We are now accepting nominations and applications for the 29th Annual Roadracing World Young Gun Awards, highlighting up-and-coming young road racers from North America.
To be considered for the Young Guns feature, a racer must be no younger than 11 and no older than 18 on January 1st, 2025; have finished in the top three in a sanctioned Expert-level motorcycle road race or Championship and reside within the United States, Canada, or Mexico or be a citizen of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
Riders can nominate themselves. Race sanctioning bodies, sponsors and race teams are encouraged to nominate young riders, but riders or their parents must request and then submit completed applications and provide photos suitable for publication by our deadline to be considered. (This works like a race: If you don’t enter, you won’t get on the grid. Or more specifically, if nobody nominates you or your favorite young racer, you or they won’t be included.)
Riders who have previously been recognized as a Young Gun should email [email protected] to update their profile information and arrange submission of up-to-date photos.
PDFs of the 2024 Young Guns feature in the print magazine appear below. Each rider was also featured individually on roadracingworld.com .
YOUNG GUNS_Pages 44-45_from 0424_RWMT_V18_WEB 1
YOUNG GUNS_Pages 44-45_from 0424_RWMT_V18_WEB 2
YOUNG GUNS_Pages 46 from 0424_RWMT_V18_WEB
An example of an individual rider feature on roadracingworld.com can be seen by clicking on the image below:
New candidates who wish to be considered for the 2025 Young Guns feature should obtain, fill out and return a 2025 Young Guns questionnaire to Roadracing World by January 30th, 2025. Requests for questionnaires should be sent via e-mail to [email protected].
Questionnaires must be filled out completely in English and be returned as a Word document. Completed questionnaires should be returned to the same [email protected] e-mail address.
An example of a properly filled-out 2024 questionnaire follows:
Rossi Moor
2024 Age: 16.
Current (2024) home: Portland, Oregon.
Current (2024) height/weight: 5′ 11″/153 pounds.
Current (2024) school grade level: 10th grade.
Began riding at age: 2.5 years.
First road race: 2014, McMinnville, Oregon, Oregon Superbikers, 125cc four-stroke, 1st place.
2024 primary racebike: Suzuki GSX-8R.
2024 team/tuners/mechanics: Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki/Brian Robertson/Robin Hawley.
2024 Primary race series: MotoAmerica Twins Cup.
2024 Sponsors: Vision Wheel, M4 Performance Exhausts, ECSTAR, Suzuki, Mission Foods, Arai, RST, R&G, Hotbodies Racing, Vortex, EK Chains, TechSpec, Cordona, SportbikeTrackGear.com, HEL, 1-833-CJ-KNOWS, Roadracingworld.com, Team Hammer, Polyglass, 2Fast Track Days.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2023 season, finished 2nd in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (2 wins, 5 total podiums), crashed out of the lead on last lap of CIV Aprilia RS 660 Cup race at Imola, won 12 CVMA race wins; 2022 season, won Northern Talent Cup Championship (5 wins, 10 total podiums in 12 race starts); 2021 season, finished 3rd in Northern Talent Cup Championship (3 wins and 6 total podiums in 14 races), finished 22nd while racing as a wild card in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship event at Valencia; 2020 season, won MotoAmerica Mini Cup 190 Championship, won FIM Ohvale 190 Mini Road Racing Championship; 2019 season, placed 2nd in CIV (Italian) Ohvale GP-0 190 National Championship, won MotoAmerica Ohvale Talent Cup at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, won Ohvale GP-0 190 races in Hungarian National Championship, earned pole position and led a race at Ohvale World Championship, finished 25th in European Talent Cup race at Jerez (was youngest participant).
2024 racing goal: Win MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.
Racing career goals: Win MotoGP World Championship.
Racing heroes: Valentino Rossi, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey.
Favorite tracks: Assen, Sachsenring.
Favorite hobbies: Gaming, cycling, doing wheelies.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: A fighter.
…
In addition to completed questionnaires, candidates must also submit an action photo and a head shot (a photo clearly showing the rider’s face without sunglasses) suitable for magazine reproduction (head shots taken with smart phones are usually acceptable). Each submitted photo must include written permission (an e-mail is acceptable) from the photographer (even if the photographer is a parent) specifically giving Roadracing World Publishing the right to publish the photo(s) free of charge in the Young Guns feature and on www.roadracingworld.com.
Digital action photos must be high-resolution, or 3000 pixels wide or tall at 4 inches. All photos must be accompanied by the name of the photographer along with when and where the photo was taken, including the name of the racetrack. Photos should not have any watermarks or graphics added, and photo editing should be kept to a minimum. Digital photos are preferred.
Late and incomplete submissions may not be considered.
Young Guns features to date have appeared in the November 1997, March 1999, February 2000, March 2001, February 2002, April 2003, April 2004, May 2005, June 2006, April 2007, April 2008, April 2009, April 2010, April 2011, April 2012, March 2013, April 2014, April 2015, April 2016, April 2017, April 2018, April 2019, April 2020, April 2021, April 2022, April 2023, and April 2024 issues of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology. The Young Guns Classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 were also featured individually on www.roadracingworld.com.
Please familiarize yourself with our previously published Young Guns features before contacting us to ask questions.
If you still have questions, e-mail [email protected].
