MotoAmerica: Seven Classes Featuring 200 Entries Set For Road Atlanta

David Swarts

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April 21, 2022

MotoAmerica: Seven Classes Featuring 200 Entries Set For Road Atlanta

It’s All Go With Seven Classes Of MotoAmerica Action At Road Atlanta

First-Time Winners And Heated Racing Expected For Support Series Openers, April 22-24

IRVINE, CA (April 21, 2022) – The third of what are basically three opening weekends of the 2022 Auto Parts 4 Less MotoAmerica Championship kicks off this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with the first round of the season to feature all seven of the MotoAmerica classes.

With the Daytona International Speedway round featuring the non-championship points-paying Daytona 200 and the opening rounds of both the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship and the Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan Championship, and the Circuit of The Americas consisting of Medallia Superbikes-only, the season kicks off in earnest this weekend in Georgia with seven MotoAmerica classes taking to the track: Medallia Superbike, YUASA Stock 1000, Supersport, SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup, round two of Twins Cup, round two of Mission King Of The Baggers and round two of the Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan Championship.

YUASA Stock 1000

Thirty-nine riders have entered the YUASA Stock 1000 class as the series open its season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and with last year’s class champion Jake Lewis heading to a full-time Superbike ride this year, the championship is there for the taking.

Who the favorites are to battle for the title is crapshoot, but it would start with the three riders who finished within three points of each other: championship runner-up Travis Wyman, third-placed Corey Alexander and Michael Gilbert, who ended up fourth but just three points short of second.

Wyman and Alexander will race in the all-new Tytlers Cycle/RideHVMC Racing team on BMW M 1000 RRs with Gilbert aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000 for his self-owned Cycle World/Octane/Chuckwalla Valley Racing team.

Although those three were the next best thing to Lewis last year, they will be challenged in 2022 and that challenge will likely be led by class rookie Brandon Paasch. After all, Paasch is riding for the team that has won the last two Stock 1000 Championships – Altus Motorsports (in 2020 with Cameron Petersen and in 2021 with Lewis). Paasch, however, arrives in Atlanta with a shoulder injury suffered in a preseason testing crash.

Among the others expected to challenge are the returning Hayden Gillim on a Disrupt Racing Suzuki, Vision Wheel/Discount Tire/KWS’s Geoff May, Motorsport Exotica Orange Cat BST Racing rookie Ezra Beaubier, Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, and Tecfil Racing’s Danilo Lewis, to name a few.

Supersport

Even though he comes to the class on a new motorcycle and on a different team, 2013 AMA Superbike Champion Josh Herrin begins the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship as the favorite to take the crown. Riding a Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati NYC Panigale V2 in his return to Supersport-class racing, Herrin’s resume is the strongest in the class as he is an eight-time Superbike race winner. Herrin also finished second in the MotoAmerica Supersport class in 2015 with four wins and 11 podium finishes.

Herrin also got plenty of time on the V2 bike in the Daytona 200, a race for which he qualified on pole for but ended up 10th after some pit-stop miscues.

The bottom line: He might be favored, but it won’t be easy.

With 2021 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Sean Dylan Kelly and 2020 class champion Richie Escalante both leaving the class for 2022, the series promises to be a wide-open affair. If you predict this year’s championship chase based on last year, then Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sam Lochoff would be one of the favorites. After all, he finished third to the aforementioned Kelly and Escalante last year and beat both of them in a straight fight for his first-career victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the penultimate round.

Others who should fare well based on past performances are North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith, Landers Racing’s Rocco Landers, 2021 SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Champion Tyler Scott, MP13’s Chad Lewin (a former Stock 1000 race winner), N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Kevin Olmedo and Disrupt Racing’s Carl Soltisz.

SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup

With several of the top guns moving out of the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class, that championship is most definitely wide open and ready for whoever steps up to be next. Case in point: There are only two previous race winners entered for the Junior Cup opener at Road Atlanta.

Those two past winners are Cody Wyman Racing’s Cody Wyman and Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Gus Rodio.

Based on last year’s championship and what is left of the class from a year ago, Rodio will start the year as the favorite as he ended up third overall in last year’s title chase. Wyman, meanwhile, ended up fifth in the point standings. Next up is Max Van with the SportbikeTrackGear.com-backed Michigander ending up seventh in the 2021 championship.

Another who could fare well is Joseph LiMandri Jr, the SportbikeTrackGear.com-sponsored rider earning three straight podium finishes near the end of last year’s campaign to finish 10th in the championship – despite not running a full schedule.

Big things are also expected of Californian Owen Williams with the Michael Gilbert Racing rider set for his first full season in the class.

Twins Cup

So where did all the Junior Cup racers go? Twins Cup, it seems. And one of them has already won a race as the series got started with two races held in conjunction with the Daytona 200 in March. That rider was N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis, the 15-year-old Virginian taking race one in Daytona to score his first career MotoAmerica win.

