Gagne Snatches Provisional Pole For MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike At Road America
It’s An Action-Packed Friday On Road America’s “Four Miles Of Fun”
Jake Gagne (1). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 3, 2022) – For a few minutes on Friday afternoon it looked as though Cameron Petersen was going to earn a surprise provisional pole position for this weekend’s two MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races at Road America. Turns out, it was only for a few minutes as his teammate Jake Gagne burst his bubble and snatched the top spot away on his final go-around.
Gagne lapped at 2:11.384 on a sunny but windy day in Elkhart Lake to lead Petersen by .349 of a second with the Yamaha duo putting a little fear in the rest as they have a gap over the field.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was third fastest – 1.2 seconds behind Gagne and almost a second behind Petersen.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen ended up fourth with his 2:13.4789, set prior to crashing out of the session. He was just a tick faster than Road America first-timer Danilo Petrucci, the Italian ending up with a best of 2:13.514 and struggling with his fitness as well as a new track to learn.
Jacobsen’s teammate Hector Barbera was sixth fastest, some .6 of a second clear of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim. Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante and Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 on opening day.
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Supersport – Herrin Gets it Started
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin led Friday’s Q1 session in the Supersport class, the Ducati Panigale V2 rider lapping at 2:19.805 – the only rider to drop into the 2:19s. That put him .726 of a second faster than Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott with Mesa37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa completing the provisional front row. Mesa ended the day 1.2 seconds off Herrin’s best on the four-mile circuit.
Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander Bounces Back
Two short weeks ago, Corey Alexander was scratched from the two Yuasa Stock 1000 races at VIRginia International Raceway after suffering a concussion in his crash on Saturday morning. Today, Alexander showed he hasn’t lost any of his swagger as he earned provisional pole position for Saturday’s lone Yuasa Stock 1000 race.
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim ended the session second with Alexander’s teammate Travis Wyman completing the provisional front row.
Alexander’s best was a 2:14.632, .868 of a second quicker than Gilim’s best. It was also a new lap record for the class.
Twins Cup – Still Barry
Twins Cup Championship leader Jody Barry showed that he may just win a fourth race in a row, at least based on his performance on Friday afternoon at Road America.
Barry and his Veloce Racing Aprilia RS 660 lapped at 2:26.829, a new lap record and .633 of a second faster than his teammate and defending class champion Kaleb De Keyrel. Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto ended the day third fastest. The first non-Aprilia on Friday was the BARTCON Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 ridden to the fifth-fastest lap by Dominic Doyle.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Dreher Rules
Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher led the way in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Q1 on Friday with his best lap of 2:41.320. That was .951 of a second faster than the next fastest lap set by SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Joe LiMandri Jr. on his SportbikeTrackGear.com Kawasaki Ninja 400. Alpha Omega’s Cody Wyman ended the day third fastest.
Travis Wyman (10). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Mission King Of The Baggers – It’s A Wyman, Travis Wyman
H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman was fastest on the first day of qualifying for the Mission King Of The Baggers as he led a Harley-Davidson one-two and a one-two for the Wyman clan with brother Kyle ending up second.
Travis Wyman lapped at a best of 2:23.631 to lead Kyle Wyman by .292 of a second with both riders doing their fastest lap on their final lap. Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Jeremy McWilliams ended up third, .671 of a second behind and just a 10th of a second ahead of his teammate Tyler O’Hara. Vance & Hines Racing’s James Rispoli rounded out the top five on Friday.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Petrucci Ready to Race After Day One at Road America
The Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC rider ends the day in P5
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 3, 2022 — Danilo Petrucci ended the first day at Road America, round four of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, in fifth place. The Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC team faced its share of challenges, but former MotoGP star Petrucci continued to show his mettle qualifying while injured and learning another new track on the Panigale V4 R superbike.
Petrucci, who’s far from fully fit after crashing at VIR two weeks ago, posted a best time of 2:13.514, some 1.3 seconds faster than his previous best of 2:14.858, clocked during Practice 1.
Petrucci ended the day 2.13 seconds behind than pacesetter and championship rival Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne. Despite a rough track surface and having only two forty-minute sessions to learn the layout, Petrucci is well-placed and believes the team will be dialed in for the weekend.
Qualifying 1 Results—Top 5
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 2:11.384
P2 – Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 2:11.733
P3 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 2:12.637
P4 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 2:13.478
P5 – Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 2:13.514
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“Today has been really tough physically for me. The track is really nice, but I can’t say the same for the tarmac because it’s really old. It’s full of bumps and is broken in some parts, which makes everything more difficult. We’re improving some electronic settings on the bike and tomorrow we’ll be even more competitive.”
Qualifying 2 is scheduled for Saturday, June 4 at 10:50 am EDT ahead of Race 1 at 4:10 pm EDT and Race 2 on Sunday, June 5 at 4:10 pm EDT.
The final qualifying session for the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy came to a close this evening ahead of the RST Superbike TT and 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Races tomorrow.
Due to rain in the daytime the final session for qualifying was pushed back to the evening, starting at 6.30pm, it was bright skies all round, although riders were warned of damp patches from Ginger Hall through to the Conker Fields and also at Ramsey Hairpin.
