Tucker Powersports partnership expands show’s dealer training and support
IRVINE, Calif., June 15, 2021 – The Motorcycle Industry Council’s American International Motorcycle Expo has selected the world famous Las Vegas Convention Center for AIMExpo 2022, scheduled for January 19-21, 2022. Tucker Powersports will co-locate their annual dealer show at the venue, creating the largest and most important powersports industry event in the country.
“AIMExpo 2022 will be the first time our industry gathers together in more than two years, and we are working to make this a can’t miss event for everyone in powersports,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council. “In the two years since we last met, our industry managed to thrive under the most challenging of circumstances. We are building a show that will help dealers continue this success, no matter what the future holds.”
New for 2022, AIMExpo will be partnering with Tucker Powersports and other industry leaders to create an educational line-up that offers basic and advanced sessions designed to increase dealership profitability, community visibility, and efficiency. Focusing on the business of your business, AIMExpo Dealer Education will help drive door swings by sharing content that speaks to community engagement, business management, and best practices for retail operations.
“By continuing to partner with Tucker Powersports, the nation’s premier powersports distributor, both AIMExpo and Tucker will be able to deliver exponential value to dealers and enable them to efficiently connect and conduct business,” said Cinnamon Kernes, vice president marketing and events.
In addition to the combined educational offerings available through AIMExpo and Tucker, nearly 300,000 square feet of adrenaline-filled exhibit space will feature more than 300 of the industry’s top vehicle manufacturers, aftermarket manufacturers, distributors, and service providers showcasing their latest products and services, along with show specials designed to kick-off the powersports industry’s order writing season. Dealers who are customers of Tucker Powersports will enjoy a separate check-in experience, VIP activities, an exclusive lounge on the show floor and much more.
“With COVID pushing us apart for many months, we’re happy that we can help bring dealers together to learn, to experience great products and to reconnect with friends,” said Tucker Powersports President and CEO Marc McAllister. “The powersports industry is all about people joining together to do what they love, and Tucker has always put a high value on building great relationships with our dealers.”
After more than two years since the last AIMExpo, an industry reunion of this scale wouldn’t be complete without networking events celebrating the people and passion that make this industry great. AIMExpo’s opening day will feature a general session focused on the year ahead, market expansion and how the powersports industry can unite for future growth. Following the general session there will be an epic industry party kicking off the 2022 buying season. Finally, after two solid days of education, exhibits, and networking, the show will close out in true Las Vegas style; Johnny Lewis and flat track racing return to AIMExpo for Fast Friday with celebrity, industry, and e-class racing.
To register to attend, participate as an exhibitor or sponsor, book your hotel room, or learn more, visit www.AIMExpoUSA.com.
ABOUT THE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY COUNCIL
The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect, and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications, media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, data communications standards, and involvement in technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories, and related services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies, and consultants.
The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Keep up with the industry association on Twitter @followMIC and at MIC.org.
ABOUT TUCKER POWERSPORTS
Featuring the most powerful portfolio of parts, accessories and apparel brands in the powersports industry, Tucker is the go-to supplier for retailers across the nation. Tucker has been earning the trust of the best dealers in the powersports industry for over 50 years.
Denver, CO – The Motorcycle Roadracing Association(MRA) has accepted the resignation of Jim Wilson as President effective June 10, 2021 and has appointed Chris Nami to the position effective June 14, 2021.
Jim is a 20-year member of the MRA and has served on the Board of Directors since 2009 and as President since 2014. After not seeking a fourth term in 2019, Jim was appointed back to the role of the then-vacated President position at the end of the 2020 season.
Jim fell ill with COVID-19 in October 2020 which resulted in a four-month hospital stay, half of that period in a coma on life support. He resumed his President responsibilities in a limited capacity in February 2021.
“My plan after coming back last year was to help the club through the off-season and find my successor,” says Wilson. “Unfortunately, my illness side-tracked that. Now that the season is underway, I feel it is a good time for me to step down and continue to focus on my recovery. I am excited that my good friend, Chris Nami, has accepted the role as President, and I look forward to his leadership in the future. I plan to make myself available to him as an advisor going forward.”
“As a 20+ year member of the MRA family I am honored and humbled with the opportunity to step into this role as President,” says Nami. “There are some very large shoes to fill and I am SO excited for the opportunity to do so. My passion for the MRA and motorcycle racing, Integrity, and diplomacy are my strongest attributes and I know they will serve me well.”
The MRA’s next event is on June 26-27, 2021 at High Plains Raceway.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information, go to http://www.mra-racing.org/
SOLID WEEKEND LANDS CAM PETERSEN ON THE PODIUM TWICE IN WISCONSIN FOR M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Brea, CA – Suzuki Motor USA, LLC and Team Hammer reeled in another bountiful trophy harvest as the 2021 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship wrapped up its doubleheader weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
The weekend performance of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Cameron Petersen headlined the combined four-podium showing for Team Hammer. In addition, Altus Motorsports rider Jake Lewis took his second victory of the season on his Team Hammer-built Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Cam Petersen (45) delivered an impressive performance with two Superbike podium finishes. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
Petersen enjoyed a milestone ride on Saturday, soaring to his first career MotoAmerica Superbike podium with a hard-fought third, in his first season in the Superbike class. Despite the achievement, the likable South African came away from that battle less than completely satisfied after missing out on second place by a scant 0.04 seconds. He promptly erased any regrets with an even better showing on Sunday, briefly leading the race before locking down a clear runner-up result.
“That was the plan executed,” Petersen said. “We spoke before the race about what I needed to do and luckily I got off to a really good start. My goal was just to keep the win in sight and have a carrot to chase, and I did that for the most part.”
“Honestly, I can’t thank my team enough. They’ve worked very hard to get me to this point, they gave me the opportunity, they believed in me, and now, we’re finally starting to do it. Hats off to my whole crew.”
In the Stock 1000 class, Jake Lewis proved once again his strength as a racer with his second win of the season and he maintains control as the overall leader in the ultra competitive series.
Race-winner Lewis said, “I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to fight for the win. I was struggling to keep pace yesterday, but once it’s race time and the show goes down, you definitely push a lot harder. I was on the edge. I was looking at my lap timer and I was doing low 2:14s and I haven’t even been in the ‘15s all weekend long.”
Jake Lewis (85) earned a hard-fought Stock 1000 victory on his race-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
M4 ECSTAR Superbike rider Bobby Fong, came away with a pair of fourths, but demonstrated the speed necessary for a sure-fire double podium weekend. After finishing 0.03 seconds off the box on Saturday following a near race-long ride in second position, Fong’s Sunday race took an entirely different shape, albeit with the identical result in the end.
The Californian was pushed wide in Turn One at the start and shuffled back several positions. He was then caught up in numerous scraps, which severely hampered his pace before finally breaking free in fourth late in the 12-lap race. Once in the clear, Fong dramatically closed down on third position. He simply ran out of time, crossing the stripe an even narrower 0.004 seconds removed from the podium the second time around.
“It was a crazy race,” Fong said after Sunday’s contest. “Today didn’t tell the story of what place we had in us. We gambled and put a setting in that I believe could have definitely got us in the top three.”
“I’m happy to finish fourth, but the good thing about racing is we have another weekend coming to redeem ourselves. Everybody knows we don’t like losing. I’m staying positive and looking forward to the next one,” added Fong.
Meanwhile, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s talented teens, Sean Dylan Kelly and Sam Lochoff, earned a podium apiece aboard their GSX-R600s in MotoAmerica Supersport duty.
Sam Lochoff (44) took his first podium finish in the Supersport class on his Suzuki GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
The weekend marked a new career best for Lochoff, who earned his first-ever podium in the middleweight class with a runner-up performance on Saturday. He nearly backed it up with a second podium a day later, but came home fourth at the flag, just 0.088 seconds short at the flag.
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) left it all out on the track and maintained his points lead in the Supersport class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
Kelly went back and forth for Saturday’s thrilling race — engaging in a shootout that saw more than thirty lead changes — before crashing on the final lap with his rival. Critically for his championship hopes, ‘SDK’ remounted and still finished in sixth.
On Sunday, Kelly lost his chance at another scrap for first after getting off to a tough start, but still managed to escape to a well-earned second. As a result, the Floridian continues to lead the early-season title fight.
“Today was much different than yesterday,” Kelly said. “Yesterday was a great race — a hard fight — but we made a mistake in the end. We wanted to build off that, but the start was not good today. I made a mistake in Turn One and a few guys got past me. After that, there was a gap to the lead that I couldn’t make back up. I wasn’t able to do what I wanted, but I know we’re going to build from here. We’ve got another shot at the next round, and we’re going to go in hard and keep on working.”
