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.”

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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.

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Jack Miller – MotoGP
Having made the high-profile switch to Red Bull KTM for 2023 and with excitement high that Jack Miller can achieve big things this year, the fact his latest test didn’t go so well in Sepang has tempered expectations. With Miller only able to record a pair of 16ths and a 19th in the fastest times charts, this doesn’t bode well for the crusade ahead.

“The expectation was quite high. We missed something, to be completely honest and fair. In the next few weeks we have to work to get the best potential from what we tested,” said team manager Francesco Guidotti. “But I’m not trying to find excuses. We are working hard to give our riders the best possible [bike]. The expectation was a little bit too high, maybe. I don’t know.”

Miller then shared his typically honest thoughts on how things went, expressing: “We sort of hit a wall a little bit, so just understanding the geometry and getting myself more comfortable. We made a step right before lunch and were pretty happy with that. We’re making another step just to understand what is the limit and to basically gauge where we’re at in terms of balance.”

“We can see on the data that I’m struggling quite a bit compared to the other boys mid corner and just getting things to rotate and to get it off the corner. It’s all about going through these motions and trying to understand the bike and to adapt with it the best we can. No one likes seeing themselves in the bottom half of the timing screen. But that’s not the main focus for us. The focus is to try and build this thing up and get it somewhere reasonable for Portimao.”

The popular #43 did also importantly mention improvements are still being made all the time and he’s excited about the process of making further strides in their quest to ensure the bike is as competitive as possible come the season opener.

Remy Gardner – World Superbike
Even though Remy Gardner’s World Superbike debut on home soil at Phillip Island will be remembered mostly for him accidentally taking out teammate Dominique Aegerter in the Superpole race, he still enjoyed a decent weekend under the GRT Yamaha awning.

Showcasing his impressive skills and speed, his race finishes of 12th and 10th respectively were admirable to begin his season in light of the circumstances.

“It’s been a complicated weekend, not just for the races, but because of the weather. We didn’t expect to have a wet race in Race One and I struggled a lot in the wet yesterday,” he explained. “I was hoping for dry [weather] and we had a good start to the Superpole Race and I felt quite strong to be honest. But then I made a mistake in turn four and went in too deep and made contact with Domi.”

“First of all, I would like to apologise to Domi and the Team for the Tissot Superpole Race crash. I’m really sorry, we both could have made a good result. Anyway, we have to be happy with our pace; and we were fighting for the podium positions, which was beyond our expectations before this weekend. Starting from so far back on the grid in Race Two with a long lap penalty didn’t help, but that’s a lesson for the future.”

Gardner will now shift his attention to the second round in Indonesia, where he’ll be keen to enjoy a drama-free second stop on the calendar.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Oli Bayliss endured a lively day in World Supersport to start his season on the home confines of Phillip Island. Grabbing sixteenth in race one, this wasn’t what he had in mind as a gamble on using slick tyres didn’t come to fruition courtesy of the rain returning. But there was a marked improvement in the second stanza, with him well and truly in the mix for a top five finish before ultimately dropping to tenth in the red flagged race when another rider suffering a mechanical issue got in his way.

“It’s a pity how the weekend went results-wise, because I felt good on the bike and we had the potential to do much better. We worked well together and showed good speed, but unfortunately the two races were quite eventful and surely not favourable to us,” the Team D34G Racing talent said. “We have to keep working hard in the same direction and try to capitalise in Indonesia in less than a week.”

Jett Lawrence – AMA Supercross
The inordinately gifted Aussie phenom keeps on flexing his muscles Stateside, as he looks set to add another 250 title to his list of honours before moving up to the 450 when AMA Pro Motocross begins in May. Currently sitting atop the 250SX West standings by 20 points over R.J Hampshire having won three of the four main events and bagged second in the other, it’ll take something special to stop the 19-year-old grabbing the title.

Clearly a cut above the competition and riding with a maturity and skill that belies his tender years, the Team Honda HRC star continues to take the sport by storm.

