LEXINGTON, Ky. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing duo Kody Kopp and Max Whale charged hard at Round 8 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with Whale finishing in fifth position and Kopp sixth in the AFT Singles Main Event. That result allowed defending champion Kopp extended his points lead to 15 following The Red Mile in Kentucky.

After qualifying in ninth, Kopp powered his KTM 450 SX-F to a fourth-place finish in the second Heat race of the event, with his sights set on the night's Main Event. A challenging 18-lap affair saw Kopp cross the line in sixth position, while managing to extend his lead in the AFT Singles series in the process.
Kody Kopp: "Had an up and down day here in Kentucky, struggled with a few things during the weekend, but as a team we worked hard together to try our best and we ended up with a sixth place. Considering where I was with seven laps to go, sixth is a positive – just need to keep chipping away and work hard over the three-week break."

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Whale finished qualifying in third position, before crossing the finish line in second place for the opening Heat race of the event, earning a place in the Dash-for-Cash, where the Australian would finish in P4. A measured ride in the Main Event resulted in a fifth-place result, which has the number 18 sitting fourth in the standings with 10 rounds remaining.Max Whale: "We made huge improvements here for the Kentucky Red Mile. We worked super-hard in the week and a half off, and I can’t thank the team enough for all the work they do. Started out today on the back foot, but we came through with third in qualifying, second in the Heat, and made it through to the Dash, which is great for extra track time. Then ended up with fifth in the Main after a few mistakes on my end, but I'm happy with the progress we’ve made, and we’ll come out swinging in a few weeks.”

Next Race: DuQuoin Mile – Du Quoin, Illinois – June 17, 2023

Round 8 Results

AFT Singles Main Event
1. Trent Lowe, Honda
2. Chase Saathoff, Honda
3. Tom Drane, Yamaha

The Dutch TT of Assen saw Britain’s Bradley Ray take his first steps in the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship with the Yamaha MotoXRacing WorldSBK Team, and we were there with the cameras to follow him behind-the-scenes through every moment. 
Ray is participating in all the European rounds of this year’s WorldSBK Championship, and he is clearly adapting quickly; on just his second outing he had already scored points in three out of six races contested. Last year he sailed to the 2022 British Superbike Championship crown with nine wins on board a Yamaha R1, and the 25-year-old has a wealth of experience in various championships from his beginnings in the Red Bull Rookies Cup to a wildcard WorldSBK appearance at Donington Park in 2018.

With his ever-present smile and happy-go-lucky attitude, Ray explained: “I’m making progress all the time, understanding the bike and electronics. I’m feeling happy, I’m not feeling any pressure from the team or from Yamaha, and I already know where I want to be. As a racer I obviously want to be as high up as possible, but I’m keeping my goals realistic.”

Assen was the perfect place for the rider from Kent in England to debut with his new team, having already raced there in the British Superbikes. We followed him from Media Day on Thursday, through all the practice sessions and into the races, taking time to regularly catch up with Brad for chats and hear his thoughts and hopes.

After a slightly disappointing start with a DNF in Race 2 and two non-point scoring finishes at Assen, the Brit is primed for the coming rounds thanks to a solid weekend at the second round in Barcelona where he scored 13th, 14th, and 15th in the three races. “I’m feeling more and more comfortable on the bike with every session” states Ray. His adaptation to the new team, bike and paddock have been impressive so far, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store as the season continues.

The rider of the Mooney VR46 Racing Team crosses the finishing line alone and is only one point behind the P1 in the general standings. Forced to retire after a crash Luca Marini when he was fighting for the podium Le Mans (France), May 14th 2023 – Marco Bezzecchi and the Mooney VR46 Racing Team score the second victory of the season at the French GP, the 1000th race of the MotoGP era. Riding the Ducati DesmosediciGP, he crosses the finishing line alone and is now in the second place in the general standings (93 points) just one point behind the P1 (Bagnaia). Forced to retire after a crash, Luca Marini when he was fighting for the podium.Started from the seventh box on the grid, Marco immediately picked up the pace of the fastest guys and finished the first lap in P6. Able to move up the standings, he is first at 11 laps to go, a position he manages to defend until the finishing line. Great wins, just on the eve of the home GP (Mugello, in three weeks) and primacy also confirmed among the Teams with 147 points.

