Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed North America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 25th consecutive year of showcasing what is actually an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica/AMA Pro races and Championships, including nine MotoAmerica/AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (10 times);
WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;
ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;
AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;
USGPRU National Championships;
Many regional and local titles.
The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.
We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2021 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.
The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.
We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.
Liam Grant
Age: 17.
Current home: Boulder, Colorado.
Current height/weight: 5’11”/140 pounds.
Current school grade level: 11th grade.
Began riding at age: 12 years.
First road race: 2018, Dacono, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Mini Moto, Formula One, 1st place.
Current racebike: Kawasaki ZX-6R.
Current tuners/mechanics: Geoff Cesmat, Brian Robertson, Jason Grant (father).
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Supersport.
Top sponsors: Vortex Racing, Sun Enterprises, Shoei, Graves Motorsports, Boulder MotorSports, 64 Degree Racing, Moto Liberty, RS Taichi.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2020 season, finished 5th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (best race finish was 4th – three times); 2019 season, won 3 UtahSBA Expert Championships (Production 500, Moto3, Lightweight Superbike), won CVMA 500 Supersport Amateur Championship, won 29 races overall in 2019.
2021 racing goals: Finish in top 10 in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship.
Racing career goal: Win Superbike World Championship.
Racing hero: Casey Stoner.
Favorite track: Barber Motorsports Park.
Favorite hobby: Ice Hockey.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Playing ice hockey.
