Successful BMW S 1000 RR: wins and podiums at the Belgian IDM round, in Italy, South Africa and Australia.
Markus Reiterberger dominates the IDM at Zolder, Roberto Tamburini and Fabrizio Perotti climb on the CIV podium in Vallelunga, Roland Resch and Michal Prášek win at the AARR opener in Adria, Lance Isaacs is successful in the South African championship and Adam Christie claims a triple podium in the AAS in Australia – Matthieu Lussiana continues to lead in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy.
Munich, 20th May 2015. While Alastair Seeley (GB) and Lee Johnston (GB) claimed a double win for BMW Motorrad at the North West 200 (GB) (see own release), their fellow BMW riders claimed further successes around the globe this weekend. Markus Reiterberger (DE), Roland Resch (AT) and Michal Prášek (CZ) rode their BMW S 1000 RRs to victories in Belgium and Italy, Lance Isaacs (ZA) was successful in South Africa and Roberto Tamburini (IT), Fabrizio Perotti (IT), Janez Prosenik (SI), Michal Šembera (CZ), Krasen Kanchev (BG), Marek Szkopek (PL) and Adam Christie (AU) enjoyed podium honours in Italy and Australia. After a weekend full of racing action, the rankings of the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy has been mixed up (see full standings below).
International German Championship SUPERBIKE*IDM in Zolder, Belgium.
The second round of the SUPERBIKE*IDM (IDM) in Zolder, Belgium, saw Markus Reiterberger (DE) leaving the competition behind him once more on his BMW S 1000 RR. At the curtain raiser at the Lausitzring (DE), he celebrated a double win and also at Zolder, the Van Zon-Remeha-BMW rider was victorious in both races. His rivals had a hint of what to expect in free practice: almost playfully he secured the fastest lap times in all sessions. When it rained in Saturday’s Superpole qualifying, he had to settle with “only” third on the grid, but in both of Sunday’s races – now in dry conditions again – Reiterberger was in a class of his own again.
In race one, Reiterberger took the lead on the second lap and from then on continuously pulled away from the rest of the field. He took the chequered flag nine seconds ahead of his closest rival. In race two, Reiterberger’s dominance was even more significant. He led from the start, pulled away from the field and won with the incredible advantage of 26 seconds. Reiterberger’s summary of the season so far reads: four wins in four races and the lead in the championship with the maximum possible number of 100 points. Second best BMW rider in Zolder was Matej Smrz on the BMW S 1000 RR from Wilbers BMW Racing. The Czech finished sixth in race one and fourth in race two.
The BMW colours on the Superstock podium at Zolder were represented by Dominik Vincon (DE / BMW Stilgenbauer), who claimed second place in race two. In the first heat, Vincon retired. Van Zon-Remeha-BMW rider Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NL) finished fifth and sixth in the class. Lucy Glöckner (DE), who had secured pole-position in the Superstock class on the Wilbers BMW S 1000 RR, struggled with brake problems and had to settle for 11th and tenth.
Italian Superbike Championship in Vallelunga, Italy.
The popular Italian Superbike Championship (CIV) rolled into the outskirts of Rome (IT) last weekend. The second round of the season was held in Vallelunga (IT) and produced two podiums for the BMW S 1000 RR. Roberto Tamburini (IT) from the Motoxracing team finished runner-up on his BMW S 1000 RR in Saturday’s opening race. Fabrizio Perotti (IT / Tutapista) was fifth and Denni Schiavoni (IT / 2R Racing) came home tenth. In race two on Sunday, Perotti finished second to claim another podium for the BMW S 1000 RR. He was joined in the top six by another three BMWs: Tamburini was fourth this time, followed by fellow BMW riders Alessio Corradi (IT / DMR Racing) and Marco Muzio (IT / Pro Recco Racing) in fifth and sixth.
Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship in Adria, Italy.
The Alpe Adria Road Racing Championship (AARR) kicked off at the Adria Raceway in Italy at the weekend – with BMW Motorrad riders enjoying an extremely successful start to the new season. In the Superbike class, Roland Resch (AT) from the Reitwagen-Racing team clinched victory in the second of the two races on his BMW S 1000 RR. Resch had previously finished runner-up in race one. Janez Prosenik (SI / BMW AMD TREBNJE) joined him on the podium after race one courtesy of his third place. He finished fourth in race two. Martin Choy (BG / BMW Motorrad Czech EKO) came home fifth and seventh.
