The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
The Supertech R10 is the pinnacle of Alpinestars' racing helmets. ECE 22.06 and FIM homologated, this top performing aerodynamic helmet has a 3K high density carbon shell with A-Head fitment system and the choice of two spoilers optimised for race and road use.
Double champion Mike Di Meglio has set winning races in the 2025 FIM Endurance World Championship as a key target following his switch to Kawasaki Webike Trickstar.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that Motovation, an industry leader in motorcycle customization for over 20 years, is now the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
Cardo Systems and Insta360 are excited to announce a new partnership, dedicated to innovating in the space of on and off-road adventures.
Bringing the best in action cameras and motorcycle communication systems together, the partnership seamlessly streamlines the experience for those who love to document and share their rides.
A Perfect Pairing: Action Cameras and Crystal-Clear Communication
Insta360’s powerful 360° and wide-angle action cameras are renowned for their stunning image quality, innovative features, and rugged durability. They’re the perfect tools for capturing the thrill of the open road, from epic scenic routes to adrenaline-fueled off-roading.
Cardo Systems stands as a pioneer in motorcycle communication technology. Their leading wireless communication systems keep riders connected, entertained, and safe, allowing them to communicate with fellow riders via the brand’s pioneering DMC (Dynamic Mesh Communication), listen to music, and navigate with ease.
Together, Insta360 and Cardo Systems offer a seamless way to capture and share motorcycle adventures, on and off-road.
With native support already implemented for our 8K-capable Insta360 X4, and AI-powered action cam Insta360 Ace Pro, it’s as simple as mounting your camera to your helmet or bike, connecting your Cardo headset, and rolling out.
The Partnership in Action: BMW Motorrad Days
The partnership kicked off at BMW Motorrad Days, where Insta360 and Cardo shared a booth, showcasing their latest products and demonstrating how they work together to create the ultimate riding experience.
Christoph Strucken, Region Manager, DACH at Cardo Systems, expressed his excitement about the partnership: “We are thrilled to enter into this new partnership with Insta360. Inspired by our product’s connectivity, we will work together to provide next-level service to our customers and partners. This collaboration opens up exciting opportunities and marks the beginning of an exciting journey together, which can only benefit our customers.”
Patrick Neugebauer, Marketing Director Germany of Insta360, was equally eager to share his thoughts: “We’re two brands that have respected each other’s progress in our respective industries. Having the chance to work with Cardo accelerates our ability to better serve riders everywhere. It’s an exciting time and we’re eager to get stuck in.”
The Insta360 and Cardo partnership will allow for exclusive tutorials on integrating Cardo and Insta360 gear together, and showcases of products working in unison.
Stay Tuned for More
We’re excited to continue innovating and developing new ways to empower riders to capture and share their passion for motorcycles.
Check out the full range of Insta360 action cameras here, and read more on Cardo’s latest offerings here.
For more information about Cardo Systems, and its full line-up of communication devices to fit all rider’s budgets, visit cardosystems.com
New Mud graphic for LS2’s versatile, multi-purpose Drifter urban helmet.
LS2’s multi-purpose Drifter urban helmet gets a funky new graphic option for 2024; a matt black/matt orange combo called Mud, that highlights its already eye-catching neo-retro lines.
Three helmets in one, the Drifter can adapt to your riding style – and the weather – in minutes. It can be worn ‘adventure’ style with the chin bar and adjustable peak on, and the visor down – perfect for rainy days. Or with the chin guard removed, for that old-school motocross look, and without the peak, to become a classic open face.
Both the peak and chin bar can be removed and refitted in seconds without tools, so it can be transformed on the fly. The visor can also be swapped for a tinted version, which comes with the Drifter, no tools required.
However it’s worn, the Drifter is set up for urban riding. The ECE 22.06-certified shell is made from LS2’s exclusive Kinetic Polymer Alloy (KPA), a strong material rivalling high-end composites, which offers flexibility for energy absorption and high penetration resistance.
It weighs in at only 1300g, so is comfortable to wear all day, plus there are large vents, internal channelling through the EPS liner, and exhaust ports at the rear for maximum airflow on hot days. The breathable, hypoallergenic lining, can be removed and washed.
Fastened with a Micrometric Fastener, with a quick-release tab, it’s quick and easy to get on and off at stops. It also comes complete with a handy drawstring carry bag.
The LS2 Drifter Mud comes in sizes XS-3XL, and retails at £119.99. Prices for the Drifter start at £99.99 for the three solid colour options.
From the deep, sandy terrain of the Netherlands, the FIM Motocross World Championship transfers to the grasslands of central Europe, as the MXGP of SwitzerlandPresented by iXS welcomes round 17 to the Schweizer Zucker circuit in the north-eastern city of Frauenfeld.
One of 10 separate venues to host World Championship Motocross in Switzerland, the Frauenfeld facility held its first GP back in 1981, a 125cc event won by a teenage Eric Geboers on his factory Suzuki, although it was Italian legend Michele Rinaldi who won the first individual race on his Gilera. A year later American legend Johnny O’Mara took a double-race 125cc victory here in his only GP outside of the USA. A third GP in 1983 was won by Georges Jobe in the 250cc class, but it would be 33 years before Grand Prix Motocross would return to the area.
Antonio Cairoli and Max Anstie were the MXGP and MX2 winners at the re-designed track in its 2016 return, but the most successful rider at this particular venue is once again Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, who took victory in 2017 and 2018. Last season it was “Le Marseillaise” that rang out around Frauenfeld in both classes thanks to Monster Energy Yamaha Factory racers Maxime Renaux and Thibault Benistant, both of whom are sadly unable to join us for the 2024 event.
Swiss racers Jeremy Seewer for the Kawasaki Racing Team, Valentin Guillod for Team Ship To Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR, and Kevin Brumann for Team SixtySeven Husqvarna, will all fly the flag proudly at Frauenfeld, and Seewer in particular will look to go one better than the two second-place trophies he has earned here before!
With just three rounds to take place after this one, the season is approaching its vital final stages, and while Tim Gajser still leads the MXGP class for Team HRC, he has seen his advantage reduced to single figures, just nine points ahead of Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s reigning World Champion Jorge Prado. Both men have declared that the remaining tracks in the calendar are good for them, but they also have to watch out for Herlings, who has closed to within 35 points of the series leader after his double victory at Arnhem.
The MX2 class has looked more competitive in action than on paper all season long, but Kay de Wolfand his Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate Lucas Coenen both have their sights set on claiming the first world title for the brand under Austrian ownership. With 44 points between them, Lucas will need others to get between them, and Simon Laengenfelder is hoping to bounce back for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing after a disappointing MXGP of The Netherlands, especially as he will have a lot of support just 20km away from the German border!
The epic EMX250 Championship battle resumes this weekend, with just 15 points covering the top three of last year’s EMX125 winner Mathis Valin for Bud Racing Kawasaki, Cas Valk of the Gabriel SS24 KTM team, and Valerio Lata for Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors. Tall Swiss racer Nico Greutmann lies sixth in the points and will be hoping for podium success on the Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna.
Another tight points situation faces the top riders in the penultimate round of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing European Championship, with just five points separating the season-long red plate holder Noel Zanocz for Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 and the Racestore KTM Factory Rookies flyer Gyan Doensen! The Dutchman took a double victory at home in Arnhem and with just Frauenfeld and Cozar left to race he is knocking on the door of the Hungarian as we enter the final two rounds of the series!
The situation continues to get closer between the leading riders in the MXGP World Championship, as the titanic three-way battle between multiple World Champions Tim Gajser, Jorge Prado, and Jeffrey Herlings continues to rage through the season!
After another incredible performance in the sand at Arnhem, Herlings must feel optimistic that the 35-point deficit to the top of the table, which is the closest he’s been since round two, is something that he can hack down with the speed that he has shown even on harder surfaces this season. The key for him has to be the start, his real Achilles’ Heel this year, as he will be unable to reel in his competitors on the tracks to come at the same rate as he has in the sand. “The Bullet” has to make up just under nine points per round, which is certainly attainable, and his good history of two GP wins, including three individual race wins at the Frauenfeld venue.
Series leader Gajser took the second race win at the first event on the revamped circuit here in 2016, but hasn’t competed here since 2018. Prado took the overall victory in MX2 back in 2018, and won the opening race here last year to finish second overall behind Renaux. Both of the top two will fancy their chances against Herlings on the hard-pack surface, despite the Dutchman’s excellent record here.
There will be a notable wild card appearance for a real Swiss favourite, as Arnaud Tonus lines up for Hostettler Yamaha at the site of his only MXGP class race success. He won the first race in 2017 and still won the Swiss Championship, so the 33-year-old could surprise a few!
There is just one other rider who will line up at Frauenfeld with a GP win to his name here, and that is French De Baets Yamaha MX-Team lone wolfBenoit Paturel! The Frenchman took his only ever GP winner’s trophy home from this venue back in 2017, scoring 2-1 finishes to deny home favourite Jeremy Seewer.
Seewer himself would love to take his first GP win in his home country after a disastrous weekend last year, but he hasn’t finished on the podium here since that 2017 event. He is close to moving up to fourth in the standings, and for sure his vocal local fans will get behind him! His Kawasaki Racing Team stablemate Romain Febvre has been on the MXGP podium here at every visit apart from 2017, when he just missed out, and was third overall last year. His pace has been growing since his return from injury and he could get amongst the title contenders this weekend!
Just outside of the top five, Glenn Coldenhoff moved up to sixth with his brilliant performance at his home GP for Fantic Factory Racing, and home hero Guillod will enjoy his home turf as he tries to defend ninth in the series from Coldenhoff’s teammate Brian Bogers, who has just climbed into the top ten himself!
The stakes are high on the firm ground of Frauenfeld to show who is the best on hard-pack heading into the final three rounds!
The tension at the top of the MX2 Championship table is starting to build to a fever pitch, as the duelling Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen head to Switzerland with the Belgian chaser reducing the Dutchman’s gap to 44 points. Recent mistakes from De Wolf have helped Coenen’s cause, and although he needs to claw back an average of 11 points per round, it’s the big chunks of points that Kay has given away that will give Lucas hope that it can be done. De Wolf did finish third overall here last year with 2-4 finishes, having a much better day than Lucas did, but a lot has changed since then!
Behind the leading two, Simon Laengenfelder had his worst weekend of the season at Arnhem, and will be hoping to bounce back on a surface where he should be more competitive. Reigning Champion Andrea Adamo has raised himself back up to fifth in the series behind his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Liam Everts, and took second overall here last year behind Benistant.
Once more, nobody in the MX2 line-up has won a race at Frauenfeld, as the first race was won by Dutchman Roan van de Moosdijk, although Rick Elzinga scored an EMX125 podium here in 2018, and is hopeful of improving from seventh in the series, where he sits behind the Monster Energy Triumph Racing rider Mikkel Haarup.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 777 Points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 733 Pts; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 676 Points; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 636 Pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 545 Pts; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 542 Pts; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 492 Pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 444 Pts; 9. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 315 Pts; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 290 Pts.
TIMETABLE
SATURDAY: 7:30 EMX125 Group 1 Free practice, 8:00 EMX125 Group 2 Free practice, 08:30 MXe Free practice, 8:50 EMX250 Free practice, 09:20 EMX125 Group 1 Qualifying practice, 09:55 EMX125 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP OAT Free Practice, 11:45 EMX250 Qualifying practice, 12:20 MXGP Wildcard Free/Qualifying practice, 13:20 MXe Race 1, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 EMX125 Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race.
Co-Hosted By Racers James Rispoli And Corey Alexander, Pipe Dreams Podcast Set For MotoAmerica Live+ Streaming Service.
MotoAmerica, North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is pleased to announce that Pipe Dreams Podcast, which is co-hosted by MotoAmerica racers James Rispoli and Corey Alexander, is now being featured as an additional offering on MotoAmerica Live+, the series’ streaming and on-demand service.
The Pipe Dreams Podcast aims to shed light on the trials and tribulations of racers, industry insiders, and professionals. Unlike traditional interviews, each bi-weekly episode delves deep into the lives of the guests, fostering a stronger personal connection between viewers and these remarkable individuals.
Moving forward, every episode will be made available on the Monday prior to public release, exclusively to MotoAmerica Live+ subscribers. Episode 18, featuring an in-depth conversation with MotoAmerica COO Chuck Aksland, is already available on the platform in addition to all prior episodes.
“One of our goals with MotoAmerica Live+ this season has been to add as much additional content to our programming as possible,”,” Aksland said. “The Pipe Dreams Podcast fits right into that as it is added content for our Live+ subscribers to enjoy when they’re not watching our races either live or on-demand. James (Rispoli) and Corey (Alexander) do a good job on the podcast, and we know our fans will enjoy watching and listening to them.”
Two unique Bond Edition Triumph Motorcycles owned and hand signed by Daniel Craig to be sold at auction to support the RNLI
Actor Daniel Craig CMG and Triumph Motorcyclesare joining forces to offer fans an exclusive opportunity to own two pieces of motorcycle and film history in support of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the charity that saves lives at sea. Inspired by the Triumph Scrambler 1200 and Tiger 900 that featured in the 25th James Bond film, No Time To Die,these editions, which sold out on day of launch, will be offered at auction with Bonhams|Cars Motorcycles at the Autumn Stafford Sale during the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on 12th and 13th October 2024 in Staffordshire (UK). Not only will the successful bidders secure the #003/250 Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition, and the #001/250 Tiger 900 Bond Edition, both motorcycles will be hand signed by Daniel Craig on each side. They will be sold with the original V5C documents bearing Daniel Craig’s name, as well as a certificate of authenticity signed by both Daniel Craig and Triumph Motorcycles’ CEO, Nick Bloor. Offered at an estimate of £10,000-20,000 each, both lots will include a riding experience at the Triumph Adventure Experience in Wales, UK with James Bond stunt co-ordinator Lee Morrison and stunt double Paul Edmondson.
