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Author: David Bodapati
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WorldSBK returns for Round 1 from MotorLand Aragon
216 days will have passed since the last round of WorldSBK action, but now it’s game on at Aragon
Aragaon, 17 May 2021: It’s finally here, the moment we’ve all waited for: the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship fires back into life this weekend for Round 1 of the season, coming from the MotorLand Aragon venue in Alcañiz, Spain. For the first time since 2004, the Championship starts in Europe and with new names, new bikes and refreshed team line-ups all playing a part, we could be in for one of the most unpredictable seasons yet. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) may be the reigning six-time World Champion, but this may well be the hardest challenge yet.
Jonathan Rea has a sparkling record at MotorLand Aragon. He’s never missed the podium since joining Kawasaki in 2015, a run of 17 a record on its own. He’s also aiming for a 100th win in WorldSBK, which would make him the first motorcycle racer in an FIM Road Racing World Championship to win 100 races in one class. He took three wins at Aragon in 2020 and aims to start his quest for a seventh title strongly. His teammate is Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who, despite a preseason testing injury, is ready to make a step in 2021. Rea and Lowes have the new Kawasaki ZX-10RR at their disposal, which features a new fairing and more powerful engine.
The charge to toppling Kawasaki comes from Ducati and they’ve got a strong line-up in 2021. 2020 runner-up Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) remains for a second season, with charismatic Italian sensation Michael Ruben Rinaldi alongside him. Redding took two wins at MotorLand Aragon last year, whilst Rinaldi took a first of his career before going on to take two more podiums throughout the rest of the Teruel Round. Both have tested extensively in preseason, including at Aragon, and with Ducati being the most successful manufacturer at the venue in terms of victories, it may add a different dynamic and complexion to the start of 2021.
The next-best manufacturer in 2020 was Yamaha, with Turkish-ace Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) taking fourth overall last year with three wins. Toprak struggled at Aragon in 2020, breaking into the top five only once from six races at the track, a venue which has been tricky for Yamaha in recent years. Razgatlioglu will have a new teammate for 2021 with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) stepping up, having dominated World Supersport last year, taking 12 wins – of which four were at Aragon. He’s been chipping away in testing, whilst Yamaha have a modified front fairing for 2021 and an evolved engine, as well the new Brembo front brake calipers. Are these steps enough to start the year in competitive fashion?
Whilst Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) and teammate Leon Haslam remain with Honda for 2021 and achieved an identical points tally in 2020, there’s still plenty of big talking points at HRC for 2021. The first is ex-WorldSBK star Leon Camier is the new team manager, having retired from racing after an injury-hit 2020. The other major change is the technological advances with the motorcycle, such as an upgraded engine, new exhaust system and seat unit, not to mention a swingarm that had been trialled in testing. The HRC engineers back in Japan have invested a lot of time into making the Fireblade CBR1000RR-R SP a constant front-running contender and with Aragon being the scene of the bike’s first podium in 2020 and the scene of plenty of preseason testing, it could be a strong start. After all, Bautista did win three races at the venue back in 2019, when he was a rookie…
The last of the five factories is BMW, who come out fighting in 2021 with an all-new M 1000 RR, the first Superbike derived from their M-series department. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) starts a third season with the German manufacturer and the season starts where he achieved the first front row for the manufacturer on their return in 2019. Sykes has more poles than anyone else at Aragon, whilst new teammate Michael van der Mark was a consistent front-runner in 2020 across both Aragon weekends. Still adapting to the new bike, which features winglets, a new engine and a whole host of other advances, van der Mark hopes to start 2021 in solid fashion.Now to the Independent stars: the undisputed King of Aragon is Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), who gets started with his new team. Seven wins and eight other podiums, Davies – the highest point-scorer of all riders from the final three rounds of 2020 – may be in the fight this weekend. Another top Independent threat comes from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team), who took two podiums at the final round of 2020 and has the 2021-spec Yamaha for this year. Lots of testing, including at MotorLand Aragon, Gerloff should be at the front. Three other familiar names with Independent teams in 2021 are Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse), who debuts with the new team, Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), with the Argentinean-ace starting a new challenge and Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha), who brings the iconic Alstare name back to WorldSBK.
There’s lots of rookies in Independent teams in 2021, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) being the fastest coming into the season, whilst ex Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) joins the grid from MotoGP™. 2017 WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) graduates and Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) brings his radical riding style to WorldSBK to fly the flag for Japan. Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) steps up to the class, whilst one of the youngest teams on the grid is the TPR Team Pedercini Racing squad, with 22-year-old Belgian Loris Cresson and 23-year-old Italian Samuele Cavalieri. Finally, the youngest rider on the grid is Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who has made a solid first impression during testing. -
J Rod finishes overall 4th as two Hero riders in top-5
Villamartin (Spain), 16 May 2021: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the rally racing team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, completed their first rally of the new season on a strong note with two of its riders finishing in the Top 5 in overall standings.
Joaquim Rodrigues and Franco Caimi, placed fourth and fifth respectively after Stage 3 started the final stage with the best chances of achieving a Podium for the team. Joaquim made a strong start to the stage but settled on the side of caution owing to a couple of crashes and brought the bike home safely in the seventh position. This was enough for him to earn a fourth place in the overall standings, building upon his win in the Prologue and a strong performance throughout the rally.
Franco Caimi also made a strong final dash and managed secure a fifth place in the last stage of the rally, his efforts rewarding him with a fifth place in the overall standings too. With this he managed to achieve a Top 5 finish in his very first rally in Hero MotoSports colors.
