Travis Wyman scores podium finish in Stock 1000 race at MotoAmerica season finale

Motul-sponsored BMW rider secures second place in Stock 1000, Superbike Cup standings at Barber Motorsports Park

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It was a positive conclusion to the 2021 MotoAmerica season for Travis Wyman, as the Motul-sponsored rider scored a podium finish in the final Stock 1000 race of the year and ended the season runner-up in the Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup points standings.

The BMW rider put in an excellent performance in two days of racing in challenging wet conditions Sept. 17-19 at Barber Motorsports Park and was twice in the hunt for a top-five Superbike finish or better. Though he came up just short of his goal of winning two MotoAmerica No. 1 plates, Wyman – like he has all season – got the most he could out of his BMW S 1000 RR and put his title sponsor Motul back on the MotoAmerica podium.

Wyman and the other top 10 riders in the Superbike Cup standings practiced and qualified with the Superbike Class at Barber. In Friday practice, Wyman put in the ninth-fastest time of the session and was second among the Superbike Cup riders. Later Friday, Wyman finished Qualifying 1 in 11th and was third among the Cup competitors. Qualifying wrapped up Saturday morning in wet conditions with Wyman having claimed third on the Stock 1000 grid – his fourth front row starting spot of the season – and 12th for the Saturday Superbike race.

Saturday also featured the weekend’s lone Stock 1000 race and one Superbike race. In the Stock 1000 contest, Wyman struggled in the early laps of the race on the 2.38-mile Barber circuit. After falling as far down the running order as sixth at the end of Lap 1, Wyman had advanced to fourth place by the end of Lap 4. With two laps to go, Wyman made his move into third place, which he held on to by a margin of more than five seconds. Rain continued to pour down on Barber Motorsports Park later Saturday when Superbike Race 1 got underway. Wyman got an excellent start and had moved up the running order five positions by the end of Lap 1. After advancing one position per lap on Laps 2-4, Wyman was running in third at the end of Lap 6 but suffered a crash at the exit of the Museum Corner on Lap 7 and had to retire from the race.

In Sunday’s Superbike Race 2, Wyman had to start the race 20th — third to last — because of his crash on Saturday. Wyman got off the line well again and moved up from 20th to 17th on the first lap. After passing two more riders in the next two laps, Wyman had moved up to 12th place when the race was stopped on Lap 12 of 17 due to wildlife being loose on the racetrack. In Superbike Race 3, Wyman had a banner first lap as he moved up from 13th on the starting grid to eighth by the end of the lap. After running as high as seventh on Laps 2-4, Wyman began experiencing a fogging problem with his helmet’s face shield. The problem forced him to back off his pace, and Wyman had to settle for an 11th-place finish.

With the 2021 MotoAmerica season having come to an end, the Travis Wyman Racing BMW team thanks its many sponsors, especially Motul, and its many enthusiastic fans for another great season of MotoAmerica competition.

Travis Wyman / No. 10

“Friday qualifying went well, and it felt great to have a new engine in our BMW S 1000 RR. We were less than a tenth of a second off the Stock 1000 pole, and we knew on Saturday that the rest of the weekend was going to be wet. We used Qualifying 2 on Saturday morning to work on our wet setup, which felt great on Saturday and Sunday. It was drying conditions in the Stock 1000 race, and I was pretty tentative off the start. I had a great battle with another rider for the last podium spot. Getting third was great for the team and allowed me to secure second place in the Stock 1000 championship. It rained really hard for the Saturday Superbike race, and I was in the running for my first Superbike podium before crashing out. I got more comfortable as the Sunday morning Superbike race went on and was able to work my way from 20th to 12th. I felt great in the last Superbike race, but my shield fogged up so bad that I couldn’t see and had to battle that issue the rest of the race. I was lifting my shield on the back straight trying to wipe it dry and had to actually rip the face shield off to finish the last lap of that race, which was pretty frustrating.”

More, from a press release issued by Royal Enfield North America:

BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. ROAD RACING WRAPS UP AT BARBER MOTOAMERICA

CJ Lukacs completes the hat trick at rain-soaked final at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park

Milwaukee, WI – The rain-soaked and program-delayed round of MotoAmerica at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, might not have been the season final anyone was hoping for, including the women of Royal Enfield’s Build. Train. Race. (BTR), but for a program with the goal of cultivating the life experience that comes through racing motorcycles, perhaps it was a fitting way to close the series after all.

