        The latest MotoAmerica race weekend in New Jersey has ensured the championship remains open, with Jake Gagne winning in Race 1 and Danilo Petrucci dominating in a wet Race 2. One win apiece that confirms just how evenly matched the two title contenders really are, separated by just four points in favour of the current Yamaha champion, and with only one round still to run. The grand finale will play out over the weekend of 23-25 September at the Barber Motorsports Park, in Alabama, where unstable weather may again play an important role and where Danilo has already ridden, during a test in May. The final weekend will also establish who finishes third overall, with the two South Africans Cameron Petersen and Mathew Scholtz separated by 17 points with 50 still to play for. The standings prior to the last round  Here is the championship situation after New Jersey, with just two races in Alabama still to run: 1) Jake Gagne (Yamaha) - 331 points 2) Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) - 327 3) Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) - 272 4) Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) - 255 5) Hector Barbera (BMW) - 173 6) PJ Jacobsen (BMW) - 141 Translated by Heather Watson Exclusive, Lucchinelli: &ldquo;May the most deserving rider win MotoGP, although...&rdquo;       

Following on from his Race 2 win, Danilo Petrucci has again closed in on leader Gagne. Here, the situation prior to the final round

MotoAmerica: the championship standings after the New Jersey round

        It&rsquo;s no secret that Danilo Petrucci is one of the most versatile riders. A few weeks after concluding his adventure in MotoGP, he completed the Dakar and is now competing in MotoAmerica Superbike where he currently leads the championship after winning at the latest Minnesota round. And this weekend he&rsquo;ll take on yet another new discipline, specifically endurance. &ldquo;Petrux&rdquo; will compete in a 4 Hours at the Pittsburgh International Racing Complex, in Pennsylvania, an event that forms part of the WERA National Endurance Racing Series By Dunlop. He will race a Ducati Panigale V2, and team up with current MotoAmerica Supersport leader (as well as team-mate) Josh Herrin. A strategic event in Pennsylvania  All eyes will be on Petrucci and Herrin this weekend as they set out to win, lining up with various specialists and other well-known American faces such as Josh Hayes, Rocco Landers, Ben Gloddy, Teagg Hobbs and Jake Lewis. All the current MotoAmerica riders will use the weekend to build confidence with the track, considering that their eighth championship round will run here just one week later. Danilo will therefore be able to get to grips with a track he&rsquo;s never seen, taking advantage of the MotoAmerica regulation that does not prevent a rider from riding at a track just a few days before a championship race will play out there. While this weekend will serve as a training exercise, the 19-21 August round will be key in terms of the championship, as Petrucci fights to defend his lead from Jake Gagne. Translated by Heather Watson No MotoGP for Fernandez: Augusto like Rabat and Zarco       

This weekend will see the Italian compete in an endurance race in Pittsburgh aboard a Panigale V2 and with Josh Herrin as team-mate

New challenge for Danilo Petrucci: he’ll race in the Endurance Series with Ducati

        While taking part in the third MotoAmerica round, Danilo Petrucci&rsquo;s weekend in Virginia came to an incredible, terrible end. The Italian crashed along the start/finish line (located along a long right-hand turn) at a speed of close to 300 km/h as he attempted to avoid Mathew Scholtz. In doing so, he sustained serious scrapes and hematomas and was extremely shaken up, but the worst was still to come, in that he had to get himself to the medical centre because no one came to help. &ldquo;I'm not one of those people who likes to create trouble, but I want to be clear&rdquo;, comments Petrux on his social channels. &ldquo;On the last lap I tried to use Scholtz's slipstream, as he was ahead of me, but he understandably closed the line and so, forced to go around the outside, I tipped the bike more and lost traction, crashing at 280 km/h. In crashing, I hit some advertising boards and one of those opened my boot, breaking the skin and breaking my fibula, as well as leaving me with various scrapes and a huge hematoma on my arm&rdquo;. Petrucci: &ldquo;Luckily I remained conscious&rdquo;  &ldquo;I slid for more than 100 metres, almost reaching turn one but remaining very close to the track, with bikes still going around&rdquo;, continues Danilo, still incredulous about what happened. &ldquo;I was lucky to survive and to remain conscious the whole time, so I remember it all. I was lying face down trying to breathe as best I could and waiting for someone to arrive, but I had bikes continuing to pass by on one side and a grassy patch on the other with no marshals&rdquo;. &ldquo;I realised I was bleeding and that I needed to get up, so I waited for the last rider to pass and then I started to walk towards the garages until a guy on a quad picked me up and took me to the medical centre. There, I found out that no one had seen the accident because, although I was on the start/finish line, there were no safety cameras&rdquo;, concludes the Warhorse HSBK Ducati team rider, still visibly shaken up by an episode that will inevitably spark debate as to the safety of the American championship. Translated by Heather Watson A photo finish is not enough: both riders win in the BTC at Donington       

