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World Endurance: YART Yamaha Takes Pole Position For Le Mans 24-Hour
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.
24-Heures-Motos-24-heures-Motos-Overall-Qualifying-Classification-Overall-Qualifying-Classification-Amended
More, from a press release issued by EWC Press Office:
Qualifying report: 24 Heures Motos pole hat-trick for top EWC team YART
April 15 2022
*YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC makes it three poles at Le Mans in succession
*Sensational lap from Hanika almost one second faster than previous pole record
*Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore quickest Dunlop Superstock Trophy team
YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC has claimed a sensational provisional pole position – its third in succession – for the 24 Heures Motos, round one of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship.
With qualifying results this season based on the average time of the fastest two riders from each team, rather than three previously, the laps of Karel Hanika (Czech Republic) and Marvin Fritz (Germany) were used to determine which team lines up at the front for the start of the big race, which is scheduled to begin at 15h00 CET tomorrow (Saturday).
Hanika’s performance on the #7 Yamaha RZF-R1 stood out with the Czech the only rider to lap the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti in under 1m35s in a time of 1m34.878s. It also comfortably eclipsed Randy de Puniet’s previous Le Mans’ benchmark of 1m35.730s set on a Kawasaki in 2017. YART’s pole at an average of 1m35.080s came despite Niccolò Canepa (Italy) suffering a low-speed fall during his in-lap in the Red Rider session.
“I’m really proud of my team because they give me the perfect bike and I could really do the perfect lap so we happy to be on the pole again,” said the 26-year-old Hanika. “It’s the result of our hard work during the winter, we were practicing also very well here and our pace is really strong. For me it was a great lap, I had the perfect timing, the perfect bike, the perfect tyres and I’m really thankful to my team for that. We always say it’s possible to do better and I am sure one of us next year is going to prove this. But now I’m really happy because my team-mates are doing a great job and I’m learning every day with them. It’s amazing to be again on pole, we we are ready for tomorrow.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul, the winner of the 24 Heures Motos last year and the defending EWC world champion team, qualified second ahead of F.C.C. TSR Honda France, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and ERC Endurance-Ducati. Wójcik Racing Team was the top Independent Trophy entrant in sixth followed by Team MOTO AIN, Webike SRC Kawasaki France, Viltaïs Racing Igol and Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore, which headed the Dunlop Superstock Trophy order ahead of National Motos in P12 behind Formula EWC squad Tati Team Beringer Racing.
How the chase for pole position unfolded
Following Thursday afternoon’s First Qualifying, which ended with session bests for Karel Hanika (Blue Rider), Gino Rea (Yellow), Niccolò Canepa (Red) and Kenny Foray (Green), Second Qualifying took place in similarly dry and sunny, albeit cooler conditions this morning. Hanika took full advantage to once again top the Blue Rider session, this time with a stunning 1m34.878s effort after Josh Hook held top spot for a period. Hook ended up third behind Gregg Black but ahead of Markus Reiterberger and Claudio Corti. Italian Corti was one of a handful of riders to crash during the session, with Christian Gamarino and Marek Szkopek also falling.
Illya Mykhalchyk initially headed the Yellow Rider order before Marvin Fritz and then Gino Rea demoted him in quick session, with Rea completing the 20-minute session in first place on a 1m35.186s. Fritz took second followed by Mykhalchyk, Xavier Siméon and Xavi Fores who, along with Kevin Manfredi, was among the notable fallers.
Mike Di Meglio was the early pacesetter in the Red Rider session until Niccolò Canepa moved ahead only to fall at Turn 7. Di Meglio retook top spot and headed the order until the final five minutes when Sylvain Guintoli grabbed the initiative. The session ended with Guintoli, part of the EWC world title-winning Yoshimura SERT Motul team from 2021, fastest in 1m35.535s. Canepà returned to the action and ended up second quickest ahead of Di Meglio, Jérémy Guarnoni and David Checa.
The Green reserve riders were the last to take to the track although their lap times are not used to determine the final Qualifying order. Kenny Foray was fastest ahead of Kazuki Watanabe, James Westmoreland, Marc Moser and Bálint Kovács.
RIDER QUOTES
Formula EWC, Niccolò Canepa (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC): “I’m really happy and I’m really proud of my team and my team-mates. Karel did an amazing lap time that was really impressive. We are in pole position, we are here and we have to be happy. We feel really good for the race. During the whole winter in the winter testing we did really well as a team and we feel good with the bike, we have a good pace and our target is to finish the race but I am confident we can fight for the victory. We believe we have the strongest machine to win the race. When I crashed, we checked the data and we saw there was a small problem on the brakes. I knew I was coming back to the pits so I was not pushing. I was really surprised to be on the floor but when I came back in we didn’t have any fresh tyres so I had to put on a rear tyre with more than 50 laps so it was impossible to improve my lap from yesterday and be in the 1m34s. But we are on pole, we are three riders and we did the pole and this is enough.”
Dunlop Superstock Trophy, Hugo Clere (Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore): “We are satisfied because it’s a pole position, we knew that we could do this performance this morning because of the cold temperatures, which was of course the best conditions for us. I am happy, we had some very good lap times, we did the job and myself too. The most important now is the race. We remember last year that the number 18 Yamaha had the pole position for the Superstock class but, unfortunately, we had a very unlucky beginning of the race and we stopped quite early in the race. We are back in pole position and we really hope we can finish the race and, of course, a podium is the target in the Superstock class.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
YART Yamaha Secure Pole Position Hat-Trick at Le Mans
The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will start the 45th Le Mans 24 Heures Motos in France from pole position for the third consecutive year after smashing the FIM Endurance World Championship lap record at the circuit.
Riders Karel Hanika, Niccolo Canepa, and Marvin Fritz kicked their 2022 EWC campaign off in style by claiming a hat trick of pole positions at a sun-drenched Le Mans circuit on Friday, securing a crucial five championship points in the process. It all started during Thursday’s two-hour Free Practice session when the team hinted at what was to come by setting a 1:35.782 to finish in second overall.
The First Qualifying sessions in the afternoon saw Hanika, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, wearing the Blue armband and setting the fastest time in his group with a 1:35.873. Fritz then went out in the Yellow session and set a 1:36.102, which was good enough to finish in P4, 0.496s off the top. The day’s highlight was Canepa setting a new EWC lap record in the Red session with a 1:35.500, finishing 0.357s ahead of the rest and recording the fastest qualifying time at Le Mans since 2017.
The YART Yamaha team then switched their focus to Night Practice. All three riders and reserve rider Robin Mulhauser got time on the bike, with the team also practising the all-important pit stops during the 90-minute session and showing their pace in the dark by setting a 1:36.772 to finish in second.
When Friday rolled around, the team focused on securing pole position, with all three riders confident of being able to set a time in the 1:34s. Hanika was first out in the Yellow session, and the Czech rider pulled out all the stops. He put in a sensational lap to demolish his teammate’s lap record from the day before and finish with a 1:34.878, the first EWC lap around the iconic Le Mans circuit to break the 1:35 barrier. Hanika’s sensational pace highlighting the impressive work done by the team and riders to improve the YART Yamaha R1 during the winter and preseason.
Hanika’s lap was hard to follow, but his teammate Fritz rose to the challenge, improving his best time from Thursday by almost a second to record a 1:35.282 and securing P2 in the process, just 0.096s off the leader. Canepa was determined to go even faster in response, but the 33-year-old got held up in the extensive traffic during his 20-minute session and had a slight brake issue that saw him run off track. He recovered superbly, setting a 1:35.679 to end the session in second place, with his time from First Qualifying good enough to secure first on the combined times for the Red riders.
A new EWC rule for 2022 sees the average time from only the fastest two riders, instead of three, count towards official qualification results. Therefore, Hanika’s 1:34.878 combined with Fritz’s 1:35.282 meant the YART Yamaha team qualified on pole with an average time of 1:35.080, 0.324s ahead of the rest of the field.
The team now head into the legendary 24-hour race on Saturday full of confidence and looking to claim their first victory at Le Mans since 2009, although with a further 55 points up for grabs over the weekend, they know the work is only just beginning.
It was also an excellent start to the weekend for the Wojcik Racing Team, with Mathieu Gines and Sheridan Morais combining to set an average time of 1:36.711 to start from sixth for the race. Team Moto Ain qualified just behind them in seventh, with hardly anything to separate its three riders. Claudio Corti and Corentin Perolari recorded an average time of 1:36.731, with teammate Bradley Smith impressing on his EWC debut by setting a 1:36.871.
