P112
CN
III LOWSIDE
T
he opening Moto2 race of
the season in Qatar was an
absolute barnstormer, but
I don't know how many people
actually saw it.
For the numerous race watch-
ers who only look at the screen
because Valentino is racing, they
would have missed the arrival of
perhaps American racing's next
great hope in Joe Roberts.
In his third season as a Grand
Prix rider, Roberts shut the
doubters up by blasting to pole
position, doing the lap on his
own on a circuit with one of the
longest straights on the calen-
dar—making the slipstream a
near must for a fast lap.
He then took his American
Racing Kalex to a splendid fourth
place, just 0.131 seconds off the
podium. It was by far his best GP
race result, but more than that, it
signaled a maturity in his riding and
approach to the race weekend
that could prove rather disturbing
for the rest of the Moto2 field.
I've known the young Califor-
nian for about five years, after
we got super cozy sharing a bed
together at the Colin Edwards
Boot Camp in 2015 (relax, it was
a bunk bed…). A strong willed
but happy and very likeable guy,
at the time Roberts was about
17, and in the process of lay-
ing waste to the field in the now
defunct MotoAmerica Superstock
600 class. He'd done his stint in
Europe, running three years in the
Red Bull Rookies championship
that saw him clinch a win at Brno,
but like so many great riders from
this side of the pond he'd not
been able to grab that Moto3 ride
his talent deserved. Call it wrong
passport, lack of funds, whatever.
It didn't happen for him.
Back in the U.S., it was easy
to see this kid was something
special. When he stepped up
and did a wildcard race in the
MotoAmerica Supersport Cham-
THE RISE OF ROBERTS
Joe Roberts
looks like he's the
real deal. PHOTO:
GOLD & GOOSE
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
