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The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team came to the AMA Supercross Championship season opener with their usual high hopes, a full off-season of preparation, and of course, Troy’s artistic touches for the rider’s helmets, bikes and gear. Racing aboard the all-new 2023 MC 450F and MC 250F Factory Edition bikes for the first time, both Justin Barcia and Pierce Brown came away with their fair share of ups and downs in Anaheim, California. 

• The Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing Team came in hot for the start of the 2023 season!
• Barcia brings the speed with an amazing holeshot in the 450 main
• Brown unfortunately suffered a race-ending crash in the 250SX West heat race

450SX
Justin Barcia and Anaheim 1 are generally a solid match, and he’s had plenty of success (including wins and podiums) in previous years at the season opener. Another win looked like a definite possibility once again, as he quickly grabbed the holeshot aboard his GASGAS MC 450F Factory Edition and jumped into the early lead. Unfortunately, after leading the first three laps ahead of last year’s champ, he had an off-track excursion that dropped him to the 11th spot.

Justin Barcia: "A1 is a wrap. The day started off pretty well. I felt good in the first practice but I struggled a little bit in the next two, just with feeling comfortable with the track, because it was very tricky with a lot of square edges and things like that. I made a big change before the heat race and unfortunately went in the wrong direction. So I went back to my base setting for the main event. Pretty much ripped the holeshot, led a few laps, made a huge mistake, and had a crash. I worked my way back up to like seventh and had another crash. So it was a difficult main event. We'll take a few positives from the day. We had a good start, and we had speed, we just need to keep it on two wheels and keep it simple and we'll be good. But the speed is there, the fitness is there, and the bike's there, so I'm happy with that and definitely put this result behind us and move forward."

250SX West
Pierce Brown started off the day on the gas, qualifying in the third position. But a hard crash in his heat race proved to be the end of his evening. After being seen by the Alpinestars Mobile Medical crew, he was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The good news is that he’s already been released, and is headed home.

Next Event (Round 2): 1/14/23 – RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, California

Results – 2022 AMA Supercross Championship, Round 1

450SX – Main Event
1. Eli Tomac (Yamaha); 2. Cooper Webb (KTM) +02.778; 3. Chase Sexton (Honda) +04.350 … 11. Justin Barcia (GASGAS) +42.507; 18. Justin Starling (GASGAS)

250SX West – Main Event
1. Jett Lawrence (Honda); 2. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) +05.259; 3. Cameron Mcadoo (Kawasaki) +10.671 … 18. Jerry Robin (GASGAS)

Championship Standings – After Round 1

450SX
1. Eli Tomac 26 pts; 2. Cooper Webb 23; 3. Chase Sexton 21 … 11. Justin Barcia 12

250SX West

1. Jett Lawrence 26 pts; 2. RJ Hampshire 23; 3. Cameron Mcadoo 21 

The inaugural Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika saw GASGAS score points and a podium with Guevara and Garcia in Moto3, while Moto2 treated fans to high drama with a shortened race, with Albert Arenas finishing 10th and Jake Dixon retiring on lap five.

• Izan Guevara secures second place at the 2022 Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, his second ever podium in Moto3, while Sergio Garcia finishes 4th.
• Jake Dixon takes pole position in Moto2 but falls from the race while Albert Arenas takes 10th position
• GASGAS Aspar Team riders bag points and podiums in Moto2 and Moto3 at the inaugural Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika Circuit

Following in the wheel tracks of a breathless season opener in Qatar, the heat and intensity of the 2022 season continued full-gas with a visit to the new Mandalika Circuit. Set alongside the tropical coastline in Central Indonesia; it is the first time that the venue has hosted the MotoGP™ paddock.

Come race day searing yet ultra-humid temperatures, combined with tough physical racing, characterized the action across all classes. The 17-turn, 4.3 km (2.6 mi) layout boasts a deceptively technical smooth but grimy ribbon of asphalt alongside the crystal clear waters of Lombok; setting the scene for some high-paced action on a new-school track. In Moto3 the battle for the podium with Izan Guevara and Sergio Garcia raged from lights to flag.

