Interview: Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu

David Swarts

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January 13, 2022

Interview: Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu

“If The Rear Is Not Up, I’m Not Trying Hard Enough…”

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s manic late-braking style is perhaps the most visible part of what helped him break Jonathan Rea’s six-season stranglehold on the Superbike World Championship. Skilled in the wet and fearless, Ratgatlioglu battled Rea relentlessly for the 2021 Championship.

By Michael Gougis

“I watch the races afterward, and it is strange,” Razgatlioglu says. “When we are racing, I feel some touching and fighting, but I look after the race and it’s the young boy and the Champion, fighting.”

The 25-year-old Turkish rider’s race craft goes far beyond just being able to nail the brakes hard. His training regimen is unique—he has spent years bashing handlebars with five-time Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu on Supermoto machines, preparing himself to fight at the front with some of the world’s best riders.

And it has paid off. Razgatlioglu and his PATA Yamaha YZF-R1 were convincingly fast at nearly every round, every time he left pit lane.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) in his natural habitat - rear wheel in the air, forks compressed, ready to dive for the apex. “If the rear is not up, I’m not trying hard enough,” the 2021 Superbike World Champion says. Photo by Michael Gougis, copyright 2021. — Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) in his natural habitat – rear wheel in the air, forks compressed, ready to dive for the apex. “If the rear is not up, I’m not trying hard enough,” the 2021 Superbike World Champion says. Photo by Michael Gougis, copyright 2021.

Razgatlioglu is the son of a famous Turkish stunt rider, Arif Razgatlioglu, known as Tek Teker Arif, which translates as “Wheelie Arif.” A four-time Turkish motocross champion as a youth, Toprak Razgatlioglu won the European Superstock 600 Championship in his first attempt.

This is where Sofuoglu’s mentoring came into play. Sofuoglu never succeeded on liter bikes, and he encouraged his protégé to get on a big machine as soon as possible. In 2016 and 2017, Razgatlioglu competed in the lower-profile European Superstock Championship, learning how to race the larger, more powerful, and heavier machinery.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) challenged six-time Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea (1) harder than anyone else has in recent years--and is the first to beat Rea and win the (2021) World Championship. Photo by Michael Gougis, copyright 2021. — Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) challenged six-time Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea (1) harder than anyone else has in recent years–and is the first to beat Rea and win the (2021) World Championship. Photo by Michael Gougis, copyright 2021.

Training with Sofuoglu and emulating the elder racer’s style taught Razgatlioglu to feel at home with the forks deep in their stroke, the brakes on hard, and the rear wheel doing whatever it wanted to do.

“I see Kenan use the hard braking, and I ride the 600, where I try the hard braking,” Razgatlioglu says. “When I ride the bike and I try normal braking, I feel very slow. I speak with sometimes my team, they say to try normal braking, but I feel like if the rear is not sliding, if the rear is not up, I’m not trying hard enough.”

Razgatlioglu says a careful combination of lean angle and braking is key to making this style of riding work. Braking in a straight line results in too much rear-wheel lift; braking too hard with too much lean angle results in a crash. Instead, he says, he applies maximum braking effort just after tipping the bike toward the apex. “You start to enter the corner with a little angle, you try hard braking, the rear does not come up really easy,” he says.

Passing on the brakes means frequently being in very close proximity with another rider. And this, Razgatlioglu says, is where the training with Sofuoglu pays off. The pair have spent untold hours racing against each other—hard—and even sometimes on karts. “Now we started fighting with Johnny (Rea), sometimes touching, I feel really good. I like this because I train with Kenan always like this, always together touching, together crash, I learn like this, so I feel very good,” Razgatlioglu says.

Toprak Razgatlioglu learned and continues to hone his race craft, in part, by banging Supermoto bars with five-time Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu on Sofuoglu’s home 0.625-mile circuit. Here, Sofuoglu holds Razgatlioglu’s umbrella on the grid at Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis, copyright 2021.

Razgatlioglu appeared set to follow in Sofuoglu’s footsteps and race with Kawasaki. He literally brought the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing satellite team to new heights in World Superbike, winning two races in 2019 and racking up podiums in a way unprecedented in the squad’s history.

But the relationship soured at Suzuka 8-Hours race that year, reportedly when Kawasaki’s engineers looked at his tire wear on the ZX-10RR from practice and qualifying and decided it was excessive—and benched him for the race. Furious, Sofuoglu advised him to join Yamaha’s factory Superbike squad. Razgatlioglu did, winning three races in 2020 to teammate Michael van der Mark’s zero and edging the Dutch rider in the final points. At the final round in Estoril, Razgatlioglu won two races and finished third in the other, setting him up for the title challenge in 2021.

If 2020 was a learning year, 2021 was the year to deliver, and Razgatlioglu did. “The team was improving my bike every race, the team was learning my style, and also were learning my bike, (and) I was adapting to my bike. Together, this year we are strong,” he says. “Every race, we were coming step-by-step stronger.”

Razgatlioglu says he felt no pressure, and the nervousness about the title chase disappeared when he closed his visor. “I hope we are World Champion, but I never look at that side. Every race, I look at the win,” he says. “I try (to have fun), I try to a little more enjoy in the race. After I close the visor, I don’t feel stress.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) says he is becoming more familiar with his factory Yamaha YZF-R1, and the team is becoming more familiar with his riding style. “Every race, we are coming step by step stronger,” he says. Photo courtesy Yamaha. — Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) says during the 2021 season, he became more familiar with his factory Yamaha YZF-R1, and the team became more familiar with his riding style. “Every race, we are coming step by step stronger,” he says. Photo courtesy Yamaha.

Razgatlioglu is fully focused on World Superbike. The team plans significant upgrades for 2022, and Razgatlioglu is looking forward to an even better-performing machine. MotoGP is a possibility—his name was openly discussed as a replacement for the retiring Valentino Rossi—but it comes with challenges. At his age, with Yamaha’s official factory garage filled with proven MotoGP race winners Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo, he likely could get a ride somewhere, but the chances of joining the factory team are slim.

“I am 25. I am feeling old for MotoGP. Everybody come in at 19, 20, 21 now. I am not old—I know!—but…

“After I am Superbike World Champion, why not? My dream was Superbike Champion. I never dream of the MotoGP. It’s like a different galaxy. Now, yeah, I have a MotoGP door, but I’ve never dreamed MotoGP before. I focus on Superbikes,” he says. “If I am Champion here and I go to MotoGP, and I don’t like it, I am not fast, I can come back here and find a good team, because everyone knows I am fast here.”

Riding The KTM RC 8C At Jerez (With Video)

David Swarts

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January 13, 2022

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Riding The KTM RC 8C At Jerez (With Video)

The following article appeared in the November 2021 issue of Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology magazine. To get more great content like this, subscribe HERE.

