. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has obliged the cancellation of the event, which was set to take place from the 16th to the 18th of October at the Twin Ring Motegi.

The home of MotoGP™ manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki, Japan is vital to the global presence and success of MotoGP™.

The iconic Twin Ring Motegi has been on the calendar since 1999 and the FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports very much look forward to returning to race at the venue in 2021, in front of some of the most dedicated and loyal fans in the world.

Kaoru Tanaka, President, Mobilityland Corporation: “Mobilityland has been preparing for this year’s MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix, however the situations in Japan and Europe are unpredictable and the extension of the international travel ban is expected. As a result of our discussions with Dorna, the managerial body of the series, we agreed that we have no choice but to cancel the Japanese GP in order to complete the season.

“We understand that this is a great disappointment for fans and all related parties. We thank you for your understanding.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “It is with great sadness that we announce the cancellation of the Motul Grand Prix of Japan at the very unique Motegi circuit, meaning we will not have a Japanese Grand Prix on the calendar for the first time since 1986.

“The MotoGP family is working very hard to be able to re-start the racing season and hold as many events as possible, and in the safest way possible. For this reason, the FIM and Dorna, in consultation with IRTA and MSMA, have decided that, until mid-November, MotoGP will remain in Europe to do as many European MotoGP events as we are able to. Therefore, overseas events, if at all possible, should be scheduled after mid-November – which would be too late in the year for the Motul Grand Prix of Japan to be held.

“For this reason it has been decided, in consultation with Mobilityland, that the Motul Grand Prix of Japan cannot be held in 2020. I very much thank Mobilityland for the support given to MotoGP.

“On behalf of Dorna, I would also like to thank all the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We very much look forward to returning to Motegi next year.”

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo is a virtual MotoGP™ race winner! The five-time Champion wildcard got the better of Reale Avintia Racing’s Tito Rabat in the closing stages of Sunday’s Michelin® Virtual British Grand Prix, making the most of his only wildcard appearance in 2020 by taking pole position and the win. Despite another fairly dramatic encounter in the virtual world, Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) completed the podium behind Rabat.

As ever in virtual races, the opening lap wasn’t short of drama with the first incident coming when LCR Honda Idemitsu ‘s Takaaki Nakagami wiped out Lorenzo through Turns 2 and 3, leaving Quartararo with the holeshot. He was quickly dropped to second when Nakagami slipped through, however, with the group powering down the Hangar Straight for the first time.

Quartararo was keen to make up for his earlier mistake, and possibly in the end he proved too keen. Lorenzo headed into the gravel trap to put a dint in his progress and the Frenchman followed when the front end of his Yamaha folded. Quartararo’s crash elevated Pramac Racing’s Francesco Bagnaia to second place, but it wasn’t long until the Italian also tucked the front; a surprising mistake from the Red Bull Ring victor and consistent performer in virtual races…

Jorge Lorenzo: “Like some Roman Emperor said, ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’! So I arrived, I took the pole position and I won. But I have to say that Fabio today was much faster than me but to win the race you have to finish. We did it, even if I crashed at the second corner. I was consistent, I was quite fast. I overheated the rear tyre a little bit so It wasn’t easy to catch Tito but finally I overtook him and won the race. It was a lot of fun and I’m very happy.

“During these days I have tried all of the tyre options and I went with the hard rear. I was clear with the soft front, it didn’t overheat, but the medium rear overheated a little and was tough to manage; it was on the limit. So the hard option for the final laps was better and I was lucky Fabio crashed as many times as he did, otherwise, it would’ve been hard to beat him.”

It didn’t take long for the drama to begin on the opening lap when Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out down the Hangar Straight by running straight into the back of Kasmayudin, the Malaysian suffering some lag issues and the same problems then causing Garzo to crash a few laps later too. The pair were sweeping around the final corner when Kasmayudin’s Moto2™ machine stopped dead in the middle of the track, leaving the Spaniard nowhere to go…

That meant the final podium place had seemingly been handed to Liqui Moly Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter, but the German then suddenly threw away a rostrum finish on the penultimate lap after touching the grass and crashing heading on to the Wellington Straight.