Nevertheless, it didn’t stop Peter Hickman’s stranglehold on the Superbike class continuing as he lapped at a mightily impressive 132.874mph on the Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW despite the conditions in the north of the Island.
Elsewhere, Michael Dunlop was the man of the moment as he topped the Superstock (129.299mph), Supersport (125.04mph) and Supertwin (120.303mph) leaderboards, whilst newcomer Glenn Irwin again left everyone in awe with a new personal best lap of 128.268mph making him the fifth fastest Superbike on the night.
The damp conditions meant it was the Supersport/Supertwin machines who were the first to take to the Mountain Course and it was 7.18pm before the Superbikes went out on track, Dunlop (Hawk Racing) setting off towards Bray Hill first with Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales), Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW Motorrad) and Craig Neve (Callmac Scaffolding) next to go.
It was Hickman who set the pace on the first lap though, and although Dunlop (129.346mph) was the first to cross the line, Hickman was some 15s quicker at 131.241mph. Jamie Coward (127.546mph) placed third ahead of Irwin (126.196mph), James Hillier (125.958mph) and Shaun Anderson (125.502mph). Mike Browne (124.752mph) was next up in seventh.
A number of leading contenders went out first on their Superstock machines with Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) the early pacesetter at 127.853mph, followed by Conor Cummins (127.635mph), Neve (124.783mph), Nathan Harrison (124.313mph) and Brian McCormack (124.142mph).
As riders got more used to the conditions on lap two, the speeds improved especially Hickman’s as he flashed across the line at 132.876mph, no mean feat given the damp patches in the north of the Island. Hillier (127.449mph) also improved but was soon back down in seventh as Harrison (128.56mph) and Lee Johnston (128.503mph) both overhauled him as did Irwin who posted the aforementioned 128.268mph lap! That put him fifth quickest with Browne deserving another mention as he again went quicker at 125.54mph.
The earlier Supersport/Supertwin session saw Dunlop lead the riders away on his Paton Supertwin and he was swiftly followed by Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing), John McGuinness MBE (SMT Racing/Blue Earth Construction), Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) and Hutchinson (Boyce Precision by Russell Racing).
Those four were all Supersport-mounted as were Davey Todd, Hickman and Conor Cummins but Johnston, Gary Johnson and Dominic Herbertson had all chosen their Supertwin machines for their first lap of the evening. The latter soon stopped though at Union Mills.
Harrison and Hickman set the pace to Ramsey with Todd in third but the live coverage on TT+ later caught the latter’s Honda expiring in a plume of smoke just after the Mountain Mile, eventually pulling in at the Mountain Box.
The damp patches kept the times down a little with Harrison (123.044mph), Hutchinson (122.717mph) and Hickman (121.981mph) the leading three 600cc machines first time around closely followed by Cummins (121.779mph), Paul Jordan (121.388mph) and Hillier (121.295mph). Dunlop was the quickest Supertwin (120.303mph), immediately pitting to switch to his Supersport machine, ahead of Johnston (116.06mph) and Rob Hodson (115.04mph).
The second lap saw a similar pace from Hutchinson (122.61mph) but Hickman upped his tempo considerably to 124.835mph, moving him to the top of the leaderboard, although it didn’t last long as Dunlop soon took over after lapping 1.7s quicker at 125.04mph. Cummins (123.524mph) moved up to third, pushing Harrison and Hutchinson down to fourth and fifth, with Browne going well again at 121.889mph.
Dunlop’s Supertwin time remained untouched as did Johnston’s but Jordan (PreZ Racing by Prosper2) squeezed between them with a lap of 116.371mph. Hodson increased his speed to 115.856mph and placed fourth ahead of Michael Evans (114.65mph) and newcomer Joe Loughlin (114.261mph).
An incident at Joey’s involving Supersport, Number 46, Mike Booth as well as a burst water main at Cronk ny Mona meant the Sidecars were confined to just one lap ahead of their race tomorrow. It was Peter Founds/Jevan Walmsley who were quickest at 115.441mph followed by Ryan and Callum Crowe (114.276mph), Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (111.008mph), Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson (109.312mph), Paul Leglise/Melanie Farnier (108.634mph) and Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle (107.761mph).
Having dominated the sidecar qualifying sessions so far, the Birchalls started the session before pulling off the course shortly afterwards. Elsewhere there was disappointment for John Holden as he’s been forced to withdraw from the event due to a lack of suitable passenger, newcomer Jason Pitt pulling out due to lack of experience and substitute Dan Sayle’s previous injuries seeing him unable to compete at the optimum level.
Incident update: Mike Booth, off at Joey’s, reported conscious with leg injuries, airlifted to Noble’s Hospital
Rider condition update: Dave Moffitt, off at Laurel Bank, 30th May, remains serious but stable and continues to receive treatment
Qualifying report: Hanika goes for a rapid ride on Spa’s EWC rollercoaster
June 3 2022
*Czech star receives Nathalie Maillet Challenge trophy for stunning pole lap
*YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC fastest again in EWC qualifying
*Wójcik Racing Team first among Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders
*Stage set for a thrilling 24H SPA EWC Motos with race start set for Saturday at 13h00
A stunning lap from Karel Hanika ensured YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC claimed a second consecutive pole position in this season’s FIM Endurance World Championship, which is returning to the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the first time since 2001 this weekend.
