MotoAmerica: More From The Races At Brainerd (Updated)

MotoAmerica: More From The Races At Brainerd (Updated)

© 2021, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. From a press release issued By Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:

SUZUKI’S SEAN DYLAN KELLY WINS IN MINNESOTA AND EXTENDS HIS LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Brea, CA – Suzuki Motor USA, LLC, and Team Hammer added to their burgeoning mid-season trophy haul with another outstanding performance as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship returned to Brainerd International Raceway for the first time in nearly two decades.

When the final checkered flag flew, the combined Suzuki effort tallied an additional three victories, six podiums, and two poles. M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly continued to build his season points lead in MotoAmerica’s Supersport Championship. The 19-year-old Floridian scored his ninth victory of the ‘21 campaign, including the last six in succession.

‘SDK’ continues to show his ability to win in varying fashion, keeping his rival tight behind his Suzuki GSX-R600 on Saturday, and then pressuring from second throughout much of the race on Sunday. Kelly now has a strong 61-point lead with six races left.

“Sunday’s race was even tougher than Saturday’s,” Kelly said. “We were able to hold on and went head-to-head for a few laps for the lead. I made a little mistake, and he pulled a little gap, but we kept the pressure on and that’s part of winning.

“I think we are doing things the right way, and we’re going to keep on working. I’m super stoked with my GSX-R600 and the entire M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. My guys are working so hard and always believe in me.”

 

Sam Lochoff (44) continues to improve quickly and scored two podium finishes on his GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Sam Lochoff (44) continues to improve quickly and scored two podium finishes on his GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Kelly was twice joined on the podium by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Sam Lochoff, who continues to show rapid improvement in his rookie MotoAmerica Supersport season. The South African turned consistent laps into a pair of thirds, upping his 2021 tally to three podiums.

 

Bobby Fong (50) looked strong with a solid second place finish on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Bobby Fong (50) looked strong with a solid second place finish on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s talented Superbike duo of Bobby Fong and Cameron Petersen were very much in the mix as well. Fong looked set to repeat his Saturday second with another runner-up on Sunday, but an off-course excursion dropped him several positions down the order. Undeterred, Fong fought his way back up to fourth.

 

Cam Petersen (45) fought hard and earned two top-five finishes at Brainerd, MN. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Cam Petersen (45) fought hard and earned two top-five finishes at Brainerd, MN. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Petersen, meanwhile, was twice in the fight for the podium before ultimately logging fourth- and fifth-place results.

Jake Lewis (85) took another decisive win and with that, the lead in the Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Jake Lewis (85) took another decisive win and with that, the lead in the Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Altus Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Lewis reclaimed the Stock 1000 title lead with a dominant showing aboard his Team Hammer-built GSX-R1000R, while M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris earned his best result of the Stock 1000 season in seventh. In Sunday’s Superbike Cup race-with-in-a-race for competitors on stock 1000cc motorcycles, Lewis was first and Farris came home third.

“Honestly, the race was picture perfect,” Lewis said. “I ran in second for a few laps and then decided to drop the hammer. Hats off to the whole team. The Suzuki GSX-R1000R has been incredible. I feel really good mentally and physically. It feels great to win like that, going away.”

 

Wyatt Farris (79) earned a season-best, seventh-place finish in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Wyatt Farris (79) earned a season-best, seventh-place finish in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

 

Suzuki and Team Hammer will be back in action at Pittsburgh International Race Complex on August 13-15.

 

About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.

 

About Team Hammer: The 2021 season marks Team Hammer’s 41st consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 120 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 319 times, and have won nine AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:

Kyle Wyman withdraws from Brainerd round due to lingering elbow injury

 

Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy KWR.
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy KWR.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Kyle Wyman withdrew from this past weekends races at Brainerd International Raceway due to lingering issues with his elbow injury, sustained on June 13th. KWR did not field a replacement rider for the weekend’s races.

Wyman had surgery on his fractured olecranon bone on June 13th, had a plate and 7 screws inserted to fixate the bone on June 17th, and was able to ride three weeks later at the Laguna Seca round, where he subsequently won the King of the Baggers race and the championship on July 13th. Wyman however was still unable to pilot his Panera Bread Ducati Superbike this past weekend, due to the increased physicality needed to ride the Superbike.