OWNERS’ TRACK INTRO:

A Special Day In Spain

By Chris Ulrich

The large group of riders gathered on pit lane at Jerez Circuit, anxiously waiting for the blue garage doors to roll up and unveil their new 2022 KTM RC 8C track bikes. When the garage doors finally opened, they revealed a fleet of 25 KTM RC 8C motorcycles, each with a custom number and all on stands and tire warmers, awaiting their new owners. The atmosphere in the pit box was electric and the excitement infectious. I snuck into the group unnoticed and claimed the only unmarked KTM RC 8C in the lot. I was happy to join the group for a day at Jerez, and tried to stay under the radar.

Chris Ulrich with MotoGP racer and test rider Dani Pedrosa and American RC 8C buyers Mauricio Gomez (left) and Viet Tran (right). Photo courtesy KTM.

A full day of riding on the track was ahead, including eight 20-minute sessions, with Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio mixing with the group on and off the racetrack. The on-track activities started with a parade lap that included a group photo on the starting grid with Pedrosa and Kallio at the front, while I occupied the final grid position. There was a slight delay in resuming the riding when one of the 23 owners in attendance proposed to his girlfriend on the grid!

New KTM RC 8C owners line up on the grid at Jerez behind Dani Pedrosa (26) and Mika Kallio (82). Last on the grid is Chris Ulrich. Photo courtesy KTM.

It was the passion pitch. Build a motorcycle that evokes passion for riding and it will sell. Adding in a once-in-a-lifetime track day experience at Jerez with KTM MotoGP test riders Pedrosa and Kallio saw the 100 units available worldwide sell out in 4 minutes and 32 seconds! The first 25 units—including the extra-cost track day—sold out 1 minute, 41 seconds after sales opened on KTM’s digital platform! And there are now over 300 people on the waiting list for the next batch. The lucky few who were able to reserve a bike paid $38,999 for the privilege. Attendees at the track day paid an extra 4,000 Euros (about $4,650 U.S.) for a race track package that included a set of wheels, stands, tire warmers, brake pads, and a KTM pit rug. Participants also paid an 890-Euro (about $1,050 U.S.) event package fee that included accommodations and meals, transport to and from the track, attending a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing test and meet and greet dinner with test riders Dani Pedrosa and Mika Kallio, and eight 20-minute on-track sessions and dinner with Pedrosa and Kallio the next day. KTM provided one race mechanic for each group of four riders, and WP Suspension had two technicians to assist with set-up. Fuel and tires were also included.

Chris Ulrich found that the RC 8C fit him well and was really fun to ride. Photo courtesy KTM.

It was clear that this was a special experience for the riders in the group. There was the Dutch collector who bought the bike for his personal museum and showed up with a group of buddies who came to hang out and watch. And there was a Finn who owns 12 motorcycles—including a BMW-powered Suter CRT MotoGP bike and a Krämer GP-2 690. He races his GP-2 in Finland because he can ride the bike well and most of the guys in his class aren’t axe murderers. A guy from the U.K. was trading in his Panigale V4 for the RC 8C because he was sick of not being able to hang onto the bike for long.

Among the group were two Americans, who I met while getting the COVID PCR test that was required to fly back to the United States. Viet Tran and Mauricio Gomez are both from Texas and made the passion buy. Both have production middleweight motorcycles and were dissatisfied with the lack of real information and support, so they bought the RC 8C and signed up for the event. Many of the customers at the event owned 1000cc Supersport bikes, but couldn’t ride them hard for more than three laps at a time. So, they looked to the KTM RC 8C as a bike that would be more manageable on the track for their fitness and skill level.

I’ve said it before: The Middleweight Twin category is the best for most riders. The bikes have enough power to be exciting without being easy to get in trouble with, and can usually be ridden all day long without having to train like a MotoAmerica Superbike rider. That said, after riding the RC 8C for a day at Jerez, I would have liked to add 5-10 horsepower to the RC 8C and try it, even though that might mess up the rideability vibe.

The RC 8C cockpit, with transverse-mounted steering damper. Photo courtesy KTM.

Built by former KTM engineer-turned-chassis-builder Markus Krämer, the RC 8C is a proper purpose-built track weapon. From start to finish, once all the parts are collected, it takes four mechanics two work days to complete one RC 8C.

The main frame is made of chrome-moly (25CrMo4) steel tubing with an aluminum underslung swingarm. The bike is powered by an unmodified 889cc KTM LC8c Parallel Twin engine, the same engine used in the 890 Duke R. The result is a motorcycle that weighs in at a claimed 140 kilograms (309 pounds) dry and puts out 128 bhp and 73 lbs.-ft. of torque at the crankshaft. That equates to roughly 110 bhp at the rear wheel.

The RC 8C has 23.7 degrees of rake and is delivered with 28mm-offset triple clamps which give the bike 98.6mm of trail. There is enough adjustment in the front end for a rider to get lost if not careful; adjustment in the head stock allows for 1-degree of rake adjustment in 0.5-degree increments in either direction; there are two triple clamp options, with 26mm or 28mm of offset, and the rake and trail can also be affected by front or rear ride height. The wheelbase measures 1400mm (55.2 inches).

Front view of the KTM RC 8C and its MotoGP-derived centered ram-air intake scoop and winglets. Photo courtesy KTM.

High end WP Racing suspension components add both a bling factor and performance to the RC 8C. At the front, Krämer fitted 43mm APEX PRO 7543 pressurized forks which representatives claim are one tier down from the units used in the KTM MotoGP program; the forks have compression, rebound, and pre-load adjustment. At the rear, the RC 8C uses a 46mm body, WP APEX PRO 7746 shock which reminds me of a pre-TTX Öhlins shock. Available adjustments include spring pre-load, high-speed and low-speed compression damping, and rebound damping.

Forged aluminum Dymag UP7X 17-inch racing wheels are fitted; the front is 3.5 inches wide, while the rear is 6.0. The RC 8C is delivered with Pirelli Diablo Superbike racing slicks.

The KTM RC 8C comes with a carbon-fiber aerodynamic front fender and carbon-fiber winglets. The fuel tank is integrated into the tail section, underneath the seat; note filler cap behind the seat pad. Photo courtesy KTM.

Stopping the Krämer KTM is a set of Brembo Stylema calipers mated with a Brembo 19mm RCS CORSA CORTA radial master cylinder and a set of fully floating 290mm discs. KTM claims the use of the adjustable master cylinder allows a rider to tailor the bite point. I thought using a 19mm master cylinder with a set of Stylema calipers wasn’t ideal since Brembo recommends a 17mm master cylinder. I could have changed the ratio all day but chose to not mess with it, and it worked OK as is.