No such mistakes were made by Bendsneyder, who eased over the line eight seconds clear of Kasmayudin in second, with Garzo stealing the final podium place. Schrötter’s disastrous final two laps were compounded by Fernandez beating him to fourth in the last sector, leaving the number 23 to complete the top five.

Sky Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi had to settle for sixth place, just a tenth adrift of a top five finish, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) in seventh. Moto2™ World Championship leader Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) ended up eighth, ahead of Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) as the final finisher in ninth. Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Xavi Vierge was unable to finish after his internet dropped out halfway through!

Bo Bendsneyder: “I worked hard for it and trained a lot! So I’m happy.

“I won by eight seconds in the end, but it wasn’t easy. My hands are a bit sweaty now, but I finished the race!”

Schrötter vs BulegaKasmayudin vs FernandezTop Moto2™ photo: Bendsneyder starts as he means to go on

Nepa annihilates the competition for virtual Moto3™ winItalian a class above the rest in the lightweight class at the Michelin Virtual British Grand PrixAspar Team Gaviota’s Stefano Nepa clinched a debut virtual Moto3™ victory in emphatic style by taking a lights-to-flag victory at the Michelin® Virtual British Grand Prix. The Italian was a class above the rest throughout the day, earlier taking pole position by a handsome margin and unmatched in the six-lap race… eventually taking the chequered flag nearly ten seconds clear of Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3). who completed the podium.

In a frantic opening lap, CarXpert PrüstelGP’s Barry Baltus and Alcoba swapped paint in a tight fight for second as behind, British hopeful John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) saw his home hopes take an early scuppering after a coming together with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Kaito Toba….

Despite Baltus and Alcoba’s antics, the pair were able to escape from the clutches of those behind and looked like dead certs for taking the final two podium spots… but that was until the Belgian clipped the rear-end of Alcoba, then crashing out of third place on lap three.

That allowed Sasaki to swoop through into third place with three laps left, and no further mistakes were made at the front to shake things up. Nepa therefore took the chequered flag ahead of Alcoba and Sasaki, with Scotsman McPhee recovering from his earlier crash to take fourth.

Honda Team Asia’s Yuki Kunii beat compatriot Toba on the final lap to clinch the final place in the top five, Toba crashing late on and ending up P6, before Baltus and Max Kofler (CIP Green Power) came across the line in seventh and eighth respectively. The final two to finish were Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Racing) and Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), although the latter was glad of the finish after starting the race joking he’d be the Safety Car after qualifying 24 seconds off pole…

Stefano Nepa: “I had just one track limit moment, during the race it was only a penalty of three tenths. In the global standings I think I’m P7 or P6 at Silverstone, but today yeah the race was incredible! They were all 2:10s and it was a good race.

“I’m happy for my first win in virtual racing but it’s better to win in reality!”

Baltus vs KoflerToba under attackTop Moto3™ photo: Nepa begins his charge

The British Grand Prix was set to take place from the 28th to the 30th of August at the classic Silverstone Circuit. Silverstone hosted the first Grands Prix held on the British mainland from 1977, and MotoGP™ returned to the illustrious track ten years ago. 2020 will now sadly mark the first year MotoGP™ sees no track action in the British Isles for the first time in the Championship’s more than 70-year history.

The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was set to take place at the legendary Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from the 23rd to the 25th of October. Phillip Island hosted the very first Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in 1989 and since 1997 has been the only home of MotoGP™ Down Under – with its unique layout providing some of the greatest battles ever witnessed on two wheels.

The cancellation of the British Grand Prix also obliges the cancellation of the corresponding British Talent Cup track activity at the same event.

Stuart Pringle, Silverstone Managing Director: “We are extremely disappointed about the cancellation of the British MotoGP event, not least as the cancelled race in 2018 is still such a recent memory, but we support the decision that has had to be taken at this exceptional time.

“I want to thank the stoic British fans for their patience and support.  We must now look forward to 2021 when Silverstone will once again host the fastest and most historic MotoGP race on the calendar and work hard to make it a truly exceptional event for all to enjoy.”

