More from a press release issued by Flo4Law SBU Racing:
Bobby Davies produces top ten result at VIR, Benjamin Smith motivated for Mid-Ohio.
MotoAmerica’s return to Virginia International Raceway for the first time since 2022 was a challenging affair but as the team leave VIR, they are optimistic of a return to better times at the next round of the series in Mid-Ohio in a fortnight.
In Superbike, Ben Smith started the weekend strongly although a limited number of laps in Free Practice but both him and the Flo4Law SBU squad on the back foot leading into qualifying. A rain affected first qualifying did not help either. Ben eventually qualified tenth, on row four of the grid, ahead of the two twenty-lap races.
Making the most of a fast start in Saturday afternoon’s opening race, Ben gained places on the opening lap before an untimely crash put him out of contention. A technical issue curtailed the #78’s chances of redemption on Sunday.
Bobby Davies had an excellent weekend. Riding at VIR for the first time, he quickly learned the circuit before producing an encouraging result in the only dry qualifying session on Saturday morning. Lining up fifteenth, he rode well to finish thirteenth, to secure his first points of the season, in the Stock1000 opener. Bobby was able to continue to build through Sunday and after a positive warm up he raced to a career best ninth in Sunday’s second race.
The next round of the 2025 MotoAmerica championship takes place at Mid-Ohio in a fortnight.
Benjamin Smith: “I was optimistic going into the weekend as I’ve had decent results at VIR in the past. I got my first podium in Supersport there so going into Friday I was feeling good. Friday was one of those days where we just working through some things and then the weather rolled in, but it was what it was. Saturday morning, we came up with a plan, but I was struggling with a few things on the bike and me just wrapping my head around riding a superbike. The session ended with a small issue which was frustrating as we know we need to qualify better, and we have a good plan to resolve that moving forward. In race one I made a few places and felt good but then there was contact with another rider. Looking back at the footage it really was just a racing incident. There’s a couple of lines through where we went down. Annoying and not how I wanted race one to go but sometimes you just have to move on. Warm up on Sunday we continued to work through some things and then it was time to race. Unfortunately, I had to retire the bike due to a mechanical issue. We could see on the data what was wrong, and it wasn’t something we could fix. In summary it was a tough weekend, but we need to keep our heads up. I will continue to give my best and I know when it all comes together, I know we will be able to run at the front. I know what me and this team are capable of. We have three rounds left to make it happen so let’s keep moving forward.”
Bobby Davies: “It was an interesting weekend. I was able to do the track walk with Ben (Smith) and was able to get his perspective on the track which was good as it was my first time at VIR. The plan in Free Practice was to do as many laps as possible to learn. It rained for first qualifying and the plan was the same – to get a banker lap, not crash and then focus and work towards final qualifying. Saturday came and it was still raining. I stayed out the whole time and we were able to qualify P15. Race one on Saturday afternoon went pretty well. I was fighting for the top ten, but we learned a lot about what we could change for Sunday. The changes we made overnight made the bike easier to ride. I made another decent start in Race 2 but then there was a red flag. The restart was only nine laps. I am excited for the result we were able to achieve. It’s our first single digit finish in Stock1000 and I am so thankful to the whole Flo4Law SBU crew and all our sponsors and supporters.”
Flo Moreno – Team Principal: “Bobby crushed it, earning his first top ten with a stellar ninth in Stock1000. That’s all him, backed by the sweat and smarts of Shon, Mike, Jonathan, and Matthew, who kept that bike humming. The Superbike side’s been a tougher fight. Ben’s got a rare kind of talent—anyone around the track can see it, and it’s why we teamed up with SBU to put him on a bike that should be a rocket. But with a crash in race one and mechanical issues killing race two, we’re not there yet. It’s on the whole team to lock in, listen to Ben’s feedback, and sort out these bike issues so he can show what he’s got. Huge thanks to our crew, partners, and fans for sticking with us. We are working on it, and I’m confident we’ll get Ben’s ride as consistent as his skill. Trust the process.”
Freddy Carswell – Team Principal: “VIR was a really challenging weekend for us. We went into the round with high expectations because we know how good our package is and what Ben’s level is, but we had a very strange electronics sensor issue that was causing an intermittent problem that made the bike feel very inconsistent. We did make some forward progress with setup and electronics overall, but this problem really put a wrench in the gears in terms of our consistency. I would like to thank Ben for putting his best effort forward and for the team for working so hard, but unfortunately, we just didn’t get to show what we are capable of this weekend. We are working diligently to resolve the issue and to make sure that our remaining rounds are at the level we should be. Congratulations to Bobby for his P9 finish in the Stock1000 class. Hats off to him and his crew for a great result.”
