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Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials 2022 Cancelled

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Flyover, View towards the Mountains, The salt is very thin and all tracks are filled with water.

FIM Land Speed World Records ~ AMA Land Speed Grand Championship cancelled due to adverse conditions on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Cancellation of BMST 2022
Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials 2022, FIM Land Speed World Records and AMA Land Speed Grand Championship is Cancelled. Our assessment team has reviewed current Bonneville Salt Flat conditions by air and on the ground. Unfortunately, all BMST track locations and alternatives are still flooded from the initial storm and multiple subsequent storm systems. There is no possibility that the water will recede and salt will dry out sufficiently in the week remaining to support track preparations and operations.

“We are all disappointed that we are forced to cancel,” said Event Director/Owner Delvene Reber. “Like you we have spent a year plus preparing for this event and investing in improvements. This year we were implementing racer driven improvements that include new flagging, course line improvements, and other racer driven updates.”

“As a racer,” said Sodium Distortion Racing’s Bill Woods, “it’s hard to accept that mother nature called our event but at the end of the day all that hard work will just make next year that much better. I’m especially looking forward to a 2023 with all of the racer-driven improvements”

Cone marker at our International Intermediate Start location. The water has receded only .75inch since the initial storms. From the point to the base of the cone is 4″ of water.

How Bad Is It?
They say a picture tells a thousand words, but nothing beats seeing it for yourself. Last night, on Aug. 12, we were able to perform an aerial assessment and determine that the entire length of our tracks and beyond are flooded. Today, Aug. 13, we put boots on the ground and waded into the flood waters at BMST Intermediate start locations for our International and Mountain tracks. It is flooded 10 in. (254mm) to 4 in. (102mm) deep across the length of our tracks. We know many folks were hopeful looking at the University of Utah webcam (1mi / 1.6km) from our tracks) that there was drying. After reviewing arial photos there is still 23mi2 / 57km2 equating to 11.5million ft3 / 327,000m3 of flooding directly over our racing surface and no viable alternative locations. What all those numbers mean is that there has been less than a .75 in.(19mm) decrease in water depth since the initial storms.

What Happens Next?
We appreciate your patience while we implement our cancellation procedures. We will be in touch directly with participants this week with further information and will provide information on our website to answer any questions that you have. This will provide further details on options to support the continuation of the event with donation opportunities, rollovers to 2023, and refund options.

We appreciate and understand all of the hours that you have dedicated to reach your goals throughout this year, and for our international friends, the additional logistics that you encounter to reach us.

We are working alongside you as we extend ourselves to help you achieve you racing goals and support a premier Land Speed Racing event. We thank the volunteers for their contributions, the AMA and FIM organizations and support staff and our sponsors for their continued support of our sport.

Delvene Reber
Event Manager/Owner
Deliciate Promotions LLC
Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials

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Pirelli Announces 2022 #PirelliNation Road Race Community Program

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For the second consecutive year, Paasch captured the victory and Rolex

Submit Your Application by April 15 for the Opportunity to Join Pirelli’s Road Racing Community

Join racers like two-time defending Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch as a part of the #pirellination road racing community.

ROME, Ga. (April 1, 2022) – Pirelli Tire North America is pleased to announce the launch of its new #pirellination road race community for the 2022 racing season. As the official tire of the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship, Pirelli and its DIABLO™ Superbike lineup is the go-to tire by racers around the world. Pirelli remains dedicated to the grassroots part of the sport, continuing with its motto “we sell what we race, we race what we sell”, and all riders may purchase the same race compound tires found on the bikes of their favorite professional riders and World Champions like Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

The road race community program will ensure racers are the first to know about the latest brand news, be notified of Pirelli’s newest products, receive updates on national marketing opportunities within the brand, and be given access to technical advice and service at select races. Pirelli’s team will also be identifying and selecting several candidates who will have the opportunity to purchase race compound tires at preferred pricing and provided with Pirelli team-branded gear.

Residents of the United States and Canada are eligible for the program.

“Pirelli is extremely excited about building up its racer community with the all-new #PirelliNation program,” said Oscar Solis, road race manager, Pirelli. “Everything we do from the very top as a brand, including product development with World and National Championship racers, trickles down to the local, club level racer. Our goal remains to provide the everyday rider and racer with access to the latest technology and the very best products available on the market. With this new community, it will allow us to strengthen our bond with those racers, educate them on our products, and provide them with the knowledge and ingredients needed to succeed.”

Pirelli’s high-performance DIABLO Superbike lineup offers several different compounds including SC1, SC2, and SC3 on the front and SCX, SC0, SC1, SC2, and SC3 on the rear.

View the complete range of DIABLO Superbike tires on the Pirelli website.

CLICK HERE to submit your application for the 2022 #pirellination program. All applications must be submitted no later than April 15, 2022.

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New FIM Supercross World Championship planned

By General Posts

MUBADALA CAPITAL BACKS SX GLOBAL
TO LAUNCH NEW FIM SUPERCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Queensland, Australia (March 1st, 2022) — Mubadala Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, one of the world’s leading sovereign investors with US$243 billion of assets under management, today announced its investment in SX Global, an Australian company established to develop, promote, and commercialize the FIM Supercross World Championship.

Mubadala Capital has established a track record of successfully investing in category leaders across sports, media, and entertainment—including EMI Music Publishing, Endeavor Group Holdings, Reigning Champs, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES Network), among others—and this investment continues its history of backing world-class management teams in building differentiated global sports, media and entertainment businesses.

Mubadala Capital’s investment will support SX Global’s expansion plans for supercross and its efforts to capitalize on the exclusive rights it has secured from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) to manage and promote the new FIM Supercross World Championship, bringing the exciting sport of off-road motorbike racing to fans across the globe in a new competitive format.