The Czech, who received the Nathalie Maillet Challenge trophy for his charging performance on his Bridgestone-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1, was the only rider to dip below the 2m19s barrier. He’s now preparing to line up for the first 24H SPA EWC Motos, which will recreate the spirit of the famous 24 Heures de Liège when it begins at 13h00 CET tomorrow (Saturday) alongside team-mates Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa from Germany and Italy respectively.
Under new rules for this season EWC qualifying results are based on the average time of the fastest two riders from each team, rather than three previously. That means BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Jérémy Guarnoni, Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger) will start in second position for the eagerly anticipated day and night race with Yoshimura SERT Motul in third. The Suzuki-powered outfit includes home hero Xavier Siméon along with team-mates Gregg Black and Sylvain Guintoli.
In the Dunlop Superstock Trophy, there was a pole for Polish squad Wójcik Racing Team for whom Italian Kevin Manfredi was the fastest of its trio of riders, which also features Briton Danny Webb and Pole Marek Szkopek. BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers, featuring Belgian Loris Cresson, was second followed by National Motos Honda.
How the chase for EWC pole glory unfolded
Gregg Black underlined Yoshimura SERT Motul’s intent with the fastest time in the Blue Rider group, the first of four groups to take to the legendary 6.985-kilometre track for Second Qualifying. The British-born Frenchman clocked a 2m19.368s best to edge Germany’s Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) by 0.017s. Niccolò Canepa was third for YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC followed by Josh Hook (F.C.C. TSR Honda France and Tati Team Beringer Racing’s Alan Techer. Xavi Forès (ERC Endurance-Ducati) was sixth quickest ahead of Webike SRC Kawasaki France rider Randy de Puniet. Dominik Vincon (Team LRP Poland), Florian Alt (Viltaïs Racing Igol) and leading Dunlop Superstock Trophy contender Johan Nigon (Team LH Racing) completed the top 10.
YART’s German ace Marvin Fritz was the form Yellow Rider on a 2m19.826s ahead of Ukraine’s Illya Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) by 0.195s with home hero Xavier Siméon leaving it late to post the third fastest time, a 2m20.321s. Gino Rea placed fourth but was a late faller from his F.C.C. TSR Honda France entry. Grégory Leblanc and Etienne Masson were next up for Tati Team Beringer Racing and Webike SRC Kawasaki France respectively with Erwan Nigon seventh quickest for Viltaïs Racing Igol. Team LRP Poland’s late entrant Pepijn Bijsterbosch was eighth ahead of Claudio Corti (Team Moto Ain) and Sheridan Morais (Wójcik Racing Team EWC 77), whose team-mate Dan Linfoot crashed in the first rider group on track. Belgian Loris Cresson (BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers) topped the Dunlop Superstock Trophy classification.
The Red Rider session was interrupted by two red flags but finished with Karel Hanika on top for YART following his epic 2m18.845s lap. Sylvain Guintoli was 1.572s adrift for Yoshimura SERT Motul, while Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) placed third despite falling. Florian Marino (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) and Jérémy Guarnoni (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) were next up with Chaz Davies sixth on his EWC debut. South African Steven Odendaal was seventh quickest for Viltaïs Racing Igol followed by Loïc Arbel (Tati Team Beringer Racing) and Wójcik Racing Team STK 777’s Dunlop Superstock Trophy pacesetting Brit Danny Webb. Christian Iddon was the fastest of the Green Rider group, with the Yoshimura SERT Motil team posting a 2m21.864s best.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND-UP: HANIKA LEAVES IT LATE TO TOP EWC ORDER
Karel Hanika left it late to put YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC on top following an action-packed First Qualifying. Hanika had trailed Florian Marino (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) in the Red Rider session but snatched first place among the third of four groups on his last lap by a margin of 0.492s.
Hanika’s 2m20.253s eclipsed the fastest times posted in the earlier Blue and Yellow Rider sessions by Josh Hook and Illya Mykhalchyk and continued his strong qualifying form that was much in evidence at the EWC season-opening 24 Heures Motos, where he set a new qualifying lap record on his way to pole position.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s Markus Reiterberger set the early pace among the Blue Riders, slipped down the order before shooting back to the top of the times, ousting Josh Hook in the process. However, his best lap of 2m19.910s was struck from the records after he was adjudged to have exceeded track limits. That left Hook fastest for F.C.C. TSR Honda France in a time of 2m20.411s ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black and YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC’s Niccolò Canepa. Randy de Puniet (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) and Xavi Forès (ERC Endurance-Ducati) were next. Hugo Clere (Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore) headed the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders followed by Sébastien Suchet (National Motos Honda).
