in the year Magee competed in the Swann Series on Trevor Flood’s awesome TZ750, finishing in the top 10 of the championship and having an impressive race at Surfer’s with then GP star, South African Dave Peterson. Sadly it was around this time that Kevin and Bob went their separate ways. Kevin’s career had moved forward but he was very grateful for what Bob had done and vice versa…

“Bob was the main reason why I was getting all these offers,” says Magee, “Without him and those Dukes I wouldn’t have been noticed”…

Bob agrees, “Those were probably the most enjoyable years of my life really. Fat Head was a great talent and I was happy for him to move forward. The old Pantah didn’t die. In fact it ended up even more of a weapon, and in the end Alan Cathcart bought it to race overseas. It’s in a museum in Europe somewhere now”…

By now Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki were ringing Magee and looking for his services for 1986. But, he decided to stick with Yamaha as he was getting to know Dowson.  Kevin was now a factory rider. The Marlboro Yamaha Dealer Team was born… 1986 was huge. Magee went on to win the Castrol 6 Hour, the Arai 500, the Lakeside Hub 300 and finish second in the Swann International on a YZR500. 

Mid way through the season, Magee crashed at the Winton round of the superbike titles, breaking his collarbone. The Suzuka 8 Hour was just around the corner, so Kevin had his collarbone screwed and plated. He went over to Japan and qualified a domestic FZ750 in fourth place behind Kenny Roberts Snr, Wayne Gardner and Christian Sarron. He finished second with Mike Dowson behind Gardner after crashing and losing a lap!

Later that year, Magee travelled back to Japan and finished runner up behind Sarron in the Sugo TBC Big Road Race… On return to Australia the pair won the Castrol 6 Hour, despite being penalised a lap for a push start during a pit stop.

The Swann Series result really got people talking. Rob McElnea only just won the series by a few points from Magee. Oran Park was a standout. Magee put the YZR on pole and won the second race. People still talk about that one…

Next we look at 1987 and beyond, where Magee’s International career started to rapidly take shape…

Kevin Magee GP Career Stats

500 GRAND PRIX

• 1st x 1- 1988 SPA
• 3rd x 2 –1987 POR. 1988 POR
• 4th x 6 – 1988 NL. 1989 AUS, USA, YUG, NL. 1990 JAP
• 5th x 9 – 1988 NAT, WGER, YUG, GB. 1989 JAP, AUT, FRA, SWE. 1991 MAL
• 6th x 5 – 1988 AUT, SWE, BRA. 1989 GB, BRA
• 7th x 4 – 1988 JAP. 1989 WGER, BEL, CZE
• 9th x 2 –1988 FRA. 1993 JAP
• 10th x 1 – 1987 NL

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

• 1987 15th/11pts (Yamaha)
• 1988 5th/138pts (Yamaha)
• 1989 5th/138.5pts (Yamaha)
• 1990 21st/13pts (Suzuki)
• 1991 19th/19pts (Suzuki/Yamaha)
• 1993 25th/7pts (Yamaha)

OTHER MAJOR RESULTS

• 1981 Millage RD250LC State Champion (Vic)
• 1982 Millage RD350LC State Champion (Vic)
• 1983 Victorian Thunderbike Champion
• 1983 NSW Formula European Champion
• 1985 2nd NZ superbike race, Bob Brown Ducati
• 1985 9th Suzuka 8 Hour with Rob Phillis
• 1985 RZ Master Series State and National winner
• 1985 TZ750 top ten Swann Series
• 1985 1st place Nippon Denso 500, Winton
• 1985 3rd Castrol 6 Hour
• 1986 2nd Suzuka 8 Hour (on domestic Yamaha Superbike with Mike Dowson)

• 1986 1st Castrol 6 Hour
• 1986 1st Arai 500
• 1986 1st Lakeside Hub 300
• 1986 2nd TTF1, Sugo, Japan
• 1986 2nd Swann Series on YZR500
• 1987 All Japan TTF1 Champion, won every race
• 1987 1st Suzuka 8 Hour with Martin Wimmer
• 1987 1st Castrol 6 Hour
• 1987 1st Swann Series