“Our commitment to SX Global and the FIM Supercross World Championship builds on our strategy and track record of selectively investing in premier content properties with strong global appeal,” said Adib Martin Mattar, Head of Private Equity at Mubadala Capital. “We expect that our investment in SX Global will introduce the exciting sport of professional supercross to a global audience and build lasting value by delivering an authentic, exciting and fan-centric experience.”

SX Global’s President, Tony Cochrane, added, “We’re proud to partner with Mubadala Capital, a company that shares our vision and global aspirations for the FIM Supercross World Championship. With the international reach, resources, and business building experience of Mubadala Capital alongside us, we’re looking forward to establishing FIM Supercross World Championship as a leading global motorsport and entertainment property.”

Representing Mubadala Capital on the SX Global Board of Directors will be Matt Kim and Russ Pillar, who collectively bring decades of experience backing and leading global sports, media, and entertainment companies. They will be joining Tony Cochrane, SX Global’s President; Adam Bailey, SX Global’s Managing Director (Motorsport); Ryan Sanderson, SX Global’s Managing Director (Commercial); Tom Potter, Rush Sport & Entertainment; and Tavo Hellmund, Founder, Event Partners Marketing, on SX Global’s Board of Directors.

In December 2021, the FIM awarded SX Global the exclusive organisational and commercial rights to stage, manage and promote the FIM Supercross World Championship. Under the leadership of the SX Global Team, and with the financial backing and support of Mubadala Capital, Supercross will become a true global sports property, competing on a legitimate international platform for the first time in history. The FIM Supercross World Championship will commence in late 2022.

For more information on the FIM Supercross World Championship visit https://fimworldsx.com/
For more information on SX Global visit https://sxglobal.com/
[ For Mubadala Capital interview requests, please contact Salam Kitmitto (sakitmitto@mubadala.ae) ] [ For SX Global interview requests, please contact Gus Burrows (gus@amemanagement.com.au) ]

Mubadala Capital

Mubadala Capital is a wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, a leading global sovereign investor headquartered in Abu Dhabi. In addition to managing its own balance sheet investments, Mubadala Capital manages over $10 billion of third-party capital on behalf of institutional investors in all its businesses, including three private equity funds, two early-stage venture funds, a public fund, and two funds in Brazil focused on special situations.

Mubadala Capital and its affiliated entities have a long track record of owning and/or operating globally recognized sports, media, entertainment and premium content and services properties including EMI Music Publishing, Endeavor Group Holdings, Reigning Champs, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network.

SX GLOBAL – BOARD

Matt Kim – Non-Executive Board Member
• Matt Kim is a Senior Principal at Mubadala Capital and leads the team’s sports, media and entertainment investment activities. He possesses over a decade of investment experience, and prior to joining Mubadala Capital, Mr. Kim was an investment professional at Bank of America Capital Advisors, where he focused on evaluating private equity investment opportunities globally.
Mr. Kim graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship and is a CFA charter holder.

Russ Pillar – Chairperson
• Russ Pillar is a Senior Advisor and Operating Partner of Mubadala Capital where he initiates, evaluates, and manages investment opportunities globally. He is a tenured sports/media/consumer CEO, with executive roles across the Virgin Entertainment Group, Prodigy Internet, the CBS Internet Group, the Viacom Media Group, the Los Angeles Marathon, and Reigning Champs, among others.
Mr. Pillar previously held directorship roles for more than three dozen private and publicly traded sports, media, retail, entertainment, and technology/tech services companies. A Phi Beta Kappa cum laude graduate of Brown University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies, he also is a Henry Crown Fellow at The Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Tony Cochrane AM – President
• Tony Cochrane’s passion and experience forge a formidable combination and have ultimately resulted in some unforgettable milestones in entertainment and sport generally over the past 45 years both in Australia and on the global stage.

Over the past 45 years with partners and solo, Tony has produced and promoted over 400 sporting and entertainment events throughout the world, sold in excess of 25,000,000 tickets with gross sales exceeding two billion dollars, and written nearly $250,000,000 in sponsorship sales.

In his time as Executive Chairman of V8 Supercars, Tony Cochrane was considered the founding father of the ‘modern’ era of motor racing in Australia, the touring car category that was arguably amongst the world’s best. During this period, V8 Supercars had an extraordinary rise to the top of sport within Australia and on the world motorsport scene. It became a multi-million dollar industry under his strong leadership. His credits and performance in world motorsport are uniquely recognised both in Australia and overseas. He holds an FIA acknowledgement and an Order of Australia for his contributions.

Adam Bailey – Managing Director – Motorsport
• Adam’s experience in Supercross began as a competitor in the early 90s. He established an athlete and event management agency in 2005 that represented some of the most respected athletes and brands in this space. These networks led to valuable and unique international industry relationships.

Launching AME Management with Ryan Sanderson in 2012, the duo combined their experience to establish a boutique sports marketing agency in Australia and launched AUS SX Holdings and the AUS-X Open event in 2015. The events went on to achieve sell-out crowds annually for five years including the successful creation and expansion of the FIM Oceania Supercross Championship into New Zealand in 2018 and 2019. Adam leads key aspects of brand creative strategy, content, industry partnerships, international talent and operations.

A creative marketer, many of Adam’s unique PR, marketing and content strategies have helped see the events become recognised and respected, globally.

Ryan Sanderson – Managing Director – Commercial
• Ryan spent five years at V8 Supercars Australia under Tony Cochrane’s reign. In Ryan’s tenure as Sponsorship Manager, he serviced some of Australia’s largest sponsorship properties, managing over 20 V8 Supercars Championship partners, with over $22M in annual spend.
Ryan and Adam launched AME, a sports marketing agency together in 2012 and then sold-out Supercross events in Australia & New Zealand from 2015 – 2019.

Ryan secured major commercial partnerships for both AUS-X Open & S-X Open Auckland Supercross events including Monster Energy, Australian Tourism & State Government funding, Boost Mobile, Michelin, Komatsu, Castrol & Repco/NAPA. Ryan developed leading entertainment, fan engagement and innovative commercial experiences, as well as international TV broadcast distribution including IMG, Seven Network, Fox Sports Australia, CBS, Eurosport & Fox Asia to over 382 million homes.

