It was a successful weekend for six Americans, including one current MotoAmerica rider and five former MotoAmerica stars as they strutted their stuff overseas, with all six road racers notching results inside the top ten in their respective race series and classes.
Current Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul competitor Julián Correa was aboard his Mortimer Racing Honda NSF250R at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk, England, as he raced in round three of the British Talent Cup. He was joined on the grid by former Mission Mini Cup By Motul rider Joshua Raymond Jr., who races for Fibretec Honda by Mlav Racing. Correa qualified seventh for the two races, and Raymond Jr. lined up in eighth.
Both Americans worked hard in Race 1, and Correa crossed the finish line in fifth, while Raymond Jr. shadowed him in sixth. In parc fermé after the race, it was determined that two of the riders who had finished ahead of Correa and Raymond Jr. had bikes with illegal modifications, so both riders were disqualified. That development moved Correa up to third in the final results. JuJu missed out on the podium festivities, but he gained valuable and much-deserved championship points. Raymond Jr. ended up fourth and was just off the podium.
In Sunday’s weekend-concluding Race 2, Correa finished sixth after another hard-fought battle in the lead group. Unfortunately, he got outdrafted on the final run to the checkered flag and barely missed out on another podium result. Raymond Jr. once again followed Correa across the finish line in seventh. The solid points haul for both riders at Snetterton moved Correa up to eighth and Raymond Jr. up to ninth in the season points standings.
In the Spanish Superbike Championship (ESBK) Talent Cup, former Mission Mini Cup rider Nathan Gouker, who races for the Frando Racing VHC Team, qualified fifth for the weekend’s two races at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“In Race 1, I got a really good start and was with the front group until the second lap,” Gouker said. “I made a mistake and ended up losing the group. I put some good lap times down pushing my own air but, in the end, it was a lonely ride to P5. It was my first top-five in ESBK Talent Cup out of 38 riders!
“Starting from P5 in Race 2, I knew this was my best chance to run with the front group. I got a great start and put myself in P4. I dropped to P6 and was right with the lead group for six laps. Unfortunately, I lost the front under braking in Turn 7, and that was the end of my race. My Frando Racing VHC Team and I have worked hard to arrive here at the front. It’s a shame I couldn’t give them a good result, but that’s racing and how we learn, pushing our limits.”
A second American, Mahdi Salem, is also competing in the ESBK Talent Cup. The former Mission Mini Cup By Motul rider was making a comeback from a leg injury he suffered about six weeks ago.
“It was one of the toughest weekends I’ve faced,” Salem said. “FP1 on Thursday ended early when the shifter fell off on my first lap out. FP2 was cut short by a fast crash at Turn 13, which left me with a thumb injury that affected the rest of my weekend. Friday’s FP3 was the first full session I completed, just trying to find rhythm again. In FP4, I only managed a few laps before another bike issue took me out of the session. During Saturday’s qualifying, I struggled with track limits and got held up toward the end of the session. I couldn’t put together a clean lap and started P27.
“I had a strong start in Race 1 and was right behind the middle pack, but I couldn’t hold the pace and finished P17 out of 38 riders on the grid. In Race 2 on Sunday, I was running with the second group until the bike went into neutral mid-corner a few times, which made me lose the pack. With two laps to go, I was P15, but I had another crash at Turn 10 and couldn’t finish the race. It was not the weekend I hoped for, but I’m proud to be back riding. Huge thanks to my Escola Tecnica Gerona (ETG) Racing team for their hard work and to everyone who has supported me through this comeback. We’ll keep fighting.”
A third former MotoAmerica rider was in action at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over the weekend, and he was featured in the ESBK Moto4 class. 2024 Mission Mini Cup By Motul GP 160 National Champion Jase Dill qualified fifth and finished fifth in each of his two races. Dill rides for Frando Racing VHC Team Liqui Moly.
Kristian Daniel Jr., who is America’s representative in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, competed in Races 7 and 8 as the series reached the halfway point of the season at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello in Scarperia e San Piero, Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
The Californian, who now lives in Spain, qualified on the front row for the weekend’s two races, which is his best starting position thus far in Red Bull Rookies Cup competition. He finished inside the top ten with ninth-place results in both races. Daniel Jr. is currently ranked 10th in the season points standings.
Finally, in the Moto2 World Championship, also in action at Mugello Circuit, Joe Roberts was the fastest rider during the weekend’s first qualifying session. The OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex rider, who just celebrated his 28th birthday last Monday, lined up in 18th position on the starting grid for Sunday’s race and advanced all the way up to ninth place by the time he crossed the finish line.
