On-Track
Jack Miller – MotoGP
Although Jack Miller ended June with a frustrating crash at Assen, there was still plenty of upside attached to his month of action. Kicking things off with a solid seventh in Mugello in a race where he was in podium contention before struggling to keep the speed, he then backed this up with a super effort in Germany. Grabbing an impressive third in the Sprint, the Red Bull KTM star looked exceptional at the famed Sachsenring circuit.

Flying out to a wicked start in the Sunday race, all the signs were there that he could secure a podium, but a moment early on dropped him back. Battling on fiercely while he regrouped and toiled for grip, sixth was the best he could achieve to round out a solid weekend of work. With the first stage of the season now completed, Miller, who occupies seventh in the standings, spoke insightfully on how things have gone after the recent German GP.

“Not the way we wanted to finish the first phase of the season. I felt good and got a decent start. I ran deep into Turn 1 on the brakes and tried to pull a tight line to square-up and drive out on the exit but it was a couple of lean degrees too much, too early. We’ll take the positives. The bike was good again here and we fixed the vibration we had from yesterday with just a couple of little changes. It was a big gain,” he insisted.
“Anyway, two Sprint podiums and a main race podium as well as challenging at the front most of the time: I think it has been a good season so far”.

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Joel Kelso continues making positive strides in Moto3, with him clearly getting back on track with his fitness and feeling more and more comfortable running the pace near the head of the field. Qualifying in an eye-catching second at Mugello only to be relegated back to 21st due to a penalty for irresponsible riding, this was a tangible indication of his progress. Unable to translate his speed over to the race courtesy of a spill when trying to blast through the pack, Kelso quickly turned his attention to his team’s home round in Germany. Building on his form from Italy, Kelso banked another second in qualifying to flex his muscles before riding to a solid ninth in the race in this stacked class.

“We are almost there! I’m hungrier than ever to chase down that podium, but no complaints going into the summer break with a top ten finish. I’ll be working hard over the break to come back stronger,” he declared.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike
In the only event on the WorldSBK calendar in June, Remy Gardner endured a mixed weekend at Misano. Beginning the round soundly by snaring ninth in race one, things took a turn for the worse in the Superpole race, where he was involved in an incident between two other riders that forced him to crash out. After getting the all-clear to ride the final encounter, a battered and bruised #87 admirably fought on to claim a credible 10th, a result that leaves him 12th in the championship.

“What happened in the Tissot Superpole race was a pity, we had a good start and I felt good with the SCQ tyre and reckoned we could have done a good race to gain a better position on the grid. Unfortunately we didn’t get past turn two and personally I didn’t feel 100 percent physically after the crash. Anyway, we tried our best and we saved some points, let’s focus on Donington ahead,” he reflected.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Having had his fair share of issues, as injuries have scuppered his campaign, Oil Bayliss made some steps in the right direction at Misano. Following an unsatisfactory start to the weekend to grab 13th in race one, the team and Bayliss ended on a high to punctuate his improvement, for he found some quality speed and comfort on the bike, as he logged 11th, but importantly had top 10 pace.

“Honestly it was a good weekend. We still have to perform better in qualifying, but the level of the field is really, really close,” said the Aussie. “In race one I made a little mistake on lap three and I lost touch with the group ahead. We made a good step forward in warm-up and in race two; I was able to recover many positions and once I got up to 11th place, the gap with the rider ahead was a bit too big to close it. Still, we showed great pace throughout the weekend and we were finally in a better physical condition, so if we keep working in this direction I’m confident we can get better results soon, too.”

Jacob Roulstone – Red Bull Rookies Cup & JuniorGP Moto3
Young talent Jacob Roulstone continued his striking recent momentum by producing some more polished rides in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Stamping his mark by powering to his first front row in qualifying by virtue of his P3 in Mugello, this was another boost for the Aussie flyer. As the rain rolled in for the opening race, Roulstone maintained his composure in the treacherous conditions to finish seventh in the opener. The second stanza then saw him produce a fine rally to latch back onto the lead group, with him ultimately coming home in ninth – less than half-a-second behind the victor. Next up was Assen, and he yet again underlined his prowess with an outstanding fourth in race one and a sensational third in race two.

“Another podium in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Battling to the end to finish in P3, just 0.117 from P1, and it feels really good. Got an okay start but needed to push hard and get into my rhythm. It was a very hot race so I tried to manage that as well as I could to make sure I could finish the race strong. I am super happy with this and to have both my mum and dad here is extra special,” he gleamed.

Josh Brookes – British Superbike
Fresh off his podium at the Isle of Man, Josh Brookes headed to Knockhill, where he scored points and was inside the top 10 in all three races, but left feeling unhappy due to problems with setup throughout. Brookes, who remains well and truly in the title fight, as he sits just 27 points of the leader, will now recalibrate his focus ahead of Snetterton.

“It’s been a difficult weekend to comment on really, it’s not been the results we wanted. We stayed on and finished all the races apart from a slip off this morning in warm-up, so in one way we’ve got points in all three races and were in the top ten. But it’s also been a frustrating weekend as we’ve not been able to make progress and fight for the higher places,” he lamented. “We’ve tried to remain positive, make changes, always fight to improve even if it’s just one sector, or one area of the bike to improve – but it just doesn’t seem to come here at Knockhill. We’ll now regroup as a team after a busy period with BSB and road racing, and we can head to Snetterton where hopefully we can look forward to some better results.”

Jason O’Halloran –  British Superbike
Possessing blistering speed and looking the goods at Knockhill for round four of BSB, Jason O’Halloran rode wonderfully to put himself on the box in two of the three races. Banking third in the Sprint and third in race two, everything was on track for him to cap off a dream weekend, but an untimely off meant his Knockhill ended in disappointment. Preferring to remain upbeat when assessing his body of work, it was good to see him extract the positives.