The Viltais Racing Igol Team ended qualifying in seventh overall with a 1:37.121, thanks to the combined times of Florian Alt and Erwan Nigon, while teammate, South African EWC debutant Steven Odendall, was also on the pace with a 1:37.263. Maco Racing Team’s Anthony West and Enzo Boulum secured 14th on the grid for the team with an average time of 1:37.737, while the 3ART Best of Bike team’s Nicolas Escudier and Martin Renaudin combined for a 1:38.476, which was good enough to qualify in 18th.
The teams will take to the track at 9 am local time (UTC+2) on Saturday morning for the 40-minute Warm Up session before the Le Mans 24 Heures Motos kicks off at the new start time of 3 pm.
Karel Hanika – 1:34.878
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am very happy about my lap time! All three of us could have set the time, but I managed to find the perfect spot on track without traffic to set the time. The YART R1 with the Bridgestone tyres worked perfectly, which is what allowed me to set such a fast time. It was down to all the hard work we did during the preseason, and we showed during Free Practice with the race tyres that we have a good pace and will be competitive during the race, which is the main thing. We need to use this advantage tomorrow during the race, try to be consistent, take it lap-by-lap and stay focused; then we can see where we are on Sunday morning.”
Marvin Fritz – 1:35.282
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am delighted with pole position. The whole team worked so hard during the winter and preseason, and all that work is reflected in this pole position, especially with the times we managed to set. The hard work starts tomorrow, but I think we are well prepared. Everyone has been working hard, and we know what mistakes we have made in the past and where we need to improve. I think we will start without any pressure because we know if we can keep to our lap times and don’t make any mistakes, we will be in the fight for victory. The most important thing is to finish the race. There are sixty points available at a 24-hour race, and we have three on the calendar in 2022, so it will be vital to finish them all and collect as many points as possible if we want to win the title. We have got off to the perfect start with the five points we scored for pole position, we need to focus during the race, avoid any mistakes and if we are still in contention tomorrow morning, we will try and push for the win.”
Niccolo Canepa – 1:35.500
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am really pleased! All that matters is that the team is on pole position, and this time my teammates Karel and Marvin did the job today. I am so proud of them. I was the fastest rider yesterday, but today they were both quicker. That shows how fast we can be as a team, which is what counts. We are confident going into the race, all three of us have a good pace, and the bike feels great. We have everything we need to ensure that we can be on top come 3 pm on Sunday.”
Andrew Pitt
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Crew Chief
“This is a special pole position! All of our riders were capable of doing a 1:34 lap time today, with the cooler conditions and new tyres, especially when you look at the times they set in practice and preseason. It is never that easy in endurance racing, and with the traffic on track and some other issues, they didn’t get to show their true potential, but Karel showed what we are capable of. The real action starts with the race tomorrow at 3 pm. Our focus is to ensure that we finish, and we know with our pace that if we can avoid trouble, we will be in a solid position to fight for the victory. We have done all the hard work and tested all the different tyre compounds to work out what is best depending on the temperature range, so we know what we need to use at what time, whether day or night. The whole team has been working so hard together; it has been great. Now we just need to get through the race cleanly and without any drama, and we can be fighting for victory at the end.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL 2ND IN FINAL QUALIFYING
Yoshimura SERT Motul: Suzuki GSX-R1000R – 2nd
After a hard-fought qualifying session at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, the Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Motul confirmed its status as a serious contender for victory by setting the second fastest qualifying time.
Faced with strong competition that has intensified over the winter, the reigning World Champions made good progress in today’s qualifying session which bodes well for the race itself. Likewise, the championship-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000R was able to demonstrate that it had also evolved.
After setting the third fastest time in yesterday’s initial qualifying session, the team took advantage of more favorable weather conditions to further improve their performance.
Despite difficulties at the beginning of the session, marked by two small mistakes that were without consequences, Gregg Black knew how to react and to give the best of himself. The Anglo-Frenchman posted a very fast lap of 1.35.272 at the end of the session and took the second best time.
Xavier Siméon’s session was marked by several crashes, forcing the race direction to put out a red flag. This interruption disrupted the Belgian rider’s pace, but he recovered at the end of the session with a 1.35.583 lap.
Third rider to take to the track with the Factory Suzuki was Sylvain Guintoli He distinguished himself with several very fast laps and continued his efforts until the end to finish with an excellent time of 1.35.535, which put him at the top of the timesheet in his session.
Qualifying concluded with the reserve riders’ session in which Japanese rider Kazuki Watanabe also set the second fastest time in his class with a 1.37.690.
With these positive results, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team will line up second on the grid for the 45th edition of the 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans, which will start tomorrow, Saturday, April 16th at 3pm (local time).
Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager:
“You always want to do better, but I’m very satisfied with this great start to the week, and we’ll continue like this. It was a great qualifying with very good lap times in the 1’35s, riders feeling good on the bike and Bridgestone tyres working perfectly. I know we can do even better, pole was not out of reach. But we know how hard YART is fighting for it. Our aim is to last until 3pm on Sunday, so it’s good to see our bike in the top two at the start.”
Yohei KATO – Team Director:
“I am very happy with this second place. We also qualified in second position last year, so it’s a good sign! We have prepared well for the race, but we will do some more testing tomorrow morning during the warm-up. We always perform better during the race, so we are confident for tomorrow.”
Gregg Black:
“We have incredible conditions here in Le Mans, it feels like June. We were able to work well to achieve some really exceptional times, like all the official teams. Before, 1’35 was very fast, and now it’s ordinary. We are very satisfied with the work done by the team and we have a very good race pace, which is our strong point. We are confident for this first race, our objective is really to be regular and to repeat the good performance of last year.”
Xavier Siméon:
“It was really fast this morning. My qualifying session was disrupted by a lot of crashes and I couldn’t really take advantage of my new tyre, but I improved my time, just like my teammates. We finish second; it’s a very good result for us. The team did a great job to make the bike perform well over 24 hours. With Gregg and Sylvain we are a very consistent team. It’s a new year, we start from scratch, and we have to concentrate as we always do.”
Sylvain Guintoli:
“We all managed to improve our times today, which is very positive. The conditions were very good, with little wind and maximum grip on the track. We all had a very good feeling on the bike, which allowed us to attack with confidence. For the race, things will of course be different. But one thing is sure, we are ready. Personally, I now have a bit more experience in endurance racing. In 2021, we won both 24-hour races. And things come in threes!”
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Honda’s endurance teams qualify strongly for the 24 Heures Motos
After a long break of 6-month, the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship finally kicks off this weekend at the legendary Bugatti circuit, Le Mans for the 24 Heures Motos.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France will compete this season aboard Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP with a newcomer rider, the British Gino Rea, who joins the Frenchman Mike Di Meglio and the Australian rider Josh Hook. The team’s target is the upper step of the podium to claim the 24 Heures Motos victory again as they did in 2018 and 2020.
After the two-qualifying session on dry and warm temperatures, the Honda team placed their Honda #5 third on the grid ahead of tomorrow’s 24-hour race with a lap time of 1:35.435. The lap time of the three riders was very competitive and consistent on Friday, andthe Honda squad improved their timings, obtaining an excellent result for tomorrow’s starting grid.
National Motos, last year’s winners of the event in Superstock category, set the second-best lap time in their category, 1:37.449. The #55 Honda team is very confident of achieving another podium with a renewed three-rider line up, Swiss brothers Sebastien and Valentin Suchet and Frenchman Guillaume Raymond. On Thursday, the team’s objective was to get a good result, while on Friday, the team tested some issues with the fuel tank already solved.
Privateers RAC 41 Chromeburner signed the fifth fastest lap in the SST category, 1:38.419. On Thursday, during the Free practice session, Grégory Fasté had a crash and was declared unfit to participate in the 24 Heures Motos and the team is looking for a replacement rider for tomorrow’s start. Despite this situation, the team is convinced to get a good result with a great performance of the Fireblade that has the potential to go faster during the race and do 1:38 lap times consistently.
The 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at 3pm (CEST) on Saturday 16th April and finished at 3pm (CEST) on Sunday 17th April.
Josh Hook 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘We made a good step with the bike over the pre-season tests, struggling in the past with the qualifying but now we more or less there. This makes our job easier for the race because we know that we can do a good lap time when we have the grip. We are in a better position than last year, and we are looking forward to the race. It is a long race, and anything can happen, but I think that our pace is very consistent, and we can get a good result here if all goes smoothly.’
