The event for BMW S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR owners and enthusiasts.
September 11-12 at Circuit of the Americas – Austin, TX.
See the new M 1000 RR, the first motorcycle from BMW M GmbH.
Open to riders of all motorcycle brands and models.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 3, 2021…BMW Motorrad USA and BMW Motorrad Brand Ambassador and racer Nate Kern are proud to announce the addition of Circuit of the Americas as a host location for DoubleRFest 2021– the on-track festival for BMW S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR owners and enthusiasts. You don’t have to ride a BMW S 1000 RR or M 1000 RR or even a BMW motorcycle to attend though. You just have to have a desire to have fun and to become a better rider.
The 20-turn, 3.41-mile Circuit of the Americas – opened in 2012 – is a fast and challenging road course with big elevation changes that has hosted both Formula 1 and MotoGP races.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from former Road Race Champion, BMW Factory Test Rider and Brand Ambassador, Nate Kern. Experience one or two full days of on-track riding within three skill level groups – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced on your own bike. Learn not only the skills but also the mindset that will make a better and safer rider on both track and street. Nate’s philosophy – simplifying the craft of riding fast while staying within your skillset – will make sure that participants will have an exhilarating and fun experience and leave as better riders.
Participants will also have a unique opportunity to experience the car-side with lunchtime M Hot Lap rides around the COTA circuit – hosted by the BMW Performance Center Driving School.
Time & Location
Sept. 11th – 12th, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm.
9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd, Austin, TX 78617
Registration
Space is limited to 40 riders per group.
More information and event registration can be found at Nate Kern’s BMW DoubleRFest
Nate Kern
Passion, Persistence and Perseverance.
These three words describe Nate’s racing career best and are the foundation of what he teaches those looking to improve their riding skills. Nate began racing in 2002 at Daytona International Motor Speedway and has spent nearly two decades since then in the saddle of a BMW motorcycle.
Along with Nate’s determination to win, he also strengthened the ability to translate his product and technical knowledge into educating riders and enthusiasts on and off the track. This unique teaching skill is also what helped Nate earn the distinguished honor of becoming an official BMW Motorrad Brand Ambassador in 2008.
Nate’s first and foremost goal is creating a safe track experience for everyone. He believes in small, individualized groups with hand-selected coaching experts for each riding group. One big difference you will find with Nate’s coaches and trainers is that they will ALWAYS be on a bike with mirrors.
You cannot effectively coach if you cannot see what your riders are doing behind you around the track. He finds that this imperative aspect of coaching provides the ability to observe rider body position, line selection, along with other approaching riders and coaches. Ultimately, this overall pace setting is much safer for everyone on the track.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 349 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 116 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Joyce, Mauk, Read Dominate Vintage Cup Podium at Gingerman
(August 3, 2021, Elora, Tennessee) – Andrew Mauk didn’t catch Tim Joyce for race wins but he did maintain his championship lead during the latest round of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) 2021 Vintage Cup.
The 500 Premier Vintage Cup sponsored by Roadracing World (roadracingworld.com) and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com) was featured during rounds 15 and 16 of the 2021 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadrace Series, on both days of the AHRMA National Historic Cup Road Race Series at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, WI, July 31 and August 1.
On Saturday, Tim Joyce got the hole shot and pulled a very sizable lead, consistently turning 1:47 lap times. Joyce was aboard Maurice Candy’s legendary 500cc Manx Norton, now in the capable care of Candy’s son Chris. The sizable lead allowed Joyce to effectively manage his race to the checkered.
Wes Orloff, on Dale Coffman’s Honda CB 450, held second place for much of the race with Andy Mauk, riding Keith Leighty’s Honda CB 450, on his heels. Tony Read, aboard Andy Findling’s highly tuned BSA B50 pressured Mauk and Orloff.
The three-way battle for second place would be pivotal in the national championship points standing as the spread between the three racers was so close.
Orloff was forced to retire due to a mechanical problem at approximately two-thirds race distance. Saturday’s podium results were Joyce first, Mauk second and Read third.
Just off the podium, James Pooler returned to AHRMA competition on a Matchless G50 which had been mothballed for several years, bringing the bike to an impressive fourth place finish.
The balance of the field on Saturday included, Helmi Niederer on a Seeley G50, AHRMA Board of Trustees member Brian Larrabure on a Seeley G50, Jerry Duke on a Ducati 350, John Turner, son of former AHRMA Roadrace Director Jack Turner, on a BMW 500, and Andy Findling on his BSA Goldstar.
Joyce repeated his sizable lead on Sunday which shifted the focus to the battle for second and the chase for the series championship occurring directly behind him. Mauk finished the race in second place followed by Read very close behind him.
Mauk’s twin second-place finishes earned him enough points to retain the lead in the 2021 Vintage Cup series championship.
Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton said, “Andrew is riding hard and has a solid fix on the championship right now, with Wes, and Tony always looking to capitalize. But never discount Timmy, one of the fiercest competitors in American vintage racing, who can chip away at this championship and surprise us all in the end.”
A special 2021 Vintage Cup Trophy will be awarded to the 500 Premier class winner at select events including Roebling Road, Heartland Motorsports Park, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca and Barber Motorsports Park. Race dates and event registration links are available at: ahrma.org/schedules-results.
AHRMA National Historic Cup Road Race Series 500 Premier Results – Saturday, July 31, 2021
Tim Joyce, 1961 Norton Summerfield Manx – Laurel Hill, FL
Andrew Mauk, 1969 Honda CB450 – Milwaukee, WI
Tony Read, 1971 BSA B50 – Charlotte, TN
James Pooler, 1965 AJS G50 – West Salem, OH
Helmut Niederer, 1968 Seeley G50 – Nashville, TN
Brian Larrabure,1968 Seeley G50 – Calabasas, CA
Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler – Florence, AL
John Turner, 1962 BMW Becks R 50 – Loxahatchee, FL
Andy Findling 1961 BSA Gold Star – Kalamazoo, MI
Wes Orloff 1967 Honda 450 – Mukwonago, WI
AHRMA National Historic Cup Road Race Series 500 Premier Results – Sunday, August 1, 2021
Tim Joyce, 1961 Norton Summerfield Manx – Laurel Hill, FL
Andrew Mauk, 1969 Honda CB450 – Milwaukee, WI
Tony Read, 1971 BSA B50 – Charlotte, TN
Wes Orloff, 1967 Honda 450 – Mukwonago, WI
Stuart Carter, 1967 AJS Matchless G50 – Royal Oak, MI
Helmut Niederer, 1968 Seeley G50 – Nashville, TN
Brian Larrabure, 1968 Seeley G50 – Calabasas, CA
Andy Findling, 1961 BSA Gold Star – Kalamazoo, MI
John Turner, 1962 BMW Becks R 50 – Loxahatchee, FL
Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler – Florence, AL
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Ltd. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring and competing on classic motorcycles. With about 4000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
Three top MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers riders tested Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) to see if it is feasible to race 150-plus-horsepower, 630-pound bagger-based racebikes around the high-speed 3.51-mile infield road course, and the test appears to have been a success.
That success opens the possibility that MotoAmerica could run a King Of The Baggers race or races at the World Center of Racing as soon as March,2022, when the organization may also run the 80th Daytona 200.
Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman (the 2021 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion); his younger brother and teammate Travis Wyman; and Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian’s Tyler O’Hara got about three hours of dry track time in between rain showers Tuesday, and based on feedback from the riders, the test went as well as could be imagined.
“It was great,” said O’Hara. “They [DIS personnel] did everything they could to take care of us. They tried to make the track the best it could be. They had the cars driving around and the jet blowers going. They had the Airfence out and everything. It was a good day, very special. It was fun, and it was safe. The weather was hit and miss, but we got some decent laps.”
“These things are fast!” Wyman told Roadracingworld.com. “It’s not like the [Harley-Davidson] XR1200s. It’s a lot more like riding a 600 with the g-forces on the banking. Aerodynamics are a big deal. We need to work on ergonomics to be a little more comfortable tucked in, things like that, but it’s not bad. It’s pretty damn fun.
“I think I did a 1:58.3. I think my brother did a 1:57. We’re just kind of getting rolling, you know? The first hour there were still some damp patches, and the track was super green. It would get real dusty. If you got behind somebody they were kicking up dirt everywhere. I think we’ll see 1:55s here, if there’s a race.”
Asked if he and his brother/teammate worked together to see how their baggers would handle a drafting situation, Kyle Wyman said, “Yeah, a little bit. It was normal. If a 600 got into a bagger’s draft it would feel different, but a bagger in a bagger’s draft, they’re both punching the same size hole. There’s nothing unstable about it. It’s just the normal stuff. That was one of the questions, too, because I think we’re in the 160 mph range on our own. Gearing has been the biggest thing, what gears to shoot for and where to try and maximize what the bike does. But it does feel like we’re reaching terminal velocity with the fairing.”
Kyle Wyman (left) working with Dunlop tire engineer Tony Romo (right) on pit lane at Daytona International Speedway. Photo courtesy Kyle Wyman.
The biggest question, and the purpose of the test, was how the tires would stand up to the heat the weight and speed of the bagger racebikes created on the steeply banked sections. Kyle Wyman said, “There were no [tire] issues at all. They’re hanging in there just fine. Everything we tried is Daytona-specific, nothing standard, all fronts and rears that Dunlop typically runs at Daytona.”
“We got to run through a couple of different tires and compounds,” said O’Hara. “I did the most laps out of anybody, which was my goal. Other than it starting to rain during your session, which happened a couple of times, it was good.”
So, is it viable to race bagger-based racebikes at Daytona International Speedway?
Round 5 of the NEMRR series by Mayhew Tools was held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway over the July 31-August 1 weekend. Many riders competed and wrote new chapters in their racing story, but there is only one story that this article will report on. It is a story of both love and loss, and of community and individuals who profoundly affect us all.
Near the end of the day on Sunday, Scott Mullin crashed in Turn 6 of the Unlimited Superbike race on his Kawasaki ZX-10R. During the incident Scott was struck by his motorcycle. Medical professionals later reported that Scott immediately succumbed to his injuries.
Motorcycle racing often becomes part of the very fabric of the lives for those of us who take part in it. The sport creates challenges, emotions, and experiences that are hard to find anywhere else in the world. In spite of the incredible attraction of the racing itself, perhaps an even more powerful force that draws us in is the community of exceptional people that we meet along the way. NEMMR is blessed with an incredibly close community and Scott Mullin was certainly one of the people who drew us all together.
Scott was a championship-winning racer who spent the early part of his career on lightweight bikes. His spirited efforts on an often underpowered Kawasaki Ninja 650 made for some of the finest race spectating of the weekend in the early 2010’s. After a brief stint on 600cc machinery, he moved into the unlimited class on a Kawasaki ZX-10R, a bike which he expressed particular enjoyment in riding in an interview with NEMMR photographer Martin Hanlon on Saturday.
Scott had recorded a career best lap time in the 1:11’s earlier in the weekend and had established himself to be a force to be reckoned within the class. He carried himself with a quiet determination and commitment to winning, but at the same time would give the shirt off his back to one of his fellow racers – even a championship rival. Scott would wish you luck before a race in a way that was heartfelt and sincere, and then moments later would race you as hard and as clean as he could.
A steady stream of posts recounting the way that his generosity, his mentorship and most often just his smile affected those around him for good continue to flood social media. Many riders and friends recounted how Scott “took them in like a member of his family.”
Scott Mullin, R.I.P. Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
Anyone who knew Scott knew him as a family man. His wife Sarah, daughter Reese, and son Chase were always by his side both at the racetrack and at home.
A quote from the Mullin family embodied the principles that Scott lived by. The lifelong motorcycle enthusiasts came together at the family-owned Souhegan Valley Motorsports dealership on Monday and posted: “The SVM family is gathered together with broken hearts at the loss of our fearless leader, boss, father, husband, brother, son and friend. Scott did what he loved everyday and we are all so thankful to have been a part of this family. We will get through this with our community. Thank you all.”
As word spread through the paddock first of Scott’s crash and later of his passing, the community rallied together to support Scott’s family, crew and then each other. The impact that Scott’s life had on the entire NEMRR paddock could be felt in nearly every corner and crevice of New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will surely be felt for many years to come.
For the past 50 years there have only been two riders who have run the #3 on their motorcycle. For the remainder of the 2021 season, many of the NEMRR paddock will also have the opportunity to carry the #3 on their motorcycles. The Scott Mullin #3 will serve us all as a symbol of what a life well lived can look like, and can remind us of the importance to laugh, encourage, give and care for others as Scott demonstrated during his exemplary life.
