MotoGP FP1
© , Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
MotoAmerica: How To Watch All The Action From PittRace
MotoAmerica: How To Watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Pittsburgh
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch all the racing from Pitt Race!
American Flat Track: Volusia Half-Mile Added To Progressive Triple Crown
Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale Added to Progressive Triple Crown
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track announced today the addition of the Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale presented by Daytona Dodge to the Progressive Triple Crown.
The Progressive Triple Crown is a unique multi-race challenge that rewards mastery over the sport’s three oval disciplines by paying the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle rider who collects the most points at three designated event weekends a $25,000 prize.
The Progressive Triple Crown was originally slated to consist of the Progressive Laconia Short Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on June 11, the Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota on August 6, and the Mission Springfield Mile Doubleheader at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois on September 3-4.
However, since the premier-class Main Event at the Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile was called complete shortly after its start and every rider who qualified for the race awarded a single point due to inclement weather, it was decided to designate the Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale at Volusia Speedway Park in De Leon Springs, Florida on October 15, to stand in as the Progressive Triple Crown’s test of Half-Mile supremacy.
As a result, the already high-profile event will now serve as both the finale to the Progressive AFT season and Progressive Triple Crown, only upping the stakes in what’s taken shape as an incredibly competitive championship fight.
That fight continues this weekend at Cal Expo, in Sacramento, California, with the Mission Legendary Sacramento Mile powered by Law Tigers on Saturday, August 20. Click here to reserve your tickets today.
The Mission Sacramento Mile will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, August 27, at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.
MotoAmerica Previews: Supersport, Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, B.T.R. & Mini
It’s Now Or Never For Championship Hopefuls As PittRace Awaits
All The MotoAmerica Championships Still Up For Grabs As The Series Heads To
Pittsburgh International Race Complex
IRVINE, CA (August 18, 2022) – Mathematically, Josh Herrin could become the first of the 2022 MotoAmerica Champions to be crowned this weekend in the Superbikes At Pittsburgh, Presented by LaRoche Aviation Services, round, but it’s a longshot.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Herrin, who leads Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers by 76 points heading into the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, would need to extend that points lead to 100 by the conclusion of the weekend to earn his first MotoAmerica Supersport crown. That means if Herrin wins both races at Pitt Race and Landers finishes fourth or worse in both, Herrin would be champion.
Since Landers comes into Wampum riding the high of his first two Supersport class victories at Brainerd International Raceway and with six other podiums on the year, getting fourth or worse in two straight races isn’t probable. But it is possible.
Herrin’s season has been near perfect with finishes in all 12 races with a worst result of fourth. The 2013 AMA Superbike Champion has adapted well to the Panigale V2 and has seven wins and 11 podiums to show for it. Oh, and that 76-point lead.
Landers is started to see a breakthrough in his second year of Supersport racing and that was evident a few weeks ago at BIR when he not only won both races, but he also dominated them.
Early on, it looked as though Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was going to be Herrin’s toughest foe, but Scott didn’t have a good weekend at BIR, and he drops to 104 points behind Herrin and 28 behind Landers.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Kevin Olmedo is still fourth in the points chase, despite missing both races at BIR through illness. North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounds out the top five – 15 points behind Olmedo and a single point ahead of Aussie Luke Power.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Wyman!
Alpha Omega’s Cody Wyman put together a consistent 3-3 tally in the two SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup races at BIR and that puts him 22 points ahead with six races left to run, including the two at PittRace this coming weekend.
Wyman has finished every race but one, has won four races and has seven total podiums and the result is the point cushion on SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Joseph LiMandri Jr. LiMandri was second and sixth at BIR and that allowed Wyman to pull away while also putting himself just nine points ahead of Altus Motorsports’ Kayla Yaakov.
Yaakov won her second race of the year in race one at BIR and followed that up with a second-place finish in race two, putting her nine points behind LiMandri and eight ahead of Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Gus Rodio. LiMandri’s teammate Max Van got back to his winning ways in race two at BIR and he sits a solid fifth in the championship.
Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander Going For Six Straight
Although there is no such thing as comfortable in the Yuasa Stock 1000 class, Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander is getting to that point in the championship as he now holds a 33-point lead going into the two races at Pittsburgh. That happens when you win six of eight races, including the last five in a row.
The only blemish on Alexander’s scorecard are the two races that he missed at VIRginia International Raceway when he crashed during qualifying and was forced to sit out both races. And with just four races left (two at PittRace, one at New Jersey Motorsports Park and one in the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park), Alexander has the opportunity to lock up the title sooner rather than later.
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim is the closest that Alexander has to a rival in the class with Gillim winning the two races that Alexander missed. Gillim has two additional podiums and a points total that has him 33 behind Alexander and 14 ahead of Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman.
DiBrino Racing’s Andy DiBrino and Altus Motorsports’ Brandon Paasch, who earned his first podium in the class at BIR, sit fourth and fifth in the title chase.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Mazziotto On The Hunt
If you broke the REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship into two halves of the 10 races that have been held thus far in 2022, one would go to Jody Barry and the other to Anthony Mazziotto. Unfortunately for Barry, the second half might be the one you want to excel in.
Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Mazziotto leads the title chase by just one point over Barry. In the first six races of the year, Barry and his Veloce Racing Aprilia RS 660 simply dominated with four wins and two other podium finishes. The past four races, however, have been hellish for the racer from Illinois as he’s seen an incredible season quickly turn into a mediocre one as he’s scored only 24 points in that time.
Mazziotto, on the other hand, didn’t set the world on fire early in the season but he’s hot at the right time and has scored 76 points in the last four races. That’s 76-24 in favor of the New Jerseyan.
If this were prize fight, Barry would certainly be bloody and beaten. But he’s still standing and just a point behind. With two races at PittRace this weekend, one at NJMP and one at Barber Motorsports Park, this championship could go to the last lap of the last race in September.