P4 yesterday in the Sprint and front row for Luca, forced to retire after a crash during the fifth lap, when he was in Marco's slipstream for the podium positions. An accident without consequences and the return into the pits prematurely.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were close to adding another trophy to the shelves as Jack Miller led the SHARK Grand Prix de France at a sunny and capacity Le Mans and Brad Binder scored 6th for round five of twenty. Binder and the team both hold 3rd in their respective championship standings while KTM are currently the 2nd best constructor.

• Binder, runner-up in the Saturday Sprint, finishes 6th, climbing from 10th on the grid after running wide on the first lap and suffering a Long Lap penalty
• Miller starts from 4th, leads the Grand Prix but then slips out at Turn 4 with three laps to go
• KTM again competitive and highly ranked in various points tables
• Second Moto3™ victory of the season for Daniel Holgado and home Grand Prix spoils for Red Bull KTM Tech3

The short, tight but demanding Bugatti circuit within the vast Le Mans 24hr motorsport complex drew sunshine, spring temperatures and thousands and thousands of fans to round five of 2023 MotoGP. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing had already shown their competitiveness by topping Practice on Friday and finishing 2nd in the Saturday Sprint as both Jack Miller and Brad Binder respectively got down to pace with their KTM RC16.

Sunday meant the full Grand Prix distance and spectacle of 27 laps. It was Miller who made the more effective getaway and led the opening exchanges. The Australian slipped back the fringes of the top five as the laps ticked down and he battled to maximize the grip of the soft tire combination. With three circulations to go he met the gravel on the exit to Turn 4.Binder made a fantastic getaway as well but contact with another rider into La Chapelle pushed the South African wide and almost out of the top twenty. He pulled his way back to 6th, despite having to endure a Long Lap penalty for running across the inside of Turn 9.

As the checkered flag waved, the championship standings pivoted to reflect Brad’s status in 3rd. Jack is 8th. MotoGP now breaks for three weekends before anticipation of the Gran Premio D’Italia Oakley around the epic curves of Mugello in mid-June.

Brad Binder, 6th: “I had a really good feeling for the race and had a fantastic start but unfortunately in Turn 4 someone hit the side of me and I went from 6th-7th all the way back outside the top twenty. A tough one and then a tough fight to come through. I chipped away slowly but surely until I got an amazing slipstream on Jack and overshot the mark into Turn 9. I had to make a decision to save it and just shot across the inside of the chicane. I didn’t drop back far enough and from that mistake I had a Long Lap penalty: if bad luck comes in ‘threes’ then I think I spent them this race! It was important to keep my head down then and bring the bike home.”

Jack Miller, DNF: “Obviously not the way we wanted to end things here. We had great pace all weekend and led a decent handful of laps but when the other boys came past they seemed to be able to knock-it-up a gear and I knew my marks: I knew where I could push and where I couldn’t. I was fading a little bit but also preserving the left side of the tire and I knew I had a bit left at the end. I then used too much curb on the inside of Turn 4 and that was all she wrote. I cut it tight just a little bit too much. Really disappointing for myself and the team, they have been doing an amazing job and the bike was so good all weekend. It's a bummer to come away with no points but we’ll re-group for Mugello.”

Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “A positive weekend even if we did not get what we deserved today. Brad had contact on the first lap and was as far down as 18th and he recovered as strong as usual, even with a dubious Long Lap penalty. We have to analyze Jack’s crash as it was strange. It was a good weekend with both riders into Q2 on Friday and we’ll look forward to the next GP with confidence. We have two fantastic riders in this team and we will keep supporting them to the maximum, from the first to the last person in the factory and from the team mechanics to any person who touches this MotoGP effort. Many congratulations to Augusto [Fernandez] as this is another sign that our group project is going in the right direction.”