“It was a bit of a wild weekend for the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Road Racers,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “We had some pretty serious weather, some difficult racing conditions, and several spills in the wet. But this is racing, and it’s not for the weak. The challenges are all part of the experience that shapes us. It’s finding your limits, getting up after you fall, dealing with the unexpected and working to solve problems while the clock is ticking. These women faced all of these challenges at Barber this weekend and really pushed through. To say that I’m proud of them would be a gross understatement.”

After the original start time was postponed during to Sunday’s downpour, many Royal Enfield team members were sent scrambling to rebook flights in the attempt to stay at the ready for a race that may or may not even take place. Five of the seven-rider field were able and/or willing to stick it out in the hopes of getting their track time, and fortunately the MotoAmerica crew found a way to slot in time for the third of three BTR Road Racing exhibition races in the revised schedule.

CJ Lukacs, who all but dominated the first two rounds, found herself on a second-row start behind Kayla Theisler, Trisha Dahl and Alyssa Bridges (fifth rider Michaela Trumbull experienced mechanical issues on the warmup lap and did not make the start). Dahl grabbed the holeshot and lead the early charge, but was soon overtaken by Lukacs and Theisler. The trio remained tight in the opening laps in what was the closest racing all season.

“We battled back and forth almost every corner,” said Lukacs. “It was so exciting! Having that push between all of us, bar to bar, there’s nothing else like it.”

Lukacs maneuvered her way out front, only a bike-length or two in front of the number 52 of Theisler. Given more time, Theisler might have overtaken the point, but a red flag handed the top spot to Lukacs by a fraction of a second, with Dahl and Bridges not far off. In the end, it cemented the former pro motocrosser’s top spot in the BTR Road Racing ranks, making for a clean sweep of the three-round series.

“We all wanted to finish upright,” Lukacs said, “and the fact that we did so, even through battling each other in crazy track conditions, makes me so proud. I am humbled by everyone’s talent and growth. As crazy as this last round was, the experience of racing in the rain for the first time couldn’t have been better.”

The finish marked Theisler’s first podium of the championship, while Trisha Dahl’s third-place finish completes her podium sweep of the series, having finished in the top-three at every BTR MotoAmerica event this season.

“What a weekend!” Trisha Dahl exclaimed. “My nerves were through the roof and I had no idea how hard I could push it. As my mentor Melissa Paris would say, ‘to finish first, you must first finish.’ I kept the inputs light but also stayed aggressive on the throttle when I knew the bike was upright. For the very little experience we have on rain tires, I am very impressed with myself and all my teammates. We went headfirst into this weekend and adapted to every challenge that was presented. I’m so proud to be a part of this team.”

Kayla Theisler echoed the sentiment, “Royal Enfield not only provided the resources for me to grow as a rider and racer, they also allowed me to create lasting relationships with so many talented, strong, inspiring women. I’m grateful and humbled to be a part of this trailblazing program for women in motorcycling.”

“That wasn’t an easy weekend, and we’d like to thank MotoAmerica for shuffling the program and giving our racers the chance to finish out their season,” Breeann Poland added. “And, of course, to all our sponsors who really came through, once again! After several spills on Saturday morning in the rain, these ladies worked so hard to repair their Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 race bikes in order to be ready for Sunday. We’re beyond thrilled to see a strong finish to our first Build. Train. Race. season with MotoAmerica and we’re already looking forward going bigger next year.”

Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE.

Round 3 Results – Barber MotoAmerica

1. CJ Lukacs

2. Kayla Theisler

3. Trisha Dahl

4. Alyssa Bridges

Visit https://motoamerica.com/standings/ for detailed results.

The Royal Enfield BTR Road Racing program has concluded for 2021, and is looking forward to an expanded platform with MotoAmerica next season. Look for an announcement on the 2022 Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. USA Road Racing program, including details on the application period, in the coming weeks.

The BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Flat Track program will race their fourth and final round at the Charlotte Half-Mile in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 8. Find more information on the Royal Enfield BTR programs at https://buildtrainrace.com/.

About Royal Enfield

The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.

Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 140 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the all-new Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (INT 650 and Continental GT 650) motorcycles, along with a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories and apparel.

For more information on Royal Enfield North America, visit www.RoyalEnfield.com/us/en/, www.Instagram.com/RoyalEnfield_NA, www.Facebook.com/RoyalEnfieldNorthAmerica.

More, from a press release issued by N2 Racing:

Blake Davis Finishes Top 5 at Barber Motorsports Park!

