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By Dean Adams*
A question I am being asked today is why did Trackhouse Aprilia choose Ai Ogura to be their second rider in 2025? Why didn't an American MotoGP team choose an American rider for their team?
Answer? Unfortunately, and this is nothing new, because American riders racing in the MotoAmerica series aren't fast enough to get a shot in MotoGP.
Again, this is nothing new; it has been the case for at least eight or ten years. While MotoAmerica itself purports these riders into being bad ass racing heroes the reality is that they are just riders who are racing a national series.
Or, conversely, look at it the way that Trackhouse Team Manager Davide Brivio did: evaluate all of the American riders who have raced world championship in the recent past.
1. Josh Herrin: DMG Superbike champion. Yamaha "helps" him get to Moto2.
Outcome: Fail, did not finish one season, returned to America.
2. Jake Gagne: Dominates the MotoAmerica Superbike championship and gets an end of season race in WSBK to show everyone that the best rider in MotoAmerica Superbike can beat WSBK riders. He raced at Portimao, a track he knew well.
Outcome: Complete failure. Gange could not acclimate to the Pirelli tires.
(I've said it before privately and I'll say it here publicly: when Ben Spies went WSBK racing he did not acclimate to the Pirelli tires. He made the Pirelli tires acclimate to him. He made them cry. He won the title in one year and was on to MotoGP. )
Incidentally, Gagne's non-performance at Portimao alone probably set MotoAmerica back ten years in terms of how it is perceived in the world championships.
3. Cameron Beaubier: multi-time MotoAmerica Superbike champion.
Outcome: After absolutely dominating the MotoA Superbike championship for five years he does two seasons in Moto2 with some very brief flashes of success. However after two seasons in Moto2 there is seemingly zero interest from any WSBK or MotoGP teams. Returns to America, tail between legs.
4. Sean Dylan Kelly: Wins the MotoAmerica Supersport championship. Gets Moto2 ride.
Outcome: Struggles in Moto2. Returns to MotoAmerica.
5. PJ Jacobsen: Really fast in World Supersport racing for two seasons.
Outcome: Basically no interest from any teams racing the WSBK or MotoGP championships. Returns to MotoAmerica and AFT dirt track. Now races the Supersport class.
6. Garret Gerloff: Left MotoA early to strike out on his own in WSBK. At one time he was easily the most successful American rider in a world championship.
Outcome: Decent results and had two brief MotoGP opportunities, but his results fell off a cliff in 2024. Will continue to race WSBK next season although on the barely a B-team Puccetti Kawasaki.
7. Joe Roberts: again, left MotoAmerica to strike out on his own in Moto2. He has won Moto2 races.
Outcome: some success and was said to be in contention for the Trackhouse ride but in the end wasn't chosen.
Why would any MotoGP team manager give a seat to an American rider, knowing all of the above?
I could go on but I'm sure you see my point and recognize the trend.
When it was originally formed MotoAmerica's stated intention was to develop a riders for world championship racing. For whatever reason it has instead developed into a series unto itself. For riders who have no hope of ascending to world championship nor have any aspirations of adding their name to the list of American racing legends like Hayden, Rainey, Spencer, then MotoAmerica is an opportunity to win races, be on TV, be treated like you are a sporting superstar and be the biggest fish in a very, very small pond.
It's not all bad news for American riders in world championship. There are two possibilities of world championship success in the future.
1. Kayla Yaakov will graduate to a woman's world championship when she turns 18 and she will certainly mop up in that division.
2. Also, Dallas Daniels, may one day decide to return to roadracing.
Republished courtesy of Superbikeplanet.com