The rider to win the other Twins Cup race in Daytona? That would be Cycle Tech’s Hayden Schultz with what was also his first career MotoAmerica victory. Ironically, both Davis and Schultz failed to finish the races that they didn’t win at Daytona, and it’s Robem Engineering’s Teagg Hobbs who leads the title chase by two points over Veloce Racing’s Jody Barry as the series heads to Road Atlanta.

Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Anthony Mazziotto is third in the championship and one of the riders favored to contest for the title.

With their two wins and two DNFs, Davis and Schultz are tied for fourth, just two points clear of Wrench Motorcycles’ Jackson Blackmon.

Robem Engineering’s Tommaso Marcon, Rodio Racing/Warhorse HSBK Racing’s Gus Rodio, Wrench Motorcycles’ Ethan Cook and defending MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion Kaleb De Keyrel, aboard his Veloce Engineering Aprilia RS 660, rounds out the top 10 in points.

Mission King Of The Baggers

Mission Foods/S&S Cycle/Indian Challenger Team’s Tyler O’Hara rumbles into Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a seven-point lead over his teammate Jeremy McWilliams in the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship after the two Indian racers split wins in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

H-D Screamin’ Eagle’s Travis Wyman is third in the championship standings after finishing second and fifth at Daytona. Fourth is held by Roland Sands Design’s Bobby Fong on his Indian Challenger, four points ahead of Vance & Hines Racing’s Taylor Knapp.

You have to scan down to sixth on the championship point standings sheet to find defending series champion Kyle Wyman, with the HD Screamin’ Eagle rider 29 points behind his Indian-mounted rival O’Hara as the 17-strong King Of The Bagger entries arrive to do battle at Road Atlanta.

Harley-Davidson has been working and testing diligently since Daytona to fix the gearbox issues that plagued both Wyman brothers in Florida and that included two days of testing at Road Atlanta.

Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan

The Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan class was also featured at Daytona with just one race held after the second scheduled race was scrapped due to inclement weather. The Hooligans will make up for the rained-out race with two races scheduled for Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The Daytona race was won by JLC Concrete/KTM/DiBrino Racing’s Andy DiBrino over Saddlemen/Lloyd’z Garage’s Cory West with Roland Sands Design’s Tyler O’Hara finishing third and those three will again be the pre-race favorites in Georgia.

Saturday’s races will be run in quick succession with YUASA Stock 1000 starting things off at 1:10 p.m., followed by Supersport race one at 2:10 p.m. Medallia Superbikes will go off at 3:10 p.m. followed by SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race one at 4:10 p.m. Saturday’s action will conclude with Roland Sands Design Super Hooligans race one at 4:45 p.m.

Sunday’s action starts earlier with the YUASA Stock 1000 race going off first at 12 p.m. followed by Mission King Of The Baggers at 12:35 p.m. Supersport race two is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. with SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup race two getting the green lights at 2:10 p.m. Medallia Superbike race two will go green at 3:10 p.m. with the second of two Roland Sands Design Super Hooligans races ending the race action with a 4:10 p.m. start time.

Road Atlanta Support Class Notes

The Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta paddock will be a busy place this weekend with the seven classes drawing 200 entries.

The biggest class when it comes to entries is the 42 for this year’s Twins Cup races. As for manufacturer involvement in Twins Cup, Yamaha leads the way with 18 entries, Aprilia is next with 13 riders signed up to race the RS 660, and there are 11 Suzuki SV650s entered.

Last year’s Twins Cup races were won by Kaleb De Keyrel and Teagg Hobbs, but it was Trevor Standish who left Road Atlanta with the championship points lead after finishing fourth and second in the two races.

Tyler Scott and Ben Gloddy split wins in last year’s SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup with Scott winning race one on his KTM and Gloddy taking race two on a Kawasaki. The pair left Georgia tied on points at the top of the point standings with 45 points apiece.

Sean Dylan Kelly was perfect in the two Supersport races last year with the Floridian topping his rival Richie Escalante in both races. Kelly is now racing in the Moto2 World Championship where he is teammates on the American Racing squad witg five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier.

The first Stock 1000 race of the season last year was won by Michael Gilbert with Travis Wyman winning race two.

Tyler O’Hara won the opening round of the 2021 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship with the Californian and his Indian topping Kyle Wyman and his factory Harley-Davidson. Frankie Garcia ended up third on his Roland Sands Design Indian.

Kaleb De Keyrel’s next Twins Cup victory will push him to the top of the heap on the all-time Twins Cup win list. De Keyrel is currently tied for the lead in Twins Cup wins with Rocco Landers with nine wins apiece. Nineteen different riders have won Twins Cup races with the class getting started in 2018. Last year’s season produced the most parity in the class with seven different winners in the 14 races.
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

MotoGP 22 Video Game Is Now Available

David Swarts

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April 21, 2022

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MotoGP™ 22: the official MotoGP™ video game is back for 2022!