“Going into the Brainerd weekend I certainly was expecting to have no problem riding my Ducati,” Wyman said. “We even had the Thursday test day to get up to speed and feel it out. During the second practice session on Thursday I had a moment that made me brake extremely hard to stay on the track, and I felt a pop in my elbow and immediate pain. I continued riding, but the swelling and pain worsened. I rode the third session on Thursday and then sat out the final session. Friday morning I rode again and went faster, but I couldn’t do more than three laps without severe pain and weakness, and making mistakes on the bike. I couldn’t ride to my ability.”

With worsening pain and inflammation, the best course of action was to withdraw from the weekend so to not jeopardize the safety of any rider, or to risk further injury. With the next round at Pittsburgh coming up August 13-15, 2021, there is another two weeks for Wyman to improve his fitness to close out the season strong.

“At this point the injury is pretty heartbreaking, because I’ve now missed the last three superbike rounds, and it’s still going to be tough for me to ride at 100% in Pittsburgh next week,” Wyman added. “I’m glad I was able to win the Baggers title for Harley-Davidson at Laguna Seca. I feel like that is some redemption on this injury. But with how the injury happened with such bad luck and now with the recovery process taking longer than I suspected, it’s a major bummer. The season is flying by. I’ll be working hard with the doctors to get healthy and get my body ready to muscle the bike around once again. I just can’t thank my sponsors enough for sticking with me through this tricky situation and I look forward to putting them back up front in superbike where they belong.”
Please visit our sponsor page to support the companies who support KWR.

For more information about Panera Bread, visit www.panerabread.com.

Stay tuned for news and updates on KWR at www.kylewyman.com

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:

Triple points finish for Pure Attitude Racing at Brainerd International Raceway 

Pure Attitude Racing rounded off the sixth round of the 2021 MotoAmerica series with their three participating riders – Liam MacDonald, Nate Minster and Austin Miller – racing to another triple points score.

An additional day of testing prior to the event gave all three riders an opportunity to fine tune their machines ahead of the first AMA National Championship motorcycle road racing event to be held at Brainerd International Raceway for seventeen years!

Sole Twins Cup representative for the team Liam MacDonald ran a strong second on the opening day of on track activity before qualifying a superb seventh on the grid on Saturday. The opening race of the weekend didn’t quite go to plan for the #37 rider who crashed out whilst fighting for the top six in the early stages. He bounced back to finish a solid seventh on Sunday.

In Supersport it was Austin Miller who shone in qualifying, the #61 taking ninth on the grid, his career best grid placing in the category. Team mate Nate Minster, who took a heavy tumble in qualifying, secured P10 ahead of the two sixteen lap encounters.

A double DNF on Saturday was disappointing but both riders put Race 1 behind them to secure a double Supersport points score on Sunday. Nate achieved a season’s best of seventh, whilst Austin recovered from a heart stopping out of the seat moment on lap one to equal his best result of the year in eleventh.

The team move on to Pittsburgh for Round 7 of the MotoAmerica series in a fortnight, buoyed by the front running pace shown by all three riders, and hopeful that the event will see a racing return for Trevor Standish, who injured himself at Road America earlier in the season.

 

Nate Minster (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.

Nate Minster: “Race 2 was way better than Race 1. I got a good start but took a while to settle down. I dropped back a bit but was able to claw my way forward as the race went on. It was my home race and whilst it would have been great to get a double points finish, we were able to end the weekend with P7 which is the best we have done all season. We can move on to Pittsburgh with new confidence that we are going in the right direction. Thanks to the team who did an excellent job as always!”

 

Austin Miller (61) leads CJ LaRoche (20) at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller (61) leads CJ LaRoche (20) at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.

 

Austin Miller: “Race 2 went really good. Starting from P9 on the third row I had a little bobble off the start and almost went down at Turn 3 after a few guys got a bit loose. That pushed me back, but I was able to find my rhythm pretty quickly and by the end of the race was lapping as fast as the guys in the fight for eighth. I equalled my best result in Supersport which is encouraging and shows that we are now consistently fast enough to fight for the top ten. After qualifying so strongly it was a bit disappointing to not make it out for Race 1 but that’s racing, and we will regroup and come out fighting at Pitt Race.”

 

Liam MacDonald (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.

 

Liam MacDonald: “I have mixed feelings about the weekend. It started really well. I was P2 in Thursday’s test but then had a spill in qualifying but was still able to make it onto the third row of the grid. I had another crash in Race 1 and so Sunday’s second race was about bringing it home. The team did a fantastic job all weekend, they have been amazing and really supportive, and I know that we will be able to put on a good show in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks.”