Wyatt Farris (79) had a solid weekend and continued to earn points for the Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
In Stock 1000, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris raced his way forward to finish tenth in the race, adding more points to his season total and earning a top-ten position in the overall championship standings.
Team M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will be back in action in two weeks’ time at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 25-27.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Round 3 Results from Road America for the Altus Motorsports Tucker Environmental Service Solutions Team
(Elkhart Lake, WI) Round 3 of the MotoAmerica season was another step forward for the Altus Motorsports team. Jake Lewis took another win in the Stock 1000 class, Kevin Olmedo returned from injury after two rounds off and all of the riders improved throughout the weekend.
Jake Lewis (85). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:
Jake Lewis arrived at Elkhart Lake looking to continue where he left off in Virginia. However, Road America was not cooperating on Friday and Saturday. Jake had a difficult time finding pace in the practice and qualifying sessions. The MotoAmerica Round 3 is a single race weekend for Stock 1000, so Lewis used Saturday’s Superbike race to work on his race pace. Those laps paid off on Sunday during the Stock 1000 race. The Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000 was slotted 4th on the starting grid. With a good launch on the restart after a red flag, Lewis jumped into second place. Because the race was shortened to 6 laps, there was no time to waste. He took the lead with three laps to go and didn’t look back.
“I learned a lot in the Superbike race on Saturday. Big thanks to my Altus Motorsports crew for working their butts off to give me a bike I could win on. It means a lot,” said Jake Lewis.
In Superbike, Lewis started Race 1 from 12th position and finished in 11th as the second Stock 1000 machine. For Sunday’s race, he started from 11th and finished in 8th as the top Stock 1000 competitor.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Supersport 600:
Jaret Nassaney spent most of the weekend looking for pace. He qualified 15th for both Supersport 600 races. In Race 1 on Saturday, he was in a multi-bike battle for 12th for most of the race and was able to hold off the competition to own the spot across the line. In Sunday’s race, he finished in 13th.
“It was a pretty good weekend! We made some changes to the rear for Sunday and, even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, we had good pace and I’m happy with the direction we are headed,” said Jaret Nassaney.
Kevin Olmedo (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Road America was Kevin Olmedo’s first MotoAmerica race in the 2021 season. Returning to the paddock after missing the first two rounds recovering from surgery, Olmedo knew he had work to do. In spite of the time off, he managed to qualify in 7th position. A great start in Race 1 put him into 5th for several laps but, ultimately, he took the checkered flag in 7th. In the Sunday race, Olmedo jumped into 6th off the start and held that spot from flag to flag. Great results for the first time back on the bike.
Hayden Bicknese (69). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Junior Cup:
Road America is another new track for Hayden Bicknese and he improved his lap time dramatically in every session. Bicknese started Race 1 from 12th position. On lap 2 he crossed the line in 14th but he put his head down and fought through the pack and finished in 8th. In the Sunday race, Hayden continued where he left off on Saturday. With three laps to go he was leading the second pack of riders in 8th place but during the lap he was shuffled back to 13th. Ultimately, he finished in 12th.
“As a team, we think the weekend went very well. Everyone improved. Jake’s bike is running great and glad to see him on the top step again. Jaret and Hayden continue to improve. With Kevin back, the team is complete again. It was great to have him back and, considering that he hasn’t ridden much and was working through some pain, his results were impressive. ” said team owner George Nassaney.
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, and Altus Factory Racing.
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
Career bests and solid points finishes at Road America for Pure Attitude Racing
It was another solid weekend for the Pure Attitude Racing Team in the latest round of the 2021 MotoAmerica Championship, held this past weekend at the iconic Road America circuit in Wisconsin.
With their four riders, Nate Minster and Austin Miller (Supersport), and Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish (Twins Cup), back in action, it was another busy weekend, but one in which the squad can look back on satisfied with how they performed.
Supersport saw the return to the top ten for Nate Minster, the #99 Yamaha rider claiming a double points scoring finish, whilst Austin Miller added further points to his season tally on Saturday, narrowly missing the final point for fifteenth on Sunday after a hard-fought race aboard his Kawasaki.
In Twins Cup both Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish were once again in the mix. Liam raced to a career best finish of fifth, once again showing great potential and speed at a circuit he doesn’t know. Trevor on the other hand failed to finish. The #16 crashed out of a potential podium early on, suffering a fractured hand in the incident. Further updates on when he will return to the track will follow in due course.
The team now head to Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington in a fortnight.
Austin Miller (61). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller: “The track felt a little different in Q1 than it did on Friday morning. We made a change, but the majority of riders were slower, maybe because of the temperature. I felt good and the bike felt good, and we were able to race hard and score some more points on Saturday, but Race 2 was kind of rough. I wrongly turned the Pit Limiter on and so I was playing catch up. I made a good start and passed a few people but was too far behind to do anything really. A few people went down, and I was closing in on the top fifteen, but I ran out of laps. I was overriding a bit and made a few mistakes, but we can take the positives from the weekend. We have the test day at The Ridge, and this will definitely help us.”
Nate Minster (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster: “We had a small electrical issue in Free Practice which came back after about four laps in Q1 which is a shame as I felt really good, even it was only for those four laps in the afternoon. Race 2 was better than race one. We figured out the suspension issue and I was able to improve my lap times by over two seconds a lap and finished in the top ten which I am happy about. We can now move on to The Ridge and hopefully keep the momentum going.”
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “Friday was a good day considering we lost most of the morning session after Jody (Barry) went down hard and they red flagged our session. The main thing is that he looks to be doing ok which is good news to hear and I wish him a speedy recovery. I was still learning the place in Q1. I was able to hang with some of the top guys but stayed out the whole session which was the plan. We ended the opening day in P8 which was my best provisional grid slot, so all things considered I was happy. I improved in Q2 and achieved my best qualifying position. In the race I made a good start and saw Trevor go down in front of me but thankfully he is not too badly hurt. I knew I was in the top six and then I just focused as other guys started to fall. I closed in on P4 and narrowly missed out on the line, but I am super happy. I have scored points in every race, and we are getting close to the podium. A big thanks to the whole Pure Attitude Racing team. They are really giving me the tools to do a good job!”
Trevor Standish (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish: “I struggled with the feeling on the bike in Q1 but the times we did were still decent which pleased me. We made some changes for Q2 which worked, and I was able to qualify fourth. I made a great start, but my race was over pretty much immediately. I knew I had the pace to run at the front, but I made a small mistake and went down. I have fractured my hand but thankfully it is not too bad, and we will be back on track stronger than ever really soon. It’s disappointing to score no points but the season is long, and we have shown that we have the potential to fight for podiums every race and this is what I have to remember as we move on to The Ridge, Laguna and the rest of the tracks.”
More, from a press release issued by Jackson Blackmon Racing:
Podium Streak Continues for Blackmon
Jackson Blackmon (18). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Jackson Blackmon Racing.
Jackson Blackmon picks up another 2nd place finish in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at Road America. Making it three starts and three 2nd place finishes for the young gun out of South Carolina. Jackson was able to avoid chaos in the Twins Cup race Saturday where the top 3 in the championship either did not start or finish the race. Jackson is now sitting 4th in the championship just 17 points behind despite missing the first round at Road Atlanta due to a broken wrist.
“I am super happy with the weekend and how this season has started for me,” said Blackmon. “It has been awesome getting more seat time on my Yamaha MT-07 and still learning and adapting every time out. Was blessed to have support from the North East Cycles guys as well as Yamaha and Finishline Machine getting the bike better and better every weekend. Thank you to everyone behind me, super excited to carry the momentum to The Ridge!”
Jackson Blackmon Racing is still learning week by week as it is their first full Twins Cup season. Nineteen year old Jackson Blackmon is not only the rider for JBR, but also runs his own program with the support from his father’s machine shop Finsihline Machine. The duo is making a name for themselves this year. Will we see Jackson on the all new Yamaha R7 soon? Stay tuned to find out.
JBR would like to thank their sponsors and supporters; Yamaha Motor USA, Finishline Machine, North East Cycles, Yamalube, Trackday Winner, GP Tech, Wiseco Pistons, HJC Helmets, Roaring Toyz, Millennium Technologies, OneX, Web Cams, SBS Brakes, Vortex, and 64 Degrees.
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Travis Wyman scores top five in Stock 1000, top 10 in Superbike at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America
BMW rider remains points leader in Superbike Cup, now ninth in Superbike standings
Travis Wyman (10). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Travis Wyman Racing.
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — It was a busy weekend for Travis Wyman at MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Road America round. The BMW rider competed in four races aboard two different motorcycles at the June 11-13 event, including three races on Sunday afternoon.
Wyman’s top-five finish in the weekend’s lone Stock 1000 race and top-10 in Sunday’s Superbike race helped him maintain his lead in the Superbike Cup standings and kept him in the hunt for the Stock 1000 title. The Las Vegas resident also is ninth in the overall Superbike standings.