In the Superstock class, which saw an all-BMW field for the opening round, victory in both races went to Michal Prášek (CZ / Rohac and Fejta Motoracing Team). Michal Šembera (CZ / WILLI Race Team) was second on both occasions. The third spot on the podium went to Krasen Kanchev (BG / AIT Racing Team) in race one and Marek Szkopek (PL / LRP Poland) in race two.
South African SuperGP Champions Trophy in Cape Town, South Africa.
The third round of the 2015 South African SuperGP Champions Trophy was held at Killarney International Raceway near Cape Town (ZA). The Sunday brought a provisional win for the BMW S 1000 RR, which was changed to a third place later on. After race one, Black Swan Racing rider Lance Isaacs (ZA) climbed onto the top step of the podium as winner of the SuperGP class (RSA SBK GP). However, the result was revised later and Isaacs was classified third. The reason for this: after a rider had crashed, the medical car went out on track and the riders slowed down as they were expecting a red flag. However, the race was not stopped, but completed over the full distance of 15 laps. Isaacs crossed the line on his BMW S 1000 RR as the winner. After a meeting of the stewards, it was decided to declare the result after 11 laps, which was before the medical car took to the circuit. At that time, Isaacs was in third position. In race two, Isaacs experienced some suspension issues and finished sixth in the SuperGP class. Nicholas Kershaw (ZA) was seventh on his Tsunami Beach Bar BMW S 1000 RR, after having retired in race one.
AustralAsian Superbike Championship in Mallala, Australia.
Busy weekend for the riders in the AustralAsian Superbike Championship (AAS): at round two, held at Mallala Motorsport Park in Southern Australia, three races per class were contested. On this occasion, BMW rider Adam Christie (AU) celebrated a triple podium in the “Formula Oz” class. He claimed one second and two third places on his BMW S 1000 RR. Fellow BMW rider Brett Kitchin (AU) finished all three races in seventh.
MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Superbike Championship at VIR, USA.
Virginia International Raceway (US) was the venue of the third round of the new MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Superbike Championship (AMA) last weekend. The colours of BMW Motorrad Motorsport were represented by two privateer riders. In the Superbike class, Matthew Orange (US / OC Racing) claimed a top-ten finish, being tenth in race one. In the Superstock class, Jeremy Cook (US / Dead Presidents Racing) finished both races in eighth.
2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.
In 2015, the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy comprises a total of 19 international and national championships. Registration is possible until 30th June 2015. Participants in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy can once again compete in multiple championships in 2015. However, the points scored in the different championships are not added together, but are calculated separately for each individual race series. The current standings only include points from the race series in which the participant has scored the most Race Trophy points. You can find all the information on the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy, including the regulations and registration form, online at the BMW Motorrad Motorsport website:
www.bmw-motorrad-motorsport.com
Status: 20th May 2015
Pos. Name (Nat.) Series / Class Points
1 Matthieu Lussiana (FR) MT1GP STK GP 133.33
2 Michel Amalric (FR) FR EU 99.69
3 Lance Isaacs (ZA) RSA SBK GP 96.86
4 Emeric Jonchiere (FR) FSBK STK 96.00
5 Roberto Tamburini (IT) STK1000 90.00
6 Markus Reiterberger (DE) IDM SBK 88.10
7 Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FR) FR EU 86.15
8 Alastair Seeley (GB) BMW RRC 80.00
9 Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR) FR EU 73.85
10 Lee Johnston (GB) BMW RRC 67.56
11 Pekka Päivärinta (FI) / Kirsi Kainulainen (FI) SWC 61.33
12 Gareth Jones (AU) EWC SBK 60.00
12 Pedro Vallcaneras (ES) EWC SBK 60.00
14 Madjid Idres (FR) FR EU 55.38
15 Eeki Kuparinen (FI) CEV AM 52.80
