MotoAmerica riders land Red Bull Rookies Cup tryout
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 4, 2026
MotoAmerica riders
Four MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders earned invitations to the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup selection event at Circuito de Guadix in southern Spain, putting Nathan Gouker, Nathan Bettencourt, Kensei Matsudaira and Derek Sanchez into a field competing for six places in the 2027 Red Bull Rookies Cup program. Officials invited 127 riders from 45 nations to the selection event, and the entry list includes 10 Americans and two Canadians. The four MotoAmerica riders were scheduled to take part on day two, placing them into a process that narrows a large international field into a small group of prospects. The selection event offers six spots in the 2027 program, so every session carries weight for riders trying to move from a regional championship into a longer development path. The mix of nationalities gives the event a wide reach, and the four MotoAmerica riders form one contingent in the field.
Gouker and Matsudaira
Nathan Gouker enters the selection event as the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup champion after a season that produced nine victories and 13 podium finishes. Those results give him a strong résumé in the selection field. Kensei Matsudaira also arrives after placing second in the 2026 MotoAmerica Talent Cup. He had already advanced to the final day at the Guadix selection event before, giving him another run at a process he has previously experienced. Both riders come in with different angles, one as the champion and the other as the runner-up who has already advanced through part of this process in Spain. Their presence gives MotoAmerica two riders with recent championship results, while Matsudaira also brings experience at the Guadix selection event.
Bettencourt and Sanchez
Nathan Bettencourt adds a different storyline because he is attending the selection event for the first time after racing in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup in 2025. Derek Sanchez brings the same opportunity and the same challenge, and he set out his approach simply, saying his goal is to learn and improve session by session. A four-person committee will choose a group of riders to return on Day 3, narrowing the field after the opening stages. Riders who make the cut typically spend three years in the program, so the selection event serves as the opening gate to a longer development path. For the four MotoAmerica riders, the trip to Guadix is a chance to turn domestic success into the next level of competition.
