MAY 4, 2022

(MotoGP)
It was the showdown that was building all weekend long: Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (No. 63 Ducati Lenovo Team) vs Fabio Quartararo (No. 20 Monster Energey Yamaha MotoGP). The pair were in a class of their own at the Red Bull Spanish Grand Prix with victory, despite incredible late pressure, going the way of Bagnaia as he officially announced himself as part of the title race. Quartararo was forced to settle for second but did take the outright lead in the World Championship. Meanwhile, in the fight for third, Aleix Espargaro (No. 41 Aprilia Racing) broke clear in the final laps to claim the last podium spot. Watch the race highlights here. (Thank you to MotoGP Media)

COLOR SPAIN - AND THE SEASON - RED.

By Whit Bazemore

Bend. Late last season, Franscesco “Pecco” Bagnaia made a huge statement of his 2022 intent by winning four of the last six races, including a memorizing and closely fought victory over Marc Marquez in Aragon. The Aragon win alone showed Bagnaia’s stunning ability to endure unrelenting pressure in fending off arguably the world’s best ever motorcycle racer, Marquez, who made seven (!) aggressive passing attempts. That the Aragon win was Bagnaia’s first ever in MotoGP, during his first season as a factory Ducati rider, made it that much more impressive. Here was a rider with great speed, an ability to ignore huge pressure, with the mindset of a champion, who had suddenly come of age. Aragon was impressive. Yes, Fabio Quartararo sewed up the championship a few races later based on a stellar season of consistently great finishes over the rapidly closing second place Bagnaia. No matter, by the end of the year, the Bagnaia/Ducati combination looked stronger than Quartararo and the Yamaha.  

The off-season saw Marquez still not 100% recovered from his much-chronicled two year spate of serious injuries, and Bagnaia being talked up as the 2022 Championship favorite. Quartararo of course was the other favorite - dependent upon Yamaha’s ability to show up for the ’22 season with a much-needed more powerful engine. Rightly so. 

Fast forward to the first five races of this still young 2022 season, and Bagnaia has been… more or less nowhere. But with Marquez missing two of the first five races due to his huge Indonesian crash, and Quartararo and the Yamaha unable to win on the faster tracks, which make up the beginning of the season (the new engine is still “slow”), and Bagnaia was not alone in the struggle for competitiveness among the big championship favorites. 

Ducati introduced a new bike for the 2022 season, the aptly named GP22, which of course is intended to be be an evolution and improvement on the GP21 - the bike which Pecco had ridden to perfection in his late season domination. The GP21 was widely considered to be the best bike on the grid - if not the best Ducati GP bike ever - so how to improve perfection? At this level, when tenths of a second determine success or failure, it is easy to take one step forward and two back, if one is not careful. Indeed, this was the case: Enea Bastianini - on the year-old GP21 - and riding for the Gresini team with Ducati Factory support (but being far from the level of the actual Factory Ducati team), won two of the first four races and led the championship early on. Where was Bagnaia? Heading into this past weekend’s race six, the Spanish GP in Jerez, he was down in tenth - 38 points behind leader Quartararo (who had won the previous week’s race in Portimao, Portugal). 

Motorcycle Racing differs from car racing in many ways of course, but one of the biggest differences is the need for the rider to have complete trust in the bike, its front-end traction, and its overall handling. In a car, even in F1, it is much easier (but not easy) to drive around a particular handling or set up imperfection. In MotoGP, it is impossible. The bike must be very close to what the rider wants. Put simply, the rider needs to “have a good feeling” from the bike, and the bike must be set up (and designed) to suit the particular rider’s racing style. It is a complicated scenario. For many of the past 10 or 15 years, the Ducati bike has had a reputation for being difficult to ride - witness the great Valentino Rossi’s winless two years as a Ducati racer back in the late 2000’s, and more recently, the year and a half it took three time Champion Jorge Lorenzo to come to grips and find victory with the 2017 and 2018 versions. Much has changed since, and now the Ducati is arguably the best bike on the grid. Make no mistake, last year and earlier this year the GP21 was the bike to have. 

Until now, that is. At the Spanish GP, the GP22 “arrived.” Maybe this is now the best ever Ducati. Too early to say, but Bagnaia and the GP22 won - no, they dominated - the race. This win and the way it happened says everything, and delivers on the promise Bagnaia showed last season. 

Jerez is a tight circuit with several long and high speed corners. Bagnaia and the GP22 finally became one. He had that “good feeling with the bike.” He qualified on pole. He then led every lap, despite it being a pressure filled 25 laps. Quartararo hounded him from the start, but Pecco didn’t make a mistake or give Quartararo an inch to get by. Often, the easy looking wins can be the hardest. If Quartararo had gotten past and into the lead, he very likely would have won his second race in a row, such is his current level of competitiveness on tighter tracks like Jerez. 