Sebastian Buhler, who had received a 15 minutes penalty yesterday owing to an engine change effectively lost his chance of an overall podium finish. Yet, he put the new engine to good use and achieved good speed to finish the final stage in fourth place. He finished the rally on the eight position in the overall rankings.
Sebastian Buhler finishes overall 8th. A Hero MotoSports image With a report card that boasts of a stage win in the Prologue, three stage podiums, seven Top-5 stages and all the riders competing for the top positions, Andalucia Rally, undoubtedly turned out to be a highly successful and positive first step for the Team into the new season. The resurgence of Joaquim Rodrigues, the consistency of Sebastian Buhler and the fresh energy of Franco Caimi in the team augurs really well for the team’s prospects in the upcoming season.
Next up for Hero MotoSports Team Rally will be the Rally Kazakhstan scheduled from June 7– 13, where the team will be looking to gain more experience and saddle time for the riders while battling for top results.
Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: ”This has been a great start to our season. We tested some new configurations in the bike and also in the team. I am very happy that we have a lot of positives to take home. It was great to see JRod back among the top positions, while Buhler was very impressive with his consistency and in Caimi we have another top contender bringing fresh energy into the team. The bike has also performed really well and supported the riders to fight for the top positions, so all in all, I think we have a very good combination. Now we look to build on this further in the next rallies. Last but not the least, we want to express our thanks to everyone back in the Hero family and our supporters across the world. This is a tough time for all of us and we urge you to keep safe.”
Joaquim Rodrigues, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “Today was difficult day for me as I had a couple of crashes and hurt my hand and knee a little bit. So, I decided to slow down and focus on getting the bike to the finish safely. In the second part I got into a better rhythm and pushed through to the finish line. I am setting a good pace on the bike and the bike is also performing really well so I am happy with the results. I want to thank my team, entire Hero family and all our fans for their support.”
Franco Caimi, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I focused today on improving my feeling and confidence on the bike so I am happy to be at the end and with the way things have gone in my first rally with my new team. I really enjoyed it and want to thank my entire crew for doing a fantastic job through the rally and also our supporters and my new Hero family. Now we will start our work for the upcoming Kazakhstan Rally.”
Sebastian Buhler, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “I am very happy that I managed to get some good stages for the team in the rally. The bike worked really well and the team also made a great job so everything was perfect. I feel that I am getting better day by day and even though the results could have been better, overall we had a very good rally. I want to express my special thanks to our team and fans across the world.”
Provisional Stage 4 Rankings:
1. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda Team 02h 09m 55s;
2. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team +11s;
3. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +47s;
4. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +01m 05s;
5. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +02m 00s;
7. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +02m 50s;
Provisional Overall Rankings after Stage 4:
1. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda Team 10h 47m 32s;
2. Lorenzo Santolino Sherco Factory Rally Team +03m 28s;
3. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda Team +10m 29s;
4. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally +13m 50s;
5. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally +14m 05s;
8. Sebastian Buhler Hero MotoSports Team Rally +26m 04s.
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Full GAS! Garcia takes stunning 2nd win at a wet Le Mans
The Spaniard takes the glory with a supreme charge to the front, ahead of a first podium for Salač and Rossi as the weather mixes up the field in France
Le Mans, 16 May 2021: Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) put in an absolute stunner on race day at the SHARK Grand Prix de France, the Spaniard making his way through to lead early on in difficult conditions and nothing able to stop him from there. It’s his second Grand Prix win, his first for GASGAS and the marque’s first victory since joining Moto3 this season. P2 went to Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) as the Czech rider proved the only man able to push Garcia to the flag, ultimately forced to settle for second, with front row starter Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) completing the podium for his first career rostrum finish to top off an impressive weekend at Le Mans.
Sergio Garcia: “I feel very good! Because this victory was a very difficult victory, the track conditions were changing during the whole race but I kept focused and concentrating to win the race and I think this is the target! The track was really drying. I’m very happy with my ride, I pushed very hard to the limit. And this victory is for my team and my family.”
Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) took the holeshot from pole, but after a few corners of shuffle it was Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) in the lead. Not long after though, the dream was over early as the Italian crashed out, soon followed by Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Jeremy Alcoba (Indonsesian Racing Gresini Moto3). Then it was drama time for Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and the biggest earthquake then came for his teammate Pedro Acosta. Up from outside the top 20 on the grid, the Spaniard then overcooked it and went down, but he was up quickly as he slotted back in pretty much where he started in P21.
Ahead of the drama, two riders had emerged in the early lead: Garcia and Salač. With three seconds in hand back to Rossi in his own little bit of clear air, it wasn’t plain sailing but the two pounded on. After a couple of wobbles, Garcia started to make his own gap too…
Rossi was being chased by Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), with a big group then fighting for sixth – and Acosta back in that. More drama hit not long after for one of the Spaniard’s key points rivals too, as Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) tumbled out from the front of the freight train fighting for sixth. The South African rejoined but right at the back, and with quite a gap. That left rookies Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) heading that group… the two up from the very back of the grid after an incredible charge through the chaos.
Meanwhile at the front, with 10 to go Garcia overcooked it at Turn 8 and headed wide, the Spaniard carefully getting straight back onto the racing line but Salač able to slice through to lead. It didn’t last long though, Garcia gathering it back up and soon taking over again – once again, pulling out a gap.
It would stretch and then Salač would pull it back, but by the last lap the Spaniard had 1.9 in hand and just one more tour of Le Mans to the top step. And he kept it calm in style to take his second ever Grand Prix win and the first Moto3™ win for GASGAS, a true masterclass from early doors to the flag. Salač impressed for second and his first podium, with Rossi setting the fastest lap on his last lap to stay out of the clutches of McPhee.
