THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN APRILIA RACING AND SC-PROJECT CONTINUES
There is an important signature behind the success of the Aprilia RS-GP, the true revelation of this first part of the MotoGP championship. It is SC-Project, a leading Italian company in the study, design and production of exhaust systems for motorbikes, both racing and for road use.
The collaboration between Aprilia Racing and SC-Project, which began in 2021, will continue for the next two seasons, in which the Cassinetta di Lugagnano-based company will be Official Technical Supplier of the Veneto-based racing department. This will involve equipping all Aprilia racing bikes, from the 250 Sport Production to the 660 Trofeo, as well as the special series made by the racing department.
The exhaust adopted by the latest evolution of the RS-GP is of the 4-into-2 type, completely in titanium and made in Italy. It also includes a throttle valve to manage the power delivery of the over 270 hp V4 engine. A true work of art, perfectly integrated into the refined aerodynamics of the Aprilia prototype.
Massimo Rivola – Aprilia Racing CEO
“A solid and ambitious project like ours needs partners who share our same values. The one with SC-Project is a natural bond: two great Italian companies, technological leaders in their segments, with a sporty and innovative DNA. This is why we are proud to announce the continuation of our relationship, a path of common growth that, I have no doubt, will lead Made in Italy to excel on tracks all over the world”.
Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Technical Director
“The exhaust system is a key element of our new V4 engine, which is proving to be one of the most competitive in MotoGP. This is also thanks to the technical synergy with SC-Project, a dynamic and competent company with whom we have established a profitable relationship. In a championship where it is the details that make the real difference, it is essential to be able to count on a supplier that has the technology and expertise to contribute to the development of our RS-GP project”.
Stefano Lavazza – Marco De Rossi – Founders and Owners of SC-Project
“Our company has been present in the MotoGP Championship since 2009 and for us to enter into a strong technical collaboration with Aprilia Racing, an Italian brand of international importance and prestige, has enormous technical and professional value, not only for the 54 World titles won by the Noale-based manufacturer, but also for the excellence and Italianism that Aprilia represents in the motorcycling world. The synergy we have established with Aprilia Racing is of the highest level and represents the ultimate expression of motorbike technology in the premier category, MotoGP. Developing and building the best technological and high-performance exhaust systems for the RS-GP is an ambitious and very important project for SC-Project, an all-Italian combination!”.
Seven-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion Mat Mladin has shed more light onto the circumstances leading up to him being charged and then acquitted of child molestation crimes, saying he was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of a former girlfriend.
Mladin made the statement in a post on his Mat Mladin – Mladin Racing Facebook page today – Tuesday, July 5.
The post doesn’t spell it out and this has yet to be confirmed, but it’s believed that the former girlfriend mentioned in the post is the one who made accusations that Mladin sexually abused her child from another relationship.
Mladin has turned down a request from Roadracingworld.com to do an interview and instead plans to write more about the criminal charges he faced, his defense, and how it all affected him and the people around him in his own words via Facebook.
His most recent, and lengthy, installment is posted below, unedited and in its entirety:
For anyone who is a victim of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
I am “MAT MLADIN”. Surely I could not be the victim of DV, especially how all of you know me as the racer.
But away from the track I’m known as “Doof” by the two most important people in my life, Em and Jess, my two beautiful daughters. Yes 18 and 15 and they still call me Doof, the name my eldest gave me when she was just 2.
“He says it as he sees it”, “brutally honest”, “hard man”, “a machine”, “boring”, “prick”, “asshole”, and the list goes on. These are the things I was known as by the people that didn’t approve of how I went about things and probably by most of my competitors when racing in the USA. When you do a bit of winning you could be Harry Potter and they will call you these things. But truth be truths, on occasion I was all of the above. What you don’t know is that my life away from the track was very different. I didn’t believe I had to be defensive like I was at the track. I trusted people, I rarely hid anything from anyone. As one of the three witnesses in my case said, “too honest for his own good”. People that knew me well would say “he is so different at home compared to the track”. I could go on, but suffice to say I really screwed up my personal life after racing had finished. I should have treated my personal life like my professional life and I know now, I would have been much much happier if I did. I have screwed up some things and hurt some people and for this I can only improve and not allow things like this to happen again.
Because of the lies that landed me in this crap, the past two years of my life have been spent doing the best I could to prepare my now 18 year old uni student daughter and my 15 year old homeschooled daughter who is on the autistic spectrum, to prepare them for some years without their father and the possibility of having their mother depart their life at some point (a little on this later). Some would say that if I knew I was innocent, why would I worry about doing this? Anyone on this FB page knows most of my success on two wheels, from my first Australian dirt track championship win in 1981 through to my last and seventh American Superbike championship win 28 years later in 2009. To be able to have such success, one thing you have to learn first and foremost is to prepare for the worst because I can tell you from much experience that when you win as many motorcycle races as I have, a lot of the time you do so with some sort of problem (mechanical, sickness etc) that can mostly be overcome by being organised and prepared. So I started preparing my girls the best way I knew in March of 2020. That’s over 2 years of not knowing what my future held and worried sick about my daughters and their mum. It was the heaviest burden to carry.
My message to you: do not wait to go to the police because you think the DV you are suffering from will get better, it will not. If you are told “I love you, I’m sorry and I won’t do it again”, do not believe it – it will never get better.
My abuser would sneak up to my property with no worries about others seeing or hearing as the property was in the middle of nowhere. As per usual the tears and the sorry’s and the I love yous were the first thing, and when you didn’t accept these things once again and you verbally abuse them because that’s all you have, then that way of them trying to get back in is quickly replaced with yelling abuse and calling you everything under the sun and last but not least as they are walking away telling you to stop abusing them. Yes they change that quickly when they are not getting what they believe they deserve. They use every tool they have to make you feel like you are the abuser and they are the victim. My closest friends and my family have no idea at the depth of abuse I was subject to. Some have witnessed it, but for the most part I denied it was that bad. If video footage and CCTV from my security systems wasn’t available, few would believe it.
Throughout the past years, even though the relationship was on again off again, but by far mostly off, I endured constant stalking, mental and emotional abuse and physical violence, break and enter to my homes (whilst I was there and not) and the list goes on. I was dining with another woman in my local town, I was confronted, verbally abused, as was my date and chased out of the restaurant. I have been physically abused on the street and hoped that no one would see it, only to be asked later by a business owner across the road, who I’d known for 30 years, was I okay and if I wanted him to call the police. No I said, thinking it will “get better” and not wanting the abuser to get charged and so on. In 2018, I had the chance to work directly with a young man and get back involved in road racing, which for a few reasons I was excited about. I got to go to the track again and get my hands dirty in a different role, this time as a mechanic. I had big shoes to fill. If you ever saw my boys work on my bikes you would understand. I enjoyed giving back to the sport that has afforded myself, my daughter’s and their mum a very comfortable life. After all the abuse, I thought this will get me back on track and to be able to get away from my abuser. How wrong I was. When they see you slipping away, the abuse, the stalking, the complete invasion of privacy gets far far worse. Then you find yourself being told you are this and that, words I won’t use here because I’m sure some kids are reading, then you start feeling it’s your fault and that you are making this person abuse you and it’s exactly what you are being told by them.
Being charged with what I was, thrown in jail and then living the past two and a half years in silence waiting for my turn to speak, was very hard. But as I did in my racing days, I have and am taking all the positive things that have and are coming out of this tumultuous time in my life and have become smarter and better from the experience. We could hold onto the negatives and allow these perpetrators of DV to win and allow them to still control our lives indirectly but I won’t, never. I thank my abuser for the experience I have gained at the hands of her abuse. Mine and my daughter’s lives will be that much richer because of it.
I talk openly, actively and honestly with Em and Jess, about DV, among other things (unfortunately Em witnessed a lot of it). But I won’t let this very negative part of my life go forgotten without drawing on the positives. I did this in my professional life so I sure as heck won’t miss this opportunity this time in my private life.
