The inaugural Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale is set for Portugal with American Yaakov among the 25 riders chosen to compete. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.

Fresh off her 11-podium, 4-race-win season, which earned her third place in the 2022 MotoAmerica SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship, Kayla Yaakov will be racing in this weekend’s inaugural Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European SuperFinale, which is set to offer 25 young riders the unique opportunity to earn a spot on next year’s Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup grid.

Yaakov competed in the 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup and was invited back for the 2022 SuperFinale. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.

Yaakov, who competed in the 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup, was invited to this weekend’s event, and she will compete against 24 other riders aged 14 through 20 from all over the world. The event will be featured in conjunction with the Portimao WorldSBK round at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.

Joining the rest of the R3 SuperFinale riders, Yaakov will first take to the track at the Portuguese venue with a 30-minute free practice session on Friday, followed by qualifying later that day. The riders will then have the opportunity to show their talents in front of the WorldSBK paddock with two races on Saturday.

Yaakov is part of a three-rider American contingent of Yamaha riders that includes World Superbike regular and former MotoAmerica Superbike race winner Garrett Gerloff, who will be competing for his GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team as he has been doing all season long, as well as recently re-crowned MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike back-to-back Champion Jake Gagne, who will race against Gerloff and the rest of the World Superbike field as a wild-card entry aboard his Attack Performance Yamaha Racing YZF-R1.

Good luck to all three American riders competing in Portimao this weekend.