While Reiterberger was penalised in the Blue Rider session, there were no such problems for Illya Mykhalchyk, who took over the #37 Dunlop-shod BMW M1000RR and went fastest among the Yellow Riders in 2m20.388s. F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s new-for-2022 recruit Gino Rea was second quickest with Marvin Fritz (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC) heading home hero Xavier Siméon (Yoshimura SERT Motul). Grégory Leblanc was fifth fastest for Tati Team Beringer Racing with Etienne Masson (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) sixth on another ZK 10R. Kevin Manfredi (Wójcik Racing Team STK 777) edged out Belgian rider Loris Cresson (BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers) for the fastest time among the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders. The session was red flagged to enable trackside safety barriers to be repaired after Martin Renaudin crashed 3ART Best of Bike Yamaha, albeit without injury.
Behind Hanika and Marino in the Red Rider session, BMW’s Jérémy Guarnoni was third fastest followed by Sylvain Guintoli (Yoshimura SERT Motul), Chaz Davies (ERC Endurance-Ducati) and Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France). Team Moto Ain’s Corentin Perolari was seventh as Wójcik Racing Team experienced mixed fortunes. While Mathieu Gines crashed his Formula EWC-spec Yamaha, Danny Webb topped the Dunlop Superstock Trophy ahead of Kevin Calia (Team 33 Louit April Moto) and RAC 41 ChromeBurner’s Chris Leesch.
Christian Iddon edged the battle of the reserves in the Green Rider session with a 2m21.774s best for Yoshimura SERT Motul. Kenny Forray (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team), YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC’s Robin Mulhauser was third fastest followed by James Westmoreland (Viltaïs Racing Igol) and Balint Kovács, the quickest of the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders for Wójcik Racing Team STK 777 in fifth overall.
DISCOVERY SPORTS EVENTS AND CIRCUIT DE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS ANNOUNCE THE NATHALIE MAILLET CHALLENGE
As part of the first edition of the 24H Spa EWC Motos, Discovery Sports Events and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps have announced a tribute to Nathalie Maillet, the former circuit manager who lost her life last year. The Nathalie Maillet Challenge has been created in the form of a special trophy to be awarded each year to the rider setting the best lap in qualifying for rounds two of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship. François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, said: “This trophy is the perfect opportunity to honour the essential role played by the late Nathalie Maillet, whose invaluable help made this race possible. It was her vision that led to the first discussions, and which ultimately led us to where we are today.” Amaury Bertholome, Managing Director, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, said: “The 24H SPA EWC Motos taking place this weekend is the culmination of a process that began in May 2016 under the impetus of my predecessor Nathalie Maillet. This trophy reflects perfectly her character, a person who was driven by an unwavering desire to win and a passion for the circuit that we have in common.”
RIDER QUOTES
Formula EWC, Karel Hanika (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC): “My team prepared a great bike and my team-mates were riding in front of me and they told me how is the situation with the race track and they helped me to prepare the bike for the perfect lap. For myself I was just looking to have a clean lap and this I was able to achieve in the last few minutes. I did no mistakes and was trying to hit my lines and the bike was working great. I believe there was one or two tenths possible to do better but, for sure, you are always on the limit every time you go into qualifying. You are 100 per cent at these moments and I did the best that I could do. Of course we will try to win, it’s our main target every time we go into a race. We’ve worked hard since the last race in Le Mans to improve the things we were struggling with and we believe it’s now properly fixed. We are enjoying riding here at Spa, it’s a great circuit, we’re having a lot of fun and it’s great to share the bike with my team-mates. Thanks to my team, they did an amazing job, and we have the pole position again. I am very happy.”
Dunlop Superstock Trophy, Kevin Manfredi (Wójcik Racing Team STK 777): “After the injury now it’s okay. At Le Mans I had a little more pain on my body but now it’s okay. Danny [Webb] helped me a lot with the bike and with the track a lot. He knows the track from the classic bike races and this is important for my lap time. I was not on the limit and I don’t close two corners very and maybe it was possible to go a little more fast. Now I just hope for the best result for the team, but it’s a new race for all the teams and maybe this is the biggest challenge because anything can happen.”
Best laps
First Qualifying Blue Rider: Josh Hook, 2m20.411s
First Qualifying Yellow Rider: Illya Mykhalchyk, 2m20.388s
First Qualifying Red Rider: Karel Hanika, 2m20.253s
First Qualifying Green Rider: Christian Iddon, 2m21.774s
Second Qualifying Blue Rider: Gregg Black, 2m19.368s
Second Qualifying Yellow Rider: Marvin Fritz, 2m19.826s
Second Qualifying Red Rider: Karel Hanika, 2m18.845s
Second Qualifying Green Rider: Christian Iddon 2m21.864s
What’s next?
The 24H SPA EWC Motos, round two of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship, is due to begin at 13h00 CET on Saturday 5 June. Click HERE for details of the global networks broadcasting the race live.
Gagne Snatches Provisional Pole For MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike At Road America
It’s An Action-Packed Friday On Road America’s “Four Miles Of Fun”
Jake Gagne (1). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
ELKHART LAKE, WI (June 3, 2022) – For a few minutes on Friday afternoon it looked as though Cameron Petersen was going to earn a surprise provisional pole position for this weekend’s two MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike races at Road America. Turns out, it was only for a few minutes as his teammate Jake Gagne burst his bubble and snatched the top spot away on his final go-around.