Five different riders have won Twins Cup races this year: Barry (four), Mazziotto (two), Cory Ventura (two), Blake Davis (one) and Hayden Schultz (one).
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Buyck In Tight Championship Battle
The six-race Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program will hold its fourth round at PittRace this weekend with Kayleigh Buyck yet to be beaten – at least on the racetrack. Buyck has been victorious in all three races, though she was stripped of her championship points at Road America in June when she failed to adhere to a red flag.
Buyck’s latest win came just a few weeks ago at BIR, and it as a close one with Chloe Petersen pushing Buyck for the duration. Petersen is third in the championship chase – just eight points behind Buyck and a single point behind Jennifer Chancellor, who has podium finishes in the last two races.
Mini Cup By Motul – Three Championships Up For Grabs
Nathan Gouker is in the midst of championship battles in two classes of the MotoAmerica Mini Cup by Motul series with two different foes as the series resumes with its round on the karting track at PittRace this weekend.
In the 110 class, Gouker leads Anthony Lupo by 10 points after four races with Gouker winning the first three and Lupo taking victory in race two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Mac MacClugage, meanwhile, is third and 31 points behind despite being on the podium in every race.
It’s MacClugage who is giving Gouker a headache in the 160 class as the youngster from Florida trails the North Carolinian by 14 points. Gouker has won two races to MacClugage’s lone win at Road America. Kensei Matsudaira, meanwhile, is third in the championship with his only victory in class coming in the opening race of the year at Road America.
It’s Matsudaira, however, who leads the way in the 190 class, though by just 10 points over Jesse James Shedden. Shedden won the first two races of the year, was off the podium in race three and finished second in the fourth race of the year. Matsudaira was second in the first two races to Shedden at Road America but won both races at Ridge. Joshua Raymond is third in the 190 Championship with three third-place finishes and a fifth.
Pitt Race Support Class Notes…
Last year’s lone Yuasa Stock 1000 race at PittRace was won by Jake Lewis with the Kentuckian scoring his fourth win of the season en route to capturing the 2021 Stock 1000 Championship. Lewis beat Travis Wyman and the just-off-the-couch Hayden Gillim in winning the race. Lewis left Wampum leading the title chase by 20 points over Corey Alexander, the rider who leads this year’s Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship.
Supersport racing at PittRace last year was hot and heavy with rivals Richie Escalante and Sean Dylan Kelly splitting wins after scintillating battles in both races. Escalante has moved up to the Medallia Superbike class for 2022 and Kelly is now competing in the Moto2 World Championship for American Racing.
Anthony Mazziotto is hoping he can repeat last year’s result at PittRace as the current REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship leader won the 2021 Twins Cup race. Mazziotto beat Hayden Schultz and Jody Barry to take the win last year and this year he is in a one-point title fight with Barry.
Tyler Scott and Ben Gloddy left Pittsburgh last year separated by just nine points in the battle for the 2021 SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship as the pair each won a race at PittRace. Gloddy won race one with Scott finishing fourth, and Scott bounced back to beat Gloddy in a great battle in race two.
CJ Lukas dominated last year’s Royal Enfield Build. Train. race event, besting Becky Goebel by almost 30 seconds. Trisha Dahl was third.
Two hundred and sixteen riders have entered to compete in the seven classes at PittRace. REV’IT! Twins Cup leads the way with 46 entries, three more than the Yuasa Stock 1000 class boasts. Medallia Superbike will feature 37 entries with the 28 riders set to try their hand in Supersport. The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class will grid up with 18 entries, three more than the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race class. The three Mini Cup by Motul races will be contested by a combined 29 entries.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Match Point Number One for Josh Herrin in Pittsburgh
The flying number two has his first chance to make it number one as MotoAmerica Supersport descends on the rolling green countryside for PittRace 2022
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) heads into the seventh round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship with his first opportunity to wrap up a historic series win for himself and Ducati.
The Californian has been impeccable so far in 2022, taking seven race wins to date and never finishing off the podium in the races he didn’t win. That record gives Herrin a 76-point lead over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers with three rounds remaining and 150 points still on offer.
For Herrin to win the title this weekend, he needs to leave PittRace with a 100-point buffer over the rider in second place—a tall but not insurmountable task for the former MotoAmerica Superbike and Stock 1000 Champion.
Should Herrin indeed clinch the title this weekend, it will be his first MotoAmerica Supersport title, putting him into rarified air as a rider to have won three different AMA-sanctioned national championship classes. It will also be the first MotoAmerica Supersport title for Ducati Motor Holdings and the first national championship victory anywhere in the world for the Ducati Panigale V2.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2): “I’m super-pumped about Pittsburgh this weekend,” Herrin said. “We have a lot of laps under our belts at this track—we did a test here earlier in the year, and we also did the WERA 4 Hour Endurance event here last weekend, so we have the set-up already dialed for this place. We have a chance of wrapping up the title this weekend. It’s a little chance, but I’ll do everything possible to make it happen. If the competition doesn’t have a good weekend, I want to be able to capitalize on that, wrap up the title, and head into the final two rounds with no pressure. It’s been a great year, and I want to cap it off with more wins.”
Josh Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2 will be on track with the first practice session scheduled for Friday, August 19 at 10:10 am EDT. Race one will be held on Saturday, August 20 at 2:10 pm EDT and race two will go green on Sunday, August 21 at 2:10 pm EDT.
MotoE: World Cup Action Resumes This Weekend At Red Bull Ring
ENERGICA TO RESUME MOTOE ACTION AT RED BULL RING
Energica and the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup are back in action this weekend at the Red Bull Ring, the Austrian venue that previously hosted a round of the series both in 2019 and last year. The circuit is ready to welcome the stars of the series with a slightly revised layout: a chicane has been placed at turn two, breaking up the previous long and fast bend to slow the riders down before the downhill, hard-braking and sharp turn three.
The Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich also serves as the first match point for the title for current series leader Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP), as the 31-year-old Swiss rider arrives at Spielberg with a significant 31.5-point advantage over Eric Granado (LCR E-Team), while 2019 title winner Matteo Ferrari (FELO Gresini Racing MotoE) sits third – 45.5 points in arrears.
With 50 points up for grabs, Aegerter needs the same number in terms of margin at the end of race two (taking place this Sunday at 15:30 GMT +2) to be crowned World Cup Champion.
While these three riders are still the main contenders for this year’s ultimate prize, many others will be looking to shine on Austrian turf, and this is surely the case for Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40). The two zeros he picked up in Jerez (race one) and Mugello (race two) really compromised what has otherwise been a very exciting season for the young and talented Italian, who is still eyeing a top three in the final standings.
The last four races of the year will also be key for Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team), Niccolò Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE), Hector Garzó (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE), who all showed flashes of great speed throughout the season but so far have not been able to turn them into solid and consistent results.
After an unfortunate start to the season, which saw them side-lined for a few rounds, reigning double World Cup Champion Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE) are eager to turn their luck around this weekend.
ABOUT ENERGICA MOTOR COMPANY S.p.A
Energica Motor Company is the first Italian manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycles and is the single manufacturer chosen by Dorna for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. Energica Motorcycles are on sale worldwide.
Product Evaluation: Alpinestars Tech-Air 10 Airbag System
Product Review: Alpinestars Tech-Air 10 Airbag System (and Alpinestars Fusion One-Piece Leather Suit)
By Michael Gougis
Crashing sucks. But each year, it sucks a little less, as protective gear companies advance the state of rider protection. At the professional level, it’s increasingly rare for a rider to miss an entire season because of an injury.
But protective gear has to actually function in the workplace of the racer or track day rider. It’s important that the gear not restrict their motion on the machine or their ability to operate the bike. And in the case of inflatable protection, it has to know the difference between a Marquez-esque save and a crash, and even if it goes off, has to leave the rider able to operate the motorcycle safely.
Alpinestars invited a group of journalists up to Sonoma Raceway to sample its latest track-oriented airbag system, the Tech-Air 10, and paired it with a Fusion one-piece riding suit. Guests of Z2 Track Days, we had the morning and part of the afternoon to sample the gear in its intended environment. Yamaha provided a quartet of YZF-R7s for us to play around on, so after the tech briefing, we were turned loose on the storied circuit.
Tech Overview
The Tech-Air 10’s biggest new feature is the addition of hip protection bladders. The biggest areas of concern, of course, are the back, chest and shoulders. Not only does good shoulder protection help prevent collarbone injuries, but it can also help mitigate neck injuries caused by the head being slammed to the side.
The new hip bladders cover the area of the rider’s body down to about mid-thigh. This change requires a couple of changes to the Tech-Air system. As the system is independent of the suit, the bladders are contained in a long-sleeve undersuit that comes down to mid-thigh. Because of the increased volume of the bladders, both of the argon gas canisters are fired in a crash, which means that the suit must be sent back for servicing after each deployment. Replacing the canisters costs $199; the bladders are good for three deployments. Servicing the suit and replacing the bladders costs $399.
The system contains 12 sensors–three tri-axial accelerometers and a single tri-axial gyroscope –that provide the data needed to determine when to deploy the airbags. Once the system determines that it is necessary to fire the airbags, they are fully deployed in 40 milliseconds, the company says.
Why invest in an airbag system? Compared to leather only, passive armor–traditional back, chest, elbow, shoulder and knee protection–is a massive leap forward. Compared to passive armor, the level of protection provided by an airbag system is dramatically better. Alpinestars says that when deployed, the Tech-Air 10 system provides the same level of impact attenuation as 18 passive back protectors.
Also new for the Tech-Air 10 is a removable wireless LED display that can attach to the waistband of the system, can be tucked into a purpose-built pocket on the sleeve of certain Alpinestars models, or even attached via Velcro to a spot on the upper triple clamp or the dash. This eliminates the wire that ran down the sleeve of earlier models to an LED display built into the suit, and allows the system to be used with any suit.
However, Alpinestars says the system should only be used with suits that have four centimeters of extra space around the circumference of the chest and two centimeters of extra space around the hips. Alpinestars representatives on hand for the intro said if a rider can zip up their leathers with a ping-pong ball in the chest area and move it about relatively freely, the suit is large enough.
The suit charges completely in four hours and provides 24 hours of use. A one-hour charge will provide six hours of use. The suit is active when the ends of the Velcro waistband are secured, so it is important to make sure that the waistband is not closed when the system is stored. Alpinestars says the medium size Tech-Air 10 system weighs 5.2 pounds.
As airbag technology advances, more and more suits are coming with larger and larger areas of accordion leather paneling, which allows room for the airbag to deploy. The Fusion one-piece suit I tested is constructed with RIDEKNIT stretch and perforated leather panels at the crotch, back of the leg, abdomen, chest, inner arms and elsewhere, and MATRYX textile panels on the thigh, abdomen, chest and aero hump. The accordion panels extend down to the bottom of the hips, allowing room for airbag deployment. The side benefit of all of this is the additional freedom of movement that comes with the extra flexibility of the suit itself. It’s getting to the point where the word “leathers” doesn’t adequately describe the sophistication of a modern track suit.
Riding On The Track
The Fusion suit doesn’t have a pocket for the removable Tech-Air 10 LED display panel, so I left it attached to the Velcro waistband. The suit’s battery charges the LED panel through a docking port in the waistband, so it is important to put that LED panel somewhere other than the docking port when the system is being stored.