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:

Minnesotan De Keyrel wins, finishes runner-up in Twins Cup races at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Minnesota

Robem Engineering Aprilia rider increases championship points lead at MotoAmerica’s first event at Brainerd International Raceway

 

Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.

 

BRAINERD, Minn. — This past weekend marked MotoAmerica’s first time holding an event in Robem Engineering rider Kaleb De Keyrel’s home state, and the Minnesotan didn’t disappoint his friends and family who were on hand at Brainerd International Raceway. The Aprilia rider started the inaugural MotoAmerica Superbikes at Minnesota with a 15-point advantage in the Twins Cup standings, and he left the July 30-Aug. 1 event with a win, a second place and a 53-point championship lead.

The team’s other rider, Toby Khamsouk, had a good outing at Brainerd. He amassed two sixth-place finishes aboard his Aprilia RS 660 and maintained seventh place in the standings, decreasing his gap to sixth place from 18 points to four.

With four Twins Cup races remaining in the 2021 season, the 2020 Twins Cup runner-up De Keyrel is in an excellent position to claim his first MotoAmerica title — as well as make the Aprilia RS 660 a championship-winning model in its first year competing in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup.

After a day of testing at the 2.5-mile Brainerd circuit on Thursday, both Robem Engineering riders were near the front of the field in Friday’s Twins Cup practice. De Keyrel was the fourth-fastest rider in the session, and Khamsouk was seventh-fastest. When qualifying got underway later Friday, De Keyrel ended the session in sixth place and Khamsouk was in ninth. When qualifying wrapped up Saturday, both riders had improved their best times by about 0.8 seconds. De Keyrel put his Aprilia on the front row of the starting grid by qualifying third, and Khamsouk secured eighth place.

When Saturday’s Twins Cup race got started, it was De Keyrel leading the field through the first corner. Though De Keyrel was passed several times later during the first lap – falling as low as fifth in the running order on Laps 2 and 4 – he worked his way up to second on Lap 6. Khamsouk finished the first lap in ninth place, but quickly recovered – finishing Lap 3 in seventh. De Keyrel was about three seconds adrift of the race leader on Lap 6, but methodically closed the gap. Five laps later, De Keyrel was about 0.2 seconds behind the race leader as the duo started the final lap. When the race leader made a mistake at the penultimate corner of the race, De Keyrel got by him and claimed victory at his home track by 0.244 seconds. Khamsouk finished the race in sixth place — his fourth top-six finish of 2021.

Sunday’s race saw De Keyrel further his effort to win his first MotoAmerica crown. He got another good start and was challenging for the lead at Turn 1. Khamsouk also got a good start, moving up to sixth on the first lap. De Keyrel led Lap 1 and was part of the four-way battle for the lead for the remainder of the 12-lap race. After running as far back as fourth on Laps 3, 4 and 7, De Keyrel showed good race pace when he took the lead back on Lap 9 and ran in second place for the last three laps. Though he wasn’t able to mount an attack for the lead at the end of the race, De Keyrel finished ahead of his championship rivals. Khamsouk was reeling in the fifth-place rider in the race’s closing stages but had to settle for his second sixth place of the weekend.

The Robem Engineering team has a weekend off before the next MotoAmerica round, which is scheduled for Aug. 13-15 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pa.

Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51

“We found some things in Qualifying 2 that really helped improve my feel with the bike. It was great to be on the front row for the start of my home races. I got two really good starts this weekend, though I got shuffled back pretty quickly in Race 1. After I got by three of the guys who’d gotten by me, I just put my head down and focused on catching the race leader. I caught up to him with two laps to go and got by him at the last corners of the last lap. It was an epic race for me. I had a huge support group here at Brainerd, and it was great hearing the fans get into it at the end of the race. In Race 2, I led for the first lap or so, but the group at the front ended up shuffling positions a bit. It evolved into a three-rider battle, then the race leader pulled a big enough gap on me that I couldn’t make anything happen to try to get the win. It was still a really good race for us. My Aprilia RS 660 was working great all weekend, and this event was huge for us in terms of the championship. I couldn’t imagine a better points-paying weekend, especially in front of my home crowd. I’m looking forward to riding this amazing bike for the rest of the season.”

 

Toby Khamsouk (27). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Toby Khamsouk (27). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.

Toby Khamsouk / No. 27

“I had a lot of fun and learned a lot this weekend at Brainerd. We’ve been making steady progress in finding a good set up, and I’d like to thank Eric Vallarta of Velocity Calibrations and my team owner, Matt Spicer, for giving me a really good setup this weekend. I’m looking forward to making more progress at Pittsburgh.”

Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2021 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, DNA Filters, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies and SC-Project.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Bradley Ward Racing:

Double Top Ten For Bradley At Brainerd

 

Bradley Ward (57). Photo courtesy Bradley Ward Racing.
Bradley Ward (57). Photo courtesy Bradley Ward Racing.

 

Bradley Ward is back on track and competing once again in MotoAmerica.

Returning to the track at Brainerd International Raceway this past weekend, Ward far exceeded his expectations, impressing many as he raced to tenth and ninth respectively in the two Superbike races at the 2.5-mile circuit.

Unsure of how he would perform having not actively ridden a bike in more than a year, the #57 rider, looked as though he had never been away. Sporting a razor-sharp new hairstyle, he made the most of Thursday’s additional test, included in the schedule to give all riders more time to learn the BIR circuit which was new for the majority.

He qualified on Row 3, before finishing an impressive ninth in Sunday’s second race, his second top ten result of his racing return.

Bradley hopes to remain with the FLY ADR Motorsports squad at the next round of MotoAmerica which will take place in Pittsburgh in a fortnight.

Bradley Ward: “Firstly I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has stood by me during my recovery. It’s been a tough ten months but with the support of my parents, family, girlfriend, the whole ADR Motorsports, and the constant stream of kind messages on social media I have been able to return to the track. It wasn’t the plan to race again in MotoAmerica this season. I was going to sit it out and work towards 2022 but with Jayson Uribe heading off to World Superbikes the opportunity was there, and I couldn’t say no. I hadn’t been on a bike for ten months and am still not 100% but I couldn’t turn the chance to jump in at the deep end in the MotoAmerica Superbikes class at Brainerd. I knew it was going to be tough, but I went in with an open mind and no pressure. It was a new bike; a new track and I wasn’t sure I would be even halfway competitive. The Thursday test helped, and I made a few changes compared to how Uribe rode the bike. Small things like lifting the seat to give me a bit more space. It was good to be going 170mph again. I was able to qualify P9 and was pleasantly surprised. In Race 1 I made a good start but there was a red flag. In the restart I got away well, made a few passes and was fighting for the top ten which is where I crossed the line. During Saturday’s race my right foot really started to burn. I didn’t know what it was but after the race I discovered a 4–5-inch blister. The joys of not riding a bike for almost a year. On Sunday I was in a lot of pain. The blister was full of fluid, but I had it taped up and just gritted my teeth. I tagged on Dave (Anthony). I was able to make four or five good passes and took ninth at the flag which all things considered was a great result. It’s been a long road, but we did it and I hope to see everyone in Pittsburgh!”

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

MotoAmerica: Round 6 Results from Brainerd International Raceway for the Altus Motorsports Tucker Environmental Service Solutions Team

(Brainerd, MN) Brainerd International Raceway is a new circuit for MotoAmerica this season. As a result, very few of the riders have previous experience on the track. The Thursday before the race weekend was a test day hosted by MotoAmerica and Altus attended. The track turned out to be unforgiving and claimed a lot of bikes across all classes over the course of the weekend. Including Thursday, the Altus team had four crashes by three riders. It was a weekend full of highs and lows.

 

Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:

Jake Lewis had an outstanding weekend. He topped all practice and qualifying sessions, giving him pole position for the one Stock 1000 race at Brainerd. He started from pole, took the hole shot and led almost every lap of the race to take a commanding win. This was an important victory for the team as it elevates them to the top spot in the Stock1000 Championship by two points.

 

Jake Lewis (85). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jake Lewis (85). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.

 

“The team and the bike were incredible this weekend,” said Jake Lewis. “The Stock1000 win was an important one. There are only three more stock races and we need to win them.”

Lewis also contested the Superbike class both days. On Saturday, he started from 10th and finished 7th. In the Sunday race, he started from 7th and finished 8th. Both days he was the top Stock rider and earned valuable points in the Superbike Cup, a championship that he now leads by eleven points.

Supersport 600:

Jaret Nassaney had a solid weekend with two top ten finishes and some good points toward the overall season championship. He started Race 1 from 12th and finished 8th after a race-long four-bike battle. He also started the second race from 12th and finished 9th. Nassaney currently sits 8th in the overall championship points.

 

Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.

 

Kevin Olmedo had a forgettable weekend. He crashed the bike on Thursday and again on Saturday during Q2. In spite of that, he qualified 5th. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish either of the Supersport races at Brainerd. In Race 1 he was in the fight for 3rd when he had a crash on lap 6. The team put the bike back together overnight and it ran well during morning warmup. However, in Race 2, the bike began cutting out and he was forced to retire.

 

Kevin Olmedo (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Kevin Olmedo (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.

 

Junior Cup:

Hayden Bicknese had qualified 14th, in spite of a severe crash during the second qualifying session. He was okay, but the bike took a lot of damage. The mechanics got the bike back together in time for Race 1 and Hayden finished 15th. Unfortunately, the bike did not feel right. Overnight the team rebuilt the bike again but during morning warm up, it still wasn’t handling well. As a result, Bicknese did not start the Sunday Junior Cup race.

 

Hayden Bicknese (69). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Hayden Bicknese (69). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.

 

“The weekend started with a lot of lows. We had a lot of crashes. And they were big wrecks. Jake’s results did a lot to lift the spirits of the team and we are looking forward to the next round,” said team owner George Nassaney. “I am extremely thankful for our mechanics and Crew Chief Eric Gray. They worked their butts off this weekend.”

The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, Environmental Service Solutions, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Creative Sports Concepts, Tucker Powersports, Schaefer Engineering, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, Barnett, VP Lubricants, SBS Brakes,Galfer USA, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Ohlins, K-Techs, RS Taichi, Arai, Law Tigers Oklahoma, Lawton Motorsports, and Altus Factory Racing.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by HONOS HVMC Racing:

TOUGH WEEKEND FOR HONOS HVMC RACING IN MINNESOTA

Brainerd, Minnesota ( August 3rd, 2021 ) – This past weekend MotoAmerica returned to Brainerd International Raceway in the land of 10,000 lakes for the first time in 17 years. After facing a handful of challenges over the course of the extended weekend which included a test date on Thursday,  the HONOS HVMC Racing team would earn a single podium in Supersport and a top 5 in the sole Stock 1000cc race.

Corey was able to show initial speed during the Thursday test day but struggled to find the feeling needed to continue progressing forward with the class front runners. The Graves-Spec #23 ZX-10RR would go on to qualify 6th overall and finish 5th in an uneventful Stock 1000cc race on Saturday.

The team worked tirelessly to make Corey more confident in the fast and flowing parts of the track. After scoring a 13th place finish in Saturdays Superbike race one, the highlight of the weekend for Alexander was Sundays 10th place finish during Superbike race two.

 

Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.
Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.

 

“The goal for me is to be in the position to battle for wins and showcase that I’m prepared to make the jump up to Superbike in 2022. Unfortunately this weekend I fell short of that and never got comfortable with our bike on this track” Alexander added. “I still can’t wrap my head around it and I apologize to my guys Chris, DJ, Tim, & Richie who worked so hard to try to make it better to no avail. Fortunately now we head to some of my favorite tracks on the calendar. I can’t wait!”.

Corey’s 5th place finish relegates him to 2nd in the Stock 1000cc championship trailing the leader by 2 points. He also maintains third place in the Superbike Cup, 35 points behind the leader with four rounds remaining.

Corey’s personal sponsors include: Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Sals Pizza & Pasta, Ikoniqa, Four3 Performance Lab, Redshift, Gemini, Tucker, and Prestige Services Group.

Richie Escalante arrived to the weekend feeling nearly 100% back to full health after his recent injuries. During the test day on Thursday the team faced some technical gremlins that sacrificed a portion of his track time. His first impressions of Brainerd were similar to that of his home tracks in Mexico and so he was very excited for the weekend.

Richie also struggled to show his usual form during practice and qualifying as he and the team worked to make him more comfortable with the rough track surface. The #54 Graves-Spec ZX-6R would start race one from the 3rd position on the grid working his way into a battle for the lead with his championship rival. Unable to complete a last lap pass, Escalante finished narrowly behind first place, 0.075 at the line.

After some overnight changes Richie found a lot more speed in his setup for Sundays race two. After making his way past the leader at the half way mark he opened up a margin. Unfortunately with just 4 laps to go Escalante was bucked out of the seat on his entry to the fast turn 11 and made the decision to separate himself from the bike oppose to potentially running off on one of the narrowest parts of the race track. The bike was too damaged to continue.

 

Richie Escalante on the MotoAmerica Supersport podium at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.
Richie Escalante on the MotoAmerica Supersport podium at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.