The Scot put in a late charge as he got past Sasaki and started to reel in the podium, but had to settle for fourth in the end. After a run of bad luck though, that’s the Scotsman’s first points of the season. Sasaki continued his run of fast consistency in 2021 to come home fifth.
Fernandez took his best ever result with a stunning charge to sixth, coming home top rookie just ahead of fellow debutant Artigas. The two came from the very back to cross the line almost neck and neck. Next up was another rookie: Acosta. The Championship leader sliced back into the fight for the top ten after his early crash, and took eighth and eight points – a good recovery, and enough to extend his points lead given the drama around him.
Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) lost out late on to Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) as the Turk pipped him to ninth, with polesitter Migno fading back to 11th, but still some solid points. CarXpert PrüstelGP’s Ryusei Yamanaka and Jason Dupasquier took P12 and P13, respectively, with rookies Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and Andi Izdihar (Honda Team Asia) completing the points, the Indonesian despite a six-place grid penalty.
After a dramatic damp Sunday at Le Mans then, Acosta remains in the lead and even extends it after his recovery to P8. Now though it’s Garcia closest on the chase in an expensive day in the standings for many… what will Mugello bring? We’ll find out in two weeks.
Moto3 Podium:
1 Sergio Garcia – Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team – GASGAS – 42:21.172
2 Filip Salač – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda – +2.349
3 Riccardo Rossi – BOE Owlride – KTM – +5.589 -
Raul Fernandez on fire to take 2nd Moto2 victory
A Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2, Bezzecchi in third and a dramatic crash out for Lowes sees Le Mans mix up the standings
Le Mans, 16 May 2021: Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) just continues to impress in the intermediate class, with the Spanish rookie taking a second Moto2 win in by-now signature style at the front. Teammate Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) kept him honest in the latter stages for another consistent top finish, with Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the podium to continue his rostrum run. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out in an early DNF.
Raul Fernandez: “It was a really difficult race, especially the second sector was wet, the front tyre was too cool at the start and I waited four or five laps behind Marco. When I thought the tyre was warmer I pushed a bit more, overtook Marco and pushed like in FP2, and it was really good. In the end I could do a good race and I’m really happy. It’s amazing to win again and in difficult conditions. I like this track a lot I remember I got second in the Junior World Championship here in 2018. Incredible, I want to thank my team as they keep me calm in difficult moments and that’s the most important.”
With no rain falling since Moto2 Warm Up, the circuit had a clear dry line after the Moto3 race. That meant everyone was starting on slicks, and it was Bezzecchi who pounced into the lead from the start as Raul Fernandez managed to cement P2, the field safely negotiating Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 1. There was contact between Gardner and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), but disaster was avoided. Not for Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) though, who was making early progress before the Spaniard went down hard at Turn 9 on the opening lap, rider ok.
Lap 2 saw Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crash out of the top three as Raul Fernandez bridged the early gap that Bezzecchi had pulled on the field. World Championship leader Gardner and then-nearest challenger Lowes were P9 and P8 respectively, with the top three – Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) – enjoying a second lead over the gaggle of riders from P4 to P11.
Lap 4 then witnessed three riders all go off the road at Turn 8 – including Lowes. Up the inside of Vierge, Lowes tucked the front as both went down, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) running wide just ahead of the duo. Unable to get going again, Lowes’ French GP was over. Then, running P2, Roberts was down at Turn 9 after running in too hot on the brakes and clipping Bezzecchi. meanwhile, Raul Fernandez picked up the baton and took over at the front after a dramatic opening handful of laps in the Moto2™ race.
Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was occupying P3 with Gardner now up to 4th, but he had hard-charging rookie Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) on his tail. More drama hit just behind too, as Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) crashed out from P6 at Turn 11 with a little helping hand from Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), the Italian handed a Long Lap penalty. Which he took quickly but overcooked so had to do a second.
At the front though, Raul Fernandez was edging his lead up to a second over Bezzecchi, the latter slowly falling into the grasps of the Bendsneyder, Gardner and Arbolino squabble. The leading quintet were six seconds ahead of sixth place Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), the German entangled in a fight with rookies Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) and his teammate Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), up from well down on the grid.
Raul Fernandez was keeping his advantage around the one second mark, with Bezzecchi pulling nearly a second clear of the trio behind him. On Lap 14, the race leader set a 1:36.993 to stretch his lead to 1.2s over Bezzecchi. However, a lap later it was back down to below a second as Fernandez’s teammate Gardner poached third off Bendsneyder at Turn 11 – the Aussie then 2.2s behind the race leader. A lap later, Arbolino then slipped past Bendsneyder too.
Now in clean air, the Gardner charge was on. A fastest lap of the race came in from the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider but it was only narrowly quicker than Bezzecchi ahead of him, the gap separating the top three set at 1.7s with seven to go. Bezzecchi then made a mistake at Turn 8, running wide onto the green, allowing Gardner to stroll through into P2. With the bit between his teeth, Gardner started to reel in teammate Fernandez by four tenths on Lap 20 of 25, setting up a very intriguing final five laps between two title contenders.
Undeterred though, Raul Fernandez was holding his nerve. As he clocked another lap and headed onto Lap 23, the Spaniard set his fastest lap of the race and his lead was now 1.8s. And with one lap remaining in France, it went up another tenth. No mistakes were made from the rookie sensation on the final lap, and Fernandez crossed the line to win his second race of 2021. Gardner made it a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 as a single point splits Gardner and Raul Fernandez in the overall standings, and Bezzecchi pockets his second podium in a row with a solid P3 ride.