The Travis Wyman Racing team’s first on-track session of the weekend was Stock 1000 Friday practice, which Wyman finished fifth-fastest aboard his 2020 BMW S 1000 RR. Later Friday, Wyman was the fourth-fastest rider in the afternoon Qualifying 1 session, during which he improved his best lap time from practice by more than a second.
When qualifying wrapped up Saturday morning, Wyman had secured fifth place on the starting grid for Sunday’s Stock 1000 race despite suffering a crash during the session. In Saturday’s Superbike race, Wyman battled his way through some mechanical gremlins from his crash during qualifying to finish the race in 12th overall and third among the Superbike Cup competitors.
Wyman’s fortunes proved to be better on Sunday. The Stock 1000 race was stopped after less than one lap due to an on-track incident, and Wyman got a good start when racing got back underway. Though he was held up by another rider for the opening laps of the race, Wyman was able to advance to fourth place on Lap 4 of the shortened six-lap race and had to settle for a lonely fourth-place finish. In Sunday’s Superbike race, Wyman started the race 12th on the grid and – thanks to some attrition farther up the running order – capped off the weekend with a ninth-place finish. It was Wyman’s fourth top 10 in the Superbike Class this season, and he recorded the second-best finish among the Superbike Cup riders..
The weekend also marked Wyman’s first outing as a factory Harley-Davidson rider in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Class. Wyman qualified fourth for the weekend’s Baggers race and was battling for the last step on the podium for the first half of the five-lap race. He ended up scoring a second-place finish when two other front runners dropped out of the race.
Travis Wyman Racing’s next event will be Round 4 of the 2021 MotoAmerica season, which is scheduled for June 25-27 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
Travis Wyman / No. 10
“This was an extremely successful weekend for the team. We were dealing with braking issues all weekend due to the high ambient temperatures. I was really happy with the pace I was running during the Stock 1000 race, and it’s unfortunate that I got held up and wasn’t able to compete for a victory. My team did an amazing job getting our BMW S 1000 RR repaired after my crash in Qualifying 2 to be ready for Saturday’s Superbike race. We’re still leading the Superbike Cup title chase by a good margin, and I’m looking forward to having another crack at The Ridge Motorsports Park in a couple weeks time. We were still learning our new BMW when we raced there last year, and I think that experience will help us have a good start to the weekend there. I also am happy to have welcomed Klock Werks back as a title sponsor for Road America, and I look forward to continuing to grow our marketing partnership.”
More, from a press release issued by N2 Racing:
Blake Davis Finishes Top 5 at Road America
Blake Davis (22). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy N2 Racing.
Elkhart Lake, WI (June 2021) – N2 Racing’s Blake Davis finished top five in both MotoAmerica Junior Cup races at Road America despite having a 78cc displacement disadvantage. Blake was able to use smart riding and the sublime handling of the BobbleHeadMoto-built Yamaha YZF-R3 to score his best finish of the year at the fastest track in the series. Blake is now eighth in the points after recovering from a DNF at the first round.
This was Blake’s first trip to the picturesque Wisconsin track, and he learned it very quickly. Blake was 5th in Free Practice 1 with a lap time of 2:44.42. Blake and the team made significant progress learning the track and bike set up and was able to lower his lap time to 2:41.948 in Qualifying 2 for a fifth place starting position in the middle of row two.
MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race One was a barn burner with seven riders fighting for the win on the last lap. Blake led for several sectors at various parts of the race. The sweet handling Yamaha able to ride around the outside of bikes with 20% bigger engines, but Road America is all about the draft. On the last lap, Blake made a pass for fourth leading on the front straight and the run to the finish, but the little Yamaha simply didn’t have enough power to pass the larger engine competitors on the straight and Blake had to settle for fourth.
Sunday’s Junior Cup Race Two was the one of the best races of the weekend with a lead pack of seven riders covered by less than 3 tenths of a second going into the last lap. Once again, Blake was right there with the lead group leading at several points during the race. On the last lap, Blake used the superior handling of the Yamaha on the long radius carousel corner to drive around the outside and lead going into the chicane leading on to the back straight. Blake was then passed by four riders going into Canada corner. Blake put himself in a great position in the last corner, but the little Yamaha simply could not draft past the larger bikes going up the hill to the finish and Blake finished 5th.
Kris Smith (Team Owner) – “It’s been very challenging building N2 Racing over the last three years, but the effort is finally paying off. Blake did a fantastic job this weekend. This was his first time to Road America and he learned the track very quickly. The team is very professional and adding Blake’s talent and personality to the mix has been uplifting for all of us. We were able to make progress all weekend, going faster every session. We are very excited about the tight technical tracks like The Ridge and Laguna coming up next. We think this will be a great place for Blake to shine. Blake is a pro and a joy to work with. I must remind myself that he is only 14.”
Blake Davis – “Both races were a huge draft battle to the end. I’m happy with the improvements. N2 has been working hard to develop the R3 making it reliable and faster to be able to compete at the front.”
About N2 Track Days:
N2 provides a structured riding environment for sport-bike riders of all levels promoting motorcycle safety through instruction on a closed course racetrack. Our instructors and coaching staff are comprised of club-racers, pro racers, and experienced track day riders who are articulate and passionate about all aspects of this sport. N2 strives to provide an enjoyable riding experience in an environment where members can hone their skills and inspire confidence in their riding ability. Riding with N2 means you and your sportbike gain access to a structured environment without the hazards, limitations, distractions, and obstacles that you’ll find on the street.
N2 Racing is proudly sponsored by: N2 Track Days, BobbleHeadMoto, SBS Brakes, Renthal, Motorex, Shoei Helmets, Ohlins USA, Trading Paint, Westby Racing, and Moto Liberty
More, from a press release issued by Ethan Cook Racing:
Ethan Cook leaves Road America ninth overall in the Twins Cup Championship
Ethan Cook may be in his first season of MotoAmerica competition but that hasn’t stopped the youngster from showing great potential in the opening three rounds of the 2021 Twins Cup series, culminating with a superb ride to sixth in the latest race at Road America in Wisconsin.
Fast throughout the event, Ethan scorched to his best ever qualifying position of eighth position on Saturday morning before converting his third row start to P6 at the flag after a great race long fight with former Asia Road Racing front runner Liam MacDonald.
Cook’s result bagged him ten points meaning he now sits ninth overall in the standings ahead of the next round at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington in a fortnight.
Ethan Cook: “Q1 went rather good considering that our Free Practice session was cut short when someone went down. I was still learning the track but felt really good after a few changes for the afternoon session. I was able to improve by three seconds a lap in Q2 thanks to a gearing change and some changes to the suspension. I was able to get a tow, which you need at Road America and made it onto the third row of the grid for the race. In the race I finished sixth. I felt good on the bike and am happy to achieve my best race finish in MotoAmerica. Overall, it was a great weekend, and I am excited to see how we go in the next race at The Ridge.”
For more information go to EthanCookRacing.com
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing:
First MotoAmerica Win for Gus Rodio at Wisconsin
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Gus Rodio, aboard his Rodio Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 nabbed his very first MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup podium in epic fashion, winning race two at Road America by .02 second.
Rodio, who finished a strong fifth in race one, figured out the drafting strategy for the victory in race two.
“My original strategy was to get out front and pull a gap, but I figured out I couldn’t be out front and push my own wind,” Rodio said, “so I had to work the draft a bit down the straight.”
“I’m super happy to get my first podium, and for it to be a win! I can’t ask for anything more, and it sure won’t be the last one.” Rodio went on to dedicate the win to Artie Meeker who couldn’t attend this round in person.
The rest of the Rodio Racing crew (Frank Angel, Mike Marthaler) felt the thrill of the win, but none more than team owner and race dad, Kevin Rodio.
“We’ve been working hard, putting in the time, and chasing this one for a while now. There are a lot of other race families out there doing the same, and I can finally tell them it’s worth it,” Kevin said.
A surprise addition to the crew was “Limey” the nickname given to the green front fender required for Kawasaki contingency. With this win, his nickname has been changed to “Lucky Limey” and he’ll be a fixture on the bike all season long.
Rodio Racing can’t compete without the help of the following sponsors: HJC Helmets, Spears Racing, EvolveGT, MAR Contractors, LiquiMoly USA, Dunlop, VortexEK, K-Tech Suspension, Orient Express Racing, Triple Strong Racing, N2 Track Days, REB Graphics, Jonco Collision, Innovative Motorsports, VNM Sport, RS Taichi/Moto-Liberty, Motogladiator,
More, from a press release issued by Jeremy Cook Racing:
Jeremy Cook ends challenging MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America round with big crash, broken collarbone
Jeremy Cook (81). Photo by Jim Lester, courtesy Jeremy Cook Racing.