The new edition of the official MotoGP™ video game offers exclusive features both for newcomers and hardcore fans of two-wheeled racing

Thursday, 21 April 2022

Milestone and Dorna Sports S.L. are proud to announce that MotoGP™22, the newest chapter of the celebrated two-wheel racing simulation game, is now available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch™ and Steam.

MotoGP™22 enriches the heritage of the videogame franchise and the sport itself, adding a one-of-a-kind game mode. The NINE Season 2009 is a fascinating way to re-live one of the most incredible seasons in MotoGP™ history. A nostalgic and emotional docu-film narrated by Mark Neale, director of a number of MotoGP™ documentaries, includes more than 50 minutes of original footage from the 2009 Season that are mixed with real gameplay, creating a totally immersive motor simulation experience. Players will find themselves in the boots of legendary riders such as Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, facing different breath-taking challenges to be able to replicate historic moments.

NINE Season 2009 replicates all 17 Grands Prix of the season, divided into chapters with over 39 challenges in total.

The 2022 edition also adds new dedicated features for both newcomers and core gamers: the enhanced Tutorial and the MotoGP™ Academy. Thanks to these two new tailor-made modes players have the chance to master their knowledge of two wheels or learn the basics to start their escalation to the pro-level.

The Tutorial features a series of dedicated gameplay sessions, helping newcomers to understand the basics of the game through specific challenges focused on electronics, tyre consumption, brake temperature and core differences between the three main categories.

The MotoGP™ Academy teaches you how to improve your riding style to be unbeatable on every track, uncovering the secrets to every corner and challenge on the calendar.

Additionally, the Riding Analysis System helps riders through in-game pop-up messages that appear at the end of the race suggesting how to adjust the difficulty level based on skills and performances. The game may recommend activating some aides or suggest playing specific tutorials designed to fill gaps in terms of gameplay knowledge.

The Managerial Career is back and allows players to decide whether to create a new team or join a real one. The game mode also features the possibility to go in-depth into the details of strategy, using development points and allocating R&D staff to reach the top, along with working on Bike Development through enhancing aspects such as the Engine, Frame, Aerodynamics and Electronics. The path can also start from the bottom, creating a Junior Team in the Moto2™ or Moto3™ categories, selecting a sponsor and hiring a Team Manager, Technical Director and at least one rider.

MotoGP™22 achieves realism never seen before. A true next-generation experience that reduces the boundaries between videogame and reality.

A level of realism never seen before: new face animations, improved 3D characters and pits

Ride Height Device: players will be able to manually manage the locking mechanism of the RHD and control the compression of the bike’s suspension

Enhanced tracks: surfaces have been improved to have better rideability

Improved Suspension system: refined for a better feeling when passing over curbs

Tyre deformation: more realistic tyre behavior makes the experience even closer to reality

And, for the first time ever in the series, MotoGP™22 features the highly anticipated 2-player local split-screen*, online multiplayer* and cross-play through consoles of the same family.

MotoGP™22 is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5**, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S**, Nintendo Switch and Steam. *Split-screen and online multiplayer not supported on Nintendo Switch **Free upgrade and Smart Delivery are supported.

Luisa Bixio, CEO of Milestone Srl: “Next generation consoles allowed us to push the MotoGP Series in a new direction, always aiming to give the fans the best riding experience. With MotoGP™22 we wanted to make a more welcoming game for newcomers, while continuing to fill the gap between reality and simulation. Moreover, to celebrate the heritage of this amazing sport, we introduce the NINE Season 2009, a one-of-a-kind docu-style game mode dedicated to one of the most emotional seasons ever.”

Marc Saurina, Senior Director of Global Commercial Partnerships at Dorna Sports: “We’re very happy to see MotoGP™22 hit the shelves. Year on year, the new features always create an incredibly immersive experience for seasoned gamers and new fans alike. NINE Season 2009 is an exciting innovation too, adding race coverage to the game and giving fans the chance to embody and race against some of the sport’s biggest legends, creating their own version of our sport’s rich history.”

About Milestone

Founded in Milan in 1996, Milestone S.r.l. is one of the leading and longest established racing game developer in the world. The 200+ people team is responsible for hit series like MotoGP™, MXGP and Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame, the acclaimed Hot Wheels™ Unleashed, as well as own IPs RIDE and Gravel. For more information please visit www.milestone.it

About Koch Media

Koch Media is a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products (software, games and films). The company’s own publishing activities, marketing and distribution extend throughout Europe and the USA. The Koch Media group has more than 19 years of experience in the digital media business, and has risen to become the number one distributor in Europe. It has also formed strategic alliances with numerous games and software publishers: Bethesda, Capcom, Kaspersky Labs, NC SOFT, Sega, Square Enix and Tecmo-Koei, etc. in various European countries. With Headquarters in Planegg near Munich/Germany, Koch Media owns branches in Germany, England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic regions, Benelux and the United States. www.kochmedia.com

WorldSBK: Gerloff Targets Better Qualifying At Assen

David Swarts

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April 21, 2022

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WorldSBK: Gerloff Targets Better Qualifying At Assen

GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Ready for the Cathedral of Speed

The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team is back in action for the second round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at TT Circuit Assen this weekend. After completing the opening round of the season at MotorLand Aragón, Kohta Nozane and Garrett Gerloff are ready to prove their speed at the Dutch venue.