Gino Rea 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘All sessions have been actually better than expected, the team did a really good over the winter to improve the bike in one lap pace for the qualifying, and the package improved a lot. Our race pace is really good. When we put the soft qualifying tyres yesterday, we all felt really strong, with lap times very competitive. Today, the plan changed slightly with the red flag, and I was able to use a new tyre in the last part of the session, doing my best lap. We are very pleased with the qualifying, and I think we have a really good pace for the race.’
Mike Di Meglio 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘I think we have a very good pace for the race. My teammates and the team did an excellent job. Yesterday we used too many tyres as today we had only two rear and one front. The three of us improved yesterday’s lap times, and this third place is perfect for the qualifying points. The bike is performing great, with a very good base, but it is 24 hours, so we need to stay concentrated, be fast with many riders on track, and get a good pace and good result.’
TrackAddix 4/16-17 Track Days At Motorsports Park Hastings Cancelled (Updated)
All TrackAddix Riders for 4/16-4/17 weekend
EMERGENCY ALERT!! The MPH track weekend is being CANCELLED immediately, the track just let us know a few minutes ago they had an unexpected issue getting ambulance coverage for the weekend and now can’t secure an ambulance due to it being Easter weekend. We can’t run an event without an ambulance, so that leaves no choice but to cancel the event. EVERYONE at the MPH track apologizes profusely to ALL of us for this very unfortunate situation. We’ll work out the rider sign-up details/credits later but please get the word out ASAP as we know a lot of riders are traveling in from a distance today. We’ll be sending an e-mail and text blast out to everyone this morning as well.
Please give us the day today to get the rest of the details worked out and we’ll send another blast out to everyone, right now we just wanted to STOP any travel plans that are in progress as quickly as possible! We’ve never had anything like this happen in 15+ years of track day events, and hopefully never have it happen again, we’re so sorry to everyone who was planning to ride this weekend, including us!
More, from a press release issued by TrackAddix:
UPDATE – NEW DATE ADDED
After the emergency cancellation of this weekend’s MPH track event, we were able to work with the track ownership and management to come up with a reschedule date to add to our 2022 calendar so we can maintain our 6-event season.
Our NEWLY-ADDED event date is July 9th/10th.
Here’s what we’re going to do to most easily accommodate most riders who were signed up for the Apr 16/17 weekend with the least amount of drama:
SEASON PASS HOLDERS: You will be signed up AUTOMATICALLY for the July 9/10 weekend event, you don’t need to do anything.
TRACK PACK HOLDERS: Your registration for Apr 16/17 will be deleted and the track pack codes reactivated on your account to use for any other date. You WILL need to go out to your TrackAddix account and sign yourself up for whatever date you want to use the codes for, we will NOT be automatically moving you to any other date on our end, just pick the date that works for you.
REGULAR TRACK DAY PURCHASERS:
We will AUTOMATICALLY move you to the next available track day event date on May 14/15 so you’ll have a slot secured for that. If you would like to be moved to a different date or receive a refund for your track day registration, just let us know and we’ll do whatever you request.
GP RACE ENTRIES:
If you were signed up for the TrackAddix GP Race(s) tomorrow night, your race registration(s) will be MOVED to the new July 9th race date. So if you were a race season pass holder, you’re still signed up for the whole season. If you had signed up individually for the Apr 16th race, and you want your registration moved to a DIFFERENT date than July 9th, just let us know and we’ll move it for you. If you are OK with being signed up for the 9th, then you don’t need to do anything. WHY? Because this way the order of registrations and associated grid positions will stay the same. Seemed like the best solution for most riders who are planning to race most of the season, but if it doesn’t work for you then just let us know and we’ll change it to a different date for you.
We are so sorry again that things didn’t work out for this weekend! We REALLY wanted to ride! It was just a bizarre combination of circumstances that blindsided the track management and they were not able to get a solution put together in time to secure the ambulance coverage needed to run our event. This has never happened before, and hopefully will never happen again! THANK YOU for your patience and understand as we’ve tried to pick the pieces back up today to get things rescheduled and make sure everyone is taken care of to the best of our ability.
Racing History: When Two-Strokes Took Over The Daytona 200, In The April Issue
Feature In the April 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
The world of motorcycling has never known a bigger earthquake than the convulsion that transformed it in the early 1970s, when the dominant British industry crumbled under a Japanese onslaught and racetracks across the globe were overrun by two-strokes, relegating the four-stroke to Grand Prix history.
At least until Dorna created four-stroke MotoGP in 2002.
A big moment in this seismic shift was Don Emde’s victory in the 1972 Daytona 200, the first by a rider on a two-stroke. At that time the 200 was the biggest single motorcycle race in the world, contested around the huge Daytona super-speedway: Just four corners, then 2.5 miles of full-gas riding around the banking, a nightmare for early two-strokes, which were prone to burning pistons and seizing crankshafts…
—When the Two-Strokes Conquered Daytona, by Mat Oxley
In March 1972 Don Emde and his Yamaha TR3 became the first two-stroke winners of the Daytona 200, ending decades of domination by BSA, Triumph, and Harley-Davidson four-strokes. Read all about the ring-ding heard around the world in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
Roadracing World & Motorcycle Technology is THE definitive source for motorcycle racing, riding, and tech information.
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Roadracing World Young Guns 2022: Rocco Landers
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.
Rocco Landers
Age: 17.
Current home: Burns, Oregon.
Current height/weight: 5’11/165 pounds.
Current school grade level: Graduated High School.
Began riding at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2010, Buttonwillow, California, SC MiniGP, Blata Cup, 1st Place.
Current racebike: Yamaha YZF-R6.
Current tuners/mechanics: Stoney Landers (father), Will Eikenberry.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Supersport.
Sponsors: CVMA, SoCal Track Days, Track Daz, Mithos, KFG Motorsports, California Superbike School, Keith Code, Joe Roberts, J4orce Training, Racer’s Edge Performance, Yamaha, M-Tech Motorsports, Dunlop, Ohlins, SBS, Berringer Brakes, Tyrant Designs CNC, HJC.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, finished 4th in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship (4 podium finishes), 2020 season, won MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship (9 wins and 12 podiums in 12 races), won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 wins and 18 podiums in 18 races); 2019 season, won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (won 14 of 17 races), won five CVMA class Championships, won multiple races and titles at Dunlop Invite event; 2018 season, finished 4th in RFME CEV (Spanish) 85cc GP National Championship, 18 race wins with CVMA, 3 race wins with WERA West; 2017 season, finished 5th in RFME CEV (Spanish) 85cc National Championship; 2016 season, finished 9th in CIV (Italian) 50cc MiniGP Championship; 2015-2010, multiple mini road racing Championships and race wins.
2022 racing goals: Win as many Supersport races as possible and the Championship.
Racing career goals: Win races and Championships in World Superbike and MotoGP.
Racing heroes: Wayne Rainey, Ronnie Mack, Ben Spies.
Favorite track: Sonoma Raceway.
Favorite hobby: Riding flat track.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Moping around.
World Endurance: YART Yamaha On Provisional Pole At Le Mans 24-Hour
Niccolò Canepa’s rapid lap of 1m35.500s among the Red classified riders helped YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC secure the provisional pole position for the 24 Heues Motos, round one of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship.
New rules for 2022 mean qualifying results are based on the average time of the fastest two riders – rather than three previously – with the results of the fourth rider not taken into account.
With Canepa’s team-mate, Karel Hanika, the quickest of the Blue riders in a time of 1m35.873s, YART registered an unofficial average of 1m35.686s.
Josh Hook, a Blue Rider, and his Yellow rider session-topping team-mate Gino Rea, helped F.C.C. TSR Honda France to the second unofficial quickest average time of 1m35.731s, followed by Yoshimura SERT Motul (unofficially a 1m35.975s) and ERC Endurance-Ducati (unofficially a 1m36.107s).
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team set the fifth best unofficial average of 1m36.201s with Wójcik Racing Team next with an unofficial average of 1m36.729s.
Of the Dunlop Superstock Trophy riders, Sébastien Suchet was quickest for National Motos in the Blue rider session, Baptiste Guittet set the Yellow rider session pace for Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore, while Danny Webb (Wójcik Racing Team) was the Dunlop Superstock Trophy competitor to beat in the Red rider session.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL THIRD IN LE MANS QUALIFYING 1
Yoshimura SERT Motul: GSX-R1000R – 3rd (1.35.975)
Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) Motul set the third fastest time in the first qualifying session today, Thursday the 14th of April, ahead of the 45th edition of 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in France.