Alpinestars reps on hand advised me to smooth out the bags against my body, to make sure that they were not folded on themselves. It took a moment to do that during the first fitting, and then I had no further issues all day.
In Race Mode (there is a street mode available as well, which can be selected via smartphone) the system automatically arms when it detects that the rider has been traveling faster than 37 mph for more than 10 seconds. When it detects that the rider has slowed, the system disarms itself.
I didn’t notice the weight of the system once under way, and I didn’t feel restricted at all while riding. I was knee-down halfway through the first lap, and once I started really paying attention to my riding, I didn’t think about the suit at all. I always ride with chest protection on the track, and this actually felt less restrictive than my usual chest armor. On the other hand, the bladder in the chest region–obviously–blocks air flow, so on a hot day it will probably create a hot spot where traditional armor could be ventilated to allow air flow. Incidentally, Alpinestars incorporates a passive CE-certified back protector into the Tech-Air 10 system, so a separate back protector is not required. Passive chest or hip protection is optional, as long as there is room in the suit for the airbag to deploy, and the rider should retain the traditional passive protection in the elbows, shoulders and knees.
And as any technology matures, it becomes more affordable. The Tech-Air 10, with MotoGP-level protection, retails for $999.95. It costs more than passive armor, for sure. But take a look at a professional-level road race and watch the crashes. More often than not, the rider stomps away, their upper body looking like The Hulk because the airbag has gone off, angry rather than injured. As the protection and user friendliness of airbag systems goes up and the cost comes down, there is more and more to be said for upgrading something that better protects the rider and reduces the chance of an injury every time the rider goes out on a racetrack.
Moto2: Agius Replacing Injured Sam Lowes In Austria, San Marino
Senna Agius to replace Sam Lowes in Austria and San Marino
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team will replace Sam Lowes with Senna Agius in the forthcoming Austrian and San Marino rounds of the 2022 Moto2 World Championship.
Lowes is unfortunately ruled out of the next two races after dislocating his left shoulder in a crash during the FP1 session at his home round in Silverstone.
Additional checks revealed Lowes also suffered a small fracture to the top of his left humerus bone (Greater Tuberosity fracture) and the 31-year-old has commenced an intensive rehabilitation, with the aim to be back on his Kalex machine for the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain on September 18.
Joining Tony Arbolino for the next two races is exciting young Australian prospect Senna Agius. The 17-year-old from Sydney started his racing career in dirt track and motocross before graduating to road racing where he contested the Asia Talent Cup and Junior World Championship.
He is currently showing great potential in the European Moto2 series riding a Kalex machine for the PromoRacing Team. Agius is currently third in the standings with six podiums in eight rounds and he was victorious in both races earlier this season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Senna Agius, Rider
“This is a big childhood dream of mine”
“Firstly, I’d like to wish Sam a speedy recovery. I would also like to say a huge thank you to the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team for giving me this opportunity to make my debut in the Moto2 World Championship. I can’t wait to get started at the Austrian Grand Prix. This is a big childhood dream of mine and I’m very excited to accomplish it with such an amazing team to learn from. I will give my best to represent the Elf Marc VDS colours.“
American Matsudaira Takes Second In Moto5 Spanish National Championship
Kensei Matsudaira takes 2nd in the Copa de España de MiniVelocidad Spanish national Moto5 Championship
After four rounds and eight races of intense racing, this past weekend [August 13-14] saw the conclusion of the RFME (Real Federación Motociclista Española) Copa de España de MiniVelocidad Spanish national championship, with Japanese-American Kensei Matsudaira taking second in the Moto5 championship.
Kensei started the season at DR7 Circuit in Tarancón with two P8 finishes.
In round two at Zuera International Circuit in Zaragoza, he had a DNF crashing out of the lead in Race One, but achieved his first podium with a P3 finish in Race Two.
At Kotarr Circuit in Burgos, Kensei would get his first victory in the category, followed by a P2 finish.
At the final round of the championship held this past weekend at As Pontes Circuit in A Coruña, Kensei finished with a P2 in the first race, and a DNF out of the lead in Race Two.
In the end, Kensei achieved four podium finishes including a victory and was able to finish second out of 22 riders in the highly competitive Copa de España de MiniVelocidad national championship of Spain.
His season is not over yet as he still continues to compete in the Cuna de Campeones seven-round championship, with the final two races taking place in September at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain and in October at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto in Cádiz, Spain.
“It’s really special to be able to finish so well in the championship with Moto5 since it’s a completely new experience for me moving to the bigger bikes this year,” Kensei said. “I know it’s always competitive in Spain, and looking at the lap times I know it’s one of the most competitive years so to be right there fighting with these guys at the top, I’m really happy and looking forward to continue racing here. Thank you to my team, family, and all my sponsors that make it possible.”
Kensei would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support to help him race both at home and abroad:
American Racing Team & Academy, Fresh N Lean, Evike.com, Shoei Helmets, Dave Designs, AGV Sport, VNM Sport, D.I.D Chain, Galfer USA, Yoshimura R&D, Suspension Matters, TechSpec, The Starting Grid, Moto Tecnica, Mad Labs Minimoto, 73 Moto Parts, Bickle Racing, Vortex Racing, Landers Racing, Boyko Racing, Apex Racing Center, Live 100 Moto, DRT Racing, Karen E. Ott Photography, Hans King, Moto Survival School, California Superbike School, and Toni Elias School USA.
MotoGP: Miller Masters Mixed Conditions In FP1 At Red Bull Ring
Moto3: Migno Tops FP1 At Red Bull Ring
MotoE: Casadei Quickest In FP1 At Red Bull Ring
MotoAmerica: How To Watch All The Action From PittRace
MotoAmerica: How To Watch the MotoAmerica Superbikes at Pittsburgh
It’s All Here: How To Not Miss A Bit Of The Action
Everything you need to know to watch all the racing from Pitt Race!