July 31-1, 2021 @ NHMS – Results
Rookie Race Heavyweight 1 & 2
1. Scott Munger (Yam YZF-R6)
Rookie Race Wave 1
1. Nicholas Cioffi (Kaw Ninja)
2. Matthew Lewis (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Dennis Metzler (Duc 848 Evo)
4. Chris West (Suz GSX-R750)
5. Tyson Bernard (Suz SV)
6. Mohammad Nourmohammadi (Kaw Ninja 650)
Rookie Race Lightweight 3 & 4
1. Brandon Gray (Suz SV650)
2. Daniel Williams (Suz SV650S)
3. Briton Callahan (Kaw Ninja)
4. Brandon Colby (Kaw 300)
5. Ian MacMillan (Kaw Ninja)
6. Derek Huckel (Hon CBR300R)
JCM Display Amateur GTL
1. Joshua Kruse (Suz SV)
2. Matthew Paternoster (Suz SV650)
3. Thomas (TJ) Bibeau (0 0)
4. John Lear (Kaw Ninja 500)
5. Todd Fanciullo (Suz SV650S)
6. John Dorans Jr (Hus Vitpilen)
Firsttrax Combined GT 500
1. Elijah Block (Kaw Ninja 400)
2. Brianna McHugh (Kaw Ninja 400)
3. Jacob Crossman (Kaw Ninja 400)
4. Shane Lewis (Kaw Ninja 400)
5. Renee Franco (Kaw Ninja)
6. Michael Zoner (Kaw Ninja 400)
#74 GTL
1. Bill Coolahan (KTM Duke 790)
2. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R6/R5)
3. Nicholas Leighton (KTM 790 Duke)
4. Adam Guyer (Duc M1100 EVO)
5. Benjamin MacKinney (Suz SV650)
6. Aaron Wolfe (Suz SV650)
Amateur GTO
1. Kamran Pelkey (BMW S1000RR)
Woodcraft Amateur GTU
1. Geoffrey Bonnard (Kaw ZX-6RR)
2. Joe Ruth (Apr 1000)
3. David Mink (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Tony Wells (Kaw ZX-6)
5. Cadman Fenton (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Des Conboy (Yam YZF-R6)
Dunlop Tires GTU
1. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Harlan Hildebrand (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Joel Laub (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Paul Duval (Yam YZF-R6L)
Adrenaline Performance GTO
1. Scott Mullin (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Eric Shaw (Apr RSV4 Factory)
4. Roger Ealy Jr (Kaw ZX-10R)
300 Supersport
1. Jason Downs (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Lukas Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
3. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
4. Marcello Digiovanni (Yam YZF-R3)
Amateur 300 Supersport
1. Roy Whitson (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Thomas Sands (KTM 390)
3. John Sommer (Kaw Ninja)
4. Brendan Moriarty (Kaw EX300)
PTC Racing Super Singles
1. Wesley Lakis (Kra HKR EVO2)
2. Kevin Allen (TM 450SMX)
3. Adam Clark (Hon CRF450)
4. Sergio Di Molfetta (Hus FS 450)
5. Anthony Franco (Hus FS 450)
6. E Thomas Law (Hus FS 450)
Amateur Super Singles
1. Nathan Muscaro (Hus FS 450)
2. Asher Rubright (Hon CRFR)
3. Tom Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
4. Thomas (TJ) Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
5. Christopher Girard (Hus FS 450)
300 Supersport
1. Lukas Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
3. Marcello Digiovanni (Yam YZF-R3)
Amateur 300 Supersport
1. Roy Whitson (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Thomas Sands (KTM 390)
3. John Sommer (Kaw Ninja)
4. Brendan Moriarty (Kaw EX300)
Amateur Super Singles
1. Daniel Zimmer (Hon CRF)
2. Nathan Muscaro (Hus FS 450)
3. Asher Rubright (Hon CRFR)
4. Thomas (TJ) Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
5. Christopher Girard (Hus FS 450)
6. Tom Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
PTC Racing Super Singles
1. Wesley Lakis (Kra HKR EVO2)
2. Sergio Di Molfetta (Hus FS 450)
3. Adam Clark (Hon CRF450)
4. Anthony Franco (Hus FS 450)
5. Kevin Allen (TM 450SMX)
6. Christopher Woodman (Kra HKR EVO2 R)
MTAG Pirelli Formula 40 Unlimited
1. Eric Wood (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. David Dayon (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Eric Shaw (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Wojciech Kasperuk (Yam YZF-R6)
Amateur Formula 40 Unlimited
1. Kevin Custer (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Paul Hosue (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Lloyd Palmer (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Christian Trudeau (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Tony Wells (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Cadman Fenton (Yam YZF-R6)
Antham gloves Amateur HW Supersport
1. Michael Chase (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Michael Guarino (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Joe Ammendolia (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Sam Martin (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Eric Cormier (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Issac Davis (Suz GSX-R600)
Atham Motorsports HW Supersport
1. Samuel Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Justin Landry (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Anthony DiCecca (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Marcelo Lautert (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Ian Beam (Tri 675)
PTC Racing Amateur LW Superbike
1. Cameron Armstrong (Suz SV650)
2. Kevin Fogg (Suz SV650)
3. Paul Sadatis III (Suz SV650)
4. Christian Connor (Suz SV650)
5. Joshua Kruse (Suz SV)
6. Todd Fanciullo (Suz SV650S)
Freedom Cycle LW Superbike
1. Steven Heider (KTM DUKE)
2. Bill Coolahan (KTM Duke 790)
3. Nicholas Leighton (KTM 790 Duke)
4. Adam Guyer (Duc M1100 EVO)
5. Brian Faucher (Suz SV650)
6. Aaron Wolfe (Suz SV650)
Novice Formula 3
1. Mohammad Nourmohammadi (Kaw Ninja 650)
2. Brandon Gray (Suz SV650)
3. John Frayne (Suz 650)
4. Daniel Williams (Suz SV650S)
5. Tyson Bernard (Suz SV)
6. Vicki Darcy (Yam YZF-R3)
Novice Formula 1
1. Nicholas Mercier (Duc 848 Evo)
2. Nicholas Cioffi (Kaw Ninja)
3. Aaron Booth (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Ronald Baughman (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Scott Munger (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Troy Johnson (Yam YZF-R6)
Seacoast Sport Cycle LW Grand Prix
1. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R6/R5)
2. Steven Heider (KTM DUKE)
3. Wesley Lakis (Kra HKR EVO2)
4. John Grush (Yam YZF-R6/R5)
5. Edward Forer (Suz SV650)
6. Robert Pease Jr (Kaw Ninja 650R)
Amateur LW Grand Prix
1. Christian Connor (Suz SV650)
2. Kevin Fogg (Suz SV650)
3. Cameron Armstrong (Suz SV650)
4. Pierce Ballantyne (Suz SV650)
5. Michael Giossi (Suz SV650)
6. Paul Sadatis III (Suz SV650)
Super Street Lightweight
1. Andre Soares (Hus FS 450)
2. Ryan Smith (Yam YZF-R3)
3. Jackbarry Kimball (Suz SV650S
4. AIDAN BRENNAN (KAW Z650)
5. Tom Ward (Suz SV650S)
6. NOAH TARDIF (KAW NINJA 650)
Super Street Unlimited
1. DAVID LACROIX (SUZ GSX-R600)
2. MARK PERRON (KAW ZX-6R)
3. DOMINIC ARIETTA (SUZ GSX-R600)
4. Trevor McCray (SUZ GSXR-600)
5. Michael Ouellette (Suz GSX-R)
6. William Brennan (Kaw ZX-6R)
Street & Competition Unlimited Grand Prix
1. Scott Mullin (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Eric Wood (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. David Dayon (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Eric Shaw (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Roger Ealy Jr (Kaw ZX-10R)
6. Jeff Gray (Yam YZF-R6)
Adrenaline Performance Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix
SUZUKI’S SEAN DYLAN KELLY WINS IN MINNESOTA AND EXTENDS HIS LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Brea, CA – Suzuki Motor USA, LLC, and Team Hammer added to their burgeoning mid-season trophy haul with another outstanding performance as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship returned to Brainerd International Raceway for the first time in nearly two decades.
When the final checkered flag flew, the combined Suzuki effort tallied an additional three victories, six podiums, and two poles. M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly continued to build his season points lead in MotoAmerica’s Supersport Championship. The 19-year-old Floridian scored his ninth victory of the ‘21 campaign, including the last six in succession.
‘SDK’ continues to show his ability to win in varying fashion, keeping his rival tight behind his Suzuki GSX-R600 on Saturday, and then pressuring from second throughout much of the race on Sunday. Kelly now has a strong 61-point lead with six races left.
“Sunday’s race was even tougher than Saturday’s,” Kelly said. “We were able to hold on and went head-to-head for a few laps for the lead. I made a little mistake, and he pulled a little gap, but we kept the pressure on and that’s part of winning.
“I think we are doing things the right way, and we’re going to keep on working. I’m super stoked with my GSX-R600 and the entire M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. My guys are working so hard and always believe in me.”
Sam Lochoff (44) continues to improve quickly and scored two podium finishes on his GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Kelly was twice joined on the podium by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Sam Lochoff, who continues to show rapid improvement in his rookie MotoAmerica Supersport season. The South African turned consistent laps into a pair of thirds, upping his 2021 tally to three podiums.
Bobby Fong (50) looked strong with a solid second place finish on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s talented Superbike duo of Bobby Fong and Cameron Petersen were very much in the mix as well. Fong looked set to repeat his Saturday second with another runner-up on Sunday, but an off-course excursion dropped him several positions down the order. Undeterred, Fong fought his way back up to fourth.
Cam Petersen (45) fought hard and earned two top-five finishes at Brainerd, MN. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Petersen, meanwhile, was twice in the fight for the podium before ultimately logging fourth- and fifth-place results.
Jake Lewis (85) took another decisive win and with that, the lead in the Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Altus Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Lewis reclaimed the Stock 1000 title lead with a dominant showing aboard his Team Hammer-built GSX-R1000R, while M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris earned his best result of the Stock 1000 season in seventh. In Sunday’s Superbike Cup race-with-in-a-race for competitors on stock 1000cc motorcycles, Lewis was first and Farris came home third.
“Honestly, the race was picture perfect,” Lewis said. “I ran in second for a few laps and then decided to drop the hammer. Hats off to the whole team. The Suzuki GSX-R1000R has been incredible. I feel really good mentally and physically. It feels great to win like that, going away.”
Wyatt Farris (79) earned a season-best, seventh-place finish in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Suzuki and Team Hammer will be back in action at Pittsburgh International Race Complex on August 13-15.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About Team Hammer: The 2021 season marks Team Hammer’s 41st consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 120 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 319 times, and have won nine AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:
Kyle Wyman withdraws from Brainerd round due to lingering elbow injury
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy KWR.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Kyle Wyman withdrew from this past weekends races at Brainerd International Raceway due to lingering issues with his elbow injury, sustained on June 13th. KWR did not field a replacement rider for the weekend’s races.
Wyman had surgery on his fractured olecranon bone on June 13th, had a plate and 7 screws inserted to fixate the bone on June 17th, and was able to ride three weeks later at the Laguna Seca round, where he subsequently won the King of the Baggers race and the championship on July 13th. Wyman however was still unable to pilot his Panera Bread Ducati Superbike this past weekend, due to the increased physicality needed to ride the Superbike.
“Going into the Brainerd weekend I certainly was expecting to have no problem riding my Ducati,” Wyman said. “We even had the Thursday test day to get up to speed and feel it out. During the second practice session on Thursday I had a moment that made me brake extremely hard to stay on the track, and I felt a pop in my elbow and immediate pain. I continued riding, but the swelling and pain worsened. I rode the third session on Thursday and then sat out the final session. Friday morning I rode again and went faster, but I couldn’t do more than three laps without severe pain and weakness, and making mistakes on the bike. I couldn’t ride to my ability.”
With worsening pain and inflammation, the best course of action was to withdraw from the weekend so to not jeopardize the safety of any rider, or to risk further injury. With the next round at Pittsburgh coming up August 13-15, 2021, there is another two weeks for Wyman to improve his fitness to close out the season strong.
“At this point the injury is pretty heartbreaking, because I’ve now missed the last three superbike rounds, and it’s still going to be tough for me to ride at 100% in Pittsburgh next week,” Wyman added. “I’m glad I was able to win the Baggers title for Harley-Davidson at Laguna Seca. I feel like that is some redemption on this injury. But with how the injury happened with such bad luck and now with the recovery process taking longer than I suspected, it’s a major bummer. The season is flying by. I’ll be working hard with the doctors to get healthy and get my body ready to muscle the bike around once again. I just can’t thank my sponsors enough for sticking with me through this tricky situation and I look forward to putting them back up front in superbike where they belong.”
Please visit our sponsor page to support the companies who support KWR.
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
Triple points finish for Pure Attitude Racing at Brainerd International Raceway
Pure Attitude Racing rounded off the sixth round of the 2021 MotoAmerica series with their three participating riders – Liam MacDonald, Nate Minster and Austin Miller – racing to another triple points score.
An additional day of testing prior to the event gave all three riders an opportunity to fine tune their machines ahead of the first AMA National Championship motorcycle road racing event to be held at Brainerd International Raceway for seventeen years!
Sole Twins Cup representative for the team Liam MacDonald ran a strong second on the opening day of on track activity before qualifying a superb seventh on the grid on Saturday. The opening race of the weekend didn’t quite go to plan for the #37 rider who crashed out whilst fighting for the top six in the early stages. He bounced back to finish a solid seventh on Sunday.
In Supersport it was Austin Miller who shone in qualifying, the #61 taking ninth on the grid, his career best grid placing in the category. Team mate Nate Minster, who took a heavy tumble in qualifying, secured P10 ahead of the two sixteen lap encounters.
A double DNF on Saturday was disappointing but both riders put Race 1 behind them to secure a double Supersport points score on Sunday. Nate achieved a season’s best of seventh, whilst Austin recovered from a heart stopping out of the seat moment on lap one to equal his best result of the year in eleventh.
The team move on to Pittsburgh for Round 7 of the MotoAmerica series in a fortnight, buoyed by the front running pace shown by all three riders, and hopeful that the event will see a racing return for Trevor Standish, who injured himself at Road America earlier in the season.
Nate Minster (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster: “Race 2 was way better than Race 1. I got a good start but took a while to settle down. I dropped back a bit but was able to claw my way forward as the race went on. It was my home race and whilst it would have been great to get a double points finish, we were able to end the weekend with P7 which is the best we have done all season. We can move on to Pittsburgh with new confidence that we are going in the right direction. Thanks to the team who did an excellent job as always!”
Austin Miller (61) leads CJ LaRoche (20) at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller: “Race 2 went really good. Starting from P9 on the third row I had a little bobble off the start and almost went down at Turn 3 after a few guys got a bit loose. That pushed me back, but I was able to find my rhythm pretty quickly and by the end of the race was lapping as fast as the guys in the fight for eighth. I equalled my best result in Supersport which is encouraging and shows that we are now consistently fast enough to fight for the top ten. After qualifying so strongly it was a bit disappointing to not make it out for Race 1 but that’s racing, and we will regroup and come out fighting at Pitt Race.”
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “I have mixed feelings about the weekend. It started really well. I was P2 in Thursday’s test but then had a spill in qualifying but was still able to make it onto the third row of the grid. I had another crash in Race 1 and so Sunday’s second race was about bringing it home. The team did a fantastic job all weekend, they have been amazing and really supportive, and I know that we will be able to put on a good show in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Minnesotan De Keyrel wins, finishes runner-up in Twins Cup races at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Minnesota
Robem Engineering Aprilia rider increases championship points lead at MotoAmerica’s first event at Brainerd International Raceway
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
BRAINERD, Minn. — This past weekend marked MotoAmerica’s first time holding an event in Robem Engineering rider Kaleb De Keyrel’s home state, and the Minnesotan didn’t disappoint his friends and family who were on hand at Brainerd International Raceway. The Aprilia rider started the inaugural MotoAmerica Superbikes at Minnesota with a 15-point advantage in the Twins Cup standings, and he left the July 30-Aug. 1 event with a win, a second place and a 53-point championship lead.
The team’s other rider, Toby Khamsouk, had a good outing at Brainerd. He amassed two sixth-place finishes aboard his Aprilia RS 660 and maintained seventh place in the standings, decreasing his gap to sixth place from 18 points to four.
With four Twins Cup races remaining in the 2021 season, the 2020 Twins Cup runner-up De Keyrel is in an excellent position to claim his first MotoAmerica title — as well as make the Aprilia RS 660 a championship-winning model in its first year competing in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup.
After a day of testing at the 2.5-mile Brainerd circuit on Thursday, both Robem Engineering riders were near the front of the field in Friday’s Twins Cup practice. De Keyrel was the fourth-fastest rider in the session, and Khamsouk was seventh-fastest. When qualifying got underway later Friday, De Keyrel ended the session in sixth place and Khamsouk was in ninth. When qualifying wrapped up Saturday, both riders had improved their best times by about 0.8 seconds. De Keyrel put his Aprilia on the front row of the starting grid by qualifying third, and Khamsouk secured eighth place.
When Saturday’s Twins Cup race got started, it was De Keyrel leading the field through the first corner. Though De Keyrel was passed several times later during the first lap – falling as low as fifth in the running order on Laps 2 and 4 – he worked his way up to second on Lap 6. Khamsouk finished the first lap in ninth place, but quickly recovered – finishing Lap 3 in seventh. De Keyrel was about three seconds adrift of the race leader on Lap 6, but methodically closed the gap. Five laps later, De Keyrel was about 0.2 seconds behind the race leader as the duo started the final lap. When the race leader made a mistake at the penultimate corner of the race, De Keyrel got by him and claimed victory at his home track by 0.244 seconds. Khamsouk finished the race in sixth place — his fourth top-six finish of 2021.
Sunday’s race saw De Keyrel further his effort to win his first MotoAmerica crown. He got another good start and was challenging for the lead at Turn 1. Khamsouk also got a good start, moving up to sixth on the first lap. De Keyrel led Lap 1 and was part of the four-way battle for the lead for the remainder of the 12-lap race. After running as far back as fourth on Laps 3, 4 and 7, De Keyrel showed good race pace when he took the lead back on Lap 9 and ran in second place for the last three laps. Though he wasn’t able to mount an attack for the lead at the end of the race, De Keyrel finished ahead of his championship rivals. Khamsouk was reeling in the fifth-place rider in the race’s closing stages but had to settle for his second sixth place of the weekend.
The Robem Engineering team has a weekend off before the next MotoAmerica round, which is scheduled for Aug. 13-15 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pa.
Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51
“We found some things in Qualifying 2 that really helped improve my feel with the bike. It was great to be on the front row for the start of my home races. I got two really good starts this weekend, though I got shuffled back pretty quickly in Race 1. After I got by three of the guys who’d gotten by me, I just put my head down and focused on catching the race leader. I caught up to him with two laps to go and got by him at the last corners of the last lap. It was an epic race for me. I had a huge support group here at Brainerd, and it was great hearing the fans get into it at the end of the race. In Race 2, I led for the first lap or so, but the group at the front ended up shuffling positions a bit. It evolved into a three-rider battle, then the race leader pulled a big enough gap on me that I couldn’t make anything happen to try to get the win. It was still a really good race for us. My Aprilia RS 660 was working great all weekend, and this event was huge for us in terms of the championship. I couldn’t imagine a better points-paying weekend, especially in front of my home crowd. I’m looking forward to riding this amazing bike for the rest of the season.”
Toby Khamsouk (27). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Toby Khamsouk / No. 27
“I had a lot of fun and learned a lot this weekend at Brainerd. We’ve been making steady progress in finding a good set up, and I’d like to thank Eric Vallarta of Velocity Calibrations and my team owner, Matt Spicer, for giving me a really good setup this weekend. I’m looking forward to making more progress at Pittsburgh.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2021 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, DNA Filters, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies and SC-Project.
More, from a press release issued by Bradley Ward Racing:
Bradley Ward is back on track and competing once again in MotoAmerica.
Returning to the track at Brainerd International Raceway this past weekend, Ward far exceeded his expectations, impressing many as he raced to tenth and ninth respectively in the two Superbike races at the 2.5-mile circuit.
Unsure of how he would perform having not actively ridden a bike in more than a year, the #57 rider, looked as though he had never been away. Sporting a razor-sharp new hairstyle, he made the most of Thursday’s additional test, included in the schedule to give all riders more time to learn the BIR circuit which was new for the majority.
He qualified on Row 3, before finishing an impressive ninth in Sunday’s second race, his second top ten result of his racing return.
Bradley hopes to remain with the FLY ADR Motorsports squad at the next round of MotoAmerica which will take place in Pittsburgh in a fortnight.
Bradley Ward: “Firstly I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has stood by me during my recovery. It’s been a tough ten months but with the support of my parents, family, girlfriend, the whole ADR Motorsports, and the constant stream of kind messages on social media I have been able to return to the track. It wasn’t the plan to race again in MotoAmerica this season. I was going to sit it out and work towards 2022 but with Jayson Uribe heading off to World Superbikes the opportunity was there, and I couldn’t say no. I hadn’t been on a bike for ten months and am still not 100% but I couldn’t turn the chance to jump in at the deep end in the MotoAmerica Superbikes class at Brainerd. I knew it was going to be tough, but I went in with an open mind and no pressure. It was a new bike; a new track and I wasn’t sure I would be even halfway competitive. The Thursday test helped, and I made a few changes compared to how Uribe rode the bike. Small things like lifting the seat to give me a bit more space. It was good to be going 170mph again. I was able to qualify P9 and was pleasantly surprised. In Race 1 I made a good start but there was a red flag. In the restart I got away well, made a few passes and was fighting for the top ten which is where I crossed the line. During Saturday’s race my right foot really started to burn. I didn’t know what it was but after the race I discovered a 4–5-inch blister. The joys of not riding a bike for almost a year. On Sunday I was in a lot of pain. The blister was full of fluid, but I had it taped up and just gritted my teeth. I tagged on Dave (Anthony). I was able to make four or five good passes and took ninth at the flag which all things considered was a great result. It’s been a long road, but we did it and I hope to see everyone in Pittsburgh!”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Round 6 Results from Brainerd International Raceway for the Altus Motorsports Tucker Environmental Service Solutions Team
(Brainerd, MN) Brainerd International Raceway is a new circuit for MotoAmerica this season. As a result, very few of the riders have previous experience on the track. The Thursday before the race weekend was a test day hosted by MotoAmerica and Altus attended. The track turned out to be unforgiving and claimed a lot of bikes across all classes over the course of the weekend. Including Thursday, the Altus team had four crashes by three riders. It was a weekend full of highs and lows.
Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:
Jake Lewis had an outstanding weekend. He topped all practice and qualifying sessions, giving him pole position for the one Stock 1000 race at Brainerd. He started from pole, took the hole shot and led almost every lap of the race to take a commanding win. This was an important victory for the team as it elevates them to the top spot in the Stock1000 Championship by two points.
Jake Lewis (85). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“The team and the bike were incredible this weekend,” said Jake Lewis. “The Stock1000 win was an important one. There are only three more stock races and we need to win them.”
Lewis also contested the Superbike class both days. On Saturday, he started from 10th and finished 7th. In the Sunday race, he started from 7th and finished 8th. Both days he was the top Stock rider and earned valuable points in the Superbike Cup, a championship that he now leads by eleven points.
Supersport 600:
Jaret Nassaney had a solid weekend with two top ten finishes and some good points toward the overall season championship. He started Race 1 from 12th and finished 8th after a race-long four-bike battle. He also started the second race from 12th and finished 9th. Nassaney currently sits 8th in the overall championship points.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Kevin Olmedo had a forgettable weekend. He crashed the bike on Thursday and again on Saturday during Q2. In spite of that, he qualified 5th. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish either of the Supersport races at Brainerd. In Race 1 he was in the fight for 3rd when he had a crash on lap 6. The team put the bike back together overnight and it ran well during morning warmup. However, in Race 2, the bike began cutting out and he was forced to retire.
Kevin Olmedo (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Junior Cup:
Hayden Bicknese had qualified 14th, in spite of a severe crash during the second qualifying session. He was okay, but the bike took a lot of damage. The mechanics got the bike back together in time for Race 1 and Hayden finished 15th. Unfortunately, the bike did not feel right. Overnight the team rebuilt the bike again but during morning warm up, it still wasn’t handling well. As a result, Bicknese did not start the Sunday Junior Cup race.
Hayden Bicknese (69). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“The weekend started with a lot of lows. We had a lot of crashes. And they were big wrecks. Jake’s results did a lot to lift the spirits of the team and we are looking forward to the next round,” said team owner George Nassaney. “I am extremely thankful for our mechanics and Crew Chief Eric Gray. They worked their butts off this weekend.”
The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, Environmental Service Solutions, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Creative Sports Concepts, Tucker Powersports, Schaefer Engineering, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, Barnett, VP Lubricants, SBS Brakes,Galfer USA, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Ohlins, K-Techs, RS Taichi, Arai, Law Tigers Oklahoma, Lawton Motorsports, and Altus Factory Racing.
More, from a press release issued by HONOS HVMC Racing:
TOUGH WEEKEND FOR HONOS HVMC RACING IN MINNESOTA
Brainerd, Minnesota ( August 3rd, 2021 ) – This past weekend MotoAmerica returned to Brainerd International Raceway in the land of 10,000 lakes for the first time in 17 years. After facing a handful of challenges over the course of the extended weekend which included a test date on Thursday, the HONOS HVMC Racing team would earn a single podium in Supersport and a top 5 in the sole Stock 1000cc race.
Corey was able to show initial speed during the Thursday test day but struggled to find the feeling needed to continue progressing forward with the class front runners. The Graves-Spec #23 ZX-10RR would go on to qualify 6th overall and finish 5th in an uneventful Stock 1000cc race on Saturday.
The team worked tirelessly to make Corey more confident in the fast and flowing parts of the track. After scoring a 13th place finish in Saturdays Superbike race one, the highlight of the weekend for Alexander was Sundays 10th place finish during Superbike race two.
Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.
“The goal for me is to be in the position to battle for wins and showcase that I’m prepared to make the jump up to Superbike in 2022. Unfortunately this weekend I fell short of that and never got comfortable with our bike on this track” Alexander added. “I still can’t wrap my head around it and I apologize to my guys Chris, DJ, Tim, & Richie who worked so hard to try to make it better to no avail. Fortunately now we head to some of my favorite tracks on the calendar. I can’t wait!”.
Corey’s 5th place finish relegates him to 2nd in the Stock 1000cc championship trailing the leader by 2 points. He also maintains third place in the Superbike Cup, 35 points behind the leader with four rounds remaining.
Richie Escalante arrived to the weekend feeling nearly 100% back to full health after his recent injuries. During the test day on Thursday the team faced some technical gremlins that sacrificed a portion of his track time. His first impressions of Brainerd were similar to that of his home tracks in Mexico and so he was very excited for the weekend.
Richie also struggled to show his usual form during practice and qualifying as he and the team worked to make him more comfortable with the rough track surface. The #54 Graves-Spec ZX-6R would start race one from the 3rd position on the grid working his way into a battle for the lead with his championship rival. Unable to complete a last lap pass, Escalante finished narrowly behind first place, 0.075 at the line.
After some overnight changes Richie found a lot more speed in his setup for Sundays race two. After making his way past the leader at the half way mark he opened up a margin. Unfortunately with just 4 laps to go Escalante was bucked out of the seat on his entry to the fast turn 11 and made the decision to separate himself from the bike oppose to potentially running off on one of the narrowest parts of the race track. The bike was too damaged to continue.
Richie Escalante on the MotoAmerica Supersport podium at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.
Richie commented. “I am disappointed with the result but I felt good and most importantly I enjoyed riding my bike again. It’s been a difficult recovery from both injuries and we’ve been working hard to improve the bike too. These difficult times will make me stronger in the end and the season is not over yet. Thanks to my team for working so hard and for everyone for the support!”.
With this weekends DNF Richie now trails his championship rival by 61 points as the team travels east. Richies personal sponsors include Fresh & Lean, HJC Helmets, Vircos Leathers, Alpinestars Boots & Gloves, and Hidalgo.
The HONOS HVMC Racing team will be at Pittsburgh International Race Complex for round 7 of the MotoAmerica Championship August 13-15th. You can purchase tickets to the event via MotoAmerica.com or in person at the race track.
About WE ARE HONOS®
Founded in 2018, HONOS is a Los Angeles based performance gear and fashion apparel brand that promotes talent within the adrenaline sports realm. With worldwide partnerships ranging from the American Racing team in Moto2 to title sponsorship of the HONOS Superbike class in MotoAmerica, HONOS has heavily invested it’s brand into motorsports. Follow @wearehonos or visit wearehonos.com to shop for team gear now.
About Hudson Valley Motorcycles
Hudson Valley Motorcycles (HVMC) is a family owned and operated motorcycle dealership that has been serving New York’s Hudson Valley and Westchester County as well as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New England region. HVMC has offered Kawasaki, Ducati, Scrambler Ducati, Suzuki, Energica and ATV, motorcycle or UTV Sales, Parts, and Service for over 50 years. For more info visit hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com, call (914)-762-2722 or follow @hvmotorcycles on social media.
More, from a press release issued by Landers Racing:
Double Podium for Gloddy at Brainerd
Ben Gloddy (32) leads Tyler Scott (70) during a MotoAmerica Junior Cup race at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Landers Racing.
The intense racing between Ben Gloddy and Tyler Scott carried over from Laguna Seca to Brainerd International Raceway in Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup. In an exciting back and forth battle in race one, Gloddy was able to edge out Scott after a perfectly executed pass for the lead in the final few corners of the last lap. The start of race two looked like it might be similar to race one, but the dogfight for first quickly got crowded in a nail biting five rider battle. With numerous lead changes throughout the race, Gloddy got swallowed up in the shuffle and ultimately finished in third.
Gloddy had this to say: “First, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers out to Scott Mullin’s family and friends and to my Loudon Race Family. Scott was a great guy who helped so many people and touched a lot of lives.”
“I had a pretty good weekend at Brainerd International Raceway for never being there. We had a mid-season test day on Thursday so that helped me learn the track. After both qualifiers, I was able to put myself in P2 on the grid for the races. I had a good start in race one and was battling for the win the entire race. On the last lap, I was able to make a pass that earned me the win. In race two, I had another decent start but this time there was a group of us battling for the win. If you came onto the front straight away leading, you would be like 4th or 5th by the time you got to the end of the straight away. It was a hard fought race by all and I was able to come away with a third. I cannot thank Landers Racing, Stoney, Tarl, Cam Jones and Barry enough for all the hard work in getting the bike perfect for me.”
Landers Racing team owner, Stoney Landers, added: “It was great to get back to work with Ben and his lead mechanic, Tarl. He qualified 2nd but when it came time to race, he stepped up and battled it out with Tyler in the first race for the win with a masterful pass right back on Tyler in turn twelve. In race two, it was a major battle between him and a handful of racers. He got shuffled back in the swerving chaos of riders on the run to turn three on the last lap, but did manage to get up the inside of P4 to take 3rd place. We learned a few things both about the bike and strategy in both races that we will take to Pittsburgh.”
Gloddy maintains his second place points standing in the MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup Championship battle.
Thank you to everyone who helps to make Ben’s seasons possible, including but not limited to: Stoney, Tarl, Will, Boyd, Jamie, Lee’s Cycle Service, Ohlins USA, KFG Motorsports, CJR Performance, Evol Technology, The Big S, Freedom Cycle, American Supercamp, Penguin Racing, REB Graphics, Innovative Motorsports, Atlantic Cruising Yachts, Arai Helmets, Dunlop, Scott Stump, Roche Realty Group, Sportbike Track Gear, Fast by Ferracci, Barnett Clutches and Cables, Beringer Brakes, SBS, Vortex, EK Chains, Tyrant Designs CNC and all of his team and personal sponsors for all of the support, as well as his parents, family, friends, and fans!
The long summer break has drawn to a close and racing action is set to resume with round 10 of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
As in 2020, the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, will host two races after revisions to the 2021 calendar. The Michelin Grand Prix of Styria will see racing resume after a five-week hiatus for the mid-season break and the entirety of the Repsol Honda Team are ready to get back out on track. Red Bull Ring’s 4.3-kilometre layout has seen some titanic battles since 2016 and both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro are working to be in the mix once again.
2021 will see Marquez return to the Austrian track for the first time since 2019 after missing the double-header there in 2020. The Red Bull Ring stands as just one of two circuits on the current calendar where Marquez has not won at, finishing second on three occasions from 2017 to 2019. A five-week break has allowed Marquez to continue focusing on his recovery as he works towards full fitness. Now incorporating more motorcycle-based training into his regime, Marquez is entering the second half of the year determined.
Pol Espargaro has bitter-sweet memories of the Austrian circuit from 2020 where he fought for victory until the final corner after starting on pole position. Although he was forced to ultimately settle for third, Espargaro clearly has pace around the Red Bull Ring. Like his Repsol Honda Team team-mate, Espargaro has spent much of the break training with multiple days on the Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP to be prepared for the final half of the year.
The long-awaited return of MotoGP on track action will happen on Friday, August 06 at 09:55 Local Time as Free Practice 1 for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria begins.
Marc Marquez
“I’ve enjoyed the summer break; I was able to relax with friends and family and enjoy it. It was good not just for the mind, but also for the body and I am feeling better and stronger. I’ve been able to increase my training, spending more time on bikes and even returning to riding motocross – which I am enjoying a lot! But we know the situation on track will still not be simple and we have to keep working and stay focused. I’m looking forward riding my Honda RC213V again and having full grandstands again will be incredible.”
Pol Espargaro
“Let’s ride! It has been a long time away from the track and I am looking forward to returning to riding my Honda again. We’ve been training hard over the whole summer and I am fully prepared physically for the final end of the year. The Red Bull Ring is a unique circuit with a lot of hard braking and accelerating, I think it can suit us. It looks like we will have full grandstands for the first time in Austria, I am so excited to see all the fans and hopefully we can see more people at more circuits soon. We didn’t have the easiest start to the season, but it’s time to keep our focus and show the potential we know we have.”