As defending World Champion, and last year’s 24 Heures event winner, Yoshimura SERT Motul is a firm favourite for the race that gets underway at 3pm (local time) this Saturday the 16th of April. With a perfectly-tuned technical team and a GSX-R1000R more efficient than ever, thanks to the latest developments in electronics and frame, Yoshimura SERT Motul is in a good position as the 2022 EWC season gets underway.
Riding the Suzuki #1, equipped with Bridgestone tyres, Gregg Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Xavier Simeon are joined by Kazuki Watanabe as a reserve rider for the opening round of the hugely-popular Endurance World Championship.
Victim of a heavy crash two weeks ago during the official pre-season test session, Black has recovered and proved it by setting his best lap of 1.35.970, the second-best time of his session.
Simeon also put in a good performance by reaching the top three of his session with a time of 1.36.058, while Guintoli set a time of 1.35.980.
Watanabe’s time was 1.37.793 after arriving at the Bugatti circuit straight from the airport, just a few hours before qualifying.
These first qualifying results are positive for the team with an average time for the French-Japanese outfit of 1.35.975, just three-tenths off the provisional pole position.
The 52 crews entered for this 2022 edition of the 24 Heures Motos are back on track tomorrow, Friday the 15th of April from 10:20am to 12:10pm (local time) for the second and final qualifying session that will determine the final positions on the starting grid.
Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager:
“Riders and technicians are satisfied with this third place. There is only a difference of three tenths of a second from our competitors; it’s really little. We now know what we have to do to gain! We have kept some parts for tomorrow, so we remain calm and focused. I also think that the riders feel good on the bike and that they all did very consistent lap times. This is also a very important point. There were no crashes, no mechanical problems. We tested new Bridgestone tyres, and everything went well. In short, it was a good day for us!”
Yohei KATO – Team Director:
“It has been a long winter! We are happy and excited to start the 24 Heures Motos amongst a high level of competitors. We kept trying new tyre options during this morning’s free practice. This first qualifying session was therefore done with tyres that the riders were not familiar with, so we are very satisfied with the third provisional position.”
MRA Graduates 43 From New Racer School At High Plains Raceway
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) conducted its annual race school on April 8th and 9th in direct collaboration with club sponsor Fay Myers, and with the support of High Plains Raceway in Deer Tail, Colorado. New Rider Director Jeff Brown and the rest of the MRA Board led a team of 23 veteran club racers in the effort to impart as much safety, technique, best practices and an honest conversation around risk mitigation to all participants of the two-day school. A total of 43 students completed the experience and received a certificate for demonstrating their knowledge of safe road course practice and operations. Of those 43 individuals, 28 have committed to the race license process and are expected to swell the novice grids of the club in 2022, a welcomed addition to the sport and wider community. Congratulations to all those who participated, and special thanks to all those who helped and supported the successful outcome of the event! The MRA looks forward to a safe, robust and competitive 2022.
Video: Yamaha’s Stanboli On What Happened At COTA
Racer and TrackDaz owner Dustin Coyner presents “Ask a Superbike Genius” with Richard Stanboli, owner of Attack Performance and the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha MotoAmerica Superbike Team.
This interview was conducted following the MotoAmerica event April 8-10 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Ducati Reports More Sales Growth During Q1 Of 2022
Ducati continues its growth trend, record first quarter 2022
13,450 motorcycles delivered to passionate customers worldwide during the first three months of 2022, up by 5% compared to 2021
Italy is again the leading market for Ducati with 2,544 motorcycles
The results obtained were penalized by a strong discontinuity in supplies, a situation that could continue over the course of the season
Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 14 April 2022 – The first quarter of 2022 ends with another record for Ducati, which announced in March that it closed 2021 with its best ever result in terms of deliveries, revenues and operating profit. A total of 13,450 motorcycles were delivered to passionate customers around the world from January to March, with further growth of 5% compared to the same period in 2021 and 40% compared to 2020.
Francesco Milicia, VP Global Sales and After Sales Ducati: “Ducati’s order portfolio at the end of the quarter is up by 83% over the same period of 2021, demonstrating the success that the recently presented range is already having with customers. The figures achieved by Ducati during the first three months of the year, while setting a new record, are the result of a strong demand for a product that has to deal with extraordinary difficulty in the world of supplies, especially for all motorcycle components equipped with semiconductors. Delays in supply chains are unfortunately affecting our ability to deliver bikes on schedule, and we apologize to our passionate customers for this. We can guarantee that the company is making every effort to reduce this inconvenience.”
In the first quarter of 2022, Italy regained the place of main market for Ducati with 2,544 motorcycles delivered (+8%), followed by Germany with 1,382 units (+9%). Significant growth is recorded in France , which with 1,153 motorcycles delivered achieves +29% over the same period in 2021. Good performances also in the United Kingdom, +46% with 860 motorcycles, and Brazil, which with 241 motorcycles delivered grows by +21%.
The Multistrada V4 remains the most popular model among Ducatisti with 2,456 motorcycles delivered, followed by Monster (1,868) and the Ducati Scrambler 800 family (1,557).
British Superbike: Defending Champ Mackenzie Will Miss Silverstone
Showtime at Silverstone for the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season opener
The stage is set for the highly anticipated 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season opener at Silverstone this Easter weekend (April 15/16/17), with an all-star cast lining up to claim Britain’s most coveted motorsport title.
Reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie will watch the opening round of his title defence from the sidelines following a high-speed crash in testing last week. The McAMS Yamaha rider underwent successful surgery on a fractured left ankle on Monday, but is forced to sit out the opening three races.
There are two former champions on the grid ready to try to regain the title in 2022 led by double title-winner Josh Brookes. The Australian remains with the MCE Ducati team for the new season and will be eager to repeat the form that saw him last lift the title in 2020.
2018 champion Leon Haslam is back on home soil from the world stage and is reunited with Kawasaki in VisionTrack colours, joining the team that pushed him in his title-winning year with Jake Dixon.
The new season marks the return of 2013 World Superbike Champion Tom Sykes as he returns to the series for the first time since 2008, joining Brookes at MCE Ducati as the team bids for an unprecedented ninth title.
Last year’s runner-up Tommy Bridewell, returning with Oxford Products Racing Ducati, will be a formidable opponent too, after setting the pace at last week’s Official Test at the circuit. Jason O’Halloran is back as well with McAMS Yamaha, as he bids to make amends for missing out on the title after his strongest season to date last year.
No fewer than 15 race winners complete the 2022 Bennetts BSB entry list and Silverstone is a circuit where Haslam, O’Halloran, Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) and Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) have celebrated victory in the past. Whilst riders including Bridewell, Christian Iddon (Buildbase Suzuki) and Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) have all previously stood on the podium.
The opening round gets underway tomorrow (Friday) with the opening two BSB SUPERPICKS Free Practice sessions.
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Tarran Mackenzie – the Champion’s view
“I think testing showed that a lot of people are in a good place heading into this first round and BSB is looking as competitive as ever. Then there are other riders who weren’t there on the times at the test, but they will be there come the races this weekend, so it is hard to pick names out of the hat to predict the Silverstone winner as there are so many potentials!
“I think Silverstone is quite an easy track where you can put a new tyre in and do a fast lap time, so it’s hard to tell who will have the pace over the race distance.
“The track has always worked well for the Yamahas in the past and also the Suzuki always seems to shine at this track. Ducati and Kawasaki are strong, but they haven’t won a race in recent years so it will be interesting.
“I think Silverstone will be a hard race as it is so easy to get ahead of yourself and get carried away and you’re pushing, but then the last five laps it gets tricky with the tyre. It is close between the manufacturers and there isn’t a real standout, but it is about the rider and bike combinations that can keep the pace until the end and the tyre preservation that makes the difference.
“There are three Yamahas this weekend and the riders on them, Jason [O’Halloran] is very strong at Silverstone, Kyle [Ryde] has won there before and Brad [Ray] has been strong there too, so I predict at least one Yamaha lock out of the podium!
“I am gutted I am not racing this weekend though as it is my most successful track! I think I have had 11 races there, and in all the races I have finished, I have always been on the podium, so I always feel happy going to Silverstone!”
British Talent Cup: American Correa P3 In Practice At Silverstone
World Endurance: YART Yamaha Takes Pole Position For Le Mans 24-Hour
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewer to better see all of the results.