Birmingham, AL (September 2021) – N2 Racing’s Blake Davis finished fifth on his Yamaha YZF-R3 in the last race of the MotoAmerica Junior Cup season after dealing with mixed conditions and torrential rain. Blake also finished in seventh place in Junior Cup Race 1 and these two combined finishes secured sixth place in the championship.

Friday practice and qualifying were dry and Blake was competitive in every session. In QP1, Blake was able to turn a lap time of 1:37.110 which would be his fastest lap of the weekend, because then, the rain came down. The rain never stopped either, just changing in degrees of intensity from a light drizzle to torrential down poor.

Blakes time from Friday put him seventh, in the inside of row three for the start. The race was started under heavy rain and Blake got a great start. Visibility and traction were changing lap to lap and several competitors struggled with crashes. Blake battled with Max Van for most of the race, bringing the number 22 home in seventh place.

Sunday started off fantastic with Blake finishing in the first position in the morning warmup. The team had worked hard to develop a better wet set up after Saturday’s race and it paid off. Race 2 was held in a soaking rain. Blake struggled at the start, fading back to eighth place in the first few laps. As the chaos of the start calmed down, Blake was able to put his head down and start working his way through the field. Blake eventually worked his way up to fifth place at the finish and secured sixth place in the season championship standings.

Kris Smith (Team Owner) – “Our team is pretty proud of Blake Davis for showing us all what a true pro he is in the most challenging conditions. It feels good to finish the season on a positive and Blake took care of that for our team with his 5th in race two. I’m especially pleased that he was able to score points in 16 out of 18 races this year and take 6th in the championship. Blake will be the first to tell you he has more to offer and I’m a believer. I’m pretty excited about our plans for N2 Racing and the 2022 season which we hope to be announcing in the near future.”

Shiloh Salopek (Crew Chief) – “As challenging as this season has been for the whole team it was great to end the season on a good note.  Blake has impressed me more and more every round with his dedication and positive attitude no matter what has been thrown our way.  I am very happy to have the opportunity to continue on working with him in 2022 in what is shaping up to be the best year yet for N2.”

Blake Davis – “It was a crazy way to finish what has been an amazing and challenging season. This weekend was a lot like the entire season. We had lots of ups and downs, but we overcame all of our challenges as a team. I would like to thank all of the sponsors for their support. I can’t thank Kris Smith, Shiloh, Emerson, and my family enough for all the hard work this year. Thank you for believing in me and I can’t wait for what’s coming next season.”

About N2 Track Days:

N2 provides a structured riding environment for sport-bike riders of all levels promoting motorcycle safety through instruction on a closed course racetrack. Our instructors and coaching staff are comprised of club-racers, pro racers, and experienced track day riders who are articulate and passionate about all aspects of this sport. N2 strives to provide an enjoyable riding experience in an environment where members can hone their skills and inspire confidence in their riding ability. Riding with N2 means you and your sportbike gain access to a structured environment without the hazards, limitations, distractions, and obstacles that you’ll find on the street.

N2 Racing is proudly sponsored by: N2 Track Days, BobbleHeadMoto, SBS Brakes, Renthal, Motorex, Shoei Helmets, Ohlins USA, Trading Paint, Westby Racing, and Moto Liberty

More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:

MotoAmerica: Jake Lewis Clinches the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Cup Championship. Results from Round 9 Barber Motorsports Park for the Altus Motorsports Tucker Environmental Service Solutions Team

(Birmingham, AL) – The unrelenting rain at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama could not dampen the spirits of the Altus Motorsports team. For the second year in a row, the Altus team won the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 & Superbike Cup Championship.

Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:

After clinching the Stock 1000 championship last round, Jake Lewis came into the final round of the MotoAmerica 2021 season looking to do the same with the Superbike Cup. And he did. Lewis started the first of the weekend’s three Superbike races from 10th on the grid and in a wet and crash-laden race, he finished in 5th. He was the second-fastest Stock 1000 bike, but it was good enough to clinch the Superbike Cup championship. In the second Superbike race, he again finished 5th and took 9th in the third and final race of the season.

Jake also won the last Stock 1000 race of the year. In the 2021 Stock 1000 championship season, Lewis only finished off the podium three times. All totaled, he claimed 6 wins, two second-place finishes, a third, two fourths, and one DNF.

“I cannot thank George and Janette Nassaney and the Altus Motorsports team enough for giving me the opportunity to ride this year. I’ve said it before, last year I was out of the paddock and thought my racing career might be over. George is an amazing person. He always wants to win, but there was never any pressure. Even if I was running 3rd or 4th, he was just supportive. I also have to thank Eric Gray, my crew chief. He and my mechanics, Tony and David did an incredible job every round. I’m incredibly grateful to my personal sponsors: Roclun International, Service Tools and Plastics, Pikanty Group, Arai Helmets, and Cortech Leathers,” said Jake Lewis.

Supersport 600:

It was a wet and wild weekend for the Supersport riders. Both the Saturday and Sunday races were plagued by rain and each one ended up more a game of survival than a competition. In fact, almost half the field did not finish on Saturday.

Jaret Nassaney started Race 1 from 11th and managed to persevere to finish in 13th. In Race 2, he started 10th and, after battling for 8th, finished in the same position at 10th. Nassaney finished the season 10th overall in the Supersport class.

“On the last lap of Race 1, I lost the rear and crashed, but I picked the bike up and finished. We made some changes before Race 2.  I felt better, but with a few laps to go it started to dump rain and I ended up giving up two spots to finish 10th. Overall I’m just glad to survive,” said Jaret Nassaney. “I’m pretty happy with the season. We scored points every race but one and never got a DNF. I finished the season in 10th and only a few points out of 8th. I am ready to come back next year and continue progressing.”

Kevin Olmedo was one of the victims of the Saturday weather. He crashed before the race was red-flagged and restarted. In Race 2, he started from 4th and focused on finishing. He crossed the line in 12th. In spite of missing the first two rounds (four races), Olmedo managed to finish the season 7th overall in the class.

Junior Cup: 

Hayden Bicknese came into Barber Motorsports Park with high hopes. It was the only track on the schedule that he was very familiar with and he expected to post some good results. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to throw a change-up and fill the weekend with torrential downpours.

It was a rough weekend for Hayden in the rain. He started the Saturday race from 11th. While almost ⅓ of the entrants ended up crashing out, Hayden rode smart and took the checkered flag in 12th.

With the Sunday Race Start approaching, the weather turned worse. Hard consistent rain had created large areas of standing water. With little to gain and the potential for crashing and possible injury high, the team wisely decided to park the bike for Race 2. Bicknese ended his inaugural season in an impressive 12th overall.

“2021 is a wrap! For our team to win back-to-back Stock 1000 and Superbike Cup it feels amazing. This season had its challenges, but in the end, Jake Lewis is the Champion and we could not be more proud! None of this is possible without Crew Chief Eric Gray. He works many long hours to make sure the entire team is ready every weekend. His desire to push the team to be the best makes all of us champions! Thank you, Tony Pogue and David Gray for coming on midseason and making sure Jake’s bike was ready for battle. Jake Lewis, you are an amazing young man! Your competitive nature, professionalism, and being a genuinely good person brings out the best in our team.”

“Eric has always said it’s easy to make it to the 3rd or 4th Rounds, but much more difficult to complete an entire season. Thank you, Mike Castro, Sean Gager, and Mauro Deviasso for all your hard work this season.  You guys came together and made our team a success.”

“Jaret, Kevin, and Hayden all had great seasons. They came in focused and ready to compete at the highest level. As a team owner, I could not ask for more,” said George Nassaney.

Altus Motorsports is already working on the team for next year. They are looking at what the mix of bikes will be between 1000s, 600s, and Junior Cup bikes. Any riders looking for a bike or even transportation for the 2022 season, reach out to George Nassaney at [email protected]

The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, Environmental Service Solutions, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Creative Sports Concepts, Tucker Powersports, Schaefer Engineering, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, Barnett, VP Lubricants, SBS Brakes, Galfer USA, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Ohlins, K-Techs, RS Taichi, Arai, Law Tigers Oklahoma, Lawton Motorsports, and Altus Factory Racing.

SUZUKI PILOTS KELLY, PETERSEN, AND LEWIS EARN IMPRESSIVE WINS AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK

Brea, CA (September 20, 2021) – Suzuki Motor USA, LLC and Team Hammer completed its 2021 trophy haul tour in regal fashion with another spectacular performance in this weekend’s MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season finale at Barber Motorsports Park.

After the final checkered flag of the year, Team Hammer-backed Suzuki entries accounted for a stunning 20 victories, 40 podiums, the MotoAmerica Supersport title, the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 title, and the MotoAmerica Superbike Cup.

The weekend’s inclement weather increased an already sky-high level of difficulty with both day’s races held in a range of wet conditions, from a tricky drying track to a torrential downpour. Despite that unpredictability, Suzuki’s aces focused and competed at their best.

M4 ECSTAR Sean Dylan Kelly put the finishing touches on one of the all-time great MotoAmerica Supersport campaigns with another epic last-lap win on Saturday, followed by an impressive ride to second on Sunday in more challenging conditions.

While the Moto2-bound Kelly’s title-winning season was largely defined by his 12 victories, the last of his 17 podiums came after crashing in the wet moments after attempting a daring pass to steal back the lead in the late stages of the race. Never one to give in — and even after already being crowned champion — ‘SDK’ jumped back on his GSX-R600 and rode it to a runner-up finish to score the final 20 points of his record-breaking season’s tally of 410.

“I’m really grateful for this entire season,” Kelly said. “It’s been absolutely incredible working with the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team and everyone involved with Team Hammer these last three seasons. I’m very grateful for the opportunity John and Chris Ulrich gave me to race in this championship.

“To be the 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport champion is something I’ve dreamed about, and I’m very proud to be in this position. I’m also very proud that I’ll be representing MotoAmerica in Moto2 next year with one of the best teams possible. This was a season that I think people will remember.”

Newly crowned Stock 1000 champion Jake Lewis went out in a similarly impressive fashion. Having also locked up his Championship title a weekend early, the Altus Motorsports Suzuki ace didn’t lack motivation.

Even in difficult drying conditions, Lewis skillfully guided his Team Hammer-built GSX-R1000R to a sixth win of the season — including the last four in succession.

Lewis, who also secured the 2021 Superbike Cup, said, “The team gave me a great bike and I built up my confidence and fitness as the year continued. We’ve won the last four races so to close out the season like this is great. There was just the one (Stock 1000) race this weekend, so I figured I’d show ’em why I was the champ. I didn’t want to go out second or third. It feels good.”

M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sam Lochoff carried his late-season momentum right through the final checkered flag as well. The South African teenager came home fourth on Saturday and then scooped up his fifth podium of the season with a Sunday third.

Lochoff, who earned his maiden MotoAmerica Supersport victory a week ago, finished his rookie season in the hotly contested class ranked third.

He said, “There’s been a lot of ups and downs this rookie season, but mostly ups. I want to thank the team because they made this all possible. I also want to congratulate Sean for his season and wish him the best going to Moto2.”

Meanwhile, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Cameron Petersen broke through on Saturday to claim his first-career MotoAmerica Superbike victory in improbable fashion after crashing and remounting his Suzuki GSX-R1000R in torrential rain conditions. He backed that up on Sunday with a fourth and a fifth in Sunday’s two races to end the season ranked third in the premier-class standings.

After claiming that breakthrough maiden win, the South African said, “Honestly, I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. It’s been a long road to get to this point. I had this weekend circled from the start of the season — it’s my favorite track in the world — and I knew the Suzuki goes really well around here. I came into Barber with a little bit of confidence and that really shaped my weekend.”

“On the cool down lap, I was so emotional. My family has sacrificed so much for me to get to this point, so to finally get a Superbike win, it feels like it’s paid off. I couldn’t be happier. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and been in my corner.”

Superbike teammate Bobby Fong tallied up finishes of eighth, ninth, and tenth on the weekend to move up to fifth in the final points order.

And finally, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris concluded the Stock 1000 season ninth in the points on the strength of eight top-ten finishes.

More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing (KWR):

KWR Ducati Team wraps up 2021 with wet and wild weekend in Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 20) –– The One Cure Ducati finished 2021 the season at Barber Motorsports Park this past weekend, in their final weekend with the Ducati platform. Rider Kyle Wyman finished DNF-7th-6th in the three Superbike races, all three of them in full wet conditions.

Wyman was 7th overall on Friday’s dry practice and qualifying sessions, but with wet weather in the forecast the true work for making the weekend a success did not start until Saturday morning’s wet QP2 session.

“Friday was a positive day, and now what was our final dry laps on the Panigale V4 R. I just tried to enjoy myself as much as possible and we continuously improved throughout the day.”

Saturday morning proved wet as riders prepared for rain conditions. Wyman was 5th fastest in the morning rain session and with a 7th place grid spot, was primed for a successful run up to the front in the afternoon’s race one.

Wyman got off to a strong start in 6th place and worked his way through the pack to pass riders, and also inherit places throughout the race as other riders crashed. With 6 laps to go, Wyman was in 3rd place with a 4 second gap to the rider behind. Conditions worsened with each lap and eventually caught out Wyman in the final corner, crashing out of 3rd place and a potential podium spot.

