After successfully completing practice and qualifying sessions at Daytona, the OrangeCat Racing team has made the decision to withdraw from the remainder of the race weekend.
Following a detailed review of data collected from the two race bikes, we feel that we are not willing to push the platform beyond its current technical limits to be competitive and risk compromising the rest of a promising season. We felt it was the right decision to step back, learn from this event, and continue development.
Daytona is a unique challenge for any motorcycle, and particularly for an electric powertrain. At 3.5 miles long and consisting largely of extended straightaways, the circuit demands sustained high power for long periods of time, something that places extreme stress on any electric system.
The data we captured this weekend is incredibly valuable. That information will now flow directly into our R&D work as we continue improving the Lightfighter platform.
This is exactly why we race. The track is where new technology is pushed, where limits are discovered, and where the next breakthroughs begin.
We want to thank Josh, Kaleb, and the entire team for their hard work leading up to and during this weekend. Everyone showed up with incredible effort, ingenuity, and commitment to the program, and that’s what allows a project like this to move forward.
We’re proud of what we learned here and excited about what comes next.
See you all at Barber.