Ryan brings a unique skillset to SX Global and has extensive international broadcast, promoter and commercial partnership networks globally.

Tom Potter – Non-executive Director | Europe
• Tom is a former racing driver, and a commercial veteran of the McLaren and Williams F1 Teams. Tom founded Rush Sport & Entertainment in 2010 which has grown internationally to become one of the most successful businesses in motorsport sponsorship and marketing services whilst also delivering record-breaking deals for other major entertainment properties such as The Rolling Stones. Rush is responsible for placing over $700million sponsorship of F1, Formula E and IndyCar properties since 2016 alone. Rush has helped identify, structure, negotiate, activate and measure sponsorship investments for brands including Petrobras, Mercedes-Benz, Prudential, IHG, Marriott, Avis, Renesas, Adecco (Modis), Progressive and Saudi Aramco.

Few can boast the level of energy, insight and understanding of global motorsports’ commercial landscape and entertainment value. Tom is an expert at leveraging sports marketing and the sports business environment to create value and accelerate growth.

Tavo Hellmund – Non-executive Director | North America
• Tavo Hellmund was the founder of the FIA Formula-1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, the co-founder of the FIA Formula-1 Mexican Grand Prix and a co- founder of the Circuit of the Americas race track in Austin, Texas. Tavo Hellmund has been the founder and President/Managing Partner of Full Throttle Productions, LP, Event Partners Marketing, LLC, Grand Prix Partners, LLC and Tavo Hellmund Inc. since 1994.

These companies manage and provide event project management, day of event oversight, staffing/volunteer services, venue planning, consulting and logistics support, marketing, sales, sponsorship, public relations and consultation services for sporting and special events around the world. Tavo Hellmund’s global event production experience includes brokering, sanctioning, producing or promoting over 150 sporting and entertainment events, which have generated more than 1.5 billion dollars in sales.

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Yoshimura Sert Wins FIM Endurance World Championship Title on Bridgestone Tires

By General Posts

Yoshimura Sert Motul Wins the FIM Endurance World Championship Title, the World’s Foremost Series of Endurance Motorcycle Races, on Bridgestone Tires

  • Bridgestone is proud to celebrate YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL’s FIM Endurance World Championship title.
  • After a dominant season, YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL became the second team to win the title on Bridgestone tires since 2018.
  • Since 2017, Bridgestone has supplied tires for teams competing in the FIM Endurance World Championship.

Tokyo (October 10, 2021) ― Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) today announced that YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL won the FIM*1 Endurance World Championship (EWC) title, the world’s foremost series of endurance motorcycle races, on Bridgestone tires. YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL is the second team to win EWC title on Bridgestone tires since 2018.

Since 2017, Bridgestone has supplied tires for teams competing in the EWC. As one of three teams on Bridgestone tires, YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL earned first place in two 24-hour races this season. Going into the year’s final race, 6 Hours of Most in the Czech Republic (October 9), the team held the overall points lead and maintained the lead with third-place finish – earning the 2021 EWC title outright.

“I am very pleased and honored to win the championship in the first year of participation as YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL by using Bridgestone tires,” said Yohei Kato, Team Director of YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL. “We vowed to fight in this Endurance World Championship on behalf of the Suzuki Factory Team, and this season has proved to be a dream come true by winning two of the world’s most famous 24-hour races, namely, the 24 Heures of Le Mans and the Bol d’Or.The whole team has been respecting each other in the spirit of “One for all, all for one”, and we will keep working together to improve the Suzuki GSX-R1000R into an even better package. Thank you to all the sponsors, partners and fans who warmly supported the YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL this year. We pledge to attract everyone to an even better championship next year and YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL will go all out to defend its title.”

“I would like to congratulate all of the members of YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL on their EWC title,” said Masato Banno, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer, Global CTO (Global Chief Technology Officer), Bridgestone Corporation. “YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL won both the Le Mans and Bol d’Or 24-hour endurance races, two of the toughest races in the series and showed why they deserved to be champion. Bridgestone is very proud to have contributed to their series championship in our first year as a team partner by supplying highly durable tires. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the many motorsports fans who supported us and to all the teams who worked so hard and cooperated in tire development. We will continue to refine our technology and support motorsports from the ground up through the development and supply of high-performance tires.”

The Bridgestone Group is implementing its Mid Term Business Plan (2021 – 2023)*2, which aims to realize its vision to provide social value and customer value as a sustainable solutions company toward 2050. To further enhance, the development of Dan-Totsu (the clear and absolute leader) products in the tire business, which is its core business, the group will continue to improve its technologies through motorsports, requiring maximum performances of tires. As an active member supporting the advancement of mobility society, the Bridgestone Group will continue to contribute to the automotive industry and motorsports culture by engaging in a wide range of motorsports with sustainability.

FIM stands for Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme

About Bridgestone Corporation: Bridgestone is a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company employs approximately 140,000 people globally and conducts business in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.

Daytona 200 with Triumph & Ducati plus King of the Baggers

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

At the 80th Daytona 200 Race – King of the Baggers Goes Oval Racing Next Year, Daytona 200 to Allow Triumph and Ducati.

When one hears the word Daytona, the first thing that comes to mind is the insane racing that goes on there, especially the Daytona 500 event dedicated to cars. But the same name can easily be associated with an equally grueling endurance race for motorcycles.

They call it Daytona 200, and it has been around in some form or another ever since 1937. Next year in March, when the upcoming event is scheduled, people attending will be celebrating the 80th edition of the race. On their end, organizers will do so with new rules and bagger racing as a side dish for the first time ever.

Bagger racing on sanctioned, iconic tracks has not been around for all that long. Or maybe it has, but it only got traction after back in 2020 Harley-Davidsons and Indians went at each other’s throats in a single high-adrenaline race, called King of the Baggers, at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Then, 2021 came with King of the Baggers as a three-race series (eventually won by Harley’s Kyle Wyman), and we also got the Bagger Racing League’s Drag Specialties Battle of the Baggers for the first time.