24-Heures-Motos-24-heures-Motos-Overall-Qualifying-Classification-Overall-Qualifying-Classification-Amended
More, from a press release issued by EWC Press Office:
Qualifying report: 24 Heures Motos pole hat-trick for top EWC team YART
April 15 2022
*YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC makes it three poles at Le Mans in succession
*Sensational lap from Hanika almost one second faster than previous pole record
*Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore quickest Dunlop Superstock Trophy team
YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC has claimed a sensational provisional pole position – its third in succession – for the 24 Heures Motos, round one of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship.
With qualifying results this season based on the average time of the fastest two riders from each team, rather than three previously, the laps of Karel Hanika (Czech Republic) and Marvin Fritz (Germany) were used to determine which team lines up at the front for the start of the big race, which is scheduled to begin at 15h00 CET tomorrow (Saturday).
Hanika’s performance on the #7 Yamaha RZF-R1 stood out with the Czech the only rider to lap the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti in under 1m35s in a time of 1m34.878s. It also comfortably eclipsed Randy de Puniet’s previous Le Mans’ benchmark of 1m35.730s set on a Kawasaki in 2017. YART’s pole at an average of 1m35.080s came despite Niccolò Canepa (Italy) suffering a low-speed fall during his in-lap in the Red Rider session.
“I’m really proud of my team because they give me the perfect bike and I could really do the perfect lap so we happy to be on the pole again,” said the 26-year-old Hanika. “It’s the result of our hard work during the winter, we were practicing also very well here and our pace is really strong. For me it was a great lap, I had the perfect timing, the perfect bike, the perfect tyres and I’m really thankful to my team for that. We always say it’s possible to do better and I am sure one of us next year is going to prove this. But now I’m really happy because my team-mates are doing a great job and I’m learning every day with them. It’s amazing to be again on pole, we we are ready for tomorrow.”
Yoshimura SERT Motul, the winner of the 24 Heures Motos last year and the defending EWC world champion team, qualified second ahead of F.C.C. TSR Honda France, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team and ERC Endurance-Ducati. Wójcik Racing Team was the top Independent Trophy entrant in sixth followed by Team MOTO AIN, Webike SRC Kawasaki France, Viltaïs Racing Igol and Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore, which headed the Dunlop Superstock Trophy order ahead of National Motos in P12 behind Formula EWC squad Tati Team Beringer Racing.
How the chase for pole position unfolded
Following Thursday afternoon’s First Qualifying, which ended with session bests for Karel Hanika (Blue Rider), Gino Rea (Yellow), Niccolò Canepa (Red) and Kenny Foray (Green), Second Qualifying took place in similarly dry and sunny, albeit cooler conditions this morning. Hanika took full advantage to once again top the Blue Rider session, this time with a stunning 1m34.878s effort after Josh Hook held top spot for a period. Hook ended up third behind Gregg Black but ahead of Markus Reiterberger and Claudio Corti. Italian Corti was one of a handful of riders to crash during the session, with Christian Gamarino and Marek Szkopek also falling.
Illya Mykhalchyk initially headed the Yellow Rider order before Marvin Fritz and then Gino Rea demoted him in quick session, with Rea completing the 20-minute session in first place on a 1m35.186s. Fritz took second followed by Mykhalchyk, Xavier Siméon and Xavi Fores who, along with Kevin Manfredi, was among the notable fallers.
Mike Di Meglio was the early pacesetter in the Red Rider session until Niccolò Canepa moved ahead only to fall at Turn 7. Di Meglio retook top spot and headed the order until the final five minutes when Sylvain Guintoli grabbed the initiative. The session ended with Guintoli, part of the EWC world title-winning Yoshimura SERT Motul team from 2021, fastest in 1m35.535s. Canepà returned to the action and ended up second quickest ahead of Di Meglio, Jérémy Guarnoni and David Checa.
The Green reserve riders were the last to take to the track although their lap times are not used to determine the final Qualifying order. Kenny Foray was fastest ahead of Kazuki Watanabe, James Westmoreland, Marc Moser and Bálint Kovács.
RIDER QUOTES
Formula EWC, Niccolò Canepa (YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC): “I’m really happy and I’m really proud of my team and my team-mates. Karel did an amazing lap time that was really impressive. We are in pole position, we are here and we have to be happy. We feel really good for the race. During the whole winter in the winter testing we did really well as a team and we feel good with the bike, we have a good pace and our target is to finish the race but I am confident we can fight for the victory. We believe we have the strongest machine to win the race. When I crashed, we checked the data and we saw there was a small problem on the brakes. I knew I was coming back to the pits so I was not pushing. I was really surprised to be on the floor but when I came back in we didn’t have any fresh tyres so I had to put on a rear tyre with more than 50 laps so it was impossible to improve my lap from yesterday and be in the 1m34s. But we are on pole, we are three riders and we did the pole and this is enough.”
Dunlop Superstock Trophy, Hugo Clere (Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore): “We are satisfied because it’s a pole position, we knew that we could do this performance this morning because of the cold temperatures, which was of course the best conditions for us. I am happy, we had some very good lap times, we did the job and myself too. The most important now is the race. We remember last year that the number 18 Yamaha had the pole position for the Superstock class but, unfortunately, we had a very unlucky beginning of the race and we stopped quite early in the race. We are back in pole position and we really hope we can finish the race and, of course, a podium is the target in the Superstock class.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
YART Yamaha Secure Pole Position Hat-Trick at Le Mans
The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team will start the 45th Le Mans 24 Heures Motos in France from pole position for the third consecutive year after smashing the FIM Endurance World Championship lap record at the circuit.
Riders Karel Hanika, Niccolo Canepa, and Marvin Fritz kicked their 2022 EWC campaign off in style by claiming a hat trick of pole positions at a sun-drenched Le Mans circuit on Friday, securing a crucial five championship points in the process. It all started during Thursday’s two-hour Free Practice session when the team hinted at what was to come by setting a 1:35.782 to finish in second overall.
The First Qualifying sessions in the afternoon saw Hanika, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, wearing the Blue armband and setting the fastest time in his group with a 1:35.873. Fritz then went out in the Yellow session and set a 1:36.102, which was good enough to finish in P4, 0.496s off the top. The day’s highlight was Canepa setting a new EWC lap record in the Red session with a 1:35.500, finishing 0.357s ahead of the rest and recording the fastest qualifying time at Le Mans since 2017.
The YART Yamaha team then switched their focus to Night Practice. All three riders and reserve rider Robin Mulhauser got time on the bike, with the team also practising the all-important pit stops during the 90-minute session and showing their pace in the dark by setting a 1:36.772 to finish in second.
When Friday rolled around, the team focused on securing pole position, with all three riders confident of being able to set a time in the 1:34s. Hanika was first out in the Yellow session, and the Czech rider pulled out all the stops. He put in a sensational lap to demolish his teammate’s lap record from the day before and finish with a 1:34.878, the first EWC lap around the iconic Le Mans circuit to break the 1:35 barrier. Hanika’s sensational pace highlighting the impressive work done by the team and riders to improve the YART Yamaha R1 during the winter and preseason.
Hanika’s lap was hard to follow, but his teammate Fritz rose to the challenge, improving his best time from Thursday by almost a second to record a 1:35.282 and securing P2 in the process, just 0.096s off the leader. Canepa was determined to go even faster in response, but the 33-year-old got held up in the extensive traffic during his 20-minute session and had a slight brake issue that saw him run off track. He recovered superbly, setting a 1:35.679 to end the session in second place, with his time from First Qualifying good enough to secure first on the combined times for the Red riders.
A new EWC rule for 2022 sees the average time from only the fastest two riders, instead of three, count towards official qualification results. Therefore, Hanika’s 1:34.878 combined with Fritz’s 1:35.282 meant the YART Yamaha team qualified on pole with an average time of 1:35.080, 0.324s ahead of the rest of the field.
The team now head into the legendary 24-hour race on Saturday full of confidence and looking to claim their first victory at Le Mans since 2009, although with a further 55 points up for grabs over the weekend, they know the work is only just beginning.
It was also an excellent start to the weekend for the Wojcik Racing Team, with Mathieu Gines and Sheridan Morais combining to set an average time of 1:36.711 to start from sixth for the race. Team Moto Ain qualified just behind them in seventh, with hardly anything to separate its three riders. Claudio Corti and Corentin Perolari recorded an average time of 1:36.731, with teammate Bradley Smith impressing on his EWC debut by setting a 1:36.871.
