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2023 Ohvale Australia FIM MiniGP Series Calendar Announced With Expanded Class

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2022 FIM MiniGP, Round 4 Race 1 Start

Ohvale Australia rides into 2023 with expanded offering

Via Ohvale Australia

The FIM MiniGP World Series is Dorna’s newest Road to MotoGP pathway program to ensure talent from a young age is developed correctly to improve the high level of skill, quick reaction, and accuracy that motorcycle racing requires.

For 2023, alongside the existing 160cc class, a new 190cc category will join the series – creating the perfect next step on the Road to MotoGP™ and ensuring young riders do not need to move onto larger machinery and Grand Prix circuits to keep progressing in their motorcycle racing career.

The 190cc FIM MiniGP Australia Series takes place on karting tracks, with the following age limits applied to each category:

  • 160cc class (GP-0 10” wheels) 10-14 years
  • 190cc class (GP-2 12” wheels) 12-16 years

With some riders having shone in the 160cc category in the FIM MiniGP World Series, but not yet having reached the age to compete at the next level on other Road to MotoGP™ programs, the new 190cc category provides an opportunity for young competitors to keep learning, racing and improving in the safest environment possible as they continue their career on smaller, race focused, machinery.

The 2023 provisional calendar for the FIM MiniGP Australia Series is now available, with five rounds taking place over four states from March until September.

The FIM MiniGP Australia Series Calendar for 2023:

  • 11th & 12th March – ROUND 1 – Port Melbourne (VIC)
  • 20th & 21st May – ROUND 2 – TBC (NSW)
  • 29th & 30th July – ROUND 3 – Ipswich (QLD)
  • 26th & 27th August – ROUND 4 – Monarto (SA)
  • 23rd & 24th September – ROUND 5 – Oakleigh (VIC)

In addition to the FIM MiniGP World Series races at each round the popular Support classes will also return in 2023. Classes will be similar to the 2022 line-up and will include:

  • GP-0 / GP-2 – Open (16-65 years)
  • Veterans Open (35-65 years)
  • Grom / Mini Motard (16-65 years)

Expressions of interest for the expanded 2023 series are still open. More information on the series can be accessed here.

“Racing the Mini GP series this year was so much fun” said FIM MiniGP Australia Champion Harrison Watts. “I learned so much and gained heaps of experience, it was great to have Wayne Maxwell helping out throughout the season. I think my favourite race of this year would have to be race one of the final round, I had so much pressure to gain points after the brake line burst in the previous race and with tires going off, I was locked in a battle, pulling off the win under that pressure was such a relief. The world series final in Valencia was such an eye opener and so much fun. Seeing how good the competition is from every country. I learned so much and improved my riding skills over the two days. I am pleased to announce my plans for the 2023 season include moving up to the GP-2 series and hopefully get another ride at Valencia and be more prepared for it”.

“My first season competing in FIM Mini GP was awesome and the world series final at Valencia was, as you would imagine, the highlight of my life to date” said 2022 FIM MiniGP Australia runner up Teerin Fleming. “Apart from meeting and hanging out with MotoGP royalty, the racing itself was a whole new level of riding and competition for me. The style and speed of the other competitors was at first intimidating but learning from them and finally getting a good setup on the bike around what was an unbelievable circuit for the MiniGP 160 bikes. I went into this first season in MiniGP not knowing what the series would be like, I found that not only was it a great experience but riding the Ohvale GP-0 160 at tracks around Australia really cleaned up and fixed any bad habits I had on the racetrack. Round five was my best round because it was the most exciting weekend, I won the final race of the season coming through from fourth at the start. However, the first round still has a special place in my heart because I won the round and set the lap record. Next year the plan is to bounce between Australia and Spain, as I will be competing in the Spanish Moto 5 & Moto 4 championships and return to Australia to compete in the new GP-2 junior class”.

“I am personally excited to have to the opportunity to take a group of kids to Valencia again next year to really see how much we have improved against the world’s best in exactly the same programs” commented ASBK Legend and Ohvale Australia Director, Wayne Maxwell. “To be introducing a second class in 2023 on the GP2 190 is going to be a great initiative, we see the best Moto GP riders train on the same bikes, so we know how good an education tool they are, at all levels. As we enter the second year of the Mini GP Australia series, we now have a much better understanding of what is needed to help elevate the level of riding, as well as the off track preparation. To have Harry and Teerin experience racing kids from the same road to Moto GP program at the World Series Final in Valencia this year is a memory that will remain with them for the rest of their lives”.