At the season-opener, both riders showed good speed and potential, with the Gerloff clinching a Best Independent result on Saturday and top 10 finishes on Sunday. The American is focused on the upcoming weekend, targeting an improved qualifying performance and is confident of finding good pace at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’.

Nozane missed out on points in Aragón, but improved each session and just missed out on a top-15 finish in all the three races. Therefore, the Japanese rider is aiming for his first points of the 2022 campaign at the Dutch round.

This weekend’s schedule will slightly differ from what we had in Aragón. The main difference will be on Sunday’s Race 2, which is set for 15:15 local time. You can find as usual on our preview the whole times to follow us during the weekend.

Garrett Gerloff:

“It’s nice to be back after just two weeks. After the opening round we had at MotorLand Aragón, I cannot wait to see how the 2022 Yamaha R1 works at TT Circuit Assen. The Dutch track should suit our bike very well and I really like the layout, so I’m thrilled for the upcoming weekend. We want to prove our pace once again and to show the speed we had in the practice sessions at Aragón to get a good result in the Netherlands.”

Kohta Nozane:

“Coming back to the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ is always such a nice feeling. To race there is always a pleasure and our this track should play to our strengths. I cannot wait to start and see our pace after making progress in the opening round in Aragón. Unfortunately I couldn’t score points, but I’ll try to be stronger and am aiming for much better results.”

TVS Supplying Motorcycles For One-Make Racing Series

David Swarts

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April 21, 2022

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TVS Supplying Motorcycles For One-Make Racing Series

TVS Racing Participates in FIM Asia Road Racing Championship for TVS Asia One-Make Championship

Bangi, April 2022 – Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn. Bhd. (“TWMR”) announces its partnership with TVS Racing, the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company of its participation in the TVS Asia One-Make Championship that will run alongside FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (“ARRC”).

A TVS Apache RR310 spec racebike. Photo courtesy TVS.

The championship will see a total of sixteen riders from all over Asia who will be finalised on 27th April, 2022 for the first year. The selection will be held at the Sepang International Circuit where Round 2 of the ARRC will take place in May.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Vimal Sumbly, Head – Premium Business, TVS Motor Company, said, “The engineering and performance prowess in our race machines has been derived from TVS Racing’s race-bred pedigree on the track, proving its mettle across a host of racing formats and has put us on the global map. We are excited about carving our success story internationally. The TVS Asia One Make Championship will play a pivotal role as a milestone in our global journey for TVS Racing.”

“We take this as an opportunity to take our learnings from the Indian tracks and demonstrate our capabilities internationally. We also look forward to having international racers atop our TVS Asia One Make Apache RR 310 motorcycles competing in the future championships.”

Ron Hogg, Promotions Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn. Bhd. said, “The participation of TVS Racing in the One-Make Championship is a bold gesture that would certainly open avenues in discovering new talents. More importantly, bringing in a new partner and manufacturer will ignite the interest for FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in general.”

On the impact towards the motorsport industry, Ron continued, “Motorsport industry is ever-changing. From a technological perspective, we move very quickly from two-strokes to four-strokes and having said that, we foresee further development of machines to suit the needs of the industry. Being rider-centric, we constantly look for ways that would pave opportunities for riders to pursue professional riding at a higher level. Our collaboration with TVS Racing in this One-Make Championship is part of our strategic plan that would serve the needs of our Asian riders at the regional front consequently contributing to a comprehensive development within the motorsport industry.”

FIM Asia President, Stephan P Carapiet said, “The One-Make Championship collaboration is an important mark in the motorsport championships as it forms yet another platform for the development of future motorsport stars and an opportunity to race the TVS One-Make machines. TVS will now be able to showcase the capacities, qualities and reliabilities of the machine in the racing field and through the technical specifications and data obtained from the races, they will also be able to make forward approaches in developing enhanced features that would better serve the needs of their domestic use.”

“India is a base for motorcycle manufacturers with a sales projection that supersedes the rest of the Asian markets. The involvement of TVS in racing however goes the extra mile to exhibit their advancement in technology and potentially spark interest in motorsport among the 1 billion population. FIM Asia fully supports this initiative and with the financial subsidies and opportunities provided by TVS Racing, we look forward to the participation of over 10 countries for the coming round in Malaysia.”