Paul Little AO, Australian Grand Prix Corporation Chairman: “We’re very disappointed that MotoGP fans throughout Victoria, Australia and internationally won’t get the chance to make the pilgrimage to see the world’s best riders compete on one of the best circuits anywhere in the world, but the right decision has been made.

“The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix puts Phillip Island on the global stage and it’ll be back better than ever in 2021.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We’re saddened to have to announce the cancellation of these iconic events after finding no way through the logistical and operational issues resulting from the pandemic and rearranged calendar. Silverstone and Phillip Island are always two of the most thrilling race weekends of the season, with both tracks never failing in their promise to deliver some of the closest racing in our Championship.

“On behalf of Dorna, I would like to once again extend my thanks to the fans for their understanding and patience as we wait for the situation to improve. We look forward to returning to Silverstone and Phillip Island next year for more incredible battles.”

With the latest announcement that the European Tour season will restart in July, the 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion believes he will be in better form when he tees up for what will be his first professional tournament in four months.

“I’m definitely looking forward to playing well again because I didn’t have the best of starts at the start of the year. And the COVID-19 crisis was actually a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to reassess my game and mental state too.

“This has been my longest layoff from golf. Apart from spending quality time with my family which was really important, I took advantage of this period to reflect on all aspects of my game,” said Sharma.

Sharma started the year with a tied-59th finish in Abu Dhabi before missing the cuts in his next four starts on the European Tour. After being left out of the weekend action again in Qatar and with his next event in Kenya cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, he decided to return home early to prepare for the Hero Indian Open.

But the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters would turn out to be his last event before the pandemic brought the sporting world to a halt.

“I honestly didn’t think things would get so bad with the virus until I got to Qatar where we were told Kenya would be cancelled. Then the next thing I knew was the Hero Indian Open was going to be postponed. Everything just happened so fast,” said Sharma.

As most parts of the world then went into lockdowns, Sharma, like many others, found ways to keeping themselves entertained and occupied.

“I tried to learn how to draw but that only lasted for a few days. I tried to learn the Ukulele. My sister was teaching me for a few days. I realised I was not really making too much headway and didn’t want to pursue it that much after that.

Like many other corporate professionals, Sharma continued to ‘work from home’. Until recently, access to gyms, driving ranges and golf courses were still restricted but the creative Indian managed to find ways to keep himself sharp, reviving even fond childhood memories from the past.

“I made a small chipping area in my garden and I practised my chipping where I made a small hole in the ground and tried to hit as many chips close to that as possible.

“That was interesting to me as I have not done that for a very long time. The only time I did it was when I was a kid, so it was fun reliving those days again,” said the 23-year-old.

As India eased some of its lockdown measures, Sharma finally got the chance to head back into doing the things he loved most at the Chandigarh Golf Club with his favourite four-ball partners- Aadil Bedi, Karandeep Kochhar and Ajeetesh Sandhu.

And returning to hit his first shot there when it resumed operations last week was certainly a refreshing breath of fresh air and liberation of sorts for the Sharma.

“It was really refreshing playing my first round of golf last week and I’ve been playing 18 holes every alternate day since then. At first, it was more like going back to the golf course to have fun again. It didn’t matter what kind of scores we shot but we just wanted to enjoy ourselves.

“Then it started getting competitive which is good as we all needed that to tune ourselves back to competition mode again,” said Sharma.

Sharma knows things will be different post-COVID-19 especially with the stringent safety and health protocols but is prepared come what may.

“Definitely there will be new protocol and social distancing measures that we all have to follow and I guess it is what it is. It’s important to try to stay safe at this point in time until the vaccination comes up,” said Sharma.

With a July resumption target in sight, Sharma is determined to keep himself in tip-top shape and remains sanguine he will rediscover that winning form that led him to two Asian Tour victories and the prestigious Order of Merit crown in 2018.

“I’m working towards getting myself back in the best of shape, both physically and mentally. There are still about two more months to go and I know I’ll be totally prepared when I hit my first tee shot in a professional tournament then

“I’m also looking forward to returning and compete on the Asian Tour as it is a great Tour and brought me much success in my career,” said Sharma.