American Flat Track: Volusia Half-Mile Added To Progressive Triple Crown
Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale Added to Progressive Triple Crown
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track announced today the addition of the Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale presented by Daytona Dodge to the Progressive Triple Crown.
The Progressive Triple Crown is a unique multi-race challenge that rewards mastery over the sport’s three oval disciplines by paying the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle rider who collects the most points at three designated event weekends a $25,000 prize.
The Progressive Triple Crown was originally slated to consist of the Progressive Laconia Short Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire on June 11, the Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota on August 6, and the Mission Springfield Mile Doubleheader at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois on September 3-4.
However, since the premier-class Main Event at the Progressive Black Hills Half-Mile was called complete shortly after its start and every rider who qualified for the race awarded a single point due to inclement weather, it was decided to designate the Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale at Volusia Speedway Park in De Leon Springs, Florida on October 15, to stand in as the Progressive Triple Crown’s test of Half-Mile supremacy.
As a result, the already high-profile event will now serve as both the finale to the Progressive AFT season and Progressive Triple Crown, only upping the stakes in what’s taken shape as an incredibly competitive championship fight.
That fight continues this weekend at Cal Expo, in Sacramento, California, with the Mission Legendary Sacramento Mile powered by Law Tigers on Saturday, August 20. Click here to reserve your tickets today.
The Mission Sacramento Mile will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, August 27, at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.
MotoAmerica Previews: Supersport, Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, B.T.R. & Mini
It’s Now Or Never For Championship Hopefuls As PittRace Awaits
All The MotoAmerica Championships Still Up For Grabs As The Series Heads To
Pittsburgh International Race Complex
IRVINE, CA (August 18, 2022) – Mathematically, Josh Herrin could become the first of the 2022 MotoAmerica Champions to be crowned this weekend in the Superbikes At Pittsburgh, Presented by LaRoche Aviation Services, round, but it’s a longshot.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Herrin, who leads Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers by 76 points heading into the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, would need to extend that points lead to 100 by the conclusion of the weekend to earn his first MotoAmerica Supersport crown. That means if Herrin wins both races at Pitt Race and Landers finishes fourth or worse in both, Herrin would be champion.
Since Landers comes into Wampum riding the high of his first two Supersport class victories at Brainerd International Raceway and with six other podiums on the year, getting fourth or worse in two straight races isn’t probable. But it is possible.
Herrin’s season has been near perfect with finishes in all 12 races with a worst result of fourth. The 2013 AMA Superbike Champion has adapted well to the Panigale V2 and has seven wins and 11 podiums to show for it. Oh, and that 76-point lead.
Landers is started to see a breakthrough in his second year of Supersport racing and that was evident a few weeks ago at BIR when he not only won both races, but he also dominated them.
Early on, it looked as though Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was going to be Herrin’s toughest foe, but Scott didn’t have a good weekend at BIR, and he drops to 104 points behind Herrin and 28 behind Landers.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Kevin Olmedo is still fourth in the points chase, despite missing both races at BIR through illness. North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounds out the top five – 15 points behind Olmedo and a single point ahead of Aussie Luke Power.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Wyman!
Alpha Omega’s Cody Wyman put together a consistent 3-3 tally in the two SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup races at BIR and that puts him 22 points ahead with six races left to run, including the two at PittRace this coming weekend.
Wyman has finished every race but one, has won four races and has seven total podiums and the result is the point cushion on SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Joseph LiMandri Jr. LiMandri was second and sixth at BIR and that allowed Wyman to pull away while also putting himself just nine points ahead of Altus Motorsports’ Kayla Yaakov.
Yaakov won her second race of the year in race one at BIR and followed that up with a second-place finish in race two, putting her nine points behind LiMandri and eight ahead of Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Gus Rodio. LiMandri’s teammate Max Van got back to his winning ways in race two at BIR and he sits a solid fifth in the championship.
Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander Going For Six Straight
Although there is no such thing as comfortable in the Yuasa Stock 1000 class, Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander is getting to that point in the championship as he now holds a 33-point lead going into the two races at Pittsburgh. That happens when you win six of eight races, including the last five in a row.
The only blemish on Alexander’s scorecard are the two races that he missed at VIRginia International Raceway when he crashed during qualifying and was forced to sit out both races. And with just four races left (two at PittRace, one at New Jersey Motorsports Park and one in the season finale at Barber Motorsports Park), Alexander has the opportunity to lock up the title sooner rather than later.
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim is the closest that Alexander has to a rival in the class with Gillim winning the two races that Alexander missed. Gillim has two additional podiums and a points total that has him 33 behind Alexander and 14 ahead of Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Travis Wyman.
DiBrino Racing’s Andy DiBrino and Altus Motorsports’ Brandon Paasch, who earned his first podium in the class at BIR, sit fourth and fifth in the title chase.
REV’IT! Twins Cup – Mazziotto On The Hunt
If you broke the REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship into two halves of the 10 races that have been held thus far in 2022, one would go to Jody Barry and the other to Anthony Mazziotto. Unfortunately for Barry, the second half might be the one you want to excel in.
Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Mazziotto leads the title chase by just one point over Barry. In the first six races of the year, Barry and his Veloce Racing Aprilia RS 660 simply dominated with four wins and two other podium finishes. The past four races, however, have been hellish for the racer from Illinois as he’s seen an incredible season quickly turn into a mediocre one as he’s scored only 24 points in that time.
Mazziotto, on the other hand, didn’t set the world on fire early in the season but he’s hot at the right time and has scored 76 points in the last four races. That’s 76-24 in favor of the New Jerseyan.
If this were prize fight, Barry would certainly be bloody and beaten. But he’s still standing and just a point behind. With two races at PittRace this weekend, one at NJMP and one at Barber Motorsports Park, this championship could go to the last lap of the last race in September.