The bodywork is styled after the KTM RC16 MotoGP bike; the RC 8C fairing has a large ram-air intake at the center of the leading edge and carbon fiber winglets along with a downforce-producing scoop on the lower just in front of the rear wheel. That combination helps to mitigate wheelies and improve stability.

As crashing is part of the game, the RC 8C comes equipped with crash protection sliders on the front forks, frame, swingarm, and fuel tank. Mr. Krämer was especially proud of the frame sliders, which are large plastic extrusions mounted to a floating metal plate on the frame to limit damage.

A close up of one of the KTM RC 8C’s bolt-on frame sliders. Photo courtesy KTM.

Careful attention was paid to the ergonomics. CNC-machined rear-set controls are sturdy, offering 66mm total range in three steps. Pads have also been added to the swingarm behind the rear sets to limit crash damage, and many Krämer owners I have spoken to say the bike is durable when it comes to crashing.

The RC 8C comes with no rider aids, but there is an optional rain map that reduces the power in the first 15% of throttle opening. On the track it feels like the rain map cuts the power by limiting the rate of throttle opening, and the power delivery is really soft. It’s possible to easily switch on the fly between the rain and normal mapping using the left side handlebar switch, but the change will not be enabled until the throttle is closed. There are also two available engine braking settings, to match rider preference. This can also be adjusted on the fly, but like the throttle map, the change will not be enabled until the throttle is closed. A pit lane speed-limiter function was also enabled and worked as described on pit lane. The RC 8C also comes with a quick-shifter and auto-blip for clutch-less downshifts.

KTM RC 8C racing two-into-one titanium exhaust system. Photo courtesy KTM. — KTM RC 8C racing two-into-one titanium exhaust system. Note aero scoop in front of the rear wheel. Photo courtesy KTM.

Krämer uses an AIM MXS 1.2 RACE dash with data logging capabilities and integrated GPS. The dash can be customized through AIM’s Race Studio. As delivered, the 5-inch dash displayed rpm, gear position, lap time, and lap time split. The logged data is streamed over the CAN line.

…

Rolling off the starting grid, I started to pick up the pace and move through the group. The RC 8C fit me really well; the angle and position of the handlebars were aggressive but comfortable and didn’t put undue stress on my wonky shoulders. The location of the footpegs worked well for me, putting my feet in an ideal position, and the distance from the pegs to seat was just right. There was plenty of room in the seat to move and the fuel tank cover was a nice width, allowing me to move around without being too skinny.

It took me a few laps to figure out how torquey the engine really is. Once up to speed, I could roll though most of the slower corners in third gear and the RC 8C would chug right out. The LC8c engine builds power from 5,000 rpm until the 10,500-rpm limit. And thanks to some tuning, a pipe, and a relatively light crankshaft, it rips through the rev range quickly—so quickly that I often found myself getting into the rev limiter, which slowed the lap time if I wasn’t on top of things.

The GP-style chassis really makes the RC 8C a pleasure to ride. I’ve been to Jerez about six times for press events over the years and knew using the inside curbs is an important element to turning a good lap time, but only if I could get the motorcycle to turn down that far in time. I had no trouble positioning the RC 8C where I wanted to through all phases of the corners.

The RC 8C without its bodywork, showing the self-supporting plastic tailsection and fuel tank; note the aero scoop in front of the rear wheel, the minimal chrome-moly steel tube frame, and braced swingarm. Photo courtesy KTM.

I rode the first half of the day on the baseline track setting the bike is delivered with, which worked great, but I struggled to get the bike to continue to rotate around the corner as my speed increased. This was due to the rear being slightly too soft for my size and weight as the base setting on the rear suspension is set up for a rider that weighs between 165 and 187 lbs. The quick fix was to add a round of rear-spring pre-load, going from 12mm to 13mm, which gave me the support I wanted, but also put too much stress on the rear tire. So, we went back to the base setting and looked at the front of the bike.

I had noticed that the rebound was a little fast and the RC 8C had great support, so we slowed down the rebound by adding three clicks (from 16 to 13 clicks) and took out one turn of preload (from 18mm to 17mm). Those two changes helped me get the bike to finish the corner while still carrying decent corner speed. It also showed that the Krämer-built chassis responds as expected to suspension changes.

As I piled on laps, I found the RC 8C has a broad range of usability—the chassis works well at both a medium and a fast pace. But it worked really well the faster I went. The overall balance of the bike is great; it was stable on the brakes, turned in well, had good front feel at the apex, and finished the corner. It’s rare that a bike ticks all those boxes! Honestly, it reminded me of the Grand Prix racebikes I grew up riding, including the Honda RS125 and Yamaha TZ250. My only complaints came from the braking performance and gearing. I think 300mm-305mm front brake rotors would not have hurt the handling and the increased performance would have been worth the change. It could have also used slightly taller final drive gearing to maximize the bike’s potential at Jerez.

And, to answer the bike question a few people have asked, would it be competitive in Supersport? Maybe. It has the chassis performance, but I think it would need an extra 10 horsepower or so to keep up with a 600cc four-cylinder Supersport racebike.

By the end of the day, I’d done seven 20-minute sessions on a pretty warm day in the South of Spain before throwing in the towel. That’s two hours and 20 minutes on track! The RC 8C allowed me the time and bandwidth to work on my riding during the sessions so I could reach my potential on the day. It offers a balanced chassis that’s sharp, but forgiving, packaged with high-end components and a user-friendly engine. It could be the ultimate track day weapon. And it’s priced right when considering what it costs to build a front-line MotoAmerica Supersport or Stock 1000 racebike.

Back in the pits at Jerez after the end of the day, the group was tired, but everyone was buzzing and raving. The vibe carried into dinner, where one of the participants called for a toast to KTM for giving the group a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I sat with the American riders and the Finn, and they were carrying on about the day, about bikes they owned, and about plans for GP adventures. It was interesting to experience an event from the other side. And it reminded me why we all got into the sport in the first place: Because it’s fun!

As for KTM, the RC 8C and the track experience had turned skeptics into orange-bleeders within a couple laps at Jerez.

KTM hasn’t announced plans for another run of RC 8C track bikes, but if they build them, the buyers will line up.

Climb onboard for a lap around Spain’s Circuito de Jerez Circuit with Roadracing World Racing Editor Chris Ulrich at the controls of an ultra-exclusive, racetrack-only 2022 KTM RC 8C.