• 1988 1st Suzuka 8 Hour with Wayne Rainey
• 1988 1st TBC Big Race, Sugo, Japan
• 1989 1st TBC Big Race, Sugo, Japan
• 1991 2nd Suzuka 8 Hour
• 1991 2nd / 5th World Superbike, Sugo, Japan
• 1991 1st / 2nd World Superbike, Phillip Island
• 1992 2nd All Japan 500 Championship
• 1992 2nd Suzuka 8 Hour

Kevin Magee is the only rider ever to have finished on top of the podium in the four premier class World Championships – World 500cc Grand Prix

• World TT Formula One 
• World Superbikes
• World Endurance 

With World TT Formula One now redundant, this milestone can never be broken.

The post Legends: The Career Of Kevin Magee, Part Two, Getting Recognised appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

It’s a warm Monday arvo and Tony Hatton (Suzuka 8-Hour winner, Aussie endurance, GP and production racing legend from the 1970s and 1980s) are sharing a beer with Kevin Magee in his local pub, a short walk from his harbourside home in the town of Vaucluse, the most exclusive millionaires only suburb in Sydney. I ask him where it all started. He pauses for a moment…

“There was a poster on the wall in the smoko (lunch) room at the bike shop I worked at during my apprenticeship. It was a picture of Kenny Roberts Snr on the black and yellow Yamaha. One of those above shots. I don’t reckon I ever walked past that poster without stopping to look at it. I was always checking out the tacho to try and work out how fast he was going… I was dreaming. But I knew that’s where I wanted to be…”

Kevin Magee was just an ordinary teenager who loved motorbikes. A dreamer from a small town. But there was a bit more spark in his eye than the average kid. The difference between Magee and most others was sheer guts and determination… 

There are very few riders in the world who have come through the ranks the way Kevin Magee did. So few, in fact, that those were the very riders he ended up competing against in 500 grand prix. For Magee, it was always going to happen. Nobody was ever going to stop the kid from Horsham in Western Victoria…

One of five boys and three girls in a family of 10, Magee spent his early years chasing his older brothers around the family property in Horsham, Victoria. A bit of a late starter in motorcycling terms (at least by today’s standards), Magee, coincidentally just like Beattie and Gardner, didn’t start mucking around with anything motorised until aged 10 when he acquired a Honda Dax minibike. But that wasn’t the first petrol-powered experience young Magee had…

“The first contact I had with a motor was a minibike my brother Damien built. We used wheelbarrow wheels and put a chassis together using water pipe and bolted in one of those old Villiers V-belt two-stroke singles. We shared it, and being the youngest at the time I was always chasing them around for a fang”…

“A bit of a late starter in motorcycling terms, Magee, just like Beattie and Gardner, didn’t start mucking around with anything motorised until aged 10…”

It wasn’t a great success, but Magee’s Dad could see what the boys wanted and that’s when he decided to get the Honda Dax minibike for them, one Sunday arvo from Peter Irwin… Magee’s other brother, Tim purchased a Honda CB125S road bike. 

“Back then we even had a watch one with an actual second hand on it,” Magee grins, “So things began to get competitive. We’d time each other around the dam and the back paddock. It was a case of ‘I can do better’ and it was great fun”…

Tim moved to Naracootie in SA and bought an XR75 and started racing. The Dax was wrecked by now and Kev had lost the tips of two fingers while trying to push start it.  Knowing this, and thinking Kev would do well, Tim took young Kevin to a few races and told him that he reckoned he’d be good at it himself. Kevin approached his parents and eventually a YZ80C replaced the Dax…

“My first race was at Edenhope MiniBike Club. I won a few races and would have won the last race but, with a big lead, slowed on a berm and fell over because I was going too slow to go up high… Riding gear on the day included desert boots, jeans, jumper, helmet, no goggles, and my brother’s winter road gloves the ones that reach your elbow’s, with rabbit fur inside!”