The Viltais Racing Igol Team ended qualifying in seventh overall with a 1:37.121, thanks to the combined times of Florian Alt and Erwan Nigon, while teammate, South African EWC debutant Steven Odendall, was also on the pace with a 1:37.263. Maco Racing Team’s Anthony West and Enzo Boulum secured 14th on the grid for the team with an average time of 1:37.737, while the 3ART Best of Bike team’s Nicolas Escudier and Martin Renaudin combined for a 1:38.476, which was good enough to qualify in 18th.
The teams will take to the track at 9 am local time (UTC+2) on Saturday morning for the 40-minute Warm Up session before the Le Mans 24 Heures Motos kicks off at the new start time of 3 pm.
Karel Hanika – 1:34.878
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am very happy about my lap time! All three of us could have set the time, but I managed to find the perfect spot on track without traffic to set the time. The YART R1 with the Bridgestone tyres worked perfectly, which is what allowed me to set such a fast time. It was down to all the hard work we did during the preseason, and we showed during Free Practice with the race tyres that we have a good pace and will be competitive during the race, which is the main thing. We need to use this advantage tomorrow during the race, try to be consistent, take it lap-by-lap and stay focused; then we can see where we are on Sunday morning.”
Marvin Fritz – 1:35.282
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am delighted with pole position. The whole team worked so hard during the winter and preseason, and all that work is reflected in this pole position, especially with the times we managed to set. The hard work starts tomorrow, but I think we are well prepared. Everyone has been working hard, and we know what mistakes we have made in the past and where we need to improve. I think we will start without any pressure because we know if we can keep to our lap times and don’t make any mistakes, we will be in the fight for victory. The most important thing is to finish the race. There are sixty points available at a 24-hour race, and we have three on the calendar in 2022, so it will be vital to finish them all and collect as many points as possible if we want to win the title. We have got off to the perfect start with the five points we scored for pole position, we need to focus during the race, avoid any mistakes and if we are still in contention tomorrow morning, we will try and push for the win.”
Niccolo Canepa – 1:35.500
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I am really pleased! All that matters is that the team is on pole position, and this time my teammates Karel and Marvin did the job today. I am so proud of them. I was the fastest rider yesterday, but today they were both quicker. That shows how fast we can be as a team, which is what counts. We are confident going into the race, all three of us have a good pace, and the bike feels great. We have everything we need to ensure that we can be on top come 3 pm on Sunday.”
Andrew Pitt
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team – Crew Chief
“This is a special pole position! All of our riders were capable of doing a 1:34 lap time today, with the cooler conditions and new tyres, especially when you look at the times they set in practice and preseason. It is never that easy in endurance racing, and with the traffic on track and some other issues, they didn’t get to show their true potential, but Karel showed what we are capable of. The real action starts with the race tomorrow at 3 pm. Our focus is to ensure that we finish, and we know with our pace that if we can avoid trouble, we will be in a solid position to fight for the victory. We have done all the hard work and tested all the different tyre compounds to work out what is best depending on the temperature range, so we know what we need to use at what time, whether day or night. The whole team has been working so hard together; it has been great. Now we just need to get through the race cleanly and without any drama, and we can be fighting for victory at the end.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL 2ND IN FINAL QUALIFYING
Yoshimura SERT Motul: Suzuki GSX-R1000R – 2nd
After a hard-fought qualifying session at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, the Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Motul confirmed its status as a serious contender for victory by setting the second fastest qualifying time.
Faced with strong competition that has intensified over the winter, the reigning World Champions made good progress in today’s qualifying session which bodes well for the race itself. Likewise, the championship-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000R was able to demonstrate that it had also evolved.
After setting the third fastest time in yesterday’s initial qualifying session, the team took advantage of more favorable weather conditions to further improve their performance.
Despite difficulties at the beginning of the session, marked by two small mistakes that were without consequences, Gregg Black knew how to react and to give the best of himself. The Anglo-Frenchman posted a very fast lap of 1.35.272 at the end of the session and took the second best time.
Xavier Siméon’s session was marked by several crashes, forcing the race direction to put out a red flag. This interruption disrupted the Belgian rider’s pace, but he recovered at the end of the session with a 1.35.583 lap.
Third rider to take to the track with the Factory Suzuki was Sylvain Guintoli He distinguished himself with several very fast laps and continued his efforts until the end to finish with an excellent time of 1.35.535, which put him at the top of the timesheet in his session.
Qualifying concluded with the reserve riders’ session in which Japanese rider Kazuki Watanabe also set the second fastest time in his class with a 1.37.690.
With these positive results, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team will line up second on the grid for the 45th edition of the 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans, which will start tomorrow, Saturday, April 16th at 3pm (local time).
Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager:
“You always want to do better, but I’m very satisfied with this great start to the week, and we’ll continue like this. It was a great qualifying with very good lap times in the 1’35s, riders feeling good on the bike and Bridgestone tyres working perfectly. I know we can do even better, pole was not out of reach. But we know how hard YART is fighting for it. Our aim is to last until 3pm on Sunday, so it’s good to see our bike in the top two at the start.”
Yohei KATO – Team Director:
“I am very happy with this second place. We also qualified in second position last year, so it’s a good sign! We have prepared well for the race, but we will do some more testing tomorrow morning during the warm-up. We always perform better during the race, so we are confident for tomorrow.”
Gregg Black:
“We have incredible conditions here in Le Mans, it feels like June. We were able to work well to achieve some really exceptional times, like all the official teams. Before, 1’35 was very fast, and now it’s ordinary. We are very satisfied with the work done by the team and we have a very good race pace, which is our strong point. We are confident for this first race, our objective is really to be regular and to repeat the good performance of last year.”
Xavier Siméon:
“It was really fast this morning. My qualifying session was disrupted by a lot of crashes and I couldn’t really take advantage of my new tyre, but I improved my time, just like my teammates. We finish second; it’s a very good result for us. The team did a great job to make the bike perform well over 24 hours. With Gregg and Sylvain we are a very consistent team. It’s a new year, we start from scratch, and we have to concentrate as we always do.”
Sylvain Guintoli:
“We all managed to improve our times today, which is very positive. The conditions were very good, with little wind and maximum grip on the track. We all had a very good feeling on the bike, which allowed us to attack with confidence. For the race, things will of course be different. But one thing is sure, we are ready. Personally, I now have a bit more experience in endurance racing. In 2021, we won both 24-hour races. And things come in threes!”
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Honda’s endurance teams qualify strongly for the 24 Heures Motos
After a long break of 6-month, the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship finally kicks off this weekend at the legendary Bugatti circuit, Le Mans for the 24 Heures Motos.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France will compete this season aboard Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP with a newcomer rider, the British Gino Rea, who joins the Frenchman Mike Di Meglio and the Australian rider Josh Hook. The team’s target is the upper step of the podium to claim the 24 Heures Motos victory again as they did in 2018 and 2020.
After the two-qualifying session on dry and warm temperatures, the Honda team placed their Honda #5 third on the grid ahead of tomorrow’s 24-hour race with a lap time of 1:35.435. The lap time of the three riders was very competitive and consistent on Friday, andthe Honda squad improved their timings, obtaining an excellent result for tomorrow’s starting grid.
National Motos, last year’s winners of the event in Superstock category, set the second-best lap time in their category, 1:37.449. The #55 Honda team is very confident of achieving another podium with a renewed three-rider line up, Swiss brothers Sebastien and Valentin Suchet and Frenchman Guillaume Raymond. On Thursday, the team’s objective was to get a good result, while on Friday, the team tested some issues with the fuel tank already solved.
Privateers RAC 41 Chromeburner signed the fifth fastest lap in the SST category, 1:38.419. On Thursday, during the Free practice session, Grégory Fasté had a crash and was declared unfit to participate in the 24 Heures Motos and the team is looking for a replacement rider for tomorrow’s start. Despite this situation, the team is convinced to get a good result with a great performance of the Fireblade that has the potential to go faster during the race and do 1:38 lap times consistently.
The 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at 3pm (CEST) on Saturday 16th April and finished at 3pm (CEST) on Sunday 17th April.
Josh Hook 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘We made a good step with the bike over the pre-season tests, struggling in the past with the qualifying but now we more or less there. This makes our job easier for the race because we know that we can do a good lap time when we have the grip. We are in a better position than last year, and we are looking forward to the race. It is a long race, and anything can happen, but I think that our pace is very consistent, and we can get a good result here if all goes smoothly.’