When your life and privacy are constantly under threat of violence in one manner or another, you quickly turn inward and for me, being financially set and not having to go to work and also my daughters being with their mum fifty percent of the time, I had plenty of spare time and I started to drink alcohol, far too much at times and my cocaine use was out of control at times also. Other than a celebratory drink after winning a championship or a Daytona podium swig of the champers for example I never became a drinker until the abuse entered my life in my early 40’s. Even after the rough years of retiring from the sport I loved, I never touched a drink for three years after retirement. The first time I used drugs was not long after the first time I was physically abused as an adult when I was 43 years old. The drugs started for the first time not long after my abuser stormed into my house (on a property in a national park with just one private road in and my nearest neighbour 2kms away) when I had returned from a round of the Australian Superbike championships in 2015, with a woman I was seeing. We got home at midnight from the Queensland road trip. Half an hour after we were settling in for the night, my abuser bust through the door into my house and verbally abused my friend and this was the first time I was physically abused. The drugs allowed me to escape the abuse. These years could have all been a non event if I just took care of myself and not worried so much about others.
DO NOT BELIEVE YOUR ABUSER NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY OR HOW MUCH THEY APOLOGIZE. IF IT HAPPENS ONCE, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND OVER TIME IT WILL GET WORSE!
One last thing, I wanted to clear something up as the lovely person who looks after this FB page has told me that some people may be a little confused and may be thinking that all of this is about by my X wife. It is not. Absolutely couldn’t be further from the truth. We were together for nearly twenty years. My X wife and I are still good friends. We share our girls 50/50 and have done from the first day of our separation. There are no court orders in place to make sure we stick to this verbal agreement because we never needed that. We have both done everything we can to soften the landing as much as we can for our girls in what was a very hard time. We have remained very cordial for the past 10 years since our separation. The girl’s mum is going through her own very tough time battling brain cancer. The past twelve months have been very hard for her and of course us and her mum, dad and siblings and her close friends. She was the first person to put her hand up for me to come to trial as a character witness but her health just didn’t afford that. She was the third person to give me a tight squeeze (after our daughters) after all this stuff got sorted. I continue to support her through her fight and would do anything for her. She is the best mum and a loving, caring and compassionate person. And if I need an ear she was always there until the day her communication became a bit hard for her. She is the woman that gave me my beautiful daughters and until I take my last breath I will be there to support her.
CODY KITCHENS WINS IN SPANISH YAMAHA R6 CUP AT NAVARRA
Texan Cody Kitchens won the race at Circuito de Navarra at Round Two of the Yamaha R6 Cup on Sunday, July 3 in the Rookies division on his Andifer Racing Team Yamaha R6.
On a track that Cody had never seen before Friday, he overcame a couple of early technical
bike issues to qualify 10th overall, which saw him start on the outside of the fourth row. A good start put him in a position to get around two riders in the first two laps of the 13-lap race, in the bumpiest part of the course. “From there, I was able to keep a gap to the riders behind me,” said Cody. “I rode defensively, and they weren’t able to make a move on me for the rest of the race.” Cody now leads the points in the Rookies division of the 2022 Yamaha R6 Cup (www.challengeyamaha.com).
Cody, 16, continues to train with the Pakosta37 Riders Factory, riding on both dirt and
pavement, and doing track days on his personal Yamaha R6.
Cody’s next event of the 2022 Yamaha R6 Cup series is at the Catalunya Circuit, near
Barcelona, on July 15-17, 2022.
For the 2022 season, Cody Kitchens is proud to be sponsored by MT Helmets, Three
Chihuahua Racing (www.threechihuahuaracing.com) and Pakosta37 Riders Factory.
THREE-IN-A-ROW FOR RED BULL KTM’S KODY KOPP AT THE NEW YORK SHORT TRACK
Round 8 – American Flat Track Championship
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – Making it three-in-a-row in AFT Singles competition, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp has further extended his points lead in the 2022 American Flat Track Championship after claiming Main Event victory No. five with a dominant performance at the Round 8 New York Short Track in Weedsport, New York.
Kopp set himself up well for the evening, claiming the second-fastest time in qualifying. Sitting pole in Semi 2, he blasted off the line aboard his KTM 450 SX-F and controlled the lead for all eight laps. The young rider then went on to sweep the Dallas Lamb Challenge, once again leading all laps of the race. Continuing to showcase his dominance throughout the evening, Kopp rocketed out of pole position to lead all 21 laps of the AFT Singles Main Event for the third-straight round.
Kody Kopp: “I’m just really feeling comfortable with my team and my bike right now. We have a winning package that I feel like we can show up to any track and do very good at, and I just have to thank my team. They’ve put in a lot of work this year, and it’s starting to really pay off.”
In his first race back since knee surgery, teammate Max Whale put in a powerful performance in the Semi and Main event, despite qualifying 14th earlier in the day. After getting off to a sixth place start in Semi 2, he took fourth at the checkers. He kept the momentum going in the main. Starting from the second row of the grid In the Main Event, Whale promptly powered his way into the top-five and held steady. Nearing the halfway point, he lost a couple positions to settle into seventh but he put on a late-race charge to go after the sixth-place spot. Re-claiming sixth right before the line, Whale secured a valiant six-place result in his first race back from injury.
Max Whale: “First weekend back since the Red Mile incident and I had a tough weekend, just really struggled at the start. It took me a while to get back into the flow of things with my knee feeling a little bit uncomfortable but I improved all day, which I’m absolutely hyped about. Sixth-place is definitely not what I wanted, but it’s a good start. It’s been four weeks off the bike, which is probably the longest I’ve been off the bike in a very long time. I rode through the week but just still not 100 percent. Hopefully before the next one, we’re 100 percent and ready to fight for the win.”
Kopp extends his lead in the AFT Single Championship standings, while teammate Whale sits in sixth.
Next Race: Port Royal Half-Mile – Port Royal, Pennsylvania – July 16, 2022
Round 8 Results – New York Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 8 – New York Short Track)
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Trevor Brunner, Yamaha
3. Hunter Bauer, KTM
OTHER
6. Max Whale, KTM
12. Travis Petton IV, KTM
13. James Ott, KTM
17. Damon Ream, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 8)
1. Kody Kopp, 180 points
2. Morgen Mischler, 138
3. Dalton Gauthier, 114
OTHER
6. Max Whale, 102
9. James Ott, 64
10. Hunter Bauer, 58
14. Travis Petton IV, 41
20. Ryan Wells, 18
22. Logan McGrane, 13
23. Damon Ream, 13
24. Tanner Dean, 11
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING DOMINATES NEW YORK SHORT TRACK, SWEEPS PODIUM WITH BAUMAN, VANDERKOOI AND MEES
Win Ties Briar Bauman for Second in Championship Points Chase
Jarod Vanderkooi Scores Second Podium Finish of Season
Reigning Champion Jared Mees Maintains Top Position on SuperTwins Leaderboard Following Third-Place Finish
The AFT Mission SuperTwins podium at the New York Short Track: winner Briar Bauman (center), runner-up Jarod Vanderkooi (left), and third-place finisher Jared Mees (right). Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Minneapolis, MN. (July 5, 2022) – The 2022 American Flat Track (AFT) season returned to action this past Saturday for the New York Short Track, where Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, swept the podium. Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew rider Briar Bauman triumphed after a hard-fought battle with fellow Indian Motorcycle Privateer Jarod Vanderkooi, as Bauman’s second win of the season propelled him into a tie for second on the SuperTwins season leaderboard. Rounding out the all-FTR750 podium sweep in third was reigning Indian Motorcycle champion and current points leader Jared Mees.
When the 10-second card dropped on the main event, Mees launched off the line to a second-place start and quickly began challenging for the lead. Meanwhile, Bauman started the race in fifth place from the second line. On lap two, Mees took the high line to sneak into the front position and swiftly began pulling away from the field. Unfortunately, a big mistake a few laps later saw Mees almost go into the fence, which allowed the competition to close in on his rear wheel. Vanderkooi took advantage, taking over the lead at the six-minute mark. Despite a slow start, Bauman was relentless in his pursuit to the front of the pack. In the final four minutes, Bauman crept to the inside of his teammate to take over second and tuck in behind Vanderkooi. Throughout the late stages of the race, an intense game of cat and mouse ensued as Bauman and Vanderkooi diced back and forth and meticulously maneuvered their way around lappers. Bauman continued to ride masterfully, sliding to the inside of Vanderkooi to take over the lead with only 30-seconds plus two-laps remaining, ultimately taking the checkered flag and the win. This victory marks the former two-time champion’s second of the season.
“This is a huge win for Briar [Bauman]. He’s been struggling a bit over the past few rounds so it was great to see him fight through the pack tonight. This victory also puts him right back in the thick of the championship chase so hopefully he can continue to carry this momentum through the second half of the season,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “We could not be more proud of our team and all the Indian Motorcycle riders to come away with a podium sweep. I’m very impressed with Jarod’s [Vanderkooi] effort. He was so close to pulling out the win.”