TVS Asia One-Make Championship will participate in four rounds of the ARRC:

1. 27th – 29th May 2022 Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

2. 1st – 3rd July 2022 (TBC)

3. 12th – 14th August 2022 Sugo International Circuit, Japan

4. 18th – 20th November 2022 Chang International Circuit, Thailand

Roadracing World Young Guns 2022: Mikey Lou Sanchez

David Swarts

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April 21, 2022

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Roadracing World Young Guns 2022: Mikey Lou Sanchez

Roadracing World started this exclusive special feature recognizing the most promising young road racers as an answer to pessimists who claimed America had no new, up-and-coming young racers. This edition of the Roadracing World Young Gun Awards marks the 26th consecutive year of showcasing an abundance of new talent.

Roadracing World Young Guns have won:

FIM MotoGP and FIM Superbike races and World Championships;

MotoAmerica and AMA Pro races and Championships, including 11 AMA Pro Superbike Championships;

A KTM RC Cup World Final race;

The Daytona 200 (11 times);

WERA National Endurance Championships and WERA National Challenge Championships;

ASRA/Formula USA Grand National and CCS National Championships;

AMA Road Racing Grand Championships and Horizon Awards;

USGPRU National Championships;

Many regional and local titles.

The competition has continually become more intense as more – and younger—racers with higher levels of accomplishment are nominated, and the level of achievement required to make the grade keeps getting tougher.

We’ve spent the last several months accepting nominations and evaluating road racers between the ages of 10 and 18 (as of the start of the 2022 season) who have, at a minimum, won Expert-level road races and/or Championships or had outstanding results as an Amateur/Novice. Most of the riders included here have done far more than the minimum.

The young riders recognized here are the most promising young road racers in North America. All have earned the title of Roadracing World Young Gun.

We will feature one Young Gun per day, presenting them in alphabetical order.

Mikey Lou Sanchez

Age: 11.

Current home: McDade, Texas.

Current height/weight: 4′ 8″/80 pounds.

Current school grade level: 5th grade.

Began riding at age: 3 years.

First road race: 2018, Katy Texas, Texas Mini Grand Prix, Jr. Motard, 1st place.

Current racebike: Moto4.

Current tuner/mechanic: Jose Pino.

Primary race series: RFME ESBK Moto4 National Championship.

Top sponsors: Roadway Traffic Control, Williams Custom Painting, Fondu, Moto Liberty, Texas Motorcycle Academy, Niemi Fine Art, San Marcos Iron Doors, Studio Three49, Harris Hill Flattrackers, Corsawerks, Arai Americas.

Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, finished 9th in Cuna de Campeones Moto5 Championship (1 podium, 4 top-5 finishes in 13 races), won CAV Moto5 National Championship race at Jerez, won multiple CMRA races; 2020 season, won MotoAmerica Mini Cup 110 and 160 National Championships, won 3 Texas Mini Grand Prix Championships, won 2 Mad Dog Flat Track Championships at Colin Edwards’ Texas Tornado Boot Camp; won a CMRA Formula 2 Novice race; 2019 season, won 45 Texas Mini Grsand Prix races, won 11 American Super Mini GP races, won 7 CMRA races, won 8 Mad Dog Flat Track races.

2022 racing goal: Win ESBK Moto4 Championship.

Racing career goal: Win the MotoGP World Championship.

Racing heroes: Kevin Schwantz, Colin Edwards, Ben Spies.

Favorite track: Circuit of The Americas.

Favorite hobby: Diesel Trucks.

If I wasn’t racing I would be…: A cowboy.

CVMA: Norton Wins Open Shootout

David Swarts

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April 20, 2022

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CVMA Racing Round 7 2021/2022 Winter Series

The final round of the CVMA 2021/2022 winter series started with perfect weather. Several class championship battles were to be decided on track with the final round being the last opportunity to score valuable points.

Saturday

Saturday morning greeted the racers with sunny skies and unseasonably cool weather but things heated up quickly when racing started. Later in the day strong winds blew across the track making for very challenging conditions.

During qualifying Owen Williams was fastest on an Ultra Lightweight class bike turning a 1:55.990 lap time. John Knowles was the fastest qualifier on a Lightweight class bike with a 1:51.664 lap time and Rennie Scaysbrook was the fastest Middleweight rider with a 1:48.875 lap time. Anthony Norton was fastest of all while riding his Open class bike turning a 1:46.943 lap time.

Saturday’s multi race winners included:

· Owen Williams – Winning 2 races on his Ultra Lightweight bike

· Justin Bordonaro – Winning 2 races on his Lightweight bike

· Igor Sokolov – Winning 3 races on his Open class bike

· Rennie Scaysbrook – Wining 2 races on his Middleweight bike

· Lucas Geboo – Winning 2 Races on his American Twins bike

Sunday

The Supersport Shootout was first up for the big money races on Sunday and Rennie Scaysbrook started from the pole position. Scaysbrook had some trouble at the start with a big wheelie and fell back to fourth position on the first lap. Tyler Olmstead was able to get a good start from the second position and lead the first few laps. Scaysbrook was able to work his way into second position on lap three and worked to chase Olmstead down. Joel Ohman was able to get a good start from the front row and worked his way into third position but was passed on the seventh lap by Brian Berdan. Scaysbrook was able to pass Olmstead on the inside entering turn four on lap seven and was able to gap Olmstead the remainder of the race. The final finishing order was Scaysbrook for the win, Olmstead second and Berdan rounding out the podium in third.