Bagnaia has now started his Championship quest in earnest. Of course, one race does not make a Championship, and each of the remaining fifteen races will be extremely difficult. Marquez is still not at 100%, but he is getting fitter by the day. He rode like the Champion he is to a strong fourth place. And you can tell just by watching him, he isn’t scared (his words a few races ago...his definition of scared is quite different than mere mortals). In the race, he was on the edge just like he almost always used to be - even magically saving a crash with his elbow. Marquez is epic to watch, always pushing to his own limit, which is all too obviously well beyond his Honda’s limit. You have to see him race to believe it. Quartararo is perhaps the quickest rider on the grid over one lap, and he will no doubt win more than his share as the season goes on. But the Yamaha is not a Ducati, and this might be the difference this season. Aleix Espargaro was again on the podium with the factory Aprilia. Just a few years ago this bike was lost, and Aleix crashed often while trying to make chicken soup from chicken shit. It can’t be done, but this is a case study of perseverance and single-minded focus from an entire organization on how to succeed in racing. Despite being the second-oldest rider on the grid, he is now a real contender for the first time in his career. He, too, has that “good feeling” on the Aprilia - finally - and will see the podium many more times. 

Then there are all the others - perhaps 75% of the grid can win any given race. It is this close. My money for the Championship is on Bagnaia, however. The Ducati is now a sweet handling bike, and very, very fast. Bagnaia is insanely quick - almost - or maybe even with - Quartararo and Marquez on pure speed. A confident Bagnaia is also as mistake-free as a MotoGP rider can be. Almost perfect. 

All we have to do is watch and witness exceptional talent at the highest level. And that is more than perfect!  

Editor-in-Chief's Note: Special AE contributor Whit Bazemore - the Renaissance Man and superb photographer - is continuing to give us updates and his insider's perspective on the MotoGP season. MotoGP has become my personal favorite form of motorsport, and to have someone with Whit's talent share his visual art and deep knowledge of MotoGP is truly special for us, and we really appreciate it. By the way, you may recognize Whit's last name. Bazemore began making a living from drag racing when he was sixteen years old, and he is a two-time U.S. Nationals winner and still the fifth-fastest Funny Car driver ever at 333.25 MPH.-PMD

(Photo by AE Special Contributor Whit Bazemore https://www.instagram.com/whitbazemore/)
Francesco Bagnaia at Circuit of The Americas last month.
(Photo by AE Special Contributor Whit Bazemore https://www.instagram.com/whitbazemore/)
Another shot of Pecco Bagnaia.
(Photo by AE Special Contributor Whit Bazemore https://www.instagram.com/whitbazemore/)
Pecco, up close. 

(Photo by AE Special Contributor Whit Bazemore https://www.instagram.com/whitbazemore/)
Aleix Espargaro (No. 41 Aprilia Racing) broke clear in the final laps to claim the last podium spot and a tremendous result for Aprilia.
 

(Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment)
Pato O’Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet) returned to his winning ways Sunday by capturing the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst at Barber Motorsports Park. O’Ward, from Mexico, earned his first victory of the season, beating reigning NTT INDYCAR Series champion and 2021 Barber winner Alex Palou (No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing The American Legion Honda) to the checkered flag by .9800 of a second. NTT P1 Award winner Rinus VeeKay finished third in the No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet. “It sucks to be at war within your own team, right?” O’Ward said. “I’m glad there have been very positive talks for the future. I wanted to do it for these guys, for Arrow, for McLaren SP, Team Chevy. I was tired of being 10th and 11th and fifth, so I said, ‘Let’s get a win under our belts so we can claw our way back into the championship fight.'” O’Ward climbed from ninth to fifth in the standings with his first victory since winning Belle Isle-2 last June. There was also movement at the top of the championship, as Palou took the lead with his third podium finish in four starts this season. The Spaniard leads Scott McLaughlin, 144-141, as just 10 points separate the top four drivers in the standings. Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, who led the points entering this race, dropped to third after finishing 14th in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Next up for the NTT INDYCAR Series are two races at the hallowed ground of the sport, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The GMR Grand Prix is set for Saturday, May 14 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile IMS road course, while the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge will run Sunday, May 29 on the historic 2.5-mile oval. Both races will be televised live by NBC, with live coverage also from the INDYCAR Radio Network. Tickets for both races are available at IMS.com. Watch the race highlights from Alabama here. (Thank you to INDYCAR Media)