The athletes have received encouragement from locals and the team now refers to Yaizu as its “second hometown.”

Yaizu is a host city for Mongolian athletes training for the Tokyo Paralympics. A Mongolian team of four athletes, its coach and manager have been training at a stadium in the city since Feb. 14.

To secure a position at the Paralympic Games, the team was supposed to participate in an international championship that was scheduled to be held in the UAE on March 11. However, the competition was canceled because of the pandemic.

Moreover, routes to Mongolia were canceled and the country’s chartered flights were full, leaving the team unable to return home

The athletes have been training while staying at a hotel in the city. According to Enkhbaatar, the team’s manager and athletes initially said they wanted to go home, but are now trying to keep a positive spin by talking with their families through videoconferencing.

The locals have also been a source of support for the athletes. After seeing the news about the difficulties the athletes faced in trying to get home, nearby residents have been offering them strawberries, sweets, face masks and portraits of the athletes to encourage them.

“Unlike Mongolia, there’s an ocean here, and we now like Yaizu so much because it’s warm and you can see Mt. Fuji,” said Garmaabazar, a middle-distance runner. “We want to say that we’ve found our second home country.”

Meanwhile, Kazuko Suzuki, chair of the city’s international friendship association said, “We consider them to be a part of the community. We hope they’ll enjoy the sea and make a lot of memories here.”

Fuelled by an unprecedented sporting shutdown which saw him seek refuge in Orlando over the past two months, the 39^th ranked golfer in the world will be amongst the stars returning to action at the Charl Schwab Challenge when the TOUR resumes play on June 11 under a new Health and Safety Plan.

Jazz, 24, is slated to feature in other tournaments including the RBC Heritage, The Memorial Tournament and WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, appearances he hopes will help him secure membership on the PGA TOUR. He can also look forward to three of the four majors in the reimagined 2020 schedule.

“I might be seeking asylum here,” joked Jazz in a telephone interview.

“These next few events … it’s going to be great. I won’t really care what I shoot honestly, I just want to play tournament golf again. I’ve got a few other events lined up and my team is asking for invites. I’m lucky we get to play golf again as every tour around the world is closed.”

His American dream, though, has come with some personal sacrifices. He has been away from his close-knit family since late February and opting to remain in the U.S. during the enforced shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic was made worse with the death of his grandfather recently.

“I’ve tried to keep the spirit up. It feels like you’re in a tunnel and I’m trying to get to the end of the tunnel. It’s tough when you’re far away from home,” he said.

“A few weeks ago, my grandfather passed away and I was sad I couldn’t be there for my mum and family. I miss them very much but thanks to technology, we Facetime regularly. They are letting me do what I want and reminding me to stay safe and healthy.”

What Jazz wants is to join countryman Kiradech Aphibarnrat on the PGA TOUR as soon as possible. After winning four times in Asia last season to skyrocket up the world ranking, he followed up with a pair of top-five finishes in Hong Kong and Singapore in January before finishing T53 at the WGC-Mexico Championship. The Thai missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill and then shot an opening 76 in THE PLAYERS Championship before the TOUR’s flagship event was cancelled due to the coronavirus.

“I want to have that feeling again, the kind of feeling you get when you’re in competition mode. I won’t say I crave for it but that’s why we play golf. You want to have that feeling,” said the reigning Asian Tour No. 1.

While he misses his family dearly, Jazz has inadvertently found comfort through an ‘adopted’ family, thanks to Daniel Chopra, a two-time PGA TOUR winner and Asian Tour regular. After bumping into Chopra at Bay Hill in the week leading up to the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Swede invited Jazz to stay with his family and when the shutdown occurred on March 13, Chopra did not hesitate to invite Jazz and his caddie, Camp Pulit, back to his Orlando home to seek refuge.

“When the shutdown happened, I didn’t want to go back to Thailand as we weren’t sure how long the break would last. And then, our country shut down and it was too late to get home. I know Daniel as he plays in Asia but I didn’t realise he lives and practices at Bay Hill. We had a hotel room booked for two weeks but he made us stay with him. It was good to have some familiar faces around … it felt like family.”

