Moto3 Race Lap Record: Jorge Martin, 2:13.025, 2017

Moto3 All Time Lap Record: Tony Arbolino, 2:12.008, 2019

2019 FIM Moto3 World Championship

Silverstone Circuit

Northamptonshire, England

August 24, 2019

Qualifying Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Tony Arbolino, Italy (Honda), 2:11.631 (New All-Time Lap Record)

2. Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Italy (Honda), 2:11.710

3. Raul Fernandez, Spain (KTM), 2:12.112

4. Ayumu Sasaki, Japan (Honda), 2:12.328

5. Niccolo Antonelli, Italy (Honda), 2:12.363

6. John McPhee, UK (Honda), 2:12.388

7. Celestino Vietti, Italy (KTM), 2:12.496

8. Ai Ogura, Japan (Honda), 2:12.542

9. Marcos Ramirez, Spain (Honda), 2:12.566

10. Sergio Garcia, Spain (Honda), 2:12.608

30. Brandon Paasch, USA (KTM), 2:14.742

More, from a press release issued by Brandon Paasch’s publicist:

BRANDON PAASCH FACES CHALLENGES, QUALIFIES AS FIRST US RIDER IN MOTO3 AT SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT

After facing some challenges on Friday and Saturday morning, Brandon Paasch has become the first US rider to qualify in the Moto3 class during the GoPro British GP at the Silverstone Circuit. He is racing his FPW Racing KTM Moto3 GP racebike from the HEL Performance Motostar British Championship, up against teams that are long-established in the series. Brandon and the team arrived at the track for setup on Wednesday, and after some promotional appearances and activities on Thursday, they got down to business on Friday.

FP1 and FP2 proved to be an eye-opening experience for all, but Brandon was able to run times that were faster than what he had done in testing at Silverstone just a few weeks earlier. He found plenty of grip on the newly repaved circuit, but the leaders were setting a hot pace, smashing the previous Moto3 lap record in practice.

On Saturday morning during FP3, the team found a few new settings that helped Brandon feel more comfortable on the bike, and he cut his lap times even further. When the green flag waved for the first 15 minute qualifying session, he went out immediately with the front group of riders to get in some quick hot laps. After a stop to change his tires and grab a quick drink, the team employed some savvy pit strategy that got Brandon back out with a group of riders in the final four minutes. This helped Brandon get in a flying lap in a group draft that led to his best time for the weekend – a 2:14.7, just a few tenths off the riders in front of him. That time secured his start in the Moto3 race on Sunday, with the anticipation of a long battle during the 17 lap race on Sunday.

“To be honest, our goal was to come in, be steady, and run strong over the weekend. The level of competition here is tough, but that’s why I wanted to race in MotoGP – to show that I belong here. It’s been a goal of mine since I was young. I’ve worked really hard to get to this point, and I’m learning a lot this weekend.

In the first session I felt good, and I just tried to settle in and see where I could work on some spots to get faster. We made a couple small adjustments in FP2, and it felt like we went backwards a little bit. I got roughed up a few times that session, which made me just more determined to come back on Saturday and really lay it down. The changes we made Saturday morning gave me a ton more confidence, so when I got out in qualifying, I knew that I could push harder and hang with some of the guys on the time sheet in front of me. The team’s strategy to have me go out in the final minutes of qualifying with a big group of riders was really smart, and once I banged around a few guys, I was able to get some clear track, take advantage of a group draft, and nail down my fastest lap all weekend. It felt good to get in the mix and get faster, and I’m excited to race tomorrow. Thanks to Andy, Dave and the whole team for improving the bike every session, and a big thanks to all the family and friends that have come out to support me at Silverstone. It really means a lot to me at my first MotoGP.” (Brandon Paasch)

“Like Brandon said – this weekend is no joke. I knew that we would be facing some big challenges this weekend, but I’m really proud of Brandon and the whole team for stepping up and working hard. Some people might have thought we would be way off, but we’ve shown that we earned our spot here, and we’ll be ready to race tomorrow. We’ve all learned a lot in just these couple of days, with the new track surface, new systems, bike setup, and how the teams strategize for each session. We’ve also had some good help from KTM, so big thanks to them. It’s very different here than BSB, but I’m very happy that we keep improving our lap times. Our pit strategy worked really well for qualifying, so we know we can get out there and run in the pack. Andy, Dave, Joe and Greg have got the bike all ready for Sunday, and Brandon has stepped up in every session. I’m looking forward to the race on Sunday.” (Adrian Mason, Team Owner)

The GoPro British Grand Prix Moto3 race starts at 11:20AM in the UK (6:20AM EDT, 3:20AM PDT). The race will be broadcast live on BT Sport in the UK, while US fans can catch all the action live at www.motogp.com or in the MotoGP app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play (subscription required for live timing and video access).

Subscribe and follow Brandon and FPW Racing on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter:

– YouTube: search for Brandon Paasch and subscribe to his channel

– Facebook: @BrandonPaasch facebook.com/BrandonPaasch/ www.facebook.com/FPWRacing/

– Instagram: instagram.com/brandon_paasch instagram.com/fpwracing/

– Twitter: @PaaschBrandon @fpwracing

– Hashtags: #SendItBP2019 #PaaschFPWRacing #Paasch_FIMMoto3GP #MotoGP #Moto3 #

Brandon Paasch is sponsored by Electronic Concepts, luxeStar VIP, Classic Car Club of Manhattan, NJMiniGP, Evolve GT, BJT Mechanical, The Three Horseshoes Pub, DRH, OTF, Arai, and Spidi. Coaching and training provided by Birdhouse Training.

FPW Racing is an amalgamation of the Fireplace Warehouse and several like-minded bike enthusiasts to support one common goal – to establish young riders and to give them a leg up in their racing careers. FPW Racing is sponsored by The Fireplace Warehouse, Motul, Pro Bolt, Hel, Regina, Jennings Race Products. For more information, visit us at www.fpwracing.co.uk