The Roadracing World Young Guns series started as an answer to critics who said North America lacked up-and-coming young riders. Current or former Roadracing World Young Guns have: Raced in all classes of the MotoGP World Championship (including the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup series) and FIM Superbike and Supersport World Championships, winning races and capturing World Championships; competed in European Championships and well as British, Canadian, Chinese, Czech Republic, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Mexican, and Spanish National series; raced in the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Championships (winning many races and Championships in all classes, including multiple Superbike titles); finished on the podium at the Suzuki GSX-R World Cup and the KTM RC Cup World Finals; won Superbike Shootout races in the Superbike and Pro Sportbike classes and won the 2014 Dynojet Pro Sportbike Championship; won Suzuki Cup Championships in the U.S.; earned WERA National Challenge, National Endurance and Sportsman National Championships; won ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships; collected USGPRU titles; and won many local and regional Championships.
Riders who have been featured in Young Guns include:
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion Jason Aguilar (R.I.P.);
2013 AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, and MotoAmerica Superbike podium finisher Corey Alexander;
AMA Pro Daytona SportBike race winner Tommy Aquino (R.I.P.);
2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner J.D. Beach;
five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier;
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jackson Blackmon;
former Canadian Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas;
MotoAmerica 2024 Junior Cup Champion Matthew Chapin;
three-time Canadian Sport Bike Champion and 2014 Canadian Superbike Champion Jodi Christie;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and Canadian Superbike race winner Torin Collins;
former AMA Pro SuperSport East Champion and MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 race winner Josh Day;
2011 Daytona 200 winner Jason DiSalvo;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Championship runner-up and current MotoAmerica team owner Dustin Dominguez;
2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, 2019 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, and 2021 Canadian Superbike Champion Alex Dumas;
four-time Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race winner and former motorcycle track record holder Carlin Dunne (R.I.P.);
Canadian Superbike race winner Bodhi Edie;
two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, two-time AMA Pro XR1200/Harley-Davidson Champion and four-time Daytona 200 winner Danny Eslick;
2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and 2020 and 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Bobby Fong;
2010 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion, 2015 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North America Superstock 1000 Champion, and three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Jake Gagne;
two-time MotoAmerica Supersport Champion and World Superbike podium finisher Garrett Gerloff;
2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Championship runner-up Michael Gilbert;
2014 AMA Pro SuperSport Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, 2023 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion, 2024 Loudon Classic winner, and 2024 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Hayden Gillim;
2002 AMA Superbike Champion and 2006 FIM MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (R.I.P.);
2007 AMA Pro 600cc Supersport Champion, 2014 AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up, and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship runner-up Roger Hayden;
eight-time AMA Pro Superbike race winner and two-time AMA Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden;
2013 AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Champion, 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, and 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Josh Herrin;
MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Teagg Hobbs;
AMA Pro Superstock race winner Jake Holden;
2000 AMA Pro 750 Supersport Champion, 2001 AMA Pro Formula Xtreme Champion, 2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up, MotoGP podium finisher, and World Superbike regular John Hopkins;
2015 Supersport World Championship runner-up, 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship runner-up, and 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Patrick “P.J.” Jacobsen;
2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion, Moto2 World Championship competitor, and MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Sean Dylan Kelly;
Canadian Superbike race winner Kevin Lacombe;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion, MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, MotoAmerica Baggers race winner Rocco Landers;
two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee;
2021 MotoAmerica Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup Champion Jake Lewis;
MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Sam Lochoff;
MotoAmerica Superstock 600 race winner Nick McFadden;
AMA Pro SuperSport race winner and MotoAmerica Supersport race winner Stefano Mesa;
Elena Myers, the first and only woman to win AMA Pro Supersport races;
AMA Pro XR1200 race winner, multi-time Loudon Classic winner, and 3-time Baggers Racing League (BRL) Champion Shane Narbonne;
2012 Canadian Superbike Championship runner-up Andrew Nelson;
2016 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Champion, 2019 British Motostar (Moto3) Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher, MotoAmerica Superbike racer and two-time Daytona 200 winner Brandon Paasch;
2012 Daytona 200 winner and 2010 AMA Pro Supersport West Champion Joey Pascarella;
2016 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Bryce Prince;
AMA Pro and Canadian National race winner and multi-time N2/WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Peris;
two-time AMA Pro SuperSport National Champion, British Supersport podium finisher, 2020 AFT Production Twins Champion, and 2024 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers podium finisher James Rispoli;
2015 MotoAmerica Superstock 600 Champion, MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, and 2023 and 2024 Moto2 World Championship race winner Joe Roberts;
2023 and 2024 MotoAmerica Supersport race winner, 2023 Loudon Classic winner and 2024 Daytona 200 podium finisher Tyler Scott;
former Red Bull AMA U.S. Rookies Cup Champion and former FIM Moto2 European Championship competitor Benny Solis, Jr.;
three-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion, 2009 Superbike World Champion, MotoGP race winner, and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ben Spies;
multi-time AMA Pro race winner and four-time overall WERA National Endurance Champion Chris Ulrich;
MotoAmerica Supersport and Stock 1000 podium finisher and former World Superbike competitor Jayson Uribe;
2017 MotoAmerica KTM RC Cup Championship runner-up, 2018 MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship runner-up, and MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher Cory Ventura;
Canadian Superbike race winner Alex Welsh;
former AMA Pro Superbike Rookie of the Year, Chinese Superbike Championship race winner, MotoAmerica Supersport podium finisher and 2024 MotoAmerica Super Hooligan Champion Cory West;
MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Superbike Cup race winner, and 2024 Superbike Cup Champion Ashton Yates;
and two-time AMA Pro Superbike Championship runner-up Blake Young.