His time with Chopra, who has two children Casper and Coco with wife Samantha, has been wonderful. Jazz says he has found renewed vigour for the game and fallen in love with Bay Hill that he took up a club membership. If he secures his PGA TOUR card, Jazz will not hesitate to consider setting up base near the iconic club.

HE is thankful the Chopras have helped ease the downtime. “Everything was closed here, except for stuff related to health and groceries. Our daily routine was wake up, think about what I’m going to eat next, stare out of the window, and repeat,” he laughed.

“When golf was restricted, we tried to spice things up in our daily life. We played basketball and Casper would beat us easily. I also spent time wake boarding and wake surfing and Samantha plays tennis so we played a bit to keep active.”

When golf facilities reopened, Jazz and Chopra participated in one-day competitions to get the adrenaline flowing again. “I just miss the travelling and going out to play, meeting new people. We played in several mini tour events … one day, we got up at 5am, drove for two hours to the course and teed up. I shot one-under in the first event and didn’t make my money back (from the entry fee) and in the second one, I shot two-under and tied Daniel in third place.”

The 46-year-old Chopra, who is of Indian-Swede parentage, won his first PGA TOUR event at the 2007 Ginn sur Mer Classic and two events later claimed the season-opening 2008 Sentry Tournament of Champions, beating Steve Stricker in a playoff.

Jazz has closely watched and learned from the Swede while practising together and also picked the brains of other PGA TOUR winners including Robert Damron and Dicky Pride during social rounds together.

“Daniel has a golf net at home and I’ve been grinding. We’ve played golf almost every day together and Daniel’s a great guy and a great golfer. He loves a side game and when he needs to make a putt, it just comes up for him. I guess that’s why he’s a PGA TOUR winner. Casper, who is 10, is a good golfer too. I wasn’t as good as him when I was his age and he would hit balls all day long. I consider myself a range rat but he’s out-practising all of us. It kind of gives us a boost for our love towards golf. It’s a good reminder,” said Jazz.

With international travel and requirements differing from one country to another, Jazz is looking at extending his visa to remain in the U.S. beyond its current expiration in August. With the U.S. Open slated in September and Masters Tournament in November, he is keeping his options open to staying on in the country for remainder of the year.

“If I go back to Thailand, I don’t know if we’ll have to go through quarantine or if it’ll be easy to return to the U.S. I’m happy here so maybe it’ll be better to stay on. No one expected this to happen in our lifetime. You’re just moving along and then this happens. A lot of people are more united and helping each other out and I think humanity will come out on the better side of this.

“For Daniel and Samantha to open up their home to me and my caddie, they have helped me out so much. You see the nicer part of people and the best of people coming out to help one another.”

The two legends attended the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view show last Saturday, May 23 in Jacksonville, Florida, and were both instantly blown away by the action they witnessed from their ringside seats.

Belfort was excited enough to envision himself stepping into the squared circle alongside boxing’s former heavyweight world champion.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAjdzluITEu/ 

“I think AEW should have Mike [Tyson] and myself do a tag team match against two of their champions,” said Belfort.

“Tony [Khan], the owner of AEW is a good friend of mine. That for me is a great idea and I’m open to it.”

Tyson himself is no stranger to partaking in the theatrics of pro wrestling. The 53-year-old has appeared occasionally for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) over the years, and was even inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2012.

“It will be the two youngest champions of combat sports against the two youngest champions of AEW,” Belfort lobbied his idea of a crossover match.

Tyson made headlines over the past couple of weeks when he announced his impending return to competition by posting a series of videos of himself in training.

Despite not having competed professionally since a 2005 stoppage loss to Kevin McBride, Tyson appeared to be serious about making a comeback to the ring, as he showed off his incredible physique. Tyson has since declared his intent to participate in a series of exhibition bouts for charity.

Belfort, himself a battle-proven veteran in the cage, feels Tyson is now on a unique journey of self-discovery, and has offered his advice to the boxing superstar.