Mees continues to lead the championship chase with a 16-point advantage, while Bauman’s win moved him up one spot in the standings, now tied for second overall with 140 points.
The 2022 AFT season will continue on Saturday, July 16, at the Peoria TT in Peoria, IL.
Sponsors for Indian Motorcycle Racing’s American Flat Track efforts include Progressive Insurance, S&S®, Indian Motorcycle Oil, Mission Foods, Bell Helmets, Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited.
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
AMA Pro Racing Deeply Mourns the Loss of Ryan Varnes
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2022) – AMA Pro Racing is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of American Flat Track competitor Ryan Varnes (24) and extends heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
Varnes, a Pennsylvania native, was involved in an on-track incident in the Production Twins Main Event at Weedsport Speedway on Saturday evening. On-scene emergency personnel responded to the incident immediately and transported Varnes to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, NY where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“The Varnes family has been a staple in the flat track community for decades, and they need our prayers during this difficult time,” said Gene Crouch, COO of AMA Pro Racing. “Ryan was the class of the field, both on track and off track. His bright smile, perpetual optimism and loyal friendship will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Varnes had made the selfless decision to register as an organ donor. His spirit will live on not just in our memories and in the record books, but also by extending the lives of others in dire need.
About AMA Pro Racing:
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
Editorial Note: Canadian Torin Collins, riding his AGR Team KTM, finished 22nd in JuniorGP Race One and 21st in Race Two. American Kristian Daniel Jr., riding his IGAX Team Honda, DNF European Talent Cup Race One and finished 18th in ETC Race Two.
First-time winners and last-corner thrillers: JuniorGP™ delivers at Jerez
Four new winners and changes in the title race headline a round to remember
The 2022 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship hosted an incredible day of racing across all three classes at the iconic Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. The Spanish venue welcomed riders and teams for Round 4 of the Championship and the halfway point of the season, where the racing didn’t disappoint. In the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship class, it was a sublime first win for Collin Veijer (AGR Team) in Race 1 before Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) struck back in Race 2, whilst it was a career-first win for Alex Escrig (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) in the Moto2™ European Championship and likewise in the Hawkers European Talent Cup as Dodo Boggio (Aspar Junior Team) took a career-first win in Race 1 before doubling up in Race 2.
JuniorGP™ ignited action under what was a cloudy morning at Jerez, although the cooler temperatures gave a thrilling race. A battle between Veijer, Rueda, Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing) and David Salvador (Laglisse Academy) soon kicked off, with unpredictability everywhere. In the closing stages, it was Veijer who, after looking continuously strong through the third and fourth sectors, hit the front on the final lap, whilst Salvador crashed out at Turn 11 chasing him down. Rueda couldn’t get through and it was Veijer who took his and the Netherlands’ first victory in the class.
Race 2 beckoned in the afternoon, and it was a mighty performance from Rueda, who in the hotter temperatures, simply cleared off into the distance to win by over eight seconds. However, the race was just as entertaining as the battle for second saw more than ten riders in with a shout. David Alonso (Aspar Junior Team) bounced back after what was a slightly disappointing Race 1 to cross the line second in Race 2, ahead of David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) and a mighty Eddie O’Shea (British Talent Team), who was fourth. However, the podium was then investigated and for exceeding track limits, Alonso was demoted to fourth, promoting Almansa and O’Shea to their first podiums – O’Shea came from the fifth row of the grid and made up more than five seconds to catch the riders ahead of him. Jose Antonio Rueda leads the standings by 71 points ahead of Salvador.
The sole Moto2™ ECh encounter was also an intriguing one that wasn’t settled until the very closing stages; a four-rider fight with Alex Escrig grabbing the holeshot from Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing), his teammate Senna Agius and Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Intact GP Junior Team) soon took place, and it wa decided by who managed tyres the best. After mistakes, Tulovic was back in fourth but soon fought back to second ahead of Agius and Cardelus, but nobody could catch Escrig, who became the 32nd different winner in the Moto2™ ECh, clinching a first win. There was late drama as Mattia Rato (MMR) took out teammate Tommaso Marcon at the final corner on the last lap, whilst it was Juan Rodriguez (Cuna Campeones) who took top Stock honours.
The Hawkers ETC races were also electrifying and starting in Race 1, it was dramatic throughout as South African Ruche Moodley (Finetwork Mir Junior Team) got the holeshot before being pegged back in by the likes of Boggio, Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and poleman Maximo Martinez (Team Honda Laglisse), whilst Hakim Danish (SIC Racing), Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and an impressive Guillem Planques (First Bike Academy &) were all right there too. In a final lap shootout that went to the final corner, Boggio took honour to give Italy a fifth win in the class and to become tenth different winner in Hawkers ETC at Jerez. Guido Pini (AC Racing Team), who was looking to capitalise on the absence of Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) and hit the top of the standings couldn’t do so and only finished eighth.
Race 2 saw a carbon copy of the start as Moodley once again launched off the line but this time, it was a pack of riders jockeying for position. Riders to feature prominently included Casey O’Gorman (VisionTrack Racing Team), Alberto Ferrandez (Finetwork Mir Junior Team) – both of whom came from way outside the top ten – and Amanuel Brinton (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), who was aiming to bounce back after a double long lap penalty for a jump start in Race 1. Following a hectic final lap, O’Gorman went from third to first at the final corner and held position but was out-dragged to the line by Boggio, who once again came good late-on to take a double. O’Gorman crossed the line second, but the Irishman was demoted to third for exceeding track limits, thus promoting Uriarte to his second second-place of the day. Ferrandez took a well-earned fourth from the fifth row of the grid whilst poleman Martinez was fifth, one place ahead of Brinton in a career-best sixth. The new Championship leader is Boggio by a single point over Esteban.
Provisional Mission Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Cory Texter (Yam), 21 laps
2. Cameron Smith (Roy), -00.394 seconds
3. Jesse Janisch (Har), -02.497
4. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -06.247
5. Ben Lowe (Har), -07.173
6. Billy Ross (Har), -07.838
7. James Rispoli (KTM), -08.257
8. Ryan Wells (Kaw), -08.928
9. Michael Rush (Har), -10.427
10. Cody Johncox (Yam), -12.449
11. Cole Zabala (Yam), -12.935
12. Mitch Harvat (Kaw), -14.257
13. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), -15.134
14. Shelby Miller (Kaw), -3 laps, -18.476
15. Kasey Sciscoe (Kaw), -6 laps, -0*.0**
16. Jordan Harris (Kaw), -17 laps, -**.***
17. Ryan Varnes (KTM), -17 laps
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 21 laps
2. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -01.692 seconds
3. Hunter Bauer (KTM), -02.303
4. Trent Lowe (Hon), -02.662
5. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -03.563
6. Max Whale (KTM), -04.132
7. Dalton Gauthier (Hon), -05.443
8. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -05.775
9. Chad Cose (Hon), -08.337
10. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -09.280
11. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -09.681
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -10.844
13. James Ott (KTM), -11.834
14. Brandon Kitchen (Hus), -12.136
15. Tyler Raggio (Hon), -12.829
16. Gage Smith (Hon), -13.900
17. Damon Ream (KTM), -17.926
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 33 laps
2. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -01.106 seconds
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -04.728
4. JD Beach (Yam), -06.243
5. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -08.309
6. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -10.927
7. Bronson Bauman (Har), -16.024
8. Jesse Janisch (PT) (Har), -16.246
9. Davis Fisher (Ind), -1 lap, -07.523
10. Sammy Halbert (Ind), -1 lap, -09.471
11. Shayna Texter-Bauman (Ind), -1 lap, -10.004
12. Cameron Smith (PT) (Roy), -1 lap, -10.155
13. Larry Pegram (Ind), -1 lap, -15.057
14. Cory Texter (PT) (Yam), -12 laps, -**.***
15. Nick Armstrong (PT) (Yam), -16 laps, -**.***
16. Dan Bromley (Yam), -33 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track (AFT):
Bauman Returns to Winning Form at New York Short Track
Briar Bauman (3). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Track superstar Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) delivered a timely performance to win the Mission New York Short Track presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York, on Saturday evening.
The clutch victory was the two-time Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion’s first since the ‘22 season opener and required a masterful effort to pull off. While Bauman stood in the spotlight when all was said and done, he was mired down in fifth early when reigning class king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) slid under an on-form Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and threatened to check out.
