Excelsus Solutions/KWR team scores top five and top ten finishes at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — The KWR team of Kyle Wyman and Bryce Prince scored top ten and top five results this past weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Wyman battled bike setup troubles to finish 8th and 10th in Superbike while Prince finished 5th and 7th on his Excelsus Solutions/KWR Yamaha YZF-R6.

Wyman was off to a quick start in Friday practice, posting the 8th fastest time overall on the day. The team was determined to adjust to a newly released rear tire from spec-tire supplier Dunlop, who brought a new profile to Road America that would be mandated from that point on.

“The theme of our weekend was based on a fixation on the new tire, not only by me but by my crew as well,” Wyman said. “Admittedly we spent too much time changing the bike and not enough time riding it. In hindsight I can see where we went wrong.”

Wyman posted his personal best ever time around the Road America circuit that Friday, at a 2:13.558 – a full second faster than he’d ever been at the 4-mile Wisconsin circuit. Where things went wrong however, was the fact that Wyman would never match that time again throughout the weekend, other than his Saturday morning Superpole time of a 2:13.452. That time would put him 10th on the grid.

“Even though we had gone faster than I ever have at Road America, I just wasn’t comfortable yet on the bike,” Wyman said. “Because of that we started making big changes to find a setup that probably doesn’t exist. I needed to just ride the bike and make small changes – we did not do that.”

In race one Wyman got off to a blistering start and found himself in 5th place into turn one. As quickly as he made that headway, he dropped like a rock back to 9th spot, struggling with rear grip and front end feel. His fastest lap of the race was a 2:14.717. He finished 8th.

“I was frustrated that whole first race, obviously,” Wyman said. “We had just gone completely backwards from Friday. I blame nobody but myself for getting sucked into the bike setup so deeply. On top of it all, you’d like to think we would have gone back to Friday’s setup after race one, but we didn’t and that’s where things really went from bad to worse.”

Without reverting to Friday’s bike setup, the KWR team put together another attempt at a balanced bike for race two. Wyman got two more great starts during the red-flagged race, but again could not hold the pace and dropped back as low as 9th. Some sputtering from a lack of fuel put him 10th at the stripe. The fastest lap of Wyman’s race was a 2:14.643, still over a full second slower than his Friday practice time.

“We learned a lot this weekend,” Wyman added. “We learned what not to do, and how easily you can get sidetracked when the bike doesn’t feel quite right. Typically you will see a steady progression of lap time throughout the weekend, so the fact that I was over a second slower in both races from practice tells a terribly accurate story of how things went. Luckily I didn’t get too frustrated and force the issue with the bike, and we kept it on two wheels. I’m looking forward to taking these lessons forward to our test at Sonoma next week, and on to Laguna Seca for round five.”

The KWR team heads to Sonoma Raceway for a private test on June 11th, the track that Wyman considers his worst on the circuit from a familiarity standpoint. Wyman sits 7th in series points standings after four rounds.

Bryce Prince breaks through at Road America

KWR Supersport rider Bryce Prince found his way to the top-five at Road America on his Excelsus Solutions/KWR Yamaha. The Californian found the right setup on his K-Tech suspension to put him in the fight for the front, and another step closer to a podium result.

“Road America was a very up and down weekend for us,” Prince said. “After having some small issues with the bike, we scored our worst qualifying of the year. We worked hard to get everything sorted and in race 1 on Saturday and I had a hard fought battle to get 5th! This was our best result of the season so I am happy.”

“For the race Sunday we knew some changes needed to be made. I am very pleased to have made positive changes for Sunday’s race and we finished the closest to the lead that we have all season! Road America is not my favorite track but I leave there with very positive feelings with the bike. I cannot wait for Laguna!!”

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More, from a press release issued by Weir Everywhere Racing:

Weir Everywhere Racing

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Some racing weekends are a challenge from the time a team sets up in the paddock. For the Weir Everywhere Racing BMW team, MotoAmerica’s Dunlop Championship at Road America June 1-3 was one of those weekends. The team had to work hard to find the right set-up throughout practice and qualifying only to have its race cut short.