After the terrible race 2 accident in Virginia, Danilo provides further details about the episode in which he was involved: &ldquo;In race direction, that told me that they didn&rsquo;t spot me on TV&rdquo;

MotoAmerica, Petrucci incredulous: “No one noticed my accident”

        The Vallelunga round of the Italian CIV also marked the start of the second edition of the Trofeo Aprilia RS 660. The riders competing in this year's single-brand series include four Americans and, while Maxwell Toth and Kaleb De Keyrel have already competed at Italian tracks in the past, it&rsquo;s all new for Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs. Here&rsquo;s what they had to say about their first experience of the Roman track and the Italian paddock. Gloddy and Hobbs: &ldquo;Compared to our tracks, Vallelunga is well looked after&rdquo;  &ldquo;Despite the complicated weather conditions, it seems like a great track with a lot less bumps than we&rsquo;re used to in America&rdquo;, said both Ben and Teagg after practice with the Aprilia RS 660 Trofeo, a bike they also use in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup. &ldquo;This is the first time we&rsquo;re riding at a European track and we&rsquo;re already excited, but the paddock is different too, as we&rsquo;re all together in a small area, while there&rsquo;s more space at our circuits&rdquo;. &ldquo;The MotoAmerica season is going well, as we&rsquo;ve been competitive through these first rounds, fighting with the frontrunners&rdquo;, continue the Robem Engineering Aprilia riders. &ldquo;The most exciting moment until now has been racing at Daytona, a completely different experience with the track's raised corners and high speeds, but the championship is long and we need to continue to work to be competitive&rdquo;. &ldquo;Petrucci has made our championship famous&rdquo;  The two American warriors have been sharing a paddock with Danilo, this year&rsquo;s guest star in MotoAmerica: &ldquo;Having an international level personality like Petrucci is fantastic for us, because it is helping our championship to become better known outside the US and has heightened the fans&rsquo; interest in the other riders too, fans from all over the world, especially in Europe.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson Cresson&rsquo;s father: &ldquo;Pedercini wanted more money in order to field Haslam&rdquo;       

Wildcard entries in the Trofeo Aprilia at Vallelunga, Ben Gloddy and Teagg Hobbs have outlined the many differences between the two championships: &ldquo;The tracks and the paddock are totally different&rdquo;

Gloddy and Hobbs, from the US to CIV: "Petrucci? He’s good for our championship"

        Today brings tragic news, as we learn of the death of rider Jason Aguilar, 2017 American Superstock 600 champion, who was ready to compete in this year&rsquo;s Daytona 200. Jason was involved in an accident while training on his bicycle. His father has confirmed the terrible news in a heart-breaking message. Bob Aguilar explains: "My son Jason had a horrible crash Saturday morning in Laguna on his mountain bike. His friends, Alex and Anthony, acted quickly to get him air lifted to the hospital in Mission Viejo". Once there, he underwent brain surgery: "While the surgery was successful in stopping the bleeding, he went without oxygen to his brain for too long before the surgery. As a result, he suffered catastrophic brain damage that is irreversible". The message ends: "Jason is an organ donor, so the hospital is making arrangements for the donation of his organs. We hope that Jason will live on in your memories and ours, and that the donation of his organs will allow his memory to live on in others&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Moto2: training injury for Augusto Fernandez       

The American rider has passed away at 25, following brain damage owing to a lack of oxygen. His organs will be donated to those in need