Mees had worked up a near one-second advantage by the time Bauman had made his way onto Vanderkooi’s rear wheel in third. The race for victory was back on, however, after Mees made a minor mistake and nearly collided with the Airfence.
Vanderkooi pounced less than a minute later; the Mission Roof Systems’ pilot seemed positioned to finally earn his maiden premier-class victory, but Bauman remained on the charge himself.
Bauman took full advantage of traffic to erase a half-second deficit and ran up alongside the leader as the race entered its final minute. He then executed the race’s decisive maneuver with just over three laps as Vanderkooi had no answer.
The triumph thrusts Bauman right back into serious title contention after his prospects had seemed on the wane in recent weeks. He said, “I had a decent start but kind of got shuffled back. I tried a few lines and found a good one and was able to get past a few guys. It just feels good.”
Mees drifted back to a relatively distant third, while JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) overtook Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) late to steal away fourth.
Second Estenson Racing Yamaha ace Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) finished in sixth, followed by Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), Mission Production Twins Challenge runner Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750)
Mees now leads by 16 points over both Bauman and Daniels (156-140-140). Beach is just over a race back in fourth at 127.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Defending Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) came from behind to secure his third victory of ‘22, grabbing control of the title fight in the process.
The Main Event was red flagged after Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) was involved in an on-track incident. He was transported to the hospital by on-site first responders and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
When racing resumed following the stoppage, Texter and rival Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) anticipated a head-to-head showdown for supremacy at the front.
Cameron Smith (No. 34 Thee Cathy Gray/Al Barker Royal Enfield 650) had other plans in his debut ride aboard the Royal Enfield Twins FT while riding in place of the injured Johnny Lewis. While Janisch and Texter got away in first and second, respectively, Smith promptly split them to not only snatch away the lead but rip open some space.
Texter needed pretty much the full remaining distance to finally fight his way back into contention, but he arrived in the shadow of Smith’s Royal Enfield just as they opened the final two laps. He then dove under Smith and into first just as they opened the final circulation.
Smith attempted to press back around the outside of Texter, but the champ held firm at the front.
Texter said, “That was tough… That one means a lot right there. It was a great race. Hats off to Cameron – man, he made me work for it.”
Janisch cruised home in third, while Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07) won out in a five-rider scrap for fourth ahead of Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) and Ryan Wells (No. 94 McGrane Racing/Scott Powersports Kawasaki Ninja 650)
After opening the day with a single-point deficit, Texter now leads Janisch by seven points (156-149).
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
For the third consecutive race weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) stormed out at the start of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event and set sail.
Similar to his previous two demonstrations of domination, Kopp quickly assembled a second-plus advantage and then managed it to the checkered flag.
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) emerged from a seven-rider pack contesting second and did manage to cut into Kopp’s lead for a time, dipping it back under a second momentarily. That pressure only motivated Kopp to wick it back up, however, and the KTM prodigy ultimately sprinted away to a 1.692-second margin of victory.
When asked how he stays humble in the face of his accumulating success, Kopp said, “I just show up every week at the track to ride my motorcycle. We’re just having a ball this year. I’ve just got to say a big thanks to my team Red Bull KTM, and to my mom and dad. I was so happy to finally take my mom on a victory lap. That was awesome.”
While Brunner’s runner-up result was his first podium of the season, third place was an even more monumental achievement for Hunter Bauer (No. 24 NKR Canada/KTM/Vance & Hines KTM 450 SX-F), who sliced his way up from the fourth row to claim his first-career Progressive AFT podium.
Despite his race-long forward momentum, Bauer had to play defense late as Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) made a last-lap bid to rob him of the position.
Second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finished fifth as Kopp extended his title lead to a mammoth 42 points (180-138).
Behind, the mending Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) impressed in his return from injury, fighting his way past Mischler’s teammates, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) and Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), to finish in sixth.
The Mission New York Short Track presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 9, at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
Next Up:
The 2022 Progressive AFT season will reach its midpoint on Saturday, July 16, with the Mission Port Royal Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3694/ to reserve your tickets today.
You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.
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.
Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Holds National Rally
The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of America (VJMC) recently celebrated its annual national motorcycle rally in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This year’s event, which took place June 23-25, featured a special celebration, as it marked the club’s 45th anniversary. One hundred sixty members enjoyed three days of riding, bike shows and camaraderie with their vintage Japanese motorcycles.
A Suzuki RE-5 Rotary. Photo by Jon Seidel.
VJMC is the premier worldwide club dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of vintage Japanese motorcycles (20 years or older) and the promotion of the sport of motorcycling.
For more information visit www.vjmc.org or call (763) 420-7829.
A Yamaha 60 Mini Enduro. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Suzuki GT750 Water Buffalo. Photo by Jon Seidel.
Small displacement Honda SL’s, a Kick n Go, and a Honda generator. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Honda Super Hawk CB77 & CR250 Elsinore. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Honda CL77 Scrambler. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Honda CL72 Scrambler. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A trio of Honda CBX’s. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Bridgestone MII RS. Photo by Jon Seidel.
Brady Smith Sr. (right) & Jr. (left), of Joplin, Missouri, with their fully restored 1959 Honda Super Cub – The Milestone Honda Award Winners. Photo by Jon Seidel.
TSN confirms air dates for opening episode of CSBK Superbike season
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Superbike Championship is pleased to share the air dates for the initial episode of the 2022 Pro Superbike season on TSN, The Sports Network, which is set to run 17 nation-wide episodes this season.
The opening episode, which showcases race one of nine in the feature Pro Superbike class from the Grand Bend Motorplex, will first air on TSN 1 and TSN 5 on Monday, July 4 at 1:30 pm ET. This exclusive time slot will not be the only opportunity to watch the thrilling race one footage, however, with all four air dates listed below:
Monday, July 4, 4:30pm ET (1:30pm PT) on TSN 1 and TSN 5
Tuesday July 5, 1:00pm ET (10:00am PT) on TSN 3
Wednesday July 6, 2:30pm ET (11:30am PT) on TSN 3
Thursday July 7, 12:30pm ET (9:30am PT) on TSN 3
The season opener featured a thrilling battle at the front featuring numerous exciting storylines, including the latest edition of the rivalry between defending champion Alex Dumas and 2019 champion Ben Young.
CSBK first partnered with TSN in 1995 as part of the national weekend in St-Eustache, QC, and has since grown its audience to feature national coverage on the country’s premier sports channel.
Announcer Colin Fraser has been in the booth since that inaugural broadcast in ’95 and has been joined by Frank Wood since the 2011 campaign, while 2022 will also welcome the return of second-year Dunlop pit lane reporter Hannah Streek, and third-year director of photography Cameron McFadyen behind the scenes.
This season’s opening broadcast will also feature expanded coverage with six manned trackside cameras, one manned drone, at least nine on-board cameras, and a pit-lane camera, as the series works to bring even more in-depth footage to its audience.
TSN will continue its partnership with CSBK by showing all nine feature Pro Superbike races in 2022, as well as eight additional broadcasts of the full Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike season, with the air date of the opening Pro Sport Bike episode to be announced soon.
The broadcast of the CSBK opener will coincide with the upcoming second round of action at Calabogie Motorsports Park, which will run July 9-10, just an hour west of the nation’s capital of Ottawa, ON.
On the Front Cover: Defending World Champion Fabio Quartararo stretches out his MotoGP points lead and explains how he completely turned his 2022 season around, in the July issue of Roadracing World. Photo by Gigi Soldano/DPPI Media.
Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology is THE definitive source for motorcycle racing, riding, and tech information.
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JULY 2022 ISSUE
FEATURES
Inside Info: Energica Experia electric sport tourer; More surgery for
Marc Marquez; Quartararo re-signs for 2023-2024; BMW wins the
24 Hours of Spa; James Rispoli wins in AFT on a KTM, and more…
Aleix Espargaro (41), as seen during FP1 at Assen. Photo courtesy Dorna.
THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN APRILIA RACING AND SC-PROJECT CONTINUES
There is an important signature behind the success of the Aprilia RS-GP, the true revelation of this first part of the MotoGP championship. It is SC-Project, a leading Italian company in the study, design and production of exhaust systems for motorbikes, both racing and for road use.
The collaboration between Aprilia Racing and SC-Project, which began in 2021, will continue for the next two seasons, in which the Cassinetta di Lugagnano-based company will be Official Technical Supplier of the Veneto-based racing department. This will involve equipping all Aprilia racing bikes, from the 250 Sport Production to the 660 Trofeo, as well as the special series made by the racing department.