Qualifying in 7th (Garcia) and 8th (Guevara) respectively, the Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team duo featured at the head of a wild 23-lap race. Taking advantage of the first real dry running of the weekend - with Moto3 having weathered on-off showers for all of its scheduled sessions through Friday and Saturday. Izan Guevara put it all on the line and proved once again that he has a bright future ahead of him on the world Grand Prix stage.

Guevara made a lightning start, jumping from 8th to 4th to 1st in the first two laps alone. Closely followed by teammate Garcia, the GASGAS powered duo were relentless, taking on all rivals over the full race distance. By the final flag Guevara secured second place - and his second ever podium in the class - in the wake of a runaway Dennis Foggia. Sergio Garcia narrowly missed out on final podium place, after taking hits from Andrea Migno and Carlos Tatay in the closing laps - finishing fourth by just one tenth of a second. The Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team now lead the Team championship standings by 61 points.

In Moto2 Jake Dixon led the Inde GASGAS Aspar Team effort by posting a blistering pole position securing lap during a sensational qualifying session on Saturday. Teammate Albert Arenas lined up on the second row in 6th place. A late curveball before the start saw the race shortened from 25 to 16 laps; meaning nothing short of maximum attack from lap one was the required strategy.

As the dark clouds rolled in however - bringing spots of rain - Dixon slipped down to 3rd place off the start fighting with rival Sam Lowes. Unfortunately on lap five, Dixon fell foul to the dwindling grip levels, dropping his machine in turn 10 and retiring from the race. Team mate Albert Arenas negotiated a solid outing, converting his 6th place grid slot into a top ten finish.

#11 - Sergio Garcia: “It was a positive day and a good race, where we pushed for the podium all the way. I felt strong on track but we were missing acceleration out of the corners, so I had to give everything I had to finish in fourth position. Anyway, these are important points for the championship and I’m happy.”

#28 - Izan Guevara: “I'm really happy for my first podium this year. Thanks to the team for all their work here at Mandalika in tough conditions. The pace was incredible as well as the battles in the group. In the last two laps I pushed and made it to P2.”

#75 - Albert Arenas: “Another race in the books, another near the top ten and more learning experience. The balance of the bike was good but I couldn’t get that comfortable on track and couldn’t push more. Tough conditions out there with the track and in certain corners but at least we had the race. Anyway we improved and can look ahead to Argentina to try and be better. We have potential.”

#96 - Jake Dixon: “I had a tricky start, and caught up to Sam [Lowes], and then passed him. Then I re-focused to try and chase down  [Somkiat] Chantra. I felt I had the pace to do that. When I got to turn ten, I braked in the same place I did every lap - even on the data I did everything identical to the lap before, but for some reason I lost the front. I’m incredibly annoyed at myself - I want to say sorry first of all to the team, they gave me the bike to win the race today and I wasn't able to back that up!”

Results - 2022 Moto3 FIM World Championship, Round 2:

1. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 23 Laps; 2. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) +2.612, 3. Carlos Tatay (CFMOTO) +3.639, 4. Sergio García (GASGAS) +3.759,

Championship Standings - After Round 2:

Dennis Foggia (Honda) 34pts; 2. Sergio García (GASGAS) 33pts; 3. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 28pts

Results - 2022 Moto2 FIM World Championship, Round 2:

1. Somkiat Chantra (Kalex) 16 Laps; 2. Celestino Vietti (Kalex) +3.230, 3. Aron Canet (Kalex) +4.366, 10. Albert Arenas (GASGAS/Kalex) +18.327, DNF. Jake Dixon (GASGAS / Kalex) 4 laps,

Championship Standings - After Round 2:

1. Celestino Vietti (Kalex) 45pts; 2. Aron Canet (Kalex) 36pts, 3. Sam Lowes (Kalex) 29pts, 13. Albert Arenas (GASGAS/Kalex) 9pts, 15. Jake Dixon (GASGAS / Kalex) 5pts,

The GASGAS Aspar Junior team win the coveted ‘feeder’ championship to Grand Prix racing after Daniel Holgado ran to a safe 9th position in the first outing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia last weekend.

