Inside The First Ever Electric Motorcycle Podium Finish At Circuit Of The Americas

History was made in early September as Stefano Mesa and Tytlers Cycle Racing took second in the Super Hooligan race at Circuit of the Americas (CotA), putting a fully battery-electric motorcycle on the podium for the first time in history.

Mesa has been hovering around the podium all season, putting in consistently solid performances to sit in about 5th or 6th place throughout the end of the season, but at CotA, he battled a field of ICE vehicles in 102F (39C) degree heat on a long track (3.426 miles) with 20 corners, and put in a second place finish on the Energica Eva Ribelle RS.

“Stefano got off to an amazing start into second and then third place, and then held his own until a red flag forced him back to the pits; he did even better as soon as the action resumed, staying in podium contention,” Energica said in a press release.

They made the executive decision to not do a second qualifying round, in order to preserve the battery for the afternoon’s race. Mesa had handled the track well in the first qualifying round, and the team felt no need to make him do it again in that heat.

This is my favorite clip of the race (at the 26:52 mark), one capturing a fierce back and forth between Mesa on the Energica Eva Ribelle against Corey West on a Harley:

As an Energica rider, I can only echo some of the excitement in the announcer’s voices as they get stoked trying to describe the awesome torque of the Energica blowing past the Harley on the straightaway. I am currently riding the Energica Esse Esse 9, a cruiser with an incredibly stylish, classic design. It 100% rocks, and I get stopped at least once every time I take it out (always by men, damnit…haha) about any number of things. It’s a head-turner and I absolutely love it, and could not recommend it more highly.