Gino Rea 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘All sessions have been actually better than expected, the team did a really good over the winter to improve the bike in one lap pace for the qualifying, and the package improved a lot. Our race pace is really good. When we put the soft qualifying tyres yesterday, we all felt really strong, with lap times very competitive. Today, the plan changed slightly with the red flag, and I was able to use a new tyre in the last part of the session, doing my best lap. We are very pleased with the qualifying, and I think we have a really good pace for the race.’
Mike Di Meglio 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘I think we have a very good pace for the race. My teammates and the team did an excellent job. Yesterday we used too many tyres as today we had only two rear and one front. The three of us improved yesterday’s lap times, and this third place is perfect for the qualifying points. The bike is performing great, with a very good base, but it is 24 hours, so we need to stay concentrated, be fast with many riders on track, and get a good pace and good result.’
TrackAddix 4/16-17 Track Days At Motorsports Park Hastings Cancelled (Updated)
All TrackAddix Riders for 4/16-4/17 weekend
EMERGENCY ALERT!! The MPH track weekend is being CANCELLED immediately, the track just let us know a few minutes ago they had an unexpected issue getting ambulance coverage for the weekend and now can’t secure an ambulance due to it being Easter weekend. We can’t run an event without an ambulance, so that leaves no choice but to cancel the event. EVERYONE at the MPH track apologizes profusely to ALL of us for this very unfortunate situation. We’ll work out the rider sign-up details/credits later but please get the word out ASAP as we know a lot of riders are traveling in from a distance today. We’ll be sending an e-mail and text blast out to everyone this morning as well.
Please give us the day today to get the rest of the details worked out and we’ll send another blast out to everyone, right now we just wanted to STOP any travel plans that are in progress as quickly as possible! We’ve never had anything like this happen in 15+ years of track day events, and hopefully never have it happen again, we’re so sorry to everyone who was planning to ride this weekend, including us!
More, from a press release issued by TrackAddix:
UPDATE – NEW DATE ADDED
After the emergency cancellation of this weekend’s MPH track event, we were able to work with the track ownership and management to come up with a reschedule date to add to our 2022 calendar so we can maintain our 6-event season.
Our NEWLY-ADDED event date is July 9th/10th.
Here’s what we’re going to do to most easily accommodate most riders who were signed up for the Apr 16/17 weekend with the least amount of drama:
SEASON PASS HOLDERS: You will be signed up AUTOMATICALLY for the July 9/10 weekend event, you don’t need to do anything.
TRACK PACK HOLDERS: Your registration for Apr 16/17 will be deleted and the track pack codes reactivated on your account to use for any other date. You WILL need to go out to your TrackAddix account and sign yourself up for whatever date you want to use the codes for, we will NOT be automatically moving you to any other date on our end, just pick the date that works for you.
REGULAR TRACK DAY PURCHASERS:
We will AUTOMATICALLY move you to the next available track day event date on May 14/15 so you’ll have a slot secured for that. If you would like to be moved to a different date or receive a refund for your track day registration, just let us know and we’ll do whatever you request.
GP RACE ENTRIES:
If you were signed up for the TrackAddix GP Race(s) tomorrow night, your race registration(s) will be MOVED to the new July 9th race date. So if you were a race season pass holder, you’re still signed up for the whole season. If you had signed up individually for the Apr 16th race, and you want your registration moved to a DIFFERENT date than July 9th, just let us know and we’ll move it for you. If you are OK with being signed up for the 9th, then you don’t need to do anything. WHY? Because this way the order of registrations and associated grid positions will stay the same. Seemed like the best solution for most riders who are planning to race most of the season, but if it doesn’t work for you then just let us know and we’ll change it to a different date for you.
We are so sorry again that things didn’t work out for this weekend! We REALLY wanted to ride! It was just a bizarre combination of circumstances that blindsided the track management and they were not able to get a solution put together in time to secure the ambulance coverage needed to run our event. This has never happened before, and hopefully will never happen again! THANK YOU for your patience and understand as we’ve tried to pick the pieces back up today to get things rescheduled and make sure everyone is taken care of to the best of our ability.
Racing History: When Two-Strokes Took Over The Daytona 200, In The April Issue
Feature In the April 2022 issue of Roadracing World:
The world of motorcycling has never known a bigger earthquake than the convulsion that transformed it in the early 1970s, when the dominant British industry crumbled under a Japanese onslaught and racetracks across the globe were overrun by two-strokes, relegating the four-stroke to Grand Prix history.
At least until Dorna created four-stroke MotoGP in 2002.
A big moment in this seismic shift was Don Emde’s victory in the 1972 Daytona 200, the first by a rider on a two-stroke. At that time the 200 was the biggest single motorcycle race in the world, contested around the huge Daytona super-speedway: Just four corners, then 2.5 miles of full-gas riding around the banking, a nightmare for early two-strokes, which were prone to burning pistons and seizing crankshafts…
—When the Two-Strokes Conquered Daytona, by Mat Oxley
In March 1972 Don Emde and his Yamaha TR3 became the first two-stroke winners of the Daytona 200, ending decades of domination by BSA, Triumph, and Harley-Davidson four-strokes. Read all about the ring-ding heard around the world in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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Roadracing World Young Guns 2022: Rocco Landers
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.
Rocco Landers
Age: 17.
Current home: Burns, Oregon.
Current height/weight: 5’11/165 pounds.
Current school grade level: Graduated High School.
Began riding at age: 2 years.
First road race: 2010, Buttonwillow, California, SC MiniGP, Blata Cup, 1st Place.
Current racebike: Yamaha YZF-R6.
Current tuners/mechanics: Stoney Landers (father), Will Eikenberry.
Primary race series: MotoAmerica Supersport.
Sponsors: CVMA, SoCal Track Days, Track Daz, Mithos, KFG Motorsports, California Superbike School, Keith Code, Joe Roberts, J4orce Training, Racer’s Edge Performance, Yamaha, M-Tech Motorsports, Dunlop, Ohlins, SBS, Berringer Brakes, Tyrant Designs CNC, HJC.
Recent racing accomplishments: 2021 season, finished 4th in MotoAmerica Supersport Championship (4 podium finishes), 2020 season, won MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship (9 wins and 12 podiums in 12 races), won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (15 wins and 18 podiums in 18 races); 2019 season, won MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship (won 14 of 17 races), won five CVMA class Championships, won multiple races and titles at Dunlop Invite event; 2018 season, finished 4th in RFME CEV (Spanish) 85cc GP National Championship, 18 race wins with CVMA, 3 race wins with WERA West; 2017 season, finished 5th in RFME CEV (Spanish) 85cc National Championship; 2016 season, finished 9th in CIV (Italian) 50cc MiniGP Championship; 2015-2010, multiple mini road racing Championships and race wins.
2022 racing goals: Win as many Supersport races as possible and the Championship.
Racing career goals: Win races and Championships in World Superbike and MotoGP.
Racing heroes: Wayne Rainey, Ronnie Mack, Ben Spies.
Favorite track: Sonoma Raceway.
Favorite hobby: Riding flat track.
If I wasn’t racing I would be…: Moping around.
World Endurance: YART Yamaha On Provisional Pole At Le Mans 24-Hour
Niccolò Canepa’s rapid lap of 1m35.500s among the Red classified riders helped YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC secure the provisional pole position for the 24 Heues Motos, round one of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship.
New rules for 2022 mean qualifying results are based on the average time of the fastest two riders – rather than three previously – with the results of the fourth rider not taken into account.
With Canepa’s team-mate, Karel Hanika, the quickest of the Blue riders in a time of 1m35.873s, YART registered an unofficial average of 1m35.686s.
Josh Hook, a Blue Rider, and his Yellow rider session-topping team-mate Gino Rea, helped F.C.C. TSR Honda France to the second unofficial quickest average time of 1m35.731s, followed by Yoshimura SERT Motul (unofficially a 1m35.975s) and ERC Endurance-Ducati (unofficially a 1m36.107s).
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team set the fifth best unofficial average of 1m36.201s with Wójcik Racing Team next with an unofficial average of 1m36.729s.
Of the Dunlop Superstock Trophy riders, Sébastien Suchet was quickest for National Motos in the Blue rider session, Baptiste Guittet set the Yellow rider session pace for Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore, while Danny Webb (Wójcik Racing Team) was the Dunlop Superstock Trophy competitor to beat in the Red rider session.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL THIRD IN LE MANS QUALIFYING 1
Yoshimura SERT Motul: GSX-R1000R – 3rd (1.35.975)
Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) Motul set the third fastest time in the first qualifying session today, Thursday the 14th of April, ahead of the 45th edition of 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans in France.
As defending World Champion, and last year’s 24 Heures event winner, Yoshimura SERT Motul is a firm favourite for the race that gets underway at 3pm (local time) this Saturday the 16th of April. With a perfectly-tuned technical team and a GSX-R1000R more efficient than ever, thanks to the latest developments in electronics and frame, Yoshimura SERT Motul is in a good position as the 2022 EWC season gets underway.
Riding the Suzuki #1, equipped with Bridgestone tyres, Gregg Black, Sylvain Guintoli and Xavier Simeon are joined by Kazuki Watanabe as a reserve rider for the opening round of the hugely-popular Endurance World Championship.
Victim of a heavy crash two weeks ago during the official pre-season test session, Black has recovered and proved it by setting his best lap of 1.35.970, the second-best time of his session.
Simeon also put in a good performance by reaching the top three of his session with a time of 1.36.058, while Guintoli set a time of 1.35.980.
Watanabe’s time was 1.37.793 after arriving at the Bugatti circuit straight from the airport, just a few hours before qualifying.
These first qualifying results are positive for the team with an average time for the French-Japanese outfit of 1.35.975, just three-tenths off the provisional pole position.
The 52 crews entered for this 2022 edition of the 24 Heures Motos are back on track tomorrow, Friday the 15th of April from 10:20am to 12:10pm (local time) for the second and final qualifying session that will determine the final positions on the starting grid.
Damien SAULNIER – Team Manager:
“Riders and technicians are satisfied with this third place. There is only a difference of three tenths of a second from our competitors; it’s really little. We now know what we have to do to gain! We have kept some parts for tomorrow, so we remain calm and focused. I also think that the riders feel good on the bike and that they all did very consistent lap times. This is also a very important point. There were no crashes, no mechanical problems. We tested new Bridgestone tyres, and everything went well. In short, it was a good day for us!”
Yohei KATO – Team Director:
“It has been a long winter! We are happy and excited to start the 24 Heures Motos amongst a high level of competitors. We kept trying new tyre options during this morning’s free practice. This first qualifying session was therefore done with tyres that the riders were not familiar with, so we are very satisfied with the third provisional position.”
MRA Graduates 43 From New Racer School At High Plains Raceway
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA) conducted its annual race school on April 8th and 9th in direct collaboration with club sponsor Fay Myers, and with the support of High Plains Raceway in Deer Tail, Colorado. New Rider Director Jeff Brown and the rest of the MRA Board led a team of 23 veteran club racers in the effort to impart as much safety, technique, best practices and an honest conversation around risk mitigation to all participants of the two-day school. A total of 43 students completed the experience and received a certificate for demonstrating their knowledge of safe road course practice and operations. Of those 43 individuals, 28 have committed to the race license process and are expected to swell the novice grids of the club in 2022, a welcomed addition to the sport and wider community. Congratulations to all those who participated, and special thanks to all those who helped and supported the successful outcome of the event! The MRA looks forward to a safe, robust and competitive 2022.
Video: Yamaha’s Stanboli On What Happened At COTA
Racer and TrackDaz owner Dustin Coyner presents “Ask a Superbike Genius” with Richard Stanboli, owner of Attack Performance and the Fresh N Lean Progressive Yamaha MotoAmerica Superbike Team.
This interview was conducted following the MotoAmerica event April 8-10 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas.
Ducati Reports More Sales Growth During Q1 Of 2022
Ducati continues its growth trend, record first quarter 2022
13,450 motorcycles delivered to passionate customers worldwide during the first three months of 2022, up by 5% compared to 2021
Italy is again the leading market for Ducati with 2,544 motorcycles
The results obtained were penalized by a strong discontinuity in supplies, a situation that could continue over the course of the season
Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 14 April 2022 – The first quarter of 2022 ends with another record for Ducati, which announced in March that it closed 2021 with its best ever result in terms of deliveries, revenues and operating profit. A total of 13,450 motorcycles were delivered to passionate customers around the world from January to March, with further growth of 5% compared to the same period in 2021 and 40% compared to 2020.
Francesco Milicia, VP Global Sales and After Sales Ducati: “Ducati’s order portfolio at the end of the quarter is up by 83% over the same period of 2021, demonstrating the success that the recently presented range is already having with customers. The figures achieved by Ducati during the first three months of the year, while setting a new record, are the result of a strong demand for a product that has to deal with extraordinary difficulty in the world of supplies, especially for all motorcycle components equipped with semiconductors. Delays in supply chains are unfortunately affecting our ability to deliver bikes on schedule, and we apologize to our passionate customers for this. We can guarantee that the company is making every effort to reduce this inconvenience.”
In the first quarter of 2022, Italy regained the place of main market for Ducati with 2,544 motorcycles delivered (+8%), followed by Germany with 1,382 units (+9%). Significant growth is recorded in France , which with 1,153 motorcycles delivered achieves +29% over the same period in 2021. Good performances also in the United Kingdom, +46% with 860 motorcycles, and Brazil, which with 241 motorcycles delivered grows by +21%.
The Multistrada V4 remains the most popular model among Ducatisti with 2,456 motorcycles delivered, followed by Monster (1,868) and the Ducati Scrambler 800 family (1,557).
British Superbike: Defending Champ Mackenzie Will Miss Silverstone
Showtime at Silverstone for the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season opener
The stage is set for the highly anticipated 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season opener at Silverstone this Easter weekend (April 15/16/17), with an all-star cast lining up to claim Britain’s most coveted motorsport title.
Reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie will watch the opening round of his title defence from the sidelines following a high-speed crash in testing last week. The McAMS Yamaha rider underwent successful surgery on a fractured left ankle on Monday, but is forced to sit out the opening three races.
There are two former champions on the grid ready to try to regain the title in 2022 led by double title-winner Josh Brookes. The Australian remains with the MCE Ducati team for the new season and will be eager to repeat the form that saw him last lift the title in 2020.
2018 champion Leon Haslam is back on home soil from the world stage and is reunited with Kawasaki in VisionTrack colours, joining the team that pushed him in his title-winning year with Jake Dixon.
The new season marks the return of 2013 World Superbike Champion Tom Sykes as he returns to the series for the first time since 2008, joining Brookes at MCE Ducati as the team bids for an unprecedented ninth title.
Last year’s runner-up Tommy Bridewell, returning with Oxford Products Racing Ducati, will be a formidable opponent too, after setting the pace at last week’s Official Test at the circuit. Jason O’Halloran is back as well with McAMS Yamaha, as he bids to make amends for missing out on the title after his strongest season to date last year.
No fewer than 15 race winners complete the 2022 Bennetts BSB entry list and Silverstone is a circuit where Haslam, O’Halloran, Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) and Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) have celebrated victory in the past. Whilst riders including Bridewell, Christian Iddon (Buildbase Suzuki) and Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) have all previously stood on the podium.
The opening round gets underway tomorrow (Friday) with the opening two BSB SUPERPICKS Free Practice sessions.
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Tarran Mackenzie – the Champion’s view
“I think testing showed that a lot of people are in a good place heading into this first round and BSB is looking as competitive as ever. Then there are other riders who weren’t there on the times at the test, but they will be there come the races this weekend, so it is hard to pick names out of the hat to predict the Silverstone winner as there are so many potentials!
“I think Silverstone is quite an easy track where you can put a new tyre in and do a fast lap time, so it’s hard to tell who will have the pace over the race distance.
“The track has always worked well for the Yamahas in the past and also the Suzuki always seems to shine at this track. Ducati and Kawasaki are strong, but they haven’t won a race in recent years so it will be interesting.
“I think Silverstone will be a hard race as it is so easy to get ahead of yourself and get carried away and you’re pushing, but then the last five laps it gets tricky with the tyre. It is close between the manufacturers and there isn’t a real standout, but it is about the rider and bike combinations that can keep the pace until the end and the tyre preservation that makes the difference.
“There are three Yamahas this weekend and the riders on them, Jason [O’Halloran] is very strong at Silverstone, Kyle [Ryde] has won there before and Brad [Ray] has been strong there too, so I predict at least one Yamaha lock out of the podium!
“I am gutted I am not racing this weekend though as it is my most successful track! I think I have had 11 races there, and in all the races I have finished, I have always been on the podium, so I always feel happy going to Silverstone!”