Five different riders have won Twins Cup races this year: Barry (four), Mazziotto (two), Cory Ventura (two), Blake Davis (one) and Hayden Schultz (one).
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Buyck In Tight Championship Battle
The six-race Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. program will hold its fourth round at PittRace this weekend with Kayleigh Buyck yet to be beaten – at least on the racetrack. Buyck has been victorious in all three races, though she was stripped of her championship points at Road America in June when she failed to adhere to a red flag.
Buyck’s latest win came just a few weeks ago at BIR, and it as a close one with Chloe Petersen pushing Buyck for the duration. Petersen is third in the championship chase – just eight points behind Buyck and a single point behind Jennifer Chancellor, who has podium finishes in the last two races.
Mini Cup By Motul – Three Championships Up For Grabs
Nathan Gouker is in the midst of championship battles in two classes of the MotoAmerica Mini Cup by Motul series with two different foes as the series resumes with its round on the karting track at PittRace this weekend.
In the 110 class, Gouker leads Anthony Lupo by 10 points after four races with Gouker winning the first three and Lupo taking victory in race two at Ridge Motorsports Park. Mac MacClugage, meanwhile, is third and 31 points behind despite being on the podium in every race.
It’s MacClugage who is giving Gouker a headache in the 160 class as the youngster from Florida trails the North Carolinian by 14 points. Gouker has won two races to MacClugage’s lone win at Road America. Kensei Matsudaira, meanwhile, is third in the championship with his only victory in class coming in the opening race of the year at Road America.
It’s Matsudaira, however, who leads the way in the 190 class, though by just 10 points over Jesse James Shedden. Shedden won the first two races of the year, was off the podium in race three and finished second in the fourth race of the year. Matsudaira was second in the first two races to Shedden at Road America but won both races at Ridge. Joshua Raymond is third in the 190 Championship with three third-place finishes and a fifth.
Pitt Race Support Class Notes…
Last year’s lone Yuasa Stock 1000 race at PittRace was won by Jake Lewis with the Kentuckian scoring his fourth win of the season en route to capturing the 2021 Stock 1000 Championship. Lewis beat Travis Wyman and the just-off-the-couch Hayden Gillim in winning the race. Lewis left Wampum leading the title chase by 20 points over Corey Alexander, the rider who leads this year’s Yuasa Stock 1000 Championship.
Supersport racing at PittRace last year was hot and heavy with rivals Richie Escalante and Sean Dylan Kelly splitting wins after scintillating battles in both races. Escalante has moved up to the Medallia Superbike class for 2022 and Kelly is now competing in the Moto2 World Championship for American Racing.
Anthony Mazziotto is hoping he can repeat last year’s result at PittRace as the current REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship leader won the 2021 Twins Cup race. Mazziotto beat Hayden Schultz and Jody Barry to take the win last year and this year he is in a one-point title fight with Barry.
Tyler Scott and Ben Gloddy left Pittsburgh last year separated by just nine points in the battle for the 2021 SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Championship as the pair each won a race at PittRace. Gloddy won race one with Scott finishing fourth, and Scott bounced back to beat Gloddy in a great battle in race two.
CJ Lukas dominated last year’s Royal Enfield Build. Train. race event, besting Becky Goebel by almost 30 seconds. Trisha Dahl was third.
Two hundred and sixteen riders have entered to compete in the seven classes at PittRace. REV’IT! Twins Cup leads the way with 46 entries, three more than the Yuasa Stock 1000 class boasts. Medallia Superbike will feature 37 entries with the 28 riders set to try their hand in Supersport. The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class will grid up with 18 entries, three more than the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race class. The three Mini Cup by Motul races will be contested by a combined 29 entries.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Match Point Number One for Josh Herrin in Pittsburgh
The flying number two has his first chance to make it number one as MotoAmerica Supersport descends on the rolling green countryside for PittRace 2022
Sunnyvale, Calif. — Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC) heads into the seventh round of the 2022 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship with his first opportunity to wrap up a historic series win for himself and Ducati.
The Californian has been impeccable so far in 2022, taking seven race wins to date and never finishing off the podium in the races he didn’t win. That record gives Herrin a 76-point lead over Yamaha’s Rocco Landers with three rounds remaining and 150 points still on offer.
For Herrin to win the title this weekend, he needs to leave PittRace with a 100-point buffer over the rider in second place—a tall but not insurmountable task for the former MotoAmerica Superbike and Stock 1000 Champion.
Should Herrin indeed clinch the title this weekend, it will be his first MotoAmerica Supersport title, putting him into rarified air as a rider to have won three different AMA-sanctioned national championship classes. It will also be the first MotoAmerica Supersport title for Ducati Motor Holdings and the first national championship victory anywhere in the world for the Ducati Panigale V2.
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – #2): “I’m super-pumped about Pittsburgh this weekend,” Herrin said. “We have a lot of laps under our belts at this track—we did a test here earlier in the year, and we also did the WERA 4 Hour Endurance event here last weekend, so we have the set-up already dialed for this place. We have a chance of wrapping up the title this weekend. It’s a little chance, but I’ll do everything possible to make it happen. If the competition doesn’t have a good weekend, I want to be able to capitalize on that, wrap up the title, and head into the final two rounds with no pressure. It’s been a great year, and I want to cap it off with more wins.”
Josh Herrin and the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Ducati Panigale V2 will be on track with the first practice session scheduled for Friday, August 19 at 10:10 am EDT. Race one will be held on Saturday, August 20 at 2:10 pm EDT and race two will go green on Sunday, August 21 at 2:10 pm EDT.