16. Florian Drouin (FR/FR EU/49.23), 17. Stephen Mercer (GB/EWC STK/48.00), 17. Marco Nekvasil (AT/EWC STK/48.00), 17. Hayato Takada (JP/EWC STK/48.00), 20. Dominik Vincon (DE/IDM STK/44.57), 21. Nicholas Kershaw (ZA/RSA SBK GP/42.19), 22. Iván Silva (ES/CEV PR/41.60), 23. Tommy Bridewell (GB/BSB SBK/40.38), 24. Laurent Aymonin (FR/FR EU/39.38), 25. Janez Prosenik (SI/AARR SBK/38.67), 26. Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NL/IDM STK/34.29), 27. Mike Roscher/Anna Burkard (DE/SWC/32.13), 28. Luca Oppedisano (IT/CIV/32.00), 29. Michael Laverty (GB/BSB SBK/31.24), 30. Ryuichi Kiyonari (JP/BSB SBK/29.71), 31. Sebastian Porto (AR/MT1GP STK GP/28.44), 32. Martin Choy (BG/AARR SBK/26.67), 33. Léon Benichou (FR/FR EU/24.62), 34. Marcel Irnie (CA/AMA STK/24.62), 35. Barry Burrell (GB/EWC STK/24.00), 35. Gary Mason (GB/EWC STK/24.00), 35. Stefan Capella (GB/EWC STK/24.00), 38. Emilien Jaillet (FR/FSBK STK/22.15), 39. Uwe Gürck/Manfred Wechselberger (DE/AT/SWC/20.80), 40. Peter Hickman (GB/BSB SBK/19.81), 41. Camille Hedelin (FR/FSBK STK/19.69), 42. Michal Fojtik (CZ/AARR STK/15.89), 43. Milos Cihak (CZ/AARR SBK/13.33), 43. Jeremy Cook (US/AMA STK/13.33), 45. Nicolas Pouhair (FR/FSBK STK/12.31), 46. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/12.00), 47. Lee Jackson (GB/BSB SBK/11.43), 48. Jean Foray (FR/FR EU/9.85), 49. Chris Schmid (DE/IDM STK/8.00), 50. Thomas Hainthaler (DE/IDM STK/6.86), 50. Marc Neumann (DE/IDM STK/6.86), 52. Fabio Marchionni (IT/STK1000/6.00), 52. Koji Teramoto (JP/MFJ/6.00), 54. Yuuta Kodama (JP/MFJ/4.00), 55. Michael Truchot (FR/FR EU/3.69), 56. Sabine Holbrook (DE/AARR SBK/2.67), 57. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/2.00), 57. Noriyuki Tsujimoto (JP/MFJ/2.00), 59. Federico D’Annunzio (IT/STK1000/0.00), 59. Pawel Gorka (PL/AARR SBK/0.00), 59. Mika Höglund (FI/CEV AM/0.00), 59. Tatsuya Noda (JP/EWC SBK/0.00), 59. Jordan Szoke (CA/CSBK PR/0.00), 59. Eric Vionnet (CH/STK1000/0.00)
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
Challenging Weekend for Team Yamaha MGM at Circuit Zolder
Team Yamaha MGM made a promising start to the Superbike*IDM International German Championship weekend at Circuit Zolder with Max Neukirchner celebrating his third podium of the season and teammate Damian Cudlin achieving his second top five result in the first race. However, the race day in Belgium ended unsatisfactorily when technical issues interrupted the teammates’ challenge for the top positions in the second race, resulting in two DNFs.
The weekend proved challenging not only because of Zolder’s technical layout, but also due to the changeable weather conditions that kept the riders on their toes throughout the weekend.
Though rain spoiled the morning session qualifying on Saturday, Cudlin and Neukirchner took the opportunity to show their competitiveness in both the wet and the dry and secured first and second place on the grid respectively in the dry afternoon session.
Come race day the conditions had changed again. Having been on the pace with his YZF-R1M in the dry on Friday, Neukirchner had a strong start in race one in the Belgian sunshine. He only needed one lap to lead the field, but he got caught up in a battle with Markus Reiterberger and Xavi Fores and dropped back to third. The German caught up with Fores in the later stages of the race, but he wasn’t able to pass the Spaniard and instead brought home a strong third place, his third of the season.
Similar to his teammate, Cudlin had a good start and come through in third place after completing the first lap in race one, but was unable to hold his position. The Australian put up an impressive fight with Lorenzo Lanzi, but eventually had to give in to take fifth position over the line.
The second race again saw the Team Yamaha MGM teammates contend at the front of the field, but their challenge for the podium finished prematurely when technical issues had them retire from the race and prevented them from scoring more top results.
The results of the second round see Neukirchner in fourth place in the overall standings with 56 points, while Cudlin holds seventh position with 24 points.
Team Yamaha MGM now looks forward to coming back even stronger in two weeks time when the third round of Superbike*IDM will form a part of the Deutsche Tourenwagen-Masters (DTM) schedule at the Lausitzring.