“Overall, it’s been a strong weekend with two podiums and good pace. We worked hard over the weekend and made steps in the areas we needed to,” he told the McAMS Yamaha website.

“The last race we got to the front and I knew I had to push but unfortunately bottomed out, which lifted the front and I crashed. It’s such a tough championship now with so many fast bikes and riders so you have to take some risks to get the rewards and that’s what I tried today and sadly it didn’t pay off. Still, two podium finishes is really positive and I can’t wait to get to Snetterton.”

Off-Road
Jett Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
Oozing confidence, charisma and incredible skill, Jett Lawrence’s step up to the 450 class has been nothing short of incredible on his way to winning all four overalls and every single one of the eight motos contested so far. Although the field is depleted, this shouldn’t detract from his achievements, for his riding, composure and speed has been a joy to watch.

His most recent outing at High Point offered a further testament to his quality on a day where he still went 1-1 despite the track being absolutely brutal, him having a small tip over and the 19-year-old getting challenged hard by the legendary Ken Roczen. Showing no signs of letting up, watching how long he can maintain his streak will be captivating in his quest for his maiden premier class championship.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Pro Motocross
While Hunter Lawrence’s form in the 250 class hasn’t quite matched that of his brother, the elder sibling has been extremely formidable himself by winning all four of the overalls in his class with 3-1 scores.

Looking a cut above his rivals in terms of concentration, maturity, consistency and racecraft, it’s been admirable how well he’s negotiated the rounds, which have often seen him face adversity in the first moto and then crush the second one. Sitting pretty atop the standings and on the path for glory, it’d take a brave man to bet against him adding the 250 outdoors title to his 250SX East crown.

Mitch Evans – MXGP
Going from strength to strength with every passing round as he gets back to full fitness from his thumb injury, Mitch Evans’ uptick in form aboard his factory Kawasaki has been fantastic to see. The last two rounds have been especially encouraging in Germany and Indonesia, for he’s made major ground with his starts, pace, stamina and overall riding in the ultra-competitive MXGP class. Riding to seventh overall at Teutschenthal and eighth in the sweltering heat of Sumbawa, the signs are great that he’ll be back duking it out for podiums sooner rather than later.

“It’s nice to finally be in the battle again and going home with a smile on my face. We have made a lot of progress lately, both with my bike settings and my fitness. For a long time I wasn’t able to do full training, but pain-wise I’m now 100% and last week I changed my training program and I already feel much better,” he insisted.

Have we missed anyone? Leave a comment letting us know who you’d like to see us keep you up to date with their international two wheeled successes! 

Editor’s Note: If you are reading this article on any website other than BikeReview.com.au, please report it to BikeReview via our contact page, as it has been stolen or re-published without authority.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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The Sunshine Coast based teenager contested the final round of the Women’s Motocross Championship in Turkey, as a guest rider for the JK Racing Yamaha team. It was her first appearance on the world stage and despite clearly being nervous, she was able to showcase her obvious talents and prove she belongs at an international level.

Cannon qualified in ninth place and after quickly learning the Afyon track and getting accustomed to the JK Racing Yamaha YZ250F. With each passing lap, she felt more comfortable on the track and a little more settled, as the big stage can be daunting.

Race one saw her off to a top 10 start and battling to move forward. As the race progressed, she was able to make some passes and moved into seventh place and in a tight knit bunch from positions four through nine. In the waning stages, she lost a position and after nearly 30 minutes of racing, crossed the finish line in eighth place. She wasn’t happy with her performance and was determined to make improvements in race two.

Cannon stormed out of the blocks in race two and quickly established herself in the top five. She then moved into fourth and after another lap, charged her way into third, well within striking distance of the race leaders as she had just recorded the fastest lap of the race at that stage.

As she zeroed in on second place, she landed in a wet section of track and the front wheel slid from under her and she fell on the rock hard Afyon dirt. She remounted as quickly as possible but was outside the top 10 and well behind the pack.

She put in a charge and got to the back of the main group before going down again, this time falling awkwardly on her shoulder. She was in pain and unable to continue with what was later diagnosed as a broken collar bone. It was a disappointing ending to a very promising start in WMXGP.

“Right after the race, I was just disappointed and upset as I felt I let some many people down by not being able to finish the race and not getting a good result,” Cannon said. “But now that I have had some time to think about it, there is a lot of positives I can take from it and it has motivated me to make sure I get back and do more of these events as I believe I can be competitive with the best women racers in the world.

“I started the weekend out pretty slowly as I was so nervous and a bit overwhelmed by everything happening around me. I think I was four seconds a lap off the pace and that was a bit disheartening, but I knew I didn’t ride well and I could make improvements. By the time race two had finished, my best lap was under a second away from the fastest of the race and I felt like I could have run that pace for the whole moto. Hopefully, I can get the opportunity to do more GP’s as now that I know how things run and have a relationship with a lot of the people, it will make things easier for me.”

“I have so many people I want to thank for making this happen for me. The Yamalube Yamaha Team have been amazing this year and working with both Mike and Nash is unreal. Having Nash on the trip with us made things so much easier. The JK Racing team were so good to us and nothing was ever a problem as well as Yamaha in Australia and Europe with Nikki and Paul Malin taking care of us.”

“Also a shout out to all the people that supported us from the riders who donated their jerseys and the people that purchased them to help us raise money for the trip as well as Motorcycling Australia for their support of Women’s racing. I see this as just the beginning and I have come home motivated to get to work once my collarbone heals. I loved the atmosphere of the GPs, and everyone was so helpful. I can’t wait to get back to do more in 2023,” Cannon ends.

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