Gagne lapped at 2:11.384 on a sunny but windy day in Elkhart Lake to lead Petersen by .349 of a second with the Yamaha duo putting a little fear in the rest as they have a gap over the field.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was third fastest – 1.2 seconds behind Gagne and almost a second behind Petersen.
Tytlers Cycle Racing’s PJ Jacobsen ended up fourth with his 2:13.4789, set prior to crashing out of the session. He was just a tick faster than Road America first-timer Danilo Petrucci, the Italian ending up with a best of 2:13.514 and struggling with his fitness as well as a new track to learn.
Jacobsen’s teammate Hector Barbera was sixth fastest, some .6 of a second clear of Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim. Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander, Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante and Aftercare Hayes Scheibe Racing’s Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 on opening day.
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Supersport – Herrin Gets it Started
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC’s Josh Herrin led Friday’s Q1 session in the Supersport class, the Ducati Panigale V2 rider lapping at 2:19.805 – the only rider to drop into the 2:19s. That put him .726 of a second faster than Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott with Mesa37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa completing the provisional front row. Mesa ended the day 1.2 seconds off Herrin’s best on the four-mile circuit.
Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Yuasa Stock 1000 – Alexander Bounces Back
Two short weeks ago, Corey Alexander was scratched from the two Yuasa Stock 1000 races at VIRginia International Raceway after suffering a concussion in his crash on Saturday morning. Today, Alexander showed he hasn’t lost any of his swagger as he earned provisional pole position for Saturday’s lone Yuasa Stock 1000 race.
Disrupt Racing’s Hayden Gillim ended the session second with Alexander’s teammate Travis Wyman completing the provisional front row.
Alexander’s best was a 2:14.632, .868 of a second quicker than Gilim’s best. It was also a new lap record for the class.
Twins Cup – Still Barry
Twins Cup Championship leader Jody Barry showed that he may just win a fourth race in a row, at least based on his performance on Friday afternoon at Road America.
Barry and his Veloce Racing Aprilia RS 660 lapped at 2:26.829, a new lap record and .633 of a second faster than his teammate and defending class champion Kaleb De Keyrel. Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto ended the day third fastest. The first non-Aprilia on Friday was the BARTCON Racing Yamaha YZF-R7 ridden to the fifth-fastest lap by Dominic Doyle.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup – Dreher Rules
Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher led the way in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Q1 on Friday with his best lap of 2:41.320. That was .951 of a second faster than the next fastest lap set by SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Joe LiMandri Jr. on his SportbikeTrackGear.com Kawasaki Ninja 400. Alpha Omega’s Cody Wyman ended the day third fastest.
Travis Wyman (10). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Mission King Of The Baggers – It’s A Wyman, Travis Wyman
H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman was fastest on the first day of qualifying for the Mission King Of The Baggers as he led a Harley-Davidson one-two and a one-two for the Wyman clan with brother Kyle ending up second.
Travis Wyman lapped at a best of 2:23.631 to lead Kyle Wyman by .292 of a second with both riders doing their fastest lap on their final lap. Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Jeremy McWilliams ended up third, .671 of a second behind and just a 10th of a second ahead of his teammate Tyler O’Hara. Vance & Hines Racing’s James Rispoli rounded out the top five on Friday.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Petrucci Ready to Race After Day One at Road America
The Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC rider ends the day in P5
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Sunnyvale, Calif., June 3, 2022 — Danilo Petrucci ended the first day at Road America, round four of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, in fifth place. The Warhorse HSBK Ducati NYC team faced its share of challenges, but former MotoGP star Petrucci continued to show his mettle qualifying while injured and learning another new track on the Panigale V4 R superbike.
Petrucci, who’s far from fully fit after crashing at VIR two weeks ago, posted a best time of 2:13.514, some 1.3 seconds faster than his previous best of 2:14.858, clocked during Practice 1.
Petrucci ended the day 2.13 seconds behind than pacesetter and championship rival Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne. Despite a rough track surface and having only two forty-minute sessions to learn the layout, Petrucci is well-placed and believes the team will be dialed in for the weekend.
Qualifying 1 Results—Top 5
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 2:11.384
P2 – Cameron Petersen (Yamaha) 2:11.733
P3 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 2:12.637
P4 – PJ Jacobsen (BMW) 2:13.478
P5 – Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) 2:13.514
Danilo Petrucci (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC – Ducati #9)
“Today has been really tough physically for me. The track is really nice, but I can’t say the same for the tarmac because it’s really old. It’s full of bumps and is broken in some parts, which makes everything more difficult. We’re improving some electronic settings on the bike and tomorrow we’ll be even more competitive.”
Qualifying 2 is scheduled for Saturday, June 4 at 10:50 am EDT ahead of Race 1 at 4:10 pm EDT and Race 2 on Sunday, June 5 at 4:10 pm EDT.
Peter Hickman (10) in action during the 2022 Isle of Man TT. Photo courtesy Isle of Man TT Press Office.
HICKMAN ENDS QUALIFYING AS THE FASTEST
The final qualifying session for the Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy came to a close this evening ahead of the RST Superbike TT and 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT Races tomorrow.