The Husqvarna Racing team put in a strong display of talent at the fourth round of the Motocross Nationals in Pietermaritzburg this weekend, with Joshua Mlimi and Barend du Toit securing podium finishes in their respective classes. Davin Cocker also put in a consistent performance in the MX2 class finishing in seventh overall. 

After some ups and downs this year, Josh Mlimi racing the MX1 class, showed his skill and determination on the challenging Pietermaritzburg track, finishing in second place overall. 

Commenting on his performance, Mlimi said, “Overall I had a great day on the track, made more steps in the right direction and I’m really happy with how I rode. I didn’t get the best start in the first heat but came back strong in the second heat to get the holeshot and led the race for a few laps.” He went on to say, “It was so good to get the flow again and remind myself what it feels like to be a podium contender. I’m ready to come back stronger for Round 5.” 

Barend du Toit also delivered a strong showing in the Highschool class at the race this weekend after some intense racing and claiming the second overall. 

du Toit commented, “I struggled a bit with arm pump in the first heat and not feeling the best due to the demanding track conditions. In the second heat, I had a terrible start but I managed to claw my way back to battle it out and claim the second overall spot for the day.”In the MX2 class, Davin Cocker, despite some crashes, put in a solid performance, finishing seventh overall for the team. “Today started off good in practice, the track was pretty rough and gnarly but we got through it. I didn’t get the best start for heat one and crashed twice. I felt much better in heat two and got some solid points on the board,” said Cocker. “I’m looking forward to putting in the work over the next few weeks and coming back stronger in the next round.” 

“Today was a good day for the team all together. 2-second place finishes is something we can hang our hat on and move forward towards round 5”, commented team manager, Grant Frerichs.

The Red Bull KTM team showcased their dominance at the fourth round of the Motocross National Championships in Pietermaritzburg this past weekend, with star rider Cameron Durow winning all four heats in both the MX1 and MX2 classes. Jonathan Mlimi put in a strong performance, finishing second overall in the MX2 class, while young gun Luke Grundy snatched up the top spot on the podium for the Highschool class as well. 

Despite Trey Cox being out due to injury, the Red Bull KTM team proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the challenging Pietermaritzburg track.Cameron Durow, in particular, was in a league of his own, delivering outstanding performances in both his respective classes. Commenting on his impressive performance, Durow said, “I’m really happy with such a solid day in the bag, and beyond stoked to get 4 - 4 at a home national as well.” 

He went on to say, ”The track couldn’t have been better, and we couldn’t have asked for more perfect riding conditions for the day. Thanks to the whole Pietermaritzburg Motocross club for getting the track ready for an awesome day out!” 

Jonathan Mlimi also put in an excellent showing in the MX2 class, demonstrating his skill and determination after a trying start to the year. His impressive performance resulted in a well-deserved second-place finish overall after finding his feet in the MX2 class only being outdone by teammate Durow.  Mlimi commented, “Such a good day out for me, managed to get second overall. It feels really good to be back on the podium and I’m thrilled about my results. Now to put in some work for round five and go into the next round swinging.” Another force to be reckoned with, Luke Grundy, displayed exceptional talent after a bar-to-bar battle laying everything down on the track and claiming first overall.  A visibly stoked Grundy commented, “Despite being sick I really gave it my best shot for the day. I got great results at the end of both heats going 1-1 and I couldn’t be happier. Im excited to come back for round five stronger and better.”

Grant Frerichs, the KTM group marketing manager rounded up the day by commenting, “The Red Bull KTM team showed pure dominance at round 4 with wins in every class. It was great to see 3 KTM’s on the podium in the MX2 class showing, without a doubt, that KTM is the bike to own. We go into round 5 leading all of our racing classes and look forward to defending those red championship plates once again.”