• Holgado locks the 2021 FIM Moto3 Junior world title in Valencia
• The 16-year-old makes the grade after 5 wins and 8 podiums from 12 races
• Success story for GASGAS with the Aspar team and Moto3 machinery this season

Riding the RC 250 GP machine taken to victory in Moto3 Grand Prix in 2021, Holgado showed he’s the next hotshot on the block by grabbing the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship ‘bull’ by the horns. The teenager fronted the pack with four wins in the first five rounds to stake his claim to the crown. The Spaniard added another three trophies in the competition that circled Grand Prix venues on the Iberian Peninsula like the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto and MotorLand Aragon.

The contest (along with the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup) has ritually been the brightest proving ground for youngsters aiming for the heights of MotoGP™. 2020 champion, Izan Guevara, made the step to the GASGAS Aspar Grand Prix squad and clinched a race win in his first season in 2021. Holgado kept the Aspar streak running on Saturday in Valencia when main title rival David Muñoz was forced to start from pitlane and failed to score any points. In the second race on Sunday Holgado swept to his fifth chequered flag, stamping his authority one more time.

Along with the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship, GASGAS also aced four Moto3 Grands Prix (France, Catalunya, Austria and the USA) and totalled seven podium appearances this year.

Daniel Holgado: “I want to thank everyone who came to see me today, I owe all this to them because I really felt that support and it helped push me through those final few laps. I also want to thank all of my incredible team; I’ll really miss them next year and hope we can find each other again in the future. I’d like to congratulate David Muñoz and Iván Ortolá because they made a great season and were really strong rivals. It’s thanks to them that I was able to improve as a rider and also as a person by working hard day after day.”

Sergio Garcia romped to a blistering second place podium finish after a thrilling 22 lap race at the 2021 Motul TT of Assen

The legendary Dutch circuit of Assen provided the perfect venue for Sergio Garcia and the Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team to showcase just why they are fighting for the top spots in the Moto3™ World Championship. Second place, and a haul of 20 points - cementing 2nd in the riders standings - went Garcia’s way after a breathless 22 laps.

• Sergio Garcia races to his 3rd podium of the season, finishing 2nd at the 2021 Motul TT of Assen
• Izan Guevara qualifies 13th and finishes 12th
  
• Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team places second in the team championship standings after nine rounds of the 2021 Moto3 World Championship

There is almost no better feeling on a Grand Prix bike than going flat out on a bright and sunny day around one of the fastest, and the oldest venues of the MotoGP calendar. The legendary and sweeping Dutch TT circuit, known to fans as the Cathedral of Speed is a firm favourite for many riders, and the perfect venue to score points and experience some awesome racing. Sergio Garcia knows this - and showed fans exactly why he is destined for big things in the future - by racing to his third podium of the season so far.  

The 18 year old Spanish young gun lined up in 4th position aboard his GASGAS RC 250 GP machine, and made short work of his rivals during the opening laps of the Dutch race. In what proved to be one of the overall fastest Grand Prix of the year so far - where lap records tumbled on multiple occasions - Garcia set the white hot pace amongst the leaders.

Despite the speed of eventual winner Dennis Foggia, Garcia frequently nosed into first place throughout the race, and used his incredible late-braking skill to close down any gaps that his rival had pulled on the straights

In the closing laps, Garcia kept the gap to less than two-tenths of a second. In fact, as Garcia rocketed through the final turns on the last lap, the 18 year old very nearly snatched the win from Foggia. He crossed the line just 0.078 behind the Italian.

Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team rider Izan Guevara recorded a solid top 12 finish, after a challenging race. The former Junior Moto3 World Champion, who turns 17 years old on the Monday after the Dutch Grand Prix, worked hard to find a consistent rhythm. Qualifying on 13th place on the grid, Guevara battled hard in the mid pack, and despite slipping outside the top fifteen on lap six, fought back into the points by the second half of the sprint.

The Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team and the Moto3 paddock now enjoy a much deserved month-long summer break, after which they head for Austria, and the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria on the 8th August.