“I think that (to fight again) is a decision Mike [Tyson] has made for himself. It takes a lot of courage to step back in the ring, especially at that age. I admire him for his bravery and wish him the best of luck,” said Belfort.

“He needs to train smart, because what used to work for him before might not work for him now. This is new ground he’s discovering for himself, and it’s a wonderful journey.”

At 43 years of age, Belfort is also on his own journey of sorts. The former UFC middleweight is going through a career revival with Singapore-based martial arts organization, ONE Championship.

Belfort signed with ONE in 2019, and is in the process of ironing out details of his first bout with the promotion, likely against Cameroonian powerhouse Alain “The Panther” Ngalani later this year.

Being in a similar situation that Tyson now finds himself in, Belfort feels the right opponent will bring back “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”

“He (Tyson) needs to make smart choices,” Belfort offered his opinion.

“The right opponent is key. He needs an opponent that will bring value to the market, and not just an opponent that will try to make some money.”

Tyson’s comeback has yet to be finalized. However, possible opponents include fellow boxing veteran Shannon Briggs, UFC legend Tito Ortiz, and former heavyweight rival Evander Holyfield.

Dorna Sports is delighted to announce a new three-year partnership with CKH Innovations Opportunities Development (CKH IOD), part of one of the world’s leading global mobile telecommunications and data services operators and a pioneer of mobile broadband technology. The agreement sees two of the leading 3 Group brand companies – 3 Austria and WINDTRE – become partners of the MotoGP™ eSport Championship from 2020 to 2022 – with the potential for other 3 Group companies to follow.

Since inception, the MotoGP™ eSport Championship has accrued more than 64 million video views online, 247 million impressions and over eight million engagements. Combining that with 20 Online Challenges and seven on-site events, the Championship has established itself as one of the biggest players in the gaming landscape.

In 2020, the 22 best gamers have now qualified to move through to the Draft Selection – the draft in which MotoGP™ teams can choose the gamer who will represent them throughout the Global Series onsite at events. Every corner of the planet is represented in the draft this season – from Indonesia to Brazil, Australia to the UK, Italy to Taiwan and many more.

WINDTRE will also be the main and title sponsor of the all-new Rising Stars Series, naming it the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series. Adding an eSport arm to Dorna Sports’ incredible portfolio of talent promotion programmes, the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series comprises four online challenges in which gamers qualify for three online races: one race for the 11 best gamers from the Americas, one pitting the best of European and African players against each other and one for the top racers from Asia and Oceania. An incredible opportunity, the three winners each secure a place in the 2021 MotoGP™ eSport Championship draft.

Joe Parker, CKH IOD CEO: “We are very glad to start this global MotoGP Gaming & eSports cooperation with Dorna as a new step in this exciting and top growing digital products category.  The partnership will give us the opportunity to show our customers how the Three Group’s high speed networks will support them in enjoying the best, seamless and immersive gaming and entertainment experiences.”

Gianluca Corti, Chief Commercial Officer, WINDTRE: “We are happy to cooperate with Dorna to enable a new, exciting entertainment activity like eSports on two wheels, with a community of active players and viewers that continues to grow. A ‘high-speed’ competition that needs high-quality connections and that will experience an exponential development with the arrival of 5G. For this reason, the new single brand WINDTRE, with its 5G ready ‘Top Quality Network’, is a right partner to successfully face this challenge.”

Pau Serracanta, Managing Director, Dorna Sports: “We’re very happy to be able to announce this agreement with an international company such as CKH IOD, who have a huge presence in so many markets. The MotoGP eSport Championship is already growing at an amazing rate and this agreement will only help us to grow even more.”

Gabby Barker Lemieux grew up in Caldwell, a suburb of Boise just a few hours from the relatively new border of the reservation property. But, the Shoshone-Paiute are her family, her people.

Like many kids in the area, Lemieux played a variety of sports throughout her youth, including volleyball, basketball and soccer. Once she reached middle school, Lemieux shifted her focus to something that was more of a Barker family affair.

