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 26th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.
Roadracing World Young Guns have won:
FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;
MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;
A KTM RC Cup World Final race;
The Daytona 200 (11 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 2022 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.
Max Van (a.k.a. Maximillion VanDenBrouck)
Age: 16.
Current home: Shelby, Michigan.
Current height/weight: 5’10”/148 pounds.
Current school grade level: 10th grade.
Began riding motorcycles at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2019, Grattan, Michigan, WERA, 3 Novice classes, 3 wins.
Current racebike: Kawasaki Ninja 400.
Current tuners/mechanics: Brian Van (father), Dave Bavol, and Jimmy Fox.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Junior Cup.
Top sponsors: SportbikeTrackGear.com and its customers.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, finished 7th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 top-10 finishes in 18 races, best race finish was 4th); 2020 season, placed 17th in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (only competed in 3 rounds, 2 top-10 finishes), won WERA North Central Regional F Superstock Expert Championship (6 race wins); 2019 season, finished 2nd in WERA North Central Regional D Superbike and D Superstock Novice Championships (12 race wins).
2022 racing goal: Get a trophy at the MotoAmerica Awards Banquet.
Racing career goals: Have fun, push to the best of my abilities, earn a ride on a Team Hammer bike.
Racing hero: Chris Ulrich.
Favorite track: Grattan Raceway.
Favorite hobby: Working for my family’s business, SportbikeTrackGear.com.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: I would be riding around and doing track days with our awesome STG customers.