Daniel Craig said: “The RNLI has been close to my heart all my life since growing up near the RNLI station at Hoylake. I have incredible memories of going afloat with the RNLI crew at Ramsgate to experience firsthand what it’s like to be part of the organisation that has saved over 146,000 lives since starting up over 200 years ago. I am honoured and immensely proud to support the RNLI and hope the auction of Triumph’s Limited Edition Bond motorcycles proves popular. The riding experience with Lee Morrison and Paul Edmondson adds another unique and exciting dynamic to the lots. I worked with Lee on Casino Royale, all the way through to No Time To Die; the opportunity is not to be missed and will help raise funds for the truly lifesaving cause that is the RNLI.”Triumph’s CEO Nick Bloor added: “Triumph is delighted to support the 200th anniversary of the RNLI with this auction of two unique Bond motorcycles spearheaded by Daniel Craig. We wish all bidders the very best of luck with the auction of Daniel Craig’s Scrambler 1200 and Tiger 900 Bond Limited Editions, which are both unique motorcycles in Triumph’s history, and I hope that the winners enjoy the unique experience of riding with the incredible stunt riders Lee Morrison and Paul Edmondson. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
James Stensel, Head of Bonhams|Cars Motorcycles department in the UK, remarked: “We are honoured to be the auction house of choice, collaborating with three exceptional British institutions; The RNLI, Triumph Motorcycles, and Daniel Craig on this exciting and important project, especially on the RNLI’s 200th anniversary. Triumph and Daniel Craig’s donation of two such evocative and thrilling motorcycles for this worthy cause is truly inspiring.”
One of the sport’s most passionate markets will welcome Round 1 in both 2025 and 2026.
MotoGP™ is delighted to announce that the Thai Grand Prix will be the season opener in 2025 and 2026. Chang International Circuit in Buriram will welcome the world’s most exciting sport on provisional dates of the 28th of February to the 2nd of March in 2025, making it the first time in more than 25 years that the season begins in Southeast Asia.
Thailand is a key market for MotoGP™, our manufacturers and the sport’s partners, with a passionate fanbase and millions of two-wheeled vehicles on its roads. The first Thai GP took place in 2018 and over the four events held at the venue so far, more than 800,000 fans have poured through the gates in Buriram. Now, they are invited to see history made as the season begins in Thailand for the first time ever.
Dr. Gongsak Yodmani, Governor for Sports Authority of Thailand: “We recognize the numerous benefits of being the season opener.. This presents a significant opportunity to leverage a world-class sporting event to stimulate the economy and generate substantial revenue in line with the Sport Tourism policy. One of the factors that will make the 2025 season particularly exciting is the significant rider movement between teams. This will undoubtedly captivate MotoGP fans worldwide as they eagerly anticipate seeing top riders on their new bikes for the first time at Chang International Circuit. Following a nearly four-month off-season, this will be the inaugural race to showcase the new team dynamics. Moreover, Dorna Sports, as the event organizer, has plans to extensively promote the season opener to raise awareness among motorsport fans globally. This will enhance the visibility of the Thai round and establish it as a must-visit destination for MotoGP enthusiasts from around the world.
“On behalf of the Sports Authority of Thailand, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dorna Sports and assure them that Thailand is fully prepared in all aspects to host the opening round of the 2025 and 2026 seasons.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP™ rights holder Dorna Sports: “We are very excited to reveal that the 2025 and 2026 season openers will be the Thai Grand Prix at Buriram. Southeast Asia is one of our most important markets, both for the sport and for our factories and partners. Thailand plays a leading role in that, and the passion is clear to see in the huge crowds we enjoy at Buriram year on year. We know they will create an incredible atmosphere for the first event of the season.
“As soon as Buriram joined the calendar, it became an instant favourite. It’s easy to understand why: it’s a fantastic place to enjoy MotoGP™, with a layout crafted to showcase the best of our close racing – very much proven by the incredible show we enjoyed at the track last season. We’re looking forward to coming back later this year and then to return in 2025 for a history-making season opener.”
Dates remain provisional until confirmed. The full, provisional 2025 FIM MotoGP™ calendar will be published by the FIM later in the 2024 season.
For more MotoGP info checkout our dedicated MotoGP News page
Mannin Cancers Support Group is an active fund raiser on the island. Over the last 13 years it has raised over £9m for cancer treatment; including new state of the art spectral CT scanners; a new breast cancer clinic at Nobles Hospital and funded transperineal biopsies for the detection of prostate cancer. In the past fund raisers have used decorated cows (go to Castletown to see one) wallabies and dolphins to raise funds for their causes; now a motorcycle themed campaign is being launched using the TT as the main theme. There has long been a link between bikers and cancer charities; most strikingly the pink helmet campaign of the late Davy Morgan and Lee Johnston’s F13K cancer efforts.
The new initiative has the backing of the IOM Government’s Motorsport Division. The political head of it; Sarah Maltby MHK, was at the launch to show her personal support. The campaign will invite businesses; organizations and teams to sponsor a bike. The bikes will be on display in the Mercury Club at TT 2025. Corporate sponsors will be able to have a bike decorated with a design of their own making. There will also be bikes decorated in the livery of some of the great riders of the past. Whilst the full size bikes will be auctioned in a special event at TT 2025; sponsors will be able to have a smaller replica to keep.
Full details of the campaign and sponsorship opportunities will soon be available on the website: mannincancers.com. The key contacts are: juliestokes@mannincancers.com and kimberleymoughtin@mannincancers.com
Ace Cafe London’s annual Harley Day celebrates not only the “Milwaukee Marvel” and its unique 121 year history, but also the 75th anniversary of the founding in 1949 of the Harley Davidson Riders Club of Great Britain(HDRCGB).
Spanning all Harley models from classics through to the latest modern Hi-Tec kit, as well as all those customs n’ specials powered by a Harley motor and, with music being as timeless as the taste for rebellion, the day includes a special live party gig with the four piece band “The Ramoanz” debuting at the Ace from noon to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NY USA-hailing antagonistic visionaries The Ramones making their debut performance in a Manhattan Studio to an audience of thirty in 1974.
Courtesy Mortons the publisher, prizes up for grabs on the day include a subscription to Classic American
Spend £5 or more over the counter from 10am and receive a raffle ticket.
Draw to be held at 3pm.
Listen, revel and be immersed in a mix of the best rock and roll and rockabilly, blended with the London sub-culture sounds, broadcasting 24/7 on online radio and social media.
The RFN Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500 starting from just £599 inc VAT.
Urban Moto Ltd, the exclusive distributor of Apollo’s RFN in the UK, is thrilled to launch of RFN Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500. Apollo RFN Electric Motorcycles, renowned for pioneering the next generation of electric off-road and on-road motorcycles such as RFN Rally Pro, and Road Legal RS, now proudly presents the Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500—two ground breaking electric motocross bikes designed specifically for young riders.
Introducing the First Professional-Looking MX Bikes for Kids
The Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500 are the first electric motorcycles in the UK for kids aged 3-8 years that boast a professional mx design, complete with sporty colour options. These bikes are not just visually striking—they are the perfect starter bikes for young enthusiasts beginning their two wheel journey.
Powerful Yet Safe
Apollo RFN understands that safety is paramount for young riders. That’s why the Warrior Kids series has been meticulously engineered to offer both power and safety. The bikes feature a cut out lanyard, fully enclosed chain, custom-developed off-road tyres, and high-quality suspension, ensuring stability on wet or uneven terrain. This thoughtful design provides parents with peace of mind, knowing their children can ride freely and safely.
Key Features of the Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500:
Professional Design: The first kids’ motorcycles with a design inspired by professional motocross bikes, available in vibrant, sporty colour options: Blue / Red, Green/ Pink & Pink/ Yellow.
Safe and Stable: Equipped with a fully enclosed chain, anti-slip tyres, and race-level suspension to ensure a safe and stable ride on various terrains.
Powerful Performance:
SX E400: 36V 250W motor, 26 Nm. torque, Peak power 400W, 15.5 mph top speed, 12” tyres, suitable for riders aged3-6 years or height 90-110 cm, priced at £599.
SX E500: 36V 350W motor, 34 Nm. torque, Peak power 500W, 18.5 mph top speed, 14” tyres, suitable for riders aged 4-8 years or height 100-120 cm, priced at £899.
Range and Battery Life: Both models offer a range of up to 11 miles or up to 2 hours in Eco Mode for the SX E400 and up to 1 hour for the SX E500.
Built to Last: Constructed with wear-resistant materials and a high-strength carbon steel frame, these bikes are designed to withstand the adventures of young riders.
Additional Safety Features: The lanyard ‘Power Off’ and parent-controlled power lock features ensure that the bike’s power is managed safely.
Warranty: A 12-month warranty covers main components, excluding service items and subject to adherence to the service schedule.
Future-Proofed: As children grow and their skills improve, they can seamlessly upgrade to more advanced MX bikes within the Apollo RFN range.
Power up parts and accessories: A full range of accessories will shortly be available including custom decals, race suspension and hydraulic brakes power up batteries and more.
The Best Start to a Motocross Journey
The Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500 are not just bikes—they are the beginning of a journey into the exciting world of off road riding. These models offer young riders the chance to experience the thrill of the sport in a safe, controlled environment, making them the ideal introduction to the two wheel lifestyle.
Availability
The Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500 will be available for purchase starting 29th August at authorised Apollo RFN dealers.
The following statement; clarifying an earlier one; explains why Sinclair has been excluded from the meeting.
“ACU Events Ltd, Race Organiser of the Manx Grand Prix Races, can confirm that Alex Sinclair, a competitor in the Junior, Classic Junior, Classic Senior races has been excluded from the 2024 event following a drug test.
Sinclair, a regular competitor at the Manx Grand Prix since 2012, returned a non-negative test result for a recreational drug in a random drugs test carried out as part of the event’s drug and alcohol screening protocols, and has been excluded from the event with immediate effect.
The matter will be passed to the Auto-Cycle Union, the national governing body for motorcycle sport in Great Britain (less Northern Ireland). Sanctions for competitors caught doping can be a ban from ACU competitions for a minimum of two years.
The Manx Grand Prix Races and ACU share a strict zero-tolerance policy for the presence of drugs and alcohol for officials and competitors during an event period.”
Hopefully, this will be the last such incident to affect road racing on the island; the use of recreational drugs adds to the danger the user and fellow competitors face and cannot be tolerated.
Last weekend, stunt rider Jonny Davies, AKA JD Stunts, set a new Guinness World Record for being the fastest person to be dragged behind a motorcycle.
Using the supercharged Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX, he recorded an incredible 159.52mph, breaking the 25-year-old existing record.
Taking place at Elvington Airfield as part of the 2024 Ultimate Supercar Event, JD Stunts wowed the crowds with his incredible feat. Already a two-time Guinness World Record holder, late last year, Jonny set his sights on breaking the record for the fastest speed dragged behind a motorcycle, which was previously set by Gary Rothwell in 1999.
After speaking with Kawasaki at Motorcycle Live last year, it was clear the supercharged Ninja H2 SX would be the perfect machine for accelerating hard in the short distance available while maintaining stability. The bike remained completely stock, apart from a specially fitted secondary throttle at the rear of the machine that would allow Jonny to continue accelerating while skiing behind.
Having had several practice runs over the summer, all eyes were on JD on Sunday, August 18th to see if he could break the long-standing record. With two official attempts, the County Durham rider fell just 2mph short on his first run before setting a new Guinness World Record of 159.52mph on his second.
Ross Burridge, Head of Marketing & Racing Department:
“As soon as Jonny came to see us at Motorcycle Live last year and explained what he wanted to do, we were hooked! We discussed a couple of different bikes in our range, but the Ninja H2 SX was by far the best tool for the job. His dedication and attention to detail are unrivalled, and we are so pleased to see Jonny break the record! It was a nerve-wracking experience watching the attempt, but it was fantastic to witness the achievement along with a huge supportive crowd!”
Jonny Davies:
“One word to sum up my feelings after breaking the world record, overwhelmed! It was brilliant to see so many people turn out to support the attempt on the day. It has been amazing having the support from Kawasaki UK, putting their trust in me at the very beginning of the project, supplying a specially adapted Ninja H2SX, which was the perfect tool for the job. The bike passed the ultimate stability test of 159.522mph with no rider and pulled like a train even with me getting dragged along the floor behind it! Now for what’s next…”
The 11th annual International Motor Film Awards – which takes place at Alexandra Palace, London on Friday 4th October 2024 – revealed the list of film nominees on 15th August – and “Lost Stadiums: West Ham Speedway”, part of which was filmed at the Ace in 2022, has been nominated in the Best Documentary Featurecategory.
About The Film
This community driven documentary – Lost Stadiums: West Ham Speedway – relies on oral history from community members, historians and former riders to tell the story of this forgotten treasure, half a century since it closed its doors for the last time. Commissioned by Royal Docks Learning & Activity Centre (RDLAC) as part of a Heritage project supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, this is a factual documentary film running at 48mins which also explores the social history of mid-twentieth century London.
Whilst working on ways to make the film available for free as soon as possible, it is available to rent/buy on Prime Video at link:
Listen, revel and be immersed in a mix of the best rock and roll and rockabilly, blended with the London sub-culture sounds, broadcasting 24/7 on online radio and social media.
Rob Hodson a Greenall Racing Kawasaki was the fastest man on track in yesterday’s troubled practice session at MGP 2024. He set a best lap of 123.453mph to lead the Classic Superbike class; second was Mike Browne at 123.387mph on the Key Racing Ducati that he was having his first ride on. The Senior Classic was led by John McGuinness at 110.874mph on the Winfield Paton; second was Joe Yeardsley on the Flitwick Enfield at 109.119mph. The Junior Classic was led by Jamie Coward at 102.526mph on the Craven Honda; second was Mikey Evans at 99.083mph on his Rutter Honda.
In the Manx Grand Prix the red flags meant that very few uninterrupted laps were completed. Top of the speed chart was race favourite Daniel Ingham at 119.968mph on the Castings Technology Yamaha. The Junior leader board was topped by Andrea Majola at 113.533mph on his VAS Racing Paton; second fastest was Daniel Ingham at 113.502mph on the Castings Technology Aprilia. The Lightweight leader board was headed by Lee Johnston at 114.181mph on the Reed Racing Honda; second was the evergreen Ian Lougher on the LayLaw Yamaha at 113.882mph. There is a sub-plot in this class, with the majority of riders on 400cc four strokes; leading these was Joe Yeardsley on Neil Wood’s Kawasaki at 109.747mph. This promises to be a very close race with Stefano Bonetti and last year’s sub-class winner Paul Cassidy both just shy of 108mph.
The promised bad weather has arrived, meaning that it is 99% certain that there will be no action today.
The first of the newcomers at Kirk Michael on their escorted lap.
Rob Hodson at Kirk Michael.
Lee Johnston’s RC45 destroying its engine
Lee Johnston looking for a place to park the ailing RC45.
Suzuki has launched three new colours for the SV650, with this year being the 25th year of production for the iconic middleweight.
Respected and loved by riders the world over for its real-world performance and versatility, the SV650 is still equally capable for the daily commute as it is on a track day, thanks to its infectious V-twin character that has been captivating new and experienced riders alike for the last 25 years.