As the dust settled at Legends Adventure Farm, the country's top offroad riders gathered for the second round of the National Cross Country championship in KZN, Jolivet. The tension was high, the adrenaline was pumping, and the competition was fierce. The riders from the Husqvarna South Africa Racing team faced the tough and technical terrain with bravery and determination, leaving everything on the track.Leading the pack for the team was Davin Cocker, who overcame his nerves and injury to take on the challenge. Cocker faced a tough time in the OR2 class, but he dug deep and displayed the fighting spirit that defines him as a racer. He commented, "I had a bit of nerves coming into the race because of the crash on Thursday, but I managed to keep my head in the right place and compete for the win." And he did just that, finishing first in class and proving that he has what it takes to be a champion.Ryan Pelser, racing in the OR3 class, had a challenging race and was visibly disappointed with his results. He stated, "I didn't plan to ride like this, and I need to work on myself to get comfortable on the bike." Despite his disappointment, Pelser remained positive, grateful to finish the race safely, and focused on the next round of the competition.The Enduro Riders for the team, Travis Teasdale and Heinrich Aust, proved their versatility by competing in the race over the weekend. Travis, in OR1, and Heinrich, in OR3, showed their grit and determination, with both riders finishing in 4th place in their respective classes. 

Team manager, Grant Frerichs commented: “Challenging conditions faced us in Jolivet and Davin put on a superb performance clinching his class win and extending his championship points lead. Ryan struggled with the route conditions but fought on to gain valuable championship points in his quest for damage control."

The Brother Leader Tread KTM team proved their mettle at the second round of the National Cross Country championship held in KZN. Battling the unforgiving terrain of Jolivet and overcoming various adversities to secure impressive finishes in their respective classes.Kerim Fitz-Gerald, racing in the Senior class, blazed through the course with his signature style and speed, taking the top spot in his class with ease. "KZN racing is always a struggle for me with the forests and especially the sugar cane," said Fitzgerald.  He mused saying "I think I spent more time doing u-turns today than going forward, but we are leaving safely, still fighting for the overall championship and looking forward for round 3."OR1 class rider Bradley Cox pushed himself to the limit and crossed the finish line in second place as well as claiming second overall. "My body felt strong all day, having to push at the end but I'm really happy with my result," Cox said.Despite his setbacks, Scott Heygate managed to put in an incredible effort and finished in second place in the OR2 class, contributing valuable points to the team's overall score. Heygate commented, "Coming into the race, I was still recovering from being sick. I crashed twice with the second one leaving a few bumps and bruises. After the second crash, I went into survival mode and didn't take too many chances in this one to score as many valuable points as I can."Young gun, Matthew Wilson, racing in the OR3 class, showed great drive and speed to come back from a challenging time trial that saw him crash into a fence, putting him a few minutes behind. "I felt good in the time trial, but unfortunately ended up in a fence putting me 5 minutes behind" Wilson said. "As a result, I started the race 55th overall and was able to come back to 18th. Even though the overall result might not be what I was hoping for, I am happy with the drive and speed I showed to come back” he added. 

The team's success was a true team effort, with each member supporting and pushing each other to deliver their best performances. Their unwavering dedication and commitment to the sport were on full display, impressing both fans and competitors alike.In addition, the Brother Leader Tread KTM Enduro team also made their mark at the race. William Slater competed in the OR1 class and delivered a strong performance, finishing in fifth place. Meanwhile, Dylan Jones showcased his skills in the OR3 class, securing an impressive second-place finish.

Team manager Grant Frerichs commented: “I am proud of the team as a whole. Each rider had his challenges but we came together and got the job done. Championships are never won at one round but they can be lost so to be in the championship fight in all of our classes with healthy riders is important. We look forward to taking the fight to the other riders at the upcoming double header round.”

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing scorched the asphalt at the Circuit of the Americas as Brad Binder dashed to 5th position in Texas on Saturday. The third MotoGP Sprint of the season whet the appetite for the Grand Prix on Sunday and while Binder was top five, Jack Miller captured 9th. Both riders started from decent grid positions of 10th and 11th after morning qualification.