The exhaust adopted by the latest evolution of the RS-GP is of the 4-into-2 type, completely in titanium and made in Italy. It also includes a throttle valve to manage the power delivery of the over 270 hp V4 engine. A true work of art, perfectly integrated into the refined aerodynamics of the Aprilia prototype.
Massimo Rivola – Aprilia Racing CEO
“A solid and ambitious project like ours needs partners who share our same values. The one with SC-Project is a natural bond: two great Italian companies, technological leaders in their segments, with a sporty and innovative DNA. This is why we are proud to announce the continuation of our relationship, a path of common growth that, I have no doubt, will lead Made in Italy to excel on tracks all over the world”.
Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Technical Director
“The exhaust system is a key element of our new V4 engine, which is proving to be one of the most competitive in MotoGP. This is also thanks to the technical synergy with SC-Project, a dynamic and competent company with whom we have established a profitable relationship. In a championship where it is the details that make the real difference, it is essential to be able to count on a supplier that has the technology and expertise to contribute to the development of our RS-GP project”.
Stefano Lavazza – Marco De Rossi – Founders and Owners of SC-Project
“Our company has been present in the MotoGP Championship since 2009 and for us to enter into a strong technical collaboration with Aprilia Racing, an Italian brand of international importance and prestige, has enormous technical and professional value, not only for the 54 World titles won by the Noale-based manufacturer, but also for the excellence and Italianism that Aprilia represents in the motorcycling world. The synergy we have established with Aprilia Racing is of the highest level and represents the ultimate expression of motorbike technology in the premier category, MotoGP. Developing and building the best technological and high-performance exhaust systems for the RS-GP is an ambitious and very important project for SC-Project, an all-Italian combination!”.
Mat Mladin embraces his two young daughters after finishing second in AMA Pro American Superbike Race Two at New Jersey Motorsports Park in 2009. It was Mladin's final AMA Superbike race before retiring. Mladin's then-wife Janine (far left) was also present. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Seven-time AMA Pro Superbike Champion Mat Mladin has shed more light onto the circumstances leading up to him being charged and then acquitted of child molestation crimes, saying he was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of a former girlfriend.
Mladin made the statement in a post on his Mat Mladin – Mladin Racing Facebook page today – Tuesday, July 5.
The post doesn’t spell it out and this has yet to be confirmed, but it’s believed that the former girlfriend mentioned in the post is the one who made accusations that Mladin sexually abused her child from another relationship.
Mladin has turned down a request from Roadracingworld.com to do an interview and instead plans to write more about the criminal charges he faced, his defense, and how it all affected him and the people around him in his own words via Facebook.
His most recent, and lengthy, installment is posted below, unedited and in its entirety:
For anyone who is a victim of DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
I am “MAT MLADIN”. Surely I could not be the victim of DV, especially how all of you know me as the racer.
But away from the track I’m known as “Doof” by the two most important people in my life, Em and Jess, my two beautiful daughters. Yes 18 and 15 and they still call me Doof, the name my eldest gave me when she was just 2.
“He says it as he sees it”, “brutally honest”, “hard man”, “a machine”, “boring”, “prick”, “asshole”, and the list goes on. These are the things I was known as by the people that didn’t approve of how I went about things and probably by most of my competitors when racing in the USA. When you do a bit of winning you could be Harry Potter and they will call you these things. But truth be truths, on occasion I was all of the above. What you don’t know is that my life away from the track was very different. I didn’t believe I had to be defensive like I was at the track. I trusted people, I rarely hid anything from anyone. As one of the three witnesses in my case said, “too honest for his own good”. People that knew me well would say “he is so different at home compared to the track”. I could go on, but suffice to say I really screwed up my personal life after racing had finished. I should have treated my personal life like my professional life and I know now, I would have been much much happier if I did. I have screwed up some things and hurt some people and for this I can only improve and not allow things like this to happen again.
Because of the lies that landed me in this crap, the past two years of my life have been spent doing the best I could to prepare my now 18 year old uni student daughter and my 15 year old homeschooled daughter who is on the autistic spectrum, to prepare them for some years without their father and the possibility of having their mother depart their life at some point (a little on this later). Some would say that if I knew I was innocent, why would I worry about doing this? Anyone on this FB page knows most of my success on two wheels, from my first Australian dirt track championship win in 1981 through to my last and seventh American Superbike championship win 28 years later in 2009. To be able to have such success, one thing you have to learn first and foremost is to prepare for the worst because I can tell you from much experience that when you win as many motorcycle races as I have, a lot of the time you do so with some sort of problem (mechanical, sickness etc) that can mostly be overcome by being organised and prepared. So I started preparing my girls the best way I knew in March of 2020. That’s over 2 years of not knowing what my future held and worried sick about my daughters and their mum. It was the heaviest burden to carry.
My message to you: do not wait to go to the police because you think the DV you are suffering from will get better, it will not. If you are told “I love you, I’m sorry and I won’t do it again”, do not believe it – it will never get better.
My abuser would sneak up to my property with no worries about others seeing or hearing as the property was in the middle of nowhere. As per usual the tears and the sorry’s and the I love yous were the first thing, and when you didn’t accept these things once again and you verbally abuse them because that’s all you have, then that way of them trying to get back in is quickly replaced with yelling abuse and calling you everything under the sun and last but not least as they are walking away telling you to stop abusing them. Yes they change that quickly when they are not getting what they believe they deserve. They use every tool they have to make you feel like you are the abuser and they are the victim. My closest friends and my family have no idea at the depth of abuse I was subject to. Some have witnessed it, but for the most part I denied it was that bad. If video footage and CCTV from my security systems wasn’t available, few would believe it.
Throughout the past years, even though the relationship was on again off again, but by far mostly off, I endured constant stalking, mental and emotional abuse and physical violence, break and enter to my homes (whilst I was there and not) and the list goes on. I was dining with another woman in my local town, I was confronted, verbally abused, as was my date and chased out of the restaurant. I have been physically abused on the street and hoped that no one would see it, only to be asked later by a business owner across the road, who I’d known for 30 years, was I okay and if I wanted him to call the police. No I said, thinking it will “get better” and not wanting the abuser to get charged and so on. In 2018, I had the chance to work directly with a young man and get back involved in road racing, which for a few reasons I was excited about. I got to go to the track again and get my hands dirty in a different role, this time as a mechanic. I had big shoes to fill. If you ever saw my boys work on my bikes you would understand. I enjoyed giving back to the sport that has afforded myself, my daughter’s and their mum a very comfortable life. After all the abuse, I thought this will get me back on track and to be able to get away from my abuser. How wrong I was. When they see you slipping away, the abuse, the stalking, the complete invasion of privacy gets far far worse. Then you find yourself being told you are this and that, words I won’t use here because I’m sure some kids are reading, then you start feeling it’s your fault and that you are making this person abuse you and it’s exactly what you are being told by them.
Being charged with what I was, thrown in jail and then living the past two and a half years in silence waiting for my turn to speak, was very hard. But as I did in my racing days, I have and am taking all the positive things that have and are coming out of this tumultuous time in my life and have become smarter and better from the experience. We could hold onto the negatives and allow these perpetrators of DV to win and allow them to still control our lives indirectly but I won’t, never. I thank my abuser for the experience I have gained at the hands of her abuse. Mine and my daughter’s lives will be that much richer because of it.
I talk openly, actively and honestly with Em and Jess, about DV, among other things (unfortunately Em witnessed a lot of it). But I won’t let this very negative part of my life go forgotten without drawing on the positives. I did this in my professional life so I sure as heck won’t miss this opportunity this time in my private life.
When your life and privacy are constantly under threat of violence in one manner or another, you quickly turn inward and for me, being financially set and not having to go to work and also my daughters being with their mum fifty percent of the time, I had plenty of spare time and I started to drink alcohol, far too much at times and my cocaine use was out of control at times also. Other than a celebratory drink after winning a championship or a Daytona podium swig of the champers for example I never became a drinker until the abuse entered my life in my early 40’s. Even after the rough years of retiring from the sport I loved, I never touched a drink for three years after retirement. The first time I used drugs was not long after the first time I was physically abused as an adult when I was 43 years old. The drugs started for the first time not long after my abuser stormed into my house (on a property in a national park with just one private road in and my nearest neighbour 2kms away) when I had returned from a round of the Australian Superbike championships in 2015, with a woman I was seeing. We got home at midnight from the Queensland road trip. Half an hour after we were settling in for the night, my abuser bust through the door into my house and verbally abused my friend and this was the first time I was physically abused. The drugs allowed me to escape the abuse. These years could have all been a non event if I just took care of myself and not worried so much about others.