BMW rider remains determined to compete at next MotoAmerica round in two weeks time
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Jeremy Cook had a weekend to forget at MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Road America round, but – despite a broken collarbone and heavily damaged motorcycle – is raring to be back on his BMW S 1000 RR at MotoAmerica’s next event.
The Marylander struggled during his second time racing at Road America in five years to get the most out of his team’s BMW on Friday and Saturday. The June 11-13 event came to a dramatic end for Cook on Lap 1, Turn 1 of Sunday’s Stock 1000 race. Nevertheless, Cook has experience racing within days of having collarbone surgery and plans to put that experience to use June 25-27 when MotoAmerica visits The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
Cook started the weekend struggling for pace in the Stock 1000 Class’ Friday practice as the team was figuring out how to get the most out of its BMW package. Cook finished that session 31st in the 40-rider field with a fastest lap time of 2:29.216. Cook later showed a big improvement in the afternoon qualifying. He posted the 28th-fastest lap of the session and dropped his best lap time around the 4.048-mile road course by more than two seconds to a 2:27.146. When Saturday’s Qualifying 2 session concluded, Cook had secured 28th for Sunday’s Stock 1000 starting grid and had improved his best lap time by about another two seconds with a 2:24.822.
The team’s hard work toward finding an ideal setup came to fruition in Sunday morning warm-up. Cook posted a weekend-best lap time of 2:23.339 and was the 22nd-fastest rider during the session.
When the Stock 1000 race got underway on Sunday, Cook got a good start, had moved up about 10 positions and was riding the outside line through Turn 1 when another rider crashed and skidded into his path. Cook did not have time to avoid the down rider and ended up coming off his BMW in spectacular fashion. Cook was thrown off his motorcycle forward and to the left, and his BMW took an odd trajectory — tumbling end over end several times before coming to rest in the Turn 1 gravel trap.
Cook met with the surgeon who performed his previous collarbone operation on Wednesday and learned that his collarbone is broken in several places. Cook also has pain, swelling or other signs of injury in his right knee, both ankles, right foot, hips, hamstrings and neck. As for Cook’s BMW S 1000 RR, the front forks, triple clamps, axle are bent, both rims are shattered and the subframe, battery box, exhaust and crash protection parts are all badly damaged.
Despite Cook and his motorcycle being battered in the crash, the Jeremy Cook Racing team still plans to make the cross-country trek to Washington with a not-fully-repaired BMW S 1000 RR. The estimated bike repair cost is about $5,000 – $15,000.
Jeremy Cook / No. 81
“It certainly wasn’t the weekend we’d hoped for at Road America. But, considering how bad Sunday’s crash was, I’m grateful that there’s even a possibility that I could be racing at The Ridge later this month. It wasn’t any fun struggling to find the pace I know that I and my BMW S 1000 RR can run around this fast, flowing track, and it’s too bad we didn’t even get a lap in once we found a race setup we really liked. I’ve broken my collarbone before, and I went club racing five days after the last time I had collarbone surgery. I really want to get right back into the saddle of my BMW S 1000 RR. We have a lot of work to do to get the bike repaired and ready for Washington, and I encourage anyone who would like to chip in and help my team get back to racing to contact me via my Facebook page, named ‘Jeremy Cook #81.’ or send their donation to http://www.paypal.me/jeremycook81.”
More, from a press release issued by Andrew Lee Racing:
Step by step the results are coming for Andrew Lee in MotoAmerica Stock 1000
Double MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee continued his trend of top six finishes in the latest round of the 2021 series at Road America, Wisconsin.
Back on track after a year’s hiatus, Lee raced to his second top six finish of the year in Race 2 at the iconic circuit located in Elkhart Lake, after claiming a season’s best fifth at the previous round in Virginia. The result means Andrew sits seventh overall in the standings having finished inside the top eight in all five races held so far.
Lee will be back on track next weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Andrew Lee: “It was a long weekend, but we made a lot of good progress. Looking glass half full, I think we have made a good step, which I am confident we can maintain at The Ridge. It’s a little later in the season that we would have liked but we are now moving in the right direction. It’s a new bike so we are starting from scratch on a Friday. I now feel much more comfortable so I am sure we will be more competitive on Friday’s moving forward which should see us further up the field come race day. A big thanks to my Franklin Armory team. They are working great, and the results will come.”
For more information go to www.andrewleeracing.com
More, from a press release issued by HONOS HVMC Racing Team:
More Podiums For HONOS HVMC Racing At Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin – Round 3 of the MotoAmerica championship took place this past weekend at the infamous Road America circuit with hot temperatures, beautiful sunny skies, and an absolutely packed crowd. The event concluded on a high note with Richie Escalante scoring a dominating victory in Sunday’s Supersport race two after rebounding from a clash with his championship rival in Saturday’s race one. Corey Alexander also earned a third place finish in the only Stock 1000cc race of the weekend Sunday morning whilst battling for top ten finishes in both Superbike races.
Richie, still recovering from a recent clavicle injury, arrived back in true form setting the pace throughout practice and qualifying only narrowly missing out on pole position during qualifying two. Race one proved to be an all out battle royale after Richie and Sean Dylan Kelly swapped positions several times per lap for the entirety before the duo crashed in tandem on the final lap. Richie was able to get back up finishing in 5th place scoring valuable points just ahead of his championship competitor whom also remounted.
At the start of Supersport race 2 Richie and his Graves-Spec Kawasaki ZX-6R took off to an early lead which he smoothly maintained to a dominate finish 9.5 seconds ahead of second place. Richie commented.. “Overall this weekend at Road America was amazing. We worked on making me more comfortable on my bike and tried some new things. We had some strong battles with Sean and I’m happy to walk away with good points in the championship. Thanks to my crew chief and mechanics for working so hard.” Richies personal sponsors include Fresh & Lean, HJC Helmets, Vircos Leathers, Alpinestars, and Hidalgo.
Corey also continued on form from his recent win at VIR and set the pace throughout qualifying and practice narrowly missing out on pole position. The sole Stock 1000cc race of the weekend saw the #23 get off to a great start leading throughout lap 1 only to be red flagged. After the restart Corey was shuffled back to third place which he would maintain for the entirety of the shortened 6 lap race. In both Superbike races Alexander battled for top ten’s aboard his Stock 1000cc Graves-Spec Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine finishing with a 13th and 10th place respectively. Corey now sits in third position in both the Stock 1000cc and Superbike Cup championships.
“We had a great weekend and made leaps forward with our bike in every session” Corey said. “It was a bummer we got caught out by the red flag during the race and the other guys were able to make some changes that helped them step up the pace for the restart. The times we were battling at were quite fast and we just didn’t have anything for them in a straight-line due to my weight and size. Thanks to the boys for all the hard work, we will come back strong in two weeks.” Corey’s personal sponsors include: Corey’s personal sponsors include Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Sals Pizza & Pasta, Ikoniqa, Four3 Performance Lab, Gemini, and Prestige Services Group.
The HONOS HVMC Racing team heads to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington for round 4 of the MotoAmerica Championship June 25-27th. 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 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York:
Loris Baz has mixed fortunes during the third round of the MotoAmerica Superbike series at Road America
The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Team and rider Loris Baz arrived at round three of the 2021 MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Championship at Road America with high ambitions for conquering one of the USA’s quickest road race tracks.
The team went straight to work during Friday practice and qualifying before loads of fans, the track the busiest it’s been in a decade. The 28-year-old Frenchman Baz qualified fifth on the Ducati Panigale V4 R, putting him on the second row for Saturday’s race one. During race one, by the final lap, Baz worked his way to third. He then took second after winning a drag race to the finish line thanks to the power of the V4 R.
Ahead of Sunday’s race two, the team made some slight modifications to make the Ducati turn quicker as they hoped to capitalize on the front-row start. As Baz was passing for the lead on lap three, he was forced to retire due to a technical problem.
“It’s been a tough weekend,” Baz said. “I have a bittersweet taste because we struggled a lot in qualifying, but after qualifying, we made some big changes on the bike, so thank you to the crew for that. We found the way and we started race one with a totally different bike—I needed a couple of laps to learn the settings—then I managed to improve my pace to get in front of Bobby (Fong) and Cameron (Petersen) at the end.
“We made another big change this morning and I felt so good for race two. We closed the gap to Jake and I was really starting to think we could fight for the win. In such a small time the team did an amazing job with changing the bike, but straight away in lap one I felt something in the engine, and then in lap three it expired. We’ll put our heads down and come back better for the next round.”