The legendary middleweight comes in a brand new pearl vigor blue with striking colour matched frame and wheels. There are two further options which both come with bronze frame and wheels, and the choice of matt black or green colour scheme.
Josh Herrin Completes The Sweep After A Thrilling Finale At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin had a near-perfect weekend in Superbike racing’s return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a 10-year hiatus as he stormed to a clean sweep of the two MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike races for the first Superbike doubleheader sweep of the 34-year-old’s career.
A day after running away from the pack in the first of two Superbike races, things were a bit different for Herrin on Sunday. Instead of charging to the front from the get-go, Herrin had to come from behind and when he got there, he didn’t find it to be a walk in the park. Instead, he got all he could handle for the entire distance from a pair of BMWs in the capable hands of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier.
The trio ran in formation for the entire distance with Herrin hounding Kelly from behind while Beaubier was doing all he could to stay on Herrin’s tail as he struggled with rear grip issues.
With two laps to go, Herrin made his move – diving under Kelly going into turn one.
Kelly stuck with the Ducati to the finish, ending up just .384 of a second behind Herrin when the pair crossed the finish line. Beaubier was a disappointed third, 1.3 seconds behind after finishing second to Herrin the day prior.
JD Beach rode to a lonely sixth a day after finishing third at Mid-Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
The win was the 15th of Herrin’s Superbike career, which moves him into a tie with Eric Bostrom and Freddie Spencer on the all-time AMA Superbike win list.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was a rather lonely fourth, a day after crashing out of second place. He was 8.3 seconds adrift of Beaubier and 2.9 seconds ahead of fifth-placed Bobby Fong on the Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R1.
Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing’s teammate JD Beach followed up on his third-place finish on Saturday to finish sixth on Sunday, some five seconds clear of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, who in turn barely beat Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen to the line. Petersen was back in action after being ruled medically unfit to race in yesterday’s race one and this weekend’s two races were Escalante’s return to racing after his injuries from round one at Road Atlanta.
Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates was ninth with Petersen’s three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne ending up 10th as his season long arm-pump continue to slow him.
With two rounds and five races left to run, Herrin’s lead in the championship has been stretched to 52 points over the tied pairing of Gagne and Fong, 244-192. Beaubier moves to fourth with 184 points, nine better than Petersen’s tally.
(From left to right) Sean Dylan Kelly, Josh Herrin and Cameron Beaubier celebrate after Sunday’s Steel Commander Superbike race. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Superbike Race 2
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
Loris Baz (Ducati)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
JD Beach (BMW)
Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
Cameron Petersen (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (Honda)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Quotes…
Josh Herrin – Winner
“During the race, I got a terrible start. I almost stalled the bike on the line. I don’t know what happened. I went back to sixth I think, or something like that. The years of watching Cam (Beaubier), whenever he has something kind of ruffle his feathers, he just stays calm and just kind of picks through the guys. I tried to take one from his book and just be calm and kind of pick my way through the pack. Got back up there. Eventually I made a move on Sean (Dylan Kelly) and made an aggressive pass in the Keyhole that at first during the race I was thinking, this guy is trying to help his BMW boy out or something. But now that I’ve calmed down, I’m like, actually on the first lap he did the same thing to Cam in the same spot. So it wasn’t that at all. I was like, maybe I should just be a little careful. I sat back and just decided that if I can stay in front of Cam and just see what Sean’s doing, because I have a pretty big lead over Sean in the championship, I’ll just wait until Cam makes a move and if I need to, go around Sean then. So, just tried my hardest to save my tires for an attack at the end and save my energy. I was going to go for it on the last lap, and then I was thinking about it. I’m like, if Cam is doing the same thing I am, maybe he’s going to attack with two laps to go. So, I’m going to try to stir things up a little bit and go a little earlier. That’s what we did. I just put my head down. The Ducati, since I’ve been on it, I feel like I have an advantage when there’s less grip on the track, which is funny because on Richard’s (Stanboli) podcast he does, he says it’s the opposite when the track has a lot of grip. But I feel like when there’s not a lot of grip, our bike does pretty good. Then, I feel like I let my tires cool down too much during the race by not being aggressive like I normally would be exiting the corners. It was just sliding all over when it hadn’t moved at all during the whole race. So, I had a couple big moments in my best part of the track where I was really trying to attack, and it scared me. Luckily, we were able to hold him off. It’s crazy. I don’t know how many years I’ve tried, but it’s been 12 years since my first Superbike season, and I’ve never had a double. So, it just goes to show I think, obviously I’ve put in a lot more work than I ever have in my career, but also just being with the same team on the same bike for two years in a row is the biggest thing ever for me to really up my game. So, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity that Bobby and the De Naples gave me to do two years on this bike and let me show… Maybe I’m different than some guys. I just needed a little bit longer to ripen up. I’m hoping that these last years of my career are better than the beginning years. I’m just stoked to end the weekend like this and go into our best track of the year at COTA. The goal is to just have a really good weekend there and then be able to clinch it before Jersey because Jersey, if it rains, that’s what will definitely scare us. I want to get ahead as much as I can before then.”
Sean Dylan Kelly – Second Place
“To be honest, I was really confused up until the grid today. I even did the sighting lap with an old tire. I was sliding as if I was on ice with the rear tire. I went into the race pretty pissed off, to be honest. I was frustrated with the race yesterday. I again felt like I was ice skating out there, and obviously I was really nowhere, especially the first three laps. Finished fifth yesterday which was disappointing after being pretty much up there all weekend. This morning, I was two and a half seconds off. I had no idea what was going on. It was really strange. But as soon as I got that new tire, that was obviously the race tire prepped for the race, and I’m glad that the rain stayed away. Conditions were a lot better. As soon as I started the race, I’m like, I feel like I’ve got my bike back. I got a good start. I was up front. I did some good pass there to (Cameron) Beaubier when he got past me. I wanted to be up front, and I felt good. Once I was clicking away, I actually felt like I was getting better and better, getting more comfortable even being at the front. So, I knew that Josh (Herrin) got by me at one point, and I attacked right back. So, I knew that he had something on me. I just tried to keep my rhythm, and with three laps to go I really did everything I could to just do the best I can. Whether he could follow me or not, I obviously had no idea. But I did a 24.8 with a few laps to go. I’m just happy I did that, regardless of getting second or not. I’m just happy that I was able to do that pace on my own up front. This guy had a little extra, but I tried to get him back at the end and it was just too tight. I really got to be happy, especially with how I was feeling only a few minutes before the race. So, super pumped. Super happy with my whole team, everything that they’re working on and just helping me become a better Superbike rider. Still learning a lot on this thing, but I think I’m definitely getting there. I think the win is coming soon.”
Cameron Beaubier – Third Place
“I don’t want to take anything away from these guys because they rode incredible – not just today but all weekend. I’m just frustrated. I feel like we can’t catch a break. I don’t know what was going on with my rear tire, but I had zero grip from the start, on the entry, mid-corner, exit. I was struggling so hard just to hang with these guys. I was trying to make it up all on the brakes, and then the rear end was coming around. It just felt like the tire never came in. Yesterday, we had that little electric problem in the race and it’s just frustrating. I feel like we just can’t catch a break right now, and it’s not a good time to be dealing with this stuff. Like I said, I’m not taking anything away from these guys because they’re riding incredible right now. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. The Tytlers guys have been working their butts off all year, been giving me an incredible bike. We just need everything to line up for these last couple rounds. I rode as hard as I could and third was the best we had today.”
For more news check out our dedicated MotoAmerica News page MotoAmerica News
Exciting Racing, Champions Crowned In MotoAmerica’s Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Seventeen-year-old Matthew Chapin is having quite a rookie season in the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship, and Sunday was his best day yet. The BARTCON Racing Kawasaki rider won both Junior Cup races, with Saturday’s race one postponed due to rain and rescheduled on Sunday. All the better for the Marylander because his two Super Sunday wins clinched the 2024 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship.
From one end to the other, it was a perfect weekend for Chapin, who was fastest in Friday’s Practice 1, earned the provisional pole in first qualifying later on Friday, secured pole position in final qualifying on Saturday, and won both races on Sunday.
Chapin made light work of race one, winning by an unheard of for-that-class 3.4 seconds over Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez with Fernandez some nine seconds ahead of what was the first real battle in the race, with third through seventh finishing on the same second. The final podium spot went to Chapin’s BARTCON Racing teammate Eli Block.
“Oh, man,” Chapin said after race one. “It was a great race. Pulled the holeshot, and I knew I had the pace to get away, so I just put my head down, did some fast laps. Man, it was a great race.”
Junior Cup race two was a lot closer at the finish line for Chapin, who nipped New York Safety Track Racing Kawasaki’s Yandel Medina by just .074 of a second. Third place went to Wolfe Racing’s Ryan Wolfe, who was only .015 of a second behind Medina.
All in all, Chapin, led every lap of both of Sunday’s Junior Cup races.
“Man, I feel great,” Chapin said on the podium while clutching his number-one Championship plate. “This feels awesome. From this being my first full season of doing MotoAmerica to winning the championship. Wow! I’m so thankful. I couldn’t do this without all my sponsors. I want to give a huge thanks to Mike (Skowronek) at TripleStrong Racing for coming out and helping me with all the motor work and everything and getting the bike dialed in. Huge thanks to my mom and dad. Chuck, Tim, Connie, and everybody that came out. Brian. This feels great. Thanks to Woodcraft, KYT, Bison, Vortex, and everybody else who helps me out. Thank you, guys.”
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz won his seventh Supersport race of the season to extend his championship points lead to 25. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Supersport – Scholtz Back On Top
With PJ Jacobsen winning three races in a row, including Saturday’s Supersport victory at Mid-Ohio, Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz admits he was getting a little worried about his championship points lead. On Sunday, the South African changed all that with his seventh win of the year to extend his points lead to 25 over the Rahal Ducati Moto rider.
Scholtz’s win was of the come-from-behind variety as his rival Jacobsen was at the front but busy defending that lead from Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott. Scholtz, meanwhile, worked his way through to third, bringing Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis with him.
And just like that, Scholtz was on top of the Jacobsen/Scott battle and suddenly was in front of both. Jacobsen was visibly struggling with front-end grip, and he started to go backwards and ultimately finished fourth.
Scholtz sped to the finish line, .160 of a second ahead of Scott with Lewis 3.1 seconds adrift.
Jacobsen finished fourth with EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo rounding out the top five.
Kyle Wyman (33) leads Troy Herfoss (17), Rocco Landers (97), James Rispoli (43) and Hayden Gillim in the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman!
What was shaping up to be another fight to the finish between Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman and S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss didn’t get the chance to materialize as Hayden Gillim crashed his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson on the third lap in Sunday’s race, bringing out the red flag and ultimately the end of the race.
Since he was leading Herfoss when the red flag came out, Wyman was declared the winner, giving him his sixth win of the season and the five points back that he’d lost to Herfoss on Saturday.
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers finished third for the second time on the weekend as the series rookie continues to get closer to the top two.
“It’s a strange feeling,” Wyman said. “I thought we were coming into the pits to rerack them. So, I didn’t really notice until everybody was running off of pit lane, up the hill with stands, that we had actually called the race. I was actually surprised as well. I thought we were going to restart that one. It didn’t seem like there was any more threat of weather at that point. It seemed like a pretty quick cleanup. But, my plan that I executed turned out to be what put me in that position. I wanted to get the holeshot. I wanted to control the race and try to go from the front. I’ve had a lot of really bad days over the last couple years with just really sh*t luck in a lot of different scenarios. So it feels like I’ve been owed one a little bit. Not by Troy, but just from the universe, I guess. It feels good in that way, but when we’ve gone down to the last lap and raced to the flag, even when I’ve finished second when we’ve raced to the flag it feels better than this does just because it’s a hell of a lot of fun. So, for sure, it’s a bummer not to see it go full race distance, especially for the fans. But like I said, we’ll take it.”
Cory West (13) won the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race on Sunday and the win gave him the series points lead. Chris Fillmore (11) gives chase. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Lewis!
It was also a doubleheader Sunday for the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship class with Saturday’s race getting bumped off the schedule with poor weather wreaking havoc.
When they did get started in the first of two races, Saddlemen Racing/Harley-Davidson’s Jake Lewis turned what looked to be an exciting Mission Super Hooligan National Championship race at Mid-Ohio into a dull one when he pulled away from the scrap behind him to win his second race of the season on Sunday morning.
Lewis topped his teammate Cory West by 1.2 seconds after separating himself from the pack in the closing stages with West beating KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz by just .057 of a second.
Then came the pair of S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s with Tyler O’Hara fourth and Troy Herfoss fifth, respectively. Herfoss was slowed somewhat by a clutch issue.
“It’s honestly been an up-and-down weekend on the Hooligan bike so far, but every session I’ve been out in, I’ve been either first or second,” Lewis said after race one. “So, I knew I had a good feeling, but starting ninth was tough. I think I was fifth coming out of turn one, and then (Chris) Fillmore looked like he had a little bit of an issue. I was up into fourth quick. Cory (West) and I talked before the race. I know the Indian boys are going to try to play their games. So, I figured I’d fire one off on the first lap under (Tyler) O’Hara there. Kind of stood him up and then after that, I was like, ‘this is mine to lose, as far as championship-wise.’ I have to win these races, and that’s my only goal is either win or I’m going to end up in the grass. I rode my ass off, but big thank you to the Saddlemen Race Development team. They’ve been working so hard on these Harley-Davidson Pan Americas. It’s a nice way to reward them. I’m excited for that one. Sometimes winning I don’t get too excited, but I was really pumped for that. It’s been 10 years since we’ve been here. Last time we were here I won as well. It feels good to do it in front of these Mid-Ohio fans.”
If race one turned into a runaway in Hooligan terms, race two was anything but with six riders in the lead group all the way to the finish. And what a difference another race makes as race-one winner Lewis was at the back of that lead group in sixth place.
This one went to new championship points leader West after his two-one finishes on the day. West beat O’Hara, his main championship rival, by .105 of a second. Third place on the track went to KTM Development Team’s Chris Fillmore, but Fillmore was here on a KTM DUKE Prototype and not eligible for championship points.
That gave third to Herfoss with KWR/Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Schultz and West’s teammate Travis Wyman rounding out the top five.