Arbolino landed his best Moto2™ result with a fantastic P4 at Le Mans, just ahead of an impressive ride from Bendsneyder as the Dutch rider earns his best result of the season, the same can be said for sixth place Schrötter. Ogura cements another top 10 in P7 as three rookies finish inside the top 10, Di Giannantonio took P8 after his two Long Laps, a solid salvage job.
Veteran Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) produced his best ride of the season to finish P9, with Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) completing the top 10. Somkiat Chantra, Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing), reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) and Hafizh Syahrin (NTW RW Racing GP) are the remaining point scorers.
Beaubier crashed out of sixth place at Turn 3 in the latter stages, Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was another rider to crash out of the points.
And so it’s another day that belongs to Red Bull KTM Ajo, as Gardner and Raul Fernandez now sit P1 and P2 in the World Championship. Lowes loses crucial ground as Bezzecchi keeps tabs on his title rivals, with the latter’s home race at Mugello now next up. Tune in for more in a fortnight.
Moto2 podium:
1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 40:46.101
2 Remy Gardner– Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +1.490
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – +4.599 -
Jack Miller wins at Le Mans for back-to-back victories
Le Mans (France), 16 May, 2021: If you like your Sunday afternoons to be packed with pulsating drama and unrelenting action, then it doesn’t get any better than the 2021 SHARK Helmets Grand Prix de France. In a rare flag-to-flag race, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – despite two long-lap penalties – became the first Australian since Casey Stoner in 2012 to win back-to-back races in the premier class to lead home a double French podium at Le Mans. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) sprayed the bubbly on the famous rostrum in an unforgettable MotoGP encounter.
Jack Miller: “Winning two races in a row is a dream for me, especially after such a difficult race where I even had to take a double long lap and ended up in the gravel. So to be able to get this result is really extraordinary! The race was really long and tough mentally. I tried to keep my concentration and kept telling myself to stay calm. In this way, I managed the tyres well and saved them until the end, managing the advantage over Johann, who was getting very close towards the end. It was really a fantastic victory!”
Ahead of lights out for the premier class race, the race was declared dry. No rain had fallen since Warm Up and after the Moto3 and Moto2 races, Le Mans was dry. There were some looming dark clouds in the surrounding area though and tensions were understandably palpable on the grid. The entire field had selected the soft-soft slick Michelins to begin the race on, with some forecasts suggesting there might be some rain on the way – drama was on the way.
It was dry for the time being though and as expected, Miller propelled his Ducati off the line excellently and grabbed the holeshot from third on the grid, with both Viñales and Quartararo holding firm to stay inside the top three as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had two bites of the cherry for P4 against Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). First Turn 7, then Turn 8.
On Lap 1, coming out of Turn 10, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) then had a huge moment. The Spaniard stayed on but it gave Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and his teammate Franco Morbidelli a sniff. Trying to overtake at the inside of Turn 11, the door was closed on Morbidelli and the Italian ran wide, before crashing in the gravel. It caused Rossi and Pol Espargaro to lose places too, with Morbidelli able to re-join.
It was a frantic start. At the front, Miller, Quartararo and Viñales were your top three with fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Marc Marquez inside the top five, as the rain started falling. It was light to begin with and Quartararo made a phenomenal two-in-one move on Viñales and Miller at Turn 3, but the rain then started to fall a lot heavier. On Lap 5, the heavens properly opened and it was time for the field to come into pitlane for their second bikes.
Miller ran wide at Turn 11 as the riders struggled to finish the lap on the asphalt. Slick tyres and heavy rain don’t mix, and the reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) found that out. Mir crashed on Lap 5 when the rain started bucketing down, as more drama followed in pitlane. Both Miller and teammate Bagnaia were handed two long-lap penalties for speeding in pitlane, Quartararo pulled into Viñales’ box slot by accident, with Marc Marquez emerging as the race leader.
Jack Miller celebrates on the podium – Ducati Lenova Team image Rins was second as the riders re-entered the track, but at Turn 4, the Spaniard was down. This left Marc Marquez and Quartararo clear of Miller at the front, but the eight-time World Champion was then down at the final corner. Unrelenting drama at Le Mans, Marc Marquez squandered his lead but the 93 did manage to get back on track. Now, Quartararo was the race leader again but Miller was rapidly closing in. As we know, the Australian had two long laps to take, he did so on Laps 9 and 10, before immediately closing the gap to Quartararo.
On Lap 12, Quartararo dived through the long-lap penalty lane but still came out in P2, his advantage over third place Nakagami was 12 seconds. Miller was in the groove and had a four second lead over Quartararo, as Zarco grabbed P3 from Nakagami at Turn 3. The Frenchman then started to close down compatriot Quartararo at a high rate of knots, nearly two seconds a lap, as dry lines started to appear. There was no rain falling, could we actually see the riders come into pitlane for another bike swap?
Marc Marquez crashed at Turn 6, his second of the race, and he was out on Lap 18. One thing to note: Miller and Quartararo had one soft Michelin rain tyre on, Zarco was on the mediums. The mediums would last longer in these drying conditions as the wet tyres started to overheat, and we saw Miller kick his right leg out on the front straight – was he signalling to get the dry bike ready? We didn’t know for now, but what we could see was Zarco reeling in Quartararo, the gap now 2.5s with seven to go.
Astonishingly, the sun was now shining in France. Zarco was once again 1.8s quicker than Quartararo, as Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) got the better of Nakagami for P4 and P5 respectively. Bagnaia then overtook the Japanese rider with six to go, and further up the road, Zarco blasted past Quartararo on the home straight to take P2, seven seconds behind Miller. In turn, Quartararo had 12 seconds in his pocket to Alex Marquez.