After three of nine rounds, Baz is seventh in the Superbike Championship with 53 points. The team will complete a track day at Brainard Raceway in Minnesota this week as it gets sorted for round four Jul 9-11 at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
The team is made possible through key partners: North American Warhorse, Parts Unlimited, Ducati New York, Horsepower HD, Competition Werkes, Mount Airy Casino & Resort, New York Safety Track, and Fast by Ferraci.
In addition to the support of their technical sponsors: Akrapovic, Bickle Racing, DID Chain, DNA Air Filters, Drippen Wet, Drive Systems USA, EVOL Technologies, FullSix Carbon, Full Spectrum, Hard Knocks Moto Coffee, Melotti Racing, OGNIBENE S.p.A., Spider, RaceSeats, Samco Sport, Spiegler Performance, Race Technologies, and TechSpec.
For ongoing race season updates, follow HSBK Racing on:
Progressive AFT Set for Double Showdown at OKC Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the first time in 2021, the full power of Progressive American Flat Track will be unleashed on a big Mile racetrack with this weekend’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER at Remington Park, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19.
Blending maximum velocity, intensity, strategy, and bravery, the series’ Miles stand out as highlights on the annual calendar. The OKC Mile represents an outstanding example of the discipline, delivering ultra-close racing at a state-of-the-art facility in front of massive crowds.
Coming off of the cathartic victory of reigning two-time champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) at the recent Chicago Half-Mile, his Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title rival Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) will be seriously motivated to counter with a victory (or two) of his own this weekend.
While he built his reputation largely on his Half-Mile prowess — and later his all-around game — Mees has developed into one of the sport’s all-time great Milers in recent years. Since 2016, he’s racked up an astonishing 15 Mile wins, including all three previous stops at Remington Park.
Even though title hopeful Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) is out of action while on the mend from injury, Mees’ path to victory will be all the more difficult to negotiate considering this weekend marks the anticipated return of “Mile Master” Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley/Howerton Motorsports Indian FTR750).
A tactical genius in high-speed drafting wars, Smith is tied with the iconic Bubba Shobert for third on the all-time Mile wins list at 25. Now picking and choosing his best races and funneling all of his focus and effort into winning those rather than the season-long grind of a championship chase, Smith could be a serious threat at the OKC Mile.
Despite the fact that the OKC Mile is one of the few Miles Smith has yet to conquer, he’s been on the podium in each of his three attempts. Given a sniff of the draft on the final lap, victory #26 could be within his grasp.
AFT Singles
Estenson Yamaha teammates Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) are separated by just a single point atop the AFT Singles championship order thanks to their consistent excellence. Rush has yet to finish off the podium this year, while Daniels has finished no lower than fourth and holds the slight advantage thanks to his Atlanta Super TT victory.
Both riders are proven Mile experts — Rush in particular — so it would be a surprise if they weren’t among the lead group battling it out for the wins again this weekend.
However, all eyes will be on the class’ all-time winningest rider, Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE). Aggressive, instinctive and intelligent, Texter-Bauman is nearly unbeatable on high-speed tracks when everything is clicking, as evidenced by her record eight-career Mile wins, including one at Remington Park. Should she up that tally to ten, Texter-Bauman would instantly reignite the title pursuit she kicked off in double-win fashion back in March at Volusia Speedway Park.
Even though he’s best known for his legendary TT and ST accomplishments, Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) was actually the best Miler in the class during last year’s abbreviated schedule with a win and runner-up at the 2020 Indy Mile. The Honda ace could use a similar result this weekend to kickstart his championship campaign.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) leads the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines field into the OKC Mile fresh off his second victory of the season at the Chicago Half-Mile.
The championship’s top four ranked riders — Texter, Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) — have put themselves in that position with consistently strong performances.
Oklahoma native Danny Eslick (No. 64 Pro One Industries Kawasaki Ninja 650), fresh off of a third place finish at the Chicago Half-Mile, stands confident as he prepares to line up on his home turf.
In its return, the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile brings back with it the open paddock experience and the return of a rider autograph session to precede Opening Ceremonies both days. Chasing Neon will entertain with its eclectic mix of live party music that ranges from country to classic rock and everything in between. Additionally, the Fan Zone and vendor area will keep spectators fully fed, hydrated, and stimulated all day at the track.
Tickets are available for purchase at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3324. General Admission tickets on the Apron start at $35 (kids 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult GA ticket). Outdoor Premium GA Grandstand tickets are $40 ($20 for kids 12 and under), and Indoor Premium GA Grandstands tickets are $50 ($25 for kids 12 and under). A number of upgraded ticket options are also available, although several have already sold out and others are going fast. Fans who purchase Friday and Saturday General Admission tickets in advance will receive a $10 multi-day discount.
The gates will open for fans both days at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for only $1.99 a month via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
The Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER will air back-to-back on NBCSN on Saturday, June 26, starting at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT, featuring exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage accompanied by expert commentary.
Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne continues to dominate, breaking another track record en route to victory in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Road America. Teammate Josh Herrin overcame adversity to score his second top-five finish this weekend in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Once again, Gagne grabbed the holeshot from pole position, but this time around, the competition was hot on his heels and made the pass in Turn 5. The 28-year-old quickly reclaimed the lead and then upped the ante by breaking Cameron Beaubier’s track record in a Superbike race, an impressive 2:10.998. From there, Gagne put in some consistently fast times to win his fifth consecutive race by a 6.7-second margin, expanding his lead in the championship to 18 points.
Herrin lined up fifth for today’s grid and got a great start from the second row to third. Unfortunately, he got shuffled back to seventh in the opening laps, but the 2013 Superbike Champion kept pushing to fight his way back. He made the pass for fifth going into the first turn on Lap 5, and then advanced to fourth a lap later. The battle heated up with five laps to go, and Herrin was pushed wide in the chicane and shuffled back to sixth. He was able to move back into fifth a lap later, where he ultimately finished.
The Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team heads to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, for Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on June 25-27.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Road America is a special track, and the fans were awesome! It was another great day for the Yamaha R1. Jake once again was in complete harmony with the machine and led every lap for the win and set another race record. As a matter of fact, the R1 has every track record on our circuit with the exception of Brainerd, where we haven’t raced but will be testing there next week. We look forward to the next race at The Ridge where we will see if Josh or Jake can break Cameron’s track record from 2020. It should be good fun.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“The Fresh N’ Lean Attack Yamaha R1 was on rails all weekend! I’m super happy for the team and that we were able to put everything together to have two great wins here at Road America. We’ll keep this momentum going and keep working hard for more great weekends like this. It was amazing to see the great fan turn out this weekend as well. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Josh Herrin – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough weekend, but we still managed to leave with some decent points. We will get back to work and come back swinging at The Ridge.”
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Notches His Fifth Podium Result In Six Races
Elkhart Lake, WI – After finishing sixth in Saturday’s Superbike race at Road America, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz bounced back with a podium finish on Sunday. With his third-place finish, Mathew has reached the podium in five out of the six races thus far in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Starting on the outside of row two based on his sixth-place finish in Saturday’s race, Mathew got off to a good start and quickly went to work moving towards the front. He raced the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 all the way up to third place by lap three and maintained his podium position all the way to the checkered flag, while also successfully holding off a strong challenge from Bobby Fong on the run up the hill to the finish line.
Mathew Scholtz (11) at speed during Superbike Race Two at Road America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
“We made some pretty huge changes with the traction control just to try to drive out of the corners better,” Mathew said. “Yesterday, we could see that the top speed wasn’t bad, but it was that third, fourth, fifth gear coming out of the corners where we were losing big time. So, we decided to turn off the traction control, which made it really hard, but it definitely drove better. You could see the lap times were better for the first couple of laps. It worked out perfectly that I got past (Bobby) Fong, (Josh) Herrin, Kyle Wyman, and just rode my own race from there. Then, with maybe four laps to go, something started happening. There was liquid shooting back up at me, and the clutch lever was bouncing backwards and forwards. Everything wasn’t really working well, but I managed to hold on. I’m happy to be third and back up here on the podium. Thank you to the Westby team. Everybody has been working hard. We have our work cut out for us to try to catch up to Jake, but we’re ready for the challenge.”
Westby Racing’s Junior Cup rider Jack Roach’s weekend could be summed up as a learning experience. After qualifying 7th, but finishing 14th in the race on Saturday, he ran off the track in Sunday’s race and ultimately finished 18th.
Next up for Westby Racing is round four of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 25 through 27.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Ups and Downs for Ducati Duo in Wisconsin
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Round three of the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship saw the trials and tribulations of professional motorcycle racing never more evident for Ducati duo Loris Baz and Kyle Wyman.
In a weekend of near perfect racing conditions at the legendary Road America, Baz lit up the scorecard by snatching second place on the line in race one after an epic battle with Suzuki riders Cameron Petersen and Bobby Fong.