“How crazy?” West said after race two. “That first race, I was pretty nervous going into it. So, I just rode smart. I didn’t want to make any mistakes and do anything silly. I told my guys, ‘I’ve got a little more in me.’ I just didn’t want to do anything silly in that first race. So, I put my head down, got to the front, and it was just a scrap. Those guys kept coming by me and doing crazy stuff. I just was trying to be cool and be smart. Then on the last lap, TO (O’Hara) came up under me in the Keyhole and I just made sure I got a really good drive. I just had three guys in front of me to give me an awesome draft. I got down there on the brakes and kind of lost the front in the right-hander. I was like, ‘man, I just got a few more right-handers until the checkered.’ I kind of parked it in that last corner, but I just figured there wasn’t any way around me. Today is my dad’s birthday. This is awesome. Happy birthday to my pop. All the guys at Saddlemen, my wife, who’s pregnant. It’s crazy. We’re making it happen. We’re leading the points again and we’re on to COTA. Let’s make it happen.”
Mikayla Moore is the two-time Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore Wraps It Up
Mikayla Moore put a nice little bow on the top of her second Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship with her seventh win of the season coming a day after she wrapped up that second title. As always, Moore made the race her own, winning by a tick over 20 seconds ahead of Kira Knebel, who was also second in yesterday’s race.
The only race Moore didn’t win this season was the only race she didn’t take part in when an injury took her out of race one in the season-opener at Road America.
Third place went to first-time podium finisher Miranda Cain with Cain improving from her fifth-place finish in Saturday’s race. Emma Betters and Holly Varey rounded out the top five in the season-ender for the class.
“The Royal Enfield 650 GT today went on rails,” Moore said. “I knew yesterday the race started off pretty close. I knew as long as I did what I did yesterday and put my head down and focus and hit my marks I could get to where I am at now, which is the number-one spot, just by hard work throughout the season. Thanks to my dad, my family, just for all the support, even the Royal Enfield team’s support. It means a lot. To do this two years in a row, I’m super happy with how my season went.”
The deep Dutch sand of the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit near the historical city of Arnhem played host to round 16 of the FIM World Motocross Championships today, and the MXGP of The Netherlands attracted a packed house of passionate fans who could possibly look forward to a clean sweep of all four racing classes for their heroes across the weekend!
After the morning of Sunday saw Dutch racers take overall victory in both EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and the WMX Women’s World Motocross Championships, the crowd were eager to see more home-grown success and were likely to see it after a win for Glenn Coldenhoff and a near last-to-second-place charge from Kay de Wolfin the two RAM Qualifying Races on Saturday!
The extra attraction of the debut of the Ducati Factory MX Team, with their Desmo450 MX machine being ridden by none other than nine-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli, brought many curious fans into the paddock area to see what the iconic Italian brand’s first foray into Motocross actually looked like.
The MXGP class delivered exactly what the home crowd were looking for, a dominant double win for Jeffrey Herlings and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but “The Bullet” had to dig deep into his seemingly bottomless barrel of strength and resolve to climb from outside the top ten in race one! Then a straight fight with his two main Championship rivals in race two had the packed venue spellbound as the atmosphere stayed tense until the very end of the racing!
The battle for the MX2 World Championship between the Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates continued to swing one way and then the other, with Lucas Coenen denying Kay de Wolfof the home victory he so craved. The Dutch teenager suffered a pair of crashes that also cost him a small slice of his Championship lead in the process.
The red plate holder for Team HRC, Tim Gajser, was marginally faster than Herlings in morning warm-up, but it was the RAM Qualifying Race winner Glenn Coldenhoff who took the Fox Holeshot Award in race one with a carbon copy of his first corner move from Saturday!
Reigning World Champion Jorge Prado immediately gave chase in second for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, while the Team Ship To Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR rider Kevin Horgmo started among the factory men in third place! The Kawasaki Racing Team pairing of Jeremy Seewer and Romain Febvre started fourth and fifth ahead of Gajser, but Herlings was outside the top ten after getting cut off into the first corner from his far inside gate position. It was even worse for Calvin Vlaanderen, who fell in turn one and would take no further part in the event for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP.
Before the end of the first full lap, Prado did what he couldn’t do on Saturday and passed Coldenhoff for the lead, aware that he had to make ground at the front to avoid a repeat of the events at Lommel. Herlings had got to seventh ahead of Vlaanderen’s teammate Jago Geerts, enjoying his first full GP race in MXGP! Unable to make a move on Febvre stick, it wasn’t until lap five that “The Bullet” started to make progress, and at this point he was 18 seconds behind leader Prado, as Gajser had worked his way into third ahead of Horgmo and Seewer.
Those two succumbed to the growing speed of Herlings on lap five, but it still took until lap eleven for the record GP winner to advance past Febvre for fourth. In the meantime, Cairoli had not enjoyed a great start, and was to finish in fifteenth spot, still scoring six Championship points for Ducati to add to his four from Saturday.
Herlings caught Gajser for third on lap thirteen, making short work of the Championship leader, as Prado and Coldenhoff started to appear on his horizon! With the bellowing crowd urging him on, the #84 drew alongside the Fantic at the top of the circuit, and the two Dutch heroes nearly collided in mid-air in a heart-stopping moment for the home crowd! Herlings then blasted around the outside of “The Hoff” to take second, and a lap later did the same thing to Prado as the crowd roared for their hero’s efforts! True to his Champion’s mindset, the Spaniard did not give up and pressured the Dutchman to the flag, causing nails to be chewed as the final margin was just over three seconds!
Race two saw a straight blast into the first corner from Coldenhoff to complete his perfect start trilogy for the weekend, and his fourth Fox Holeshot Award of the year! This time though, the three title combatants were snapping at his rear wheel immediately, with Gajser second and Herlings railing around Prado in the second corner to take third! Behind them was Geerts and Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini, as once more the two Kawasaki men were locked together, Seewer in front of Febvre just within the top ten!
On the first full lap, Herlings briefly veered off-track slightly, giving Prado his chance to move into third, and on the second lap the Spaniard closed on Gajser, the pair of them swapping places and nearly clashing in mid-air as they threw their machines sideways just millimetres apart over the Finish Line jump! Their battle drew them to the real wheel of Coldenhoff, and in the Championship order of Gajser, Prado, and Herlings they all passed the Fantic to leave him in fourth position, and off the overall podium.
Febvre got past Seewer for fifth, and the men in green finished in that order ahead of Guadagnini. All eyes were at the front, however, as Gajser grimly hung on until lap seven, as under pressure from Herlings it was Prado who took the lead from the Slovenian. “The Bullet” was not to be denied however, and on lap eight he managed to sweep past both of his rivals, outworking Prado through the waves as the entire venue shook with the fans getting behind their star man!
From there, it calmed down at the front as Herlings powered to a 9.4 second win ahead of Prado, although Gajser had several big moments before a crash over a jump he was having particular trouble with. This left him within striking distance of Coldenhoff, desperate to get on his home GP podium which he just missed out on last year. Gajser knew he was going to lose points to his rivals as it was, and dug in to stop the rot and at least salvage a podium for the weekend.
Coldenhoff would have to settle for fourth overall ahead of Febvre, Seewer, and a consistent Andrea Bonacorsi, who was seventh overall for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP. Guadagnini ended the weekend in eighth ahead of Horgmo, and Standing Contruct Honda MXGP man Alberto Forato rounded out the top ten for his best result of an injury-affected season. Sadly, Cairoli was unable to finish the second race and pulled into the pits on lap six.
Herlings celebrated his 107th Grand Prix victory, his 15th on home sand, and closed to within 35 points of Gajser in the title chase. Prado now sits just nine points behind the Slovenian, although both of the top two are looking forward to the four hard-pack circuits which close out the year. If those GPs are half as good as the one here at Arnhem, they are going to make for amazing viewing!
Jeffrey Herlings: “I finally got a good start, I think I was P3 and I followed Glenn (Coldenhoff) and Tim (Gajser) for a while. I just wanted to try to attack, you know and I made a mistake and Jorge came past me and I tried to follow them and you know, once they passed Glenn, I straight passed Glenn as well and then I managed to pass Tim and obviously got quite the lead. So I’m really pumped with a 1-1 at home. So it’s been a while since I’ve won a home GP, so I’m very happy with it. And I’m just, uh, I’m just looking forward to Switzerland next weekend.”
Jorge Prado:“I think it was a very good weekend for me. I showed good speed and yeah that second race was very interesting. I was I think around third, fourth in the start and then I could make my way up to first. Then Jeffrey came by and had a moment with an lapper that crashed just in front of me that made go Jeffrey a little bit too far. But I kept him honest as I was pushing until pretty much two laps to go, I knew then that I was not able to catch him anymore, but we were going on a good pace and I’m happy with that, I’m happy that I’m feeling very fit right now and we’re getting closer to the championship, we’re only nine points now, so we’re getting closer to the championship and I can’t wait to ride in Switzerland, so let’s go.”
Tim Gajser:“I mean I have to be happy you know, comparing to Lommel where I was struggling big time and now in the sand the team did great homework, like we trained we test we changed some things and I was feeling way more comfortable this weekend. The pace was good, we were really close. It’s a shame for that crash in the second race. I didn’t feel that I was pushing over myself but just a little slight mistake you know and the track was quite rough and sketchy and yeah I just lost the front and then I fell back and then Coldenhoff caught me and then we had to push really hard for the last three laps but anyway I’m happy to finish on the podium, lost a couple of points but we are still in the lead, so four rounds to go where I like the track that are coming up so I’m really looking forward to it.”
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:52.707; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:03.244; 3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:04.637; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:13.281; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:31.188; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:55.258; 7. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +0:56.862; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:00.182; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +1:05.013; 10. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +1:17.172
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:08.709; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:09.413; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:11.378; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:11.871; 5. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:25.059; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:59.787; 7. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:01.385; 8. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +1:03.868; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:11.940; 10. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:17.119
De Wolf made a statement by being massively faster in morning warm-up and lined up next to his teammate on the grid. Suddenly it looked like Lucas dropped backwards, just making contact with the gate to slow him down from the launch!
Sacha Coenen once more grabbed the holeshot, for the fifteenth time this season, and it was actually a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 1-2-3 at the front with Liam Everts and Andrea Adamo giving chase to their younger teammate! That was until the fourth corner, when De Wolf got past Adamo through a difficult wave section. Everts was quickly into the lead, and before the end of the first lap, the red plate holder had also passed the holeshotting Coenen.
The other Coenen, Lucas, had recovered well to cross the line in sixth position at the end of the first full lap! As he challenged the Monster Energy Triumph Racing machine of Camden McLellan, so his teammate was closing in on Everts, and with his home crowd’s roar of approval, De Wolf took the lead from the Belgian and started to drop the hammer, although Lucas was working hard and passed McLellan and Adamo on consecutive laps, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap five as he had a clear track towards Everts!
De Wolf was looking untouchable out front, but Lucas kept on charging. Everts and Adamo kept their solid third and fourth positions as McLellan held off a challenge from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 pilot Rick Elzinga to claim fifth place. Elzinga in turn held back his teammate Karlis Reisulis, while the second Triumph of Mikkel Haarup came home a disappointed eighth. Sacha Coenen faded back to tenth behind the equally disappointed Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing star Simon Laengenfelder, in what proved to be the worst weekend of the German’s season.
Lucas mercilessly closed in on De Wolf, if only to send his teammate a message about his speed, and as the Belgian chased across the line just under a second behind the home hero, his hand gesture made it clear that he would be after revenge in race two!
It started well for De Wolf, however, as the two started next to each other and the Dutchman got the better drop, although once more Sacha Coenen rocketed to the Fox Holeshot line first. He now cannot be caught for the overall award for the season, being nine ahead of Laengenfelder with only eight races still to come!
Adamo was again right with him, and Jack Chambers put his Bike-It Kawasakiinto third, before the waves saw him overtaken by Haarup, McLellan, and De Wolf, and the Dane took advantage of a slight wobble for the reigning Champ along the next straight to claim second. The series leader was quickly past Adamo as well, then carved inside the Triumph to leave just Sacha in front of him!
Lucas Coenen was the fastest man on track, however, and passed both Haarup and Adamo on lap five to put himself into third! Before De Wolf could catch Sacha out front, he collided with a lapped rider in a left-hander and hit the floor, re-mounting off-track while Lucas gratefully inherited second! A lap later he had passed his twin brother and set about stretching out a lead.
Liam Everts had fallen down to twelfth on the second lap and had to fight through his rivals to an eventual seventh, with VRT Racing Yamaha wild-card Ivano van Erp behind him, while Haarup slipped to an eventual ninth ahead of a dejected Laengenfelder.
Adamo and McLellan got the better of Sacha Coenen, who finished a better sixth this time, as Elzinga put in a better performance to claim fifth at his home GP. De Wolf, however, crashed with two laps to go while trying to haul in Lucas Coenen, and with bent handlebars and worse on his machine, dropped backwards to fourth, powerless to prevent the charge of Adamo, who was ecstatic with second and therefore third overall, and third place finisher McLellan.
Lucas took the win by over 33 seconds and matched his teammate with his seventh career GP win and his second in succession. McLellan claimed fourth overall ahead of Everts, Elzinga, Sacha Coenen seventh, Haarup, Laengenfelder, and rounding out the top ten overall was Gabriel SS24 KTM wild-card Cas Valk, which will boost his confidence for his EMX250 title assault in weeks to come!
The gap between the top two is now 44 points, although sadly for Lucas Coenen he may need help to close that gap by 11 points per round as the final four GPs beckon!
The last round of the final triple-header of the year takes place next weekend on the grasslands of Frauenfeld for the MXGP of Switzerland. Both classes should see more enthralling World Motocross action. Join us for that one!
Lucas Coenen:“It was two really bad starts and then I made my way up. It was quite tough to pass at some places so I found some of them and went second first race. Then, second race I wanted to win and also to get that start but then Kai made a mistake, I passed him, then passed my brother and just put the base up in the front and finish the race perfectly. So I mean, good weekend, now up to Switzerland.”
Kay de Wolf:“The crash was my mistake but we just found out what the problem was with the bike and I’m really happy that I even brought the bike home. So, yeah, it could have ended up way worse than this. But still, I’m a little bit disappointed to not get this GP win in front of all the Dutch fans but it is what it is and we move on!”
Andrea Adamo:“It’s super nice I’m super happy! The weekend didn’t start so well I had P12 in free practice, P16 in time practice so on RAM Quali race I was so far but I had a good start then put myself in a good position for today. Two really solid races, I was a little bit lucky because Kay had a crash and then had an issue so I could finish second but it would not have changed the podium order if I would finish like this so I was pretty happy!”
