24th-Annual Roadracing World Young Gun Honors:
By David Swarts
Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 24th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
AMA Pro races and Championships, including eight AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (8 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 11 and 18 (as of the start of the 2020 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships on a 125cc two-stroke/250cc four-stroke or larger racebike 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: 15.
Current home: Boulder, Colorado.
Current height/weight: 5’10”/130 pounds.
Current school grade level: 10th grade.
Began riding at age: 12 years.
First road race: 2018, Dacono, Colorado, Rocky Mountain Mini Moto, Formula One, 1st place.
Current racebikes: Yamaha YZF-R6, Kawasaki Ninja 400.
Current tuners/mechanics: Geoff Cesmat, Jason Grant (father).
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Top sponsors: Spears Racing, Vortex Racing, Sun Enterprises, Chicken Hawk Racing, Shoei, Motion Pro, Galfer, Motorex.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2019 season, won 3 UtahSBA Expert Championships (Production 500, Moto3, Lightweight Superbike), won CVMA 500 Supersport Amateur Championship, won 29 races overall in 2019.
2020 racing goals: Win MotoAmerica Junior Cup 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.