A massive hit on and off the track, it’s easy to see why the likeable youngster is such a drawcard already. Despite all the noise surrounding him, it’s important to note that his dad and trainer, the legendary Johnny O’Mara, keep him on the right path needed to fulfil his immense potential.

Hunter Lawrence – AMA Supercross
Hunter Lawrence has been in similarly excellent form, as he’s following his brother’s lead impressively on his way to winning two of the three 250SX East rounds. Producing the goods and well placed to win his first championship in America, Hunter’s leading the title chase by 11 points from Max Anstie.

Taking his game to another level in 2023 and riding with tremendous confidence, composure and speed, it’s been a joy to watch him strut his stuff, with his last corner win in Tampa especially catching the eye.

Wilson Todd – AMA Supercross
Making his AMA Supercross debut at the start of the year, Wilson Todd deserves enormous credit for putting in all the hard work to reach this milestone. Although things haven’t gone entirely to plan for the talented pilot, there’s vitally been signs of his undeniable speed.

Racing in the 250SX West division, crashes, bad luck and injury have frustratingly scuppered his progress despite his pace in qualifying and practice underlining he has what it takes to mix it inside the top 10. While a torn ligament in his thumb hindered him, Todd’s focus now shifts to the Australian ProMX series, where the reigning MX2 Champion will be back in action on the 250 for the start of the season this weekend in Wonthaggi.

Matt Moss – AMA Supercross
Securing a fill-in ride with the BarX Suzuki squad to race 250SX West, experienced veteran Matt Moss showed his class in his first race for the team in Oakland.

Kicking off his day in fine style by bagging the sixth fastest time in combined qualifying before transferring comfortably to the main by virtue of his third place heat race finish, this was an exceptional way to stamp his mark. Disappointingly, he couldn’t carry his momentum into the main event, for an early crash that injured his thumb ended his night due to him unable to grip the bike well enough.

“I was feeling really good all night, and finished third in my heat. Got an okay start (in the main). I was sitting in fourth when I landed awkwardly on my thumb. I could barely hang on. Disappointing, but overall happy with my speed, a few things to work on. Looking forward to being back behind the gates at the next round. Thanks for the support legends,” he insisted.

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

Organised by Ducati, the test will feature teams from both WorldSBK and WorldSSP including new bikes and returning manufacturers in the latter. Track time in Portugal will be between 10am and 5pm GMT/Local Time, with seven hours on-track each day.

Three of the five WorldSBK factory squads head to Portimao, including the first appearance of Pata Yamaha and their reigning world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and teammate Andrea Locatelli.

Pata Yamaha will be joined by Kawasaki Racing Team of deposed champ Jonathan Rea and team-mate Alex Lowes. It’s the first time Rea and Razgatlioglu have been on track together since their incredible title battle was settled in Indonesia. Rea and Lowes will be taking part in their third test of the off-season, with the aim of confirming items they have tested at Jerez in the previous two tests.

The third factory on track will be the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad with Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi. It will be Bautista’s second test with the Ducati Panigale V4 R since his return to Ducati, having tested at Jerez in November, while it will be Rinaldi’s first test of the year. He was forced to miss the November test through an injury sustained in the season-ending Indonesian Round.

Two riders who have had success in WorldSSP will make their debut on WorldSBK machinery at the Portimao test. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) earned a shot in WorldSBK after two podium-laden seasons in WorldSSP and will jump on the Independent Ducati Panigale V4 R for the first time with Team GoEleven. Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) will also be on track on a Ducati machine for the first time since he was announced as a full-time WorldSBK rider for 2022. It will also be his first time on a bike since his Magny-Cours crash which ruled him out of the remainder of the 2021 campaign.

Two more Independent outfits will be on track at Portimao. One of the standout stars of 2021, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), will take to the track with other WorldSBK competitors for the first time in the off-season although he did complete some training at the same venue when he shared the track with eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez and 2019 Moto2(tm) World Champion Alex Marquez. The other outfit taking to the track will be Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha with French rider Christophe Ponsson, who will be on track for the first time since he was announced as returning to the Championship for 2022.