Next year in Daytona, most of the bikes that were raced this year, and hopefully, even more, will line up on the starting grid once more. It is there where the next season of King of the Baggers kicks off, marking the first time ever when such motorcycles have been raced “on the high banks of a Superspeedway with speeds expected to exceed 160 mph.”

So far, the organizers of the series, MotoAmerica, did not provide any info on how the race will shape up, so we have no idea how many tri-oval laps riders will have to do before being declared winners.

As said, this year’s three-race series winner is Kyle Wyman, who rode a Road Glide to victory, defeating last year’s single-race series winner, Indian Challenger rider Tyler O’Hara. It’s unclear at this point how the roster for the 2022 season will shape up, and the total number of races is kept under wraps as well.

The opening salvo of the King of the Baggers will, of course, not be part of the Daytona 200 main event, but there are things to discuss here as well, the most important of them all being the fact more motorcycles are now allowed in.

This is due to rule changes that “take into consideration several performance-related items that establish benchmarks for balancing a wide variety of middleweight performance machines.”

Based on the 2022 World Supersport Technical rules, the modifications should allow incredible two-wheelers like the Triumph 765, Ducati Panigale V2, and MV Agusta F3 to be fielded in the race, joining the existing Yamaha YZF-R6, Suzuki GSX-R600, and Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Daytona 200 will continue to be an open tire event, meaning each of the teams will be able to choose whatever tire manufacturer they like for the competition.

Back in March this year, the winner of the Daytona 200 was Brandon Paasch, who rode his Suzuki motorcycle to the win in 57 laps, completed in a little over two hours. The fastest lap of the race was actually the last one, and it went to Paasch in 1:49.752. That was enough to put him ahead runner-up Sean Dylan Kelly and his Kawasaki by just 0.30 seconds.

The 2021 Daytona 200 takes place on the weekend of March 10-12. The event is not part of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, meaning riders from around the world can take part.

At the time of writing, there is no info on the price for tickets or available packages.

PRESS RELEASE:

16 SEPTEMBER 2021
MotoAmerica, home of AMA Superbike and North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series, is thrilled to announce that it will partner with Daytona International Speedway to host one of the world’s most prestigious races – the DAYTONA 200 – during the weekend of March 10-12, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The 2022 DAYTONA 200, set for the green flag on Saturday, March 12, will be the 80th running of the event that began on the Daytona Beach shoreline in 1937 before moving to the World Center of Racing in 1961.

The DAYTONA 200 will feature new rules based off the proposed 2022 World Supersport Technical rules, which take into consideration several performance related items that establish benchmarks for balancing a wide variety of middleweight performance machines. These new rules open the door to motorcycles such as the Triumph 765, Ducati Panigale V2, MV Agusta F3 and others to compete alongside the current Yamaha YZF-R6, Suzuki GSX-R600 and Kawasaki ZX-6R. The DAYTONA 200 will also continue to run as an “open tire” event, allowing multiple tire manufacturers to join the competition.

The DAYTONA 200 will not be included as part of the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, leaving the opportunity open for the best riders from around the world to compete for the minimum $175,000 in purse and contingency that will be offered.

In addition to the DAYTONA 200, the MotoAmerica weekend at Daytona International Speedway will be the opening round of the 2022 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Championship, marking the first time Baggers will race on the high banks of a Superspeedway with speeds expected to exceed 160 mph, and also the first round of the Twins Cup Championship.

“The DAYTONA 200 is known worldwide to be one of the most exciting motorcycle races in the world,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey, who won the DAYTONA 200 in 1987. “We are proud to work with Daytona International Speedway, the AMA and FIM North America organizations to continue to enhance the prominence of the DAYTONA 200. With the new DAYTONA 200 rules in place, we are hopeful that this will open the door to more manufacturers and teams joining us in March. It’ll be a great way to start off the 2022 season. And, wow, Baggers on the high banks! What a spectacle that will be. Obviously, this is MotoAmerica’s first trip to Daytona, and it’s my first trip back to the Speedway since 2008. I’m looking forward to what is going to be a really cool weekend.”

“The tradition of the DAYTONA 200 is unprecedented, and we are thrilled to work with such a reputable group in MotoAmerica to continue the tradition,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “Racing two-wheel style has been a staple in Daytona for many years, first on the beach before moving to Bill France Sr.’s incredible creation of the 31-degree banking of Daytona International Speedway and Infield Road Course. There’s nothing like the excitement that the DAYTONA 200 provides, including close finishes that have become the norm.”

“The AMA is pleased that the DAYTONA 200 will now be run and managed by our AMA/FIM North America partner MotoAmerica for 2022,” said AMA President and CEO, and FIM North America President, Rob Dingman. “This has been one of our goals since 2015 when we established our partnership with MotoAmerica and facilitated the return of professional road racing sanctioning rights to the AMA.”

Earlier this year, Brandon Paasch, at only 19 years old, used an old, veteran move common to Daytona, to capture the 2021 DAYTONA 200 in breathtaking fashion. After running second for most of the last portion of the race, Paasch, utilizing the draft, reeled in leader Sean Dylan Kelly and calculated a perfect slingshot move at the entrance of the tri-oval as the duo came to the checkered flag, winning by just .031 of a second, and taking home the traditional Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch.

Nine World Champions, including seven 500cc/MotoGP World Champions – six Americans (Kenny Roberts, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kevin Schwantz and Nicky Hayden) and one Italian (Giacomo Agostini) – have won the Daytona 200.

The winningest riders in the Daytona 200 are former World and AMA Superbike Champion Scott Russell (1992, ’94, ’95, ’97 and ’98) and 1995 AMA Superbike Champion Miguel Duhamel (’91, ’96, ’99, 2003, 2005). The pair have each won five Daytona 200s.