5th place in the Sprint for Brad Binder who launched from the fourth row

Jack Miller again shows his ability for the Texan track with a good start and a top ten result

Both Red Bull KTM RC16s make direct Q2 qualification for the first time this season

Daniel Holgado to start from 5th on the Moto3™ grid as Pedro Acosta earns 2nd in Moto2™ Q2Warm and humid conditions opened the second day of the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas and the tenth visit by the world championship to the sprawling and challenging track south of Austin. Decent work on Friday in both Practice 1 and 2 sessions meant both Brad Binder and Jack Miller found times in the top ten of the standings and achieved direct Q2 entry for Saturday. This helped provide a platform to increase the competitiveness of the RC16 set-up, conserve tire allocation and guarantee slots on the first rows of the grid.

During the decisive Q2 session Miller was hunting the fringes of the top five until small slips at the low-speed Turn 1 and 14 on two separate occasions foiled his attempt to be further forward. He rested in 10th and was just two tenths of a second ahead of Binder in 11th. The track’s grip level had lowered after some overnight rain and the conditions were tricky to judge for the 10-lap Tissot Sprint.Brad Binder, 11th in qualification, 5th in the Sprint: “Today was difficult. The conditions were different to what we have had so far this weekend and the grip level changed a lot. The first lap was sketchy and I struggled to roll around the corners. I lost a lot of time because of that but once I had my bearings I could move forward. It was a hard race today but hats-off to the team and my guys because we have made a big step from last year where we would have dreamed of being 5th. We need that last step for tomorrow and I think it will be a different story with that full race distance…but it should work in our favor.”

2021 Superbike World Champion, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, will have a new opportunity to test the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP machine during a planned development test at the Jerez circuit in Andalucía, Spain.

Razgatlıoğlu will join Yamaha’s MotoGP Test Rider, Cal Crutchlow, for two days of testing on Monday 10th and Tuesday 11th April in Jerez.

It will be the Turkish star’s second test aboard the YZR-M1, after his first outing at Motorland Aragon in June last year was cut short by inclement weather.

The characteristics of the 4.428 km Jerez circuit are well suited to Razgatlıoğlu’s riding style and the test should provide an ideal opportunity for him to accrue plenty of track time and adapt himself to the YZR-M1.

Lin Jarvis - Managing Director Yamaha Motor Racing Srl

“Firstly, let me say it is our pleasure to be able to give Toprak another opportunity to ride the YZR-M1. I was unable to be present at his previous test but this time I will be in Jerez to follow the testing and I will depart straight from there to attend the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin next weekend. Toprak is an extraordinarily talented motorcycle racer, and I am very curious to see his speed on our Factory MotoGP machine. He will have the chance to ride alongside Cal who will be there for the ongoing development testing of our 2023 YZR-M1.”

Andrea Dosoli - Road Racing Manager Yamaha Motor Europe N.V.

“I would like to thank both Yamaha Motor Company and Yamaha Motor Racing for giving Toprak the opportunity to test the YZR-M1 once again. As the reigning Superbike World Champion, Toprak’s test aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 last year was highly anticipated by many in both the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks. Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to fully familiarise with the YZR-M1 at the Aragon test due to the disruption caused by the weather. This time around at Jerez, a track at which Toprak has traditionally been very strong, it looks like we’re going to enjoy almost perfect testing conditions. Toprak’s focus at this test will, once again, be on getting a feel for the characteristics of the YZR-M1 and the Michelin tyres, whereas we are very interested to see how quickly a WorldSBK rider of his calibre can adapt to the unique demands of riding a MotoGP bike.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“I am looking forward to testing the YZR-M1 MotoGP bike at Jerez, a track I like a lot. The last test in Aragon was limited by the weather, but in Jerez it looks like we’ll have better conditions and more track time. It will give me the chance to understand better the demands of racing a Factory MotoGP bike. Thanks to Yamaha for giving me this opportunity.”