MotoAmerica announced a new path for America’s young road racers to reach the highest level of the sport as it is set to start a new chapter in American road racing in 2025 with the MotoAmerica Talent Cup. The MotoAmerica Talent Cup will be a part of the “Road To MotoGP” program.
The MotoAmerica Talent Cup takes the place of the current Junior Cup class at MotoAmerica’s Championship rounds with riders aged 14 to 21 doing battle on purpose-built Krämer racing motorcycles, which are race-ready and powered by 350cc KTM powerplants. The spec-racing class provides a better package for MotoAmerica’s young stars to hone their skills than the production-class motorcycles used in the Junior Cup class since 2018.
“We know racing high-performance motorcycles provides our young athletes more opportunities and better prepares them to race at higher levels on the ‘Road to MotoGP,’” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “This is the first time MotoAmerica has created a class for our young riders that’s on the same performance-level bike as other ‘Road to MotoGP’ Talent Cups worldwide. MotoAmerica was founded on the very idea of racing Moto3-type motorcycles, and now we’re finally making that concept a reality. I’m really excited because up to five riders will get an invitation to participate in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection. My MotoAmerica partners are also excited to provide our younger riders this opportunity.”
The MotoAmerica Talent Cup will consist of at least six events and one preseason test with one of those events to be held in conjunction with the 2025 Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
The Krämer APX-350 MA makes over 50 horsepower and weighs under 255 pounds (115 kilograms) ready to race. The bike features a fully adjustable chassis and suspension and is managed by a Mectronik MKE5 racing engine control unit (ECU), and the Krämer APX-350 MAs will be fitted with Dunlop tires. Full technical specs, details and photos will be released in August.
“Krämer Motorcycles is proud to be the spec-bike supplier of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup and to help the next generation of American road racers on their path to the world stage,” said Jensen Beeler, CEO of Krämer Motorcycles USA. “Together with our partners in MotoAmerica, we believe we have created a machine that will elevate motorsport for American riders and be the tool that readies racers for the Red Bull Rookies Cup, FIM Moto3 World Championship and beyond.”
“Like all of our motorcycles, the Krämer APX-350 MA is built with the single-minded purpose of winning on the racetrack, and without the compromises that come with a production-based machine,” said Markus Krämer, founder of Krämer Motorcycles. “We believe this motorcycle is the ideal training platform for riders who are looking to advance to the international stage, and we will be proud to say one day that a World Champion started their career on a Krämer.”
The benefits of racing in the new MotoAmerica Talent Cup are deep. For starters, up to five MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders per year will receive invitations to try out for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection.
The Krämer APX-350 MA will sell for $22,495 with the bikes expected to arrive in the U.S. in mid-February of 2025. Registration for the waitlist for the APX-350 MAs will take place on the Krämer website.
Riders competing in MotoAmerica Mini Cup will also have plenty of motivation to take the next step in their racing endeavors as the top GP160 and GP190 riders from the MotoAmerica Mini Cup National Championships will be provided free season entry in the Talent Cup. Additionally, the top 190cc and 160cc participants from the FIM MiniCUP Series will also be given a free season entry to the Talent Cup. In order to qualify for the free season entry, both FIM MiniCUP and MotoAmerica Mini Cup riders must comply with the age requirements of the Talent Cup.
“We’re very happy to welcome the new MotoAmerica Talent Cup to the Road to MotoGP,” said Carlos Ezpeleta, chief sporting officer at MotoGP and rights holder Dorna Sports. “America has a huge history in our sport, and we want to see more of that made in the future. The best way to do that, we know from experience across the Road to MotoGP, is to create an environment that provides valuable and relevant experience — but pairing it with the opportunity to progress. The new MotoAmerica Talent Cup will do that, providing a next step for those in the lower levels as well as the chance to move up and show their skills at the next level in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Selection Event. The Road to MotoGP is all about widening access to our sport and creating these kinds of opportunities, so we’re excited to see the Cup begin and look forward to welcoming the inaugural season alongside us at COTA next year.”
“The 2025 MotoAmerica Talent Cup will offer an excellent complement to MotoAmerica’s ongoing efforts to provide young North American road racers with the opportunities necessary to develop their skills to take on the next level of the sport,” said AMA and FIM North American President Rob Dingman. “The support of Krämer Motorcycles and all the series’ partners will elevate the series, remove barriers for young racers who want to pursue a racing career and provide young talent with a chance to shine on the national stage.”
“I could not be happier then when I saw that finally we will have a real ‘Road to MotoGP’ in the United States next year,” said FIM President Jorge Viegas. “We need more talented American pilots, and this is the way. MotoAmerica will allow young talents to climb all the steps until reaching MotoGP and the FIM can only applaud this initiative.”