PanAmerican Superbike Round Two Race Results From PBIR

David Swarts

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January 12, 2022

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PanAmerican Superbike

Palm Beach International Raceway

January 8-9, 2022

Max Angles Takes Four Wins at PanAmerican Superbike Round Two

During round 2 of the 2022 PanAmerican SuperBike season, we saw some familiar and some new faces on the podium. Continuing his dominance is the SuperStock and Sunoco SuperBike 600 class, Max Angles with the PDR Motorsports team found himself on the top podium spot in both the Grande Corsa and Sprint races for SuperStock 600 and Sunoco SuperBike 600 class with four wins overall. We saw a bit more excitement within our 1000 class. 2021 Expert overall champion Alex Arango with Top Pro Motorsports started the day with a 0.024 second win over Maximilano Gerardo in the SuperStock 1000 Grande Corsa race. Later that morning, Alex returned to the track to win the Sunoco SuperBike 1000 Grande Corsa race. Later in the day, Maximilano Gerardo with PDR Motorsports was able to bring home the win in the SuperStock 1000 Sprint race. At the end of the day, we witnessed another close battle between Alex Arango and Maximilano Gerardo in the Sunoco SuperBike 1000 Sprint race with Maximiliano pulling off a 0.166 second win over Alex.

First year Expert racer, Zane Lefko completed a sweep with wins both Expert Formula Twin Grande Corsa and Sprint races. Another first timer in the Formula Twins class, Michael Blum with Top Pro Motorsports team repeated his round 1 success with wins in the Amateur Formula Twins Grande Corsa and Sprint races. Continuing the streak of sweeps, Edward Smith managed his first sweep with wins in the Amateur Euro Light Grande Corsa and Sprint races.

In round 1, we witness Avery Dreher beat his own lap record in the SuperStock 400. Not one to rest on his laurels, round 2 saw Avery pushed the SuperStock 400 Expert lap record under the 1:26 mark with a 1:25.998. The youth movement continues to raise the bar. Julian Correa with SFlMinGp team broke his own lap record with 1:24.269. Riding his back wheel was Belladonna Britanni with 1:24.550. It’s going to be exciting when we return to PBIR in April to see which one of these racers will ride away with the lap record.

From one end of the age spectrum, we switch gears to our Formula 50 1000 racers. The Amateur Formula 50 racers put on a quite the show. On lap five, Tim Chin broke the lap record with a 1:21.241, but he held that record for only 0.198 seconds. Michael Blum crossed the line with a 1:21.067 to snatch that lap record away from Tim. In our Expert racer Victor Silva with the +Power Moto Racing Team broke his own record with a 1:20.428.

We will have to wait until April to see if any more lap records are broken at PBIR. In February, PanAmerican SuperBike will be headed south to Homestead-Miami Speedway for Round 3 of the 2022 season!

PanAmerican Superbike would like to thank our 2022 sponsors for their continued support!

Sunoco Racing Fuels

Southern Racing Fuels

Palm Beach County Sports Commission

Bridgestone Tires

Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

Envy Racing Apparel

MYLAPS Sports Timing

Florida Track Days

For more racing information visit: www.PanAmSbk.com

Full Season Championship Results and Individual Race Results are conveniently available online at: https://www.panamsbk.com/championships/

or follow us on social media:

www.instagram.com/panamsbk

www.facebook.com/panamsbk

Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.

PanAmerican Superbike 2022 Round 2 Race Results

Shops: 619 Kneedraggrz, In The January Issue

Trudy Ulrich

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January 12, 2022

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Shops: 619 Kneedraggrz, In The January Issue

Featured In the January 2022 issue of Roadracing World:

“When I started racing, one of the biggest challenges I faced was transporting my motorcycle and stuff to the racetrack. I only had a car that was unable to tow anything, so I was stuck borrowing my buddy’s pickup truck until I bought my first race van.

“Randy Sadia had a similar experience when he went to his first motorcycle track day, and that motivated him to start 619 Kneedraggrz, a business that specializes in helping track day riders and racers who need a little extra support getting to the track…”

—”Shops: 619 Kneedraggrz,” by David Swarts

Track day rider Randy Sadia started out hauling motorcycles for other track day riders, charging a flat fee. As people got out of the sport, he started buying their equipment and renting it to other people. Today, his “Superpit” is a hit with riders hooked on the convenience of having someone else handle the logistics of getting to a track day. Read the story of how Sadia turned his passion into his business in the latest issue of Roadracing World!

Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology is THE definitive source for motorcycle racing, riding, and tech information.

PREVIEW the January 2022 Issue of Roadracing World!

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American Flat Track: Sacramento Mile Tickets On Sale Now

David Swarts

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January 12, 2022

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Sacramento Mile Tickets On Sale Now

SACRAMENTO, CA – Tickets are now available for the Legendary Sacramento Mile motorcycle races set for Saturday, August 20, 2022, at the historic Cal Expo Fairgrounds when the Progressive American Flat Track national series returns to Sacramento for its 57th appearance.

The Cal Expo motorcycle classic will be the 14th race on the 18-event 2022 AFT campaign which begins on March 10 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL.

The nation’s top flat track motorcycle racers have come to the Capitol City dating back to 1959 at the historic one-mile dirt track at the California State Fairgrounds. SDI Racing, LLC, again serves as the host to the motorcycle racing series that is known as the “Original Extreme Sport” with speeds up to 140 miles per hour.

“We are very excited to bring the AFT series back to Cal Expo in 2022,” said Steve DeLorenzi, President and CEO of SDI Racing, LLC. “And we have opened ticket sales before the first of the year for our fans to grab the best seats available for the Aug. 20 spectacular. If you haven’t seen motorcycles and their riders on a mile dirt track, you are ready missing out on a great wheel-to-wheel, handlebar-to-handlebar competition.

Tickets for the Legendary Sacramento Mile can be purchased online at the link below:

https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/5465034/2022-sacramento-mile-august-202022-sacramento-sacramento-mile?cobrand=2022SacMile

The seats at Cal Expo will be available in the Turf Club (with food service), Box Seats, Grandstands and General Admission. Children tickets are also available at reduced prices.

About the Legendary Sacramento Mile:

The legacy of the Sacramento Mile travels back to 1959 when Grand National champion Carroll Resweber captured the first main event on his Harley-Davidson. Since that historic event, every top flat track motorcycle racer in the world has compete at the California Capitol City dirt oval. Names like Joe Leonard, Bart Markel, Dick Mann, Mert Lawwill, Gene Romero, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Scott Parker, Chris Carr, Bryan Smith, Jared Mees and Briar Bauman have battled at speeds of 140 miles per hour at Sacramento. SDI Racing, LLC, is the current Sacramento Mile promoter.