MotoE: World Cup Action Resumes This Weekend At Red Bull Ring
ENERGICA TO RESUME MOTOE ACTION AT RED BULL RING
Energica and the 2022 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup are back in action this weekend at the Red Bull Ring, the Austrian venue that previously hosted a round of the series both in 2019 and last year. The circuit is ready to welcome the stars of the series with a slightly revised layout: a chicane has been placed at turn two, breaking up the previous long and fast bend to slow the riders down before the downhill, hard-braking and sharp turn three.
The Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich also serves as the first match point for the title for current series leader Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP), as the 31-year-old Swiss rider arrives at Spielberg with a significant 31.5-point advantage over Eric Granado (LCR E-Team), while 2019 title winner Matteo Ferrari (FELO Gresini Racing MotoE) sits third – 45.5 points in arrears.
With 50 points up for grabs, Aegerter needs the same number in terms of margin at the end of race two (taking place this Sunday at 15:30 GMT +2) to be crowned World Cup Champion.
While these three riders are still the main contenders for this year’s ultimate prize, many others will be looking to shine on Austrian turf, and this is surely the case for Mattia Casadei (Pons Racing 40). The two zeros he picked up in Jerez (race one) and Mugello (race two) really compromised what has otherwise been a very exciting season for the young and talented Italian, who is still eyeing a top three in the final standings.
The last four races of the year will also be key for Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team), Niccolò Canepa (WithU GRT RNF MotoE), Hector Garzó (Tech 3 E-Racing) and Hikari Okubo (Avant Ajo MotoE), who all showed flashes of great speed throughout the season but so far have not been able to turn them into solid and consistent results.
After an unfortunate start to the season, which saw them side-lined for a few rounds, reigning double World Cup Champion Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) and Bradley Smith (WithU GRT RNF MotoE) are eager to turn their luck around this weekend.
ABOUT ENERGICA MOTOR COMPANY S.p.A
Energica Motor Company is the first Italian manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycles and is the single manufacturer chosen by Dorna for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. Energica Motorcycles are on sale worldwide.
Product Evaluation: Alpinestars Tech-Air 10 Airbag System
Product Review: Alpinestars Tech-Air 10 Airbag System (and Alpinestars Fusion One-Piece Leather Suit)
By Michael Gougis
Crashing sucks. But each year, it sucks a little less, as protective gear companies advance the state of rider protection. At the professional level, it’s increasingly rare for a rider to miss an entire season because of an injury.
But protective gear has to actually function in the workplace of the racer or track day rider. It’s important that the gear not restrict their motion on the machine or their ability to operate the bike. And in the case of inflatable protection, it has to know the difference between a Marquez-esque save and a crash, and even if it goes off, has to leave the rider able to operate the motorcycle safely.
Alpinestars invited a group of journalists up to Sonoma Raceway to sample its latest track-oriented airbag system, the Tech-Air 10, and paired it with a Fusion one-piece riding suit. Guests of Z2 Track Days, we had the morning and part of the afternoon to sample the gear in its intended environment. Yamaha provided a quartet of YZF-R7s for us to play around on, so after the tech briefing, we were turned loose on the storied circuit.
Tech Overview
The Tech-Air 10’s biggest new feature is the addition of hip protection bladders. The biggest areas of concern, of course, are the back, chest and shoulders. Not only does good shoulder protection help prevent collarbone injuries, but it can also help mitigate neck injuries caused by the head being slammed to the side.
The new hip bladders cover the area of the rider’s body down to about mid-thigh. This change requires a couple of changes to the Tech-Air system. As the system is independent of the suit, the bladders are contained in a long-sleeve undersuit that comes down to mid-thigh. Because of the increased volume of the bladders, both of the argon gas canisters are fired in a crash, which means that the suit must be sent back for servicing after each deployment. Replacing the canisters costs $199; the bladders are good for three deployments. Servicing the suit and replacing the bladders costs $399.
The system contains 12 sensors–three tri-axial accelerometers and a single tri-axial gyroscope –that provide the data needed to determine when to deploy the airbags. Once the system determines that it is necessary to fire the airbags, they are fully deployed in 40 milliseconds, the company says.
Why invest in an airbag system? Compared to leather only, passive armor–traditional back, chest, elbow, shoulder and knee protection–is a massive leap forward. Compared to passive armor, the level of protection provided by an airbag system is dramatically better. Alpinestars says that when deployed, the Tech-Air 10 system provides the same level of impact attenuation as 18 passive back protectors.
Also new for the Tech-Air 10 is a removable wireless LED display that can attach to the waistband of the system, can be tucked into a purpose-built pocket on the sleeve of certain Alpinestars models, or even attached via Velcro to a spot on the upper triple clamp or the dash. This eliminates the wire that ran down the sleeve of earlier models to an LED display built into the suit, and allows the system to be used with any suit.
However, Alpinestars says the system should only be used with suits that have four centimeters of extra space around the circumference of the chest and two centimeters of extra space around the hips. Alpinestars representatives on hand for the intro said if a rider can zip up their leathers with a ping-pong ball in the chest area and move it about relatively freely, the suit is large enough.
The suit charges completely in four hours and provides 24 hours of use. A one-hour charge will provide six hours of use. The suit is active when the ends of the Velcro waistband are secured, so it is important to make sure that the waistband is not closed when the system is stored. Alpinestars says the medium size Tech-Air 10 system weighs 5.2 pounds.
As airbag technology advances, more and more suits are coming with larger and larger areas of accordion leather paneling, which allows room for the airbag to deploy. The Fusion one-piece suit I tested is constructed with RIDEKNIT stretch and perforated leather panels at the crotch, back of the leg, abdomen, chest, inner arms and elsewhere, and MATRYX textile panels on the thigh, abdomen, chest and aero hump. The accordion panels extend down to the bottom of the hips, allowing room for airbag deployment. The side benefit of all of this is the additional freedom of movement that comes with the extra flexibility of the suit itself. It’s getting to the point where the word “leathers” doesn’t adequately describe the sophistication of a modern track suit.