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 34:22.715; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:00.998; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:38.624; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:44.482; 5. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:47.748; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:50.199; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:53.232; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:53.811; 9. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +1:12.596; 10. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +1:23.200
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 34:53.956; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:33.450; 3. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:34.190; 4. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:46.209; 5. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:47.124; 6. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:53.057; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +1:07.904; 8. Ivano Van Erp (NED, Yamaha), +1:12.606; 9. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +1:15.568; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +1:25.211
MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 47 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 43 p.; 3. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 4. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 36 p.; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 31 p.; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 26 p.; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 25 p.; 9. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 23 p.; 10. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), 20 p
MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 777 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 733 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 676 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 636 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 545 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 542 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 492 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 444 p.; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 315 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 290 p
It is with great sadness that we bring the news that in this afternoon’s practice for the Senior Manx Grand Prix; Louis O’Regan of Didcot; lost his life in an accident at Kate’s Cottage. He was 43 years of age and an experienced competitor in the Manx Grand Prix; having made his debut in 2013. He achieved his fastest lap of 114.70mph in 2019. We join the organizers in sending our condolences to his partner Sarah; his family and many friends.
Sunday afternoon brought us warm sunshine; with just a few high clouds drifting past on the light north-westerly breeze. The roads were dry from Ramsey through to our vantage point for the session; Douglas Road Corner, Kirk Michael. There were a good number of spectators gathered through the village to watch the action unfold.
After a 15 minute delay, the session began with the escorted, speed controlled lap for the newcomers to the course. When you see this lap, you always wonder if; from their midst a new star is going to rise; such as Joe Yeardsley last year; or TT winners such as Michael Dunlop; Ian Hutchinson; Steve Hislop, Carl Fogarty or Phil Read. The first batches were led by former TT star John Barton and TT winner Richard Quayle. Once this lap had been completed it was time for the MGP Senior and the Classic Superbike classes to take to the track.
First to reach us was Brian McCormack on the Greenall Kawasaki; then it was last year’s Senior MGP winner; Joe Yeardsley, on his Mistral Kawasaki. Mike Browne was next; he was having his first lap on the lovely 916 Key Ducati. Michael Dunlop was not so lucky with his Ducati; a couple of miles being all that it covered before expiring. Derek Sheils was next; then it was Rob Hodson who proved to be the fastest man on the day with a best lap of 123.453mph on his Greenall Kawasaki. The action then became more frenetic as the riders sought to take maximum advantage of the favourable conditions. Michael Rutter was circulating in tandem with Ian Hutchinson. Just after they had passed through; we had a moment of drama. The engine on Lee Johnston’s RC45 had a blow up; throwing out clouds of smoke as Lee slowed the machine before parking it on the garage forecourt 150m down the road. The marshals reacted instantly to warn approaching riders of the oil that had been left on the track by the ailing machine. Shortly afterwards, the RC45 of Nathan Harrison came through; looking and sounding superb.
The first of the Senior MGP riders to reach us was Jamie Williams on the NCE Racing Honda. Jamie later had an accident at Kate’s Cottage in which he received shoulder and hip injuries. The accident necessitated the use of the red flag to allow debris to be cleared from the track. This meant that no Senior MGP rider and quiet a few Superbike riders did not complete the lap.
After a delay of 40 minutes, the next session for the Classic Senior, Classic Junior; MGP Junior and Lightweight machines began. Leading on the road was Jamie Coward on the Craven Manx; he had John McGuinness, on his reserve Paton machine, 5 metres behind. Stuart Hall was next on his Lightweight Yamaha. The session was very busy; there were no real moments in Kirk Michael; just a couple who went wide onto the cement dust, put onto the oil dropped by Johnston’s machine, as they passed the school. It was good to see Davo Johnson having his first outing on a classic single; in this case a Craven Manx. Lee Johnston had more luck this time; going well on his Lightweight Reed Honda. Also noted was returning former race winner Glen English. On lap 2 McGuinness led Coward by 50 metres. The session continued to be busy providing good viewing for the spectators; Joe Yeardsley was neat and fast as he hustled the Flitwick Enfield through the village, as was team mate Adam McLean and Mike Browne on the Eureka Norton.
Once their time had elapsed, it was time for the Senior MGP and Classic Superbike machines to return to the track. First to reach us in this was Rob Hodson; closely followed by Dom Herbertson, Michael Rutter and Derek Sheils. First of the Senior riders to reach us was race favourite Daniel Ingham (Castings Technology Yamaha); next was Michael Gahan. We were again treated to a busy session. Then, shortly after the last of the riders had gone past, the red flag was once again displayed. The reason for this was the tragic accident involving Louis O’Regan.
Once the riders had been escorted back to the Grandstand, the Roads Open car was dispatched to open the course from the Grandstand to the Bungalow; so closing a tragic first practice for the Manx Grand Prix.
A gallery of today’s action will be posted tomorrow, with the best lap times.
The reigning Champion pulls five points ahead with victory over Martin as Bastianini completes the podium and Marquez suffers some drama.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) put in a stunning performance at the Motorrand Grand Prix von Österreich to take to the top step and complete the double in style. The reigning Champion went toe-to-toe with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) before taking charge in the lead and building a gap, securing his status as Championship leader by five points and taking his 25th MotoGP™ win to equal Kevin Schwantz in 10th on the list of riders with most premier class wins. Martin’s second place is still a valuable 20-point haul to keep him in touch at the top, ahead of Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) in third for his fourth podium in five races.
There was some drama even before the start as Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had a holeshot device shuffle, unable to get both engaged, getting a slightly slower launch and then getting a nudge from Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing) as the two headed wide out of Turn 1. Marquez ended up outside the top ten and Morbidelli further behind him.
Meanwhile, Martin had taken the holeshot to edge out Bagnaia at the front, but the reigning Champion attacked next time round at Turn 1 and took the lead. Another move came from Martin at the penultimate corner on the same lap, but Bagnaia hit back straight away at the final corner. It remained as you were in the high-speed chess match – meanwhile, Bastianini was holding third, within touch.
A small KTM civil war just behind then saw Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) stalk and eventually get past teammate Jack Miller, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) then pouncing too. Bagnaia led Martin with a gap back to Bastianini, ahead of the Binder-Bez-Miller train that Marc Marquez was, by now, fast tagging onto the back of. He was also literally tagging Miller with 19 to go as his elbow made contact with the #43’s rear tyre, but no harm done as the #93 reset and reloaded. He didn’t need to make the move, however, as Miller slid out soon after – able to rejoin but out of the fight at the front.
And so Bagnaia led Martin, with Bastianini a couple of seconds back. And then came what was now a Binder-Bezzecchi-Marquez squabble, with the first fireworks coming from Marquez as he carved through the VR46 rider. Next stop: Binder. At Turn 6 with ten to go the #93 sliced up the inside to take over in fourth, but by now the distance to Bastianini was unlikely to be gulfed.
More fireworks then set off in the next gaggle behind as Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had a second shot at getting past teammate Aleix Espargaro after an earlier attempt went awry, and the #12 got it done, leaving Espargaro to fend off Morbidelli, who was on a charge.
At the front, the gap would go up a tenth or two and then back down, but Bagnaia remained in control. The reigning Champion completed the double in style, stamping some authority on a Championship lead of 0 points, position courtesy of win count, and bumping it up to five points ahead of Martin, who came home second for a nevertheless very valuable 20 points. Bastianini, despite his quick progress up from a tougher qualifying, came home third and wasn’t able to work his used tyre magic to bridge that gap. He did have enough in hand over Marc Marquez, however, with the #93’s pace – on paper enough to put him in serious contention – going begging after his early dramas. He finished P4.
Behind, Binder held off Bezzecchi to complete the top five, with the South African and the Italian who followed him home both able to find some key positives in the solid results in Austria. Viñales managed to pull away from his teammate to take P7, and on the very last lap Morbidelli sliced past Aleix Espargaro too, stealing eighth from the #41 Aprilia.
Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) completed the top ten after duelling and holding off KTM test rider and wildcard Pol Espargaro, who completed an impressive weekend taking some points as well as data. Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) homed in to within two tenths of that battle too, ahead of a tougher weekend for rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
Takaaki Nakagami (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) had a notable Austrian GP finish – taking P14 and two points, and as top Honda by some distance. He also made a late attack to get past Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and hold him off by a couple of tenths.
That’s a wrap on Austria, with the paddock packing up and heading for MotorLand Aragon as MotoGP™ returns to the venue for the first time since 2022. Then, it was an incredible duel between Bagnaia and Bastianini. And in 2021, it was another: Bagnaia vs Marquez, for the first of the 25 MotoGP™ wins the reigning Champion now has under his belt. You don’t want to miss it.
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An eighth different Moto2 winner has emerged in 2024 as for the second year in a row, Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) bags a 25-point haul at the Red Bull Ring.
The Italian was unmatched on Sunday as he converted pole into victory, as Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) and Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) earned podium finishes as the latter passes Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) on the final lap for P3.
It was a good start from the front row trio as Canet led the opening lap, but Vietti pounced back on Lap 2 as Lopez sat right behind the top two in P3. Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) was P4, a second up the road from Dixon.
Lopez then passed Canet for P2, with Garcia just over a second back from the top three on Lap 4 of 23, with Dixon, Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing) tucked up behind the title chase leader. Not for long though, as both Dixon and Arbolino passed Garcia on Lap 5.
Seven laps in, Vietti stretched his lead to 1.1s over Lopez and Canet. Dixon was 1.6s behind the latter duo, with the Briton having Arbolino in tow. On Lap 9, Vietti then made a mistake into Turn 3, which slashed his advantage from 1.4s to 0.4s as the top three were now split by 0.8s.
The fight for P2 began with nine to go, with Canet and Alonso trading places at the final corner. The small amount of squabbling allowed Vietti to extend his lead back to a second, as Dixon started to ramp up his case for a podium finish. With five laps to go, Vietti was 1.7s clear, as Dixon locked himself onto the back of Canet to make it a three-rider fight for P2, as Garcia was handed a Long Lap penalty for exceeding track limits, and that dropped the Spaniard to P13 from P6.
Heading onto the last lap, Vietti boasted a 2.7s penalty. Dixon dived up the inside of Canet at Turn 1 but exceeded track limits on the exit. Could the #96 then pass Lopez? Not quite. The latter held onto P2 as Vietti bagged his first win in Red Bull KTM Ajo colours, with Canet crossing the line behind Dixon in P4 and because both riders exceeded track limits on the final lap, the results stood – Canet crossing onto the green at the final corner cost him a rostrum.
Arbolino was a lonely fifth, with Ramirez taking sixth ahead of Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia). Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) squeezed inside the top 10 in P9 to claw some crucial points back on Garcia, as Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.
The returning Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took a superb P11 in his first race back since the Italian GP, as Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) and Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) bagged P12 and P13. Then came Garcia as the Championship leader was unable to fully capitalise on teammate Ai Ogura’s injury absence, as that LLP cost the Spaniard a decent chunk of points. Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was the final point scorer in P15. Meanwhile, Fermin Aldeguer’s (Sync SpeedUp) lacklustre weekend ended with the Spaniard finishing P20.
Vietti reigns at the Red Bull Ring for the second year in a row, as Garcia extends his lead to 20 points heading to Aragon – but it could have been so much more.
For more Moto2 info checkout our dedicated Moto2 News page
It’s seventh heaven for David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) at the Red Bull Ring as the World Championship leader wins again – but this time he did so after taking a Long Lap penalty.
The Colombian beats David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) by 0.121s as the Spaniard, in turn, edges out Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) as the trio climb onto the Moto3™ rostrum in Austria.
There was drama from the off as polesitter Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) had a problem pulling up to the start line, with the Spaniard having to start the race from pitlane. A disaster for the #48, with Alonso’s chief Championship rival 12 seconds off the lead at the end of Lap 1.
The early race leader was Joel Kelso and the Australian had BOE Motorsports teammate Muñoz, Alonso and Holgado close for company, with the Colombian diving into the Long Lap penalty loop on Lap 2 – as did Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) right behind the #80.
This left Alonso in P10, 3.7s off the lead with 17 laps to go. Meanwhile, Ortola was setting fastest lap after fastest lap as he picked his way through the pack to get up to P18 by Lap 6. On the same lap, Alonso was now P6 and closing in on the lead group that consisted of Kelso, Muñoz, Holgado, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – the latter duo hovering half a second behind the top trio.
With 11 laps left, Alonso – with Piqueras in tow – had bridged the gap. We had a front group of seven now, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) a second adrift in P8 as the Spaniard threatened to make it a 16-wheeler. On Ortola watch, the polesitter was P16, eight seconds behind the leaders and had points-scoring places well within his reach.
On Lap 14 of 20, Alonso led for the first time. Ortola was now up to P9 but the group ahead of him was the leading eight, who were locked together in the fight for the win – 5.4s up the road. Three laps later, Alonso still held the lead, but it was far from a comfortable one as Muñoz, Holgado, Veijer and Piqueras were prowling.
But it was as you were heading onto the final lap. Alonso led the chasing quartet, as Muñoz ran wide at Turn 1 to go from P2 to P4. Turns 2A and B passed by, and so did Turn 4. Time was running out as Holgado fended off Piqueras before Muñoz shoved it up the inside of the Leopard rider at Turn 7. Would a move come in the final two corners? No. Alonso defended expertly to claim a stunning win in Styria, as Muñoz pipped Holgado to P2 by the barest of margins – 0.005s.
The impressive Piqueras claimed P4 ahead of Veijer in P5, with Fernandez, Rueda and Kelso completing the top eight. Ortola produced a fine effort to climb his way to P9, but it’s crucial ground lost in the title chase on a Sunday that promised much more.
Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power), Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) pocketed the final points-paying places in Austria.
Even a Long Lap penalty couldn’t stop Alonso from taking a seventh win of the campaign, as the Aspar star heads to Aragon 71 points clear of Ortola. Can the momentum be stopped at MotorLand?
For more Moto3 info checkout our dedicated Moto3 News page
Álvaro Carpe put on a perfect demonstration of race craft and pace to win the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Race 2 at Spielberg. The 17-year-old Spaniard’s second victory of the weekend was by a greater margin but only because his closest challenger Brian Uriarte slid off on the last lap.
That left a little gap to Màximo Quiles and though the 16-year-old Spaniard pushed to close it, he crossed the line 2nd, 0.245 seconds behind Carpe. Indonesian 15-year-old Veda Pratama took an excellent 3rd for his first Rookies Cup podium.
Carpe extends Cup points lead to 24 over Uriarte
“50 points this weekend. I’m very happy because I did a very good job, through the weekend, improving through the 3 sessions on Friday step by step. The race today was crazy, very hard, not as hot as yesterday but fast. In the second to last lap, there was a slippery patch but I managed it.”
“In the last lap, I saw on the TV screen that Brian had crashed and I had a gap. I saw Maximo was then second so I pushed really hard to keep this gap and I made it, The Rookies Team did an incredible job this weekend, they helped me so much.”