The OrangeCat Racing duo of Andrew Lee and Jayson Uribe had another round of positive results Aug. 1-3 at Virginia International Raceway. The pair each earned one podium finish in Sunday’s MotoAmerica Stock 1000 race and an additional top-five finish in Saturday’s contest. And Lee continues to be the Stock 1000 championship points leader as the season begins to wind to a close.
Both riders finished in the top five in Saturday’s Stock 1000 race before claiming the final two steps on the podium in Sunday’s contest – with Uribe narrowly missing out on clinching his second win of the 2025 season.
Both Lee and Uribe were at or near the top of the time sheets on Friday. Lee was the fastest rider in Friday morning practice by a margin of 0.550 seconds, and Uribe finished that session third-fastest. The first of two qualifying sessions took place Friday afternoon, but inclement track conditions didn’t allow riders to show their true pace. When qualifying wrapped up on Saturday morning, Lee and Uribe had secured third and seventh on the starting grid, respectively, for the weekend’s two Stock 1000 races.
Saturday afternoon’s Race 1 saw both OrangeCat Racing riders a little off the race-leading pace. Lee finished Lap 1 in third place, but a mistake on Lap 2 dropped him to fifth in the running order. Uribe had moved up to fourth place by the end of the first lap, and Uribe and Lee finished the race in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Sunday’s Race 2 brought better fortunes for Uribe, as he led every lap except for the last one. Uribe ended up finishing in second place as he was beaten to the finish line by another rider by a mere 0.055 seconds. Lee wasn’t far behind his teammate, as he ran most of the race in fourth place before joining his teammate on the podium with a late-race push to secure a third-place finish.
With their positive results from VIR in the books, Lee continues to lead the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 points standings by 10 points with four races remaining. Uribe isn’t far off his teammate’s position in the standings, as he’s in third place and just 18 points behind second place.
The next MotoAmerica Stock 1000 round takes place Aug. 15-17 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Jayson Uribe / No. 36 :
“It was a weekend full of ups and downs for the OrangeCat crew, but we ended it on a high note with a good performance on Sunday. The Friday and Saturday qualifying session were difficult due to the wet track conditions, as well as just trying to put in some clean laps with all the traffic out there. In Race 1, I lost touch with the front pack in the early laps of the race. We were able to bring home a fourth-place finish, and we learned from that experience and made improvements for Race 2. The team worked hard all night to give me a motorcycle I could fight for the win with. We got a good start in the race and led for most of the race. Overall, I was happy to be back out at the front. The OrangeCat crew worked hard all weekend and overcame adversity in a very commendable manner. I’m looking forward to being back racing at the next round at Mid-Ohio.”
Andrew Lee / No. 14 :
“It was definitely not an easy weekend at VIR. I felt great Friday morning, but the weather interrupted our game plan. We faltered a little bit Saturday and got caught out finishing in fifth. That was not due to a lack of effort from the team, who worked hard to come up with a new game plan for Sunday. We tried a modified setup in Sunday warm-up, but a red flag cut that session short. So, we just had to go with what we had for Sunday’s race. We were running near the front the whole race, but just wasn’t quite strong enough in spots to move further forward. The team and I are fired up to get back to racing at Mid-Ohio.”
Jeff Connors / Team Manager:
“Our team went through some adversity in Race 1. We made a mistake on Jayson’s bike by mounting the incorrect tire compound on the rear. Jayson ran a great race to bring it home fourth. We made some changes to our processes avoid these mistakes in the future. We win and lose as a team, but that one is on me. The same can be said for Andrew. The tire was not what we should have raced on, and he did an incredible job bringing it home in fifth. I am proud of the team for coming back strong on Sunday to bring home a double podium. And congratulations to J.D. Beach! As a race fan, his performance at VIR was very entertaining.”
OrangeCat Racing’s promotional and technical partners for the 2025 MotoAmerica season include Motoworks Chicago, Ohlins USA, and alpha Racing.
Jayson Uribe’s personal sponsors for the 2025 MotoAmerica season include Dainese, Arai Helmets, CT Racing, Code 3 Consultations, San Jose BMW, and BSP Racing.
Andrew Lee’s personal sponsors for the 2025 MotoAmerica season include CT Racing, KYT, Luxvoni, Aliv World Wide, KD.51CD, Coolbreeze Heating and Air, JP43 Training and Barrett Racing.
To learn more about OrangeCat Racing, visit the team’s website at http://orangecatracing.com and follow the team on Instagram at @orangecatracing.
More from a press release issued by Karns / TST Industries Racing Team :
Grit, Growth, and Guts: Karns Performance TST Industries Racing Team Shows Determination at VIR.
The Karns Performance TST Industries Racing Team rolled into Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for Round 5 of the MotoAmerica Twins Cup series with determination and momentum. From unpredictable weather to mechanical heartbreak, the weekend delivered a full spectrum of challenges, and glimpses of brilliance.