Due to rain in the daytime the final session for qualifying was pushed back to the evening, starting at 6.30pm, it was bright skies all round, although riders were warned of damp patches from Ginger Hall through to the Conker Fields and also at Ramsey Hairpin.
Nevertheless, it didn’t stop Peter Hickman’s stranglehold on the Superbike class continuing as he lapped at a mightily impressive 132.874mph on the Gas Monkey Garage by FHO Racing BMW despite the conditions in the north of the Island.
Elsewhere, Michael Dunlop was the man of the moment as he topped the Superstock (129.299mph), Supersport (125.04mph) and Supertwin (120.303mph) leaderboards, whilst newcomer Glenn Irwin again left everyone in awe with a new personal best lap of 128.268mph making him the fifth fastest Superbike on the night.
The damp conditions meant it was the Supersport/Supertwin machines who were the first to take to the Mountain Course and it was 7.18pm before the Superbikes went out on track, Dunlop (Hawk Racing) setting off towards Bray Hill first with Michael Rutter (Bathams Ales), Ian Hutchinson (Milwaukee BMW Motorrad) and Craig Neve (Callmac Scaffolding) next to go.
It was Hickman who set the pace on the first lap though, and although Dunlop (129.346mph) was the first to cross the line, Hickman was some 15s quicker at 131.241mph. Jamie Coward (127.546mph) placed third ahead of Irwin (126.196mph), James Hillier (125.958mph) and Shaun Anderson (125.502mph). Mike Browne (124.752mph) was next up in seventh.
A number of leading contenders went out first on their Superstock machines with Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) the early pacesetter at 127.853mph, followed by Conor Cummins (127.635mph), Neve (124.783mph), Nathan Harrison (124.313mph) and Brian McCormack (124.142mph).
As riders got more used to the conditions on lap two, the speeds improved especially Hickman’s as he flashed across the line at 132.876mph, no mean feat given the damp patches in the north of the Island. Hillier (127.449mph) also improved but was soon back down in seventh as Harrison (128.56mph) and Lee Johnston (128.503mph) both overhauled him as did Irwin who posted the aforementioned 128.268mph lap! That put him fifth quickest with Browne deserving another mention as he again went quicker at 125.54mph.
The earlier Supersport/Supertwin session saw Dunlop lead the riders away on his Paton Supertwin and he was swiftly followed by Hillier (RICH Energy OMG Racing), John McGuinness MBE (SMT Racing/Blue Earth Construction), Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki) and Hutchinson (Boyce Precision by Russell Racing).
Those four were all Supersport-mounted as were Davey Todd, Hickman and Conor Cummins but Johnston, Gary Johnson and Dominic Herbertson had all chosen their Supertwin machines for their first lap of the evening. The latter soon stopped though at Union Mills.
Harrison and Hickman set the pace to Ramsey with Todd in third but the live coverage on TT+ later caught the latter’s Honda expiring in a plume of smoke just after the Mountain Mile, eventually pulling in at the Mountain Box.
The damp patches kept the times down a little with Harrison (123.044mph), Hutchinson (122.717mph) and Hickman (121.981mph) the leading three 600cc machines first time around closely followed by Cummins (121.779mph), Paul Jordan (121.388mph) and Hillier (121.295mph). Dunlop was the quickest Supertwin (120.303mph), immediately pitting to switch to his Supersport machine, ahead of Johnston (116.06mph) and Rob Hodson (115.04mph).
The second lap saw a similar pace from Hutchinson (122.61mph) but Hickman upped his tempo considerably to 124.835mph, moving him to the top of the leaderboard, although it didn’t last long as Dunlop soon took over after lapping 1.7s quicker at 125.04mph. Cummins (123.524mph) moved up to third, pushing Harrison and Hutchinson down to fourth and fifth, with Browne going well again at 121.889mph.
Dunlop’s Supertwin time remained untouched as did Johnston’s but Jordan (PreZ Racing by Prosper2) squeezed between them with a lap of 116.371mph. Hodson increased his speed to 115.856mph and placed fourth ahead of Michael Evans (114.65mph) and newcomer Joe Loughlin (114.261mph).
An incident at Joey’s involving Supersport, Number 46, Mike Booth as well as a burst water main at Cronk ny Mona meant the Sidecars were confined to just one lap ahead of their race tomorrow. It was Peter Founds/Jevan Walmsley who were quickest at 115.441mph followed by Ryan and Callum Crowe (114.276mph), Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (111.008mph), Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson (109.312mph), Paul Leglise/Melanie Farnier (108.634mph) and Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle (107.761mph).
Having dominated the sidecar qualifying sessions so far, the Birchalls started the session before pulling off the course shortly afterwards. Elsewhere there was disappointment for John Holden as he’s been forced to withdraw from the event due to a lack of suitable passenger, newcomer Jason Pitt pulling out due to lack of experience and substitute Dan Sayle’s previous injuries seeing him unable to compete at the optimum level.
Incident update: Mike Booth, off at Joey’s, reported conscious with leg injuries, airlifted to Noble’s Hospital
Rider condition update: Dave Moffitt, off at Laurel Bank, 30th May, remains serious but stable and continues to receive treatment
Qualifying report: Hanika goes for a rapid ride on Spa’s EWC rollercoaster
June 3 2022
*Czech star receives Nathalie Maillet Challenge trophy for stunning pole lap
*YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC fastest again in EWC qualifying
*Wójcik Racing Team first among Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders
*Stage set for a thrilling 24H SPA EWC Motos with race start set for Saturday at 13h00
A stunning lap from Karel Hanika ensured YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC claimed a second consecutive pole position in this season’s FIM Endurance World Championship, which is returning to the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the first time since 2001 this weekend.
The Czech, who received the Nathalie Maillet Challenge trophy for his charging performance on his Bridgestone-equipped Yamaha YZF-R1, was the only rider to dip below the 2m19s barrier. He’s now preparing to line up for the first 24H SPA EWC Motos, which will recreate the spirit of the famous 24 Heures de Liège when it begins at 13h00 CET tomorrow (Saturday) alongside team-mates Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa from Germany and Italy respectively.
Under new rules for this season EWC qualifying results are based on the average time of the fastest two riders from each team, rather than three previously. That means BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Jérémy Guarnoni, Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger) will start in second position for the eagerly anticipated day and night race with Yoshimura SERT Motul in third. The Suzuki-powered outfit includes home hero Xavier Siméon along with team-mates Gregg Black and Sylvain Guintoli.
In the Dunlop Superstock Trophy, there was a pole for Polish squad Wójcik Racing Team for whom Italian Kevin Manfredi was the fastest of its trio of riders, which also features Briton Danny Webb and Pole Marek Szkopek. BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers, featuring Belgian Loris Cresson, was second followed by National Motos Honda.
How the chase for EWC pole glory unfolded
Gregg Black underlined Yoshimura SERT Motul’s intent with the fastest time in the Blue Rider group, the first of four groups to take to the legendary 6.985-kilometre track for Second Qualifying. The British-born Frenchman clocked a 2m19.368s best to edge Germany’s Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) by 0.017s. Niccolò Canepa was third for YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC followed by Josh Hook (F.C.C. TSR Honda France and Tati Team Beringer Racing’s Alan Techer. Xavi Forès (ERC Endurance-Ducati) was sixth quickest ahead of Webike SRC Kawasaki France rider Randy de Puniet. Dominik Vincon (Team LRP Poland), Florian Alt (Viltaïs Racing Igol) and leading Dunlop Superstock Trophy contender Johan Nigon (Team LH Racing) completed the top 10.
YART’s German ace Marvin Fritz was the form Yellow Rider on a 2m19.826s ahead of Ukraine’s Illya Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) by 0.195s with home hero Xavier Siméon leaving it late to post the third fastest time, a 2m20.321s. Gino Rea placed fourth but was a late faller from his F.C.C. TSR Honda France entry. Grégory Leblanc and Etienne Masson were next up for Tati Team Beringer Racing and Webike SRC Kawasaki France respectively with Erwan Nigon seventh quickest for Viltaïs Racing Igol. Team LRP Poland’s late entrant Pepijn Bijsterbosch was eighth ahead of Claudio Corti (Team Moto Ain) and Sheridan Morais (Wójcik Racing Team EWC 77), whose team-mate Dan Linfoot crashed in the first rider group on track. Belgian Loris Cresson (BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers) topped the Dunlop Superstock Trophy classification.
The Red Rider session was interrupted by two red flags but finished with Karel Hanika on top for YART following his epic 2m18.845s lap. Sylvain Guintoli was 1.572s adrift for Yoshimura SERT Motul, while Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) placed third despite falling. Florian Marino (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) and Jérémy Guarnoni (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team) were next up with Chaz Davies sixth on his EWC debut. South African Steven Odendaal was seventh quickest for Viltaïs Racing Igol followed by Loïc Arbel (Tati Team Beringer Racing) and Wójcik Racing Team STK 777’s Dunlop Superstock Trophy pacesetting Brit Danny Webb. Christian Iddon was the fastest of the Green Rider group, with the Yoshimura SERT Motil team posting a 2m21.864s best.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND-UP: HANIKA LEAVES IT LATE TO TOP EWC ORDER
Karel Hanika left it late to put YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC on top following an action-packed First Qualifying. Hanika had trailed Florian Marino (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) in the Red Rider session but snatched first place among the third of four groups on his last lap by a margin of 0.492s.
Hanika’s 2m20.253s eclipsed the fastest times posted in the earlier Blue and Yellow Rider sessions by Josh Hook and Illya Mykhalchyk and continued his strong qualifying form that was much in evidence at the EWC season-opening 24 Heures Motos, where he set a new qualifying lap record on his way to pole position.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s Markus Reiterberger set the early pace among the Blue Riders, slipped down the order before shooting back to the top of the times, ousting Josh Hook in the process. However, his best lap of 2m19.910s was struck from the records after he was adjudged to have exceeded track limits. That left Hook fastest for F.C.C. TSR Honda France in a time of 2m20.411s ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black and YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC’s Niccolò Canepa. Randy de Puniet (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) and Xavi Forès (ERC Endurance-Ducati) were next. Hugo Clere (Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore) headed the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders followed by Sébastien Suchet (National Motos Honda).
While Reiterberger was penalised in the Blue Rider session, there were no such problems for Illya Mykhalchyk, who took over the #37 Dunlop-shod BMW M1000RR and went fastest among the Yellow Riders in 2m20.388s. F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s new-for-2022 recruit Gino Rea was second quickest with Marvin Fritz (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC) heading home hero Xavier Siméon (Yoshimura SERT Motul). Grégory Leblanc was fifth fastest for Tati Team Beringer Racing with Etienne Masson (Webike SRC Kawasaki France) sixth on another ZK 10R. Kevin Manfredi (Wójcik Racing Team STK 777) edged out Belgian rider Loris Cresson (BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers) for the fastest time among the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders. The session was red flagged to enable trackside safety barriers to be repaired after Martin Renaudin crashed 3ART Best of Bike Yamaha, albeit without injury.
Behind Hanika and Marino in the Red Rider session, BMW’s Jérémy Guarnoni was third fastest followed by Sylvain Guintoli (Yoshimura SERT Motul), Chaz Davies (ERC Endurance-Ducati) and Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France). Team Moto Ain’s Corentin Perolari was seventh as Wójcik Racing Team experienced mixed fortunes. While Mathieu Gines crashed his Formula EWC-spec Yamaha, Danny Webb topped the Dunlop Superstock Trophy ahead of Kevin Calia (Team 33 Louit April Moto) and RAC 41 ChromeBurner’s Chris Leesch.
Christian Iddon edged the battle of the reserves in the Green Rider session with a 2m21.774s best for Yoshimura SERT Motul. Kenny Forray (BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team), YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC’s Robin Mulhauser was third fastest followed by James Westmoreland (Viltaïs Racing Igol) and Balint Kovács, the quickest of the Dunlop Superstock Trophy contenders for Wójcik Racing Team STK 777 in fifth overall.
DISCOVERY SPORTS EVENTS AND CIRCUIT DE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS ANNOUNCE THE NATHALIE MAILLET CHALLENGE
As part of the first edition of the 24H Spa EWC Motos, Discovery Sports Events and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps have announced a tribute to Nathalie Maillet, the former circuit manager who lost her life last year. The Nathalie Maillet Challenge has been created in the form of a special trophy to be awarded each year to the rider setting the best lap in qualifying for rounds two of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship. François Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, said: “This trophy is the perfect opportunity to honour the essential role played by the late Nathalie Maillet, whose invaluable help made this race possible. It was her vision that led to the first discussions, and which ultimately led us to where we are today.” Amaury Bertholome, Managing Director, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, said: “The 24H SPA EWC Motos taking place this weekend is the culmination of a process that began in May 2016 under the impetus of my predecessor Nathalie Maillet. This trophy reflects perfectly her character, a person who was driven by an unwavering desire to win and a passion for the circuit that we have in common.”
RIDER QUOTES
Formula EWC, Karel Hanika (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC): “My team prepared a great bike and my team-mates were riding in front of me and they told me how is the situation with the race track and they helped me to prepare the bike for the perfect lap. For myself I was just looking to have a clean lap and this I was able to achieve in the last few minutes. I did no mistakes and was trying to hit my lines and the bike was working great. I believe there was one or two tenths possible to do better but, for sure, you are always on the limit every time you go into qualifying. You are 100 per cent at these moments and I did the best that I could do. Of course we will try to win, it’s our main target every time we go into a race. We’ve worked hard since the last race in Le Mans to improve the things we were struggling with and we believe it’s now properly fixed. We are enjoying riding here at Spa, it’s a great circuit, we’re having a lot of fun and it’s great to share the bike with my team-mates. Thanks to my team, they did an amazing job, and we have the pole position again. I am very happy.”
Dunlop Superstock Trophy, Kevin Manfredi (Wójcik Racing Team STK 777): “After the injury now it’s okay. At Le Mans I had a little more pain on my body but now it’s okay. Danny [Webb] helped me a lot with the bike and with the track a lot. He knows the track from the classic bike races and this is important for my lap time. I was not on the limit and I don’t close two corners very and maybe it was possible to go a little more fast. Now I just hope for the best result for the team, but it’s a new race for all the teams and maybe this is the biggest challenge because anything can happen.”
Best laps
First Qualifying Blue Rider: Josh Hook, 2m20.411s
First Qualifying Yellow Rider: Illya Mykhalchyk, 2m20.388s
First Qualifying Red Rider: Karel Hanika, 2m20.253s
First Qualifying Green Rider: Christian Iddon, 2m21.774s
Second Qualifying Blue Rider: Gregg Black, 2m19.368s
Second Qualifying Yellow Rider: Marvin Fritz, 2m19.826s
Second Qualifying Red Rider: Karel Hanika, 2m18.845s
Second Qualifying Green Rider: Christian Iddon 2m21.864s
What’s next?
The 24H SPA EWC Motos, round two of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship, is due to begin at 13h00 CET on Saturday 5 June. Click HERE for details of the global networks broadcasting the race live.
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