#11 - Sergio Garcia: “I really enjoyed this race a lot today. I think this was potentially the fastest race we have had in the Moto3 World Championship all year so far. I was pushing as hard as I could, right until the finish. I was leading at times during the race, but the positions were changing so much between me and the other riders in the leading group. I had a small moment on lap 17 or 18 when I dropped back to 5th, but then I fought back. To fight for the podium in such a fast race is an amazing feeling.”

#28 - Izan Guevara: “It was not quite the race we hoped for, but we took some points today. We were looking quite good during the weekend but there was a crash in Turn 5 quite early on in the race and that meant it was tough afterwards to catch the group in front. We had good rhythm but could only make a few tenths back. Anyway, I’m happy and we’ll keep working like this to push onwards.”

Jorge Martinez (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team Manager): “It was a fast and surprising race where the front group eventually broke away. Sergio laid on a spectacular performance and, in my opinion, is the finest rider in the class at the moment. He rode very well considering the straight line speed of Foggia’s bike, so I just want to congratulate him for a very impressive job all weekend.”

Results - 2021 Moto3 FIM World Championship, Round 9:

1. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 22 laps; 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) +0.078, 3. Romano Fenati (Husqvarna) +0.207, 12. Izan Guevara (GASGAS), +13.555

Championship Standings - After Round 9:

1. Pedro Acosta (KTM) 158pts; 2. Sergio Garcia (GASGAS) 110pts; 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 86pts; 15. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 36pts

Adding another astonishing chapter to her remarkable career, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Laia Sanz has today successfully completed her 11th consecutive Dakar Rally. Saving her best until last by claiming 17th on the final stage, Laia not only brought the super-challenging event to an emotional and positive close but again underlined her position as a true Dakar legend.

• Laia completes a staggering 11th consecutive Dakar Rally
• 17th overall she again finishes as the highest placed female competitor
• On the gas for over 51 hours, Laia’s GASGAS RC 450F runs faultlessly

Laia Sanz: “I’m just super happy to finish. It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t know if we would even be here, so to ride up onto the podium at the finish, yeah, it’s just incredible. With what has been happening in the world this year it makes this one a little more special. My approach to the rally worked for me, riding a safe and manageable pace and I just wanted to reach the finish. I felt really good after the rest day so I could push a little more and ended the rally strong. My team has been amazing. Supporting me the whole time and my bike was perfect all race. So, thanks to them I’m so happy to complete another Dakar!”

The 2021 Dakar Rally came to a close today with a relatively short 200-kilometer special. Setting off from Yanbu and leading to the finish line in Jeddah, it was far from an easy stage. Loaded with technical obstacles from the start, it provided one last demanding test for all competitors.

Finishing this year’s Dakar proved to be challenging for all riders, very much including Laia. With the goal of simply completing this year’s rally, having had very little time to properly prepare for the event after contracting Lyme Disease last summer, the Spanish ace did exactly what she set out to achieve. Opting for a steady pace through the opening week, Laia reached the mid-race rest day without any major mistakes.

After a much-needed day of recovery and relative relaxation, Laia felt much more confident in her physical ability to complete the event. Picking up her pace as the end of the rally drew nearer, the ‘Queen of the Desert’ went on to deliver her very best stage result on the final day of racing, earning a 17th place finish. Following a highly positive end to her Dakar, Sanz moved up to 17th in the final standings.

Jordi Viladoms – GASGAS Rally Team Manager: “It’s just amazing for Laia to complete another Dakar Rally. Coming back from her illness last year, we really didn’t know what to expect and the plan was to take it day by day. Completing the rally, her finishing record is now 11 in a row, a truly remarkable achievement. This year was an especially tough Dakar, one of the toughest for quite some time but every day she fought hard. I’m really proud of her for what she has achieved.”

Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2021, stage 12
1. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 2:17:02
2. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 2:19:19
3. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 2:21:15
17. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 2:40:27

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 12)
1. Kevin Benavides (Honda) 47:18:14
2. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 47:23:10
3. Sam Sunderland (KTM) 47:34:11
17. Laia Sanz (GASGAS) 51:07:48