Quiles moves to 3rd in title chase
“It was a great race, really tricky conditions, in some corners, like in turn 9 we had a bit of wet, so it was a bit more difficult. In the beginning, I didn’t have a lot of confidence. In the last 4 laps, I tried to push to open a gap and I made an error, I went wide so I decided to wait until the last laps.”
“In the last lap, Brian was in front of me, he crashed and this made a bit of a gap between Alvaro and me. I was a bit angry because I wanted the win, I pushed and made an error with the gears and lost a bit more so I couldn’t catch him. A bit angry but still, great points for the championship.”
Pratama celebrated yesterday’s Indonesian Independence Day, turning pace into a podium
“I am very happy with today’s race, finally I have got on the podium. It was a very difficult race, I was not with the leading group in the beginning and I had to work hard to catch up. I pushed hard and managed to catch up. Then I relaxed a bit, took it a little easier than yesterday and just pushed at the end, it worked.”
Guido Pini celebrates return to action from injury with a superb ride to 4th
“From the first Free Practice I improved a lot so I am very happy for this,” enthused the 16-year-old Italian after his first 2 Rookies Cup races of the year. “Today I made a good race, I worked very hard to catch the front group and I am happy with 4th, it is so great to be back racing again and I am going to enjoy the rest of the season.”
Valentin Perrone crossed the line 4th but lost a place to a last-lap track limit penalty
“It was difficult this one,” explained the 16-year-old Argentine. “The group was not as big but with so many riders going fast. At the beginning I was calm, riding behind Carpe and Uriarte to try and break from the group. But then Maximo and other riders caught us, I started to push again to try and stay at the front.”
“In the last lap, I tried to overtake Maximo in the second to last corner but I went wide and I lost out to Maximo and Veda, I didn’t exit so well, P4.”
His reaction to being penalised. “No I don’t think I touched the green, that’s a mistake.”
Ruche Moodley makes up for Saturday’s fall with a great push through to 6th
“The race didn’t start well, I got a false neutral and lost about 5 places,” explained the 17-year-old South African. “I had a lot of work to do. I thought I could catch the leaders, I did but it was late in the race when I got them so I wasn’t able to get through to the front. I’m glad we went for the short gearing because I needed it to catch up, starting from 10th.
Rico Salmela hit trouble on the way from pole to 7th
“I was pushing at the front really hard,” stated the 16-year-old Finn. “I don’t know what happened but I couldn’t follow anyone in the slipstream. In the last 5 laps I kept getting neutral. The second to last lap in the chicane it went to neutral and the guys behind passed me and it was difficult to get back in front.”
Brian Uriarte ended a frustrating weekend with a last-lap fall
“I was pushing and I think there was a damp patch in the tarmac and I think I touched it, I tucked the front,” explained the 16-year-old Spaniard. “That’s racing.”
“For today’s race, I changed from the long to the short gearing, it helped a lot, especially at the start. Yesterday I struggled.”
For more info checkout our dedicated Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup News page Rookies Cup News
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin Leads From Start To Finish In Dominating Fashion At Mid-Ohio.
It might have been a difficult day with ever-changing weather conditions wreaking havoc on the schedule in road racing’s return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but it was definitely a banner day for Josh Herrin.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Herrin took a commanding start-to-finish victory, his fourth of the season and second in a row, to stretch his lead in the Steel Commander Superbike Championship to 33 points on a challenging day at Mid-Ohio.
The victory came after a delay in the schedule as a rainstorm moved through the area, making conditions difficult at best. The track, however, dried and the Superbike grid took to the track for a familiarization session before everyone started the race on slicks.
Herrin dropped the hammer from the get-go and, along with his teammate Loris Baz, threw down some quick laps as the pair quickly opened a gap to the goings on behind them.
Herrin would gap Baz and those two were well clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach, who would end up coming under pressure from his slow-starting teammate Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier’s woes were immediate with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion unsettled off the start and completing the first lap in sixth before picking his way through to fourth prior to catching and passing Beach on the seventh lap.
Josh Herrin (2) and his teammate Loris Baz (76) ran one-two for a lot of the race until Baz crashed out of the spot. Herrin went on to record his fourth win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson(From left to right) Cameron Beaubier, Josh Herrin and JD Beach celebrate on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course podium. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
By then Herrin and Baz were long gone and it appeared as though third was going to be as good as it would get for Beaubier. Not so as Baz gifted Beaubier second place when the Frenchman crashed his Ducati Panigale V4 R out of a comfortable second and a potential Ducati one-two
Herrin crossed the line 18.8 seconds ahead of second-placed Beaubier with Beach 3.5 seconds behind his teammate in third.
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim was a popular fourth on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP with EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly fifth.
Next came Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong with the Californian fighting his way through to get enough points to move within striking distance of second in the championship.
Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith, Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne and Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ezra Beaubier rounded out the top 10.
Gagne had suffered with an early off-track excursion that put him well back in the pack, but he scored enough points to stay in second place in the title chase.
Notable non-finishers were Baz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammates Brandon Paasch and Richie Escalante with all three crashing out of the race.
Herrin heads into tomorrow’s race two with a 30-point lead over Fong, 219-189. Gagne is third with 186 points with Beaubier moving to fourth with 168 points – one better than Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, who was forced to sit out the race after failing to pass his medical exam after his third crash of the weekend in morning warm-up.
(From left to right) Cameron Beaubier, Josh Herrin and JD Beach celebrate on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course podium. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Superbike Race One
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
JD Beach (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Honda)
Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (Honda)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Ezra Beaubier (BMW)
Quotes…
Josh Herrin – Winner
“If you look back at least the last seven years, whenever the conditions are like that, I think subconsciously I just, almost like when you see motocross guys or (Mathew) Scholtz yelling on the grid right before, something about the fear side of it just does something to me at the beginning that allows me to just do what happened today. I couldn’t even explain why. The one big advantage that I would say that I had was this morning I had a feeling that in case the track was like it was this morning and just slippery, when I came in and got my second tire, we didn’t do the Q. We did a race tire. Then I went out and did one lap, like one lap came, sat in the pits kind of like I would on the grid. Then put my head down like it was the start of the race to see what to expect from the tire, and it just helped a ton. I never thought about doing that before, but it just I think made a huge difference. I felt a lot more confident than I think I would have if I hadn’t. I knew I had to get in front of those guys at the beginning because with that knowledge of what the tire was going to be like, I wanted to just take advantage of it and try to go. I don’t know what my gap was at the beginning. I think third was right there, but I think further back we might have had a little bit bigger gap, so I was stoked that that worked out. The guys have been working super hard all weekend. We got lucky that we got that Thursday test because we didn’t come here and test like some of the other teams earlier in the year. But it was a weird win, because there’s been wins that meant more but for some reason it was more emotional than a lot of the wins. Just not having Griffin (his son) at the track. He’s starting to talk a lot more and understand things. Right before the race, Rachel sent me a video and he now recognizes (Cameron) Beaubier. She says, ‘Who is that?’ ‘He’s like, ‘Beaubier!’ Just the things he does, it’s like a whole new motivation like it was whenever he was first born. It’s just been an amazing year and I owe it all to my family and my team. It’s a shame that Loris (Baz) went down because it would have helped us in the points, and it also just would have been nice to see him get on the podium because he’s been working hard all year. Just thank you to everybody. Thank you to the huge turnout of fans in Mid-Ohio. This was always one of my favorite tracks to come to. It’s nice seeing stacked fans out there. So, huge shout out to them. Thank you to everybody. Hopefully we have another one tomorrow.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second Place
“What happened on the start… I had a little issue with my launch control. Honestly, after that happened, I kind of rolled and then kind of backed up. I was pressing my buttons, trying to figure out what was going on. Got shuffled back. Was struggling to get going there. It seems like (Josh) Herrin and (Loris) Baz, they were able to put their heads down right away and ride off into the sunset. I was struggling for the rear tire to come in. I could see other guys were too. Whatever they did today was working. Herrin rode awesome. He was three corners ahead of me or four corners ahead of me there at the end. Just hats off to the Tytlers guys. Obviously, I want to win. I want to close that championship gap up, but the best we could do today was second. It’s awesome having JD (Beach) up here on the podium, too. Go do our homework for tomorrow and come out swinging.”
JD Beach – Third Place
“Thursday at the end of the day we found something with the bike, and I was really starting to feel good on it again. Then, yesterday I was feeling good on the race tire, and then when we went to put the soft tire on, we had a bike malfunction. So, I didn’t get to put in a lap, but I had good pace. The race today, it might sound kind of weird, but this feels better than the last two weeks. I love dirt track, but road racing is where I want to be at right now. I’ve put the team through hell, pulled them back out a little bit, and then I put them right back in there. It’s been a struggle. But to get this third place feels amazing. It’s not going to be this easy every race, but we’ll keep working at it.”
For more news check out our dedicated MotoAmerica News page MotoAmerica News
Day One In The Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Filled With Drama.
It’s not often that the two riders in the championship fight get overlooked from their first-and-second place finishes, but that’s what happened in the Supersport race on Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Why? Two words: Larry Pegram.
Always a fan favorite at his local racetrack and a popular figure in the paddock, 51-year-old Pegram couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race at his home track 10 years after the series stopped coming to Mid-Ohio. But Pegram didn’t decide to drive the hour from his home in Hebron, Ohio, just for a trip down memory lane. He came to race.
And race he did. Pegram stormed off from the start and jumped into the lead with his full-rain tires in the iffy conditions. From there he held tough until PJ Jacobsen came past on his slick-shod Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2. And then came championship leader Mathew Scholtz on the Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. But that was it. No other racers came past and Pegram had a podium finish for the first time since 2014 when he earned a Superbike podium at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
At the finish of a long day that featured mixed weather conditions and delays, Jacobsen had his sixth win of the season and his third in a row to claw back five valuable points on second-place finisher Scholtz.
Then came Pegram on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki GSX-R750, some eight seconds after Scholtz who in turn was 25.4 seconds behind Jacobsen.
Pegram’s teammate Maxi Gerardo was fourth with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs rounding out the top five.
In the first start of the Supersport race, both PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz crashed in oil, bringing out the red flag and a complete restart hours later. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
“It’s been a pretty long day,” Jacobsen. “We’ve run into everyone’s dinnertime here, pretty much. It was a very long day, and it was unfortunate that me and (Mathew) Scholtz crashed in that corner, but I definitely think there was oil down or something that happened because it was very strange. I think we could have had a really good battle in the dry race. I think tomorrow, hopefully, if it’s like that we’ll have a great battle like that tomorrow. I think in the race today, I made a pretty smart move, just going back from BSB days and trying to have experience. It looked like it was just going to be for slicks for sure by the end of the race. Then when Larry (Pegram) got out front, I was kind of laughing for a second because I was like, ‘There goes Pegram. He’s out front, but I’m going to reel him back in.’ Ended up catching him. I had a pretty big gap I guess behind me. So, I just kept on getting in a rhythm and it was good. I felt pretty comfortable. Happy with my team and stuff, because they deserve it so much. Kayla (Yaakov), Cory (Alexander), and my side, they were all on my bike fixing t to make it work for this race. They really deserve it all.”
Troy Herfoss (17) wheelies his way across the finish line after winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Saturday at Mid-Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Over Wyman
The Mission King Of The Baggers Championship is a uniquely American series that pits Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson – two storied and iconic U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturers – against each other. It is a fierce rivalry that is very real between both manufacturers, the teams, and the riders. S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman are cordial enough to each other, but when the faceshields go down and the lights go out on the starting grid, the two riders will fight with everything they have to beat each other.
In Saturday’s King Of The Baggers race one at Mid-Ohio, Wyman and Herfoss battled it out in a nine-lap shootout that saw Herfoss take the checkered flag by just a little more than a second over Wyman after Wyman made a strong challenge for the lead, but Herfoss was able to overtake Wyman again and make it stick.
Finishing third and another second adrift of Wyman was RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers, who got the better of his teammate Hayden Gillim to round out the podium.
Herfoss’ win narrowed championship-leader Wyman’s advantage to just nine points with only five races left in the season.
“That was our best (race win) yet,” Herfoss said. “We’ve been second fiddle this weekend and the last few rounds to Kyle (Wyman). It felt real nice to be able to get out and lead the race at my own pace. He always has a go. So, he shot down underneath me, and I got back in front of him. Thank you to everyone that’s involved. S&S Cycle, Dunlop, Progressive Insurance. There’s so many great people helping us. Let’s give them another one tomorrow.”
Mikayla Moore (1) won race one of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. class to earn her second straight championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore No Less
Mikayla Moore wrapped up her second Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship with another runaway victory in the first of two races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The win was her fifth of the season and she earned the title a race early with what was her 12th career win in the class.
Moore topped Kira Knebel, who raced to her second podium of the year, by 14.5 seconds with Holly Varey earning her first-career podium in the class. Varey was in a battle to the bitter end and was just a few tenths ahead of Aubrey Credaroli, who in turn was less than a second ahead of fifth-placed Miranda Cain.
“It feels wonderful because I knew coming to this race, looking at the lap times, I knew it was probably going to be a close battle,” Moore said. “Kira (Knebel) was pretty close to me and so were the other ladies. I knew I just had to put my head down and just start charging away from the beginning. So, to be able to do it and to show how fast this Royal Enfield could go all season means a lot to me. Huge thanks to the Royal Enfield team, Dunlop tires, Arai helmets, Bison. Just everyone that helps put this program together. I’m super happy to be crowned number two.”
After the rock-hard surface of Uddevalla last weekend, the stars of the MXGP World Motocross Championships have to switch back to sand racing mode for this weekend’s MXGP of The Netherlands at Arnhem, and the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit set a rugged stage for today’s RAM Qualifying Races!
The home fans were ecstatic to cheer success for a home rider in MXGP, but perhaps not the one many expected, as Glenn Coldenhoff took a famous first victory for Fantic Factory Racing, defending a stunning holeshot with the passionate crowd at his shoulder over every jump and bump!
Lucas Coenen fought to the front quickly to take the MX2 RAM Qualifying Race win for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, as his teammate and Championship leader Kay de Wolfwas cheered through to a stunning second place after being involved in a first lap incident that involved many riders!
Home hero Jeffrey Herlings showed his pace for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing early in the day with the fastest time in Free Practice, but reigning World Champion Jorge Prado grabbed the first gate pick for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing with the best lap in Time Practice, as Team HRC’s Tim Gajser took second from Herlings.