More information on the 2022 DAYTONA 200 will be announced soon, including additional support classes, final rules, entry instructions, broadcast coverage and ticket opportunities.

The iconic Daytona International Speedway will be the site of a host of motorsports events in 2022, beginning with the Rolex 24 in January, the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February, along with the 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA in March, featuring the Monster Energy AMA Supercross and DAYTONA 200.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news. For information on all events, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

Monster Energy® Kawasaki Rider Adam Cianciarulo Captures Second 450SX Podium of the Season

By General Posts

Foothill Ranch, Calif. (February 9, 2020) – Round 6 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship presented perfect weather conditions in sunny San Diego, California where Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Adam Cianciarulo captured his second 450SX podium of the season with a second-place finish with Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Austin Forkner also bringing home a second-place finish in the 250SX class.

Cianciarulo kicked the day off by qualifying with the fastest lap time (49.024) for the sixth week in a row with his teammate Eli Tomac once more following closely in second.

As the gate dropped on 450SX Heat 1, Tomac was banging bars at the start which would leave him buried in the pack. Making quick work in the short race, Tomac was able to pass six other contenders in the nine-lap race before crossing the finish line in third.

450SX Heat 2 saw the No. 9 of Cianciarulo grab the holeshot aboard his KX™450 and lead every lap to take the checkered flag. His second heat race of the season.

Similarly to the heat race, Cianciarulo shot out front in the 450SX Main Event leading the 22-rider field. Cianciarulo led 20 of the 25 laps before getting passed, crossing the finish line in second. The runner-up result is the rookie’s second runner-up finish of the season and jumped him up to fifth in the 450SX Point Standings.

On the other hand, Tomac found himself buried mid-pack in the main creating a daunting task on the tight track, where it was difficult to make a pass. Tomac went straight to work and began maneuvering his way around competitors one-by-one, but not without a few wild battles along the way. Before the end of the 20-minute main event, Tomac was able to push forward and cross the finish line in fourth, now sitting just one point behind the series’ points leader.

Traditionally, the San Diego round is designated Military Appreciation Night to honor our servicemen and women, which provided the opportunity for the Kawasaki teams to rock unique camouflage gear and graphics on their KX™ machines.

“Well, I was challenged tonight after having to fight my way towards the front in the main. I didn’t have the best start, but we’ll get back to work with the Monster Energy Kawasaki team this week and hope to improve for Tampa next weekend. I do feel I rode well tonight and I’m proud we were able to make up quite a few positions to finish fourth on the night.” – Eli Tomac

“I’ve been waiting and working for this my entire career, to ride in the premier class and get on the big stage. I’m still learning, still improving every day, and I feel like I rode really well tonight. I led nearly every lap of the race but unfortunately got passed at the end so I’m a little disappointed I couldn’t hold Cooper [Webb] off just a little longer. Honestly, I’m just excited to be up front with such a talented group of guys and prove I can compete.”– Adam Cianciarulo

The Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammates kicked off the night show lining up for 250SX Heat 1 and putting on quite the show as they launched out front aboard their KX™250 machines. The duo began their battle as Forkner grabbed the holeshot but was quickly passed by McAdoo for the lead. McAdoo led the first two laps before Forkner raced around him, eventually pulling away to take the heat win and finishing 1-2.

Once again, Forkner grabbed the holeshot as the gate dropped on the 250SX Main Event but fell back into second in the first lap, while McAdoo started in sixth position. Forkner waited patiently before making his move and by Lap 5, the lead would be his. Forkner led the majority of the race before getting passed late to take second, earning his fourth podium of the season. Despite making his way into the top-5 and riding well all night, McAdoo was forced to retire early from the race due to a mechanical issue, placing him 22nd on the night.

Although misfortune struck on the track, McAdoo was surrounded by good company this weekend as his older sister Petty Officer First Class Mackenzie Poskevich, who serves in the U.S. Navy was able to attend and be by his side for the special military appreciation weekend.

Forkner and McAdoo will now take a six-week break from the races as the series heads East next weekend in Tampa, Florida. The duo will tag in their Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki East coast teammates, Garrett Marchbanks and Jordon Smith to continue the team’s winning ways.

“I had a pretty good day. I rode well starting from qualifying, won the heat race, led most of the main and grabbed another second. It’s not exactly where we want to be, but I’ll take another podium.  We’ve got a six-week break, so we’ll go back, get to work and come back swinging.”– Austin Forkner

“Things like tonight just happen sometimes in racing; it’s out of anyone’s control and you just have to roll with the punches. That said we had a solid heat race and it was cool to represent the U.S. Navy on the track with my sister in the stands. We’ll continue to work during the break, will be excited to get back to racing in a few weeks.”– Cameron McAdoo

Monster Energy® Kawasaki Rider Eli Tomac Dominates the Competition in Oakland

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Foothill Ranch, Calif. (February 2, 2020) – Round 5 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship returned to Oakland, California where Team Green found success all day long. Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac put on an impressive show as he returned to the top step of the 450SX class podium for his second win of the season, while Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Austin Forkner battled hard, earning second overall in the 250SX class and placing his KX™250 on the podium once again.

Adam Cianciarulo and Tomac continued to show the way in qualifying/practice with the dynamic duo once again qualifying one-two respectively for the fifth straight week.

Tomac lined up for the first 450SX heat race of the night where he crossed the finish line in second place and was able to find fast lines that would pay dividends later in the Main Event. Teammate Cianciarulo lined up for 450SX heat race number two and found himself buried mid-pack off the start. As Cianciarulo began picking off his competitors one by one he ran into the back wheel of his former Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki teammate Martin Davalos. Cianciarulo got shuffled to the back and had to charge all the way back up to sixth place to qualify into the Main Event.