The French maestro used all his guile and the speed of the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York machine to out-drag Petersen to the flag, with Wyman ending race one a solid seventh on the Panera Bread Ducati.
However, as so often goes in motorcycle racing, the Ducati racers were in for a shock in Sunday’s race two with Baz enduring a technical issue and Wyman suffering a crash.
2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 125
P2 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 107
P3 – Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 83
P4 – Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) 82
P5 – Bobby Fong (Suzuki) 72
P7 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 53
P8 – Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 49
Loris Baz (76) at speed at Road America. Photo courtesy Ducati North America.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #76)
“It’s been a tough weekend,” Baz said. “I have a bittersweet taste because we struggled a lot in qualifying, but after qualifying we made some big changes on the bike, so thank you to the crew for that. We found the way and we started race one with a totally different bike—I needed a couple of laps to learn the settings—then I managed to improve my pace to get in front of Bobby (Fong) and Cameron (Petersen) at the end.
“We made another big change this morning and I felt so good for race two. We closed the gap to Jake and I was really starting to think we could fight for the win. In such a small time the team did an amazing job with changing the bike, but straight away in lap one I felt something in the engine, and then in lap three it expired. We’ll put our heads down and come back better for the next round.”
Kyle Wyman (33) leading Hector Barbera (80) at Road America. Photo courtesy Ducati North America.
Kyle Wyman (Panera Bread Ducati – Ducati #33)
“I crashed in the middle of race two and broke the radius in my elbow,” Wyman said. “I’ll have to wait until Tuesday to get surgery. Up until that point I was having a good race but I was having a few issues with the front. These are the highs and lows of racing. It was a little low side crash and I caught my elbow on the inside of the curb and I felt it immediately. We’ll come back stronger.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering rider De Keyrel takes victory in Twins Cup race at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America
Schultz scores third top-five finish of 2021 MotoAmerica season at June 11-13 event
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Kaleb De Keyrel had lots of friends and family cheering him on Friday and Saturday at MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Road America round, and the Minnesotan didn’t let his audience down. The Robem Engineering rider piloted his Aprilia RS 660 to a dominant win in Saturday’s Twins Cup race, claiming his second victory of the 2021 season.
De Keyrel’s teammate, Hayden Schultz, also had a positive weekend. The Arkansas rider scored a fourth place in Saturday’s race and held onto seventh place in the Twins Cup standings.
The win allowed De Keyrel — who was the runner-up in the 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup — to move up from fourth to first in the class’ points standings, and it was his second victory in five races aboard the newly-homologated-for-2021 Aprilia RS 660.
The team’s third rider, Toby Khamsouk, did not take part in the Road America round to attend to a personal matter.
Part of the team’s success at Road America can be attributed to the test day it conducted after the previous MotoAmerica round at VIRginia International Raceway had concluded. The additional track time allowed the team to gather much-needed data about its trio of Aprilia RS 660s and greatly improve its baseline setups for all three riders.
De Keyrel and Schultz got very little track time on Friday at Road America due to the morning Twins Cup practice session being red-flagged and later canceled because of an on-track incident. De Keyrel finished the session at the top of the time sheets, and Schultz posted the third-fastest time. Later Friday during Qualifying 1, De Keyrel laid down the second-fastest time of the session, and Schultz finished the session seventh-fastest.
De Keyrel’s commanding pace was on full display when qualifying wrapped up Saturday morning, as he claimed pole position by a margin of 0.852 seconds. Schultz finished qualifying in sixth place, posting a time of 2:31.583 around the 4.048-mile circuit.
It was De Keyrel’s time to shine in the weekend’s only Twins Cup race, and he delivered an impressive performance. After getting a good start and claiming the holeshot, De Keyrel gradually built a lead over the pack of riders battling for second place. He led all eight laps of the race, taking the win by a margin of more than 7.9 seconds. Schultz also had a good race on Saturday. After getting shuffled back a couple positions at the start, he worked his way to a fourth-place finish.
The Robem Engineering team will be back in action at Round 4 of the 2021 MotoAmerica season, which takes place June 25-27 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51
“We only got two laps in during Friday practice, but I felt comfortable right from the start aboard my Aprilia. It felt great being able to go out and put down quick laps right away. We made some changes to our setup from what we used at VIR, and we learned a lot about what I needed out of the bike during Qualifying 1. That helped me feel comfortable to push the bike more at the start of Qualifying 2 on Saturday, and we were able to go quite a bit faster than everyone else. Drafting is a huge factor here at Road America with its long straightaways. I knew I was going to have to put my head down from the start and try to break the draft. I was able to do that pretty quickly and was able to focus on just being smooth and smart with the lead I had. The Aprilia RS 660 handled like a dream: it was easily the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike. I’m extremely excited to be leading the championship now and am looking forward to bringing this momentum to Washington.”
Hayden Schultz (49). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Hayden Schultz / No. 49
“I was happy to come away from the Road America round with good points, although the result isn’t exactly what I was hoping for this weekend. I worked incredibly hard to try to get to the front, but with limited track time – due to the length of the track and losing most of the first practice session – I struggled to give the team the feedback it needed to find an ideal setup. I unfortunately wasn’t able to run up front with my teammate in the race, but we’re going to carry what we learned here at Road America into the next round. We’ll have time to test the bike at the Ridge to improve our setup and, hopefully, we’ll be able to join Kaleb on the podium at The Ridge.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2021 include 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 Aprilia:
APRILIA RS 660 CONTINUES TO WIN IN MOTOAMERICA
AT ROAD AMERICA POLE POSITION AND SOLO VICTORY FOR KALEB DE KEYREL, NOW LEADER OF THE TWINS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
Kaleb De Keyrel on the Twins Cup podium at Road America. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
The Aprilia RS 660 continues to win and amaze in the hard-fought Twins category of the US MotoAmerica championship: already the protagonist at the beginning of May of a sensational debut in the inaugural race in Atlanta, with three Italian bikes in the first three positions, this weekend the brand new mid-range sports bike from Noale scored another success on the demanding Road America circuit at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin.
A confirmation of the dynamic and engine qualities of the RS 660, homologated just before the start of the championship and now already among the favorites for the final victory of the prestigious US series for twin-cylinder bikes.
Kaleb De Keyrel, riding his RS 660 prepared by the Robem Engineering team, was the author of a weekend of dominance, he first obtained the pole position with a margin of over 8 tenths of a second place, then in the race he kept an unapproachable pace for his opponents, crossing the finish line with almost 8″ of gap on Jackson Blackmon (Yamaha).
Thanks to this success, his second of the season, De Keyrel has also taken the lead in the overall standings with 76 points, 10 more than his closest rival, Chris Parrish (Suzuki).
“I felt comfortable right from the start with my Aprilia. It felt great being able to go out and put down quick laps right away, that helped me feel comfortable to push the bike more at the start of Qualifying 2 on Saturday, and we were able to go quite a bit faster than everyone else. Drafting is a huge factor here at Road America with its long straightaways. I knew I was going to have to put my head down from the start and try to break the draft. I was able to do that pretty quickly and was able to focus on just being smooth and smart with the lead I had. The Aprilia RS 660 handled like a dream: it was easily the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike.”
Aprilia RS 660, launched last October, is revolutionizing the concept of sportiness, it is so light and effective between the curves that, although designed to be used daily on the road, it is capable of transforming itself with a few changes into an extremely fast and fun bike between the curbs. The dynamic qualities, the rigour of the frame, the reduced weight and the exciting performance of the new 100 HP twin-cylinder engine enhance the driving pleasure of a motorcycle that, after being one of the most eagerly awaited novelties, has proved to be fun and enjoyable, able to give emotions in every situation of use.
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
FACTORY H-D RIDERS KYLE AND TRAVIS WYMAN FINISH 1-2 AT ROAD AMERICA
Harley-Davidson Racers Sweep Podium Spots
Kyle Wyman (33) acknowledging his crew along pit wall as he takes the checkered flag at Road America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE (June 14, 2021) – The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory racing team put a dominating stamp on the second round of the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers road racing series at its home track of Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Kyle Wyman, aboard the #33 factory-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide® Special powered by a modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine, set pole position, posted the quickest lap of the race, led every lap, and took the win by more than 15 seconds. His new teammate and brother Travis Wyman finished second in his debut on his #10 factory prepped Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special. Hayden Gillim took third and completed the podium sweep for H-D racers aboard his #79 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Street Glide.
With the win, Kyle Wyman takes a commanding 16-point lead over Gillim in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series heading into the final round at Laguna Seca. Indian motorcycle racers Frankie Garcia and Tyler O’Hara sit in third and fourth, while Travis Wyman is fifth in points.