“Mum used to say I was never in the house unless I was asleep or had my head in the fridge”…

Later that year, just before Christmas, Magee’s father passed away. Kevin was only 16 years old at the time. Magee continued to ride that YZ until he was 17. The usual routine was, get up and have breakfast, ride the YZ, have another breakfast and then go to school. Come home and ride the YZ until it was too dark. It never got a piston in its life until it totally blew up, and Magee’s mate Damien Albury rescued Kev by rebuilding it…

The young Magee landed a job at a servo pumping petrol, cutting wood and mowing the lawns after school. This was to help him maintain his YZ and perhaps get another bike, but first he had to get transport. He managed to save up $135 to buy himself a pushbike to get him to and from work and school.

At around the same time Magee had his first ride on a 125. His mate Russell ‘Jagg’s’ Jagger had a CR125 and gave Magee a ride at a Horsham club day. Magee smashed ‘em, and decided it was time to get a bigger bike… Meanwhile, his brother Tim had bought him a CB360 to muck about on in the dirt! Magee reckons that he was the first person in the world to have a dirt bike with a front disc brake! Work experience as a mechanic at Center Point Motorcycles came next.

He had his sights set on an RM370 at the shop, and had put a $50 deposit down. But one weekend while riding with his bosses Baulch and Niewand, Magee impressed the B grade MX riders on 250s by catching them and checking out on mate Kym’s YZ125F. They soon convinced Magee to forget the 370 and by a new RM125N. Kevin borrowed some money from his Mum and bought the bike at cost price. He never looked back. Magee left school and started an apprenticeship as a mechanic at Irwin Motors, a Yamaha dealer and farmers supermarket. He started racing every weekend…

“I raced that RM with success for a long time, then one day Phil Needham invited me out to Mac Park for a ride day. I took the RM. We fitted some tyres to it and out I went. I had no gearing, so I was coming onto the straight in top gear on the rev limit! But it was great fun dicing to get second last, not last! I soon got a loan from Mum and bought myself and RD250F. I was on my Ls, but I didn’t have a car. So to get to work I’d get up, toolbox on my knees, ride to work, flick the stand down and lift the toolbox off my knees so as to not scratch the tank, then start work”… 

“I remember the first time I rode in the rain,” recalls Magee, “I asked Phil if I have to go slower in the wet. He said, ‘Yeah, a fair bit’. I knew I was doing 110km/h into turn one. So I slowed it down to 100km/h. Needless to say I ended up on my arse”!

Magee had spent 1980 getting the hang of the whole road race thing, and liked it, particularly how you came off clean at the end of the day – not covered in mud! He was determined to do more in 1981. 

There was plenty of hype around a new series for the equally as exciting RD250LC. It was called the Millage RD250LC Championship (sponsored by Doug Rober, of Stihl equipment) and Kevin was dead keen to be in it. He pestered his employers, Peter and Gordon, until they eventually gave in and sold him an LC at cost, $1600.00.

“I won the championship using second-hand tyres. Jagg’s and I would sleep in his bench seat FC Sedan at Benalla Caravan Park and scab tyres out of the bin on Sunday nights! I remember that I really needed a front slick for Winton but couldn’t afford it, so Niewand and I put the rear slick off the TZ on the front of the LC and made a new mudguard to fit over the monster tyre. Everyone bagged it, then I torched them…”

Magee also raced it in 250 to 1000cc open races and did well in those. It was push start in those days, and he could start the LC with one nudge. It’d take the TZs until the last lap to catch him. Magee won a YZR30 pocket bike for his efforts, and he’s still got one!

In 1982 Magee started to think about racing a bit more seriously. It was at about this time that the Kenny Roberts poster started to get his mind ticking. He realised that he could do something with this…

“At the time, Young Magee was watching the likes of Rob Phillis, Malcom ‘Wally’ Campbell and Andrew ‘AJ’ Johnston, and aspired to the factory guys…”

“I bought a 1976 TZ350C for $800, or $1000 with rims for wets from Niewand… I crashed the thing but thought, OK, where next? I needed to get to A grade… At the time I was racing in anything I could, 250 – 1000cc events and all that. I raced a borrowed 350LC and won the  again, and I got to A grade on the TZ”.

At the time, Young Magee was watching the likes of Rob Phillis, Malcom ‘Wally’ Campbell and Andrew ‘AJ’ Johnston, and aspired to the factory guys mainly because he wanted to ride the bikes and test himself against the best.