The team’s weekend of ups and downs started in Saturday afternoon’s Stock 1000 Class qualifying session. Team rider Travis Wyman managed to put the team’s BMW S 1000 RR on provisional pole despite struggling with the bike’s set-up most of the session. Sunday morning’s second qualifying session of the weekend saw more of the same. While no rider was getting close to beating Wyman’s best lap time from Saturday, Wyman found himself only third-fastest for most of the session as the team continued getting the bike set up for Road America’s long straights and iconic corners. Wyman ended the session on a high note, beating his fastest lap from Saturday and securing the team’s third pole of the season.

In Sunday afternoon’s race, Wyman got his best start of the season, only to miss a shift heading down Road America’s long front straight toward Turn 1. Even with dropping down to fifth place Wyman had raced his BMW to first place by the end of Lap 3. On Lap 4, Wyman was trying to put a gap between himself and the other frontrunners and outbraked himself as he entered Turn 12. Wyman consequently crashed and was unable to remount his damaged bike.

The MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Class’ next round will be MotoAmerica’s Round 6 at Utah Motorsports Campus in Tooele, Utah July 20-22. Wyman and the entire Weir Everywhere Racing BMW team will take the long break in the schedule to prepare the team’s BMW S 1000 RR for a return to winning ways.

Travis Wyman / #24

“We struggled a bit in qualifying this weekend but in the end found a set-up that was really working for me. I was a bit surprised by the pace of the other frontrunners in the Stock 1000 Class, but I learned where I was stronger than them on the track. In the race I got a good launch but had a problem with an upshift and had to make a few moves to get back to the front. I was trying to pull a gap on the rest of the field when I lost traction on the front heading into Turn 12 and low-sided. I wanted to get going again to salvage some points but the left clip-on bar was too damaged to continue. We as a team will work during the long break to get the bike ready for Utah Motorsports Campus. I think our BMW S 1000 RR package will be strong there. I wish we had more track time with the bike, as every race weekend continues to be a learning experience. I have a lot of confidence in my team though and believe we will be back in the front at Utah.”

Steve Weir / Crew Chief

“It was an up and down weekend for us. Up until this weekend our perfect storm of teamwork, talent, focus and luck had been raging. Today the storm got a little undermined. We are still working to understand why Travis crashed so we can give Travis the bike he needs to push as hard as he can. We have plenty of time to get the bike repaired and ready for Utah in a few weeks’ time. The team was working really well together again this weekend and it was impressive to see the pace Travis could do even with the set-up problems we were experiencing. We are still very much in the championship hunt, and will be ready to get our championship chase back on track at Utah.”

More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

Altus Motorsports Supercharged Race Report “Road America”

(Plymouth, Wisconsin) Altus Motorsports Supercharged Team rolled into Road America for round four of the MotoAmerica Dunlop Championships. The Altus team arrived into Road America poised and ready to do battle. “ The two week break gave us much needed time on the dyno, we are definitely gaining ground on the competition, said “George Nassaney, Team Owner. Altus Motorsports Supercharged Team fields riders in Supersport, Twins and Junior Cup classes.

Miles Thornton #72 qualified 8th on the long winding Road America course with a fast time of 2:21:20. Saturday’s race Thornton battled in a group of five riders fighting for 5th place which Thornton ended up finishing 9th. Sunday’s race the weather was overcast cloudy and bit cool Thornton and his Suzuki GSX-R600 ran his fastest lap of the weekend with a time of 2:20. Thornton finished 10th on Sunday. Thornton is sitting respectably in 10th going into Laguna Seca for round five, Altus Motorsports Team anticipates greater success.

Jaret Nassaney #59 roared into Road America with great expectations fresh off graduating from Aviation School. Jaret loves the fast Road America course and it showed, Jaret worked his Suzuki GSX-R600 from 22nd to 15th on Saturday, his best MotoAmerica Championship race to date. Sunday’s event did not shine any good luck on Nassaney, Jaret lost a footpeg early in the race which slowed his speed considerably finishing 22nd. Expect to see Jaret Nassaney inside the top 15 in the near future as he continues to raise his bar.