Max Neukirchner
Race 1 – 3th, Race 2 – DNF
“In the first race everything worked out quite well. I had a good start and was able to push pretty hard, but Reiterberger and Fores passed me as I was still a bit too slow. I kept pushing, but wasn’t able to lap faster than them until at the end of the race. My rear tyre was still in a good condition, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to pass Fores again. I had some small problems at the corner exit and needed to push all my weight to the front, but overall the race was ok. We knew what to do for the second run, but unfortunately we had a technical problem. Together with Yamaha we were able to find a really good setting in the wet and even made a step in the right direction with the electronic. We need to keep on working like that to improve further.”
Damian Cudlin
Race 1 – 5th, Race 2 – DNF
“Obviously it was a disappointing race day for us, because the practices and qualifying had been so positive. The pole position was fantastic yesterday and Max was also in the front every time, so we expected a lot more from the race day. In the first race I made a big gamble with the suspension setting. I went in a different direction from Max, because I wanted to get the last bit that I was missing compared to him over the weekend in dry condition. However, it was the wrong way and my mistake. Fifth position in the first race is not where I wanted to be, but it was ok. For the second race I decided to go with the settings that the team suggested. I noticed immediately on the out lap that the feeling was good, but then we had a technical issues. It’s a pity, but this is racing and we’re booking progress all the time and I think that we learned something else again today.”
Michael Galinski – Team Yamaha MGM Team Manager
“We never tested on this circuit before and in addition we had some really difficult weather conditions. In the rain we were really good and able to secure P1 and P2, which was really nice, but we didn’t have enough dry time and were not able to find the best settings in these conditions. In race one we were happy with the third place, but we could’ve done a little bit better. In the second race we unfortunately had some technical issues, which we weren’t able to solve in the short space of time that we were given. Regrettably both riders had the same problem, but we were able to learn much about the new bike this weekend and hope to be able to progress further at the next round.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
LAUSLEHTO AND SUZUKI WIN ZOLDER IDM
Team Suzuki’s Tatu Lauslehto maintained his lead in the German IDM Supersport Championship after taking victory at weekend’s second round in Zolder.
The Team Suzuki Stoneline Mayer GSX-R600 rider is now 20 points clear at the top of the nine-round series after finishing third in the opening race on Saturday, held in wet conditions, then racing to victory in Sunday’s dry and sunny second leg.
The Scandinavian rode a steady race in Saturday’s opening race from a front-row grid position, maintaining second place for some time. Christian Stange (HPC Power Suzuki Racing) managed to pass the Finnish rider towards the end, making it a 2-3 for the Suzuki camp.
Said Lauslehto: “Our rain settings weren´t perfect but I bounced back on Sunday, winning the race in sunny conditions.”
Stange, who posted the fastest lap time in qualifying, led the first three laps on Sunday before Lauslehto forced through to take victory, Stange taking a 2-2 score for the weekend. The young German said: “Runner-up twice is ok. I’m third in the championship just one point behind second place, so that is something to build upon.”
Sarah Heide (Team Suzuki Laux ADAC Sachsen) was unable to repeat her success from the opening round last weekend. The only woman in the Supersport field had to be content with a ninth and a sixth place-finish as Kjel Karthin (Team Karthin MSB Suzuki) won both races of the new SuperNaked class.
The next IDM round will be held at the Lausitzring on May 30-31st.
Race 1: 1. Jan Bühn (D, Yamaha), 2. Christian Stange (D, HPC Power Suzuki Racing), 3. Tatu Lauslehto (FIN, Team Suzuki Stoneline Mayer), 4. Jasha Huber (CH, Kawasaki), 5. Christian von Gunten (CH, Kawasaki).
Race 2: 1. Tatu Lauslehto (FIN, Team Suzuki Stoneline Mayer), 2. Christian Stange (D, HPC Power Suzuki Racing), 3. Jan Bühn (D, Yamaha), 4. Jasha Huber (CH, Kawasaki), 5. Christian von Gunten (CH, Kawasaki).
Championship points: 1. Tatu Lauslehto (FIN, Team Suzuki Stoneline Mayer), 86, 2. Jan Bühn (D, Yamaha), 66, 3. Christian Stange (D, HPC Power Suzuki Racing), 65, 4. Christian von Gunten (CH, Kawasaki), 55, 5. Jasha Huber (CH, Kawasaki), 50.
More, from a press release issued by RoadRace Factory:
Gagne riding the waves of motorsport
Jake makes his return to VIR in memorable fashion! Being a surfer, he is certainly used to the ebb and flow of progress, the crests and troughs as he reads the ocean waiting for just the right one. As his performance this past weekend would show, he can take a bad breaker, rebound and ride the perfect wave to victory. His crew likewise would show to the entire paddock, yet again, that they are the best in the business.