Ulster Grand Prix Returning August 16-20

David Swarts

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January 12, 2022

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Ulster Grand Prix Returning August 16-20

ULSTER GRAND PRIX RETURNS

The world’s fastest motorcycle road race, the Ulster Grand Prix, will return this summer after a two year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event will be promoted by the Revival Racing Motorcycle club and will be staged on August 16-20 at the Dundrod circuit.

We understand the unique appeal of the UGP to riders and fans alike, and we are delighted to bring racing back to this famous track.

It’s been a very uncertain time for the sport because of Coronavirus and we can’t wait to hear bikes roaring down the Flying Kilo again this summer.

We are indebted to the volunteers at the Ulster Grand Prix for their collaboration and continuing hard work to stage this famous race in its centenary year.

More details of the week long race programme will be announced soon.

Dakar Rally: Price Wins Stage 10, Van Beveren Retakes Overall Lead

David Swarts

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January 12, 2022

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Dakar Rally: Price Wins Stage 10, Van Beveren Retakes Overall Lead

TOBY PRICE WINS DAKAR STAGE 10

Dakar Rally 2022 – Stage 10

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price has won day 10 of the 2022 Dakar Rally – his first stage win at the 44th running of the event. On what was a day of mixed fortunes for the team, Matthias Walkner lost some time while opening the stage, but still lies fourth overall in the provisional overall standings. Danilo Petrucci enjoyed a solid stage, finishing 11th quickest. Unfortunately for Kevin Benavides, his rally came to a premature end when a technical issue forced him to withdraw from the event.

A long, 759-kilometer day in the saddle lay ahead of the riders as they entered stage 10 of the rally from Wadi Ad Dawasir to Bisha. The 375-kilometer timed special was mostly made up of fast sandy tracks, with a couple of dirt sections and dunes adding to the mix. Although navigation was relatively straightforward, it was still easy to make a costly mistake when picking a route through the stage.

Despite his relatively late start position into today’s special, Toby Price decided to remain completely focused on his roadbook throughout the stage. The tactic paid off as the two-time Dakar champ delivered a near-faultless run through the challenging stage, slowly moving up the order and taking the lead on time by kilometer 250. Toby’s win moves him up to sixth in the provisional rally standings where he trails the current event leader by just under 28 minutes. A sizeable gap, but one the Aussie hopes to reduce over the final two days of racing.

Toby Price: “It’s been a really good day for me today. I focused on my roadbook the whole way and did a good job with my navigation with only a couple of small mistakes over the whole stage. I’ve moved nicely up the order overall, but there is still a bit of a gap to the front guys. As we know, anything can happen in rally, so I’ll give it my all for these last two days and we’ll see where we end up.”

Setting off as the fourth rider to enter today’s special, Matthias Walkner caught and passed the riders ahead of him by the halfway point, and from there had the unenviable task of opening what was arguably the toughest part of the stage. A couple of small errors ended up with the Austrian losing several minutes to his rivals, but despite the setback, Matthias still lies well within the top five overall and will enjoy a strong start position for tomorrow’s penultimate stage 11.

Matthias Walkner: “The Dakar is always a little bit up and down and today after I hit the front, I lost some time with a couple of small mistakes. The sun was really high today and it made visibility quite bad, which in turn made the pistes really difficult to see when you’re out front. It’s frustrating, but that’s always the way it is. Up to that point I think I was riding really well and making up good time. We still have two very long stages to go, so I’ll get some rest tonight and then be ready to attack again tomorrow.”

Reaching the final stages of his first ever Dakar Rally, Danilo Petrucci continues to put in highly commendable results among the more established rally racers. Completing stage 10 in 11th place, the former MotoGP™ star is now fully focused on the final two stages of the event and claiming a Dakar finish at his first attempt.

Danilo Petrucci: “Today was tough because it became very hot as the day went on and then it’s easier to make mistakes. I’m pleased with my result, but I didn’t push too hard because I’m really close to the end now and my main goal has always been to finish the race. Two more days to go, and I’m looking forward to getting to the end.”

Unfortunately for Kevin Benavides, his 2022 Dakar Rally campaign came to a close following a technical issue on stage 10. Starting the special in third, and making good time, the reigning Dakar Champion was forced to stop at kilometer 133. Unable to complete the stage, Kevin will return to the bivouac and hopefully re-start the event tomorrow, although he will not be eligible to feature in the final classification.

Provisional Results Stage 10 (overall) – 2022 Dakar Rally

1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 3:05:32

2. Luciano Benavides (ARG), Husqvarna, 3:07:41 +2:09

3. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 3:09:07 +3:35

4. Lorenzo Santolino (ESP), Sherco, 3:11:12 +5:40

5. Andrew Short (USA), Yamaha, 3:12:01 +6:29

Other KTM

11. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), KTM, 3:13:25 +7:53

27. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 3:21:27 +15:55

Provisional Standings – 2022 Dakar Rally after 10 of 12 stages

1. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, 33:27:06

2. Sam Sunderland (GBR), GASGAS, 33:33:05 +5:59

3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Honda, 33:31:21 +6:15

4. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 33:35:30 +8:24

5. Joan Barreda (ESP), Honda, 33:33:53 +10:47

Other KTM

6. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 33:54:49 +27:43

8. Mason Klein (USA), KTM, 34:04:55 +37:49

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Adrien Van Beveren Is Back On Top At Dakar Rally 2022

Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team’s Adrien Van Beveren has retaken the lead at the Dakar Rally following the conclusion of today’s stage 10. Delivering his best result of the rally so far with a third-place finish on what was a truly technical special, the Frenchman now returns to the head of the field in the provisional overall standings with a near six-minute advantage over his closest rival. Rounding out an undeniably positive day for the team, Andrew Short also posted his best stage result by completing the special as the fifth fastest rider and now advances three spots in the overall rankings to seventh with two stages remaining.

Even with his less than favourable starting position on stage 10, Adrien Van Beveren set off ninth yet set a blistering pace to quickly reel in the leading riders. From there, the recently turned 31-year-old rode his own race, navigating superbly through the rocky canyons near to the end of the 374-kilometre special to post the third fastest time – his best stage result of the rally so far. Following another strong day in the desert, Van Beveren now enjoys a healthy advantage at the top of the overall standings.

Adrien’s Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team teammate Andrew Short also enjoyed a successful stage 10 with the American securing the fifth fastest time, earning his best stage finish at the 2022 Dakar. As the sixth rider to enter the special, Andrew did a tremendous job in maintaining his high pace through the technical stage. And with the exception of a minor navigational mistake, he successfully brought his Yamaha WR450F Rally home among the leading group of riders.

In the Light Prototype class, Camelia Liparoti continues to enjoy a positive race at the Dakar Rally with the Italian now lying eighth in the provisional standings with two stages and a scheduled 508 kilometres of racing remaining.

Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team

3rd Stage 10

Like every day I focused heavily on my roadbook and rode the stage with a strong pace throughout. Navigation wasn’t easy today, especially with so many canyons in places, but I did a really good job, I think. I did struggle to find a couple of waypoints but otherwise it was another great stage for me. I went as fast as I could near the end and ended up in a good spot on the stage, and also in the overall. Tomorrow is a big day and opening will be difficult, but I’m ready for the challenge.

Andrew Short – Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team

5th Stage 10

Stage 10 was really fun and I’m really happy to have posted by best result of the rally. It was a cool stage that flowed well with a bit of everything, rocks, canyons, some dunes, and even some dust which we haven’t, fortunately, seen too much of this year. I did make one small mistake which cost me a little bit of time, but not too much, so maybe my result would have been better without that. We’re getting close to the finish line now so two to go and I’m excited for tomorrow.

Dakar Rally 2022

Stage 10 Provisional Classification

1. Toby Price (KTM) 3:05:32

2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:07:41 + 0:02:09

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 3:09:07 + 0:03:35

4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 3:11:12 + 0:05:40

5. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 3:12:01 + 0:06:29

6. Stefan Svitko (Honda) 3:12:01 + 0:06:29

Dakar Rally 2022

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 10)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 33:27:06

2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 33:33:05 + 0:05:59

3. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 33:31:21 + 0:06:15

4. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 33:35:30 + 0:08:24

5. Joan Barreda (Honda) 33:37:53 + 0:10:47

6. Toby Price (KTM) 33:54:49 + 0:27:43

7. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 34:01:03 + 0:33:57

More, from a press release issued by GASGAS Factory Racing:

SAM SUNDERLAND OVERCOMES A CHALLENGING STAGE 10 AT THE 2022 DAKAR RALLY

GASGAS FACTORY RACING ACE REMAINS WELL-PLACED IN THE PROVISIONAL OVERALL RESULTS WITH JUST TWO DAYS TO GO

Hot on the heels of his incredible ride yesterday, GASGAS Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland was fired up for a repeat performance on today’s stage 10 of the 2022 Dakar Rally. Frustratingly, an unfortunate mistake in a series of rocky canyons prevented the early rally leader from featuring at the top of the timesheets today. However, thanks to his impressive stage results through the first nine days, Sam remains well-placed in the provisional overall standings in second, just under six minutes behind the current leader.

Tough day for Sam but the Brit remains upbeat

Tomorrow set to be a pivotal day in the rally

Just two days and 508 kilometers of racing to go!

Sam Sunderland: “Day 10 is in the books and it was a tough one. Early on, Mason Klein crashed so I stopped to make sure he was ok as it looked like he’d had a big one, but I think he’s ok. I then set off and things were going good. I felt strong on the bike and my pace was solid. But then I ended up in the wrong canyon near the end and lost a bit of time. With two days to go and the times so close, it’s too close to call. It’s wide open so it certainly makes for an exciting race!”

Despite taking a wrong turn during stage 10, Sam remained calm and brought his GASGAS RC 450F home without losing too much time. With the overall classification shaken up after today’s seriously tough special, the battle for the win now features five talented racers with just two stages remaining. Fortunately for Sam, he’ll be the 19th rider to take on the 345-kilometer special tomorrow where he’ll have no option other than to get on the gas and deliver as strong a result as he can in the hope of opening up an advantage over his rivals, ahead of the all-important final stage on Friday.

Results (provisional): Dakar Rally 2022, stage 10

1. Toby Price (KTM) 3:05:32

2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:07:41

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 3:09:07

19. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 3:16:50

Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 10)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 33:27:06

2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 33:33:05

3. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 33:31:21

More, from a press release issued by Husqvarna Factory Racing:

RUNNER-UP RESULT FOR LUCIANO BENAVIDES ON DAKAR STAGE 10

ARGENTINIAN STAR STEERS HUSQVARNA FACTORY RACING FR 450 RALLY TO BEST RESULT OF 2022 EVENT SO FAR

Luciano Benavides has impressively completed stage 10 of the Dakar Rally as the second-fastest rider. Continuing his exceptional run of form in this second week of racing, the young Argentinian immediately pushed hard from his seventh-place start position, focusing intently on his navigation throughout the special. Putting in a superb ride to complete the 375-kilometre route just over two minutes down on the eventual stage winner, Luciano moves into 13th in the provisional overall standings.

The terrain that the riders faced on stage 10 was a mixture of sandy tracks, dirt roads, and a section of dunes – all coming together on what was a fast stage in terms of average speed – that collectively posed a huge challenge to all riders. With temperatures high in the desert, fatigue and focus was also an issue, with many of the event’s top riders making mistakes and subsequently losing time over the course of the special.

Overcoming the difficulties on today’s stage, Luciano showed great maturity and skill to take maximum advantage of his seventh-place start position and pushed his way up through the field to ultimately challenge for the stage win on his FR 450 Rally. Completing the gruelling special just two minutes and nine seconds behind winner Toby Price, Benavides now moves up to 13th in the provisional overall standings.

Setting off second for tomorrow’s 346-kilometre special on stage 11, and aiming to chase down and catch Price ahead of him, Luciano will be keen to further improve his overall placing before going into the rally’s final day.

Luciano Benavides: “I’m really pleased with my day today. It feels good to be right up there near the top and putting in the sort of results I know I’m capable of. I focused a lot on my navigation today, but there were still some tricky notes on the roadbook and some parts of the route were quite confusing. I made a couple of small mistakes, but the guys up front made mistakes too and it was possible for me to make up quite a lot of time over the whole stage. We have two days left now, so I’ll keep pushing and hopefully have a good, strong finish to the rally.”

2022 Dakar Rally – Stage 10 Provisional Classification

1. Toby Price (KTM) 3:05:32

2. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 3:07:41

3. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 3:09:07

4. Lorenzo Santolino (Sherco) 3:11:12

5. Andrew Short (Yamaha) 3:12:01

6. Stefan Svitko (KTM) 3:12:01

2022 Dakar Rally – Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 10)

1. Adrien Van Beveren (Yamaha) 33:27:06

2. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 33:33:05

3. Pablo Quintanilla (Honda) 33:33:21

4. Matthias Walkner (KTM) 33:35:30

5. Joan Barreda (Honda) 33:37:53

6. Toby Price (KTM) 33:54:49

…

13. Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) 34:16:17

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Honda Team:

Pablo Quintanilla, second in the 2022 Dakar ahead of the grand finale

The 2022 Dakar Rally enters its final stretch with the frontrunners positioning themselves before the final showdown. Today, most riders opted for a tactical strategy rather than leaving anything to chance in tomorrow’s decisive stage in Bisha. For the Monster Energy Honda Team, Quintanilla moves onto the rally’s virtual final podium, while Joan Barreda finished third on the stage.