“The person who introduced me to golf was my dad,” said Lemieux. “He did it mainly as a hobby and so he could play with his buddies. Eventually, my sister and I wanted to join. Every now and then, he took us to Fairview Golf Course, Timberstone Golf Course and Purple Sage Golf Course. Pretty soon we both started to really enjoy it and he would take us once a week. With my sister and I getting more invested, my mom chose to run a junior league for a few years to help provide more playing opportunities. As we got older, it turned into a lifestyle—eighteen holes a day, seven days a week.”

It helped that she was good at it. Lemieux qualified for the U.S. Girl’s Junior Championship three straight years (2012-2014). She also won two Idaho Golf Association Junior Championships. Before long, she was in Lubbock, Texas, competing collegiately for Texas Tech University. Lemieux was named the 2016 Big 12 Player of the Year and guided the Red Raiders to two NCAA Championship appearances. Those results and experiences kindled a desire to pursue golf at the professional level.

When it came to the next steps, Lemieux leaned on a mentor she could relate to both on and off the golf course—Notah Begay III, who is a Native American and part of the Navajo Nation. Lemieux first met Notah when she was in college. He asked TTU head coach JoJo Robertson (also a good friend) if Lemieux could play in an event with him. While the Red Raiders schedule did not allow Lemieux to participate, a strong friendship was formed and has since blossomed.

“Notah said that he saw me trying to pursue professional golf and he would love to help me out if I was willing to have him [as a mentor],” said Lemieux. “Today, we have a very special relationship. We can always talk golf, but sometimes I call about how I am feeling on a personal level, or everyday challenges I am dealing with. I am the only women’s professional golfer who is Native American and either Notah, or someone he knows, has gone through similar trials and tribulations that I have faced.”

Begay III continues to teach Lemieux the business of professional sports and many other aspects of life outside the ropes. Those lessons paid off in 2018 when Lemieux was approached by a good friend, Sam McCracken. He is also the General Manager and Visionary of Nike N7, a division of the renowned brand that is devoted to Native American causes.

McCracken pitched to Lemieux about why she would be a great Nike N7 ambassador. Other members in this exclusive group include Begay, MLB centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and The Black Eyed Peas rapper Taboo Nawasha.

“Nike N7 is all about providing youth with opportunities to grow and stay active through play and sport,” Lemieux said. “I thought that was such a really cool concept because that’s how I stayed active and also stayed healthy, throughout my childhood and now. To be part of something like this, it’s really special.”

A platform to support her community has become more important than ever for Lemieux. Back in the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, frequent visitors hope to fish in various lakes across the area. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many Native tribes being heavily impacted by the virus, Lemieux’s community has been forced to close all forms of recreation on the reservation from anyone who does not live there.

“It’s really scary because we don’t have the best hospital in the country and very minimal resources are available,” she said. “It can be challenging to really understand it all because people don’t get a look into what is going on. There are some Native communities that struggle more than others on any given day.

“If a large outbreak were to occur, the tools and resources might not be enough to provide sufficient treatment for all those affected by the coronavirus,” added Lemieux. “All the steps that the Duck Valley Indian Reservation has taken to prevent COVID-19 from being a threat to our land has worked so far, as there have been no positive cases.”

In every step of her journey, Lemieux has received tremendous support on and off the course, from her husband and caddy, Jared Lemieux, to friends, family and other mentors. The more she competes across the United States, the more she also finds support with fans and sponsors of the native community.

“AMERIND has given me the [financial] opportunity to travel and play against the best women in the world, at the highest level,” said Lemieux. “Derek Valdo and his entire team at AMERIND have been so supportive throughout my professional career.

“To have their support, along with Indian country, has made my journey as a pro golfer such a unique, amazing experience. It’s incredible to see that tribes all over the country are backing me every step of the way and also joining together as one huge fan base.”

Excited for the Symetra Tour season to restart, Lemieux has goals of securing LPGA Tour membership via the Volvik Race for the Card. And no matter where she plays next season, Lemieux is greatly anticipating professional golf in her home state with the inaugural Circling Raven Championship at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort in 2021.

For now, Lemieux continues to work on her game and use her platform for a greater good.