ROYAL ENFIELD BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. ROAD RACING FEATURED AT BRAINERD MOTOAMERICA
CJ Lukacs shines as BTR Road Race women take on the Brainerd, Minnesota opening round
CJ Lukacs leads the way as the BTR women head out for practice.
Milwaukee, WI (Monday, August 2, 2021) – Royal Enfield’s The Brainerd MotoAmerica round was host to the opening round of the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. (BTR) Road Race Program where seven women, who have spent months designing, building and training aboard their Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycles, finally got to chase the checkered flag. The historic exhibition, showcasing the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and an all-women field of builders/racers, was featured alongside the pro ranks of MotoAmerica, the premiere motorcycle road racing series in North America.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to Royal Enfield for making this a reality,” said CJ Lukacs.
Starting with Thursday’s Dunlop tire test, all the way through to Sunday’s exhibition race, the BTR Road Racing women took part in all of the practice and qualifying sessions. With only two official training dates on their Continental GT 650 race bikes, the ladies were thrilled to gain the added track time on Thursday. Dunlop stepped up with a fresh set of tires for the BTR participants—a welcome surprise that was above and beyond Dunlop’s original commitment to the program. Ohlins was on hand for the BTR women with suspension support, helping the racers make adjustments throughout the practice sessions.
(L-R) Becky Goebel, CJ Lukacs and Trisha Dahl celebrate on the BTR podium at Brainerd International Raceway, round one of the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race exhibition.
A standout star rose to the top throughout the weekend—BTR Road Race’s CJ Lukacs stormed to a dominant victory on Sunday ahead of Becky Goebel and Trisha Dahl. Lukacs led every lap and was able to take the victory, despite a hard get-off in Saturday’s practice session that sent her tumbling. The former pro motocross racer was a bit sore, but able to get her Royal Enfield sorted out in time for qualifying, and ultimately the final race on Sunday.
Kayla Theisler chases Scarlett Grosselanghorst.
“I am overcome with emotion,” said Lukacs. “This first event, being in the pits of MotoAmerica, seeing the fans, the excitement, going through testing and practice, track walks with Melissa Paris and Josh Hayes, has been unreal. Seeing ourselves on TV and our journey and program being talked about his the coolest thing ever. To have this race win means so many amazing and different things to me. I’m super excited for our next round and I couldn’t be more grateful to Royal Enfield for making this a reality.”
“I had a blast today out on the Brainerd track with my newfound family,” said runner-up Becky Goebel. “I’m just so happy to be feeling comfortable on a racetrack and getting into the idea of racing and learning a new motorcycle discipline. For me, this whole program is about having fun and finishing. Today, that was exactly what we did and that’s what’s cool and gratifying about the Build Train Race Program.”
Becky Goebel hangs it out in Saturday’s practice session at Brainerd International Raceway. Goebel would go on to finish second on Sunday.
Third-place finisher Trisha Dahl, who edged out Alyssa Bridges for the final podium position, echoed the sentiment. “What a dream come true. This winter when I started this program with Royal Enfield, I would daydream about what race day would look like and this far exceeded my vision. I’m very fortunate to be one of the seven ladies chosen to race this beautiful GT 650. I can’t thank Bree Poland and Melissa Paris enough. They have put so much time and effort into making this program successful. These ladies aren’t just my teammates; they’re family now.”
Trisha Dahl (144) heads the battle for third place, a position she would successfully defend to claim Sunday’s final podium position.
Together with MotoAmerica, the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program is breaking ground with an all-women series featuring machines that the women built themselves, creating a unique and unforgettable platform for the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle. Royal Enfield is ecstatic to see the hard work of the participants, the sponsors, and the MotoAmerica crew come together on the track for the opening round of this historic program.
“Having an all-female road race team has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’m thankful for Royal Enfield and our team in the UK for supporting this effort,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “I’m so proud of all our participants, and blown away by the support of all our BTR sponsors. The fans loved the experience and the entire MotoAmerica paddock welcomed in the women as part of the family. We are looking forward to the next two BTR Road Race races with MotoAmerica in Pittsburgh and Barber.”
The women of Royal Enfield BTR Road Racing will be back in action August 13-15 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania for the second of three rounds. Find more information on the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race Program at https://buildtrainrace.com/.
About Royal Enfield
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 125 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the all-new Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (INT 650 and Continental GT 650) motorcycles, along with a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories and apparel.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we report the passing of Scott Mullin, who succumbed to his injuries after a crash this past Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He was an accomplished expert-level racer, a life-long motorcycle enthusiast and a pillar of the motorcycle community in New Hampshire. Scott also managed Souhegan Valley Motorsports in Milford, NH, which has been owned by his family for years and has supported dozens of racers at the speedway during that time.
The incident happened during the third lap of the Unlimited Superbike event as Mullin entered turn six of the 1.6 mile road course at the speedway. No other riders were involved in the crash.
NEMRR president John Grush shared, “Scott was a beloved member of the NEMRR motorcycle racing family and will be sorely missed. On behalf of NEMRR, we send our heartfelt love and support to his family and loved ones.”
The details for the funeral and memorial service will be announced as they become available.
Ducati turf? KTM territory? Styria could be the perfect stage to shake up the standings
A winning record vs home turf heroes duel may steal the headlines at the Red Bull Ring, and with two back-to-back races the points could be poised for a shuffle…
Monday, 02 August 2021
We’ve waited, we’ve reset, we’ve reloaded… and now MotoGP™ is finally back in business! The Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria is just around the corner and the hills will be alive once again as two back-to-back weekends see the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship take on the Red Bull Ring. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) arrives in the driving seat, but the venue has more recent glory for a few of his key rivals… so what can we expect in Styria?
Starting with the traditional rulers of the Red Bull Ring, Ducati will expect to be strong. Winning most of the races at the track, and it suiting their bike to a T, means they’ll be heading in hoping to make some headway on Quartararo. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) remains second in the standings and will have his eye on that 34-point gap, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) isn’t far behind either. His teammate Jack Miller has a few more points to make up, but the Australian has podium form at the venue… and plenty of winning form this season. But there was a new kid on the block last season in Styria, so is it still truly Ducati turf?
KTM’s 2020 was a near-perfect fairy-tale at times, but 2021 started a little tougher for the Austrian factory. As we head onto their home turf after summer break though, they’ve already been back on top and back on the podium. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is leading the charge as arguably the standout performer on the grid since Mugello, and as luck would have it… it’s the Portuguese rider who took his first premier class win at the venue last year to end the Ducati run. Can he do it again? And can teammate Brad Binder reset after the break and come out swinging?
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci will also want to move forward on home turf, and make life difficult for the other factories at least. But the headlines at KTM don’t stop at the same four horsemen of the Austrian factory as we’ve seen so far this year… they also include a MotoGP™ Legend.
One of the most decorated riders in history, Dani Pedrosa made a few headlines when he retired from full-time competition and then headed to KTM to become a test rider. And then a few more as his input was largely lauded across the board. Now, he’s back not just at the track but on the track, doing a wildcard with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He’ll be exciting to watch as both a Legend and as a presence for the factory, and he won’t be aiming for glory but he’ll definitely get plenty of column inches across the weekend.
Meanwhile at Yamaha, eyes will be on Quartararo to see if the Frenchman can do some solid damage limitation in what is traditionally enemy territory, and El Diablo does have a good cushion of points at the top too. Teammate Maverick Viñales will be looking for somewhat of a reset on the other side of the garage, although he did take a podium at Assen. But a lot of attention will also go towards Valentino Rossi as the Doctor looks to get his mojo back, and to the man joining him at Petronas Yamaha SRT for the next few races as Franco Morbidelli recovers from knee surgery: Cal Crutchlow. Multiple Grand Prix winner and now Yamaha test rider, the Brit is back for the two in Austria and Silverstone. What can he do?
One dark horse – if the reigning Champion can be considered such – could also be Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Now fourth in the standings after a tougher start, the Red Bull Ring is a special venue for the Spaniard. It’s where he took his first Moto3™ win, and then another one, before also proving the place he’d take his first premier class podium. Mir will expect to be strong, and his CV backs that up. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, will be the man likely most intent on a reset in the summer. His speed this season has been undermined by crashes, but it has been there, and he’ll be looking to iron out his second half of the season.
At Honda, meanwhile, there are plenty of questions too. How will Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) do in the latter half of 2021? Can Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) start homing back in on the podium? And likewise Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol)? More than anything though, the headline stealer will likely once again be Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).
His return to the top step in Germany was an impressive and emotional feat, and his comeback ride in Assen was another warning shot. And that was now a while ago, with a good few more weeks of time to recover for the eight-time World Champion. Where will he be once the lights go out again?
Finally, for Aprilia, the mission to finish in the top five continues. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also continues to impress, with some good consistency and progress. But it won’t feel enough, and he’ll be pushing again to try and take that best MotoGP™ era result.
The fight for Rookie of the Year, meanwhile, rages on. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) will be looking to hammer home his advantage at a track suited to his machine, but Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) will have had more time back from injury. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) will be pushing too, and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) aiming to add to his points tally. Martin and Marini also have good recent records at the track.
It’s been a long summer break and there’s plenty to play for in the Styrian GP. What awaits at the Red Bull Ring? Ducati dominance? KTM home glory? Mir’s glorious Austria form? A Marquez feeling ready to head out toe-to-toe with the rest? We’ll find out soon enough, with the lights going out for the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 8th of August.
3 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 109
4 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 101
5 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 100
*Independent Team rider
Gardner vs Fernandez: will the gloves come off in Styria?
Red Bull KTM Ajo seem likely to retain the driving seat after the summer break. But can the likes of Lowes, Bezzecchi and Augusto Fernandez start a fight back?
The summer is over, the Styrian countryside awaits and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) remains ahead of the game. With a 31-point lead, no one but the Australian is leaving the first of two weekends at the Red Bull Ring at the head of the standings… but if that gap is to come down, the season half of the season is crunch time for Gardner’s rivals… and it’s teammate Raul Fernandez who arrives from a stunner of a victory.
Gardner has so far been near pitch perfect all year though, so a mistake seems unlikely. He also, in some extra bad news for the rest, took a podium and a pole in one of the two weekends at the track last season, so he has form in Styria far before his form in 2021 became so metronomically impressive. But the most recent rider on the top step was his teammate and the Spaniard came back from a bad start to make a serious statement at Assen; a statement certainly one Gardner will have noted. Both also race on Red Bull home turf this time around, so that’s a little extra motivation if such a thing were possible. Will the duel pick right back up where it left off?
Assen did see the return of some serious competition at the front for the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo, however. Since Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) started the season on a high the momentum had very much switched to the Ajo team, but the Dutch TT saw both Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez right back in the fight at the front. For Augusto Fernandez it was also a welcome return to the podium and frontrunning form after a tougher run for the Spaniard, so can they use the reset of the summer break and that high note heading in to come out swinging?
Thinking back to last season at the Red Bull Ring brings to mind the man in third overall though: Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46). The second event at the track last year saw the Italian take to the top step after last lap track limits drama, making a big step forward in the second race weekend. This time round, can he come out the blocks fastest and get back to winning ways? After a more muted start to the season than likely expected, he’ll be pushing as hard as ever.
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) is another rider with recent form at the Ring, as is Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). Can they get in the mix? Canet already has podium form this year, and Schrötter is now sixth overall and just ahead of the Spaniard. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) will want to get back in the fight too, and the likes of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), equal on 50 points with Augusto Fernandez, could play a role…
A man ahead of the game, a rookie sensation on a roll, a veteran campaigner and a rider back on form… Assen was a stunner and we should expect no different from Styria. Tune in for Moto2™ at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 8th of August as we get back in business!
Moto2™ Championship top five:
1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 184
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 153
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 128
4 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 99
5 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – 73
Can Acosta start the second half on the attack?
Moto3™ gear up to get back out into battle on Red Bull KTM home turf, and a venue Acosta already knows rather well
If you’re a Moto3™ rookie, leading the Championship and readying yourself to come back from summer break with a bang at the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria, what would put an extra spring in your step? Something like four Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup wins at the venue in question last time you raced there? That’s the sensational Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) CV from the Red Bull Ring in 2020, and his lead remains nearly two entire race wins’ worth of points this season so we can probably expect some excellence-flavoured déjà vu. But all is not necessarily lost for his rivals as a few arrive in good form… and this is Moto3™ after all!
Sergio Garcia (SANTANDER Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar) remains the closest challenger, with two wins so far, some solid consistent scoring and a second place at Assen taken just before summer. But Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) feels like he has some serious momentum too, now in second overall, winning at Assen – his second victory of the season – and now clawing back some traction and what was a huge deficit to the top. Can the two keep the pressure on?
Behind them, it tightens up in the points and fourth is now Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). The Italian is the only rider to have scored in every race so far this year, and he’ll want to keep that going and home in on a first win of the year. He has taken victory at the Red Bull Ring before too – a first win back on his return to Moto3™ in 2019. The two riders just behind him will be coming back from summer gunning for glory too: Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing). A season of ups and downs for both has nevertheless seen both often up at the front and on the podium, and Masia began the season with a win. Can they use the reset of summer break to put bad luck and trouble to bed?
The likes of Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3), his teammate Jeremy Alcoba and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) will likely be back up there at the front, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) is a former podium finisher at the venue looking for more luck too. And Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Acosta and Masia will be pushing hard on KTM and Red Bull’s home turf, but so will the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 squad. Deniz Öncü now has a podium and will be pushing for another, and his teammate will also be back on track: Ayumu Sasaki.
A first half of the season that saw the Japanese rider putting together some impressive consistency to hover in the top five, four and three in the standings was interrupted by that crash a Catalunya, and the number 71 was sidelined until given the absolute all-clear to return. He now has that, and will be more than eager to get back out and push.
Don’t miss Moto3™ take on the stunning Red Bull Ring. Can Acosta perform on a key stage for team and machine? Or are those on his tail ready to come back and spoil the party? Tune in on Sunday the 8th of August at 11:00 (GMT +2) and see!
A BMW M1000RR at speed on a racetrack. Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad USA.
BMW Motorrad USA Announces DoubleRFest at COTA.
The event for BMW S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR owners and enthusiasts.
September 11-12 at Circuit of the Americas – Austin, TX.
See the new M 1000 RR, the first motorcycle from BMW M GmbH.
Open to riders of all motorcycle brands and models.
Woodcliff Lake, NJ – August 3, 2021…BMW Motorrad USA and BMW Motorrad Brand Ambassador and racer Nate Kern are proud to announce the addition of Circuit of the Americas as a host location for DoubleRFest 2021– the on-track festival for BMW S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR owners and enthusiasts. You don’t have to ride a BMW S 1000 RR or M 1000 RR or even a BMW motorcycle to attend though. You just have to have a desire to have fun and to become a better rider.
The 20-turn, 3.41-mile Circuit of the Americas – opened in 2012 – is a fast and challenging road course with big elevation changes that has hosted both Formula 1 and MotoGP races.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn from former Road Race Champion, BMW Factory Test Rider and Brand Ambassador, Nate Kern. Experience one or two full days of on-track riding within three skill level groups – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced on your own bike. Learn not only the skills but also the mindset that will make a better and safer rider on both track and street. Nate’s philosophy – simplifying the craft of riding fast while staying within your skillset – will make sure that participants will have an exhilarating and fun experience and leave as better riders.
Participants will also have a unique opportunity to experience the car-side with lunchtime M Hot Lap rides around the COTA circuit – hosted by the BMW Performance Center Driving School.
Time & Location
Sept. 11th – 12th, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm.
9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd, Austin, TX 78617
Registration
Space is limited to 40 riders per group.