“It’s pretty amazing, getting a chance to ride for the factory, is something that’s a dream come true,” said Kyle Wyman. “Now to win for the factory is incredible. I can’t thank Harley-Davidson enough and really all the individuals on the team because these guys are so passionate. They deserve this win so much. These guys put in so much work. It just feels amazing. One-two for the Wyman brothers, one-two for Harley-Davidson, it couldn’t be any better.”
“When I found out that my brother got this deal with Harley-Davidson, I was pretty excited for him but also jealous,” said Travis Wyman. “I actually made a joke to him that if they ever want a second rider to hit me up. And then within a month of having this program he asked me if I wanted to join the team. Through testing Kyle was quicker than me, but I knew that if we got the right set up, I would have a shot at the podium, and that was my goal for the weekend. Each time I got on the bike I felt more comfortable. With Kyle finishing first and me finishing second, it’s an accelerated dream come true for both of us.”
Kyle and Travis Wyman are the sons of Kim Wyman, owner of Harv’s Harley-Davidson in Macedon, N.Y., and grew up around Harley-Davidson and flat track racing.
“All of us at Harley-Davidson are very proud of Kyle and Travis, and the dedicated team of Harley-Davidson engineers who developed this program entirely in-house in addition to their everyday assignments,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO Harley-Davidson.
The MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series is for race-prepared, American V-Twin touring motorcycles equipped with a fairing and saddlebags. Harley-Davidson is offering a nearly $30,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson® competing racers. The final round of the King of the Baggers series is July 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Calif.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results Road America:
Kyle Wyman (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
Travis Wyman (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
Hayden Gillim (Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson)
Danny Eslick (Rossmeyer Daytona Racing Harley-Davidson)
Frankie Garcia (RSD Indian)
Zack Nation (Zack Nation Racing Harley-Davidson)
John Sueberling (Mad Monkey Motorsports Harley-Davidson)
Eric Stahl (Jiffy Tune Racing Harley-Davidson)
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Series Points:
Kyle Wyman 45 (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
Hayden Gillim 29 (Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson)
Frankie Garcia 27 (RSD Indian)
Tyler O’Hara 25 (S&S Indian)
Travis Wyman 20 (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
John Sueberling 19 (Mad Monkey Motorsports Harley-Davidson)
Eric Stahl 19 (Jiffy Tune Racing Harley-Davidson)
Danny Eslick 13 (Rossmeyer Daytona Racing Harley-Davidson)
Zack Nation 10 (Zack Nation Racing Harley-Davidson)
Sachsenring: a blank slate or the return of the King?
Marc Marquez has won seven in a row at the track in the premier class. If he can’t challenge for an eighth, who’s going to end his reign?
Monday, 14 June 2021
After a dramatic Catalan GP, the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland beckons for the first race weekend in another back-to-back for the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship. The tight and twisty venue is a different challenge from most, and traditionally there has been a single King of the Sachsenring: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). With seven wins from seven in his time in MotoGP™ – and a few before that too – the number 93 has been almost unassailable at the track, but this time he arrives on the comeback from injury and the flashes of brilliance so far have been very much accompanied by some struggles for the eight-time World Champion. “Like the old Marc,” was his review of the laps he completed in Barcelona though, and on Monday in the post-race test he did more laps than anyone. So is it too soon to expect the King to return to the throne?
If he doesn’t, there’s a somewhat blank slate in his wake. Traditionally though, the next bike home after the winner has been a Yamaha in recent years. So will it be this time? Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will be hoping so after a dramatic end to his race in Barcelona where race-winning pace translated into sixth in the final results after two penalties. He’ll want to gain that ground back, and teammate Maverick Viñales will want to gain ground full stop – something also true of Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi as some tougher times continue in their garage.
Also traditionally, another Honda has sometimes joined Marc Marquez on the podium. The top rider for the marque as it stands is Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and he’ll want that good form for the bike at the track to translate into a kinder weekend in Germany after a dip recently. He has, after all, already taken a fourth place in 2021, as difficult as the year has been at times. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) will likewise look to the past performance of the machine to give themselves a boost, too. And what did HRC find in the post-Catalan GP test?
The more unknown quantities, in terms of track records, go for the rest. Ducati, to start with the factory equal on points with Yamaha at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, have seemed to edge closer and closer to the front in Germany as their bike has been crafted to turn better and better. And this season, it’s seemingly better than ever. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) praised the machine after his podium in Catalunya and offered a quick “we’ll see” regarding the Sachsenring, but 2021 so far says there’s more to be optimistic about than ever before. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will have a few eyes on him too, with the Italian’s riding style and corner speed a key talking point earlier in the year, but his Barcelona weekend a little more muted.
Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), however, got the better of both last time out. The Frenchman was top Independent Team rider and top Ducati – as he is in the standings, although Miller especially is gaining some traction – and cut his gap to the top quite a bit after Quartararo’s two penalties. What can he do? He had a tougher time of it at the track on the Yamaha, or more so in 2017 compared to then-teammate Jonas Folger’s heroics, but Zarco won the Moto2™ race at the track in 2016 and was only 0.083 off doing the same the year before. So he knows his way around… can he hook it up in the premier class?
Ahead of all the Borgo Panigale machinery in Barcelona, however, was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Portuguese rider put in an outstanding push on Sunday – and a smart one – to leave the Catalan GP with his first victory in factory colours, and he’s another with some good stats in his past at the track, just 0.066 off the win in Moto2™ in 2017 behind only Morbidelli. Teammate Brad Binder won the Moto2™ race the year after. As this is a track where the Austrian factory have no 2020 data and a best result outside the top ten given the sheer speed of their ascendancy, will it be more of an uphill struggle at this particular – and in some ways peculiar – venue? Or are the riders, mileage so far and updates to the RC16 ready to carry on where they left off?
Suzuki, meanwhile, have a couple of highlights that lend themselves to optimism – in addition to a bike that handles exceedingly well. First is a fourth place for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the grid in 2019, the last time we raced at the Sachsenring, although he didn’t finish the race and arrives fighting to be fit after a cycling accident ahead of Barcelona. But the other is his teammate – and the reigning Champion – Joan Mir’s seventh place in 2019. Looking back at the Majorcan’s record at the track in his short, sharp ascent to the top of the MotoGP™ world, it goes from Moto3™ win on the way to the title to best Moto2™ result at the time in 2018, a second place. And then straight to seventh as a MotoGP™ rookie – his second best premier class result at the time, behind only Barcelona where he took P6. Since then he’s become World Champion and Suzuki team Champions, so what can they do this time around at the Sachsenring now they’re established at the front?
Finally, for Aprilia the fight for the top five continues and will continue in Germany. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) has been close to it but ended up equalling their best result in the MotoGP™ era, sixth, which speaks to an impressive season but one that remains fixed on a firm goal: the top five, and the podium. Aleix Espargaro sat out the post-Catalan GP test after crashing out of the race but did get his arm, following arm pump surgery previously, checked out. All is ok, and the number 41 will be gunning for more glory in Germany… can he crack that top five this time around?
MotoGP™ take on the Sachsenring on Sunday the 20th of June at 14:00 (GMT +2), with another 25 points in play and even more eyes than normal on Marc Marquez. Is there a new King of the Sachsenring soon to be crowned? We’re about to find out…
4 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 88
5 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 78
*Independent Team rider
Double trouble: can Red Bull KTM Ajo continue their roll in Germany?
Gardner vs Fernandez has been the recent story. Will the Sachsenring write another chapter in their domination?
2021 is going pretty well for Red Bull KTM Ajo. In Moto2™, it’s a masterclass so far for both Championship leader Remy Gardner and his rookie sensation of a teammate Raul Fernandez, who remains a close second in the standings. The number 25 also been Gardner’s closest challenger on track as the two stamp some serious authority on the season: a 1-2 in the last three races, the latter two with Gardner out front, and the only single race in which neither have been on the podium is Jerez. That’s quite a record, and as we head into the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland the Jaws music has likely already started a faint crescendo for their rivals.
In terms of track records, Gardner has scored points on Moto2™’s last four visits to Saxony, a solid CV even for a rider in the form of his life as everything comes together, so there’s no reason to expect he’ll suddenly lose any speed. There is one added challenge for Raul Fernandez though: a little less experience. That didn’t make much difference at Mugello, however, and on his Moto3™ debut at the Sachsenring in 2018 as an injury replacement, the Spaniard very much showed he knew his way around. So who could challenge the duo?
So far this season it’s been a tale of five riders with the edge on the rest and the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo with a little more than that. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) have both had wins marred by a few mistakes, so can they hit back? It’s starting to get more and more vital as the summer break approaches, with both seeing big points go begging of late but both already having taken to the top step.