Twins Class rider Jason Madama #213 stormed into Road America poised and ready to get on top of the box. Madama qualified 3rd with a time of 2:37:828 which was just off the pace of the leaders. Madama raced hard throughout the race and challenged for the lead late in the race aboard his Altus AP MotoArts Conquest FZ07R machine. Madama passed leader Chris Parrish and beat him to the finish by 2.5 seconds. Madama earned Altus Motorsports it’s very first MotoAmerica Dunlop Championship win recorded for the record books. Madama leaves Road America maintaining second in championship points and is breathing down the neck of Chris Parrish, Laguna Seca is going to be a barnburner.

Liqui Moly Jr Cup rider Draik Beauchamp #77 qualified 12th at Road America besting more than half the field. Beauchamp competed hard all weekend looking for a season’s best finish. Beauchamp raced consistently all weekend finishing 14th on Saturday and 12th on Sunday. The entire Altus Motorsports Team is excited how Beauchamp is developing and continuing to improve week to week.

Altus Motorsports Suzuki Team is supported by our great family of partners. Suzuki, Supercharged Natural Sports Drink, Tucker Rocky, Conquest, Arai, Moto-D, Bonamici, Taichi, Moto Liberty, Vortex, AP MotoArts, K-Tech, Ohlins, Hot Bodies Racing, SBS, Sidi, M4, Wilmes Chevy, PSR, and Velocity.

More, from a press release issued by Attack Performance / Herrin Compound Yamaha

Gavin Anthony narrowly misses out on two podium finishes at MotoAmerica Dunlop Championship at Road America

Attack Performance / Herrin Compound Yamaha rider collects valuable points in effort to claim inaugural Junior Cup championship

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Consistency is an essential trait of a championship-winning motorcycle road racer. Consistency is exactly what Attack Performance / Herrin Compound Yamaha rider Gavin Anthony demonstrated at MotoAmerica’s Dunlop Championship at Road America June 1-3. Despite appearing to be down on power compared to some of the other front-running riders on other brands of motorcycle, Anthony wrung every ounce of performance he could out of his Yamaha YZF-R3 to take home two fourth-place finishes on the weekend.

After finishing just off the podium at the end of a fierce battle in Saturday’s race, Anthony found himself in an even more intense battle on Sunday. Anthony started the race 10th on the grid but quickly worked his way up to fourth place by the end of Lap 3. Anthony spent the remainder of the race in a five-way and later six-way battle for the bottom two steps on the podium. Anthony took his turns leading the pack as the riders used to draft to pass and re-pass each other. On the last lap, Anthony was narrowly beaten to the finish line by two other riders and missed out on a podium finish by 0.017 seconds. Anthony was able to collect valuable championship points in both of the weekend’s races and remains a serious contender for the inaugural MotoAmerica Junior Cup championship.

The MotoAmerica Junior Cup’s next scheduled event is to take place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca June 22-24. The shorter, tighter nature of the Monterey, Calif. track should suit the Attack Performance / Herrin Compound Yamaha R3 package.

Gavin Anthony / #76

“We ran a good race today. I got another good start and was able to make up several positions on the first lap. I was battling for second place for most of the race and coming into the last corner I knew I needed a good draft up the front straight. Unfortunately, I pulled out of the draft a little too early and got beaten to the line by a couple other riders. I think our Yamaha R3 will be strong at Laguna Seca, and I will be looking for even better results there.”

Josh Herrin / Team Manager/Coach

“I think Gavin did really good this weekend. This was a track where I think we were at a huge disadvantage and Gavin was one of the leading Yamahas yesterday and today. Obviously, we are aiming for race wins this season, but this was a track that favored some of the other bikes in the class. I think Gavin did the best he could with what he had. Gavin was a little bit frustrated, but at the end of the day he’s leaving Road America with two fourth-place finishes. Some of the tracks coming up on the schedule like Laguna Seca, Barber Motorsports Park, and New Jersey Motorsports Park will better suit our Yamaha R3 package and will allow Gavin to really show what he’s capable of.”

More, from a press release issued by Ghetto Customs Racing:

New Track, Same Result

Consistency is key when chasing a championship. Chris Parrish and the Ghetto Customs team leave Road America with a sigh of relief as any doubts about his Suzuki SV 650 have been erased. They also are still shaking their heads at the best save the Twins class has seen this year while leading the last lap!