Levi Badie came into VIR hungry after a strong showing at Laguna Seca, and despite a disrupted qualifying session, he proved once again why he’s one of the most exciting riders on the grid. After Q1 was canceled due to weather and Q2 ran in wet conditions, Badie qualified 9th. In Race 1, Levi charged to the front, even leading the race before a heartbreaking low-side crash in the final corner took him out of podium contention while running second. Levi showed championship-level pace and composure. It’s racing, and sometimes you push the limits to the edge.
In Race 2, a chaotic start dropped Badie back in the pack, but he stayed focused and rode a smart, consistent race to bring home 8th place and valuable points.
Isaac Woodworth delivered one of his most promising performances to date, qualifying a stellar 5th in the wet conditions and running strong in Race 1, finishing 7th. Isaac looked poised for a breakout in Race 2 before a mechanical issue forced him to retire mid-race. Isaac continues to show growth, confidence, and pace. We’re proud of the steps he’s taking, and there’s no doubt big results are just around the corner.
Making her return from an international appearance at the Women’s World Championship round in Hungary, Elisa Gendron Belén brought her fighting spirit to VIR for her debut at the technical Virginia circuit. Despite it being her first time at the track, she steadily improved throughout the weekend, qualifying 28th out of 33 riders. Elisa finished 24th in Race 1 and 26th in Race 2, cutting her lap times and gaining crucial experience in a competitive field. Elisa showed drive and adaptability coming off a world championship race and jumping straight into a new track. Her energy is infectious and we’re excited for what’s ahead.
With one round remaining, the team now regroups and refocuses for the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park this September. Every rider has shown strength, speed, and the hunger to push forward, and the Karns Performance TST Industries Racing Team is ready to close out the season with purpose.
Thank you to our sponsors:
TST Industries, Meck’s Autobody, Adrenaline Engineering, Andreani USA, Ng Brake, Spiegler USA, Blumenstock Machine, M4 Exhaust, Blud Lubricants, Woodcraft Technologies.
More from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering’s Alessandro Di Mario had a chance to clinch his second consecutive MotoAmerica Twins Cup title this past weekend when the series visited Virginia International Raceway, and he ended up doing more than enough to get that job done.
The Twins Cup sophmore and 2024 Twins Cup champ successfully defended his No. 1 plate at the Aug. 1-3 event, winning both races and capturing Robem Engineering’s third Twins Cup title in the last five years. Di Mario has now won seven races in a row.
Di Mario’s teammate, Hank Vossberg, continued his impressive rookie campaign in Twins Cup, as he narrowly claimed another runner-up finish on Saturday and a hard-fought third place on Sunday.
Less than ideal track conditions greeted the Robem Engineering riders at the start of the weekend. Di Mario finished Friday morning practice in third place and Vossberg in eighth. Friday afternoon’s Qualifying 1 session was cancelled due to inclement weather, so the lone Twins Cup qualifying session of the weekend took place Saturday morning. Di Mario secured third place on the grid – his first time not being on pole this season. Vossberg qualified right behind his teammate in fourth place.
The start to Saturday’s Race 1 saw Di Mario battling with several other riders for the lead. By Lap 6 of the 13-lap race, Di Mario had assumed the lead and began building a gap to the rest of the field. He took the win by a margin of 3.422 seconds, and an early race crash for one of Di Mario’s championship rivals allowed him to clinch the title with three races to go this season. Vossberg battled with another rider late in the race for the last two steps on the podium, completing a 1-2 finish with his teammate by a mere 0.002 seconds.
Sunday afternoon’s Race 2 was more typical of Di Mario, as he lead every lap and took his second win of the weekend by more than 4.5 seconds. Vossberg ended up securing his second podium finish of the weekend when he finished third. He missed out on another second-place finish by 0.059 seconds.
The final MotoAmerica Twins Cup round of 2025 takes place Sept. 26-28 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.
Alessandro Di Mario / No. 1:
“The race weekend was really good. I had two good starts, and the plan all along was to break away at the front. That’s what happened, and I’m really happy with how that went. I want to thank the team for how much they helped me out this weekend.”
Hank Vossberg / No. 131:
“What a great weekend here at VIR. It went really well – better than I expected. I podiumed in both Twins Cup races, and the bike felt amazing. I didn’t get the start I wanted in Race 1, but was just able to get second place at the finish line. I got a better start today, and am still happy with another podium finish.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for the 2025 season include Accossato, Aprilia Racing, Blud Lubricants, Bitubo Suspension, Bonamici, Essex Parts, Millennium Technologies, Motovation, NGK, NTK, Piaggio North America, Sara Chappell Photos, SC Project and Sprint Filter.