With just two days left to run, competitors were looking to play their best hand on stage ten – for the most part a fast-paced, navigation-filled route including 375 kilometres against the clock. The high number of parallel tracks made it a tough task for some of the riders who were forced to make split-second decisions about which paths to follow. A total of 759 kilometres were completed from Wadi Ad-Dawasir to Bisha including the special stage and liaison sections. Fortunately, all four Monster Energy Honda Team riders aboard their Honda CRF450 Rally bikes, made it back, problem-free, to the final bivouac of the Dakar 2022.

Monster Energy Honda Team’s Spanish rider Joan Barreda set a fine pace today and, despite a minor mistake that forced him to have to retrace several kilometres, posted third. However, a subsequent penalty of 2 minutes for speeding in a transfer zone left him fifth in the overall standings, 8’47 behind the leader.

Pablo Quintanilla, tenth on the day, moved up into second place in the overall rally standings with two days left before the rally ends in Jeddah. The Chilean carved out notable times throughout the stage, pulling ahead at the start, before eventually dropping seven minutes to the day’s winner. Tomorrow, on the Bisha loop, his goal will be to finish as far ahead as possible. In the general standings, the rider from Viña del Mar, who received a 1 minute penalty as team-mate Barreda, holds second, 5’15 behind the leader.

Ricky Brabec and José Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Cornejo had the tough task of opening the track today. The pair led for most of the day, only shedding time towards the end of the special. In the overall rankings, both riders are in the top ten, but with over 38 minutes separating them from the 2022 Dakar leaders.

Tomorrow’s stage

Tomorrow will undoubtedly be one of the most interesting special stages of recent years, where several riders will make their bids for a final podium place in Jeddah the day after tomorrow. The battle will be epic. The loop to the Bisha bivouac will feature a total of 346 kilometres of timed section out of the 501-kilometre total stage with 155 kilometres of liaison sections. Large helpings of sand and dunes will be present on the menu of this, the most decisive stage of the Dakar 2022.

Ricky Brabec 2

STAGE: 13TH OVERALL: 8TH

Today was good. This was stage 10, so we’re almost at the finish. I was up front with Nacho most of the day. We made a slight mistake which cost a little time, but in the end it was perfect for us because we are in a good spot for stage 11 which is supposed to be tricky. Like we said before, we don’t know which stage is tricky and which is not. It’s up in the air as far as strategy goes. Tomorrow we are in a good spot to push and see what we have to do. I’m very happy with this. The team’s doing a good job. After tomorrow we will know exactly where we’ll finish. I feel we have a lot of energy, so we’ll do our best.

Pablo Quintanilla 7

STAGE: 10TH OVERALL: 2ND

I’m happy; it was a good day. Today it was important to manage the race well ahead of tomorrow’s stage which will be key to defining this Dakar. I had some references from the riders in front of me and I tried to manage it in the best way possible, so as not to lose time and to be able to start from a good position tomorrow. I think it went well. The race is still open and tomorrow will be an intense day, where we will have to push all day long. We’re going to try to rest now so that we are in good shape for tomorrow’s stage.

José Ignacio Cornejo 11

STAGE: 18TH OVERALL: 9TH

It was difficult today. I knew that I would have to open the track and that it would be complicated. I was doing well until I arrived before the refuelling in a complex area and I lost a bit of time. Then I tried not to lose my concentration and to keep a good pace to finish the stage well, making up some of the lost time. Tomorrow will be tough and it will be good to start from behind. I think we can recover a few more positions in the general standings.

Joan Barreda 88

STAGE: 3RD OVERALL: 5TH

It was a complicated stage, especially in terms of navigation, where I had to turn back a few kilometres to find a waypoint. In the end I found some good pace to attack over the final kilometres. I saw that there were strategies from some other riders… I also picked up a penalty at the entrance of a controlled zone when I lost concentration. I’m not sure what the penalty will be. I’m not really sure how it all went, but it was a stage from which we had to salvage something. I don’t think I’m in a bad position for tomorrow, but it won’t be easy: there will be a lot of sand and plenty of dunes… I’m going to give it everything I’ve got for the two remaining days.

World Supersport: Dynavolt Triumph Signs Soomer

David Swarts

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January 12, 2022

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World Supersport: Dynavolt Triumph Signs Soomer

DYNAVOLT TRIUMPH WELCOMES HANNES SOOMER FOR 2022 WORLD SUPERSPORT CAMPAIGN

Dynavolt Triumph are delighted to announce they have secured the services of Hannes Soomer to contest the World Supersport Championship in 2022.

Hannes, who won the European Supersport Championship in 2017, will join the Dynavolt Triumph team as they make their return to the world arena following the overhaul of the FIM Supersport regulations using the Balance of Performance system.

The 23-year old Estonian rider began his career in the ADAC Junior Cup in 2011 and took his first podium in the class in 2012, when he finished fifth overall in the standings. In 2013, he made his first appearance in the European Junior Cup. 2015 saw his first podium in the Championship and the following year, his first win.

In the same year, Soomer made his debut in World Supersport for three rounds of the campaign. In 2017 Hannes took part in the European WorldSSP championship and, with 28 points overall, was crowned champion of the class. Soomer advanced to his first full season in WorldSSP the following year and soon became a regular points scorer. Further progress was made in 2019 with multiple top ten finishes, enough to earn him a move to Kallio Racing for 2020 where he ended the season with three podiums from the last four races. 2021 was a leaner year results-wise for the likeable ‘Baltic Bullet’ and he now embarks on his fifth full season in the World Supersport class with the UK based official factory Triumph team.

Hannes Soomer: “I am very happy to join the Dynavolt Triumph team for the 2022 season. I truly believe in the bike’s potential and the team’s experience and am sure we can find a good way to work quickly. This year will present some new challenges with the new regulations which makes it very unpredictable and interesting. I can only say we will give it our all and I can’t wait to start testing and really working for the season ahead.”

Dynavolt Triumph Team Manager Simon Buckmaster: “We are really pleased to announce that we have come to an agreement with Hannes Soomer for our official Dynavolt Triumph team. To be honest I’ve been watching Hannes’ progress in recent years and have spoken to him the last couple of seasons about the possibility of signing for our team so I’m pleased that for this year we’ve been able to make an agreement together. Hannes has already had podiums in 2020. Last year he broke his leg early in the season and came back impressively from that. I believe the potential is there, he has the experience and he believes in our team and the Triumph project. We are excited to get started with testing and looking forward to the early part of the championship. Our aim must be to challenge towards the front and ultimately for the podiums and the title. I think he is going to surprise a few people – not everybody because there are a few of us who realize his talent – but he is going to be a surprise. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Daytona 200 Winner David Sadowski, R.I.P.