Having never been to Road America the team knew Friday’s P1 was going to be a crapshoot especially with the questionable weather. Chris managed to get up to speed quickly with minimal suspension changes. Friday afternoon saw Chris really drop his times during the middle of Q1 which is astonishing as he was on takeoff tires from the previous round in Virginia. After a minor rear shock adjustment about 10 minutes into the session he set the pole and then lowered it on 3 consecutive laps as he started to figure out how fast the Road America track truly is. Towards the end of the session the team decided to save the new rear tire that was warm and ready to go as Chris already had a solid front row position. Only a veteran move by a highly experienced racer in the last few minutes of the session prevented Chris from taking the pole.

Saturday’s Q2 was cold and damp enough to make the team realize that improving on Friday’s times was not an option. Chris instead went out with a couple things in mind to test at various corners and came back in with a smile on his face. He and the Ghetto Customs machine were ready.

The start of the race went off better than previous rounds with Chris going into T1 in 4th but working his way to 2nd by the third corner. From there it was a great 3 bike battle until the last couple laps when it came down to just two. With Chris leading the last lap he charged out of the carousel towards the chicane with the intent of putting enough gap on second place to prevent a draft pass at the finish like he and the team had just witnessed in the Superbike race thirty minutes prior. Unfortunately Chris asked a fraction too much of the front tire and managed an incredible save just to stay in the race. The team knew that a crash would have been costly to his championship hopes so they were ecstatic with his second place finish.

Chris states “Huge thanks to Mike Copoulos for this incredible motor. Now that the ram air is in place it truly is the SV I always dreamed of! I can’t wait to put it on track at Laguna in a couple weeks.”

Chris wants to thank MotoAmerica, Dunlop, Shoei, M4, Hotbodies, Wingman’s Garage, RBoM Racing, Copoulos Built Motors, VO2 Leathers, Pit Bull Products, TYGA-Performance and Rebel Gears for giving him the opportunity to race his Suzuki SV650 in the MotoAmerica Series.

More, from a press release issued by Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda:

Elkhart Lake, WI

MotoAmericaRound 4 – Road America

Solid points in Dairyland

Elkhart Lake, WI – There are few places that evoke the kind of emotions that Road America can. For example; the first time you see a truly dark sky and get dizzy from all the stars, seeing the ocean for the first time, or your first pop on a summers day.. America’s National Park of Speed is awe inspiring and if you’ve never been there, it’s difficult to describe. Just make plans to go there next year, you will not regret it. The atmosphere is already electric, so when the team showed up on Thursday there was buzz all around the team as the few weeks break allowed the team to fully recharge and prepare for the task of tackling this massive 4 mile circuit. Cam was feeling good, the bike ready and the entire Camp45 Crew was feeling positive for some strong results.

Without the usual Thursday scramble, the weekend really kicked off on Friday with Qualifying Practice One. The plan going into the first session was to first stretch the legs on Big Red to gauge basic set-up. Then, through a series of stops, slowly make the adjustments needed to help Cam get the bike around the super-fast track. Corner exit speed is a priority as is initial braking through the bumps. The track plays host to all kinds of racing and the bumps entering some of the corners can be extremely upsetting to machines that aren’t set-up correctly. With that in mind, the main focus of the Friday sessions would be on suspension, getting used to the new Dunlop rear tire and then fine tuning the electronics. After the first qualifying session, Cam was in P11 and when the checkered flag flew on the QP2 he was P12. These positions would place him in Superpole on Saturday morning.

As has been the case the past few seasons at Road America, the weather on Saturday morning was a complete 180 degrees from Friday. With much cooler temps, high winds, and a looming threat of rain, the first session out on Saturday would not see any times faster than that of either Friday’s sessions. The early 25 minute session would be used to make last minute adjustments to the suspension and prep for all important Superpole. This one single 15 minute session is the most critical practice session of the weekend as it determines that starting position for both races and gives the teams a final peek at how the bike / rider combo will perform under extreme pressure. As is the new norm, Cam was sent out on his first special qualifying tire to see how the bike would react paired with the super sticky Dunlop. Ripping down the front straight, there was an issue that was audible to those within ear shot. Coming in to switch to a new “Q” tire, Scotty and the crew worked to diagnose the problem, but with less than 10 minutes to go it was a hope and prayer that all that could really be done. As Cam came past the pits again, the bike was hitting the rev limiter and cutting out. Something was clearly amiss. Cam would hit a false neutral into T5 and end his Superpole on the ground and in P12.