Five riders from four WorldSSP teams will test at Portimao, with three Ducati bikes on track in Portugal. Oli Bayliss will get his first taste of the Ducati Panigale V2 and the Barni Spark Racing Team as the Australian returns the famous Bayliss name to Ducati machinery, with Bayliss gearing up for his first season in WorldSSP.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) will get his second test for the squad after he took part in the November Jerez test alongside Bautista on the Panigale V2 as he, like Bayliss, gears up for his maiden WorldSSP campaign.

CM Racing have switched to Ducati machinery for 2022 and, with Bernardi’s move to WorldSBK, have recruited Austrian rider Maximilian Kofler for the upcoming season. Kofler has two full seasons of Moto3(tm) under his belt but will now focus on WorldSSP for 2022 and will get his first taste of WorldSSP machinery at the Portimao test.

Ducati is returning to WorldSSP for 2022 with the new rules set, as are British outfit Triumph with the PTR squad, under the Dynavolt Triumph banner. Having recruited Hannes Soomer and Stefano Manzi for 2022, the team will be on track for the first time with their new bike and riders. It also marks PTR’s return to the Championship, having not competed on the world stage in 2021.

The post WSBK & WSSP Riders Head To Portimao For Testing appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The field represents five manufacturers with the return of Ducati and Triumph, as well as a new bike on the grid for MV Agusta. There are also four graduates from WorldSSP300 embarking on their first campaign in WorldSSP including the 2020 and 2021 Champions.

Headlining the entry list for the 2022 campaign is the return of two manufacturers with new bikes following the introduction of the new ruleset, with Ducati and Triumph making welcome returns. The Ducati Panigale V2 will be used by seven riders across six teams as the Bologna manufacturer returns to WorldSSP action. 

Australia’s Oli Bayliss will compete for Barni Spark Racing Team in 2022, while Federico Caricasulo will compete for Althea Ducati. Nicolo Bulega will be with the Aruba Racing Supersport Team as he switches from Moto2 to WorldSSP.

Raffaele De Rosa sticks with Orelac Racing for 2022 but on Ducati machinery, with the team known as Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura while Maximilian Kofler will race with CM Racing with the Ducati Panigale V2. Davide Giugliano is returning to the paddock as a team manager with D34G Racing, with two Ducati bikes, running brothers Filippo and Federico Fuligni in the WorldSSP Challenge.

Triumph are also returning to the Championship with two bikes at Dynavolt Triumph, run by the very successful PTR squad, with Hannes Soomer and Stefano Manzi looking for a title fight using the Triumph Street Triple 765 machine for the 2022 season. Niki Tuuli returns for a second season with MV Agusta Reparto Corse, with the team running the MV Agusta F3 800 RR in 2022 with the new ruleset. He will be joined in a two-rider line-up by Bahattin Sofuoglu, who will run in the WorldSSP Challenge.

Reigning Teams’ Champions Ten Kate Racing Yamaha have stuck with Dominique Aegerter as they look to make it two-in-a-row in 2022, with young Italian rider Leonardo Taccini joining the team. At Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, Turkish star Can Öncü is looking to build on podium finishes in the closing stages of 2021 as 2022 gets underway while Yari Montella joins the team.

The Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team have retained Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen for 2022 but will field Lorenzo Baldassarri alongside him after finishing second in the Riders’ Championship in 2021 with Steven Odendaal. Frenchman Jules Cluzel will remain with GMT94 Yamaha once again, and he will race alongside Andy Verdoïa who returns to the Championship full-time. MTM Kawasaki will be competing in WorldSSP in 2022, with 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion Adrian Huertas riding for the team that has had so much success in WorldSSP300 and who he claimed the 2021 title with, while Benjamin Currie will make his debut in WorldSSP in 2022 with Motozoo Racing by Puccetti. German rider Patrick Hobelsberger returns to the Championship on a full-time basis after three outings in 2021, competing with Kallio Racing in 2022.