Magee broke the outright lap record at Mt Gambier, which had been set by Rob Phillis on a Mick Hone’s GSX. He also beat Paul Feeney in a reverse direction wet race at Winton. Feeney was on full wets, Magee on an RD350LC on proddie tyres…

“In 1982 Magee started to think about racing a bit more seriously. It was at about this time that the Kenny Roberts poster started to get his mind ticking.”

In August or September 1982, at the final round of the Millage RD350LC series, Magee was in the pits hand fitting a front tyre to his LC. He’d been getting front chatter and was dead set on beating John Harmen for the title. Magee continues the story…

“I was busy with tyre levers and all that, and I looked up and there’s this guy looking over my shoulder. I shrugged him off watching and kept working. Then he came back and introduced himself as Bob Brown. He told me he needed a rider for his Ducati for the Swann Series. It was a Friday and that afternoon I was on the bike testing. I went 2.5-seconds faster than the fastest guy! “

Magee went on that weekend to take the LC series and also race the Bob Brown Ducati, winning both races from Peter Muir at Swann Series at Sandown Series. It was the start of an incredible decade for Kevin Magee, and the biggest turning point in his racing career.

Next, we look at Kevin’s years on the Bob Brown Ducati, and how he and Bob wrote themselves into the motorcycle racing history books by taking on the big guns on factory backed machinery…

Kevin Magee GP Career Stats

500 GRAND PRIX

• 1st x 1- 1988 SPA
• 3rd x 2 –1987 POR. 1988 POR
• 4th x 6 – 1988 NL. 1989 AUS, USA, YUG, NL. 1990 JAP
• 5th x 9 – 1988 NAT, WGER, YUG, GB. 1989 JAP, AUT, FRA, SWE. 1991 MAL
• 6th x 5 – 1988 AUT, SWE, BRA. 1989 GB, BRA
• 7th x 4 – 1988 JAP. 1989 WGER, BEL, CZE
• 9th x 2 –1988 FRA. 1993 JAP
• 10th x 1 – 1987 NL

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

• 1987 15th/11pts (Yamaha)
• 1988 5th/138pts (Yamaha)
• 1989 5th/138.5pts (Yamaha)
• 1990 21st/13pts (Suzuki)
• 1991 19th/19pts (Suzuki/Yamaha)
• 1993 25th/7pts (Yamaha)

OTHER MAJOR RESULTS

• 1981 Millage RD250LC State Champion (Vic)
• 1982 Millage RD350LC State Champion (Vic)
• 1983 Victorian Thunderbike Champion
• 1983 NSW Formula European Champion
• 1985 2nd NZ superbike race, Bob Brown Ducati
• 1985 9th Suzuka 8 Hour with Rob Phillis
• 1985 RZ Master Series State and National winner
• 1985 TZ750 top ten Swann Series
• 1985 1st place Nippon Denso 500, Winton
• 1985 3rd Castrol 6 Hour
• 1986 2nd Suzuka 8 Hour (on domestic Yamaha Superbike with Mike Dowson)

• 1986 1st Castrol 6 Hour
• 1986 1st Arai 500
• 1986 1st Lakeside Hub 300
• 1986 2nd TTF1, Sugo, Japan
• 1986 2nd Swann Series on YZR500
• 1987 All Japan TTF1 Champion, won every race
• 1987 1st Suzuka 8 Hour with Martin Wimmer
• 1987 1st Castrol 6 Hour
• 1987 1st Swann Series

• 1988 1st Suzuka 8 Hour with Wayne Rainey
• 1988 1st TBC Big Race, Sugo, Japan
• 1989 1st TBC Big Race, Sugo, Japan
• 1991 2nd Suzuka 8 Hour
• 1991 2nd / 5th World Superbike, Sugo, Japan
• 1991 1st / 2nd World Superbike, Phillip Island
• 1992 2nd All Japan 500 Championship
• 1992 2nd Suzuka 8 Hour

Kevin Magee is the only rider ever to have finished on top of the podium in the four premier class World Championships – World 500cc Grand Prix

• World TT Formula One 
• World Superbikes
• World Endurance 

With World TT Formula One now redundant, this milestone can never be broken.

The post Legends: The Career Of Kevin Magee, Part One, Early Life appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....