With little to no real damage, the Camp45 Crew was able to quickly make repairs and more importantly, dive into the electronics to see what happened during Superpole. Scotty was quick to read the squiggly lines of data and find the problem and then fix it before the race that afternoon. As the sky cleared and the threat of rain lifted, the crowd swelled as Race One approached. Cam and the entire team knew that he was better than his Superpole result so the anticipation was weighing on everyone. As the horns sounded and the grid was cleared, it would be all up to Cam to make his Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda fly around the Wisconsin countryside. Visor locked, first gear engaged, and revs through the roof the lights went off! The Superbike grid came to life and everyone began to jockey for the their position through Turn One. Cameron was able to get a decent start and made some good passes in the early stages of the race. Moving through the field, he was able to clear a good gap between himself and the riders behind him. However, as can happen at Road America, if you lose contact with the riders in front of you, you lose the tow that is so important. By the mid-point of the race Cam would find himself in a solitary ninth position. Unable to make the distance to the group ahead and well clear of the group behind, Cam crossed the line to score 7 valuable points and continue to add to his confidence.

Perhaps that’s the key point to focus on here. While Sunday’s are typically less active, the riders have more time to prepare mentally and go through a more regimented routine of prep. Cam is growing in his confidence and every race finish, every point scored adds to his overall confidence that he can push and ride Rig Red for all she’s worth. Superbikes aren’t easy to ride in ideal circumstances and if your confidence is shaken, then they can be even more difficult. Cam appears to have built enough confidence to begin to push the bike towards it’s limits. Development is an incremental process and success is measured in steps not leaps. Hopefully, these steps would continue through Race Two on Sunday afternoon. Again, the weather would become a player in the race as this time, it would go from sunny and warm to Hurricane force winds and a 20 degree temperature drop. Ok, maybe not as extreme as that, but you get the point.

When it came time for the riders to take their positions, the winds were strong enough to blow signage off their mounts along the track. Umbrellas stayed collapsed and certain photographers / press officers found refuge in the woods until the thundering sound of superbikes could be heard through the hills. This time, Cameron would get another decent start and within a lap or two find himself tagging alone with a chase pack that covered positions 5-9. Unfortunately this race would be red flagged due to a incident with Mathew Scholtz. Upon the restart, it would be very similar to the first. Road America can lend itself to some remarkable racing. Incredible passing opportunities exist almost anywhere on the track. However, as was mentioned earlier, if you lose contact with those in front of you, then it can be a very lonely ride. As was the case in race one, Cameron would again find himself in a gap between groups. Another P9 for the young man from South Africa, but more importantly, the first weekend with points finishes. This moved him up two places in the overall championship.

Now it’s time for another little break before the circus heads to California and the WeatherTech Raceway for the WorldSBK combined weekend. Hope to see you all there!

Cameron Petersen – #45

“This was another positive weekend for us as we continue taking steps in the right direction. We had a few electronic issues during qualifying but we were able to finish off the weekend with two solid races. We’re going to keep building confidence and work towards Laguna.

Once again, massive shout out to the team for all their hard work and dedication.”

Danny Walker – Team Principal

“Overall I can say that I’m pretty pleased with this weekend. We are beginning to make progress which is an encouraging sign. Of course, everyone on the team would like that progress to come a little faster but we are getting there and everyone is remaining positive while we move forward.

Cam did a great job of riding within our limits. We had a little technical hiccup that cost us a better starting position in Superpole, but in the races, Cam rode well and brought it home for solid points in both races. The boys I know are working really hard and this weekend I couldn’t help but feel like we are on the cusp of a pretty big breakthrough.

Looking forward to Laguna and the WSBK Combined round, it’d sure be nice to have that breakthough happen in front of that crowd.”

Scott Jensen – Crew Chief

“Going into Road America we as a team were optimistic as this is one of Cams favorite tracks on the circuit. Unfortunately we had an issue with the electronics in Superpole which resulted in us not getting a good qualifying lap in so we started both races in 12th on the grid. Cam rode consistent in both races to bring home two ninth place finishes. Now we prepare and head for Laguna Seca raceway! “