“For me, Saturday’s end result was a disaster,” Wyman said. “Those type of opportunities don’t come around that often, and for me to be in the podium spot with only a handful of laps remaining and throw the bike down the road is a terrible feeling. As the rain came down harder there was a ton of standing water on the track, and my visibility was dwindling. I ran over the paint line on the inside of the last corner and just lost all grip.”

The One Cure Ducati team went to work to fix the bike and prepare for Sunday’s races, both of which would also take place in wet conditions. Wyman would be starting from 17th on the grid due to his finishing position in race one.

The 10am race two started on a wet-but-drying track, with Wyman working his way from the fifth row of the starting grid all the way up to 7th place. The race was then red-flagged due to deer being present near the race track, and the results were final.

“Race two was a tricky one, because there were some areas of the track that were completely dry, but standing water was still present on a lot of the straightaways,” Wyman said. “In the dryer areas I was struggling for grip more than the wet, it seemed the wetter the corner was the more feedback I would get from the Dunlop rain tires. I knew if I could get a decent result it would give me a much better grid spot for race three, so that was one of my goals for sure.”

Wyman started race three from 7th on the grid and got off to a steady start, running 8th place at first and then working his way up to 4th. He would drop to 6th place in the waning laps as he lost a spot and ultimately missed out on the elusive top-5 position for his final race on the Ducati Panigale V4 R.

“After everything we’ve been through this year, it’s been a pleasure to work with the team and sponsors I’ve had this season,” Wyman said. “Our 2021 campaign is over and also our three year adventure with the Ducati brand has come to an end. It has been a meaningful journey to KWR and we have seen tremendous growth in this program since I first took on the project in 2019. I plan to tell our story in great detail, but in this moment I want to thank some specific people who stepped in to help build this team.

“Dave Hopkinson, our master bike builder and technician, you brought us through the 2021 season without a single mechanical DNF and you’ve build the most beautiful motorcycle in the MotoAmerica paddock. That is something that KWR is very proud of.

“Scott Rybarik, or team manager, who is the glue to our team and the guy who keeps it real 100% of the time. Thank you for all you do for us.

“Paul St Clair, thanks for moving into our program this year and making swift work of our electronics system, you are a world-class engineer and we are lucky to have you.

“Joel Martens, our mechanic who joined our team mid-way through the season, thank you for jumping in the deep end and being quick on your feet, we couldn’t have done it without you.

“Scotty Ryan from Ohlins USA, you’ve acted as much more than a suspension technician and have become such an integral part of this program along with our work with Harley-Davidson, thank you.

“Ducati Richmond, our dealership partner from Canada – we love you guys so much and are so sorry we couldn’t be together more during this pandemic. You’ve been such a great support system and help over these last three seasons.

“Paolo Ciabatti and Ducati Corse, thanks for working with a true privateer and allowing me to pursue this crazy idea, and piece together superbikes one piece at a time. What we arrived at was pretty great and I appreciate the flexibility and athleticism in working with a team such as mine.

“Ducati North America, it has been a pleasure being a part of the events and promotions we have done together both at and away from the track, and KWR appreciates the support you were able to bring to us at times when we needed it. Thank you.

“David & Maxine Pierce, your generosity is unmatched and your love for the sport is incredible. What you are doing to help move One Cure CSU forward and create a better world within and beyond motorcycle racing is admirable. I’m proud to call you my friends.

“Panera Bread (Bluegrass Restaurant Holdings) thank you for believing in KWR and creating what I believe is an iconic Superbike branding combination that has been a lot of fun to be a part of and to create.

“Excelsus Solutions, our print supplier who has created the visual representation of this team from top to bottom, whether it was truck wraps, banners, posters or custom backdrops – you have been the backbone of our branding capabilities and I speak on behalf of all KWR sponsors when I thank you for your contribution to the team.

“SC-Project USA/Motovation USA, you guys have been with KWR long before Ducati and you’ve carried us through the new project by providing custom exhaust systems for whatever we are going to race, and it’s always appreciated. We hope to be back to COTA in the future to race in your hometown in 2021.

“Lucas Oil, the best lubricants and cleaning products, greases, you name it. I am proud to carry the Lucas Oil flag in the sport bike segment.

“KATO Fastening, you have been a tremendous technical partner and sponsor of this Ducati program since its early stages. Your products are top level and have not only helped us stay on track but have been there as a lifeline when other teams encountered dead ends with their threads.