More information and event registration can be found at Nate Kern’s BMW DoubleRFest
Nate Kern
Passion, Persistence and Perseverance.
These three words describe Nate’s racing career best and are the foundation of what he teaches those looking to improve their riding skills. Nate began racing in 2002 at Daytona International Motor Speedway and has spent nearly two decades since then in the saddle of a BMW motorcycle.
Along with Nate’s determination to win, he also strengthened the ability to translate his product and technical knowledge into educating riders and enthusiasts on and off the track. This unique teaching skill is also what helped Nate earn the distinguished honor of becoming an official BMW Motorrad Brand Ambassador in 2008.
Nate’s first and foremost goal is creating a safe track experience for everyone. He believes in small, individualized groups with hand-selected coaching experts for each riding group. One big difference you will find with Nate’s coaches and trainers is that they will ALWAYS be on a bike with mirrors.
You cannot effectively coach if you cannot see what your riders are doing behind you around the track. He finds that this imperative aspect of coaching provides the ability to observe rider body position, line selection, along with other approaching riders and coaches. Ultimately, this overall pace setting is much safer for everyone on the track.
BMW Group in America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 349 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 116 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Tim Joyce (309), Wes Orloff (74), Andrew Mauk (X95, behind Joyce), and Brian Larrabure (14) at the start of an AHRMA Vintage Cup race at Gingerman Raceway. Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy AHRMA.
Joyce, Mauk, Read Dominate Vintage Cup Podium at Gingerman
(August 3, 2021, Elora, Tennessee) – Andrew Mauk didn’t catch Tim Joyce for race wins but he did maintain his championship lead during the latest round of the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) 2021 Vintage Cup.
The 500 Premier Vintage Cup sponsored by Roadracing World (roadracingworld.com) and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com) was featured during rounds 15 and 16 of the 2021 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA National Historic Cup Roadrace Series, on both days of the AHRMA National Historic Cup Road Race Series at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, WI, July 31 and August 1.
On Saturday, Tim Joyce got the hole shot and pulled a very sizable lead, consistently turning 1:47 lap times. Joyce was aboard Maurice Candy’s legendary 500cc Manx Norton, now in the capable care of Candy’s son Chris. The sizable lead allowed Joyce to effectively manage his race to the checkered.
Wes Orloff, on Dale Coffman’s Honda CB 450, held second place for much of the race with Andy Mauk, riding Keith Leighty’s Honda CB 450, on his heels. Tony Read, aboard Andy Findling’s highly tuned BSA B50 pressured Mauk and Orloff.
The three-way battle for second place would be pivotal in the national championship points standing as the spread between the three racers was so close.
Orloff was forced to retire due to a mechanical problem at approximately two-thirds race distance. Saturday’s podium results were Joyce first, Mauk second and Read third.
Just off the podium, James Pooler returned to AHRMA competition on a Matchless G50 which had been mothballed for several years, bringing the bike to an impressive fourth place finish.
The balance of the field on Saturday included, Helmi Niederer on a Seeley G50, AHRMA Board of Trustees member Brian Larrabure on a Seeley G50, Jerry Duke on a Ducati 350, John Turner, son of former AHRMA Roadrace Director Jack Turner, on a BMW 500, and Andy Findling on his BSA Goldstar.
Joyce repeated his sizable lead on Sunday which shifted the focus to the battle for second and the chase for the series championship occurring directly behind him. Mauk finished the race in second place followed by Read very close behind him.
Mauk’s twin second-place finishes earned him enough points to retain the lead in the 2021 Vintage Cup series championship.
Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton said, “Andrew is riding hard and has a solid fix on the championship right now, with Wes, and Tony always looking to capitalize. But never discount Timmy, one of the fiercest competitors in American vintage racing, who can chip away at this championship and surprise us all in the end.”
A special 2021 Vintage Cup Trophy will be awarded to the 500 Premier class winner at select events including Roebling Road, Heartland Motorsports Park, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca and Barber Motorsports Park. Race dates and event registration links are available at: ahrma.org/schedules-results.
AHRMA National Historic Cup Road Race Series 500 Premier Results – Saturday, July 31, 2021
Tim Joyce, 1961 Norton Summerfield Manx – Laurel Hill, FL
Andrew Mauk, 1969 Honda CB450 – Milwaukee, WI
Tony Read, 1971 BSA B50 – Charlotte, TN
James Pooler, 1965 AJS G50 – West Salem, OH
Helmut Niederer, 1968 Seeley G50 – Nashville, TN
Brian Larrabure,1968 Seeley G50 – Calabasas, CA
Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler – Florence, AL
John Turner, 1962 BMW Becks R 50 – Loxahatchee, FL
Andy Findling 1961 BSA Gold Star – Kalamazoo, MI
Wes Orloff 1967 Honda 450 – Mukwonago, WI
AHRMA National Historic Cup Road Race Series 500 Premier Results – Sunday, August 1, 2021
Tim Joyce, 1961 Norton Summerfield Manx – Laurel Hill, FL
Andrew Mauk, 1969 Honda CB450 – Milwaukee, WI
Tony Read, 1971 BSA B50 – Charlotte, TN
Wes Orloff, 1967 Honda 450 – Mukwonago, WI
Stuart Carter, 1967 AJS Matchless G50 – Royal Oak, MI
Helmut Niederer, 1968 Seeley G50 – Nashville, TN
Brian Larrabure, 1968 Seeley G50 – Calabasas, CA
Andy Findling, 1961 BSA Gold Star – Kalamazoo, MI
John Turner, 1962 BMW Becks R 50 – Loxahatchee, FL
Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler – Florence, AL
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Ltd. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to restoring and competing on classic motorcycles. With about 4000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
2021 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion Kyle Wyman (1) heads out onto Daytona International Speedway Tuesday on his 165-horsepower, 630-pound Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson Road Glide racebike. Photo courtesy Kyle Wyman.
Three top MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers riders tested Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) to see if it is feasible to race 150-plus-horsepower, 630-pound bagger-based racebikes around the high-speed 3.51-mile infield road course, and the test appears to have been a success.
That success opens the possibility that MotoAmerica could run a King Of The Baggers race or races at the World Center of Racing as soon as March,2022, when the organization may also run the 80th Daytona 200.
Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Kyle Wyman (the 2021 MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion); his younger brother and teammate Travis Wyman; and Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian’s Tyler O’Hara got about three hours of dry track time in between rain showers Tuesday, and based on feedback from the riders, the test went as well as could be imagined.
“It was great,” said O’Hara. “They [DIS personnel] did everything they could to take care of us. They tried to make the track the best it could be. They had the cars driving around and the jet blowers going. They had the Airfence out and everything. It was a good day, very special. It was fun, and it was safe. The weather was hit and miss, but we got some decent laps.”
“These things are fast!” Wyman told Roadracingworld.com. “It’s not like the [Harley-Davidson] XR1200s. It’s a lot more like riding a 600 with the g-forces on the banking. Aerodynamics are a big deal. We need to work on ergonomics to be a little more comfortable tucked in, things like that, but it’s not bad. It’s pretty damn fun.
“I think I did a 1:58.3. I think my brother did a 1:57. We’re just kind of getting rolling, you know? The first hour there were still some damp patches, and the track was super green. It would get real dusty. If you got behind somebody they were kicking up dirt everywhere. I think we’ll see 1:55s here, if there’s a race.”
Asked if he and his brother/teammate worked together to see how their baggers would handle a drafting situation, Kyle Wyman said, “Yeah, a little bit. It was normal. If a 600 got into a bagger’s draft it would feel different, but a bagger in a bagger’s draft, they’re both punching the same size hole. There’s nothing unstable about it. It’s just the normal stuff. That was one of the questions, too, because I think we’re in the 160 mph range on our own. Gearing has been the biggest thing, what gears to shoot for and where to try and maximize what the bike does. But it does feel like we’re reaching terminal velocity with the fairing.”
Kyle Wyman (left) working with Dunlop tire engineer Tony Romo (right) on pit lane at Daytona International Speedway. Photo courtesy Kyle Wyman.
The biggest question, and the purpose of the test, was how the tires would stand up to the heat the weight and speed of the bagger racebikes created on the steeply banked sections. Kyle Wyman said, “There were no [tire] issues at all. They’re hanging in there just fine. Everything we tried is Daytona-specific, nothing standard, all fronts and rears that Dunlop typically runs at Daytona.”
“We got to run through a couple of different tires and compounds,” said O’Hara. “I did the most laps out of anybody, which was my goal. Other than it starting to rain during your session, which happened a couple of times, it was good.”
So, is it viable to race bagger-based racebikes at Daytona International Speedway?
Scott Mullin (3), as seen in action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 31. Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
Round 5 of the NEMRR series by Mayhew Tools was held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway over the July 31-August 1 weekend. Many riders competed and wrote new chapters in their racing story, but there is only one story that this article will report on. It is a story of both love and loss, and of community and individuals who profoundly affect us all.
Near the end of the day on Sunday, Scott Mullin crashed in Turn 6 of the Unlimited Superbike race on his Kawasaki ZX-10R. During the incident Scott was struck by his motorcycle. Medical professionals later reported that Scott immediately succumbed to his injuries.
Motorcycle racing often becomes part of the very fabric of the lives for those of us who take part in it. The sport creates challenges, emotions, and experiences that are hard to find anywhere else in the world. In spite of the incredible attraction of the racing itself, perhaps an even more powerful force that draws us in is the community of exceptional people that we meet along the way. NEMMR is blessed with an incredibly close community and Scott Mullin was certainly one of the people who drew us all together.
Scott was a championship-winning racer who spent the early part of his career on lightweight bikes. His spirited efforts on an often underpowered Kawasaki Ninja 650 made for some of the finest race spectating of the weekend in the early 2010’s. After a brief stint on 600cc machinery, he moved into the unlimited class on a Kawasaki ZX-10R, a bike which he expressed particular enjoyment in riding in an interview with NEMMR photographer Martin Hanlon on Saturday.
Scott had recorded a career best lap time in the 1:11’s earlier in the weekend and had established himself to be a force to be reckoned within the class. He carried himself with a quiet determination and commitment to winning, but at the same time would give the shirt off his back to one of his fellow racers – even a championship rival. Scott would wish you luck before a race in a way that was heartfelt and sincere, and then moments later would race you as hard and as clean as he could.
A steady stream of posts recounting the way that his generosity, his mentorship and most often just his smile affected those around him for good continue to flood social media. Many riders and friends recounted how Scott “took them in like a member of his family.”
Scott Mullin, R.I.P. Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
Anyone who knew Scott knew him as a family man. His wife Sarah, daughter Reese, and son Chase were always by his side both at the racetrack and at home.
A quote from the Mullin family embodied the principles that Scott lived by. The lifelong motorcycle enthusiasts came together at the family-owned Souhegan Valley Motorsports dealership on Monday and posted: “The SVM family is gathered together with broken hearts at the loss of our fearless leader, boss, father, husband, brother, son and friend. Scott did what he loved everyday and we are all so thankful to have been a part of this family. We will get through this with our community. Thank you all.”
As word spread through the paddock first of Scott’s crash and later of his passing, the community rallied together to support Scott’s family, crew and then each other. The impact that Scott’s life had on the entire NEMRR paddock could be felt in nearly every corner and crevice of New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will surely be felt for many years to come.
For the past 50 years there have only been two riders who have run the #3 on their motorcycle. For the remainder of the 2021 season, many of the NEMRR paddock will also have the opportunity to carry the #3 on their motorcycles. The Scott Mullin #3 will serve us all as a symbol of what a life well lived can look like, and can remind us of the importance to laugh, encourage, give and care for others as Scott demonstrated during his exemplary life.