Terrible MTB accident: Jason Aguilar loses his life

        Having enjoyed a rest on the sofa with a beer, as he promised he would after the Dakar, Danilo Petrucci is now focused on the next challenge, which will see him travelling Stateside and competing for Ducati, the only brand with which he has previously won in MotoGP. But rather than travelling directly from Italy to the US, the rider is stopping off at Portim&atilde;o, in Portugal, for a two-day test aboard the Ducati Panigale V4. Back with Ducati once more  At 31, &ldquo;Petrux&rdquo; is enjoying a very fruitful period in his career. In the space of just a few months, he&rsquo;s left MotoGP, taken on the enormous challenge of the Dakar where he made his mark &ndash; winning stage five &ndash; and now he prepares for another adventure, which will take him to the States. First, he will test at Portim&atilde;o alongside the WorldSBK riders, his relationship with the Borgo Panigale manufacturer apparently restored. In MotoAmerica he&rsquo;ll have the factory&rsquo;s full support and this could also mean that he&rsquo;d be considered as a candidate for any MotoGP rider substitutions. Will he be reappear in MotoGP?  He knows the class very well after all, and has ridden the Desmosedici GP for several years, understanding the bike&rsquo;s character. Michele Pirro is still in pole position as a substitute rider of course, considering he&rsquo;s the manufacturer&rsquo;s test rider, but in taking on the American challenge, the Italian perhaps leaves a door open to the reigning class. A championship in which he lived out his first dreams and one that has allowed him to become the rider he is today. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Marquez "looks to" the Sepang test: &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have any discomfort with my vision&rdquo;       

The Italian is recuperating after the Dakar and makes a pitstop in Portugal as he looks ahead to his next commitments in America

MotoAmerica, Petrucci prepares with a test at Portimão

        As we write this, the man in question is focused on another matter entirely. Danilo Petrucci is still competing in the Dakar, although his participation is now hanging by a thread following a technical issue with his KTM that forced him to use up a lifeline and ask to be recovered during the second stage. With his orange steed, the Italian is taking on the desert sands, but he&rsquo;ll soon be racing on asphalt once again. MotoAmerica awaits, and with open arms, because the series is in need of strong riders like him. It is only logical to presume that Petrux will head to Wayne Rainey&rsquo;s paddock full of commitment, passion and speed and he&rsquo;ll no doubt be aiming for strong results, but... we bet on a return to the world stage, the SBK series to be precise. Perhaps with the current Aruba team, the factory team linked to Bologna. &ldquo;Tu Vuo f&agrave; l'Americano&rdquo;  Renato Carosono was essentially right &ndash; anyone who has ever dreamed of living like an American must nevertheless remember their roots. If you&rsquo;ve spent a lifetime wearing Nikes, drinking Coca Cola and listening to Bruce Springsteen, you&rsquo;ll know what we&rsquo;re talking about. Danilo is Italian, so very Italian. A concept that is joyfully summed up by his fantastic MotoGP win, the first of two, scored at Mugello in 2019. It was 2 June, or rather the Italian Festa della Repubblica. Our day, his day. He was riding a Ducati, pure Italianicity in motorcycle form. The kerbs were (and are) painted in three colours, just like the national flag. He couldn&rsquo;t have done more. Will he do the same in MotoAmerica? Petrux will have an excellent career opportunity, in the shape of the V4 R, technicians drafted directly from Bologna and whatever else he needs to do well. Great. But we have just one question &ndash; if he were to be crowned champion at his first attempt, would he stay there, far from home, or return to Europe? Fantasy racing: Petrucci and Bassani in SBK on factory Ducatis  Judging by your comments, it seems you&rsquo;re very keen to see Danilo in SBK. Not in Superbike, but in SBK. The difference, aside from the initials themselves, lies in the fact that Superbike is a production-derived class of any given series, the Italian CIV Superbike category for example. Wonderful, but not a world championship. The SBK, with its patented, registered and unmistakable logo, is a world championship. The bikes are still production-derived but they race according to a specific regulation. You&rsquo;ve said that Petrucci would be perfect and that it would be great to see him (back) there. And we agree. In the hope that Aruba Racing Ducati riders Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi can do well, let&rsquo;s imagine a door opening for Danilo. The Spaniard is taking a final career bet, the young Italian needs to prove himself. If someone were to go, who would replace him? Or replace them? Why not Danilo Petrucci? Perhaps together with Axel Bassani, already in the orbit in that he competes for the Motocorsa team. Sorry if this sounds like fantasy racing. We&rsquo;ll see further down the line. Translated by Heather Watson Mooney VR46 Racing Team, the full line-up       

Danilo will be back in Borgo Panigale red, competing in the US series. Could Wayne Rainey&rsquo;s American championship be a stepping stone to WorldSBK?