Kyle Smith returns to the Championship with VFT Racing alongside Marcel Brenner, who will compete in the WorldSSP Challenge while Dutch rider Glenn van Straalen returns with EAB Racing Team after finishing the 2021 campaign with the team. At Yamaha MS Racing, they retain Unai Orradre who made a mid-season step up to WorldSSP in 2021 from WorldSSP300 and he will be alongside Ondrej Vostatek in the Yamaha MS Racing box.

 Seven riders will compete for WorldSSP Challenge honours including Filippo and Federico Fuligni and Marcel Brenner, including three riders who have graduated from WorldSSP300. 2020 WorldSSP300 Champion Jeffrey Buis made his debut in the final two rounds of 2021 in WorldSSP and will continue with Motozoo Racing by Puccetti in 2022, while Tom Booth-Amos will make his debut in WorldSSP with the Prodina Racing WorldSSP600 outfit as the team also steps up. The third WorldSSP300 graduate in the WorldSSP Challenge is Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu with MV Agusta Reparto Corse. The final WorldSSP Challenge competitor is Alessandro Zetti with Kallio Racing.

2022 WorldSSP Entry List

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Team co-owner, Ben Henry: “It’s strange actually. On paper, we didn’t have a great weekend with Oli. A mechanical issue caused the bike to essentially go into a safety mode in race one, making it impossible for him to continue and in race two he didn’t have the rear grip needed to move forward. It’s not that we didn’t have the speed, I mean Oli was only a tenth off Mike’s (Jones) lap record, but everyone was riding really well this weekend too. It was a lot of fun, and a bit of pressure to also have Jack (Miller) and his crew with us this weekend, and I honestly can’t thank him enough for doing what he’s done this weekend.”

“Having just five weekends of championship racing in two years is really tough, but Jack essentially coming to have some fun with his mates has given us all a much needed boost with huge crowds and record TV numbers. I’m really excited now to help in the final preparations of Oli’stransition to World Supersport, as well as begin our preparations for a full ASBK season in 2022. I finish the season really happy with what we’ve achieved as a team both on the track and off it, and both Troy and I really look forward to announcing some more initiatives in 2022 to keep progressing.”

Oli Bayliss: “The weekend wasn’t exactly what I had pictured for my last race weekend before heading to Europe, but it was great to finally go racing again. Congratulations to Wayne for taking the championship and especially to Broc(Pearson) for taking the SuperSport Championship. We train together a lot, so I’m really happy for him. It was great to have Jack alongside us this weekend, it really lifted the event to have him on track and I picked up a few things from him along the way which was great. This year I’ve learnt so much and so I’m excited to take the next step in my career, but before I go, I really want to thank some people.”

“Obviously Mum and Dad, they’re always behind me and I couldn’t do what I’m doing without them and I really appreciate it. Bryan(Hands) and Byron (Draper), these guys have basically been there for every step of my career with advice, support and hard work. They make me more motivated every time I ride the bike. And Ben. He puts in so much time, effort work behind the scenes that no one ever see’s and I’m sure he sometimes thinks no one notices, but we all do Benny, thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Troy Bayliss: “It was a great weekend at The Bend, just not the results we wanted or expected really. I’m still impressed with the way Oli rides the bike and sometimes these things happen in racing. With such short seasons the last two years, it’s frustrating that it can cause such an impact on your championship results, but we made no secret of the fact that it was another year of learning and progression for Oli.”

“Next year is already looking really strong though with a great ASBK calendar being released and a little extra exposure thanks to Jack coming for a spin to showcase just how good the racing is here. I wouldn’t be surprised if timing works, that we see some other international riders find bikes and come for race or two. The whole team comes away from the season really upbeat to be honest, and excited for the season ahead.”

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