“Alpinestars and 6D Helmets, you guys are always there with top quality safety equipment to keep me on track in the best condition possible, I appreciate what you do.”

While the KWR story is long from over, we close this chapter and will start fresh in 2022. Stay tuned.

More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:

De Keyrel wraps up championship-winning season with victory Sunday in MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at Barber Motorsports Park

Marcon claims second Twins Cup pole position in as many races for Robem Engineering Aprilia
 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With the 2021 MotoAmerica Twins Cup title already clinched, Kaleb De Keyrel didn’t have to take part in Sunday’s wet MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at Barber Motorsports Park. Nevertheless, the Robem Engineering Aprilia rider negotiated challenging track conditions to finish the season the same way he started it — with a victory.

The Minnesotan piloted his Aprilia RS 660 to his fifth win of the year and capped off his title-winning season by finishing 68 points ahead of the runner-up in the Twins Cup points standings.

The Robem Engineering team had three other rides take part in the Barber round, including Aprilia test rider Tomasso Marcon. The Italian claimed his second Twins Cup pole position in as many races. Also riding for Robem Engineering were 15-year-old Max Toth – in his third outing with the team – and team manager Carl Price.

Two of the team’s riders were near the top of the time sheets when on-track activities got underway Friday. Marcon and De Keyrel finished Friday practice in second and fourth place, respectively. Toth found himself in 13th place as he was learning the tight, technical Barber circuit, and Price finished practice in 29th. In Friday’s Qualifying 1 session, Marcon posted the fastest lap time – which was almost two seconds faster than his best practice time. De Keyrel posted the third best time of the session. Toth was 14th-fastest and improved his best lap time by about half a second but suffered a crash, and Price qualified 26th.

Wet conditions in Saturday’s Qualifying 2 session didn’t allow riders to better their lap times from Friday’s Qualifying 1, which handed Marcon his second-consecutive MotoAmerica Twins Cup pole position. The team used Qualifying 2 to perfect its wet weather setup for all four riders’ Aprilia RS 660s, though Toth endured another crash during the session.

In the lone Twins Cup race of the weekend, Marcon grabbed the holeshot as he and De Keyrel held onto their qualifying positions through the first two corners. The race came to an end for Marcon at Turn 3 though, as his motorcycle suffered a technical problem and stopped running. De Keyrel picked up where Marcon had left off at the front of the field, as he made a move for the lead at the Museum corner. Though De Keyrel dropped to second place later in Lap 1, he re-assumed the lead when the race leader crashed out at Turn 2 on Lap 2. The race was stopped a short time later and was restarted as a five-lap contest.

Marcon and his bike were brought back to the paddock when the race was stopped, but the Italian’s Aprilia experienced another problem before the restart that kept him out of the race. De Keyrel got a good restart and was in second when the field made its way through the first turn. Later in the first lap, De Keyrel was running in second when he rode around the outside of the race leader in Turns 15 and 16, regained the lead and was the first to cross start/finish on Lap 1. Toth and Price completed Lap 1 in 16th and 17th, respectively.

Though De Keyrel briefly relinquished the lead on Lap 2, he made an aggressive move at Turns 12 and 13 to retake the lead. De Keyrel went on to claim victory in the final Twins Cup race of 2021 by 1.688 seconds. Price finished in 11th place — missing out on a top 10 by less than a tenth of a second despite making an error at the Museum corner late in the race — and Toth brought his Aprilia home in 14th place.

The Barber round marks the conclusion of the 2021 MotoAmerica season, and the Robem Engineering team will announce its plans for 2022 in the near future. The team thanks Aprilia and its many other technical partners for a successful 2021 campaign.

Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51 

“The forecast was calling for rain all weekend, but it was dry on Friday surprisingly. I was happy to end up third in Friday qualifying, but I was unable to put in the best lap time I was capable of due to getting held up and the session getting cut short. I felt really confident in Saturday qualifying and posted the best time of the session. I knew I just needed to not throw it away in the race, but it was a pretty stressful race. I had another rider pass me then crash right in front of me. When the red flag came out, I was kind of bummed because I had a good lead going. But it is what it is, and my Aprilia RS 660 was working great all day long. Our technical partner, Velocity Calibrations, had the rain settings dialed in for me. It means a lot to get this win to cap off the year on a good note. A huge thank you to Robem Engineering for giving me a great bike all year, as the RS 660 was working phenomenally all year rain or shine.”