Petrucci with Ducati in MotoAmerica: a prelude to the world championship?

        Italy now has a rider in MotoAmerica. After Corti a few years back, and Zanetti last season, it&rsquo;s now the turn of Tommaso Marcon as he prepares for the US championship aboard the Aprilia RS660. The rider will compete in the final two rounds of the season&rsquo;s Twins Cup, in New Jersey and Alabama, assisting the Robem Engineering team with the development of the Noale twin-cylinder, thanks to his experience across various European championships. In the words of Matthew Spicer and Tommaso Marcon  Robem Engineering team owner Matthew Spicer and rider Tommaso Marcon had this to say as the news was confirmed. Spicer stated: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very excited at the opportunity to be working with Tommaso for the final two rounds of MotoAmerica. As a team, it will be interesting to get Tommaso&rsquo;s feedback from racing one of our RS 660s at New Jersey and Barber. We are also grateful to Aprilia for helping facilitate Tommaso joining the team for the next two rounds of the championship. We&rsquo;ve seen how competitive the RS 660 has been already up till this point in the season, and we believe others will also see the Aprilia platform to be on in MotoAmerica Twins Cup in 2022.&rdquo; Mentre Marcon said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really excited about this new opportunity. The new RS 660 has already reached a very good level in MotoAmerica, despite being a newcomer in the field, and we&rsquo;ll use the next races to continue developing the project. I want to thank Robem Engineering, Aprilia Racing, and Piaggio Group Americas for the opportunity to compete in one of the best championships for factory derivatives.&rdquo; Robem Engineering has clocked up four wins and nine podiums already this year with rider Kaleb De Keyrel, who leads the way in the Twins Cup with a 53-point lead over the second-placed rider, with three races left to run. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Biaggi: &ldquo;Aprilia will be one of the strongest teams in 2022&rdquo;       

The Italian rider-tester will line up for the final two rounds in New Jersey and Alabama with the Robem Engineering team's twin

MotoAmerica: Tommaso Marcon in the Twins Cup with the Aprilia RS660

Although there were no world championship races last weekend, Italy, or rather Aprilia, took centre stage in two different national series, winning in British Superbike at Knockhill and in MotoAmerica at Laguna Seca.  &nbsp;Fraser Rogers powers the RSV4 to victory  In the Scottish BSB round which ran at the spectacular Knockhill circuit, the Stock 1000 class raced twice on Sunday. While local hero Taylor Mackenzie won race 1 aboard the Bathams Racing BMW, in the second race it was Fraser Rogers who crossed the line first with the Aprilia RSV4 of team IN Competition.  A great result in one of the most hard-fought and unpredictable national championships, Rogers now in the mix for the title aboard the Noale supersport bike.  The RS660 monopolises the podium at Laguna Seca  And on the other side of the ocean, the Aprilia RS660 went one step further. In the Twins Cup event at Laguna, the Italian manufacturer&rsquo;s mid-sized sports bikes monopolised the podium with Kaleb De Keyrel, Anthony Mazziotto and Jody Barry finishing first, second and third.  Toby Khamsouk and Hayden Schultz also finished inside the top ten, in fifth and seventh place respectively. In addition, De Keyrel now leads the championship ahead of the next round, set to run in Minnesota at the end of August.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Schwantz on Rossi&#39;s hypothetical retirement before the end of the season 

Last weekend proved particularly successful for the Noale manufacturer, the RSV4 winning at Knockhill and the RS660 victorious at Laguna Seca

A memorable weekend for Aprilia, winners in BSB and MotoAmerica

        The MotoAmerica weekend at the The Ridge Motorsport Park could have ended in the worst possible way. During a weekend in which Jake Gagne dominated in the Superbike class, the second race for the Supersport 300 class (known as the Junior Cup) brought an incident as spectacular as it was dangerous, involving young rider Maxwell Toth. The former CIV Moto3 rider was battling for the win when he ran off track, his wheels on the grass causing him to lose control of his Kawasaki Ninja 400. Finding himself in the middle of the track as Cody Wyman passed by, the latter couldn&rsquo;t avoid making contact with the San Francisco rider&rsquo;s legs. A big scare and a lot of luck  Fortunately, the contact between Wyman&rsquo;s Kawasaki and the number 58 rider&rsquo;s legs didn&rsquo;t result in any serious injury for the latter, who was able to get up and walk away, although visibly shaken by the incident. A positive outcome for Toth then, following his race 1 win on Saturday. The rider hopes to be back in top shape for the next round at Laguna Seca. Translated by Heather Watson MotoAmerica... Like Rossi and Marquez       

During the second Junior Cup race (the American Supersport 300), the young Veloce Racing rider was run over by Cody Wyman, fortunately without serious consequences

MotoAmerica, The Ridge: what a fright for Maxwell Toth!