Riding On The Track
The Fusion suit doesn’t have a pocket for the removable Tech-Air 10 LED display panel, so I left it attached to the Velcro waistband. The suit’s battery charges the LED panel through a docking port in the waistband, so it is important to put that LED panel somewhere other than the docking port when the system is being stored.
Alpinestars reps on hand advised me to smooth out the bags against my body, to make sure that they were not folded on themselves. It took a moment to do that during the first fitting, and then I had no further issues all day.
In Race Mode (there is a street mode available as well, which can be selected via smartphone) the system automatically arms when it detects that the rider has been traveling faster than 37 mph for more than 10 seconds. When it detects that the rider has slowed, the system disarms itself.
I didn’t notice the weight of the system once under way, and I didn’t feel restricted at all while riding. I was knee-down halfway through the first lap, and once I started really paying attention to my riding, I didn’t think about the suit at all. I always ride with chest protection on the track, and this actually felt less restrictive than my usual chest armor. On the other hand, the bladder in the chest region–obviously–blocks air flow, so on a hot day it will probably create a hot spot where traditional armor could be ventilated to allow air flow. Incidentally, Alpinestars incorporates a passive CE-certified back protector into the Tech-Air 10 system, so a separate back protector is not required. Passive chest or hip protection is optional, as long as there is room in the suit for the airbag to deploy, and the rider should retain the traditional passive protection in the elbows, shoulders and knees.
And as any technology matures, it becomes more affordable. The Tech-Air 10, with MotoGP-level protection, retails for $999.95. It costs more than passive armor, for sure. But take a look at a professional-level road race and watch the crashes. More often than not, the rider stomps away, their upper body looking like The Hulk because the airbag has gone off, angry rather than injured. As the protection and user friendliness of airbag systems goes up and the cost comes down, there is more and more to be said for upgrading something that better protects the rider and reduces the chance of an injury every time the rider goes out on a racetrack.
Moto2: Agius Replacing Injured Sam Lowes In Austria, San Marino
Senna Agius to replace Sam Lowes in Austria and San Marino
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team will replace Sam Lowes with Senna Agius in the forthcoming Austrian and San Marino rounds of the 2022 Moto2 World Championship.
Lowes is unfortunately ruled out of the next two races after dislocating his left shoulder in a crash during the FP1 session at his home round in Silverstone.
Additional checks revealed Lowes also suffered a small fracture to the top of his left humerus bone (Greater Tuberosity fracture) and the 31-year-old has commenced an intensive rehabilitation, with the aim to be back on his Kalex machine for the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain on September 18.
Joining Tony Arbolino for the next two races is exciting young Australian prospect Senna Agius. The 17-year-old from Sydney started his racing career in dirt track and motocross before graduating to road racing where he contested the Asia Talent Cup and Junior World Championship.
He is currently showing great potential in the European Moto2 series riding a Kalex machine for the PromoRacing Team. Agius is currently third in the standings with six podiums in eight rounds and he was victorious in both races earlier this season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Senna Agius, Rider
“This is a big childhood dream of mine”
“Firstly, I’d like to wish Sam a speedy recovery. I would also like to say a huge thank you to the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team for giving me this opportunity to make my debut in the Moto2 World Championship. I can’t wait to get started at the Austrian Grand Prix. This is a big childhood dream of mine and I’m very excited to accomplish it with such an amazing team to learn from. I will give my best to represent the Elf Marc VDS colours.“
American Matsudaira Takes Second In Moto5 Spanish National Championship
Kensei Matsudaira takes 2nd in the Copa de España de MiniVelocidad Spanish national Moto5 Championship
After four rounds and eight races of intense racing, this past weekend [August 13-14] saw the conclusion of the RFME (Real Federación Motociclista Española) Copa de España de MiniVelocidad Spanish national championship, with Japanese-American Kensei Matsudaira taking second in the Moto5 championship.
Kensei started the season at DR7 Circuit in Tarancón with two P8 finishes.
In round two at Zuera International Circuit in Zaragoza, he had a DNF crashing out of the lead in Race One, but achieved his first podium with a P3 finish in Race Two.
At Kotarr Circuit in Burgos, Kensei would get his first victory in the category, followed by a P2 finish.
At the final round of the championship held this past weekend at As Pontes Circuit in A Coruña, Kensei finished with a P2 in the first race, and a DNF out of the lead in Race Two.
In the end, Kensei achieved four podium finishes including a victory and was able to finish second out of 22 riders in the highly competitive Copa de España de MiniVelocidad national championship of Spain.
His season is not over yet as he still continues to compete in the Cuna de Campeones seven-round championship, with the final two races taking place in September at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain and in October at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto in Cádiz, Spain.
“It’s really special to be able to finish so well in the championship with Moto5 since it’s a completely new experience for me moving to the bigger bikes this year,” Kensei said. “I know it’s always competitive in Spain, and looking at the lap times I know it’s one of the most competitive years so to be right there fighting with these guys at the top, I’m really happy and looking forward to continue racing here. Thank you to my team, family, and all my sponsors that make it possible.”
Kensei would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support to help him race both at home and abroad:
American Racing Team & Academy, Fresh N Lean, Evike.com, Shoei Helmets, Dave Designs, AGV Sport, VNM Sport, D.I.D Chain, Galfer USA, Yoshimura R&D, Suspension Matters, TechSpec, The Starting Grid, Moto Tecnica, Mad Labs Minimoto, 73 Moto Parts, Bickle Racing, Vortex Racing, Landers Racing, Boyko Racing, Apex Racing Center, Live 100 Moto, DRT Racing, Karen E. Ott Photography, Hans King, Moto Survival School, California Superbike School, and Toni Elias School USA.