Tommaso Marcon / No. 70 

“I enjoyed this track from the very first lap. It is amazing here: this facility is just incredible. I think this track would be amazing in Europe, as we do not have something like it over there. I was happy to get the pole position because this is a new track for me, but I think with more time on this track I could go a lot faster than I did. It takes time to find the best lines and reference points. There isn’t much to say about Sunday. I got a good start but the bike experienced an electrical problem in Turn 3. You can’t always anticipate this kind of issue, and I hope to win many races in MotoAmerica in the future. I want to thank Robem Engineering, Aprilia, the team’s sponsors and Matt Spicer and Carl Price for making my racing here in MotoAmerica happen.”

Max Toth / No. 58 

“Honestly, this track is very different from New Jersey. It was tough trying to learn the track in the early part of the weekend. When the rain hit, things got even more difficult from there. I had two high-side crashes in the rain sessions, which set my confidence back a bit. The goal I set for myself for the race was just to bring the bike home unscathed, which I did. The result wasn’t what I wanted, and it’s not the way I wanted to end the season.”

Carl Price / No. 532 

“Qualifying 1 getting red flagged set me back a little bit, as I usually build up my pace as a qualifying session goes on. I really wish I’d started farther up the grid, because I truly love riding in the rain. I had a little bit of a technical issues due to rider error yesterday, but I was feeling great today. I was reeling in the riders in front of me on the last laps but crashed at the Museum corner. I got back up and was able to finish 11th, but I really wanted that seventh place finish. These bikes do amazing in the rain, and the Aprilia RS 660 is a great racing platform.”

Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2021 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, DNA Filters, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies Suter Racing and SC-Project.

More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:

Austin Miller rises to the occasion in rain hit Supersport finale, whilst Trevor Standish & Liam MacDonald show podium pace

The 2021 MotoAmerica season ended at Barber Motorsports Park yesterday with Pure Attitude Racing once again showing their front running pace.

The highlight of the weekend was a maiden top ten in Supersport for Austin Miller who rode superbly in the pouring rain to finish P11 on Saturday before splashing his way to ninth on Sunday, matching the times of those ahead of him for much of the race.

Nate Minster was back on track after missing the last round in New Jersey because of school commitments. He retired from Saturday’s race, electing not to ride on Sunday.

In Twins Cup both Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish revelled in the wet conditions. Qualifying on the third and fourth rows of the grid respectively, they quickly moved forward when the lights went out Standish in contention for the podium before sliding out of the race in spectacular fashion. Running just behind Standish, MacDonald was promoted to fourth after running fifth before he too crashed with just a couple of laps to go.

Pure Attitude Racing wishes to take this opportunity to thank its riders, crew members, sponsors, and everyone at MotoAmerica for an amazing year. They will be announcing their full 2022 program, including their rider line up for next season shortly.

Austin Miller – 9th: “I finally finished in the top ten. After being so close again on Saturday I was determined to make it happen in the final race of the season. The conditions were worse, but I made a good start but then fell back a bit. Once I settled down, I was able to go faster and me and Dominic (Doyle) worked together, and we passed the bunch of guys ahead of us. It was a great race, and I am so happy to finally make the top ten with a career best finish.”

Liam MacDonald – DNF: “I was feeling really good this weekend and really enjoyed riding in the rain. They red flagged the race and because of the rain falling heavier the track conditions were different when we restarted. I had a couple of moments and took my time to find my rhythm and made some real progress. I was running fifth and then when Trevor went down that moved me into P4 but then I went down too. It sucks to be honest because once again I wasn’t able to bring it home in the position that we deserved but that’s racing, and I am excited to learn from this year and come back stronger with Pure Attitude Racing next year.”

Trevor Standish – DNF: “The race started well, and I made a good launch off the line, but the bike didn’t feel right. I don’t know if it was running on one cylinder in the beginning, but something wasn’t right. The race was red flagged and we were able to find a solution and then in the restart I made another good start and was a lot more aggressive. I worked my way up to fourth and fighting for the podium but then I had an issue. I don’t know if I hit a false neutral and the RPM skyrocketed, and I went down. There was nothing I could do. It’s a bummer as we showed again that we had pace and it makes me even more hungry to get the job done next year”

Nate Minster – DNF/DNS: “On the warm up lap it started to rain pretty heavy, so everyone ran wet tyres. I was doing ok, not super-fast but ok but I wasn’t feeling the setting of the bike and had no confidence, so I pulled in rather than risk a crash. On Sunday I decided not to ride based on the weather being the same and how I was feeling. I want to thank the team for all they have done this year and for supporting my decision not to ride.”