The Superstock schedule provides the riders with three free practice sessions in which to nail down their set-ups and Jake and his crew are not ones to waste any time. Jake was struggling through a few sections where he was fast, but not sustainable over a race distance. With the help of team manager and coach Danny Walker, he sat down with Scott Jensen and discussed the lines and how the bike is feeling through those sections. With the help of Penske, the crew got the bike dialed in and Jake was able to make full use of his Superstock machine. As Superpole approached, Jake was confident that he could place his machine on the top spot and maybe even grab another front row start. He was on pace to do just that as another all Yamaha front row was within his sight, but a blistering last lap by Roger Hayden relegated Jake to 4th overall but still 1st in his class.
Race one on Sunday was set amongst the beautiful backdrop that is VIR. The riders on the grid were excited to get racing under such ideal conditions having battled rain in the previous two rounds. As the lights went out and the field rushed to Turn 1, Jake was well placed in the top five. He wasn’t allowing the Superbikes to get away without a fight. As he entered the up-hill right turn 7 a few laps later, he tucked the front end and went off into the grass. He would get the bike restarted and get it back to the pits. This is where the nation got to see what team work is really all about. Before the bike had even stopped, Scotty and Danny (Anderson) were over the wall assessing the damage. The entire RoadRace Factory crew was on hand to assist and everyone performed a flawless ballet to get the bike and Jake back up and running before the restart.
Jake would restart and make massive strides back towards the front of the pack again. He was back up into P1 (Superstock) when the real damage from the crash surfaced. A damaged clutch would bring his race to an end one lap before the checkers.
Race two was a few hours later in the day and that gave the team to make all the needed repairs. When Jake lined back up on the grid his bike was in mint condition. Jake is something of a rarity. He doesn’t get bothered by what happened earlier or by pressure from points chases. He’s just out there to ride the bike as fast as he can and he genuinely has fun doing it. So as race two got under way, Jake was once again right there up front and giving fits to Superbikes. This time, the race would contain no real drama for the crew as Jake put on a masterclass of riding to capture his fourth victory in six races.
Jake Gagne
1st in Series Points
“I hadn’t been to VIR since 2008 in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, so I was really excited to get back. It’s a fun and challenging track to get around fast. Practice and qualifying went well as Scotty, Danny, and Penske had the bike working great. I was bummed about my little mistake crashing out in race 1, but it was amazing to see the entire team come together to get the bike ready to go for the restart. Unfortunately, we had a clutch problem and couldn’t bring it home. But to rebound in race 2 with a win was perfect. One of my favorite tracks is up next so I’m ready to roll into Wisconsin next week!”
Danny Walker
Team Manager
“Jake is nothing if not fun to watch! I was out on track watching his lines and just kept saying, ‘How is he doing that?!’ But I was also able to see some areas where he could take a different line and improve. We sat down with Scotty and talked about it and next thing we know, he’s flying around this track.
He’s liked it here since the Red Bull Rookies Cup and we knew he’d play a major role in the mixed class races. He qualified up front again and was looking to take it to the Superbikes. But sometimes in racing things go sideways. He recovered and brought the bike back to the pits where we all saw just how great this team works together! I cannot say enough how impressed I was to see every man over the wall working together to get Jake’s bike back out there for the restart. That shows me that I have the best crew in the paddock for sure! Kinda sucks that there was damage to the clutch that we couldn’t diagnose before the restart and he wasn’t able to finish race one. That’s two DNF’s so, race two had to be perfect.
It was! Jake has the ability to shake things off quickly and man, once the lights went out, he was off! He took that race win in a dominate fashion. We head now to Road America which is one of Jake’s best tracks. I’m dying to see how he does on this big bike around that circuit. Should be entertaining!”
More, from a press release issued by RoadRace Factory:
Continued progress for RoadRace Factory trio in round three from VIR
After taking a considerable break from Virginia International Raceway (VIR), the premiere series returned this past weekend to the historical circuit in Alton, VA. Making a special appearance during the weekend’s festivities, the Sun! The previous two rounds had been absolute soakers and the team was looking forward to a nice dry race weekend. The trio of Supersport riders were also looking to make those critical steps forward in their chase for the championship.