(michelinracinghusa.com)
Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque dominated the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by Motul at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the second consecutive year. But their first race win of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was anything but straightforward and easy. Albuquerque triple-stinted the majority of the two-hour, 40-minute race in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 Daytona Prototype international (DPi). He endured intense pressure from a similar Acura DPi fielded by Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian and driven by Tom Blomqvist for more than two hours of that driving time. The race featured a single, early full-course caution, so the result came down to which driver best navigated heavy traffic as they wound around the 2.238-mile road course on California’s Monterey Peninsula. Blomqvist actually seized the lead in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura for about 10 minutes, only for Albuquerque to regain it for the final time with just over an hour remaining. Albuquerque was finally able to build a small cushion in the closing minutes and crossed the finish line 1.080 seconds ahead of a frustrated Blomqvist. Tristan Nunez and Pipo Derani (No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) finished third. John Farano and Louis Deletraz of Tower Motorsport took the victory in LMP2 by 23.2 seconds in an ORECA LMP2 07. Era Motorsport finished runner-up while DragonSpeed USA placed third. (Thank you to John Oreovicz/IMSA Wire Service)
(michelinracingusa.com)
Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell (No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R) put together a dominating flag-to-flag performance Sunday to win the GTD PRO class by 31.896 seconds. “Absolutely flawless race once again, especially with the pit stops,” Campbell said. “It might have looked easy, but trying to manage a car around here is difficult at times. I think it helped on the last stint with the cars battling behind us.” Indeed, the late drama was left for the remaining podium positions in class. Three cars – the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M4 GT3 and the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C8.R GTD – battled for second and third during the final laps, with Ben Barnicoat prevailing in the No. 14 Lexus over Connor De Phillippi in the No. 25 BMW. Barnicoat, who co-drove the Lexus with Jack Hawksworth, finished 1.221 seconds ahead of De Phillippi, who shared the BMW with John Edwards. Antonio Garcia finished fourth in the Corvette he co-drove with Jordan Taylor, 1.442 seconds behind De Phillippi. The GTD PRO class will take the next two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races off (Mid-Ohio on May 15 and Detroit on June 4) before returning June 26 for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Wright Motorsports triumphed in GTD with Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen in the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3R. The No. 39 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 was second. Turner Motorsports in the No. 96 BMW M4 GT3 had the last spot on the podium in third. (Thank you to Jeff Olson and Mark Robinson/IMSA Wire Service)

(Trans Am)
Chris Dyson (No. 20 ALTWELL Ford Mustang) had the perfect weekend in Round 5 of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Mission Foods 100 at Sonoma Raceway, topping the practice charts, earning the Motul Pole Award and leading every lap on his way to the TA race victory at the California track. Dyson raced flawlessly, completing a West Coast sweep while hard battles were waged behind him. After leading the weekend’s only TA practice session, Dyson captured the Motul Pole Award with a track-record breaking lap. When the green flag waved over the field, Dyson pulled ahead, keeping his lead throughout the caution-free event. Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Lucas Oil Ford Mustang) ran hot on Dyson’s heels, but he was unable to close to gap to pass the defending champion. The race for third-place overall was a tight battle between Ken Thwaits (No. 7 Franklin Road Camaro) and Western Championship competitor Greg Pickett (No. 6 ALTWELL Ford Mustang). The two battled tightly for the duration of the race, swapping positions, but Pickett held the advantage when the checkered flag waved, earning him the TA Western class win as well. Thwaits’ fourth-place finish overall put him third on the podium for the National competitors. “That was a terrific end to the weekend, and a really great week for us out here in California,” said Dyson after pulling into Victory Lane. “Sonoma is one of my all-time favorite tracks, and we’re so blessed to be able to come out here and race on the West Coast with two tremendous races in a row. Coming out here and winning, finishing on the top step of the podium in the ALTWELL car, with Greg Pickett and the Pickett family, I just couldn’t be happier. Tomy [Drissi] pushed me the whole way these last two weekends, he was always breathing down my neck. It was great competition. We look forward to these races, we prepare for them, and this has been a really special week. It’s been great for points, and it’s very satisfying to head into Lime Rock with the points lead.” Watch the race highlights here. The broadcast of today’s race, presented by Franklin Road Apparel, will air on CBS Sports Network on Saturday, May 7 at 1 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation that evening at 10 p.m. ET, as well as on Saturday, May 8 at 11:30 p.m. ET. TA returns to the track May 27-30 with the Trans Am Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park. (Thank you to Trans Am Media)

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG