MotoAmerica: More From The Races At Road Atlanta (Updated)

MotoAmerica: More From The Races At Road Atlanta (Updated)

© 2022, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. From a press release issued By Westby Racing:

Despite A Sunday Setback, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Retains Second Place In Superbike Championship

Braselton, GA – After going fifth-fastest in Sunday morning warmup, Westby Racing Superbike rider Mathew Scholtz was poised for a spot on the podium in the afternoon’s Superbike race. Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan, and he was unable to finish the race aboard his Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike.

 

Mathew Scholtz (11), after crashing out of Superbike Race Two Sunday at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Mathew Scholtz (11), after crashing out of Superbike Race Two Sunday at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.

 

After two red flags, the race was re-started, and Mathew got off the line well. He slotted into third on the opening lap, but on the second lap, he unfortunately had a tipover. He re-mounted, re-joined the race in 20th position, and began moving through the field with a plan to salvage as many points as he could. Mathew made it forward to 16th, but he ultimately had to return to the pits on lap 11 and retire from the race.

All in all, it was a tough way to end the weekend at his home track, especially after finishing second in Saturday’s race one. One consolation, however, is that, despite the DNF on Sunday, Mathew is still second in the championship point standings.

The Westby Racing team will be back in action for round three of the 2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, which takes place at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, on May 20 through 22.

MotoAmerica Superbike Standings

1. Danilo Petrucci – Ducati – 75

2. Mathew Scholtz – Yamaha – 60

3. Cameron Petersen – Yamaha – 49

4. Hector Barbera – BMW – 46

5. Richie Escalante – Suzuki – 42

For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, visit http://www.WestbyRacing.com

Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

Race One Victory Starts Weekend on High

 

Danilo Petrucci (9) leads a group of riders early in a MotoAmerica Superbike race at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Danilo Petrucci (9) leads a group of riders early in a MotoAmerica Superbike race at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.

 

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) rode the emotional roller-coaster at Road Atlanta this weekend, taking a resounding three victories in a row with race one but suffering the heartache of a mechanical DNF while starting second in race two.

On the Italian’s first visit to the world-famous racing venue, Petrucci took the first race win over Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) after Jake Gagne (Yamaha) crashed out of the lead, perching him on a perfect 75 points in the championship.

That was to be the high point of the weekend as race two saw a series of delays, first caused by a rider crashing and causing a red flag. The long delays on the grid provided the perfect conditions for a mechanical problem, and Petrucci was out of the race on lap two with a DNF.

Despite the DNF, luck still smiled on Petrucci and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC team as Scholtz also failed to finish, meaning Petrucci still leads the championship heading into round three at VIRginia International Raceway in three weeks’ time.

2022 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship Standing – Top 5

P1 – Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 75

P2 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 60

P3 – Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 49

P4 – Hector Barbera (Ducati) 46

P5 – Richie Escalante (Suzuki) 42

Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9): “It was a disappointing Sunday,” Petrucci said after race two. “I did the best lap time in the warm-up, and I was ready to race but because of delays we idled the engine for too long and suffered a terminal engine problem. It’s quite sad to lose a race this way.”

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI’S LEWIS & LOCHOFF AT ROAD ATLANTA

Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer earned their first two trophies of the young season as the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship resumed action at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike pilot Jake Lewis arguably served as the headliner, scoring his first premier-class podium finish in four seasons.

The lanky Kentuckian emerged from a chaotic opening handful of laps in third position and then spent the bulk of the contest defending the position aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike. The gap behind him closed perilously with around five laps to run, but Lewis responded brilliantly to the pressure. Rather than fold, he re-upped his pace to ultimately secure third at the checkered flag.

 

Jake Lewis (85) charged to his first Superbike podium in years on Saturday at Road Atlanta. Photo by JR Howell.
Jake Lewis (85) charged to his first Superbike podium in years on Saturday at Road Atlanta. Photo by JR Howell.

He said, “It’s always nice to be up here. It’s been since 2018 that I was last on a Superbike podium. We’re getting back up to speed with the pace of these guys. I’m getting more comfortable on the bike – this bike is a lot different than the stock bike I rode last year. I had a decent pace and I just kept pushing and pushing and managing the board. It’s obviously nice to be up here for all the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki guys. They’ve been working so hard for me, and we’ll keep working away and build up speed as the year goes on.”

Lewis’ teammate, Richie Escalante, had an even more eventful day; The class newcomer made a fast start from the second row, but ran off track early and dropped outside of the top 20 positions as a result.

The former Supersport champ charged his way forward for the remainder of the race, at last landing in fifth to give the team a double top-five result to celebrate on top of Lewis’ return to the box.

Meanwhile, MotoAmerica Supersport title contender Samuel Lochoff guided the squad’s new GSX-R750 racebike to its first class podium result with a runner-up result.

Lochoff’s 16-year-old rookie Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate, Tyler Scott, after qualifying in fourth position, got away even better but a chain reaction from when another rider hit his kill switch caused Scott to crash on the race’s second lap, bringing out a red flag.

Scott explained, “A rider in front of me had a bike issue, and l had to adjust my line and just got pinched off. Bad place at a bad time. On the bright side, the bike felt good. Tomorrow we’ll try to be in a better position and work our way to the front.”

Lochoff took maximum advantage of the second opportunity to get a strong start, jumping out second off the line and never looking back from there.

The South African said, “My Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team spent the last two days working on the bike. We came here with a bunch of unknowns and they did everything possible to put us in this position. The 750 is awesome. We’re going to keep working and we’re going to get there. I’m excited.”

Third Supersport pilot Liam Grant collected points in his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki debut, coming home in 14th position.

The promising combined results for the team on Saturday suggest the potential for another rewarding day on Sunday as the entire team continues to gain speed and confidence with each subsequent opportunity.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER

The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 128 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 332 times and have won 11 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.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

ABOUT SUZUKI

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, 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.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor USA, LLC:

VISION WHEEL M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI COLLECTS THREE PODIUMS AT ROAD ATLANTA

Suzuki GSX-R750 Successfully Debuts in Supersport Class

BREA, Calif., April 25, 2022 — Suzuki Motor USA and Team Hammer added three podium finishes for Saturday and Sunday to conclude an all-around strong performance at Road Atlanta, round two of the 2022 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship season.

Team Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike rider Jake Lewis emerged from a chaotic opening handful of laps in third position on Saturday then spent the bulk of the contest defending the position aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000R Superbike. The gap behind him closed perilously with around five laps to run, but Lewis responded brilliantly to the pressure. Rather than fold, he re-upped his pace to ultimately secure third at the checkered flag.

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike pilot Jake Lewis (85) arguably served as the headliner, scoring his first premier-class podium finish in four seasons. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike pilot Jake Lewis (85) arguably served as the headliner, scoring his first premier-class podium finish in four seasons. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

He said, “It’s always nice to be up here. It’s been since 2018 that I was last on a Superbike podium. We’re getting back up to speed with the pace of these guys. I’m getting more comfortable on the bike – this bike is a lot different than the stock bike I rode last year. I had a decent pace and I just kept pushing and pushing and managing the board. It’s obviously nice to be up here for all the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki guys. They’ve been working so hard for me, and we’ll keep working away and build up speed as the year goes on.”

Lewis wasn’t so lucky in his follow-up to Saturday’s welcome return to the Superbike podium. The Kentuckian got away from the original start in fifth but was forced to line up for the restart from the back of the field after leaving pit lane just over a second late. Still, he managed to fight his way from last to seventh position before his race ended prematurely due to a mechanical issue.

 

Richie Escalante (54) pilots his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike into two top five finishes. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Richie Escalante (54) pilots his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki Superbike into two top five finishes. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

Lewis’ teammate, Richie Escalante, had an even more eventful Saturday; The class newcomer made a fast start from the second row, but ran off track early and dropped outside of the top 20 positions as a result.

The former Supersport champ charged his way forward for the remainder of the race, at last landing in fifth to give the team a double top-five result to celebrate on top of Lewis’ return to the box.

On Sunday, Escalante battled for the podium throughout the once-stopped-and-restarted affair aboard his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R, coming home a close fifth after making a late push for the box.

“So far, so good,” Escalante said. “For sure, I’m learning every lap and that’s the most important thing. Two top fives are good for the championship. I need to learn more to understand the big bike better, but I’m super happy with the Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team and my crew. I want to continue to fight for the podium, so we’ll keep working as we get ready for some of my favorite tracks.”

 

Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki pilot Sam Lochoff (44) finishes with a pair of podiums for Race 1 and 2 in the Supersport class. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki pilot Sam Lochoff (44) finishes with a pair of podiums for Race 1 and 2 in the Supersport class. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

MotoAmerica Supersport title contender Sam Lochoff guided the squad’s new GSX-R750 racebike to its first class podium result with a runner-up result in Saturday’s Race 1.

Lochoff took maximum advantage of the second opportunity to get a strong start, jumping out second off the line and never looking back from there.

The South African said, “My Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team spent the last two days working on the bike. We came here with a bunch of unknowns, and they did everything possible to put us in this position. The 750 is awesome. We’re going to keep working and we’re going to get there. I’m excited.”

On Sunday, Lochoff again demonstrated the speed to battle for wins aboard the new Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750. The South African battled his way up from the second row to quickly seize control of second and then made serious inroads on the race leader.

Lochoff’s charge was halted when a mishap through the esses cost him a couple seconds, but he kept his head, regrouped, and powered his way to a second runner-up finish this weekend.

After getting his race weekend on the GSX-R750 under his belt, Lochoff came away impressed and excited about its potential. He said, “I’m taking nothing but positives from the weekend. I’m extremely happy with the bike. We struggled with it a little bit in the first session, but we’ve been making constant progress.

“I want to thank Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki powered by Team Hammer. They’ve been working day and night to get this bike sorted. Last year, we finished third in the championship and so far, we haven’t finished worse than second, so I can’t wait to see how this season continues.”

 

After a tough Race 1, Tyler Scott (70) finished in the top five in Race 2 on his Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki debut.   Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
After a tough Race 1, Tyler Scott (70) finished in the top five in Race 2 on his Vision Wheel M4 Suzuki debut. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

Lochoff’s 16-year-old rookie Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate, Tyler Scott, after qualifying in fourth position, got away even better, but a chain reaction when another rider caused Scott to crash on the race’s second lap, bringing out a red flag.

Scott explained, “A rider in front of me had a bike issue, and l had to adjust my line and just got pinched off. Bad place at a bad time. On the bright side, the bike felt great.”

For Race 2, Tyler Scott demonstrated his mammoth potential, and this time earned the checkered flag. The Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rookie charged his way up to fourth and had third in his sights prior to a short off-track excursion. Like Lochoff, Scott managed the drama well and ultimately snared a top-five result in his Team Hammer debut.

 

Liam Grant (90), collected points on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki debut, coming home in 14th and 12th position. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Liam Grant (90) collected points on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki debut, coming home in 14th and 12th position. Photo courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.

Liam Grant collected points on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki debut with a 14th in Race 1 and picking up 12th in the rematch of Race 2.

Team Hammer will return to action in just under a month, as the ‘22 MotoAmerica slate resumes at Virginia International Raceway, in Alton, Virginia, on May 20-22.

ABOUT TEAM HAMMER

The 2022 season marks Team Hammer’s 42nd consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 128 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 332 times, and have won 11 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.

ABOUT VISION WHEEL

Founded in 1976, Vision Wheel is one of the nation’s leading providers of custom wheels for cars and trucks, and one of the first manufacturers of custom wheels and tires for ATVs, UTVs, and golf carts. Vision Wheel looks beyond the current trends and to the future in developing, manufacturing, and distributing its wheels. Vision’s lines of street, race, off-road, American Muscle, and Milanni wheels are distributed nationally and internationally through a trusted network of distributors. Vision Wheel also produces the Vision It AR app to allow users to see how their wheel of choice will look on their vehicle before purchase and installation. For more information on Vision Wheel, visit www.visionwheel.com.

ABOUT SUZUKI

Suzuki Motor USA, LLC. (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automotive Parts, 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.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:

Robem Engineering Aprilia riders Hobbs, Gloddy finish second, third Sunday in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race

New Hampshirites round out second all-Aprilia Twins Cup podium at Road Atlanta in two years

BRASELTON, Ga. — When the Aprilia RS 660 made its debut in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup last year at Road Atlanta, two Robem Engineering riders were part of an all-Aprilia podium in the motorcycle’s first race. This year’s MotoAmerica event at Road Atlanta featured similar results, as Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Teagg Hobbs and Ben Gloddy finished second and third Sunday in the round’s lone Twins Cup contest.

It was Hobbs’ second runner-up finish in three races with the Robem Engineering team, and he’s now just 3 points behind the class leader in the battle for the 2022 MotoAmerica Twins Cup title. Gloddy greatly improved his bid for the 2022 title at Road Atlanta, as he moved up from 12th to seventh in the points standings.

Hobbs showed excellent pace from the first on-track session of the event. He was the second fastest rider in Twins Cup Friday practice and missed out on the top spot in Qualifying 1 by 0.003 seconds. Gloddy finished practice ninth fastest but upped his pace for Qualifying 1. He wrapped up that session in fourth place and improved his best lap time by nearly three seconds.

Qualifying for the Twins Cup concluded Saturday morning with both riders finishing in the top four. Hobbs struggled through the early part of the session but missed out on pole position by a mere 0.025 seconds. Gloddy finished Qualifying 2 in fourth place and further improved his best lap time by about half a second.

Sunday’s race featured Hobbs locked in a race-long battle for the race lead, while Gloddy came out on top in a multi-bike battle for the last step on the podium. Both riders got good starts on Sunday when racing kicked off at about noontime, but the contest was stopped before one lap was completed due to a series of crashes.

When the race restarted, Hobbs and the race leader got good starts, and Gloddy slipped down the running order several positions on the first lap. As Hobbs and another Aprilia rider took turns leading the race, Gloddy kept his composure and worked his way to the front of the battle for third place. Hobbs made a valiant effort to hold onto the race lead but had to settle for a runner-up finish by a margin of 0.073 seconds. Gloddy was battling hard for third until the last lap and claimed his first MotoAmerica Twins Cup podium by 0.223 seconds.

The Robem Engineering team has three weeks to prepare for the next MotoAmerica round, which takes place May 20-22 at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Va.

 

Teagg Hobbs (79). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Teagg Hobbs (79). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.

 

Teagg Hobbs / No. 79 

“The team really did their job this weekend. We made progress on our setup every session, and the Robem Engineering team had my Aprilia on point for today’s race. We did what we needed to do this weekend to get a bunch more valuable championship points. It’s still early in the season. We’re in this for long run, and finishes like this are just part of the process.”

 

Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Ben Gloddy (72). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.

 

Ben Gloddy / No. 72 

“We started the weekend with a pretty good setup on our Aprilia. We struggled with getting the bike to turn early in the weekend, but we got that sorted out in time for the race. I’m really happy to be on the podium here at Road Atlanta. If we keep working like this, I think we’ll be good to go for the rest of the season. We’ve found a good base setup that I think will transfer over to VIR nicely.”

Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2022 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Synchrony, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, Sprint Filter, DID, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies, Motovation USA and SC-Project.

 

 

 

More, from another press release issued by Ducati:

Shelina Moreda Takes Top Ducati Spot at Round Two of Super Hooligans 2022

The Californian Gelling Perfectly With Her Ducati Hypermotard 950 SP

 

Shelina Moreda (93). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Shelina Moreda (93). Photo courtesy Ducati.

 

Sunnyvale, Calif. – Shelina Moreda’s weekend at round two of the 2022 Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan National Championship at Road Atlanta went superbly, as the ultra-popular racer took the top Ducati honors and a pair of top 10 finishes.

It’s been a busy week for Moreda after a late split with the Nowasky Performance team saw her instead join forces with the Northern Californian-based Feel Like A Pro She’z Racing outfit, and at the undulating Georgian venue, she broke a few hearts by taking an impressive 10th from a back row start and improved to ninth in race two, taking top Ducati on both occasions.

The results from Road Atlanta sees Moreda leap up to eighth in the standings with one round to go at Laguna Seca on July 8-10.

2022 Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan National Championship—Top 5

P1 – Andy DiBrino (KTM) 61

P2 – Cory West (Indian) 58

P3 – Tyler O’Hara (Indian) 57

P4 – Nate Kern (BMW) 35

P5 – Jeremy McWilliams (Indian) 33

P8 – Shelina Moreda (Ducati) 21

Shelina Moreda (Feel Like A Pro She’z Racing – #93): “My race weekend was epic!” Moreda said. “I’m getting to know this Ducati well and it’s so much fun to ride. It’s great racing in the Super Hooligans class—one of the most enjoyable championships I’ve ever raced in. In race one I had a great start from the back of the grid and ended up 10th. Today my goal was another top 10 but in single digits and I got there so I’m very happy about that. I also dropped a full second off my times after some suspension changes with Ohlins and the bike was responding much better to my inputs. Thank you also to Ducati North America for putting me on this bike. I’m having such a blast on it and really enjoying these MotoAmerica events.”

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

RETURN TO ATLANTA DELIVERS ANOTHER APRILIA HAT TRICK IN TWINS CUP

THE APRILIA RS 660 WAS THE EXCLUSIVE MODEL OF PARC FERMÉ, WITH VELOCE RACING’S JODY BARRY VICTORIOUS, AND ROBEM ENGINEERING’S TEAGG HOBBS AND BEN GLODDY ROUNDING OUT THE PODIUM ON THEIR APRILIA MACHINES

 

Twins Cup race winner Jody Barry. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
MotoAmerica Twins Cup race winner Jody Barry. Photo courtesy Aprilia.

 

ATLANTA, GA –  The Twins Cup championship arrived in Atlanta this weekend for round two of the MotoAmerica series, and though there were new faces within the series, history repeated and further proved the capability of the Aprilia RS 660, locking out the podium in Atlanta’s singular Twins Cup race for the 2022 round. The twin-cylinder Aprilia motorcycle is in defence of the 2021 championship title, with many new names arriving to the grid in Atlanta, totalling 13 riders aboard an RS 660.

A tough battle for the victory lasted the duration of the race, but when they crossed the line, it was returning Aprilia pilot and 2021 Road Atlanta podium finisher, Jody Barry, who edged out Teagg Hobbs in the last sector of the race. Benjamin Gloddy, who jumped up to Twins Cup from the Junior Cup championship for 2022 and earned his first podium of the series in a hard charge for third, bested the remainder of the field, which hosted 31 riders.

Jody Barry, Veloce Racing

“Overall, the race weekend was great. We topped almost every session and were happy to pull it off with a win today. We played our cards right in the race and couldn’t have been happier. I want to thank the team with Veloce Racing and Aprilia for giving me a great bike.”

Teagg Hobbs, Robem Engineering

“The bike this weekend was perfect. The team and I worked every session and can’t ask more out the team. We have a great platform to build on right now, and I think me, the Robem Engineering team, and this Aprilia RS 660 can do some good things. Looking forward to seeing how the year plays out and stay in the championship hunt.”

Benjamin Gloddy, Robem Engineering

“We had a good weekend overall, starting out trying to get the bike to handle the way I wanted, and got it figured out for Q2. I struggled a little with a new bike and new track, but other than that had a good weekend, got a bit of a battle in the race, but toward the end I was able to bridge a gap from those guys and get a clear run to the flag.”

The Aprilia RS 660 debuted at Road Atlanta in the 2021 season, going on to win the championship with Kaleb DeKeyrel, and continues to show its capability among the Twins Cup competition. The reduced weight and the exciting performance of the 100 HP twin-cylinder engine provides an optimized riding experience that proves to be as comfortable on track as it is on the street, a testament to its ethos “designed for racers, built for riders”.

With two rounds of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup championship completed, new participants continue to join the grid aboard the Aprilia RS 660. For the third round, MotoAmerica heads to Virginia International Raceway, May 20-22, where Twins Cup will have a two-race weekend. Championship Schedule, Competitor information, and Class Rules can be found at https://motoamerica.com/

 

 

 

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

Points in every race for Pure Attitude Racing at their home race at Road Atlanta

Pure Attitude Racing were back on track this past weekend at Road Atlanta, their home race and all three riders – Chase Black, Trevor Standish and Liam MacDonald didn’t disappoint.

Point scoring results from all three cemented what was a solid MotoAmerica round for the squad who continue to work through their development program with their new Yamaha R7 machines in the Twins Cup, whilst at the same time welcome in their youngest rider Chase Black.

Teenager Black settled into his new team environment superbly, taking advice from his more experienced team mates and remaining calm and positive despite some technical issues that were out of his control. His reward? A double top ten finish of which the team are proud of.

Twins Cup in 2022 is fierce in terms of competition and after being on the back foot at the season opener in Daytona (due to supply chain issues outside of the team’s control), both Liam and Trevor were able to finally get some seat time with a much more competitive machine underneath them. The target for the pair was consistently improve throughout the weekend, which they did, and to bring home a double points finish for the team, which they also did.

The next round of the MotoAmerica series takes place at VIR where Pure Attitude Racing will bring further upgrades to both of their racing programs and look to put themselves back in the podium mix.

 

Chase Black (14). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Chase Black (14). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.

 

Chase Black: “It was a pretty good first race. I finished tenth despite some issues which meant I couldn’t make the passes when I needed to after I made a bad start, but it was good to get the first race over with and score some points. In Sunday’s second race I also didn’t get the start that I wanted, and we still had bike issues. I am leaving Road Atlanta with a double top ten and solid points and so I have to be happy with that. We will fix the bike for VIR, and I am confident to go better there.”

 

Trevor Standish (16). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish (16). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.

 

Trevor Standish: “I knew a needed a good start and after some changes between warm-up and the race I had a much better feeling. In the first start I passed a few people but there was a red flag. I made another good start in the restart and was aggressive into turn one. I was battling for twelfth but was able to finish eleventh and score my first points of the season. I did all I could, and it was a mental win to come out on top of my own personal battle. I am really looking forward to VIR, but nothing can compare with the home crowd who gave me such a positive lift all weekend.”

 

Liam MacDonald (37). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.

 

Liam MacDonald: “I am a little frustrated. The bike is heading in the right direction but off the start I almost hit the back of a guy ahead of me after he had an issue. Once things settled down, I was completely alone and had no draft so was losing a lot on speed. The team did a fantastic job compared to Daytona in terms of the bike’s performance, but we are still lacking a little here and there but overall, I am happy with how the weekend went. I am part of a great team, and we know we have top ten potential, we just have to put all the pieces together. I am looking forward to VIR and to making another step closer to the front.”

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