The weather was perfect, the track conditions on day one were as close to perfect as one could ask for, so when the first practice session was green flagged, Tomy, Ben, and Cam launched their weekend. With the new schedule of events and qualifying session one taking place on Friday, the boys needed to find their pace quickly and for newcomer Cameron, it was yet another track to learn on the fly. Using his teammate as a guide, he soon found his rhythm and his pace was coming up quickly. Tomy, on the other hand, had a minor crash but as is the case when a sliding motorcycle hits the grass, the bike needed major repair. All three riders headed into Q1 with confidence and determination. As the session wore on and the crews and riders worked out their set-ups, it was clear that all three had a decent pace and would be factors in the races.
Saturday morning was the final opportunity to go fast and claim top grid positions. As is often the case, times on Saturday morning aren’t faster than Friday afternoon usually due to track temp. This held true for our riders as only a few of the Supersport pilots improved on their times. Our guys did not. The best possible outcome during that session is improved set-up for both Ben and Cam as they continue to learn their Yamaha R6’s. Tomy was the fastest of the three in P5 with Ben in P8 and Cam right behind him in P9.
Race one was held in the early afternoon under ideal conditions. All three riders were within reach of the hole-shot if they got solid starts. The lights went out and grid hurled down the long straight away towards a treacherous Turn One. Everyone made it through the first corner cleanly and Tomy was leading our tightly packed trio in 6th 7th and 9th. As the 23 lap race progressed, there were two distinct breakaway groups. JD Beach was leading Josh Herrin, while 3rd through 5th was being sorted by David Anthony, Garrett Gerloff and Bobby Fong respectively. Tomy was having a good scrap with Kyle Wyman for 6th before clearing away from him and running solo for the remainder of the race. Ben Young would eventually catch Kyle and make the pass to move up to 7th. Sadly for Cameron, his race would be decided by a mechanical in the opening laps and by the time he re-entered the race, he was a lap down. With the leaders swapping places on the final lap, Tomy would bring it home in 6th. Ben would stay in 7th and Cameron continued to dice it up and learn the track as he crossed the line in 15th.
Race 2 on Sunday was almost a complete carbon copy of Saturday’s action. Conditions… perfect. Riders… amped. Cameron’s crew was confident that there would be no mechanical issues and that he would be able to run near the top. Revs up the lights go out and again the herd roared towards T1. By lap 3 it was exactly the same running order as race one. “See carbon copy comment earlier”. The only difference this time was that Bobby Fong had crashed moving Tomy to 5th and Cameron was hot on his heels by mid race. Ben was a few tenths back battling with Wyman again. Unfortunately the race between Tomy and Cam would come to a premature end as Cam suffered massive arm pump and lost all feeling of his Yamaha R6. He would begin the painful last 1/3rd of the race. This played into Ben’s favor as it brought Cam within grasp. Ben would run out of laps however, and finish a respectable 7th behind Cameron in 6th and Tomy in 5th.
It was a solid performance from the Supersport trio and now they rest up and prepare for their next challenge, Road America and Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Series.
Ben Young
5th in Series Points
“It wasn’t the best of my weekends but in the end it was solid and helped my points. I started out struggling in the free practice. The crew and I got that sorted out for qualifying one and it was a little easier from there on.
The races were good. I got two solid 7th place finishes and had some decent battles. I felt that my pace was picking up as the races went on. It’s my starts! Again, I had two not so great starts and that’s hard to overcome in this class. That’s the thing I need to work on as we head to Road America. That track favors those who can get out front quick so I’m focused on improving that aspect of my racing.”
Tomy Puerta
6th in Series Points
“Its always good to go race in VIR ! It’s an awesome track and the fans are really good too.
It was a hard weekend for me and my crew. Starting off with a big crash on Friday morning and had to do a lot of work on the bike and put us behind on the other work we wanted to do. For qualifying we were better and lap times were dropping. I got P5 and started from the second row.
The race on Saturday was really hard. Some how I got a bad cramp in my leg that made me slow down in the race as it was hard to ride like that in a long race. But it was a good job to finish 6th. On Sunday I felt a little bit better about my leg but still not perfect. Rode a pretty smart race securing a top 5 in not my best race weekend and with some pain.
I’m now in Colombia making sure I’m healthy and ready to go in Road America!!!
Can’t thank RoadRace Factory team enough and all my personal sponsors Addict by Bosi Cards for Caring and Indeportes Antioquia for make this happen!!”
Cameron Petersen
8th in Series Points
“We had some mixed emotions at VIR. Qualifying didn’t go as planned and I qualified a bit too far down making my race harder. First race I had an electrical problem on the first lap forcing me to come into the pits where the team sorted it out and got me back on track finishing in 15th. The next day I went out in morning warm up and felt a lot more comfortable and confident on the bike. I had an average start to the race and made a few passes early on in the race putting me in 6th, I worked hard to catch Tomy but around lap 12 I started getting serious arm pump and could no longer hold on to the bike and ended up P6. I’m really starting to work well with the team and we keep making steps in the right direction. Bring on Road America.”
