At the Super Hooligan Race at Circuit of the Americas (CotA) in early September, Stefano Mesa and Tytlers Cycle Racing made history by placing a fully battery-electric motorcycle on the podium for the first time ever. Mesa finished in second place on the Energica Eva Ribelle RS after battling a field of ICE cars in 102F (39C) heat on a long track (3.426 miles) with 20 corners. Mesa had been hovering around the podium the entire season, putting in consistently strong performances to sit in about 5th or 6th place throughout the end of the season.
"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 stated in a press release. In order to preserve the battery for the race later that afternoon, they made the executive decision to forgo the second qualifying session. The team decided not to make Mesa compete in that heat because he handled the track effectively in the first qualifying round.