Five to go. Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi was on pit wall to tell Miller that Zarco was hunting him. The track was dry now, but with four laps to go, there wasn’t time to come into pitlane, head back out and use the slick tyre advantage – not for the leaders anyway. Miller was doing a cracking effort though, his lead was staying above the five second mark as Bagnaia climbed his way to P4.
Three to go. Miller’s lead was 4.9s, Zarco was holding Quartararo at bay by nearly seven seconds, with Bagnaia eight seconds off the final podium place in fourth. Heading onto Lap 26 of 27, the gap was down to 4.3s between the leading duo, Bagnaia was cutting the gap to Quartararo by nearly two seconds a lap.
LAST LAP AT LE MANS! It was Miller’s to lose, his advantage was still above the four second mark to Zarco. Quartararo’s gap to Pecco was 3.4s, so he too should comfortably – relatively speaking – hold onto a rostrum finish. No mistakes were made from the race leading Australian and after banishing the early season demons in Jerez, Miller now sits just 16 points away from the title lead.
Zarco returns to the podium after a trickier couple of races in Portugal and Spain, he and Quartararo make it two Frenchman on the podium at the French GP – not bad from the latter who underwent arm pump surgery after the Spanish GP. Bagnaia’s fourth was a very, very good result after his two long lap penalties and a P16 start. He may have lost his World Championship lead, but only by a point.
Petrucci has endured a tough start to life as a KTM rider, but the 2020 Le Mans race winner delivered by far his best ride of the season to finish P5. LCR Honda’s Alex Marquez also grabs his best result of the season at a circuit he scored a podium at last year, the double World Champion led teammate Nakagami over the line. Pol Espargaro equals his best finish of the campaign in P8, with Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) snatching P9 off Viñales on the last lap to land a morale-boosting P9. Viñales had to settle for P10 at the chequered flag, a relatively disappointing result after leading the race in the early stages.
The Morbidelli incident cost Rossi valuable time in the early stages and The Doctor wasn’t able to make up ground when the rain fell, it’s P11 for the nine-time World Champion at Le Mans. Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Avintia) was 10 seconds behind his half brother in P12, the Italian comfortably beat 13th place Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Reigning Moto2 World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) and Tito Rabat (Pramac Racing) were the final point scorers, Morbidelli managed to finish the race but was a lonely P16.
Both Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini teammate Lorenzo Savadori suffered mechanical issues on Sunday afternoon, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) joined the Suzukis and Marc Marquez in crashing out.
That was another absolutely breathtaking MotoGP race, our first flag-to-flag in four years. An unbelievable afternoon in northern France sees the top four in the title race sit just 16 points apart, it’s Quartararo leading the way from Bagnaia, Zarco and Miller. Next up: the spectacular Mugello.
MotoGP Top 10:
1. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team)
2. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 3.970
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 14.468
4. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) + 16.172
4. Danilo Petrucci (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) + 21.430
5. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) + 23.509
7. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) + 30.164
8. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) + 35.221
9. Iker Lecuona (Tech 3 KTM Factory Racing) + 40.432
10. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) + 40.577
All the action from MotoGP will continue on EUROSPORT and EUROSPORT HD with the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley. The qualifying race is on Saturday, 29th May and the main race is on Sunday, 30th May 2021. The same will also be live streamed on discovery + app.
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Advait Deodhar manages P7 in Race 2 on Sunday: EuroNascar2
Valencia, 16 May 2021: Ace Indian driver Advait Deodhar, redeemed a forgettable round, with a well-earned P7 in the second race of the EuroNASCAR2 at the 4-km Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Sunday. Martin Doubek was unstoppable once again and he won the Race 2 too. The driver of the #7 Hendriks Motorsport Ford Mustang started from pole, led all 15 laps and scored his second consecutive win of the 2021 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season. The 26-year-old now leads the overall standings with 80 points on his account.
Advait Deodhar, of CAAL Racing, in a #56 Ford Mustang, had a bad first race on Saturday where he struggled due to problems with the set-up of his car and had a mechanical retirement before he was classified in P17. However, even as the problems continued, he managed to finish P7 in the Round 2, the second race on Sunday. “I’m really struggling with the car right now and can’t quite understand why. However, I’m sure we’ll find a solution by the next round in the Czech Republic,” said the TJB Super Yachts sponsored racer after the race. Advait timed 26:34.121 for the 15 laps of Race 2 on Sunday. “We will come back stronger for the next round,” promised Advait.
For Doubek it was the fourth EuroNASCAR 2 career win after the two he collected at Circuit Zolder in the 2020 NWES season and the one he grabbed on Saturday. The NWES veteran, who’s part of EuroNASCAR since the 2015 season, made a good start and pulled away from the field right in the first lap. After that he administered his advantage and Hoosier Racing Tires to be first under the checkered flag.
“I’m very happy”, said an exhausted Doubek after the race. “The car is perfect since we hit the track on Friday for Free Practice. With Loris Hezemans, I can rely on a very quick teammate and the team is doing an exceptional job. We found a good setup that made it look so easy to get two wins here in Valencia.”
Doubek’s teammate Tobias Dauenhauer from Germany ended up second after a fierce battle with Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziortzis from Cyprus. The Hendriks Motorsport driver and 2019 EuroNASCAR 2 runner-up managed to keep the 24-year-old youngster at bay and when they crossed the checkered flag, 2.597 seconds separated the two. After bad luck hampered his Saturday’s race with a blown tire, Justin Kunz showed his potential by piloting the #22 DF1 Racing Camaro to fourth.