DO NOT BELIEVE YOUR ABUSER NO MATTER WHAT THEY SAY OR HOW MUCH THEY APOLOGIZE. IF IT HAPPENS ONCE, IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND OVER TIME IT WILL GET WORSE!
One last thing, I wanted to clear something up as the lovely person who looks after this FB page has told me that some people may be a little confused and may be thinking that all of this is about by my X wife. It is not. Absolutely couldn’t be further from the truth. We were together for nearly twenty years. My X wife and I are still good friends. We share our girls 50/50 and have done from the first day of our separation. There are no court orders in place to make sure we stick to this verbal agreement because we never needed that. We have both done everything we can to soften the landing as much as we can for our girls in what was a very hard time. We have remained very cordial for the past 10 years since our separation. The girl’s mum is going through her own very tough time battling brain cancer. The past twelve months have been very hard for her and of course us and her mum, dad and siblings and her close friends. She was the first person to put her hand up for me to come to trial as a character witness but her health just didn’t afford that. She was the third person to give me a tight squeeze (after our daughters) after all this stuff got sorted. I continue to support her through her fight and would do anything for her. She is the best mum and a loving, caring and compassionate person. And if I need an ear she was always there until the day her communication became a bit hard for her. She is the woman that gave me my beautiful daughters and until I take my last breath I will be there to support her.
American Cody Kitchens (25) in action in Spain. Photo by Negami Photography, courtesy Cody Kitchens.
CODY KITCHENS WINS IN SPANISH YAMAHA R6 CUP AT NAVARRA
Texan Cody Kitchens won the race at Circuito de Navarra at Round Two of the Yamaha R6 Cup on Sunday, July 3 in the Rookies division on his Andifer Racing Team Yamaha R6.
On a track that Cody had never seen before Friday, he overcame a couple of early technical
bike issues to qualify 10th overall, which saw him start on the outside of the fourth row. A good start put him in a position to get around two riders in the first two laps of the 13-lap race, in the bumpiest part of the course. “From there, I was able to keep a gap to the riders behind me,” said Cody. “I rode defensively, and they weren’t able to make a move on me for the rest of the race.” Cody now leads the points in the Rookies division of the 2022 Yamaha R6 Cup (www.challengeyamaha.com).
Cody, 16, continues to train with the Pakosta37 Riders Factory, riding on both dirt and
pavement, and doing track days on his personal Yamaha R6.
Cody’s next event of the 2022 Yamaha R6 Cup series is at the Catalunya Circuit, near
Barcelona, on July 15-17, 2022.
For the 2022 season, Cody Kitchens is proud to be sponsored by MT Helmets, Three
Chihuahua Racing (www.threechihuahuaracing.com) and Pakosta37 Riders Factory.
AFT Singles Championship point leader Kody Kopp (12). Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
THREE-IN-A-ROW FOR RED BULL KTM’S KODY KOPP AT THE NEW YORK SHORT TRACK
Round 8 – American Flat Track Championship
WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – Making it three-in-a-row in AFT Singles competition, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp has further extended his points lead in the 2022 American Flat Track Championship after claiming Main Event victory No. five with a dominant performance at the Round 8 New York Short Track in Weedsport, New York.
Kopp set himself up well for the evening, claiming the second-fastest time in qualifying. Sitting pole in Semi 2, he blasted off the line aboard his KTM 450 SX-F and controlled the lead for all eight laps. The young rider then went on to sweep the Dallas Lamb Challenge, once again leading all laps of the race. Continuing to showcase his dominance throughout the evening, Kopp rocketed out of pole position to lead all 21 laps of the AFT Singles Main Event for the third-straight round.
Kody Kopp: “I’m just really feeling comfortable with my team and my bike right now. We have a winning package that I feel like we can show up to any track and do very good at, and I just have to thank my team. They’ve put in a lot of work this year, and it’s starting to really pay off.”
In his first race back since knee surgery, teammate Max Whale put in a powerful performance in the Semi and Main event, despite qualifying 14th earlier in the day. After getting off to a sixth place start in Semi 2, he took fourth at the checkers. He kept the momentum going in the main. Starting from the second row of the grid In the Main Event, Whale promptly powered his way into the top-five and held steady. Nearing the halfway point, he lost a couple positions to settle into seventh but he put on a late-race charge to go after the sixth-place spot. Re-claiming sixth right before the line, Whale secured a valiant six-place result in his first race back from injury.
Max Whale: “First weekend back since the Red Mile incident and I had a tough weekend, just really struggled at the start. It took me a while to get back into the flow of things with my knee feeling a little bit uncomfortable but I improved all day, which I’m absolutely hyped about. Sixth-place is definitely not what I wanted, but it’s a good start. It’s been four weeks off the bike, which is probably the longest I’ve been off the bike in a very long time. I rode through the week but just still not 100 percent. Hopefully before the next one, we’re 100 percent and ready to fight for the win.”
Kopp extends his lead in the AFT Single Championship standings, while teammate Whale sits in sixth.
Next Race: Port Royal Half-Mile – Port Royal, Pennsylvania – July 16, 2022
Round 8 Results – New York Short Track
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 8 – New York Short Track)
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Trevor Brunner, Yamaha
3. Hunter Bauer, KTM
OTHER
6. Max Whale, KTM
12. Travis Petton IV, KTM
13. James Ott, KTM
17. Damon Ream, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 8)
1. Kody Kopp, 180 points
2. Morgen Mischler, 138
3. Dalton Gauthier, 114
OTHER
6. Max Whale, 102
9. James Ott, 64
10. Hunter Bauer, 58
14. Travis Petton IV, 41
20. Ryan Wells, 18
22. Logan McGrane, 13
23. Damon Ream, 13
24. Tanner Dean, 11
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING DOMINATES NEW YORK SHORT TRACK, SWEEPS PODIUM WITH BAUMAN, VANDERKOOI AND MEES
Win Ties Briar Bauman for Second in Championship Points Chase
Jarod Vanderkooi Scores Second Podium Finish of Season
Reigning Champion Jared Mees Maintains Top Position on SuperTwins Leaderboard Following Third-Place Finish
The AFT Mission SuperTwins podium at the New York Short Track: winner Briar Bauman (center), runner-up Jarod Vanderkooi (left), and third-place finisher Jared Mees (right). Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Minneapolis, MN. (July 5, 2022) – The 2022 American Flat Track (AFT) season returned to action this past Saturday for the New York Short Track, where Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, swept the podium. Indian Motorcycle Wrecking Crew rider Briar Bauman triumphed after a hard-fought battle with fellow Indian Motorcycle Privateer Jarod Vanderkooi, as Bauman’s second win of the season propelled him into a tie for second on the SuperTwins season leaderboard. Rounding out the all-FTR750 podium sweep in third was reigning Indian Motorcycle champion and current points leader Jared Mees.
When the 10-second card dropped on the main event, Mees launched off the line to a second-place start and quickly began challenging for the lead. Meanwhile, Bauman started the race in fifth place from the second line. On lap two, Mees took the high line to sneak into the front position and swiftly began pulling away from the field. Unfortunately, a big mistake a few laps later saw Mees almost go into the fence, which allowed the competition to close in on his rear wheel. Vanderkooi took advantage, taking over the lead at the six-minute mark. Despite a slow start, Bauman was relentless in his pursuit to the front of the pack. In the final four minutes, Bauman crept to the inside of his teammate to take over second and tuck in behind Vanderkooi. Throughout the late stages of the race, an intense game of cat and mouse ensued as Bauman and Vanderkooi diced back and forth and meticulously maneuvered their way around lappers. Bauman continued to ride masterfully, sliding to the inside of Vanderkooi to take over the lead with only 30-seconds plus two-laps remaining, ultimately taking the checkered flag and the win. This victory marks the former two-time champion’s second of the season.
“This is a huge win for Briar [Bauman]. He’s been struggling a bit over the past few rounds so it was great to see him fight through the pack tonight. This victory also puts him right back in the thick of the championship chase so hopefully he can continue to carry this momentum through the second half of the season,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service & Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “We could not be more proud of our team and all the Indian Motorcycle riders to come away with a podium sweep. I’m very impressed with Jarod’s [Vanderkooi] effort. He was so close to pulling out the win.”
