EUROPEAN TALENT CUP: AMERICAN KRISTIAN DANIEL JR FINISHES 6TH IN HIS FIRST ESBK PREMOTO3 RACE
Kristian Daniel put in a Gritty Performance on Unfamiliar Terrain and New Tires
Circuit de Barcelona, Spain — American Kristian Daniel, age 14, was a wild card rider for the Bultaco Racing team in the final round of the PreMoto3 Spanish Championship November 18-19 at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This was Kristian’s first weekend riding this bike in competition. The transition to a new machine is always a formidable task for any rider, and he tackled this challenge head-on. Additionally, he faced the added complexity of adapting to Dunlop tires, a departure from the familiar Bridgestone tires used in JuniorGP.
The start of Race Two saw Kristian slipping to 20th place at the start, raising doubts about his chances for a podium finish. However, what followed was nothing short of extraordinary. Demonstrating resilience and skill, he navigated through the pack, steadily making his way back into contention for a podium spot.
The climax of the race was reached in the final lap when KDJR found himself on the brink of securing a coveted podium position. Despite the fierce competition and the pressure of the moment, he showcased remarkable composure and strategy. In the end, Kristian crossed the finish line in sixth place, only 0.3 second off the winner, an impressive feat considering the challenges faced throughout the race.
This remarkable performance was made possible in part by the support of the Bultaco Racing Team, whose expertise and collaboration undoubtedly played a crucial role in KDJR’s success. Their collective efforts turned what could have been a disappointing race into a testament to skill, teamwork, and perseverance.
As the dust settles on this gripping race, KDJR and the Bultaco Racing Team can take pride in their collective achievements. The race served as a valuable learning experience and a testament to the rider’s adaptability and determination.
(Editorial Note: Daniel retired from Race One due to a technical issue and Did Not Finish.)
More, from a press release issued by Evike.com:
American Kensei Matsudaira Finishes ESBK Moto4 Championship in Barcelona with Another Top 5 Finish
Racing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first time, American Kensei Matsudaira started the weekend off with a strong qualifying result of sixth, starting from the second row.
In the first race on Saturday, Kensei started well and took the lead by the middle of the first lap, and fought at the front of the top group throughout the race. Going into the hard braking zone in Turn One after the long straight, Kensei was often drafted past and was down many positions, but he would put himself back in the top three on almost every lap across the line. On the final lap, Kensei put himself into third and in a position to attack for second place in the final corner, but he was bumped and ended up crossing the line in fourth in a four-way photo finish for the podium.
On Sunday, Kensei started well again and was in the top three on the opening lap when the race was red flagged due to multiple incidents on track. The race was restarted, but this time in Turn Two of the first lap Kensei suffered a highside which put him out of the race with a DNF. Fortunately, Kensei walked away from the incident without injury.
“Race One was a good race and a good result, but I wasn’t satisfied. I was just 0.01 second off the podium, again. I knew I could finish better,” Kensei said after the races. “I was really bummed about Race Two since I knew I could fight for the win or at least a podium. Turns Two and Five were catching everyone out all weekend with lots of crashes and red flags. I was managing it well, but finally it got me too. It’s not the way I want to end the season, but overall it was still a good weekend. I proved that I could be right there at the top consistently.”
This race concludes the RFME ESBK Moto4 championship for 2023, with Kensei finishing 11th in the championship out of over 34 riders hailing from 10 different countries.
Out of 14 races, Kensei finished the season with:
– 2 top three finishes
– 5 top five finishes
– 9 top ten finishes
– 2 fastest laps of the weekend
– Best finish P2
– Best qualifying P2
– 3 DNFs due to crashes – one sanctioned incident by another rider, one racing incident
– Every finished race in the top group – closest gap to winner of 0.04 seconds, longest gap to winner of 2.85 seconds
Next year, Kensei and his team plans to move up to the ESBK PreMoto3 Championship. Team sponsorship programs are available, please contact: [email protected]
Kensei and the Evike.com Nox#27 Racing Team would like to thank all of Kensei’s sponsors for their support this year:
Evike.com, Evike Europe, HJC Helmets, Dave Designs, Almassera El Teular, OrangeCat Racing, Iconic Motorbikes, Bison Track, Moto Tecnica, Alpinestars, Karen E. Ott Photography, BSP Racing, American Racing Team & Academy, The Starting Grid, TJ Corse, VNM Sport, NLAB Studio, California Superbike School, MadLabs Minimoto, Hans King, 73 Moto Parts, D.I.D Chain, Galfer USA, Bickle Racing, Yoshimura R&D, Vortex Racing, Suspension Matters, Moto Survival School, Live 100 Moto, TechSpec, Landers Racing, Boyko Racing, Mini Moto Alliance
More, from another press release issued by Sanchez Racing:
Texan Sanchez finishes P2 and 4th overall in the ESBK PREMOTO3 CHAMPIONSHIP
Coming into the last round of the ESBK Championship November 18-19 at Circuit de Barcelona, Mikey Lou Sanchez was determined to achieve his best result of the season.
During Thursday’s free practice sessions the conditions were good and Mikey was able to get comfortable on the bike. Unfortunately, the weather conditions changed Friday with rain and colder temperatures, leaving Mikey to finish FP4 in 19th position.
Saturday morning’s one and only Qualifying session was cold but dry, and Mikey was able to adapt and finish a strong P7, putting him on the third row of the grid for Race One on Saturday afternoon.
Race One began with a freight train of 29 riders until Turn Seven where the third-place rider crashed causing a gap between P1 and P2 and the rest of the field. At that point, Mikey was in eighth. He spent the next few laps learning drafting techniques down the 1km front straight at Barcelona. On lap three he managed to get into fourth position and the lead of a large group of riders. Over the next couple laps he gained on the third-place rider and was able to overtake him while still leading the freight train of riders! On the last lap Mikey put his head down and led that group to the checkered flag for a hard-earned second place, being his best result of the PreMoto3 Championship!
In Race 2 on Sunday morning the track conditions were perfect. Mikey was confident and ready. He started on the middle of the front row ready to win! Mikey had a great start and was able to lead multiple times during the race. On lap 13 Mikey led coming down long front straight and got swallowed up by the other riders in the draft, putting him back in eighth position to start the final lap. He was able to pass a few riders and in the last turn the leader ran extremely defensive moves causing a shake up which resulted in Mikey crossing the finish line in fifth place.
Mikey ended up finishing fourth overall in the ESBK Premoto3 Championship!
Mikey says: “What a great year this has been! I want to thank my team MRE Talent, Caco my Crew Chief, and my mechanic Diego for their support this year and believing in me! I wish I could race every weekend of my life like this!”
We would personally like to thank all our sponsors Roadway Traffic Control, HJC Helmets,Texas Motorcycle Academy, San Marcos Iron Doors, Williams Custom Painting, Moto Liberty, 212 Decals, Mark Niemi. Fred and Maggie Beck, Theo Bick, Ben Fondu, Paul Stamper, Stacey Pawelek.