Double V Racing team boss and driver Pierluigi Veronesi had a solid run in his #27 Mustang: the Italian completed the top-5. After struggling with braking issues on Saturday, Simon Pilate also fought his way back into the top-10 with a solid sixth place. The Belgian completed the race ahead of Advait Deodhar. Deodhar made a mistake in the first race that shuffled him down the order, but he managed to strike back by finishing seventh.
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Quartararo takes Le Mans by storm to pip Viñales to pole
The first factory Yamaha team 1-2 since 2017 heads Miller on the front row as qualifying goes down to the wire in France
Le Mans, 15 May 2021: Rain, shine, or something in between? Saturday at the SHARK Grand Prix de France presented quite a challenge for the MotoGP™ grid, but the final few minutes of Q2 eventually delivered a stunning shootout for pole on a dry track. And who came out on top? Home hero Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the Frenchman taking back-to-back poles at Le Mans to pip teammate Maverick Viñales to the top and make it a factory Yamaha team 1-2 on the grid for the first time since 2017. Third went to Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), the Jerez winner just a tenth off pole.
In Q1, a drying track made it anyone’s game and there were a few spills, some thrills and definitely a couple of surprises. Crashing early on despite his impressive pace in a damp FP3, Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was jogging back to the pits as the rest got down to really testing out the conditions… but there was a real phoenix moment on the way.
As the track improved more and more, so did the laptimes at the top. But none more than Savadori. The Italian was back out and flexing his wet weather prowess once again as the clock ticked down, and crossing the line the Italian topped the session by a whopping eight tenths of a second. From whom? Fellow rookie Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia). Tagged on to the back of Championship leader and compatriot Francesco Bagnaia, Marini improved and then improved again on his final push to top the session, just before Savadori’s final wonder.
The two rookies moved through then, leaving Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just knocked out by his teammate, as well as reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) next up and his teamma Alex Rins. Championship leader Bagnaia? He’ll be 16th on the grid…
And so Q2 began, with no more rain having come down. Decisions needed to be made for the Q2 runners at the beginning of the pole position fight, and we witnessed Valentino Rossi and Petronas Yamaha SRT teammate Franco Morbidelli gamble on slick tyres. Had they taken inspiration from fellow VR46 Acadamy rider Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) after his stunning Moto3™ qualifying gamble?
It looked like the Petronas Yamaha SRT squad had made the right call as Miller, Quartararo and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) pulled straight back in to switch. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Savadori were also all on slicks, but Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) wasn’t and was soon on his way back to pitlane for a tyre change – as was Viñales.
By then, the riders on slick tyres were lighting up the timing screens. Rossi was out of the seat at the final corner; his lap was ruined and Morbidelli eclipsed Zarco’s best wet tyre lap, but then Miller demolished them all to go 1.2s quicker than anyone. Pol Espargaro slotted into an early P2 as Quartararo and Savadori clocked into P3 and P4, Morbidelli next to improve to move back up to second. Incredibly though, Miller then cut his best by a second again, and Pol Espargaro once more came through as the Aussie’s closest challenger.
It was far from over. Everyone was constantly improving, and Zarco briefly went provisional pole, Miller beat him by nine tenths and then Pol Espargaro finally demoted Miller to second by 0.157s. Marc Marquez then joined his teammate on the front row with four minutes to go, and Nakagami made it three Hondas in the top four for the time being.
Morbidelli hit back next for second, but not for long. Marc Marquez beat teammate Pol Espargaro by 0.113s, before Nakagami split the two to make it a Honda 1-2-3… and rain then started to fall at Turn 1. It looked like the three HRC men had timed their laps to perfection, but no. Suddenly, Viñales and Zarco set red sectors, before Quartararo did too.
Viñales was the first to cross the line and break Repsol Honda hearts to grab provisional pole position off Marc Marquez, Zarco then took second and Morbidelli also got the better of the number 93’s time. Quartararo was the rider to watch though and, laying it all on the line in the final sector, it was going down to Yamaha vs Yamaha for pole. Could he hold on? he could. El Diablo beat his teammate’s time by 0.081s, and a shadowing Miller came through to snatched a late front row as well.
The first factory Yamaha 1-2 since 2017, when a certain Viñales went on to win, joined by the most recent race winner? Another stellar Saturday that – for the third time in a row – belonged to Quartararo. Arm pump surgery to home GP pole is the story of his last couple of weeks, that’s two in a row for Quartararo at Le Mans to boot.
Morbidelli and Zarco’s final flying laps ensure they have solid grid positions for the French GP, in fourth and fifth, with Marc Marquez left down on the outside of the second row by the end of the shuffle. Nakagami and Pol Espargaro – who suffered a late crash at Turn 7 – will also have to settle for les than it seemed had been promised, taking P7 and P8 respectively.
Rossi was able to better his time on the last lap to earn P9 and his best grid position since the season opener with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) completing the top 10, despite a crash, ahead of Q1 graduates Savadori and Marini. With Bagnaia and the Suzukis looking for quick progress too… Sunday promises plenty.
A French GP qualifying session for the ages, with a Frenchman on pole again. What will Sunday bring? 14:00 local time (GMT+2) is when we’ll find out, with Ducati primed with their holeshot devices, the skies uncertain… and history at stake once again.