John Ulrich

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January 12, 2022

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Daytona 200 Winner David Sadowski, R.I.P.

David Sadowski, the winner of the 1990 Daytona 200 and a former motorcycle racing TV commentator, died early this morning, January 12th, at home in Austell, Georgia, from an apparent heart attack. He was 58.

Sadowski is survived by girlfriend Janet Godfrey; sons David Jr. and Matt, both former racers; and by his brothers, Jamie, Pete, and Michael, and was pre-deceased by his brother Joey.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Godspeed, racer.

David Sadowski and son David Jr. circa 1990. Photo courtesy David Sadowski Jr.

AHRMA: Adams Wins Vintage Cup Races At Daytona

David Swarts

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January 11, 2022

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AHRMA: Adams Wins Vintage Cup Races At Daytona

Dawn of Superbike Racing kicks off AHRMA’s 2022 Vintage Cup

(January 11, 2022, Roseville, CA) The roots of superbike racing were on display during the opening round of the 2022 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) National Historic Cup Road Race Series at the AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ at Daytona International Raceway on January 8 and 9.

“The sound of those big, air-cooled, multis on the high banks of this temple of speed was incredible, and multiple Honda CBXs? Yeah, that’s mind blowing,” said Brian Larrabure, 2022 Chair of the AHRMA Board of Trustees. “I really hope fans of Superbike racing check out our Vintage Cup this year because it really will be a history lesson in how Superbikes got started and it’s just going to be great racing, too.”

The Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class was featured on both days of the Daytona event. Curtis Adams from Whittier, CA riding a 1981 Honda CB750F dominated on both days with back-to-back commanding Vintage Cup wins.

“We had a great time racing at Daytona, the Vintage Cup brings out all the good racers for this class—we took fourth on Saturday and second on Sunday. Great time seeing all the CBXs out there,” said Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class sponsor Tim’s CBX owner Bill Brint

There were 14 entries in the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class during both days of the event with some racers crossing the country to compete. Their motorcycles included Honda CB750F, Honda CB900F, Kawasaki Z1 B, Suzuki Katana 1000s, and Honda CBX1000 machines.

Vintage Superbike Heavyweight recreates and preserves the look and feel of this important era of road racing and showcases these unique machines. Superbikes of that era were based on street-legal models available for sale at any motorcycle dealership. Most lacked the streamlined bodywork, low, clip-on style handlebars and rear-set foot pegs of purpose-built Grand Prix motorcycles. Instead, riders sat almost upright on the machines. Wider handlebars gave the racer the leverage needed to wrestle the large bikes around a racing circuit.

The AHRMA Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class is for motorcycles produced through 1982 with unlimited displacement for twin-cylinder motors and three-cylinder motors with “pushrod” valves. Four-cylinder machines are limited to either 931 or 1,025 cc’s depending on the model.

A typical starting grid for the class may include a BMW R90, BSA Rocket 3, Kawasaki Z1 and GPZ 1000, Honda CB 750 and 900, Yamaha XS650 and Seca, Suzuki GS 750, 1000 and Katana. The same bikes that storied racers such as Wes Cooley, Reg Pridmore, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey rode to victory during the early years of Superbike competition in the United States.

The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra to competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the awards ceremony at high visibility AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadrace Series event. Highlights from each Vintage Superbike Heavyweight race will be reported in Roadracing World’s online edition (RoadRacingWorld.com). At the conclusion of the 2022 season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy will be engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner to keep for one year.

Saturday’s race started with 14 bikes on the grid. With a clean start, Curtis Adams moved out front early and led all the bikes to the finish. Jon Litsey settled in at second while Robert Ringnalda held third place. William Brint worked hard using Ringnalda’s draft staying close in the battle for third. Adams finished with a strong first place and Litsey prevailed in second. Ringnalda held off Brint for third, leaving Brint with fourth at the finish.

On Sunday 14 bikes again would join the grid. At the start flag Adams moved out front and then checked out early on the field. Adams pushed out to a 31 second lead for the win. The battle for second found Litsey contending again, but this race Brint jumped in and Litsey and Brint traded places several times until the last lap when Brint pulled out the pass for the second-place finish followed by Litsey in the third spot.

The 2022 Vintage Cup Trophy will be awarded to the Vintage Superbike Heavyweight class winner at select events including AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ at Daytona, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL, AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ in the Heartland, Heartland Motorsports Park, Topeka KS, AHRMA Classic MotoFest™ of Monterey, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Salinas, CA and Barber Vintage Festival, Barber Motorsports Park, Leeds, AL. Race dates and event registration links are available at: ahrma.org/schedules-results.

AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadrace Series Vintage Superbike Heavyweight Results – Saturday, January 8, 2022

Curtis Adams, 1981 Honda CB750F, Whittier, CA.
Jon Litsey, 1979 Honda CB750F, Redding, CA
Robert Ringnalda, 1979 Honda CBX1000, Columbus, OH
William Brint, 1979 Honda CBX1000, Mount Airy, GA
Jeremy Maddrill, 1979 Kawasaki KZ650, Steger, IL
Rian Mondriaan, 1982 Honda CB900F, Bradenton, FL
Alan Perry, 1982 Suzuki Katana 1000
Matt Esterline, 1977 Honda CB750F, Portage, MI
Warren Wilson, 1982 Kawasaki GPz750, Indianapolis, IN
Edward Barna, 1982 Honda CB750F, Randolph Center, VT

AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadrace Series Vintage Superbike Heavyweight Results – Sunday, January 9, 2022

Curtis Adams, 1981 Honda CB750F, Whittier, CA
William Brint, 1979 Honda CBX1000, Mount Airy, GA
Jon Litsey, 1979 Honda CB750F, Redding, CA
Jeremy Maddrill, 1979 Kawasaki KZ650, Steger, IL
Rian Mondriaan, 1982 Honda CB900F, Bradenton, FL
Alan Perry, 1982 Suzuki Katana 1000
Matt Esterline, 1977 Honda CB750F, Portage, MI
Warren Wilson, 1982 Kawasaki GPz750, Indianapolis, IN
Edward Barna, 1982 Honda CB750F, Randolph Center, VT
Robert Ringnalda, 1979 Honda CBX1000, Columbus, OH

Interview: Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu

January 13, 2022

While fighting for the 2021 Superbike World Championship, Toprak Razgatlioglu says he just focused on each individual race. “Every race, I look at the win,” he says. Photo courtesy Yamaha.