Cycle News Staff | May 16, 2023
The MIE Racing team of Sandra Gomez and Jorge Zaragoza topped the inaugural FIM E-Xplorer World Cup event in Catalonia, Spain, May 13-14. The all-electric motorcycle event included seven two-rider teams of two riders with one female and one male. The series boasts well-known owners, including multi-time AMA Motocross and Supercross Champion James Stewart (Seven-EM Stewart Racing) and action sports icon Robbie Madison (MaddWill powered by EBMX), who also participated as a rider.
Jorge Zaragoza, a former MXGP competitor, teamed with Sandra Gomez, a top female racer with many trials and off-road racing wins to her credit, to race the FIM E-Xplorer event in their home country of Spain.
The teams competed in head-to-head battles, and the Spanish duo of Gomez and Zaragoza won the final against the Electric Motion Factory Team of Marine Lemoine and Christophe Bruand, both from France.
Sandra Gomez said, “I am very happy. Winning in this first round was amazing. Jorge and I joined the championship at the last minute, but we competed very well together. My teammate helped me to go faster with some motocross advice, and I gave my best today. We adapted really well to the bike, and we were able to achieve a great result for MIE Racing.”
Zaragoza said, “When the team asked me to compete with them in the FIM E-Xplorer, I had no doubt as I believe this is the future. The team did a great job, and the bikes are very competitive. I felt comfortable from the beginning, and I adapted quickly to the bike and the track, as it was similar to motocross. I’m so happy for this historic first win in the championship.”
American Louise Forsley (pictured) joined Canadian Spenser Wilton on the James Stewart-owned Seven-EM Stewart Racing team. The team finished fifth overall on a course that favored motocross skills.
Gomez and Zaragoza raced a pair of MIE Racing electric motorcycles created by Japan’s Midori Moriwaki, granddaughter of the legendary Hideo “Pops” Yoshimura, the founder of Yoshimura. Midori’s father, Mamoru Moriwaki, is also a well-known race team owner and founder of Moriwaki Engineering, a Japanese specialty engineering company. Midori is the co-founder of the Bells Racing team that competes in the All-Japan Motocross Championship.
The PCR-e Performance Factory Sur Ron Team of Chloe Richardson and Sam Winterburn beat out the Fanatics team of Tjasa Fifer and Alex Gamboa in the run-off for third and fourth place.
American Louise Forsley (pictured) joined Canadian Spenser Wilton on the James Stewart-owned Seven-EM Stewart Racing team. The team finished fifth overall on a course that favored motocross skills.
The Seven-EM Stewart Racing team of American Louise Forsley and Canadian Spenser Wilton finished fifth.
The second of five races planned for 2023 is scheduled for June 24 in Switzerland. There is a U.S. round planned for later in 2023. CN
Robbie Madison is a team owner and rider on the MaddWill powered By EBMX team.
OVERALL
- MIE Racing (Sandra Gomez, Jorge Zaragoza)
- EM Factory (Marine Lemoine, Christophe Bruand)
- PCR-e Performance Factory Sur Ron Team (Chloe Richardson, Sam Winterburn)
- Fanatics (Tjasa Fifer , Alex Gamboa)
- Seven-EM Stewart Racing (Louise Forsley, Spenser Wilton)