Mees continues to lead the championship chase with a 16-point advantage, while Bauman’s win moved him up one spot in the standings, now tied for second overall with 140 points.
The 2022 AFT season will continue on Saturday, July 16, at the Peoria TT in Peoria, IL.
Sponsors for Indian Motorcycle Racing’s American Flat Track efforts include Progressive Insurance, S&S®, Indian Motorcycle Oil, Mission Foods, Bell Helmets, Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited.
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
Ryan Varnes, R.I.P., as seen at the New York Short Track. Photo by Kristen Lassen.
AMA Pro Racing Deeply Mourns the Loss of Ryan Varnes
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2022) – AMA Pro Racing is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of American Flat Track competitor Ryan Varnes (24) and extends heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
Varnes, a Pennsylvania native, was involved in an on-track incident in the Production Twins Main Event at Weedsport Speedway on Saturday evening. On-scene emergency personnel responded to the incident immediately and transported Varnes to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, NY where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“The Varnes family has been a staple in the flat track community for decades, and they need our prayers during this difficult time,” said Gene Crouch, COO of AMA Pro Racing. “Ryan was the class of the field, both on track and off track. His bright smile, perpetual optimism and loyal friendship will be dearly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.”
Varnes had made the selfless decision to register as an organ donor. His spirit will live on not just in our memories and in the record books, but also by extending the lives of others in dire need.
About AMA Pro Racing:
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
Collin Veijer (95) won JuniorGP Race One at Jerez. Photo courtesy JuniorGP.
Editorial Note: Canadian Torin Collins, riding his AGR Team KTM, finished 22nd in JuniorGP Race One and 21st in Race Two. American Kristian Daniel Jr., riding his IGAX Team Honda, DNF European Talent Cup Race One and finished 18th in ETC Race Two.
First-time winners and last-corner thrillers: JuniorGP™ delivers at Jerez
Four new winners and changes in the title race headline a round to remember
The 2022 Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship hosted an incredible day of racing across all three classes at the iconic Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. The Spanish venue welcomed riders and teams for Round 4 of the Championship and the halfway point of the season, where the racing didn’t disappoint. In the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship class, it was a sublime first win for Collin Veijer (AGR Team) in Race 1 before Championship leader Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) struck back in Race 2, whilst it was a career-first win for Alex Escrig (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) in the Moto2™ European Championship and likewise in the Hawkers European Talent Cup as Dodo Boggio (Aspar Junior Team) took a career-first win in Race 1 before doubling up in Race 2.
JuniorGP™ ignited action under what was a cloudy morning at Jerez, although the cooler temperatures gave a thrilling race. A battle between Veijer, Rueda, Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing) and David Salvador (Laglisse Academy) soon kicked off, with unpredictability everywhere. In the closing stages, it was Veijer who, after looking continuously strong through the third and fourth sectors, hit the front on the final lap, whilst Salvador crashed out at Turn 11 chasing him down. Rueda couldn’t get through and it was Veijer who took his and the Netherlands’ first victory in the class.
Race 2 beckoned in the afternoon, and it was a mighty performance from Rueda, who in the hotter temperatures, simply cleared off into the distance to win by over eight seconds. However, the race was just as entertaining as the battle for second saw more than ten riders in with a shout. David Alonso (Aspar Junior Team) bounced back after what was a slightly disappointing Race 1 to cross the line second in Race 2, ahead of David Almansa (Finetwork Mir Racing Team) and a mighty Eddie O’Shea (British Talent Team), who was fourth. However, the podium was then investigated and for exceeding track limits, Alonso was demoted to fourth, promoting Almansa and O’Shea to their first podiums – O’Shea came from the fifth row of the grid and made up more than five seconds to catch the riders ahead of him. Jose Antonio Rueda leads the standings by 71 points ahead of Salvador.
The sole Moto2™ ECh encounter was also an intriguing one that wasn’t settled until the very closing stages; a four-rider fight with Alex Escrig grabbing the holeshot from Xavi Cardelus (Promoracing), his teammate Senna Agius and Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Intact GP Junior Team) soon took place, and it wa decided by who managed tyres the best. After mistakes, Tulovic was back in fourth but soon fought back to second ahead of Agius and Cardelus, but nobody could catch Escrig, who became the 32nd different winner in the Moto2™ ECh, clinching a first win. There was late drama as Mattia Rato (MMR) took out teammate Tommaso Marcon at the final corner on the last lap, whilst it was Juan Rodriguez (Cuna Campeones) who took top Stock honours.
The Hawkers ETC races were also electrifying and starting in Race 1, it was dramatic throughout as South African Ruche Moodley (Finetwork Mir Junior Team) got the holeshot before being pegged back in by the likes of Boggio, Brian Uriarte (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and poleman Maximo Martinez (Team Honda Laglisse), whilst Hakim Danish (SIC Racing), Rico Salmela (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) and an impressive Guillem Planques (First Bike Academy &) were all right there too. In a final lap shootout that went to the final corner, Boggio took honour to give Italy a fifth win in the class and to become tenth different winner in Hawkers ETC at Jerez. Guido Pini (AC Racing Team), who was looking to capitalise on the absence of Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) and hit the top of the standings couldn’t do so and only finished eighth.
Race 2 saw a carbon copy of the start as Moodley once again launched off the line but this time, it was a pack of riders jockeying for position. Riders to feature prominently included Casey O’Gorman (VisionTrack Racing Team), Alberto Ferrandez (Finetwork Mir Junior Team) – both of whom came from way outside the top ten – and Amanuel Brinton (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0), who was aiming to bounce back after a double long lap penalty for a jump start in Race 1. Following a hectic final lap, O’Gorman went from third to first at the final corner and held position but was out-dragged to the line by Boggio, who once again came good late-on to take a double. O’Gorman crossed the line second, but the Irishman was demoted to third for exceeding track limits, thus promoting Uriarte to his second second-place of the day. Ferrandez took a well-earned fourth from the fifth row of the grid whilst poleman Martinez was fifth, one place ahead of Brinton in a career-best sixth. The new Championship leader is Boggio by a single point over Esteban.
Provisional Mission Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Cory Texter (Yam), 21 laps
2. Cameron Smith (Roy), -00.394 seconds
3. Jesse Janisch (Har), -02.497
4. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -06.247
5. Ben Lowe (Har), -07.173
6. Billy Ross (Har), -07.838
7. James Rispoli (KTM), -08.257
8. Ryan Wells (Kaw), -08.928
9. Michael Rush (Har), -10.427
10. Cody Johncox (Yam), -12.449
11. Cole Zabala (Yam), -12.935
12. Mitch Harvat (Kaw), -14.257
13. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), -15.134
14. Shelby Miller (Kaw), -3 laps, -18.476
15. Kasey Sciscoe (Kaw), -6 laps, -0*.0**
16. Jordan Harris (Kaw), -17 laps, -**.***
17. Ryan Varnes (KTM), -17 laps
Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 21 laps
2. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -01.692 seconds
3. Hunter Bauer (KTM), -02.303
4. Trent Lowe (Hon), -02.662
5. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -03.563
6. Max Whale (KTM), -04.132
7. Dalton Gauthier (Hon), -05.443
8. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -05.775
9. Chad Cose (Hon), -08.337
10. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -09.280
11. Michael Inderbitzin (Hon), -09.681
12. Travis Petton (KTM), -10.844
13. James Ott (KTM), -11.834
14. Brandon Kitchen (Hus), -12.136
15. Tyler Raggio (Hon), -12.829
16. Gage Smith (Hon), -13.900
17. Damon Ream (KTM), -17.926
Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 33 laps
2. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -01.106 seconds
3. Jared Mees (Ind), -04.728
4. JD Beach (Yam), -06.243
5. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -08.309
6. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -10.927
7. Bronson Bauman (Har), -16.024
8. Jesse Janisch (PT) (Har), -16.246
9. Davis Fisher (Ind), -1 lap, -07.523
10. Sammy Halbert (Ind), -1 lap, -09.471
11. Shayna Texter-Bauman (Ind), -1 lap, -10.004
12. Cameron Smith (PT) (Roy), -1 lap, -10.155
13. Larry Pegram (Ind), -1 lap, -15.057
14. Cory Texter (PT) (Yam), -12 laps, -**.***
15. Nick Armstrong (PT) (Yam), -16 laps, -**.***
16. Dan Bromley (Yam), -33 laps
More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track (AFT):
Bauman Returns to Winning Form at New York Short Track
Briar Bauman (3). Photo courtesy AFT.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Track superstar Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) delivered a timely performance to win the Mission New York Short Track presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York, on Saturday evening.