Danny Walker
Team Manager
“Coming into this race we had mixed expectations. We always want that win and we feel we are getting closer all the time but with no data to go from on this track and having to rely on memory was making this a challenge.
Tomy got back into the top five which is where we know he can ride and we feel that he can be challenging for the top spot on a more consistent basis. Ben had two great and solid performances this weekend and he continues to work with his crew and coaches to continuously improve. Cameron had that unfortunate mechanical in race one but went back out and showed he’s capabale of a fast pace. Arm pump in the second race hampered him a bit but he was up there battling with Tomy. He continues to impress every weekend.
Now we’re off to Road America where anything can happen. We know our bikes are fast there as Jake and Tomy showed last year. So, we have high expectations and I’m sure our guys will be back up towards the front.”
More, from a press release issued by Meen Motorsports:
Wheels In Motion/ MotoSport.com/ Meen Yamaha’s Josh Herrin and Joe Roberts continued their hunt for MotoAmerica championships at round three of the inaugural MotoAmerica season in Virginia. Coming off an impressive podium weekend at Road Atlanta, both Herrin and Roberts were poised to repeat their performances.
The Meen team duo did not disappoint on Saturday, capturing a pair of first place podium finishes. In Supersport race one, Herrin orchestrated a flawless race. Hot on pole setter Yamalube/ Y.E.S./ Graves Yamaha JD Beach’s trail, Herrin put together a perfect last lap and passed Beach three corners before the finish line for the win. Roberts also kicked off his weekend landing on the top of the box. In Bazzaz Superstock 600 race one, Roberts started on pole and had a great battle with Mexico Concept Store’s Richie Escalante. Roberts lead all but one lap, finishing 2.4 seconds over Escalante, taking his third straight win for the MotoAmerica season.
Sunday posed some challenges for the Meen Team. Supersport race two started off as a repeat of Saturday’s race with Herrin once again shadowing Beach’s every move. Making the same pass as in race one, Herrin led briefly and then finished third in front of M4’s David Anthony. Bazzaz Superstock 600 race two came to unfortunate end quickly for the Meen Team when Roberts crashed in lap four. Roberts was unhurt but due to his Yamaha R6’s condition, he was unable to remount.
The Wheels In Motion/ MotoSport.com/ Meen Yamaha is now heading to Road America third in the Supersport championship with Josh Herrin trailing by just 7 points and 2nd in the Superstock championship with Joe Roberts trailing by 2 points. Roberts and Herrin are both very familiar with the 4.048 mile course and the Team has had good success at Road America in the past.
Meen Motorsports would like to thank all their partners: Wheels In Motion, MotoSport.com, Yamaha Motor Corp, ARMA Energy, Yamalube, Core Moto, Dr. David Benkle, MOTO-D, Galfer, Camera Control, Active, Dynojet, Graves Motorsports, GB Racing, Flash Tune, Yamaha Generators, Designstar3.com, Motopia, Zero Gravity, Drippin Wet, Speedcell, D.I.D., Vortex, Pacific Track Time, and Dunlop tires.
Meen Motorsports is a professional motorcycle racing team established in 2012 formally known as GP Bike Parts Racing (2011). If interested in being a partner/sponsor of Meen Motorsports please contact [email protected]. For more about the team please visit, www.meenmotorsports.com. Become a Facebook Fan, search Meen Motorsports. Follow live team updates on Twitter @meenmotorsports and on Instagram @meenmoto.
More, from a press release issued by Perimeter Racing:
Steele Rides R1M to Victory in New Orleans!
The WERA National Challenge Series made its third stop of the season at NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana, on May 16th and 17th. Perimeter Racing’s, Chris Steele, was excited to compete in the “Double National” weekend and continue learning the characteristics of his 2015 Yamaha R1M.
The Double National format meant that it would be critical to get a good setup quickly. The NOLA racetrack offered a very challenging layout and incredibly tough breaking zone at the end of the front straight. Fortunately, Chris was able to use the A-1 automatic suspension setting of the R1M to handle the breaking zone without compromising the setup for the other sections of the track. After a few practice sessions, the team was ready to race!
