Main Course: Racing Is On The Thanksgiving Menu For Eight American Road Racers In Spain

Two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee, seen here aboard the JP43 Racing by Maco Yamaha YZF-R1 during the 8 Hours of Spa Motos earlier this year, was a last-minute replacement on North America’s Supersport team for the FIM Intercontinental Games. *Photo courtesy of the FIM Endurance World Championship.*

While most of the U.S. prepares for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, along with the associated parades, family dinners, tryptophan-induced naps, football games, Black Friday sales, and the start of the holiday shopping season, eight American road racers, their team manager, and a small entourage of family and friends are in Jerez, Spain, where they will participate in the 2024 City of Jerez FIM Intercontinental Games starting on Thursday.

Taking place at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, the inaugural Intercontinental Games bring together all six of the FIM’s Continental Unions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania) in celebration of the FIM’s core ethical values and ongoing commitment to diversity.

The Supersport riders will be aboard Yamaha YZF-R7s (left), while Yamaha YZF-R3s (right) will be raced by the Supersport 300 riders. *Image courtesy of the FIM.*

Former road racer and current MotoAmerica rider representative Michael Martin is team manager for the FIM North America team, which is comprised of two squads of U.S. road racers, including Avery Dreher (Captain), Mikayla Moore, Max Toth, and Matthew Chapin racing Yamaha YZF-R3s in the Supersport 300 class and Hayden Schultz (Captain), Mallory Dobbs, Blake Davis, and Andrew Lee aboard Yamaha YZF-R7s in the Supersport class.

Of note, Lee is a late addition to the FIM North America team, replacing Rocco Landers, who was injured while training and had to withdraw. A two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion, Lee has extensive experience in international racing, having finished as runner-up in the Stock 1000 class at the Suzuka 8 Hours. Also, this past June, Lee partnered with fellow MotoAmerica racer Michael Gilbert and AMA and former EWC champion Jason Pridmore on the JP43 Racing by Maco team for the 8 Hours of Spa Motos as part of the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship.

A total of forty-eight competitors—comprised of riders from 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Thailand, and the United States—will participate in track familiarization and rider briefings on Thursday, non-timed Free Practice on Friday, two timed Free Practice sessions for each class on Saturday morning followed by provisional and final qualifying on Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning warmups for each class, and the event will culminate in two races in each class on Sunday afternoon, with podium ceremonies to wrap up the event.

All eight riders in each of the six FIM Continental Unions—48 racers in all—will be wearing airbag-equipped SPIDI suits in the colors of their respective teams, along with SPIDI gloves, XPD boots, and Airoh helmets. *Image courtesy of the FIM.*

Riders will wear airbag-equipped SPIDI suits in their respective team colors with gloves also from SPIDI. Boots will be provided by XPD, and Airoh will outfit all riders with their FIM-homologated GP 800 helmets. Dunlop, the official tire supplier for the Intercontinental Games, will be trackside with full racing services throughout the event.

For FREE live streaming of the FIM Intercontinental Games, go to FIM-Moto.tv