MotoGP top qualifiers:
1 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – 1:32.600
2 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.081
3 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.104Top Independent Team rider
4 Franco Morbidelli – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha – +0.166 -
Advait Deodhar qualifies P6 for EuroNascar2 Round 1
Valencia, 15 May 2021: Ace Indian racer Advait Deodhar of CAAL Racing team did a creditable job qualifying in P6 for the opening round of the EuroNascar 2 Qualifying which saw only a few thousands of a second decide the battle for the first Pole Award of the 2021 season here on Saturday. Doubek got the pole at the wheel of #7 Ford Mustang. The two-time 2020 race winner built on last season’s momentum and benefited from the right strategy call and a great Hendriks Motorsport car.
But the Indian was not happy as he wanted to be on pace with the toppers. “I am very unhappy with qualifying in P6 and well, I am off the pace of the leaders. We made a setup change from yesterday which send us backwards. I had enormous understeer, and a problem with braking which has also run the front right down to the carcass. But I am looking forward to the race,” said Advait Deodhar after the qualifying session. The Indian is sponsored by TJB Super Yachts.
Doubek meanwhile, got the pole. “I have a really good teammate and we found a really good setup”, said the Czech after winning the second Pole Award of his career. “I’m very happy to grab the first Pole Position right in the first Qualifying of the year. The track is really challenging and demanding, but we are confident that we can use the momentum for the upcoming race.”
But it was a close call: Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport’s Vladimiros Tziorztis was just 0.021 seconds slower than Doubek and his 1:42.339 lap. The Cypriot will start from the first row when the green flag flies for the first time in EuroNASCAR 2 on Saturday afternoon. 2019 EuroNASCAR 2 runner-up Tobias Dauenhauer ended up third, 0.565 seconds behind his teammate on pole.
Another promising talent, Francesco Garisto set the fourth fastest time in Qualifying. The 42 Racing driver clocked a 1:43.813 lap at Circuit Ricardo Tormo. With his new team Double V Racing, Pier Luigi Veronesi closed the top-5 after the 30-minute session, while CAAL Racing’s Advait Deodhar followed in sixth.
EuroNASCAR 2 returnee Justin Kunz was seventh ahead of his teammate Simon Pilate from Belgium. The fastest Legend Trophy driver was The Club Motorsport’s Fabrizio Armetta at the wheel of the #55 Chevrolet Camaro in ninth.
Photo Advait Deodhar twitter handle @AdvaitDeodhar Completing the top-10, Alberto Panebianco was the fastest driver among the Rookie Trophy participants in the 2021 NWES season. Lady Trophy title candidate Arianna Casoli finished 18th, while Solaris Motorsport’s Alina Loibnegger was involved in a contact with Vict Racing’s Paolo Valeri that triggered a red flag.
EuroNASCAR PRO Round 1 will start at 13:45 CEST, while the first EuroNASCAR 2 race of the season will follow at 16:45 CEST. All races will be broadcasted live on EuroNASCAR’s social media channels – YouTube, Facebook, Twitch – and Motorsport.tv.
Top-6 qualifiers:
1. #7 Doubek Martin, Hendriks M.Sport, Ford Mustang, CZE;
2. #1 Tziortzis Vladimiros, Acad. M./A. Caffi M., Ford Mustang, CYP;
3. #50 Dauenhauer Tobias, Hendriks M.Sport, Ford Mustang, DEU;
4. #42 Garisto Francesco, 42 Racing, Shadow Car, ITA;
5. #27 Veronesi Pierluigi, Double V Racing, EuroNASCAR FJ, ITA;
6. #56 Deodhar Advait, CAAL Racing, Ford Mustang, IND (India).
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Flying Frenchmen: Zarco and Quartararo reign Day 1
Le Mans, 14 May 2021: After Day 1 at Le Mans, it’s the home heroes on top! Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) topped the SHARK Grand Prix de France timesheets on Friday with some close company from compatriot Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), and the two Frenchmen were split by just 0.095. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) made it two Iwata marque machines in the top three, 0.389 back, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) denied the honour by just 0.001.
FP1 started wet but ended dry, ish, at least for Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team). The Aussie put in slicks and pulled out a whopping 1.481 seconds on the rest of the field by the flag, with Zarco leading the resistance in second ahead of reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Mir was the first to stop in the damp session, however, as he suffered a technical problem at Turn 8. Two more riders crashed towards the end, first Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and then Viñales, riders ok.
By FP2, a few hours of mostly dry skies and no real extra rain saw the track start out dry and remain so. With the forecast looking decidedly damp for Saturday morning, it was even more important to get a provisional place in Q2 on Friday and predictably, that created a flurry of afternoon action as everyone rushed to set a lap and then better it.
Home hero Quartararo was untouchable in the opening stages, however. Everyone was slamming in lap after lap on soft or medium rears but after 15 minutes, Quartararo’s 1:32.120 was 0.591s better than second place Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). The notorious Turn 3 caught out Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) in the first 15 minutes too, both riders ok, before Espargaro – on his second bike – then slid into the gravel at Turn 3 again.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), ninth in the early stages, then had an off-track excursion at Turn 8. It was clear the riders were pushing as Turn 3 then saw Quartararo slide into the gravel too, rider also ok, before Jack Miller – just after going P6 – tucked the front of his GP21 at Turn 7 as well.
With just over 10 minutes to go, Quartararo was still leading the way by over half a second from Nakagami, with Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins in P3. Viñales made a move though, the Spaniard up to P2 and cutting his teammate’s advantage to 0.428s. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) then shot into P3, before Pol Espargaro took over in second to slash Quartararo’s lead to just 0.017s. Miller wasn’t fazed by his crash and got back nearer the front into fourth, and as Turn 3 claimed its latest victim in Rins – rider ok – Marc Marquez improved to move from outside the top 10 into sixth. That shoved Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) outside the provisional Q2 places, soon to be confirmed alongside Joan Mir as the reigning Champion crashed at Turn 8 whilst in P12, his FP2 efforts over.