In the Ultra Lightweight Shootout Owen Williams started from the pole position but Quin Swift got the better start and lead the race into turn one. Willson was able to pass Swift on the inside entering turn four and lead the first lap with Swift in second. Luke Sanzone got a great start and slotted into third at the start of the race. On lap 3, Savannah Jaska was able to pass Sanzone on the entry to turn six to take over the final podium position. The race was stopped on lap five of eight which meant it would not be restarted. The final result Williams with the win, Swift second and Jaska third.

In the Open Shootout, Anthony Norton started from the pole position. At the start Jack Bakken got the hole shot and lead the first lap with Toby Khamsouk close behind. After a poor start Norton was able to work his way into third on the second lap. On lap three, Norton was able to pass Khamsouk early in the lap and then pass Bakken to take the lead after Bakken ran a little wide in the final corner. After taking the lead Norton was able to stretch his lead while Bakken and Khamsouk battled for the final spots on the podium. Bakken and Khamsouk traded positions a couple times on lap eight but in the end finished second and third respectively. Norton took the win by a wide margin for his first in the Open Shootout class.

The club would like to thank all of our racers for coming out in record numbers this past season. The club saw racers coming from all over the country including many riders from the Pacific Northwest, northern California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and southern California. We wish all our members racing in other series over the summer the best of luck and look forward to seeing you all back at Chuckwalla in September for our first round of the 2022/2023 Winter Series.

CVMA offers two full days of racing every race weekend and also includes Saturday qualifying for grid position in all classes, amateur and expert, as well as a wide variety of classes to choose from.

Additionally, CVMA offers free reciprocity as a means of encouraging racers from other clubs to come out and compete. Log on to www.cvmaracing.com for more information.

The 2022/2023 Winter Series will start on 9/24/2022. Come on out for some of the most competitive racing with some of the fastest racers in the country!

CVMA. It’s club racing done right.

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

Round7Results

AHRMA Racing At New Jersey Motorsports Park June 16-19

David Swarts

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April 20, 2022

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AHRMA Racing At New Jersey Motorsports Park June 16-19

A Decade of AHRMA’s Vintage and Modern Bikes Continues at New Jersey Motorsports Park

ELORA, TN, April 2022 – The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is celebrating a decade of vintage and modern motorcycle racing at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).

“We’re proud to be bringing our unique brand of road racing back to New Jersey for our tenth year,” said Brian Larrabure, 2022 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees

Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2022 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadracing Series returns to the Millville, New Jersey venue June 16-19.

A wide range of classes for both Vintage and Modern motorcycles and road racing sidecars will compete on NJMP’s signature 12-turn, 2.25 mile Thunderbolt Raceway.

“One of the cool things about AHRMA is that we race on some of the same tracks as the pros,” Larrabure said. “Our NJMP event is an example of us being on a track that we’ve all seen on TV.”

AHRMA will host a track day as well as the Ed Bargy LLC Advanced Track Riding Technique Workshop, June 16.

“Ed Bargy’s workshop is a great opportunity for currently licensed racers, and non-racers, who want to improve their skills,” said Larrabure.

Whether you race or would like to enjoy a day of watching great racing, you won’t want to miss this event. The event will be a double header weekend with racing on both Saturday and Sunday. On Friday there will be an AHRMA Academy of Road Racing (AAR) school available for new racers. Students who pass the school on Friday will be eligible to race Saturday and Sunday.

AHRMA is the largest historic motorcycle racing organization in the United States. It promotes national events at iconic venues including Daytona International Speedway, Heartland Motorsports Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and Barber Motorsports Park. For the best racing at the best venues, AHRMA is the place to be.

More event details and registration information for competitors can be found at www.ahrma.org

New Jersey Motorsports Park: 8000 Dividing Creek Road, Millville, NJ 08332
856-327-8000 njmp.com

About AHRMA

The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association is a member-owned nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the sport of historic motorcycle racing. Since 1989, AHRMA has provided an appropriate environment to showcase vintage and alternative modern racing motorcycles in the disciplines of roadracing, motocross, dirt track, trials, and cross country. With more than 3,300 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and is one of the world’s leading vintage motorcycle organizations.

Canadian Superbike: New Point Payout For 2022

David Swarts

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April 20, 2022

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Canadian Superbike: New Point Payout For 2022

CSBK introducing new points structure for 2022 season

Toronto, ON – The Canadian Superbike Championship will introduce a restructured point system for the 2022 season, adopting a new format that is mostly based upon the widely used “MotoGP style” points structure.

The new system will take immediate effect in 2022, and will be used across all six National championship classes and their respective awards battles.