As the gate dropped on 450SX Main Event, it was Cianciarulo and Tomac getting off the line in great shape. Rounding the first turn side by side amongst the leaders, they ran second and third place respectively. After dicing it out in the first few turns the teammates settled into place. Near the halfway mark the No. 3 Kawasaki machine of Tomac saw an opportunity and began to charge towards the front. After passing his teammate, he was able to make quick work of the leader and began building a lead around two seconds, but a costly mistake at the end of the sand section sent Tomac over the berm. However, there was no denying Tomac on this night. He regrouped and with two minutes left, he was able to reclaim the lead and win the race with authority. Cianciarulo would ultimately end up crossing the finish line in fourth place on the night.

With the win in Oakland, Tomac ties former Monster Energy Kawasaki racers James Stewart and Ryan Villopoto with the most wins in Oakland. After capturing his second win of the season, Tomac now sits just three points behind the series points leader heading into Round 6.

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Forkner kicked off the day qualifying second, while teammate Cameron McAdoo returned to racing in Oakland after two weeks off, and able to qualify in ninth place heading into the night show.

Forkner lined up for the first 250SX heat race of the night and got off to a good start. After picking his way past a couple competitors, he began to run down the leader, and after a few turns of playing cat and mouse, Forkner was able to take control of the lead and never looked back. In the second 250SX heat race of the night, it was a wild ride for the No. 29 machine of McAdoo as the Top-5 running order shifted lap after lap. McAdoo capitalized on the opportunity and he went on to win his first ever 250SX heat race.

As the gate dropped on 250SX Main Event, Forkner shot into second place and by lap two had moved himself into the lead and began putting distance between the competition knowing that every point counts towards the championship points lead. As the race progressed. Forkner would be forced to battle lapped traffic allowing the competition to close the gap. Following a quick battle, Forkner would have to settle for second place overall.

In the 250SX Main Event McAdoo found himself buried in the mid-pack off the start. After dodging mayhem in the early laps, McAdoo settled into seventh place and wanted to get valuable track time after returning from injury and ultimately crossed the finish line in 14th place.

After putting his KX™250 on the podium in Oakland, Forkner’s point deficit remains at 10 in the 250SX West Point Standings, however he was able to move up into third place in the championship point standings.

“Wow, what a crazy night. We got a good start tonight and were able to get going right away. Had a good battle with Ken (Roczen) tonight, then got a little excited and missed my rear brake and went over the berm there. Luckily, I was able to recover quickly and charge back to the front. My KX™450 was straight up ripping tonight and we closed the points gap up to three points. I am feeling really good right now, and we are just going to carry this momentum into San Diego next weekend.”  – Eli Tomac

“For me tonight we made great strides and for only riding one time this week to see if my tailbone was good to go, I am pretty pumped with the result. I can’t thank the whole Monster Energy Kawasaki team enough for giving me a setup tonight that allowed me to do what I did after being a little banged up. I am looking forward to some more recovery this week and to come out swinging next week in San Diego.” – Adam Cianciarulo

 

Rider Austin Forkner Captures First Triple Crown Win of the Season

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Foothill Ranch, Calif. (January 26, 2020) – Round 4 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship returned to the desert in Glendale, Arizona for its first of three Monster Energy Supercross Triple Crown events of the 2020 season. Monster Energy®/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki rider Austin Forkner raced for redemption as he returned to the top step of the 250SX class podium with a 1-1-3 score, while Monster Energy® Kawasaki rider Eli Tomac rode consistently all night for a 2-2-3 score, earning second overall in the 450SX class and placing his KX™450 on the podium once again.

Adam Cianciarulo kept his streak alive by qualifying with the fastest lap time (1:02.5) for the fourth time in a row this season with his teammate Tomac once more followed closely in second.

The Triple Crown race format proved to be a test of endurance as the 450SX class was challenged with three 12-minute plus one lap main events while the 250SX class competed in three 10-minute plus one lap main events.

The dynamic duo of Tomac and Cianciarulo lined up for the first of three gate drops of the night knowing the importance of a good start in the shorter races, and without hesitation, the Kawasaki teammates shot out front as 450SX Main Event 1 began with Tomac in second and Cianciarulo in fourth. Cianciarulo quickly made his way into third, trailing Tomac in second for the entirety of the first race.

As the gate dropped on 450SX Main Event 2, it was the No. 3 Kawasaki machine of Tomac who quickly took the lead just before another rider went down on the first turn, forcing a red flag and the race to restart. Once again, the now 21-rider field would line up for the second main event but this time presenting Tomac with more work to get to the front as he started from fifth, while Cianciarulo was able to position himself in third. Just as Cianciarulo made his way into second, he made a minor error causing him to tip over and remount in eighth. Before the checkers flew, both Kawasaki riders were able to advance a few positions with Tomac crossing the finish line with another second-place finish and Cianciarulo in sixth.

Eerily identical, 450SX Main Event 3 saw another red flag at the start of the race forcing the riders to once again line up, making this their fifth gate drop of the night. As the gate dropped for the final race of the night, the Kawasaki teammates found themselves buried mid-pack in 11th and 12th positions. Acknowledging they had their work cut out for them, they began charging the field as Cianciarulo made his way into fifth by Lap 3 and Tomac trailing right behind him. With only a few laps remaining, Cianciarulo reached third before suffering a hard crash in the whoops and only managed to finish 17th, ultimately giving him eighth overall with 3-6-17 scores. However, Tomac was able to continue his consistency and takeover third place, where he would finish for second overall with 2-2-3 scores. Tomac has now advanced to second in the 450SX Point Standings, merely eight points behind the leader.

“These Triple Crown races are already crazy and then to add the two red flags, there was just a lot going on. We technically had five starts tonight and I didn’t exactly help myself on those, but I was able to make my way to the front and remain consistent with my finishes. Consistency really was the key tonight and the team worked their tails off to help me finish up on the podium. We still have some work to do but overall, we had a successful night and I’m glad we’re close in the point standings.”
– Eli Tomac

“That was definitely not how we wanted to finish the night and although this is part of racing, it’s always a tough pill to swallow. We kicked off the day qualifying fastest again and honestly, I was feeling good all day. I made some mistakes out there and that last one cost me. I’m sore and a bit frustrated but I have a great team behind me, who continue to remind me there are a lot more races left to go in this premier class. We’ll take the week to recuperate and look to come out strong in Oakland.”
– Adam Cianciarulo

Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki’s Forkner kicked off the day qualifying third and headed straight into the three main events with the momentum.

