Competing at one of the most infamous tracks in the United States, CFMOTO Racing's PruestelGP team finished third at the 2023 Moto3 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on April 16.
"I feel really good after this performance," CFMOTO rider Xavier Artigas told PruestelGP. "It's amazing to be on the podium again, and at one of my favorite tracks. The race went very well. I stayed in the leading group and felt great on the CFMOTO."
A track with 20 turns, the Circuit of the America's is known as one of the toughest places to race in the country. Riding on a properly dried for the first time that weekend, Artigas thrived in the summer conditions.
Finishing the first session in 1st place by a quarter of a second, Artigas secured a 3rd row grid position in Q2. He led the Grand Prix for a portion of the last three laps, but fell behind in a section with long straights.
Able to perform well in the corners, Artigas finished behind only Ivan Ortolá, who rode for KTM, and Jaume Masia, who rode for Honda.
"I have to thank my team," Artigas told PruestelGP. "The bike was really fast and they did a perfect job. We will see what else we can achieve in the next races."
Artigas finished with a time of 32 minutes and 1.620 seconds, placing third at the event.
Also racing for CFMOTO was substitute rider David Almansa, who finished with a time of 32 minutes and 25.266 seconds. Despite performing well during practice, Almansa was unable to adjust to the dry conditions of the track, crashing a few laps into Q1.
"I had problems with the tires," Almansa told PruestelGP. "Unfortunately, I couldn't push as hard as I wanted -- but I adapted to the situation and tried to make up position after position.
Almansa's performance during Q1 left him in position 28. The racer was able, however, to come back and finish in 17th place.
"It was an exciting weekend," CFMOTO team manager Florian Prüstel told PruestelGP. "We were very close to the podium in the first two races, but unfortunately we had a bit of bad luck. We finally got rewarded for our good work today. It was a great team performance."
Last year, Artigas placed 6th at the event and added a third Moto3 trophy to his resume. This was CFMOTO's second year competing at the American Grand Prix.
Traveling to Circuito de Jerez, the next Moto3 race takes place on April 30.
Find your CFMOTO motorcycle at our Young Powersports of Ogden location.