July 31-1, 2021 @ NHMS – Results
Rookie Race Heavyweight 1 & 2
1. Scott Munger (Yam YZF-R6)
Rookie Race Wave 1
1. Nicholas Cioffi (Kaw Ninja)
2. Matthew Lewis (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Dennis Metzler (Duc 848 Evo)
4. Chris West (Suz GSX-R750)
5. Tyson Bernard (Suz SV)
6. Mohammad Nourmohammadi (Kaw Ninja 650)
Rookie Race Lightweight 3 & 4
1. Brandon Gray (Suz SV650)
2. Daniel Williams (Suz SV650S)
3. Briton Callahan (Kaw Ninja)
4. Brandon Colby (Kaw 300)
5. Ian MacMillan (Kaw Ninja)
6. Derek Huckel (Hon CBR300R)
JCM Display Amateur GTL
1. Joshua Kruse (Suz SV)
2. Matthew Paternoster (Suz SV650)
3. Thomas (TJ) Bibeau (0 0)
4. John Lear (Kaw Ninja 500)
5. Todd Fanciullo (Suz SV650S)
6. John Dorans Jr (Hus Vitpilen)
Firsttrax Combined GT 500
1. Elijah Block (Kaw Ninja 400)
2. Brianna McHugh (Kaw Ninja 400)
3. Jacob Crossman (Kaw Ninja 400)
4. Shane Lewis (Kaw Ninja 400)
5. Renee Franco (Kaw Ninja)
6. Michael Zoner (Kaw Ninja 400)
#74 GTL
1. Bill Coolahan (KTM Duke 790)
2. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R6/R5)
3. Nicholas Leighton (KTM 790 Duke)
4. Adam Guyer (Duc M1100 EVO)
5. Benjamin MacKinney (Suz SV650)
6. Aaron Wolfe (Suz SV650)
Amateur GTO
1. Kamran Pelkey (BMW S1000RR)
Woodcraft Amateur GTU
1. Geoffrey Bonnard (Kaw ZX-6RR)
2. Joe Ruth (Apr 1000)
3. David Mink (Kaw ZX-6R)
4. Tony Wells (Kaw ZX-6)
5. Cadman Fenton (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Des Conboy (Yam YZF-R6)
Dunlop Tires GTU
1. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Harlan Hildebrand (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Joel Laub (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Paul Duval (Yam YZF-R6L)
Adrenaline Performance GTO
1. Scott Mullin (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Eric Shaw (Apr RSV4 Factory)
4. Roger Ealy Jr (Kaw ZX-10R)
300 Supersport
1. Jason Downs (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Lukas Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
3. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
4. Marcello Digiovanni (Yam YZF-R3)
Amateur 300 Supersport
1. Roy Whitson (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Thomas Sands (KTM 390)
3. John Sommer (Kaw Ninja)
4. Brendan Moriarty (Kaw EX300)
PTC Racing Super Singles
1. Wesley Lakis (Kra HKR EVO2)
2. Kevin Allen (TM 450SMX)
3. Adam Clark (Hon CRF450)
4. Sergio Di Molfetta (Hus FS 450)
5. Anthony Franco (Hus FS 450)
6. E Thomas Law (Hus FS 450)
Amateur Super Singles
1. Nathan Muscaro (Hus FS 450)
2. Asher Rubright (Hon CRFR)
3. Tom Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
4. Thomas (TJ) Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
5. Christopher Girard (Hus FS 450)
300 Supersport
1. Lukas Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R3)
3. Marcello Digiovanni (Yam YZF-R3)
Amateur 300 Supersport
1. Roy Whitson (Yam YZF-R3)
2. Thomas Sands (KTM 390)
3. John Sommer (Kaw Ninja)
4. Brendan Moriarty (Kaw EX300)
Amateur Super Singles
1. Daniel Zimmer (Hon CRF)
2. Nathan Muscaro (Hus FS 450)
3. Asher Rubright (Hon CRFR)
4. Thomas (TJ) Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
5. Christopher Girard (Hus FS 450)
6. Tom Bibeau (Hus FS 450)
PTC Racing Super Singles
1. Wesley Lakis (Kra HKR EVO2)
2. Sergio Di Molfetta (Hus FS 450)
3. Adam Clark (Hon CRF450)
4. Anthony Franco (Hus FS 450)
5. Kevin Allen (TM 450SMX)
6. Christopher Woodman (Kra HKR EVO2 R)
MTAG Pirelli Formula 40 Unlimited
1. Eric Wood (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. David Dayon (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. Eric Shaw (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Wojciech Kasperuk (Yam YZF-R6)
Amateur Formula 40 Unlimited
1. Kevin Custer (Suz GSX-R600)
2. Paul Hosue (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Lloyd Palmer (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Christian Trudeau (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Tony Wells (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Cadman Fenton (Yam YZF-R6)
Antham gloves Amateur HW Supersport
1. Michael Chase (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Michael Guarino (Kaw ZX-6R)
3. Joe Ammendolia (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Sam Martin (Hon CBR600RR)
5. Eric Cormier (Kaw ZX-6R)
6. Issac Davis (Suz GSX-R600)
Atham Motorsports HW Supersport
1. Samuel Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
2. Scott Greenwood (Yam YZF-R6)
3. Justin Landry (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Anthony DiCecca (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Marcelo Lautert (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Ian Beam (Tri 675)
PTC Racing Amateur LW Superbike
1. Cameron Armstrong (Suz SV650)
2. Kevin Fogg (Suz SV650)
3. Paul Sadatis III (Suz SV650)
4. Christian Connor (Suz SV650)
5. Joshua Kruse (Suz SV)
6. Todd Fanciullo (Suz SV650S)
Freedom Cycle LW Superbike
1. Steven Heider (KTM DUKE)
2. Bill Coolahan (KTM Duke 790)
3. Nicholas Leighton (KTM 790 Duke)
4. Adam Guyer (Duc M1100 EVO)
5. Brian Faucher (Suz SV650)
6. Aaron Wolfe (Suz SV650)
Novice Formula 3
1. Mohammad Nourmohammadi (Kaw Ninja 650)
2. Brandon Gray (Suz SV650)
3. John Frayne (Suz 650)
4. Daniel Williams (Suz SV650S)
5. Tyson Bernard (Suz SV)
6. Vicki Darcy (Yam YZF-R3)
Novice Formula 1
1. Nicholas Mercier (Duc 848 Evo)
2. Nicholas Cioffi (Kaw Ninja)
3. Aaron Booth (Yam YZF-R6)
4. Ronald Baughman (Yam YZF-R6)
5. Scott Munger (Yam YZF-R6)
6. Troy Johnson (Yam YZF-R6)
Seacoast Sport Cycle LW Grand Prix
1. Rick Doucette (Yam YZF-R6/R5)
2. Steven Heider (KTM DUKE)
3. Wesley Lakis (Kra HKR EVO2)
4. John Grush (Yam YZF-R6/R5)
5. Edward Forer (Suz SV650)
6. Robert Pease Jr (Kaw Ninja 650R)
Amateur LW Grand Prix
1. Christian Connor (Suz SV650)
2. Kevin Fogg (Suz SV650)
3. Cameron Armstrong (Suz SV650)
4. Pierce Ballantyne (Suz SV650)
5. Michael Giossi (Suz SV650)
6. Paul Sadatis III (Suz SV650)
Super Street Lightweight
1. Andre Soares (Hus FS 450)
2. Ryan Smith (Yam YZF-R3)
3. Jackbarry Kimball (Suz SV650S
4. AIDAN BRENNAN (KAW Z650)
5. Tom Ward (Suz SV650S)
6. NOAH TARDIF (KAW NINJA 650)
Super Street Unlimited
1. DAVID LACROIX (SUZ GSX-R600)
2. MARK PERRON (KAW ZX-6R)
3. DOMINIC ARIETTA (SUZ GSX-R600)
4. Trevor McCray (SUZ GSXR-600)
5. Michael Ouellette (Suz GSX-R)
6. William Brennan (Kaw ZX-6R)
Street & Competition Unlimited Grand Prix
1. Scott Mullin (Kaw ZX-10R)
2. Eric Wood (Kaw ZX-10R)
3. David Dayon (Kaw ZX-10R)
4. Eric Shaw (Kaw ZX-10R)
5. Roger Ealy Jr (Kaw ZX-10R)
6. Jeff Gray (Yam YZF-R6)
Adrenaline Performance Amateur Unlimited Grand Prix
Sean Dylan Kelly (40). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
SUZUKI’S SEAN DYLAN KELLY WINS IN MINNESOTA AND EXTENDS HIS LEAD IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Brea, CA – Suzuki Motor USA, LLC, and Team Hammer added to their burgeoning mid-season trophy haul with another outstanding performance as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship returned to Brainerd International Raceway for the first time in nearly two decades.
When the final checkered flag flew, the combined Suzuki effort tallied an additional three victories, six podiums, and two poles. M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly continued to build his season points lead in MotoAmerica’s Supersport Championship. The 19-year-old Floridian scored his ninth victory of the ‘21 campaign, including the last six in succession.
‘SDK’ continues to show his ability to win in varying fashion, keeping his rival tight behind his Suzuki GSX-R600 on Saturday, and then pressuring from second throughout much of the race on Sunday. Kelly now has a strong 61-point lead with six races left.
“Sunday’s race was even tougher than Saturday’s,” Kelly said. “We were able to hold on and went head-to-head for a few laps for the lead. I made a little mistake, and he pulled a little gap, but we kept the pressure on and that’s part of winning.
“I think we are doing things the right way, and we’re going to keep on working. I’m super stoked with my GSX-R600 and the entire M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team. My guys are working so hard and always believe in me.”
Sam Lochoff (44) continues to improve quickly and scored two podium finishes on his GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Kelly was twice joined on the podium by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Sam Lochoff, who continues to show rapid improvement in his rookie MotoAmerica Supersport season. The South African turned consistent laps into a pair of thirds, upping his 2021 tally to three podiums.
Bobby Fong (50) looked strong with a solid second place finish on his Suzuki GSX-R1000R on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s talented Superbike duo of Bobby Fong and Cameron Petersen were very much in the mix as well. Fong looked set to repeat his Saturday second with another runner-up on Sunday, but an off-course excursion dropped him several positions down the order. Undeterred, Fong fought his way back up to fourth.
Cam Petersen (45) fought hard and earned two top-five finishes at Brainerd, MN. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Petersen, meanwhile, was twice in the fight for the podium before ultimately logging fourth- and fifth-place results.
Jake Lewis (85) took another decisive win and with that, the lead in the Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Altus Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Lewis reclaimed the Stock 1000 title lead with a dominant showing aboard his Team Hammer-built GSX-R1000R, while M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris earned his best result of the Stock 1000 season in seventh. In Sunday’s Superbike Cup race-with-in-a-race for competitors on stock 1000cc motorcycles, Lewis was first and Farris came home third.
“Honestly, the race was picture perfect,” Lewis said. “I ran in second for a few laps and then decided to drop the hammer. Hats off to the whole team. The Suzuki GSX-R1000R has been incredible. I feel really good mentally and physically. It feels great to win like that, going away.”
Wyatt Farris (79) earned a season-best, seventh-place finish in the MotoAmerica Stock 1000 class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA, LLC.
Suzuki and Team Hammer will be back in action at Pittsburgh International Race Complex on August 13-15.
About Suzuki: Suzuki Motor USA, LLC (SMO) distributes Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Accessories, and ECSTAR Oils & Chemicals via an extensive dealer network throughout 49 states. Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), based in Hamamatsu, Japan, is a diversified worldwide manufacturer of Motorcycles, ATVs, Scooters, Automobiles, Outboard Motors, and related products. Founded in 1909 and incorporated in 1920, SMC has business relations with 201 countries/regions. For more information, visit www.suzuki.com.
About Team Hammer: The 2021 season marks Team Hammer’s 41st consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 120 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 319 times, and have won nine AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:
Kyle Wyman withdraws from Brainerd round due to lingering elbow injury
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy KWR.
TUCSON, Ariz. — Kyle Wyman withdrew from this past weekends races at Brainerd International Raceway due to lingering issues with his elbow injury, sustained on June 13th. KWR did not field a replacement rider for the weekend’s races.
Wyman had surgery on his fractured olecranon bone on June 13th, had a plate and 7 screws inserted to fixate the bone on June 17th, and was able to ride three weeks later at the Laguna Seca round, where he subsequently won the King of the Baggers race and the championship on July 13th. Wyman however was still unable to pilot his Panera Bread Ducati Superbike this past weekend, due to the increased physicality needed to ride the Superbike.
“Going into the Brainerd weekend I certainly was expecting to have no problem riding my Ducati,” Wyman said. “We even had the Thursday test day to get up to speed and feel it out. During the second practice session on Thursday I had a moment that made me brake extremely hard to stay on the track, and I felt a pop in my elbow and immediate pain. I continued riding, but the swelling and pain worsened. I rode the third session on Thursday and then sat out the final session. Friday morning I rode again and went faster, but I couldn’t do more than three laps without severe pain and weakness, and making mistakes on the bike. I couldn’t ride to my ability.”
With worsening pain and inflammation, the best course of action was to withdraw from the weekend so to not jeopardize the safety of any rider, or to risk further injury. With the next round at Pittsburgh coming up August 13-15, 2021, there is another two weeks for Wyman to improve his fitness to close out the season strong.
“At this point the injury is pretty heartbreaking, because I’ve now missed the last three superbike rounds, and it’s still going to be tough for me to ride at 100% in Pittsburgh next week,” Wyman added. “I’m glad I was able to win the Baggers title for Harley-Davidson at Laguna Seca. I feel like that is some redemption on this injury. But with how the injury happened with such bad luck and now with the recovery process taking longer than I suspected, it’s a major bummer. The season is flying by. I’ll be working hard with the doctors to get healthy and get my body ready to muscle the bike around once again. I just can’t thank my sponsors enough for sticking with me through this tricky situation and I look forward to putting them back up front in superbike where they belong.”
Please visit our sponsor page to support the companies who support KWR.
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
Triple points finish for Pure Attitude Racing at Brainerd International Raceway
Pure Attitude Racing rounded off the sixth round of the 2021 MotoAmerica series with their three participating riders – Liam MacDonald, Nate Minster and Austin Miller – racing to another triple points score.
An additional day of testing prior to the event gave all three riders an opportunity to fine tune their machines ahead of the first AMA National Championship motorcycle road racing event to be held at Brainerd International Raceway for seventeen years!
Sole Twins Cup representative for the team Liam MacDonald ran a strong second on the opening day of on track activity before qualifying a superb seventh on the grid on Saturday. The opening race of the weekend didn’t quite go to plan for the #37 rider who crashed out whilst fighting for the top six in the early stages. He bounced back to finish a solid seventh on Sunday.
In Supersport it was Austin Miller who shone in qualifying, the #61 taking ninth on the grid, his career best grid placing in the category. Team mate Nate Minster, who took a heavy tumble in qualifying, secured P10 ahead of the two sixteen lap encounters.
A double DNF on Saturday was disappointing but both riders put Race 1 behind them to secure a double Supersport points score on Sunday. Nate achieved a season’s best of seventh, whilst Austin recovered from a heart stopping out of the seat moment on lap one to equal his best result of the year in eleventh.
The team move on to Pittsburgh for Round 7 of the MotoAmerica series in a fortnight, buoyed by the front running pace shown by all three riders, and hopeful that the event will see a racing return for Trevor Standish, who injured himself at Road America earlier in the season.
Nate Minster (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster: “Race 2 was way better than Race 1. I got a good start but took a while to settle down. I dropped back a bit but was able to claw my way forward as the race went on. It was my home race and whilst it would have been great to get a double points finish, we were able to end the weekend with P7 which is the best we have done all season. We can move on to Pittsburgh with new confidence that we are going in the right direction. Thanks to the team who did an excellent job as always!”
Austin Miller (61) leads CJ LaRoche (20) at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller: “Race 2 went really good. Starting from P9 on the third row I had a little bobble off the start and almost went down at Turn 3 after a few guys got a bit loose. That pushed me back, but I was able to find my rhythm pretty quickly and by the end of the race was lapping as fast as the guys in the fight for eighth. I equalled my best result in Supersport which is encouraging and shows that we are now consistently fast enough to fight for the top ten. After qualifying so strongly it was a bit disappointing to not make it out for Race 1 but that’s racing, and we will regroup and come out fighting at Pitt Race.”
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “I have mixed feelings about the weekend. It started really well. I was P2 in Thursday’s test but then had a spill in qualifying but was still able to make it onto the third row of the grid. I had another crash in Race 1 and so Sunday’s second race was about bringing it home. The team did a fantastic job all weekend, they have been amazing and really supportive, and I know that we will be able to put on a good show in Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Minnesotan De Keyrel wins, finishes runner-up in Twins Cup races at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Minnesota
Robem Engineering Aprilia rider increases championship points lead at MotoAmerica’s first event at Brainerd International Raceway
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
BRAINERD, Minn. — This past weekend marked MotoAmerica’s first time holding an event in Robem Engineering rider Kaleb De Keyrel’s home state, and the Minnesotan didn’t disappoint his friends and family who were on hand at Brainerd International Raceway. The Aprilia rider started the inaugural MotoAmerica Superbikes at Minnesota with a 15-point advantage in the Twins Cup standings, and he left the July 30-Aug. 1 event with a win, a second place and a 53-point championship lead.
The team’s other rider, Toby Khamsouk, had a good outing at Brainerd. He amassed two sixth-place finishes aboard his Aprilia RS 660 and maintained seventh place in the standings, decreasing his gap to sixth place from 18 points to four.
With four Twins Cup races remaining in the 2021 season, the 2020 Twins Cup runner-up De Keyrel is in an excellent position to claim his first MotoAmerica title — as well as make the Aprilia RS 660 a championship-winning model in its first year competing in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup.
After a day of testing at the 2.5-mile Brainerd circuit on Thursday, both Robem Engineering riders were near the front of the field in Friday’s Twins Cup practice. De Keyrel was the fourth-fastest rider in the session, and Khamsouk was seventh-fastest. When qualifying got underway later Friday, De Keyrel ended the session in sixth place and Khamsouk was in ninth. When qualifying wrapped up Saturday, both riders had improved their best times by about 0.8 seconds. De Keyrel put his Aprilia on the front row of the starting grid by qualifying third, and Khamsouk secured eighth place.
When Saturday’s Twins Cup race got started, it was De Keyrel leading the field through the first corner. Though De Keyrel was passed several times later during the first lap – falling as low as fifth in the running order on Laps 2 and 4 – he worked his way up to second on Lap 6. Khamsouk finished the first lap in ninth place, but quickly recovered – finishing Lap 3 in seventh. De Keyrel was about three seconds adrift of the race leader on Lap 6, but methodically closed the gap. Five laps later, De Keyrel was about 0.2 seconds behind the race leader as the duo started the final lap. When the race leader made a mistake at the penultimate corner of the race, De Keyrel got by him and claimed victory at his home track by 0.244 seconds. Khamsouk finished the race in sixth place — his fourth top-six finish of 2021.
Sunday’s race saw De Keyrel further his effort to win his first MotoAmerica crown. He got another good start and was challenging for the lead at Turn 1. Khamsouk also got a good start, moving up to sixth on the first lap. De Keyrel led Lap 1 and was part of the four-way battle for the lead for the remainder of the 12-lap race. After running as far back as fourth on Laps 3, 4 and 7, De Keyrel showed good race pace when he took the lead back on Lap 9 and ran in second place for the last three laps. Though he wasn’t able to mount an attack for the lead at the end of the race, De Keyrel finished ahead of his championship rivals. Khamsouk was reeling in the fifth-place rider in the race’s closing stages but had to settle for his second sixth place of the weekend.