Forkner wasted no time proving he is still a force to be reckoned with as he dominated the first two races in the 250SX class after blasting out front and taking off to lead 17 of the 22 laps combined.

As the gate dropped on 250SX Main Event 3, Forkner cautiously shot out in fourth keeping the overall goal in mind. As he approached Lap 4, Forkner maneuvered his way into third with the goal to finish out the night consistently and with the overall win, which is just what he did with the 1-1-3 scores.

After putting his KX™250 on the top step of the podium for the overall win on the night, Forkner was able to reduce his point deficit to 10 in the 250SX West Point Standings and now sits fourth. The 250SX West class has two rounds remaining before a six-week break begins and the 250SX East class comes in to vie for their chance at the championship.

“I’ve been working on the whoops with the team all week because I’ve really been struggling there, so I was ready to race tonight. I’ve had to dig myself out of a hole after last weekend and now 10 points down isn’t too bad. I’ll just keep grinding, chipping away at those points and continue to dig out of this hole. Overall, it was a great night for the entire Monster Energy/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team and we’re looking to keep it rolling.”
– Austin Forkner

Motorcycle racing in Asia is growing at unrivaled pace

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by Renato Marques from https://macaudailytimes.com.mo

The first-ever person of Portuguese nationality to hold the position, Jorge Viegas has served as president of the global governing and sanctioning body of motorcycle racing, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), for just over a year now.

In an exclusive interview with the Times last week, Viegas shared his opinions on the development of the sport in Asia and worldwide, speaking also about the ambitions of his presidency. He also offered some advice to Macau motorcycling event organizers, while stressing again that his organization has no jurisdiction over the annual event, part of the Macau Grand Prix.

After one year at the helm of the FIM, Viegas remarked on his success in making the organization more democratic and more transparent. He also claimed victory in his goal to give more importance to the constituent FIM committees, which he said had been “totally left out of decisions” in the past.

“I am very pleased that I [accomplished] a small ‘revolution’ at the FIM at the internal level,” he said. “That was one of my goals and it was achieved.”

Opening the FIM to the world had debunked the impression that the FIM was just “a bunch of old guys that liked to travel.”
“I have been opening the doors of the FIM to the outside and have started to collaborate a lot more with the promoters. Next month, we will, for the first time, host a plenary meeting with all the committees with the presence of journalists. This has never happened before. I want to show what the FIM does.”

“One of the first measures I took was to hold a press conference that took place at Losail during Qatar GP last year, in which I presented everyone from the FIM side that works in a Grand Prix, asking them to explain who they are and what their job duties are.”
“Without going into too much detail, I would say that I managed to bring the FIM closer to the national federations,” said Viegas.
Coming up, more reform is expected, especially in the categories of “Superbikes” and “Endurance”. The president promised that new measures to improve these categories will be announced soon, even as early as this year.

His ultimate goal remains greater engagement of the youth in motorcycle racing, all while ensuring the safety of the sport. Building on his mandate, Viegas reiterated that “every youngster, independent of gender and financial capacity, if they have the talent, passion, and motivation, [ought to be able to] compete in motorcycle racing.” At the same time, the sport must be “as safe as possible,” because only in this way can we “convince parents to let the youth participate in the sport.”

‘Unrivaled’ growth in Asia

For Viegas, “the development of motorcycling in Asia is unrivaled worldwide.”

The Asian continent is the fastest-growing region of the world when it comes to motorcycle racing, and yet its popularity is still far from peaking, he said. The FIM president recalled how the organization began with 16 national and regional federations across Asia. Today, that number has almost doubled, with 28 already accounted for and another three joining the FIM soon.

This trend is perhaps unsurprising given that, in the words of Viegas, “Asia is the most popular continent for motorcycles and where the most are circulating in the streets.”

The president is also impressed with how upbeat everyone in Asia is about the sport.

Addressing the inclusion of a new race in the MotoGP to be held on the island of Lombok, Indonesia in March 2021, Viegas remarked, “the works to build this circuit have just started and [the promoters] have already sold about 30,000 seats for the event.”
The sport is also popular elsewhere in Asia, where circuit racing championships are well-entrenched, according to the FIM president.
However, the continent suffers from a major drawback: its size. As a large and diverse continent, Asia presents a challenge in high traveling costs.

“For example, a rider going racing from China to Japan faces very high expenses,” offered Viegas, referring to transportation and logistics costs. For this reason, FIM tries to financially support the Asian Federation, so that it is possible to maintain competitive championships.

Return to China only a ‘matter of time’

Notably absent from the countries hosting major motorcycle racing events is China, leading some to speculate about disagreement between the organizers and the Chinese government. Viegas was quick to dismiss the idea of any ill feeling between the FIM, the promoters and the Chinese government.

“There is no problem with China,” he told the Times. “I believe that if they want to host an event, they can do it.”

Although there is currently no circuit in China homologated to the standards of hosting any major competitions, “if they want to, they can do that easily,” said Viegas. “It is just a matter of will and making a few works on the [existing] circuits or even building a new one.”

“I was with the Chinese authorities a few months ago and they told me that they wanted to have MotoGP back in China,” he continued. This comes as China has been pursuing other kinds of motorcycle racing categories, such as Motocross. The debut of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in Shanghai last year, and is set to return this year.

But a return of the MotoGP is not likely within the next few years, according to the FIM president.

“We have a lot more demand than we can satisfy,” explained Viegas. “There are a lot of countries wanting to host MotoGP. This year we already expanded the championship to 20 races, and in upcoming years we can likely grow to [a maximum of] 22, which is enormous.”