Meanwhile Quartararo rode on at the top, bouncing back quickly to set the first 1:31 of the weekend and lay down the gauntlet. Would he be beaten? Zarco soon made it a French 1-2 as he homed in and cut the gap, before the number 5 then pounced past Quartararo by just 0.095s to take over at the top and seal the deal.
That makes it a dream start to the weekend for French fans as Zarco leads Quartararo, with Viñales bagging a healthy P3 on Day 1. Pol Espargaro had a great afternoon at the office to pick up fourth and only a thousandth off the top three, with Franco Morbidelli completing the top five as the Petronas Yamaha SRT man continues to pull it out the bag.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the quickest KTM on Day 1, the Portuguese rider impressing once again to take sixth after a solid day’s work. Miller salvaged an important P7 after his tumble, just ahead of Marc Marquez in eighth.
Ninth position, meanwhile, sees the return of nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) to the Friday top ten. Just 0.037 off Marquez, the Doctor currently stands to move through and will be joined by the man in tenth: Nakagami.
So who’s missing? More key names than can make it through should FP3 turn wet. Championship leader Bagnaia is down in P12, just behind Rins and just ahead of Mir. There are only two more places available in Q2, so there will likely be a few prayers from that trio hoping it doesn’t rain on Saturday morning.
Day 1 belongs to the home heroes, but what will Day 2 bring? The ever-important FP3 stint will come your way at 09:55 local time (GMT+2), before qualifying begins from 14:10.
MotoGP top-5 on Friday:
1 Johann Zarco – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 1:31.747
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.095
3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.389
4 Pol Espargaro – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – +0.390
5 Franco Morbidelli* – Petronas Yamaha SRT – Yamaha –+0.532
*Independent Team rider -
Advait Deodhar all set for EuroNascar2 season
Valencia, 14 May 2021: Ace Indian racer Advait Deodhar is all set to take part in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series that begins here on Saturday with the first two back-to-back rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Deodhar will be with team CAAL Racing and will be piloting a Ford Mustang in EuroNascar2 class and is the only Indian driver in the series.
The qualifying session for 30 minutes will be on Saturday at 1.15pm IST. Today evening at 6.30 pm the EN2 participants can have their practice session (Friday). The 15-lap race over 60.75km first round EuroNascar2 race will be at 8.15pm IST on Saturday. The Race 2 on Sunday will be at 1.45pm IST.
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series was founded in 2008 by Team FJ and established the NASCAR official European Series in January 2012 thanks to a long-term partnership signed with NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), Team FJ, and Whelen Engineering as title sponsor of the Series.
The season is made up of 28 races, equally split among EuroNASCAR Pro and EuroNASCAR 2 divisions, on the best European tracks. With four races in two days, these 400 HP V8 monsters provide pure racing action and thrilling bumper-to-bumper battles as well as a lot of family fun around the track.
In the pure NASCAR tradition, race fans can get closer to the action than ever and feel the unique in Europe paddock atmosphere thanks to drivers, teams and cars always available for the spectators. The series attracts drivers from all over the world, all willing to fight on track for the win and take the first step towards becoming a NASCAR star in the U.S.
The Indian will be piloting a #56 Ford Mustang in EN2 class Deodhar backed by TJB Super Yachts
TJB Super Yachts are proud to be sponsoring one of their very own sales and charter brokers as he takes part in the highly-anticipated Euro Nascar Championship this year.
“It is not often you get to work with someone with as much raw talent as Advait Deodhar, one of the company’s most-experienced sales and charter brokers. Yet Advait’s talents don’t stop at ensuring his clients receive a bespoke and first-class yachting experience, as he is also a highly successful racing driver. After competing in India from 2012 – 2014 successfully, he made the move to Europe and after much grit and determination, he competed in the European NASCAR Championship in 2018,” said a Super Yachts release.
After very successful seasons in 2018 and 2019, Advait is back for another year of competition and the atmosphere in the company is electric as he gears up for what will be a season of high adrenaline with his colleagues and clients supporting him.
Life in the fast lane has given Advait some thrilling experiences and it is this passion for fun and excitement that makes Advait such an asset to the TJB brokerage team. “Superyachts and motor racing seem to come hand in hand, with both pushing the boundaries of engineering and design” explains Advait of his love of yachting and motor racing. “My goal is to be the first ever Indian NASCAR Champion in Europe and the United States.”
“The dedication and passion that Advait puts into his motor racing certainly comes through in his career as a yacht charters and sales broker” said Tim Johnson, Founder and CEO of TJB Super Yachts. “We are all extremely proud of Advait’s achievements and will be rooting for him in the EuroNASCAR Championship starting next month.”
Advait is the first Indian driver to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. With TJB Super Yachts behind him, we believe he can continue with his successes and fulfil his ambitions. So, from all of the staff and his long-standing clients at TJB Super Yachts, we want to wish Advait the very best of luck at his first round in Valencia next month and will be cheering him on as the chequered flag waves.
The season takes place in:
- Spain: May 14-15, 2021 / Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
- Czech Republic: June 18-19, 2021 / Autodrom Most.
- United Kingdom: July 3-4, 2021 / Brands Hatch Indy Circuit.
- Germany: July 16-17, 2021 / Hockenheimring.
- Croatia: September 17-18, 2021 / Automotodrom Grobnik.
- Belgium: October 9-10, 2021 / Circuit Zolder.
- Italy: TBD / Autodromo di Vallelunga.
Note: With inputs from article published in TJBSuperYachts.com on April 28.