The Robem Engineering team has a weekend off before the next MotoAmerica round, which is scheduled for Aug. 13-15 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pa.
Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51
“We found some things in Qualifying 2 that really helped improve my feel with the bike. It was great to be on the front row for the start of my home races. I got two really good starts this weekend, though I got shuffled back pretty quickly in Race 1. After I got by three of the guys who’d gotten by me, I just put my head down and focused on catching the race leader. I caught up to him with two laps to go and got by him at the last corners of the last lap. It was an epic race for me. I had a huge support group here at Brainerd, and it was great hearing the fans get into it at the end of the race. In Race 2, I led for the first lap or so, but the group at the front ended up shuffling positions a bit. It evolved into a three-rider battle, then the race leader pulled a big enough gap on me that I couldn’t make anything happen to try to get the win. It was still a really good race for us. My Aprilia RS 660 was working great all weekend, and this event was huge for us in terms of the championship. I couldn’t imagine a better points-paying weekend, especially in front of my home crowd. I’m looking forward to riding this amazing bike for the rest of the season.”
Toby Khamsouk (27). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Toby Khamsouk / No. 27
“I had a lot of fun and learned a lot this weekend at Brainerd. We’ve been making steady progress in finding a good set up, and I’d like to thank Eric Vallarta of Velocity Calibrations and my team owner, Matt Spicer, for giving me a really good setup this weekend. I’m looking forward to making more progress at Pittsburgh.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2021 include Aprilia Racing, Piaggio Group Americas, The Center for Plastic Surgery, Velocity Calibrations, Bitubo Suspension, Dunlop, Woodcraft Technologies, Dymag, Vesrah, DNA Filters, Magura USA, Sara Chappell Photos, NGK/NTK, Blud Lubricants, Millennium Technologies and SC-Project.
More, from a press release issued by Bradley Ward Racing:
Bradley Ward is back on track and competing once again in MotoAmerica.
Returning to the track at Brainerd International Raceway this past weekend, Ward far exceeded his expectations, impressing many as he raced to tenth and ninth respectively in the two Superbike races at the 2.5-mile circuit.
Unsure of how he would perform having not actively ridden a bike in more than a year, the #57 rider, looked as though he had never been away. Sporting a razor-sharp new hairstyle, he made the most of Thursday’s additional test, included in the schedule to give all riders more time to learn the BIR circuit which was new for the majority.
He qualified on Row 3, before finishing an impressive ninth in Sunday’s second race, his second top ten result of his racing return.
Bradley hopes to remain with the FLY ADR Motorsports squad at the next round of MotoAmerica which will take place in Pittsburgh in a fortnight.
Bradley Ward: “Firstly I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has stood by me during my recovery. It’s been a tough ten months but with the support of my parents, family, girlfriend, the whole ADR Motorsports, and the constant stream of kind messages on social media I have been able to return to the track. It wasn’t the plan to race again in MotoAmerica this season. I was going to sit it out and work towards 2022 but with Jayson Uribe heading off to World Superbikes the opportunity was there, and I couldn’t say no. I hadn’t been on a bike for ten months and am still not 100% but I couldn’t turn the chance to jump in at the deep end in the MotoAmerica Superbikes class at Brainerd. I knew it was going to be tough, but I went in with an open mind and no pressure. It was a new bike; a new track and I wasn’t sure I would be even halfway competitive. The Thursday test helped, and I made a few changes compared to how Uribe rode the bike. Small things like lifting the seat to give me a bit more space. It was good to be going 170mph again. I was able to qualify P9 and was pleasantly surprised. In Race 1 I made a good start but there was a red flag. In the restart I got away well, made a few passes and was fighting for the top ten which is where I crossed the line. During Saturday’s race my right foot really started to burn. I didn’t know what it was but after the race I discovered a 4–5-inch blister. The joys of not riding a bike for almost a year. On Sunday I was in a lot of pain. The blister was full of fluid, but I had it taped up and just gritted my teeth. I tagged on Dave (Anthony). I was able to make four or five good passes and took ninth at the flag which all things considered was a great result. It’s been a long road, but we did it and I hope to see everyone in Pittsburgh!”
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Round 6 Results from Brainerd International Raceway for the Altus Motorsports Tucker Environmental Service Solutions Team
(Brainerd, MN) Brainerd International Raceway is a new circuit for MotoAmerica this season. As a result, very few of the riders have previous experience on the track. The Thursday before the race weekend was a test day hosted by MotoAmerica and Altus attended. The track turned out to be unforgiving and claimed a lot of bikes across all classes over the course of the weekend. Including Thursday, the Altus team had four crashes by three riders. It was a weekend full of highs and lows.
Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:
Jake Lewis had an outstanding weekend. He topped all practice and qualifying sessions, giving him pole position for the one Stock 1000 race at Brainerd. He started from pole, took the hole shot and led almost every lap of the race to take a commanding win. This was an important victory for the team as it elevates them to the top spot in the Stock1000 Championship by two points.
Jake Lewis (85). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“The team and the bike were incredible this weekend,” said Jake Lewis. “The Stock1000 win was an important one. There are only three more stock races and we need to win them.”
Lewis also contested the Superbike class both days. On Saturday, he started from 10th and finished 7th. In the Sunday race, he started from 7th and finished 8th. Both days he was the top Stock rider and earned valuable points in the Superbike Cup, a championship that he now leads by eleven points.
Supersport 600:
Jaret Nassaney had a solid weekend with two top ten finishes and some good points toward the overall season championship. He started Race 1 from 12th and finished 8th after a race-long four-bike battle. He also started the second race from 12th and finished 9th. Nassaney currently sits 8th in the overall championship points.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Kevin Olmedo had a forgettable weekend. He crashed the bike on Thursday and again on Saturday during Q2. In spite of that, he qualified 5th. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish either of the Supersport races at Brainerd. In Race 1 he was in the fight for 3rd when he had a crash on lap 6. The team put the bike back together overnight and it ran well during morning warmup. However, in Race 2, the bike began cutting out and he was forced to retire.
Kevin Olmedo (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Junior Cup:
Hayden Bicknese had qualified 14th, in spite of a severe crash during the second qualifying session. He was okay, but the bike took a lot of damage. The mechanics got the bike back together in time for Race 1 and Hayden finished 15th. Unfortunately, the bike did not feel right. Overnight the team rebuilt the bike again but during morning warm up, it still wasn’t handling well. As a result, Bicknese did not start the Sunday Junior Cup race.
Hayden Bicknese (69). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
“The weekend started with a lot of lows. We had a lot of crashes. And they were big wrecks. Jake’s results did a lot to lift the spirits of the team and we are looking forward to the next round,” said team owner George Nassaney. “I am extremely thankful for our mechanics and Crew Chief Eric Gray. They worked their butts off this weekend.”
The Altus Motorsports team is supported by our great family of sponsors: Altus Motorsports, Environmental Service Solutions, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Creative Sports Concepts, Tucker Powersports, Schaefer Engineering, Hot Bodies Racing, M4 Exhausts, Vortex EK, Motion Pro, Barnett, VP Lubricants, SBS Brakes,Galfer USA, Moto-D Racing, Bonamici, Ohlins, K-Techs, RS Taichi, Arai, Law Tigers Oklahoma, Lawton Motorsports, and Altus Factory Racing.
More, from a press release issued by HONOS HVMC Racing:
TOUGH WEEKEND FOR HONOS HVMC RACING IN MINNESOTA
Brainerd, Minnesota ( August 3rd, 2021 ) – This past weekend MotoAmerica returned to Brainerd International Raceway in the land of 10,000 lakes for the first time in 17 years. After facing a handful of challenges over the course of the extended weekend which included a test date on Thursday, the HONOS HVMC Racing team would earn a single podium in Supersport and a top 5 in the sole Stock 1000cc race.
Corey was able to show initial speed during the Thursday test day but struggled to find the feeling needed to continue progressing forward with the class front runners. The Graves-Spec #23 ZX-10RR would go on to qualify 6th overall and finish 5th in an uneventful Stock 1000cc race on Saturday.
The team worked tirelessly to make Corey more confident in the fast and flowing parts of the track. After scoring a 13th place finish in Saturdays Superbike race one, the highlight of the weekend for Alexander was Sundays 10th place finish during Superbike race two.
Corey Alexander (23). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.
“The goal for me is to be in the position to battle for wins and showcase that I’m prepared to make the jump up to Superbike in 2022. Unfortunately this weekend I fell short of that and never got comfortable with our bike on this track” Alexander added. “I still can’t wrap my head around it and I apologize to my guys Chris, DJ, Tim, & Richie who worked so hard to try to make it better to no avail. Fortunately now we head to some of my favorite tracks on the calendar. I can’t wait!”.
Corey’s 5th place finish relegates him to 2nd in the Stock 1000cc championship trailing the leader by 2 points. He also maintains third place in the Superbike Cup, 35 points behind the leader with four rounds remaining.
Richie Escalante arrived to the weekend feeling nearly 100% back to full health after his recent injuries. During the test day on Thursday the team faced some technical gremlins that sacrificed a portion of his track time. His first impressions of Brainerd were similar to that of his home tracks in Mexico and so he was very excited for the weekend.
Richie also struggled to show his usual form during practice and qualifying as he and the team worked to make him more comfortable with the rough track surface. The #54 Graves-Spec ZX-6R would start race one from the 3rd position on the grid working his way into a battle for the lead with his championship rival. Unable to complete a last lap pass, Escalante finished narrowly behind first place, 0.075 at the line.
After some overnight changes Richie found a lot more speed in his setup for Sundays race two. After making his way past the leader at the half way mark he opened up a margin. Unfortunately with just 4 laps to go Escalante was bucked out of the seat on his entry to the fast turn 11 and made the decision to separate himself from the bike oppose to potentially running off on one of the narrowest parts of the race track. The bike was too damaged to continue.
Richie Escalante on the MotoAmerica Supersport podium at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy HONOS HVMC Racing.
Richie commented. “I am disappointed with the result but I felt good and most importantly I enjoyed riding my bike again. It’s been a difficult recovery from both injuries and we’ve been working hard to improve the bike too. These difficult times will make me stronger in the end and the season is not over yet. Thanks to my team for working so hard and for everyone for the support!”.
With this weekends DNF Richie now trails his championship rival by 61 points as the team travels east. Richies personal sponsors include Fresh & Lean, HJC Helmets, Vircos Leathers, Alpinestars Boots & Gloves, and Hidalgo.
The HONOS HVMC Racing team will be at Pittsburgh International Race Complex for round 7 of the MotoAmerica Championship August 13-15th. You can purchase tickets to the event via MotoAmerica.com or in person at the race track.
About WE ARE HONOS®
Founded in 2018, HONOS is a Los Angeles based performance gear and fashion apparel brand that promotes talent within the adrenaline sports realm. With worldwide partnerships ranging from the American Racing team in Moto2 to title sponsorship of the HONOS Superbike class in MotoAmerica, HONOS has heavily invested it’s brand into motorsports. Follow @wearehonos or visit wearehonos.com to shop for team gear now.
About Hudson Valley Motorcycles
Hudson Valley Motorcycles (HVMC) is a family owned and operated motorcycle dealership that has been serving New York’s Hudson Valley and Westchester County as well as Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New England region. HVMC has offered Kawasaki, Ducati, Scrambler Ducati, Suzuki, Energica and ATV, motorcycle or UTV Sales, Parts, and Service for over 50 years. For more info visit hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com, call (914)-762-2722 or follow @hvmotorcycles on social media.
More, from a press release issued by Landers Racing:
Double Podium for Gloddy at Brainerd
Ben Gloddy (32) leads Tyler Scott (70) during a MotoAmerica Junior Cup race at Brainerd. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Landers Racing.
The intense racing between Ben Gloddy and Tyler Scott carried over from Laguna Seca to Brainerd International Raceway in Round 6 of the MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup. In an exciting back and forth battle in race one, Gloddy was able to edge out Scott after a perfectly executed pass for the lead in the final few corners of the last lap. The start of race two looked like it might be similar to race one, but the dogfight for first quickly got crowded in a nail biting five rider battle. With numerous lead changes throughout the race, Gloddy got swallowed up in the shuffle and ultimately finished in third.
Gloddy had this to say: “First, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers out to Scott Mullin’s family and friends and to my Loudon Race Family. Scott was a great guy who helped so many people and touched a lot of lives.”
“I had a pretty good weekend at Brainerd International Raceway for never being there. We had a mid-season test day on Thursday so that helped me learn the track. After both qualifiers, I was able to put myself in P2 on the grid for the races. I had a good start in race one and was battling for the win the entire race. On the last lap, I was able to make a pass that earned me the win. In race two, I had another decent start but this time there was a group of us battling for the win. If you came onto the front straight away leading, you would be like 4th or 5th by the time you got to the end of the straight away. It was a hard fought race by all and I was able to come away with a third. I cannot thank Landers Racing, Stoney, Tarl, Cam Jones and Barry enough for all the hard work in getting the bike perfect for me.”
Landers Racing team owner, Stoney Landers, added: “It was great to get back to work with Ben and his lead mechanic, Tarl. He qualified 2nd but when it came time to race, he stepped up and battled it out with Tyler in the first race for the win with a masterful pass right back on Tyler in turn twelve. In race two, it was a major battle between him and a handful of racers. He got shuffled back in the swerving chaos of riders on the run to turn three on the last lap, but did manage to get up the inside of P4 to take 3rd place. We learned a few things both about the bike and strategy in both races that we will take to Pittsburgh.”
Gloddy maintains his second place points standing in the MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup Championship battle.
Thank you to everyone who helps to make Ben’s seasons possible, including but not limited to: Stoney, Tarl, Will, Boyd, Jamie, Lee’s Cycle Service, Ohlins USA, KFG Motorsports, CJR Performance, Evol Technology, The Big S, Freedom Cycle, American Supercamp, Penguin Racing, REB Graphics, Innovative Motorsports, Atlantic Cruising Yachts, Arai Helmets, Dunlop, Scott Stump, Roche Realty Group, Sportbike Track Gear, Fast by Ferracci, Barnett Clutches and Cables, Beringer Brakes, SBS, Vortex, EK Chains, Tyrant Designs CNC and all of his team and personal sponsors for all of the support, as well as his parents, family, friends, and fans!
Marc Marquez (93), as seen at Catalunya. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Repsol Honda Team resume 2021 campaign
The long summer break has drawn to a close and racing action is set to resume with round 10 of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
As in 2020, the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, will host two races after revisions to the 2021 calendar. The Michelin Grand Prix of Styria will see racing resume after a five-week hiatus for the mid-season break and the entirety of the Repsol Honda Team are ready to get back out on track. Red Bull Ring’s 4.3-kilometre layout has seen some titanic battles since 2016 and both Marc Marquez and Pol Espargaro are working to be in the mix once again.
2021 will see Marquez return to the Austrian track for the first time since 2019 after missing the double-header there in 2020. The Red Bull Ring stands as just one of two circuits on the current calendar where Marquez has not won at, finishing second on three occasions from 2017 to 2019. A five-week break has allowed Marquez to continue focusing on his recovery as he works towards full fitness. Now incorporating more motorcycle-based training into his regime, Marquez is entering the second half of the year determined.
Pol Espargaro has bitter-sweet memories of the Austrian circuit from 2020 where he fought for victory until the final corner after starting on pole position. Although he was forced to ultimately settle for third, Espargaro clearly has pace around the Red Bull Ring. Like his Repsol Honda Team team-mate, Espargaro has spent much of the break training with multiple days on the Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade SP to be prepared for the final half of the year.