Macau Grand Prix needs to review safety

Although the FIM has no jurisdiction over the motorcycle race held during the Macau Grand Prix event, the Times solicited Viegas’s views and insights on the race.

The FIM veteran, who served a number of roles at the organization prior to becoming its president, immediately suggested two logistical improvements that local organizers could adopt.

“There is one thing that the organizers can do to improve the race, which is not running motorcycle events after car events,” he said, highlighting that after a series of car races, track surface conditions may not be ideal. He also mentioned that the light and visibility conditions late in the afternoon can also be challenging for racers and present added logistical complications with race restarts.

“I think this is the minimum that organizers could do because this will improve a lot of the conditions,” said Viegas.

On a more positive note, the FIM president remarked on the “good choices” made by local organizers in “bringing in riders with a lot of experience and progressively investing in the active safety systems.”

“In the future, we hope the riders will all wear racing suits with an airbag system incorporated as well as FIM homologated helmets,” said Viegas, adding that these additional safety features have been designed to minimize the risk to racers.

For the president of FIM, the only safety issue with the Guia Circuit is the lack of run-off areas.

“The problem of Macau [street circuit] is very simple; there are no run-off areas, that’s all. There are no other problems. This is a circuit designed to host car races, the motorcycles are a complementary race that the spectators enjoy. I just think we should do all that is possible to increase the safety of the event,” he said.

A solution commonly used by the FIM on permanent racing circuits that do not possess enough run-off space is so-called “air fences”- soft-wall safety barriers, which are inflated to cushion impact from riders on otherwise rigid structures.

“When we cannot have run-off areas with the length we need, the circuit must install an air fence and we have seen riders reaching them even in areas with a lot of space,” he explained.

“Here in Macau, it would be needed obviously but again, we are not the entity that controls the safety conditions in Macau. What I wish is that there will be no more serious incidents here.”

Several recent incidents in the motorcycle racing component of the Macau Grand Prix have raised safety concerns once again among race organizers and the general population of the city. In 2017, motorcyclist Daniel Hegarty died in a crash at the Fisherman’s Bend after losing control of his bike. A major crash last year left three riders hospitalized and saw the race red flagged.

“We understand that there are riders specialized in this type of race [road racing] and they are highly experienced as well as highly aware of the risks they are taking. But what I can say is that it’s not this kind of race that the FIM encourages,” Viegas said. “This is not a circuit homologated by the FIM and it can never be, because it cannot fully meet optimal safety conditions.”

Nevertheless, the official recognizes that events like the Macau Grand Prix and the Isle of Manx TT have a long tradition with some races going back to over a century.

“It’s not under FIM competences to say anything against them,” he said. “As for the [Macau] race, it’s great entertainment and the people love it and the riders love it too.”

The global energy problem

Globally, another major challenge is the need to follow the world trend in “energy transition,” according to Viegas, which will necessitate swapping petrol-powered engines to electricity-powered motors.

“This is something that concerns us and that we are working on together with the promoters and manufacturers,” Viegas said, explaining that on motorcycles this swap will be more difficult than on cars as the current batteries are very heavy and very big, making the batteries appropriate for a racing motorcycle not capable of managing great distances.

For the time being, the Moto-E category part of the complementary program of MotoGP in some European circuits only can feature six-lap racing events.

“But as we know, this technology is developing very fast. When the batteries can be of a longer range and become lighter, I am sure we will see some great leaps forward.”

We the Riders: One Movement for Everyone

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Limitless. Global. Unified. WTR is a community for ALL riders.

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) today announced its branding re-release for the We, The Riders (WTR) campaign. Both on and off the roads, all riders are equal, and there is strength in their beautiful diversity; this is the core vision of the rebranded We, The Riders campaign that is being launched today through the release of their promotional video. WTR stands ready to deliver an unmatched community experience and aims to unify the global population of motorcycling enthusiasts, providing them with a central social media hub.

Anyone can be passionate about motorcycling, anyone can learn to ride, and anyone can be a rider. Diversity is one of the fundamental, underpinning features of riding, and this historic movement will bring an unprecedented sense of closeness and community into the motorcycling world.

“Motorcycling is a global sport, pastime and passion, and it deserves an authentic, global movement that brings everyone together. Across all levels of performance, from all nations and across all differences, motorcycling has the capacity to unify people, and that is exactly what We, The Riders, is going to facilitate.” explained Jorge Viegas, FIM President.

The aim of the WTR campaign is to create a global movement for a safer, more sustainable, more exciting and more unified riding experience, free from discrimination and full of diversity. The movement was founded on four pillars, all given equal weight:

● Safety: education drives change, and the WTR movement will provide both online education and downloadable guides, as well as develop the reach of influential safety Ambassadors who are to be tasked with promoting rider safety across all aspects of motorcycling.

● Sustainability: diffusing news and information on eco-friendly motorcycling research, reporting on all concrete FIM actions for sustainability, and showcasing members’ innovative sustainability solutions are a vital part of the movement in today’s world.

● Leisure: riding is a way of life which goes beyond the passion of motorsports, and WTR brings attention to the underrepresented aspect of riding for leisure. Motorcycling also represents a large part of personal transportation in every day life. All riders are unified by the WTR campaign.

● Equality: showcasing the diversity of the WTR community and ensuring all riders are represented in our campaign materials. From gender, origin and (dis)ability to the more niche areas of motorcycling, WTR is for everyone.

About the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM):
The FIM is the official world Governing Body for motorcycle sport and the global advocate for motorcycling. Bringing together 111 National Federations, it is recognised as the sole competent authority in motorcycle sport by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Dedicated to sustainability, FIM was the first International sporting Federation to enforce an environmental code, doing so in 1994.

By launching this re-branded initiative, both the FIM and the WTR campaign are working towards a more unified motorcycling community, providing opportunities for growing the motorcycling fanbase and providing a platform for authentic, meaningful and innovative interactions and collaborations.