Saturday’s Open/A Superstock race saw Chris Steele take over the lead in Turn 8 on the opening lap. Steele worked hard to separate himself from the field, but never could completely break free of the second-place rider. A last-lap, last-turn pass from the second-place rider relegated Chris to a 2nd place finish. Although still a good result, it wasn’t the one Steele wanted most, commenting: “I knew Mark Junge was close because I could hear his bike. I rode the last lap defensively, but never thought someone could make a pass stick in that part of the track. I was close, but couldn’t get back by him at the line.”
Eager to put the disappointment of Saturday’s race behind him, Chris jumped into the lead in Turn 3 of Sunday’s Open/A Superstock race. This time there would be no last-lap drama. The combination of a key setup change, new Dunlop tires, and a very determined rider saw Chris lower his fast lap by over 2.5 seconds. Chris would go on to win 1st Place earning him and the R1M their first National win! Chris shared his thoughts on the race: “The setup change gave me more confidence at full-lean angle so with the new tires, I just went for it early-on. Once I had a decent gap, I tried to settle down and finish strong– today’s last lap was much more enjoyable than yesterday’s.”
Perimeter Racing and Chris Steele would like to thank the following for their support: Yamaha Motor Corporation- Southeastern Headquarters: Kenny Spurlock & Robert Orr; Dunlop Race Tire Service : Paul Von Ounoutha; Riders Discount; Pit Bull; Triple R Racing; Perimeter Door: Michelle Steele. Event results and current point standing can be found at www.wera.com .
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia HSBK Racing:
Aprilia HSBK Racing Overcomes Setbacks and Lands on the Box
HOUSTON, Texas (May 20, 2015) – Aprilia HSBK Racing got on the box again at the third MotoAmerica round at VIR in Alton, VA. Riders Dustin Dominguez and Devon McDonough ride Aprilia RSV4’s in the Superstock 1000 class and battled with injuries throughout the weekend.
The team started practice on Friday and avoided rainy conditions. During practice, rider Devon McDonough had trouble putting together 5 or more laps due to numbness in his forearm. He was seen by the track physician who was able to offer an ongoing treatment plan. After a great deal of consideration, McDonough made the decision to sit out the VIR races and start healing in preparation for Road America in just two weeks.
During Saturday’s qualifying, Dustin Dominguez was still experiencing pain from his injuries at Road Atlanta and the team worked hard to adjust the bike setup to compensate for his adjusted riding position. Dominguez qualified 6th in class, but just missed moving on to Superpole 2.
The team missed the sighting lap for race one and had to start from pit lane. Dominguez still got off to a great start and was able to gain speed with each of the first laps passing packs of riders. He made up an incredible amount of time and was able to battle his way up to 13th before a red flag was called. After the grid-and-go restart, Dominguez continued on his hunt and made his way to third in class landing him on the podium after starting at the very back.
During race two, Dominguez continued to push through his injuries. When he began to experience technical issues he decided to come off the track before the race was over. The team now is preparing for their next challenge, Road America and Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Series.
Special thanks to Aprilia USA, Houston Superbikes, RSRacecraft, Pilot, Motion Pro, EVOL Technology, Galfer USA, TAW Performance, Ohlins, Capit, GB Racing, Dynojet, Full Spectrum, Sunstar, Zero Gravity, DNA Air Filters, RaceSeats, Samco Sport, DB Holders, BikesPlast, Andrew Swenson Design, and Drippin Wet.
Aprilia
Aprilia boasts 54 World Titles (38 in MotoGP, 7 in World Superbike and 9 in off-road disciplines) making it one of the most victorious brands on a global level in motorcycle racing and the most successful among the European brands. www.apriliausa.com
HSBK Racing
Founded in 2011, HSBK Racing is a division of Houston Superbikes showcasing its race craft and experienced technicians. Known for its bold and distinguishable red and black livery, HSBK Racing prides itself on showcasing up-and-coming riders. They are proud to be Aprilia HSBK Racing for the 2015 season. www.facebook.com/HSBKRACING
Houston Superbikes
Established in 2005, Houston Superbikes caters to motorcycle enthusiasts with its diverse line of high performance bikes, parts and apparel. Houston Superbikes is proud to offer their own line of carbon fiber and billet accessories for racing and street applications. Offering dyno tuning, engine building services and suspension setup, they are an industry leader in building race machines. For more information regarding Houston Superbikes, or to find out what they can do for you, please visit www.houstonsuperbikes.com
RSRacecraft
A premiere racing development contractor in the U.S. Using the same skill set and determination that has helped them define several boutique brand motorcycles into consistent race winners, RSRacecraft is looking forward to another season of success. www.rsracecraft.com