The long-awaited return of MotoGP on track action will happen on Friday, August 06 at 09:55 Local Time as Free Practice 1 for the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria begins.
Marc Marquez
“I’ve enjoyed the summer break; I was able to relax with friends and family and enjoy it. It was good not just for the mind, but also for the body and I am feeling better and stronger. I’ve been able to increase my training, spending more time on bikes and even returning to riding motocross – which I am enjoying a lot! But we know the situation on track will still not be simple and we have to keep working and stay focused. I’m looking forward riding my Honda RC213V again and having full grandstands again will be incredible.”
Pol Espargaro
“Let’s ride! It has been a long time away from the track and I am looking forward to returning to riding my Honda again. We’ve been training hard over the whole summer and I am fully prepared physically for the final end of the year. The Red Bull Ring is a unique circuit with a lot of hard braking and accelerating, I think it can suit us. It looks like we will have full grandstands for the first time in Austria, I am so excited to see all the fans and hopefully we can see more people at more circuits soon. We didn’t have the easiest start to the season, but it’s time to keep our focus and show the potential we know we have.”
ROYAL ENFIELD BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. ROAD RACING FEATURED AT BRAINERD MOTOAMERICA
CJ Lukacs shines as BTR Road Race women take on the Brainerd, Minnesota opening round
CJ Lukacs leads the way as the BTR women head out for practice.
Milwaukee, WI (Monday, August 2, 2021) – Royal Enfield’s The Brainerd MotoAmerica round was host to the opening round of the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. (BTR) Road Race Program where seven women, who have spent months designing, building and training aboard their Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycles, finally got to chase the checkered flag. The historic exhibition, showcasing the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 and an all-women field of builders/racers, was featured alongside the pro ranks of MotoAmerica, the premiere motorcycle road racing series in North America.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to Royal Enfield for making this a reality,” said CJ Lukacs.
Starting with Thursday’s Dunlop tire test, all the way through to Sunday’s exhibition race, the BTR Road Racing women took part in all of the practice and qualifying sessions. With only two official training dates on their Continental GT 650 race bikes, the ladies were thrilled to gain the added track time on Thursday. Dunlop stepped up with a fresh set of tires for the BTR participants—a welcome surprise that was above and beyond Dunlop’s original commitment to the program. Ohlins was on hand for the BTR women with suspension support, helping the racers make adjustments throughout the practice sessions.
(L-R) Becky Goebel, CJ Lukacs and Trisha Dahl celebrate on the BTR podium at Brainerd International Raceway, round one of the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race exhibition.
A standout star rose to the top throughout the weekend—BTR Road Race’s CJ Lukacs stormed to a dominant victory on Sunday ahead of Becky Goebel and Trisha Dahl. Lukacs led every lap and was able to take the victory, despite a hard get-off in Saturday’s practice session that sent her tumbling. The former pro motocross racer was a bit sore, but able to get her Royal Enfield sorted out in time for qualifying, and ultimately the final race on Sunday.
Kayla Theisler chases Scarlett Grosselanghorst.
“I am overcome with emotion,” said Lukacs. “This first event, being in the pits of MotoAmerica, seeing the fans, the excitement, going through testing and practice, track walks with Melissa Paris and Josh Hayes, has been unreal. Seeing ourselves on TV and our journey and program being talked about his the coolest thing ever. To have this race win means so many amazing and different things to me. I’m super excited for our next round and I couldn’t be more grateful to Royal Enfield for making this a reality.”
“I had a blast today out on the Brainerd track with my newfound family,” said runner-up Becky Goebel. “I’m just so happy to be feeling comfortable on a racetrack and getting into the idea of racing and learning a new motorcycle discipline. For me, this whole program is about having fun and finishing. Today, that was exactly what we did and that’s what’s cool and gratifying about the Build Train Race Program.”
Becky Goebel hangs it out in Saturday’s practice session at Brainerd International Raceway. Goebel would go on to finish second on Sunday.
Third-place finisher Trisha Dahl, who edged out Alyssa Bridges for the final podium position, echoed the sentiment. “What a dream come true. This winter when I started this program with Royal Enfield, I would daydream about what race day would look like and this far exceeded my vision. I’m very fortunate to be one of the seven ladies chosen to race this beautiful GT 650. I can’t thank Bree Poland and Melissa Paris enough. They have put so much time and effort into making this program successful. These ladies aren’t just my teammates; they’re family now.”
Trisha Dahl (144) heads the battle for third place, a position she would successfully defend to claim Sunday’s final podium position.
Together with MotoAmerica, the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. program is breaking ground with an all-women series featuring machines that the women built themselves, creating a unique and unforgettable platform for the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle. Royal Enfield is ecstatic to see the hard work of the participants, the sponsors, and the MotoAmerica crew come together on the track for the opening round of this historic program.
“Having an all-female road race team has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’m thankful for Royal Enfield and our team in the UK for supporting this effort,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas. “I’m so proud of all our participants, and blown away by the support of all our BTR sponsors. The fans loved the experience and the entire MotoAmerica paddock welcomed in the women as part of the family. We are looking forward to the next two BTR Road Race races with MotoAmerica in Pittsburgh and Barber.”
The women of Royal Enfield BTR Road Racing will be back in action August 13-15 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania for the second of three rounds. Find more information on the Royal Enfield BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. Road Race Program at https://buildtrainrace.com/.
About Royal Enfield
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the midsize motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 125 dealers in North America, including the contiguous U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the all-new Meteor 350, Himalayan and the 650 Twins (INT 650 and Continental GT 650) motorcycles, along with a range of Genuine Motorcycle Accessories and apparel.
Scott Mullin, 38, of Milford, New Hampshire, died Sunday, August 1st after crashing in a race at NHMS. He is survived by his wife Sarah, daughter Reese, and son Chase.
It is with the heaviest of hearts that we report the passing of Scott Mullin, who succumbed to his injuries after a crash this past Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He was an accomplished expert-level racer, a life-long motorcycle enthusiast and a pillar of the motorcycle community in New Hampshire. Scott also managed Souhegan Valley Motorsports in Milford, NH, which has been owned by his family for years and has supported dozens of racers at the speedway during that time.
The incident happened during the third lap of the Unlimited Superbike event as Mullin entered turn six of the 1.6 mile road course at the speedway. No other riders were involved in the crash.
NEMRR president John Grush shared, “Scott was a beloved member of the NEMRR motorcycle racing family and will be sorely missed. On behalf of NEMRR, we send our heartfelt love and support to his family and loved ones.”
The details for the funeral and memorial service will be announced as they become available.
The Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Photo courtesy Michelin.
Ducati turf? KTM territory? Styria could be the perfect stage to shake up the standings
A winning record vs home turf heroes duel may steal the headlines at the Red Bull Ring, and with two back-to-back races the points could be poised for a shuffle…
Monday, 02 August 2021
We’ve waited, we’ve reset, we’ve reloaded… and now MotoGP™ is finally back in business! The Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria is just around the corner and the hills will be alive once again as two back-to-back weekends see the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship take on the Red Bull Ring. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) arrives in the driving seat, but the venue has more recent glory for a few of his key rivals… so what can we expect in Styria?
Starting with the traditional rulers of the Red Bull Ring, Ducati will expect to be strong. Winning most of the races at the track, and it suiting their bike to a T, means they’ll be heading in hoping to make some headway on Quartararo. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) remains second in the standings and will have his eye on that 34-point gap, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) isn’t far behind either. His teammate Jack Miller has a few more points to make up, but the Australian has podium form at the venue… and plenty of winning form this season. But there was a new kid on the block last season in Styria, so is it still truly Ducati turf?
KTM’s 2020 was a near-perfect fairy-tale at times, but 2021 started a little tougher for the Austrian factory. As we head onto their home turf after summer break though, they’ve already been back on top and back on the podium. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is leading the charge as arguably the standout performer on the grid since Mugello, and as luck would have it… it’s the Portuguese rider who took his first premier class win at the venue last year to end the Ducati run. Can he do it again? And can teammate Brad Binder reset after the break and come out swinging?
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Iker Lecuona and Danilo Petrucci will also want to move forward on home turf, and make life difficult for the other factories at least. But the headlines at KTM don’t stop at the same four horsemen of the Austrian factory as we’ve seen so far this year… they also include a MotoGP™ Legend.
One of the most decorated riders in history, Dani Pedrosa made a few headlines when he retired from full-time competition and then headed to KTM to become a test rider. And then a few more as his input was largely lauded across the board. Now, he’s back not just at the track but on the track, doing a wildcard with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He’ll be exciting to watch as both a Legend and as a presence for the factory, and he won’t be aiming for glory but he’ll definitely get plenty of column inches across the weekend.
Meanwhile at Yamaha, eyes will be on Quartararo to see if the Frenchman can do some solid damage limitation in what is traditionally enemy territory, and El Diablo does have a good cushion of points at the top too. Teammate Maverick Viñales will be looking for somewhat of a reset on the other side of the garage, although he did take a podium at Assen. But a lot of attention will also go towards Valentino Rossi as the Doctor looks to get his mojo back, and to the man joining him at Petronas Yamaha SRT for the next few races as Franco Morbidelli recovers from knee surgery: Cal Crutchlow. Multiple Grand Prix winner and now Yamaha test rider, the Brit is back for the two in Austria and Silverstone. What can he do?
One dark horse – if the reigning Champion can be considered such – could also be Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Now fourth in the standings after a tougher start, the Red Bull Ring is a special venue for the Spaniard. It’s where he took his first Moto3™ win, and then another one, before also proving the place he’d take his first premier class podium. Mir will expect to be strong, and his CV backs that up. Teammate Alex Rins, meanwhile, will be the man likely most intent on a reset in the summer. His speed this season has been undermined by crashes, but it has been there, and he’ll be looking to iron out his second half of the season.
At Honda, meanwhile, there are plenty of questions too. How will Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) do in the latter half of 2021? Can Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) start homing back in on the podium? And likewise Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol)? More than anything though, the headline stealer will likely once again be Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team).
His return to the top step in Germany was an impressive and emotional feat, and his comeback ride in Assen was another warning shot. And that was now a while ago, with a good few more weeks of time to recover for the eight-time World Champion. Where will he be once the lights go out again?
Finally, for Aprilia, the mission to finish in the top five continues. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also continues to impress, with some good consistency and progress. But it won’t feel enough, and he’ll be pushing again to try and take that best MotoGP™ era result.
The fight for Rookie of the Year, meanwhile, rages on. Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) will be looking to hammer home his advantage at a track suited to his machine, but Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) will have had more time back from injury. Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) will be pushing too, and Lorenzo Savadori (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) aiming to add to his points tally. Martin and Marini also have good recent records at the track.
It’s been a long summer break and there’s plenty to play for in the Styrian GP. What awaits at the Red Bull Ring? Ducati dominance? KTM home glory? Mir’s glorious Austria form? A Marquez feeling ready to head out toe-to-toe with the rest? We’ll find out soon enough, with the lights going out for the MotoGP™ race at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 8th of August.
3 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 109
4 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 101
5 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 100
*Independent Team rider
Gardner vs Fernandez: will the gloves come off in Styria?
Red Bull KTM Ajo seem likely to retain the driving seat after the summer break. But can the likes of Lowes, Bezzecchi and Augusto Fernandez start a fight back?
The summer is over, the Styrian countryside awaits and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) remains ahead of the game. With a 31-point lead, no one but the Australian is leaving the first of two weekends at the Red Bull Ring at the head of the standings… but if that gap is to come down, the season half of the season is crunch time for Gardner’s rivals… and it’s teammate Raul Fernandez who arrives from a stunner of a victory.
Gardner has so far been near pitch perfect all year though, so a mistake seems unlikely. He also, in some extra bad news for the rest, took a podium and a pole in one of the two weekends at the track last season, so he has form in Styria far before his form in 2021 became so metronomically impressive. But the most recent rider on the top step was his teammate and the Spaniard came back from a bad start to make a serious statement at Assen; a statement certainly one Gardner will have noted. Both also race on Red Bull home turf this time around, so that’s a little extra motivation if such a thing were possible. Will the duel pick right back up where it left off?
Assen did see the return of some serious competition at the front for the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo, however. Since Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) started the season on a high the momentum had very much switched to the Ajo team, but the Dutch TT saw both Lowes and teammate Augusto Fernandez right back in the fight at the front. For Augusto Fernandez it was also a welcome return to the podium and frontrunning form after a tougher run for the Spaniard, so can they use the reset of the summer break and that high note heading in to come out swinging?
Thinking back to last season at the Red Bull Ring brings to mind the man in third overall though: Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46). The second event at the track last year saw the Italian take to the top step after last lap track limits drama, making a big step forward in the second race weekend. This time round, can he come out the blocks fastest and get back to winning ways? After a more muted start to the season than likely expected, he’ll be pushing as hard as ever.
Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) is another rider with recent form at the Ring, as is Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). Can they get in the mix? Canet already has podium form this year, and Schrötter is now sixth overall and just ahead of the Spaniard. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) will want to get back in the fight too, and the likes of Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), equal on 50 points with Augusto Fernandez, could play a role…
A man ahead of the game, a rookie sensation on a roll, a veteran campaigner and a rider back on form… Assen was a stunner and we should expect no different from Styria. Tune in for Moto2™ at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 8th of August as we get back in business!
Moto2™ Championship top five:
1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 184
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 153
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 128
4 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 99
5 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – 73
Can Acosta start the second half on the attack?
Moto3™ gear up to get back out into battle on Red Bull KTM home turf, and a venue Acosta already knows rather well
If you’re a Moto3™ rookie, leading the Championship and readying yourself to come back from summer break with a bang at the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria, what would put an extra spring in your step? Something like four Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup wins at the venue in question last time you raced there? That’s the sensational Pedro Acosta’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) CV from the Red Bull Ring in 2020, and his lead remains nearly two entire race wins’ worth of points this season so we can probably expect some excellence-flavoured déjà vu. But all is not necessarily lost for his rivals as a few arrive in good form… and this is Moto3™ after all!
Sergio Garcia (SANTANDER Consumer Bank GASGAS Aspar) remains the closest challenger, with two wins so far, some solid consistent scoring and a second place at Assen taken just before summer. But Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) feels like he has some serious momentum too, now in second overall, winning at Assen – his second victory of the season – and now clawing back some traction and what was a huge deficit to the top. Can the two keep the pressure on?
Behind them, it tightens up in the points and fourth is now Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). The Italian is the only rider to have scored in every race so far this year, and he’ll want to keep that going and home in on a first win of the year. He has taken victory at the Red Bull Ring before too – a first win back on his return to Moto3™ in 2019. The two riders just behind him will be coming back from summer gunning for glory too: Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing). A season of ups and downs for both has nevertheless seen both often up at the front and on the podium, and Masia began the season with a win. Can they use the reset of summer break to put bad luck and trouble to bed?
The likes of Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3), his teammate Jeremy Alcoba and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) will likely be back up there at the front, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) is a former podium finisher at the venue looking for more luck too. And Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Acosta and Masia will be pushing hard on KTM and Red Bull’s home turf, but so will the Red Bull KTM Tech 3 squad. Deniz Öncü now has a podium and will be pushing for another, and his teammate will also be back on track: Ayumu Sasaki.
A first half of the season that saw the Japanese rider putting together some impressive consistency to hover in the top five, four and three in the standings was interrupted by that crash a Catalunya, and the number 71 was sidelined until given the absolute all-clear to return. He now has that, and will be more than eager to get back out and push.
Don’t miss Moto3™ take on the stunning Red Bull Ring. Can Acosta perform on a key stage for team and machine? Or are those on his tail ready to come back and spoil the party? Tune in on Sunday the 8th of August at 11:00 (GMT +2) and see!
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Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
April 26, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