        In the 70s, and thanks to the contribution of Walter Villa, Harley Davidson scored six world titles - five in the 250 class, of which two constructors&rsquo; titles, plus one 350 rider&rsquo;s title. In reality, the bikes weren&rsquo;t exactly all-American, the engines were Aermacchi, a brand that belonged to the Milwaukee giant, and the frames were Bimota. But they were race bikes, not custom road bikes. Lightness, aerodynamics and contained dimensions are indispensable on track. Unless you invent a series reserved to bikes like this, as the organisers of MotoAmerica have done. King of the Baggers  Last October, during the final round, the Laguna Seca track hosted a race called Drag Specialties King of the Baggers. Thirteen bikes took part, eleven Harley-Davidson and two Indians to be precise, all baggers, or rather cruisers complete with side panniers and a top fairing. Right from the first session, the fastest rider was Tyler O&rsquo;Hara with an Indian Challenger, four seconds faster than Frankie Garcia on the other Indian, but it was Garcia who got off the line quicker at the start of the race. Garcia led but only for one lap, when O&rsquo;Hara took over out front. A mistake on lap four saw O&rsquo;Hara run into the sand which allowed Haydem Gillim to take the lead aboard his Electra Glide Standard. But O&rsquo;Hara wasn&rsquo;t giving up and made his move three laps from the end. On the following lap, the Indian managed to get past the Harley into the Corkscrew, the kind of move Valentino Rossi made on Casey Stoner or Marc Marquez on Rossi, but unimaginable with a bike of this size. O&rsquo;Hara won with an advantage of 1.994 seconds over Gillim, 14 seconds over Garcia. A dream result for the Indian, in the very year America launched the Challenger Challenge, which saw the Challenger Dark Horse go up against the the H-D Road Glide Special. Rainey&rsquo;s words  Despite a thirteen-second difference in lap time compared to the Superbikes, the race proved successful, as confirmed by MotoAmerica president Wayne Rainey: "Honestly, the first MotoAmerica King of the Baggers race at Laguna Seca went better than we could have imagined. The popularity of the event was crazy, so why not do more? Our videos of that debut race have been viewed by millions of people (1.1 million have watched the highlights and 570,000 the full race), and we know that there are a lot of bagger fans out there". And so this year will see three King of the Baggers races, the first having already taken place at Road Atlanta, during the MotoAmerica season-opener, while the second will run on 13 June at Road America, and the third at Laguna Seca on 11 July. The series even has its own dedicated sponsor, Mission Foods, a world leader in the production of tortillas and wraps that will offer spectators at the track a taste of its new Racing Style chips. Entry to the series is reasonable, at a cost of 250 dollars for one race or 2840 for the whole championship. The regulation foresees a standard frame and fairings, a twin engine of up to 2147 cc, a maximum noise level of 115 decibels (measured at 3000 rpm) and a minimum weight of 288 kg. The only models permitted are the Harley FL Touring and the Indian Bagger and Touring. To balance out performance, the Superbike Commission may indicate a series of corrective measures, from the minimum weight to the air restrictors or even the maximum revs, which can be applied at any time. Rainey looks ahead: "It should bring new teams and new constructors from both the aftermarket and among specialist bagger dealers". Harley versus Indian, a 20s style duel in the Third Millennium. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP France: Pol Espargaro contradicts Rossi re the race contact       

In MotoAmerica they overtake into Laguna Seca&rsquo;s Corkscrew, but with 300 kg bikes...