The extra buzz around MXGP this weekend is the presence of the new Ducati Factory MX Team, with nine-time World Champion Antonio Cairoli returning after nearly three years of retirement to race the Desmo450 MX machine on his favourite sandy surface!
Prado looked to have claimed the holeshot into turn one, but as he ran wide on the exit it was Glenn Coldenhoff who came through in the lead to the cheers of the home crowd, especially a large group of “GC259” t-shirt wearers by the second corner! Prado held on to second, with Cairoli briefly third before the Italian was overtaken by last year’s winner, Kawasaki Racing Team leader Romain Febvre.
Coldenhoff made his best efforts to escape, as his countryman Herlings had to work his way through from a tenth-placed start, passing title rival Gajser around the first full lap, then gaining a position each lap at the expense of Calvin Vlaanderen for the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team, then Febvre’s teammate Jeremy Seewer, and finally Cairoli to get to fourth by lap five! “The Bullet” did get to within striking distance of the front three, but would finish in that fourth position ahead of Gajser, who had his worst Qualifying result of the year so far in fifth.
Vlaanderen was to claim sixth with a pass on Cairoli on lap eleven, and with Mattia Guadagnini grabbing eighth for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, that made it eight manufacturers in the top eight positions! Brent van Doninck took ninth for JM Honda Racing, with Seewer claiming the final point for tenth.
At the top of the order, Prado was stuck in a sandwich as he tried to attack Coldenhoff with Febvre all over his back wheel. Feeling better than he has since his French GP thumb injury, the man in green took advantage of a small mistake from the Spaniard on lap ten to take second!
Coldenhoff weathered the storm of pressure from the Frenchman but held on to win by just under a second, with Prado a similar distance behind Febvre! It all bodes well for an entertaining day’s racing tomorrow, especially as Prado has now closed the points gap to 15 between himself and Gajser, with Herlings a further 32 behind!
Glenn Coldenhoff:”That was a big win. I came a long way, you know. Even though it’s only Saturday, it was good. I took a decent start, Jorge (Prado) was in front and I could sneak behind. I was in the lead straight away and the Dutch fans were awesome. I pushed till the end. Maybe I spent a bit too much energy but I felt like I didn’t add the results I wanted this year, so I really wanted to get this win. I’m really happy for everyone. The team is working amazing. They all work really hard. It’s paying off a bit. And I know the race is still tomorrow, but we go with that same motivation tomorrow. And hopefully we can be back up here on the box”
Lucas Coenen and Kay de Wolf were just over a tenth of a second apart in Free Practice, and the Dutchman snatched the fastest time from his teammate in the closing laps of Time Practice, as the mental battle between the pair reaches boiling point!
De Wolf was completely closed off down the start straight, however, by Liam Everts, who had been third fastest for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in both Practice sessions, although it was his teammates Sacha Coenen and Andrea Adamo who charged through the first two corners in the leading positions!
Behind them, however, was a massive pile of riders who crashed as the groomed surface met the rest of the track, and both De Wolf and the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing star Simon Laengenfelder were involved! De Wolf started charging through the pack immediately, the crowd urging him on to defend his Championship lead!
Meanwhile, Adamo ran wide out of the third corner and allowed the returning F & H Racing rookie Quentin Prugnieres and Lucas Coenen to slip past, with Everts also working his way up to fifth past the Italian around the first full lap of the track. Lucas made short work of passing the Frenchman to grab second place and set off after his twin brother Sacha.
De Wolf took until lap four to carve his way into the top ten, by which time Lucas had jumped alongside Sacha to take the lead and disappear into the distance. By comparison his teammate was working incredibly hard, driven on further by the fans and the trackside announcer, and by lap six he had passed Prugnieres, the Gabriel SS24 KTM of wildcard Cas Valk, and the Monster Energy Triumph Racing rider Camden McLellan to jump into sixth spot.
Everts got past Sacha Coenen for second on lap seven, with Adamo following him past their teammate two laps later, as Mikkel Haarup also passed the young Belgian to take fifth for Monster Energy Triumph Racing. Haarup didn’t enjoy the position for long, however, as De Wolf caught the group and was up to third by lap eleven!
Prugnieres, meanwhile, dropped down the order after two GPs away to finish in tenth behind Valk, with Sacha Coenen also fading to eighth behind a poor-starting Rick Elzinga, who claimed seventh for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2.
Haarup and McLellan put the Triumph machines into fifth and sixth at the finish, with Adamo fourth. De Wolf never backed off his pace to close in and finally pass Everts for second on the very final lap! With Lucas Coenen already pacing himself, the Belgian still won his sixth RAM Qualifying Race of the year by over 21 seconds.
The salvage job from De Wolf limited the Championship damage to just a single point, keeping the gap to nearly a full Sunday’s worth, at 48 points. Laengenfelder could only recover to 13th, outside of the top ten for the first time on a Saturday this season, and is now 81 behind the Championship leader in third.
As always, the treacherous sandy conditions will make for a stunning day’s racing on Sunday, and the already boisterous crowd will grow to make a loud and tangible atmosphere for the Grand Prix races. Don’t miss a wheel turn and join us tomorrow!
Lucas Coenen:“When you get the flow on those type of tracks, it’s always fun! You don’t lose so much energy. But yeah, it was good. The start was around P2 in the first corner and then Adamo passed me. It was a little bit sketchy in the beginning, so I stayed calm and just passed him back and then I was behind Sacha and I passed him too and did my own race. So, it was a good race. Now two races tomorrow will be fun”
MX2 – RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 25:07.407; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:21.785; 3. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:23.132; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:30.792; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:31.808; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:34.441; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:42.345; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:44.593; 9. Cas Valk (NED, KTM), +0:55.567; 10. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:59.560
MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 734 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 686 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 653 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 602 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 517 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 505 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 461 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 418 p.; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 279 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 273 p.
MXGP OF THE NETHERLANDS QUICK FACTS:
Circuit length: 1690m
Type of ground: Sand
Temperature: 24°
Weather conditions: Sunny
For more news check out our dedicated MXGP/MX2 News page
Non-stop action for the entire 16 laps of Spielberg ended with Alvaro Carpe wringing the perfect drive from his Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup KTM. Winning by just 0.024 seconds ahead of Marco Morelli.
Just as awesome was Màximo Quiles who recovered from a Long Lap Penalty where he rejoined in 10th place with just 4 laps to go, over 5 seconds behind leader Carpe. The 16-year-old Spaniard blasted his way back into contention and finished a very close 3rd.
Carpe’s second victory of the year gives the Spanish 17-year-old a 2-point advantage at the head of the Cup table as arch-rival Brian Uriarte, the 16-year-old Spaniard who led coming into the weekend, finished 6th.
Carpe is a Spielberg star
“An incredible race,” he enthused having matched his Race 1 victory in 2023. “Maximo did a fantastic job, he set a great pace riding alone. Also, mine when he did his Long Lap. I saw that on the TV and thought it was time to push because he would be in the back.”
“I think I did a good job, I was leading on the last lap but I also knew there was a good chance someone would try to pass me into the second to last corner. Marco did, but I also knew that in the exit of the last corner, I am very fast. I tried to pass him on the run down to the last corner but he was too late on the brakes and then I knew it was about getting the perfect exit and I did.”
Morelli on top form
“It was a very hard race, so much overtaking,” stated the 17-year-old Argentine who won the first race of the season in Jerez and the most recent race in Assen. “I made a good start and was running up front. I decided to relax a bit with about 8 laps to go. I saved the tyres a bit because I felt on the long lefts I was sliding a bit. In the last laps I pushed, I passed 3 or 4 and on the last lap Carpe, to lead.”
“At the last corner I defended on the brakes but I went a little too wide, I almost touched the green and Carpe took the win. I am happy though because at the beginning of the weekend, I didn’t think I could do this.”
Quiles almost won
“It was so crazy. After the Long Lap, I saw the group so far away but I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m not going to give up, I was quite a bit stronger than the others as I had done so much work on my own in FP 1 and 2 that I had a great rhythm I was focussing on not having problems in the corner and catching them.”
“In the last lap, they were still a second ahead and I did the first corner and the chicane the fastest I have ever done in my life. Corner by corner I overtook and in Turn 6 I think, Brian overtook me and this spoilt a bit my chance of taking the win. Because I think that in the last two corners, I was really strong and could overtake easily.”
“So I decided to go for the podium. At Turn 9 I saw three guys going so hard on the brakes I thought, let them go and I passed them as they went wide on the exit and took 3rd.”
Valentin Perrone a fine 4th
“An incredible race, such a big group, so many overtakes,” grinned the 16-year-old Argentine. “On the last lap, it was completely crazy, Marco, Carpe, Maximo. They were riding super crazy, also me, we all wanted to be on the podium. In the second to last corner I went to the inside but then a little bit wide on the way out, almost touching the green and Maximo overtook me. But I managed to overtake Rico before the line so it is not so bad for the championship. Tomorrow I will try again and try to be a little bit stronger overtaking the guys.”
Rico Salmela disappointed with 5th
“It was a very difficult race,” explained the 16-year-old Finn who had set off from pole. “I just tried to stay with the guys in front. The pace was really good, I was thinking at one moment that it was time to push but I started to lose a bit of engine power, the temperature was high and I just didn’t have the push to do it. I just tried my best to do as much as possible. In the end, it wasn’t what I wanted but tomorrow… just send it.”
Veda Pratama led but fell at the penultimate corner
“I felt in this race much better than before in Rookies Cup,” stated the 15-year-old Indonesian. “But I was not lucky today in the last lap, I tried to fight for the podium. But I crashed in the second to last corner. We were all pushing very hard, I got squeezed a bit but it was also my mistake because I slid too much in the rear. I tried to control the slide but it went too far and I crashed. Still, I feel very good and will do my best in Race 2.”
For more info checkout our dedicated Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup News page Rookies Cup News
A penultimate corner crash for the #99 sees Garzo claim victory in Race 2 as Zannoni and Casadei climb onto the podium.
Talk about drama! A last lap, penultimate corner crash for race leader Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) handed Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) a huge 25 points as the title chase leader heads to Misano with a commanding 38-point lead, as Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) and Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) complete the Race 2 rostrum at the Red Bull Ring.
Just like Race 1, the second electric class battle of the day was another barnstormer as Garzo grabbed an early race lead. This time, Zannoni didn’t make a Turn 1 error and slotted into P3 behind Gutierrez, with Casadei again getting away well from P9 on the grid to jump up to P5.
Gutierrez made a move for the lead stick at Turn 1 on Lap 2, but with four to go, Garzo returned the favour at the same corner. Gutierrez was then demoted to P3 as Zannoni stuck his Ducati up the inside at Turn 4 with three laps left, as the duo then battled away before Gutierrez was finally back through with one and a half left.
The final lap saw Gutierrez pass Garzo. Again it was Turn 1, with Garzo unable to fight back this time. The Axxis-MSI star held the lead superbly before heartbreak unfolded at the penultimate corner. Gutierrez’s front tyre gave way and the rookie slid out of the lead, handing Garzo a golden ticket worth 25 points.
Zannoni and Casadei finished P2 and P3, with the latter Garzo’s chief Championship rival heading into the final round at Misano. Zannoni and Gutierrez remain in contention, but it’s going to take a monumental turnaround from here.
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) picked up a P4 in Race 2, 0.6s away from the win, to cap off a solid weekend for the double Champion. Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) rounded out the top five as Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) bounced back from a crash in Race 1 to P6 a little later in the afternoon. Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), Nicholas Spinelli (Tech3 E-Racing), Andrea Mantovani (KLINT Forward Factory Team) and Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) were the riders to finish in the top 10.
So that’s it from the Red Bull Ring. A stunner plays out, with Garzo heading to Misano with one hand on the trophy – but it’s not over until it’s over. Two more races in 2024 remain as we get set to crown our World Champion next time out.
A scintillating scrap plays out in Austria as late drama sees Casadei earn a podium.
For the first time since Barcelona, Oscar Gutierrez (Axxis-MSI) is a MotoE™ race winner as the #99 emerges victorious from a breathtaking Race 1 battle at the Red Bull Ring. Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) picked up crucial Championship points with a P2 finish while Mattia Casadei (LCR E-Team) was promoted to the podium after Kevin Zannoni (Openbank Aspar Team) was demoted one position from P3 after exceeding track limits on the final lap.
Gutierrez started from his first pole position but it was second place Garzo who pocketed the holeshot into Turn 1, as Zannoni from the front row did well to not collect the front two after his Ducati V21L was out of shape into Turn 1.
On Lap 2, contact was made between Garzo and Gutierrez on the exit of Turn 1. This coming together saw Garzo lose his left knee slider, with Gutierrez just about holding on as a fierce fight for the win unfolded. Miquel Pons (Axxis-MSI) benefited from the aforementioned contact and was up to P2 before he crashed out at the final corner – rider ok.
From P9 on the grid, Casadei climbed to P2 with four laps left before Gutierrez began his charge back to the summit. The Spaniard was back into second place with three and a half laps to go and the eventual race winner move came at Turn 1 with two to go. This time, Gutierrez made it stick.
No fightback came from Garzo who held onto P2 for a healthy 20 points, as late podium-deciding drama played out. Zannoni, on the run down to Turn 2A – on the final lap – narrowly exceeded track limits, so despite claiming P3 at the chequered flag, the Italian was demoted to P4 after the race had ended. That handed Casadei three more Championship points.
Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) was in the thick of the rostrum fight and came home in P5, just 1.5s away from the win. Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing) was a lonely P6 with Andrea Mantovani (KLINT Forward Factory Team), Lukas Tulovic (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™), Massimo Roccoli (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Maria Herrera (KLINT Forward Factory Team) rounding out the top 10.
With Gutierrez winning, the gap heading into Race 2 between the top two in the Championship was down to 24 points, meaning Garzo couldn’t claim the 2024 title in Race 2.
Gloves off, a Long Lap and a slide out of contention: the Tissot Sprint in Austria puts us on equal points – with Bagnaia back on top as Championship leader.
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a stunning victory in the Tissot Sprint at the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, going gloves off against Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the early stages before the #89 went wide through a shortcut, didn’t lose enough time, and then got handed a Long Lap penalty. The reigning Champion’s win makes it equal points at the top, and Bagnaia is the official Championship leader thanks to his higher number of Grand Prix wins so far in 2024. The stage is certainly set for a showdown on Sunday.
Behind, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) shadowed the duel in the early stages before losing a little ground, and he then crashed out from second as Martin served his Long Lap. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) avoided any of that drama, coming home third to complete the Sprint podium as Martin recovered to second place.