“Growing up in the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe taught me to accept myself for being unique and different,” said Lemieux. “It taught me to understand that different is good, that my culture is beautiful, and that a platform—like golf and Nike N7—provides the opportunity to talk about it and show others what a truly amazing life it is.”

Virtual Race 4 saw MotoGP™ joined by the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup to race around Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, creating another awesome Sunday afternoon of entertainment. Once again, an incredible amount of content was produced around the event, creating tens of millions of impressions and interactions – with fans consuming nearly four million minutes of video related to Virtual Race 4. Now it’s time for another Virtual GP as the MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™ classes gear up to take on the mighty Silverstone Circuit in the Michelin® Virtual British Grand Prix, with the event set for Sunday the 31st of May at 15:00 (GMT +2).

The riders will again be playing on the new official MotoGP™20 Videogame from videogame developer, publisher and longstanding partner Milestone – which is available to buy now – as they race around one of the most challenging tracks of the season. Eight MotoGP™ riders form the premier class grid, including the likes of super-fast Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and former virtual winner Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), but they’ll have a big new name to contend with this time around: Jorge Lorenzo! The five-time World Champion ‘wildcards’ with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, and it’s a venue he’s reigned more than a few times in his career…

The MotoGP™ race is up first, followed by Moto2™, before the show finishes up with Moto3™. The premier class will be competing over 10 laps (50% of race distance), with the intermediate and lightweight classes taking on six laps each – 35% of their respective race distances. As ever, highlights from qualifying will be shown before the races, with those sessions set to decide the grid before the broadcast.

Fans can watch on motogp.com and esport.motogp.com, on selected TV broadcasters, and across social media platforms including YouTube (via the MotoGP and MotoGP eSport channels), MotoGP eSport Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (via MotoGP and MotoGP eSport pages) and Twitch via MotoGP and MotoGP eSport.

For TV viewers, the broadcast partners showing coverage of the event will include Sky Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN (in Spain, Italy and DACHS), BT Sport in the UK, ServusTV in Austria and Germany, Fox Asia, Fox Australia, Viasat in Sweden, NBC in the USA, Fox Brazil and ESPN in Latin America, Motorsport TV Russia, Eurosport India, TEN, and SuperSport across Africa – keeping the show global and beaming it to every corner of the world once again.

As ever, Michelin Virtual British Grand Prix coverage will wrap up with an Instagram live with each race winner, with the MotoGP™ victor joining MotoGP™ on Instagram at 17:30 (GMT +2), and Moto2™ winner at 18:00 and Moto3™ at 18:30. So tune in for three more superb virtual races on Sunday the 31st of May at 15:00, and check out the full line-ups for each class below!

MotoGP™ line-upDucati Team: Michele PirroMonster Energy Yamaha MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo

Team Suzuki Ecstar: Joan Mir

Petronas Yamaha SRT: Fabio Quartararo

Pramac Racing: Francesco Bagnaia

LCR Honda Idemitsu: Takaaki Nakagami

Aprilia Racing Team Gresini: Lorenzo Savadori

Reale Avintia Racing: Tito Rabat

Moto2™ line-upRed Bull KTM Ajo: Tetsuta NagashimaFlexbox HP 40: Hector Garzo

Liqui Moly Intact GP: Marcel Schrötter

ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team: Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin

Petronas Sprinta Racing: Xavi Vierge

NTS RW Racing GP: Bo Bendsneyder

Sky Racing Team VR46: Marco Bezzecchi

MV Agusta Forward Racing: Stefano Manzi

Federal Oil Gresini Moto2: Nicolo Bulega

EG 0,0 Marc VDS: Augusto Fernandez

Moto3™ line-upAspar Team Gaviota: Stefano NepaPetronas Sprinta Racing: John McPhee

Leopard Racing: Jaume Masia

Kömmerling Gresini Moto3: Jeremy Alcoba

Honda Team Asia: Yuki Kunii

Red Bull KTM Ajo: Kaito Toba

Red Bull KTM Tech 3: Ayumu Sasaki

Reale Avintia Racing: Carlos Tatay

CIP Green Power: Maximilian Kofler

CarXpert Prüstel GP: Barry Baltus