MotoAmerica... Like Rossi and Marquez

        The wait is over and the MotoAmerica Superbike championship will finally get underway this weekend, at the Road Atlanta circuit in Georgia, the first round of a 2021 season that promises to be more unpredictable than ever. After several seasons in which the domination of Cameron Beaubier and Yamaha was never up for discussion, the five-time champ&rsquo;s move to Moto2 now paves the way for a new scenario, with various well-known names ready to fight for victory at the Michelin-owned track. High expectations for Baz and Barber&aacute;  Of those entered, the names of Loris Baz and H&eacute;ctor Barber&aacute; stand out. The first will be riding the team HSBC Ducati Panigale V4-R, while the second will debut with the BMW of team Scheibe Racing, thanks to a last-minute agreement. Both are expected to be frontrunners as they strive to improve their market quotation, but they&rsquo;ll have their work cut out. The two Attack Performance Yamaha team riders, or rather Josh Herrin and Jake Gagne, are bound to be protagonists as they work to repay the Iwata manufacturer for its factory support. And Yamaha can also count on Mathew Scholtz, who is keen to bounce back after last year&rsquo;s serious incident during the Indianapolis round. And how can we forget team Hammer Suzuki M4 ECSTAR that, with the reconfirmed Bobby Fong and South African rider Cameron Petersen (2020 Stock 1000 champion) will attempt to return to the top after a positive but not triumphant year. The outsiders also include Kyle Wyman who will be wanting to continue his growth aboard the Ducati Panigale V4-R, while also competing with Harley Davidson in the King of the Baggers. The race timings  As usual, race 1 will play out on Saturday - at 9pm CET - while race 2 will run at the same time on the following day. Translated by Heather Watson Road Races: many strong riders set to compete in the Spring Cup       

This weekend will see the lights go out on the American Superbike series, with some big international names fighting for what was Beaubier&rsquo;s throne &nbsp;

MotoAmerica: the 2021 season begins at Road Atlanta

        24 March was an important day for Loriz Baz. The Frenchman, who will compete in MotoAmerica this year, was in New York at the Ducati USA HQ for the official unveiling of his V4R race bike. The bike&rsquo;s livery is more than a little similar to that of the Aruba.it Panigale V2s ridden by Davies and Melandri in 2017-2018, with that imposing black band on the fairing that, in this case, features &ldquo;Ducati New York&rdquo; lettering to highlight the Italian manufacturer&rsquo;s commitment, something that was already clear to see with Zanetti during the second half of last season and that is set to be further strengthened with Loris Baz, who will receive factory material. Loris has thrown himself into this new American adventure, so much so that his helmet features a stars and stripes flag. He is keen to compete in MotoAmerica but also to explore the States, something he&rsquo;ll have more opportunity to do this year. After the presentation, Loris was interviewed by MotoAmerica, explaining how the move came about and outlining his hopes and goals for the year. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to get on it and ride&rdquo;  As soon as he unveils his Ducati, Baz&rsquo;s thoughts immediately turn to riding his new V4R. &ldquo;I love the bike and the livery. I&rsquo;ve been at the team&rsquo;s base with Alessandro, my mechanic, for a week, preparing the bike. I can&rsquo;t wait to get on and ride it because I have ridden for a long time and now the contract is signed, I want to get to work&rdquo;.              