 

Richie commented. “I am disappointed with the result but I felt good and most importantly I enjoyed riding my bike again. It’s been a difficult recovery from both injuries and we’ve been working hard to improve the bike too. These difficult times will make me stronger in the end and the season is not over yet. Thanks to my team for working so hard and for everyone for the support!”.

With this weekends DNF Richie now trails his championship rival by 61 points as the team travels east. Richies personal sponsors include Fresh & Lean, HJC Helmets, Vircos Leathers, Alpinestars Boots & Gloves, and Hidalgo.

The HONOS HVMC Racing team will be at Pittsburgh International Race Complex for round 7 of the MotoAmerica Championship August 13-15th. You can purchase tickets to the event via MotoAmerica.com or in person at the race track.

About WE ARE HONOS®

Founded in 2018, HONOS is a Los Angeles based performance gear and fashion apparel brand that promotes talent within the adrenaline sports realm. With worldwide partnerships ranging from the American Racing team in Moto2 to title sponsorship of the HONOS Superbike class in MotoAmerica, HONOS has heavily invested it’s brand into motorsports. Follow @wearehonos or visit wearehonos.com to shop for team gear now.

About Hudson Valley Motorcycles

Hudson Valley Motorcycles (HVMC) is a family owned and operated motorcycle dealership that has been serving New York’s Hudson Valley and Westchester County as well as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New England region. HVMC has offered Kawasaki, Ducati, Scrambler Ducati, Suzuki, Energica and ATV, motorcycle or UTV Sales, Parts, and Service for over 50 years. For more info visit hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com, call (914)-762-2722 or follow @hvmotorcycles on social media.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Landers Racing:

Double Podium for Gloddy at Brainerd

 

Ben Gloddy (32) leads Tyler Scott (70) during a MotoAmerica Junior Cup race at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Landers Racing.
Ben Gloddy (32) leads Tyler Scott (70) during a MotoAmerica Junior Cup race at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Landers Racing.

 

The intense racing between Ben Gloddy and Tyler Scott carried over from Laguna Seca to Brainerd International Raceway in Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup. In an exciting back and forth battle in race one, Gloddy was able to edge out Scott after a perfectly executed pass for the lead in the final few corners of the last lap. The start of race two looked like it might be similar to race one, but the dogfight for first quickly got crowded in a nail biting five rider battle. With numerous lead changes throughout the race, Gloddy got swallowed up in the shuffle and ultimately finished in third.

Gloddy had this to say: “First, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers out to Scott Mullin’s family and friends and to my Loudon Race Family. Scott was a great guy who helped so many people and touched a lot of lives.”

“I had a pretty good weekend at Brainerd International Raceway for never being there. We had a mid-season test day on Thursday so that helped me learn the track. After both qualifiers, I was able to put myself in P2 on the grid for the races. I had a good start in race one and was battling for the win the entire race. On the last lap, I was able to make a pass that earned me the win. In race two, I had another decent start but this time there was a group of us battling for the win. If you came onto the front straight away leading, you would be like 4th or 5th by the time you got to the end of the straight away. It was a hard fought race by all and I was able to come away with a third. I cannot thank Landers Racing, Stoney, Tarl, Cam Jones and Barry enough for all the hard work in getting the bike perfect for me.”

Landers Racing team owner, Stoney Landers, added: “It was great to get back to work with Ben and his lead mechanic, Tarl. He qualified 2nd but when it came time to race, he stepped up and battled it out with Tyler in the first race for the win with a masterful pass right back on Tyler in turn twelve. In race two, it was a major battle between him and a handful of racers. He got shuffled back in the swerving chaos of riders on the run to turn three on the last lap, but did manage to get up the inside of P4 to take 3rd place. We learned a few things both about the bike and strategy in both races that we will take to Pittsburgh.”

Gloddy maintains his second place points standing in the MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup Championship battle.

Thank you to everyone who helps to make Ben’s seasons possible, including but not limited to: Stoney, Tarl, Will, Boyd, Jamie, Lee’s Cycle Service, Ohlins USA, KFG Motorsports, CJR Performance, Evol Technology, The Big S, Freedom Cycle, American Supercamp, Penguin Racing, REB Graphics, Innovative Motorsports, Atlantic Cruising Yachts, Arai Helmets, Dunlop, Scott Stump, Roche Realty Group, Sportbike Track Gear, Fast by Ferracci, Barnett Clutches and Cables, Beringer Brakes, SBS, Vortex, EK Chains, Tyrant Designs CNC and all of his team and personal sponsors for all of the support, as well as his parents, family, friends, and fans!

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