The old system, in place for the majority of CSBK’s lifespan, featured larger points payouts and was awarded down to 20th place, with the max payout giving 50 points to the race winner. The system also featured a pair of “bonus points” incentives, with a max of four qualifying points being awarded for pole position, while an additional two points were given to the rider who led the most laps on race day.

The new system, used in most FIM series’ including MotoGP, World Superbike, and MotoAmerica amongst others, sees a max of just 25 points handed out to the race winner while points are given out to only 15th place. Unlike the standard MotoGP system, however, CSBK will notably still feature a pair of “bonus points” incentives, keeping the qualifying bonuses from the previous structure while also tweaking the laps led bonus to now award two points to every rider that leads a lap across the line.

The full breakdown of changes can be found below:

While the introduction of the new system will continue to bring the CSBK circuit closer to its counterparts in the United States and Europe, it is also expected to highlight more exciting championship storylines for fans and competitors. The smaller point payouts will have no direct influence on positioning, but will do a better job of promoting the battles in the championship, as evidenced by the close competition in MotoGP and their feeder series’.

For example, during the 2021 Pro Superbike season, Alex Dumas won the Canada Cup by 31 points over rival Ben Young and a whopping 74 points to Jordan Szoke, with a gap of 159 points covering the top five to Sebastian Tremblay. Under the new system, Dumas would have won the title by just 12 points over Young, with Szoke finishing 44 points back and just 91 points covering the same top five. Notably, none of the positions would have changed inside the top ten under the new structure.

The system would have had a similar effect throughout the six classes, will all five National champions from 2021 remaining the same albeit by finer margins. With bigger crowds and television audiences expected for the 2022 season, the new system is yet another step by CSBK officials to modernize the series and emphasize the thrilling racing Canada has produced in recent years.

The new structure will also coincide with the most anticipated Pro Superbike schedule in recent memory, with the feature class set to run nine races over their four-round slate, featuring doubleheaders in each of the first three weekends before a season-ending tripleheader at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

The CSBK riders will have their first opportunity to score a new handful of points when the series returns for round one to the Grand Bend Motorplex, scheduled for June 9-12.

MotoGP: Home Hero Oliveira Leads Fan Parade In Portugal

David Swarts

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April 20, 2022

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MotoGP: Home Hero Oliveira Leads Fan Parade In Portugal

Oliveira leads awe-inspiring parade from Portimão

The home hero rides his KTM from the town centre to the circuit, flanked by a veritable army of fans

Wednesday, 20 April 2022

A home hero, a KTM, and a parade like no other: ahead of the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, the Algarve proved the perfect back drop for a truly awe-inspiring pre-event as home hero Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) led a procession of hundreds of bikes from the centre of Portimão to the circuit.

The event began in the town by the waterfront, with fans gathering for a glimpse of their hero as Oliveira took to the stage, with Mayor of Portimão Isilda Gomes and circuit CEO Paulo Pinheiro also in attendance. After talking to the fans and revealing a special helmet design too, Oliveira then went down to the crowd, signed some autographs, and took more than a few selfies. Then it was time to get suited and booted for the ride to the track – for both rider and fans.

Riding his KTM RC16 MotoGP racebike, Miguel Oliveira (88) led a parade of fans from Portimao to the Algarve International Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Riding alongside and following a MotoGP™ rider – who is riding a MotoGP™ bike – is a truly unique opportunity, and an awe-inspiring number of bikers weren’t about to pass that up. Once Oliveira’s RC16 was warmed up and ready to go, the procession took off from the town and the hundreds of bikes slotted in behind as the parade snaked its way up towards the track. With the journey taking more than half an hour, there was more than enough time for the fans to soak in the experience… and the experience was still far from over.
This time, the track wasn’t simply a destination. It awaited with another unique opportunity: a lap of the venue, with a MotoGP™ rider on a MotoGP™ bike. Thundering through the gates and up towards the paddock, the parade headed from the road onto the circuit for a lap of the iconic rollercoaster, with Oliveira remaining front and centre.

Miguel Oliveira then led the parade of MotoGP fans on a lap of Algarve International Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Miguel Oliveira: “We had a good comparison last year with fans and without, and for sure this season we wanted to also to make something special, a pre-event and it had to involve the fans. It was a great opportunity, the last time I rode a MotoGP machine on the street was in August after my win in Spielberg, so now we got the chance to ride it again and it’s quite special – this time even more because they can follow me, and it’s really cool.

“I think everyone who loves motorcycles and riding… I mean, if I put myself in their shoes I wouldn’t miss this chance! It’s a huge opportunity to ride, see these bikes close up, which are amazing and quite unique. I wouldn’t want to miss it! It’s a great day.

“My expectations for the weekend is to enjoy the weekend and get a good result, haha. Being in Portugal gives me an extra boost and motivation that whatever happened before doesn’t really matter, it’s all about enjoying the weekend and doing the best we can.”