Visualizza questo post su Instagram  Un post condiviso da MotoAmerica (@motoamerica)   &ldquo;I have a lot to learn&rdquo;  Baz, who will soon take part in official MotoAmerica testing, also talks about the challenges that await him: &ldquo;The same challenges any rider faces in a new championship. I don&rsquo;t have a lot of pressure on me, but I have a lot to learn and that&rsquo;s what excites me most, changing and discovering new things each time. I can&rsquo;t wait to get to know the bike. I don&rsquo;t know the tyres or tracks but think I&rsquo;ll like the circuits because they remind me of those in BSB.&rdquo; And speaking of the tracks, the Frenchman adds: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been quick through the fast turns. I like undulating tracks, not flat ones that are boring. My favourites are Portimao, Brands Hatch, Assen, Mugello, fast tracks with fast turns, Phillip Island is the best in the world. I think I&rsquo;ll like the American track, I&rsquo;ve seen some races on TV. I like to brake hard, that&rsquo;s part of my riding style, and then the bike does the rest out of the turns I think&rdquo;. &ldquo;My height&rsquo;s never been a problem&rdquo;  The Frenchman will be the tallest on the MotoAmerica grid and has this to say: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been taller than my rivals. I&rsquo;ve never seen it as a disadvantage, it&rsquo;s a normal thing and also has its positives. Being tall means you can better move your body forwards. It becomes a disadvantage along the straight but helps you brake earlier. Long arms and legs help you to control the bike better through the turn.&rdquo; He adds: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen my height as a problem, and I&rsquo;ve shown that a tall rider can also be fast. You just need people around you that understand your needs compared to another rider.&rdquo; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m pleased Ducati is supporting us&rdquo;  As it did with Lorenzo Zanetti at the end of last year, Ducati will continue to support the HSBK Warhorse team and Loris Baz this season. Baz comments: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s definitely an advantage to have Ducati on side because they know how to set-up a bike for a tall rider, and Scott is proving what a tall rider can do with this bike. So I&rsquo;m pleased that Ducati was there for the contract signing and that they&rsquo;ll support us. And then we have the V4, the most powerful engine around. When you&rsquo;re tall, you lose time along the straight but, with a powerful engine, you can avoid hanging on to the brakes and make up for what you lose on the straight .&rdquo; &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy the first test is at Austin, a track I know&rdquo;  Loris talks about what he expects from the Road Atlanta season-opener and beyond. &ldquo;Most of the work will be done during testing and after the race we&rsquo;ll have more test sessions which will help me understand everything. I&rsquo;m pleased the first test is at Austin, a track I know and enjoy. I won&rsquo;t need to learn the layout but can instead focus on the work, getting to know the bike and my team.&rdquo; He continues: &ldquo;The aim is to win, this is what me and the team want. They&rsquo;ve made a huge effort with this project and I&rsquo;m ready. I&rsquo;ll have a lot of work to do and I can&rsquo;t wait&rdquo;. &ldquo;27 years since the last Ducati title? I&rsquo;m 28&hellip;&rdquo;  Loris Baz finishes by singing the praises of Eraldo Ferracci, present at the time of Corser&rsquo;s title and still part of the team today. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think I have any more pressure on me. Eraldo Ferracci was team manager back then, and he still is now. Eraldo is the only person who knows what it takes for Ducati to win here, I get to work with a a real legend who is very well known in Europe. I want to bring the title home to Ducati 27 years after the last one&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Max Biaggi ready to exceed 410 km/h with the electric Voxan       