The clutch victory was the two-time Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion’s first since the ‘22 season opener and required a masterful effort to pull off. While Bauman stood in the spotlight when all was said and done, he was mired down in fifth early when reigning class king Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) slid under an on-form Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and threatened to check out.
Mees had worked up a near one-second advantage by the time Bauman had made his way onto Vanderkooi’s rear wheel in third. The race for victory was back on, however, after Mees made a minor mistake and nearly collided with the Airfence.
Vanderkooi pounced less than a minute later; the Mission Roof Systems’ pilot seemed positioned to finally earn his maiden premier-class victory, but Bauman remained on the charge himself.
Bauman took full advantage of traffic to erase a half-second deficit and ran up alongside the leader as the race entered its final minute. He then executed the race’s decisive maneuver with just over three laps as Vanderkooi had no answer.
The triumph thrusts Bauman right back into serious title contention after his prospects had seemed on the wane in recent weeks. He said, “I had a decent start but kind of got shuffled back. I tried a few lines and found a good one and was able to get past a few guys. It just feels good.”
Mees drifted back to a relatively distant third, while JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) overtook Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) late to steal away fourth.
Second Estenson Racing Yamaha ace Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) finished in sixth, followed by Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), Mission Production Twins Challenge runner Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), and Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750)
Mees now leads by 16 points over both Bauman and Daniels (156-140-140). Beach is just over a race back in fourth at 127.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Defending Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) came from behind to secure his third victory of ‘22, grabbing control of the title fight in the process.
The Main Event was red flagged after Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) was involved in an on-track incident. He was transported to the hospital by on-site first responders and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
When racing resumed following the stoppage, Texter and rival Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) anticipated a head-to-head showdown for supremacy at the front.
Cameron Smith (No. 34 Thee Cathy Gray/Al Barker Royal Enfield 650) had other plans in his debut ride aboard the Royal Enfield Twins FT while riding in place of the injured Johnny Lewis. While Janisch and Texter got away in first and second, respectively, Smith promptly split them to not only snatch away the lead but rip open some space.
Texter needed pretty much the full remaining distance to finally fight his way back into contention, but he arrived in the shadow of Smith’s Royal Enfield just as they opened the final two laps. He then dove under Smith and into first just as they opened the final circulation.
Smith attempted to press back around the outside of Texter, but the champ held firm at the front.
Texter said, “That was tough… That one means a lot right there. It was a great race. Hats off to Cameron – man, he made me work for it.”
Janisch cruised home in third, while Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07) won out in a five-rider scrap for fourth ahead of Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), James Rispoli (No. 43 Wally Brown Racing/Haversack KTM 890 Duke) and Ryan Wells (No. 94 McGrane Racing/Scott Powersports Kawasaki Ninja 650)
After opening the day with a single-point deficit, Texter now leads Janisch by seven points (156-149).
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
For the third consecutive race weekend, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) stormed out at the start of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event and set sail.
Similar to his previous two demonstrations of domination, Kopp quickly assembled a second-plus advantage and then managed it to the checkered flag.
Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) emerged from a seven-rider pack contesting second and did manage to cut into Kopp’s lead for a time, dipping it back under a second momentarily. That pressure only motivated Kopp to wick it back up, however, and the KTM prodigy ultimately sprinted away to a 1.692-second margin of victory.
When asked how he stays humble in the face of his accumulating success, Kopp said, “I just show up every week at the track to ride my motorcycle. We’re just having a ball this year. I’ve just got to say a big thanks to my team Red Bull KTM, and to my mom and dad. I was so happy to finally take my mom on a victory lap. That was awesome.”
While Brunner’s runner-up result was his first podium of the season, third place was an even more monumental achievement for Hunter Bauer (No. 24 NKR Canada/KTM/Vance & Hines KTM 450 SX-F), who sliced his way up from the fourth row to claim his first-career Progressive AFT podium.
Despite his race-long forward momentum, Bauer had to play defense late as Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R) made a last-lap bid to rob him of the position.
Second-ranked Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finished fifth as Kopp extended his title lead to a mammoth 42 points (180-138).
Behind, the mending Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) impressed in his return from injury, fighting his way past Mischler’s teammates, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) and Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), to finish in sixth.
The Mission New York Short Track presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 9, at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
Next Up:
The 2022 Progressive AFT season will reach its midpoint on Saturday, July 16, with the Mission Port Royal Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3694/ to reserve your tickets today.
You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.
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.
Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club Holds National Rally
The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club of America (VJMC) recently celebrated its annual national motorcycle rally in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This year’s event, which took place June 23-25, featured a special celebration, as it marked the club’s 45th anniversary. One hundred sixty members enjoyed three days of riding, bike shows and camaraderie with their vintage Japanese motorcycles.
A Suzuki RE-5 Rotary. Photo by Jon Seidel.
VJMC is the premier worldwide club dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of vintage Japanese motorcycles (20 years or older) and the promotion of the sport of motorcycling.
For more information visit www.vjmc.org or call (763) 420-7829.
A Yamaha 60 Mini Enduro. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Suzuki GT750 Water Buffalo. Photo by Jon Seidel.
Small displacement Honda SL’s, a Kick n Go, and a Honda generator. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Honda Super Hawk CB77 & CR250 Elsinore. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Honda CL77 Scrambler. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Honda CL72 Scrambler. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A trio of Honda CBX’s. Photo by Jon Seidel.
A Bridgestone MII RS. Photo by Jon Seidel.
Brady Smith Sr. (right) & Jr. (left), of Joplin, Missouri, with their fully restored 1959 Honda Super Cub – The Milestone Honda Award Winners. Photo by Jon Seidel.
BS Batteries Pole Award winner Trevor Dion discusses his Grand Bend performance with TSN Host Frank Wood under the watchful eye of camera man Michael Brown. Photo by Colin Fraser, courtesy CSBK/PMP.
TSN confirms air dates for opening episode of CSBK Superbike season
Toronto, ON – The Canadian Superbike Championship is pleased to share the air dates for the initial episode of the 2022 Pro Superbike season on TSN, The Sports Network, which is set to run 17 nation-wide episodes this season.
The opening episode, which showcases race one of nine in the feature Pro Superbike class from the Grand Bend Motorplex, will first air on TSN 1 and TSN 5 on Monday, July 4 at 1:30 pm ET. This exclusive time slot will not be the only opportunity to watch the thrilling race one footage, however, with all four air dates listed below:
Monday, July 4, 4:30pm ET (1:30pm PT) on TSN 1 and TSN 5
Tuesday July 5, 1:00pm ET (10:00am PT) on TSN 3
Wednesday July 6, 2:30pm ET (11:30am PT) on TSN 3
Thursday July 7, 12:30pm ET (9:30am PT) on TSN 3
The season opener featured a thrilling battle at the front featuring numerous exciting storylines, including the latest edition of the rivalry between defending champion Alex Dumas and 2019 champion Ben Young.
CSBK first partnered with TSN in 1995 as part of the national weekend in St-Eustache, QC, and has since grown its audience to feature national coverage on the country’s premier sports channel.
Announcer Colin Fraser has been in the booth since that inaugural broadcast in ’95 and has been joined by Frank Wood since the 2011 campaign, while 2022 will also welcome the return of second-year Dunlop pit lane reporter Hannah Streek, and third-year director of photography Cameron McFadyen behind the scenes.
This season’s opening broadcast will also feature expanded coverage with six manned trackside cameras, one manned drone, at least nine on-board cameras, and a pit-lane camera, as the series works to bring even more in-depth footage to its audience.
TSN will continue its partnership with CSBK by showing all nine feature Pro Superbike races in 2022, as well as eight additional broadcasts of the full Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike season, with the air date of the opening Pro Sport Bike episode to be announced soon.
The broadcast of the CSBK opener will coincide with the upcoming second round of action at Calabogie Motorsports Park, which will run July 9-10, just an hour west of the nation’s capital of Ottawa, ON.
On the Front Cover: Defending World Champion Fabio Quartararo stretches out his MotoGP points lead and explains how he completely turned his 2022 season around, in the July issue of Roadracing World. Photo by Gigi Soldano/DPPI Media.
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JULY 2022 ISSUE
FEATURES
Inside Info: Energica Experia electric sport tourer; More surgery for
Marc Marquez; Quartararo re-signs for 2023-2024; BMW wins the
24 Hours of Spa; James Rispoli wins in AFT on a KTM, and more…
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as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