Miguel Oliveira (88) leading a parade of fans on a lap of Algarve International Circuit. Photo courtesy Dorna.

MotoGP™ is its own orchestra when the revs go up and the lights go out every Sunday, but the grid full of fans gave even the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship a run for its money on sheer energy and noise. If Portugal’s love of MotoGP™ and Miguel Oliveira needed an introduction, in 2022 it got one in serious style. And now it’s time for the rest of the grid to line up alongside the home hero and take on the former winner on familiar turf, so make sure to tune in for the 2022 Portuguese on Sunday at 13:00 (GMT +1).

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

OLIVEIRA SETS THE EARLY PACE IN PORTUGAL…WITH HUNDREDS OF FANS IN TOW!

Miguel Oliveira (88) leads a pre-race fan parade from Portimao to Algarve International Circuit, in Portugal. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira felt the pressure of heading ‘the pack’ for the second time in just two years at the Algarve International Circuit. Instead of 23 other MotoGP™ riders, the 27-year-old was instead chased by hundreds of excited fans for a lap around the stunning Portuguese facility ahead of the Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal and the fifth round of the 2022 championship this weekend.

Oliveira, who won the very first MotoGP Grand Prix at the venue two hours south of Lisbon in November 2020, fronted a large posse of supporters with his KTM RC16 as the ‘ride-out’ started in Portimao and finished with a circulation of the dipping and fast 4.6km circuit.

For many it was the first and only time to get up-close with a full-race spec MotoGP fire-breather, for Oliveira it was the opportunity to stoke the fire of the passionate native fans even further ahead of the GP fixture where #88 is expected to be a main protagonist. It wasn’t all easy-going in the windy conditions however: the KTM RC16 is designed for the smooth asphalt of the racetrack, not the bumpy, speed limits of a normal road!

The convoy made it to the Algarve International Circuit in fine time. From there the cavalcade rode the crests of the undulating course to finish on the start grid in style with a photo opp.

Miguel Oliveira: “This has been amazing, a great pleasure. We always wanted to do something special here for the fans and this was very cool. If I would put myself in their position and had the chance to ride along with a MotoGP bike – which is quite a unique machine – and then onto the track then there is no way I would have missed it. I couldn’t believe the amount of bikes I saw. It’s a shame we couldn’t ride for longer. Having the RC16 on the road was super-strange. You can definitely see that these bikes were not made to go slow! I was only just keeping the engine on. When we got to the track then this was more our environment. I hope we can so something like this again because every time you take one of these bikes out of context then it is beautiful. It’s been a great day and now my expectation is to have a good weekend and make a strong result. Being in Portugal gives me this strong boost and motivation in a way that everything that happened before doesn’t matter.”

The Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal, the first European race this season, gets underway with Free Practice 1 on Friday at 10.55 CET.

Dunlop Named Title Sponsor Of California Roadrace Association (CRA)

David Swarts

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April 20, 2022

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Dunlop Named Title Sponsor Of California Roadrace Association (CRA)

The California Roadrace Association “CRA” is thrilled to announce Dunlop Motorcycle Tires as the Title Sponsor for the remainder of the 2022 race season.

“It is gratifying to see the motorcycle community get behind the vision of CRA, a rider-focused program, that promotes growing the racing paddock through encouraging up-and-coming talent with monetary payouts and education,” says CRA Co-Founder Daniel Mole.

The rider-focus agenda is always at the forefront of CRA’s program and will continue to find ways to give back.

“Dunlop and Racers Edge Performance are looking forward to this unique partnership where the fruit of the results will be evident for all involved in the industry,” said Dale Kieffer with Racers Edge Performance. “Growing the sport one small step at a time will ensure stability and longevity for years to come.”

Round 2 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is scheduled for June 25th – June 26th. CRA is planning an entertaining weekend of racing and festivities that will be one for the memory books!

To sign up for Round 2 or for more information on CRA, visit their website at www.race-cra.com. Get licensed and let’s go racing. #areyoucra #racecra #iamcra

CRA would like to thank their sponsors for their continued support:

Riderz Law, Feel Like a Pro, CTML Consultants, Motorsport Exotica, VnM Sport, Track Daz, Let’s Ride Track Days, Carters @ the Track, Fun Track Dayz, 61 DTC (Pirelli), Racers Edge Performance (Dunlop), Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka, Fosters Freeze (Sanger, CA), Blud Lubricants, Bellissimoto, AZAD Wheels, Action Sports Canopies, Boxo USA, Captit Performance, ASV, KYT Helmets, Thermal Technology, Suspension Matters, #376 Design, Cinepixel Productions, The Heights Restaurant & Bar, ChaChaCha Motorsports, Maria Cid Insurance Agency, 844-MY-MOTOW.

MotoAmerica: Seven Classes Featuring 200 Entries Set For Road Atlanta

April 21, 2022

The MotoAmerica Twins Cup class (seen here in action at the season-opener at Daytona) has 42 entries for Round Two at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.