&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t wait to get on the Panigale V4R and ride it&rdquo; says an emotional Baz during an interview for MotoAmerica in New York &nbsp;

MotoAmerica, Loris Baz unveils his Ducati: “The goal is to win”

        As we anticipated in late January, Loris Baz is on his way to MotoAmerica. The Frenchman has signed a deal with Warhorse HSBK Ducati and will compete in the 2021 championship aboard the Panigale V4R ridden by Lorenzo Zanetti late last season. And his team manager will be none other than the great Eraldo Ferracci, Ducati and AMA Superbike legend. His team, Fast by Ferracci, won the WorldSBK title twice, in 91 and 92 with Polen, and the AMA Superbike twice. &ldquo;I just want to win, I&rsquo;m not giving myself a second chance&rdquo;  An interview with Loris Baz has been published on the official MotoAmerica YouTube channel, in which he talks about his goals and how the opportunity to race in America came about. &ldquo;Honestly, our only goal is to win - says Baz - I&rsquo;m not giving myself a second chance. I just want to win and have no other goals. I know the level is high, I know what I have to do and I know how fast I&rsquo;ll have to ride if I want to win there. It&rsquo;s a big change for me personally and a big risk to move to America as I think my place is still in WorldSBK. I want to make the most of this opportunity, win, and use that in the future. I&rsquo;m grateful for the opportunity the team, Ducati and the championship is giving me and I&rsquo;ll do all I can to win the title this year&rdquo;. He continues: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s really great, very exciting. I like the challenge and have never chosen the easy path in life. When I was in WorldSBK, I did all I could to get to MotoGP. I like to challenge myself and experience new things. If I see it&rsquo;s not possible to do what I want, then I have an open mind and can always go somewhere else. That&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m doing right now. I know the championship a little and know the guys, I&rsquo;ve followed it for years and always watch the races. It will be like when I went to BSB with those crazy tracks&hellip; I have everything to learn, but I can&rsquo;t wait&rdquo;. &ldquo;In 24 hours, I changed my mind and accepted the offer&rdquo;  Baz talks about the last few days and being torn between Superbike with team Ten Kate and the move to MotoAmerica with Ducati. &ldquo;I feel good - says Baz &ndash; It all happened quite quickly, after our first call. We worked hard to do WorldSBK, but it was more difficult. I had my mind fully focused on WorldSBK, so at first I was thinking, &lsquo;oh I don&rsquo;t know&rsquo;. In 24 hours, I changed my mind and said: &ldquo;Ok, let&rsquo;s do it, I like a challenge. I&rsquo;ve always been this way and don&rsquo;t like to race to finish 10th or 15th. I like being somewhere where I have the opportunity to win. When I realised there was this opportunity to go to America and win with Ducati I was focused on that, right from day one, and I&rsquo;m fully motivated&rdquo;. Loris also talks about the time he&rsquo;ll need to adapt to the bike and the series in general: &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;ll take a little time to learn everything. I&rsquo;m not scared and never say, &lsquo;oh that will be hard&rsquo;. I&rsquo;ve raced with almost every kind of tyre and every bike. I&rsquo;ve only done one race on Dunlops, in the IDM, so I don&rsquo;t know them well. Learning tracks is something we&rsquo;re used to and there&rsquo;s a process, and I&rsquo;ve always been quite quick in that regard. The first test will be at the end of February and I&rsquo;ll get to know the bike and tyres. And from then on I&rsquo;ll be fully focused on learning to ride the bike and adapt to the tyres. The aim is to be ready for Saturday&rsquo;s qualifying and for Sunday&rsquo;s races&rdquo;. The team - Warhorse HSBK Ducati  The team made a great start to the 2020 season by winning two Stock 1000 races at Road America with PJ Jacobsen. But the New Yorker then got injured during the second round and never returned. Lorenzo Zanetti then competed in the final three rounds. The Italian debuted at the Ridge with a seventh-place finish and a DNF. Back for the final rounds at Indianapolis and Laguna Seca, Zanetti was able to count on official Ducati Corse support and scored six podiums and a win at Indianapolis, putting Ducati back on the top step of the rostrum for the first time since 2010. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re excited to announce our return with Ducati and our official entry into the Superbike class - says team principal Bobby Shek - We worked hard at the end of last year and feel that with Ducati Corse support and a rider like Baz we have a good chance of fighting for the MotoAmerica Superbike title&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Covid-19 stops Go Eleven: no Misano test for Davies       

The 28-year old Frenchman will compete in the American Superbike series with the team that, until last year, fielded Jacobsen and then Zanetti, scoring strong results in the final rounds

MotoAmerica, Loris Baz with Warhorse HSBK Ducati: “Our only goal is to win”

After a few difficult years, the American motorcycling landscape is picking up and honing talents who are also standing out on the international stage, Joe Roberts and Cameron Beaubier for example. Beaubier will debut in Moto2 this season after having won the MotoAmerica Superbike title on five occasions.  Another rider who&rsquo;s already had the chance to race internationally is Rocco Landers, who, at just 16 competed in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. Landers has proved to be the most promising young rider in America right now, scoring three titles in two years in the Twins Cup and Supersport 300 classes.  Next step the SSP600   The Californian was crowned Supersport 300 champion in both 2019 and 2020, while also winning the Twins Cup last year, in his debut season. Championships that he dominated in fact, for a total of 38 wins and 45 podiums.  An enviable achievement that has caught the eye of former rider Josh Hayes and wife Melissa Paris. At the end of last year they supplied him with a Yamaha R6 with which, on his debut appearance aboard a 600, he won four races in just one day at the Chuckwalla track.  Landers: &quot;A new challenge awaits&quot;   For the upcoming MotoAmerica Supersport season, Rocco will race for his father&rsquo;s Landers Racing team: &ldquo;A new and exciting challenge awaits. I got to ride an R6 thanks to Melissa Paris and Josh Hayes and immediately got on well, so I&rsquo;m sure I can be competitive. I&rsquo;m also very pleased to race for my father&rsquo;s team, because I work very well with him and know he will give me his full support.&quot;  Translated by Heather Watson  Ozarks International Raceway: the new Missouri circuit 

The pupil of former rider Josh Hayes will move to the 600 class with Yamaha for the 2021 American series, having won three national titles in two years in the lightweight classes

15 risultati per 'EN motoamerica'