It was a sensational launch from Bagnaia in an intense start to the Tissot Sprint, with the reigning champion taking the holeshot and Martin then attacking for the lead on the entry to Turn 3 on the opening lap. The #1 soon tried to respond at the end of Lap 1, getting past at the penultimate corner before Martin sliced through to regain the lead at the final corner as the title rivals went elbow to elbow.
Bagnaia didn’t attack again at the first corner, but by Turn 2, Martin was in hot and headed wide into the runoff – taking the shortcut through the chicane. He rejoined behind Bagnaia, but didn’t lose enough time with the mistake. The #89 was investigated by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards for the incident, and a Long Lap handed down.
He didn’t take it straight away but didn’t wait too long, by which time he and Bagnaia had pulled out some gap on the chasing Marc Marquez. When Martin did head into the Long Lap loop, Bagnaia was left with a solid lead ahead of the #93 and Martin emerged just ahead of Aleix Espargaro.
Then on Lap 10, there was yet another twist. In some space and on for a solid second, Marc Marquez lost the front on the entry to Turn 3. The #93 dropped to 23rd, outside of the point-scoring positions, and would soon retire to the pitlane, bringing a disappointing end to his Saturday.
On the final lap, nobody could match Bagnaia’s pace, with the Italian able to hold a four-second margin to Martin in second – putting them exactly equal on points. Meanwhile, the final spot inside the top three went the way of Aleix Espargaro, who claimed a somewhat unexpected third after a drama-free Saturday.
Meanwhile, there was an intense fight for the final spot inside the top five, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) losing a spot late on to a classic charging Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli also battling behind.
Bastianini crossed the line in fourth, with Miller rounding out the top five after the Australian defended from Morbidelli to the line. Just 0.102s separated the duo after the 14-lap dash, with Binder lurking in seventh.
Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) moved up to P8, with wildcard Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) putting in a very solid day at the office to take the final Sprint point in P9 – just ahead of rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
That’s it from super Saturday, but it was an incredible teaser for what may lie ahead on Sunday in Spielberg. Come back for more MotoGP™ as the battles lines are drawn in Austria at 14:00 (UTC + 2)!
For more MotoGP info checkout our dedicated MotoGP News page
Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will launch from Moto2™ pole position at the Red Bull Ring after the Italian’s 1:33.855 was good enough to beat Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) by just 0.058s.
World Championship leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) claimed an important P3 in Q2 as the Spaniard looks to try and strengthen his grasp on the title chase lead on Sunday.
Following a crash in Practice 2 on the exit of Turn 2B, title-hunting Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) has unfortunately been declared unfit for the remainder of the Austrian GP after sustaining a fractured right hand.
Two more Championship hopefuls in the form of Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing) and Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp) will launch from outside the top 10 in P11 and P17 respectively after enduring tough weekends so far in Austria.
Tune into the Moto2™ race at 12:15 local time (UTC +1) on Sunday afternoon!
For more Moto2 info checkout our dedicated Moto2 News page
A 1:40.057 handed Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) a third pole position of 2024 as a fascinating fight for Q2 bragging rights played out on Saturday afternoon at the Red Bull Ring.
The Spaniard beat Practice pacesetter Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) by 0.143s as Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) claimed a front row start in P3.
World Championship leader David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) qualified in P6, but the Colombian has to contend with a Long Lap penalty on Sunday to add a little extra spice into the lightweight class encounter.
Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) will propel himself from P4 on the start line as Alonso’s three chief title rivals – the #96, Ortola and Veijer – look to take profit from the #80’s tricker-than-wanted Sunday.
You can watch the lightweight class do battle in Austria at 11:00 local time (UTC+1) on Sunday morning!
For more Moto3 info checkout our dedicated Moto3 News page
Lap record smashed as the top two in the title fight head key rival Marquez, with Aprilia and KTM on the chase.
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) destroyed the lap record in qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, setting a magical 1:27.748 to head key title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – but it’s only by a tenth and a bit as both pulled out some distance on the chasing pack. That pack is once again headed by a lurking Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), making the first time this season that Martin, Bagnaia and Marquez have qualified on the front row together despite having shared the podium more often that not. The stage is very much set…
Q1: Friendly Fire
After an up and down weekend so far, Q1 proved a tough one for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3). The rookie wasn’t quite able to make it through, forced to settle for fourth in the session. It was an Austrian factory squabble that decided it too, with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jack Miller and wildcard Pol Espargaro the two riders who moved through to Q2. The #44 and Miguel Oliveira (Trackhouse Racing) had identical times, with Pol Espargaro setting a faster second lap.
Q2: Bye Bye Lap Record
After that sliver of drama, Q2 soon got underway with fast times from the off. Bagnaia obliterated the lap record first, setting a 1:28.142 on his opening run.
Heading out for the final push, Bagnaia was the first rider to return to the track, and the #1 had Miller on his tail as red sectors began to appear. But it was Martin who moved the goalposts once again, even destroying Bagnaia’s time and becoming the first rider to drop into the 1:27 bracket. The reigning Champion also entered the 1:27 club, but it wasn’t quite enough to take back to the top. It was enough, however, for the duo to pull four tenths clear of the rest.
The “rest” are led by Marc Marquez though, and he says he’s taken a step closer to the two this weekend. Given it’s the first time they share the front row despite having shared so many rostrums so far in 2024, that sounds a little ominous… THE GRID
Behind Martin, Bagnaia and Marquez, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) will start from P4, finding time late in the session and missing out on a front row start by 0.052s. The #41 will start alongside Miller, who continued to find time after a strong showing in Q1 and has qualified as top KTM. The Australian starts from fifth, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) capping off a strong second row.
Meanwhile, Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) will head the third row of the grid, qualifying in seventh just ahead of Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli, who had a great save at Turn 9 early in the session. He’s alongside Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who rounds off the front three rows.
Then it’s Pol Espargaro despite a crash at Turn 3, ahead of Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), all of whom will be looking for more when the lights go out…
The stage is set. The hills are alive with the sound of MotoGP™ and there’s only one thing left to do: race. Join us for two awesome showdowns in Spielberg!
Cameron Beaubier Leads An Ultra-Close Q1 As The Pack Closes In On Ben Spies’ Lap Record
Ben Spies’ 16-year-old Superbike lap record at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will live for at least another day as Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier flirted with the mark but couldn’t quite get it done on a sunny and breezy day at the iconic racing facility.
Kyle Wyman led the Mission King Of The Baggers qualifying session on Friday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
After 40 minutes of Superbike Q1, the times at the top were close and oh so close to the lap record with Beaubier leading the way with his 1:23.904 – just .265 from Spies’ best in 2008.
Beaubier, who won a Superbike race here the last time one was held at Mid-Ohio in 2014, wasn’t alone in his quest to break Spies’ mark as Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz was hot on his heels and just .122 of a second slower than the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion. Beaubier, however, was the only rider to crack into the 1:23s.
Then came EasyHealthPlans.com/Top Pro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly just .153 of a second behind Baz and a scant .062 of a second clear of Baz’s teammate Josh Herrin, the 2024 Steel Commander Superbike points leader heading into tomorrow’s first of two races at Mid-Ohio.
Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne ended up fifth and the last rider on the same second as Beaubier with his 1:24.852.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch ended Friday in sixth with Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach seventh, followed closely by Gagne’s injured teammate Cameron Petersen with the South African riding to a brave eighth in Q1 after suffering a right ankle injury in yesterday’s Dunlop official test.
Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong and Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 heading into tomorrow morning’s Q2.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante, meanwhile, finished the session in 12th in his return to racing after suffering serious injuries in the opening round at Road Atlanta.
Supersport – Jacobsen Strikes First
Rahal Ducati Moto’s PJ Jacobsen was third in Supersport Q1 with 11 minutes remaining in the session when he shot past his title rival Mathew Scholtz and his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 and Altus Racing’s Jake Lewis and went to the top of the timesheets with his 1:27.427, a new middleweight lap record at Mid-Ohio.
The time would hold up with Jacobsen ending the session just .163 of a second ahead of Scholtz with Lewis ending up third with his 1:27.885.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis and EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo were half a second off Jacobsen’s best and were the last riders within a second of the New Yorker.
Jacobsen’s teammate Kayla Yaakov, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott, Gerardo’s teammate Larry Pegram, Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa and SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max Van rounded out the top 10, provisionally.
Kyle Wyman led the Mission King Of The Baggers qualifying session on Friday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Mission King Of The Baggers – Wyman, Barely
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman led the way in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1 on Friday at Mid-Ohio with the championship points leader just .121 of a second ahead of his S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle title rival Troy Herfoss. Wyman’s best lap was a 1:27.872 to Herfoss’ 1:27.993.
The top five were all within a second of Wyman with RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Hayden Gillim and Rocco Landers ending the session third and fourth. Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara rounded out the top five in Q1.
Tomorrow morning the big Baggers will return to the track for Q2, which will transfer the top six finishers to the Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge and its $5000 payday in the winner-take-all race, which will take place at 12:05 p.m. with the first of two championship race at 4:05 p.m.
Junior Cup – Back To Business
You could forgive racers in the Junior Cup class for being a bit rusty after not racing since the Brainerd International Raceway round back in June. But that wasn’t the case as the youngest racers in the series were quickly back up to speed by the time Q1 came around on Friday afternoon.
BARTCON Racing’s Matthew Chapin picked right up where he left off in Q1 as the championship points leader led the way with his 1:36.52, even though he said his best lap featured a mistake. Chapin ended Friday afternoon’s session with the only lap in the 1:36s as he ripped off a 1:36.652.
Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez ended up second, .755 of a second behind Chapin but ahead of New York Safety Track Racing’s Yandel Medina. Royalty Racing’s Carson King and BARTCON Racing’s Eli Block rounded out the top five.
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore Again
Mikayla Moore was Mikayla Moore on Friday at Mid-Ohio with the Maryland racer earning provisional pole position for this weekend’s two Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. races. If Moore stays on top in tomorrow’s Q2 she will continue her streak of being on pole in every race for the past year and a half.
Moore lapped at a best of 1:47.186 to lead Kira Knebel by 2.253 seconds with Emma Betters rounding out the provisional front row with her 1:40.257.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Herfoss’ First
S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycles’ Troy Herfoss hasn’t had a pole position yet in his rookie season of Mission Super Hooligan National Championship, but he earned his first provisional pole on Friday at Mid-Ohio.
Herfoss and his 1:29.801 topped his teammate Tyler O’Hara by .123 of a second on Friday afternoon with the top eight riders on the same second as the Australian.
Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson teammates Travis Wyman and Cory West were third and fourth, respectively, with KTM Development Team’s Chris Fillmore rounding out the top five heading into tomorrow’s Q2 session.
Cardo Systems and Insta360 are excited to announce a new partnership, dedicated to innovating in the space of on and off-road adventures.
New Mud graphic for LS2’s versatile, multi-purpose Drifter urban helmet.
Co-Hosted By Racers James Rispoli And Corey Alexander, Pipe Dreams Podcast Set For MotoAmerica Live+ Streaming Service.
Two unique Bond Edition Triumph Motorcycles owned and hand signed by Daniel Craig to be sold at auction to support the RNLI
Not only will the successful bidders secure the #003/250 Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition, and the #001/250 Tiger 900 Bond Edition, both motorcycles will be hand signed by Daniel Craig on each side. They will be sold with the original V5C documents bearing Daniel Craig’s name, as well as a certificate of authenticity signed by both Daniel Craig and 
Triumph’s CEO Nick Bloor added: “Triumph is delighted to support the 200th anniversary of the RNLI with this auction of two unique Bond motorcycles spearheaded by Daniel Craig. We wish all bidders the very best of luck with the auction of Daniel Craig’s Scrambler 1200 and Tiger 900 Bond Limited Editions, which are both unique motorcycles in Triumph’s history, and I hope that the winners enjoy the unique experience of riding with the incredible stunt riders Lee Morrison and Paul Edmondson. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
One of the sport’s most passionate markets will welcome Round 1 in both 2025 and 2026.
The RFN Warrior Kids SX E400 and SX E500 starting from just £599 inc VAT.
Last weekend, stunt rider Jonny Davies, AKA JD Stunts, set a new Guinness World Record for being the fastest person to be dragged behind a motorcycle. 
“the Oscars for the motoring world”
Suzuki has launched three new colours for the SV650, with this year being the 25th year of production for the iconic middleweight. 
Josh Herrin Completes The Sweep After A Thrilling Finale At Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Exciting Racing, Champions Crowned In MotoAmerica’s Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The reigning Champion pulls five points ahead with victory over Martin as Bastianini completes the podium and Marquez suffers some drama.
Behind, Binder held off Bezzecchi to complete the top five, with the South African and the Italian who followed him home both able to find some key positives in the solid results in Austria. Viñales managed to pull away from his teammate to take P7, and on the very last lap Morbidelli sliced past Aleix Espargaro too, stealing eighth from the #41 Aprilia.
An eighth different Moto2 winner has emerged in 2024 as for the second year in a row, Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) bags a 25-point haul at the Red Bull Ring.
It’s seventh heaven for David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) at the Red Bull Ring as the World Championship leader wins again – but this time he did so after taking a Long Lap penalty.
Álvaro Carpe put on a perfect demonstration of race craft and pace to win the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Race 2 at Spielberg. The 17-year-old Spaniard’s second victory of the weekend was by a greater margin but only because his closest challenger Brian Uriarte slid off on the last lap.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin Leads From Start To Finish In Dominating Fashion At Mid-Ohio.
Day One In The Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Filled With Drama.
A penultimate corner crash for the #99 sees Garzo claim victory in Race 2 as Zannoni and Casadei climb onto the podium.
A scintillating scrap plays out in Austria as late drama sees Casadei earn a podium.
Gloves off, a Long Lap and a slide out of contention: the Tissot Sprint in Austria puts us on equal points – with Bagnaia back on top as Championship leader.
It was a sensational launch from Bagnaia in an intense start to the Tissot Sprint, with the reigning champion taking the holeshot and Martin then attacking for the lead on the entry to Turn 3 on the opening lap. The #1 soon tried to respond at the end of Lap 1, getting past at the penultimate corner before Martin sliced through to regain the lead at the final corner as the title rivals went elbow to elbow.
Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will launch from Moto2™ pole position at the Red Bull Ring after the Italian’s 1:33.855 was good enough to beat Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) by just 0.058s.
A 1:40.057 handed Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) a third pole position of 2024 as a fascinating fight for Q2 bragging rights played out on Saturday afternoon at the Red Bull Ring. 
Lap record smashed as the top two in the title fight head key rival Marquez, with Aprilia and KTM on the chase.
Cameron Beaubier Leads An Ultra-Close Q1 As The Pack Closes In On Ben Spies’ Lap Record