The opposite is true of Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), who has lacked the raw pace to take him to a first win of the season so far but put together an impeccable campaign of consistency in third overall. That’s paying dividends as he now enjoys a nice 26-point cushion ahead of Lowes on the chase. With the metronomic excellence of the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo ahead though, “points make prizes” will soon not be enough. Can the Italian find that step forward in Germany? And can Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who denied Bezzecchi the third step in Barcelona, keep his renewed form rolling?
Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was back on song in Barcelona too, and he took a solid sixth last time Moto2™ raced in Germany. Bo Bendseyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) impressed last time out to beat Lowes to sixth at Catalunya as well. On German turf though, a few eyes will also be on Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as he starts to rebuild some speed after a tougher start to 2021. The Bavarian has a good record at the Sachsenring too, including a podium the last time we raced there in 2019…
Finally, Fermin Aldeguer (+Ego Speed Up) could be one to watch for those keen on catching a rider on the ascent. The Spaniard, who has taken five wins from five in the Moto2™ European Championship, including an almost offensively quick double in Barcelona on the Sunday ahead of the Sachsenring, will be in on injury replacement for Yari Montella once again. First time out on the Triumph 765, the 16-year-old took 12th and was just half a tenth off top Boscocuro Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). And this was at Mugello, where he’d never raced before. Can he make some more magic in Saxony?
Moto2™ go racing in Germany at 12:20 (GMT +2), with another 25 points on the table. Can Red Bull KTM Ajo keep delivering? Or will the Sachsenring see someone able to defeat the duo of the moment? Find out on Sunday in the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.
Moto2™ Championship top five:
1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 139
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 128
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 101
4 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 75
5 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – 50
Moto3™: can Garcia keep it full GASGAS in Germany?
The Spaniard is officially on a charge… so can he continue to pull in Acosta’s lead at the Sachsenring?
Consistency has been hard to come by in the 2021 Moto3™ season. At first, rookie sensation – and still very much Championship leader – Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had it as those around him faltered, but now the momentum has moved once again and he’s been scoring good points, but not on the podium. Instead, it’s Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) who’s scored 57 points in the last three races, two of which he’s won to emerge as the closest challenger. One in the wet, one in the dry… and now we head to a venue where a few of his rivals lack some experience. And Garcia was in the lead group last time we raced in Germany.
First things first, Acosta has ridden the Sachsenring in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and won a race. But will that experience count for a lot? He’ll hope so, with at least some track knowledge to help him on his quest to stem the tide of points. But Garcia isn’t the only rider looking to claw back some more ground…
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was just bumped off the podium in Barcelona by a track limits infraction, will be out for some revenge, and the likes of Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) will want to keep finishing ahead of Acosta as they did at Catalunya. Romano Fenati (Steilgarda Max Racing Team) remains fourth overall too and of those returning to race Moto3™ at the Sachsenring this year, the veteran Italian was also the top finisher in 2019 as he took fourth.
Experience is also a question for Catalan GP podium finishers Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Rookies in 2020 and therefore not racing the venue in Moto3™ yet, can they stay at the front? Alcoba hasn’t had any experience of the track and will be up against the clock to get up to speed, but Öncü has an impressive record at the place in the Rookies. He took his first victory in the Cup at the track in 2017, and in 2018 he took another win and a second place. Will that, plus the added confidence from an emotional first podium in Barcelona, translate into race day pace in 2021?
The tight, twisty Sachsenring may deliver a slightly different Moto3™ showdown to that of many tracks so far, and it’s a new challenge for a few key faces in the field. Who’ll come out on top? We’ll find out on Sunday as Moto3™ see the lights go out on the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at 11:00 (GMT +2).
Stefano Mesa and Pirelli Take Two with Track Records at Summit Point Raceway and Nelson Ledges Road Course
Mesa’s Ninja® ZX™-10R is Unstoppable with the New DIABLO Superbike SCX Rear
ROME, Ga. – Pirelli Tire North America captured the brand’s third and fourth absolute motorcycle track record of the 2021 racing season as Stefano Mesa put in an impressive performance at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia and then backed it up with an inspiring ride at Nelson Ledges Road Course in Garrettsville, Ohio. The new lap records were set aboard a 2021 Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-10R motorcycle equipped with Pirelli DIABLO Superbike slicks.
“The feeling of achievement in setting a lap record just never gets old,” said Mesa. “Each year these things become harder and harder to accomplish but having Pirelli and the new products that they continue to develop certainly make a world of difference. They continue to develop incredible products and in return that allows me to be faster. The new 125/70 and 200/65 sizing are just insane, and when combined with this SCX rear compound, it’s a phenomenal package.”
Mesa’s new lap record of 1:10.551 in the Championship Cup Series at Summit Point Raceway was set in the Unlimited GP class, topping his own previous lap record of 1:10.728. A DIABLO Superbike SC2 in 125/70-17 was used on the front of his ZX-10R motorcycle, while a DIABLO Superbike SCX in 200/65-17 sizing was used on the rear. Just one week later, Mesa carried his momentum into Nelson Ledges Road Course by setting a new lap record of 1:03.926 in the WERA Series’ A Superstock class. A DIABLO Superbike SC1 front in 125/70-17 sizing and DIABLO Superbike SCX rear in 200/65-17 sizing were used to outpace the previous record of 1:04.192.
“We’ve seen the new SCX rear tire start to drop lap times across the nation, so these records are no surprise,” said Oscar Solis, Senior Racing Manager, Pirelli. “Stefano [Mesa] has a new weapon of choice with the SCX and we’re glad that he continues to put his trust in the Pirelli brand. He always manages to make this look easy, but we know it’s not. Congrats Stefano!”
Mesa is now the third different Pirelli rider to earn an absolute motorcycle track record in 2021 and the first to do so twice. Pirelli continues to remain the motorcycle tire of choice for North American riders looking to reach the top step of the podium and log fast laps at events and series that do not have a spec tire rule. Reward prizes are offered to riders who set a new motorcycle track record while using Pirelli race compound tires.
For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com
DIABLO is a registered trademark of Pirelli Tire S.p.A
Progressive AFT Doubles Up at New York Short Track
AFT Singles to run back-to-back programs at Springfield Short Track
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track announced today that this season’s New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York, has been upgraded to a doubleheader weekend, adding an additional round on Friday, August 13, to the previously scheduled round on Saturday, August 14.
Since making its debut on the series calendar in 2018, the New York Short Track has quickly established itself as a premier event and favorite among fans, officials, and competitors alike. The fantastic facility provides thrilling race action along with a premium fan experience, which were rewarded with sellout crowds in ‘18 and ‘19.
Included on the original, pre-pandemic 2020 schedule, the newly announced doubleheader helps to make up for last year’s missed visit while also returning the ‘21 slate back up to the planned number of events at 17 following last month’s weather-related cancellation of the Texas Half-Mile.
In each of the two previous runnings of the New York Flat Track, the event served as a defining moment for the respective season’s champions.
In 2018, Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was at the absolute peak of his powers at the ⅜-mile, D-shaped oval. There he scored his ninth win in 11 races that season, completing the single-season Grand Slam in the process. The dominant victory also saw him move into a tie with the legendary Ricky Graham for fourth on the all-time wins list at 39 (a number which Mees has since increased to 54).
And in 2019, Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), came into Weedsport Speedway in need of a big night after the prior event saw him suffer a mechanical DNF, which allowed Mees to slash his hard-earned title advantage from 34 points to just 13. Rather than fold under the pressure, Bauman rebounded like a champion, storming away to a blowout victory to stretch his championship lead back out to more than a full race’s haul of points.
With another spectacular Grand National Championship taking shape this season, the 2021 New York Short Track will now have double the opportunity to play host to another title-defining battle (or two) come mid-August.
Another addition to the 2021 schedule is the return of the AFT Singles to the Springfield Short Track on Friday, September 3. Repeating the model launched in 2020, the AFT Singles will be competing in two race programs in the same evening. After qualifying rounds, the competitors will run two sets of Semis and two Main Events, making the Springfield Short Track a huge championship play for riders and an even greater source of entertainment for race fans. The Springfield Short Track will mark the opening of a three-day Progressive AFT racing extravaganza as the Memphis Shades Springfield Mile presented by Law Tigers doubleheader weekend will run the following two days.
Tickets for all races during Labor Day in Springfield can be found at www.springfieldmile.org.
Next Up:
The 2021 Progressive AFT season will resume with the second of five doubleheaders, the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19. Tickets are available for purchase now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3323/#selectTickets.
More, from a press release issued by FIM CEV Repsol Press Office:
Championship hopefuls turn the wick up in Barcelona
All done in Barcelona as a day of 5 races comes to an end under the baking sun. New winners and continued dominance, here is what happened on Sunday.
Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya played to host a fantastic display right throughout the weekend. With scorching temperatures met by scorching lap times, the action was plenty as 5 races led to 4 different race winners. In the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship, Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing) and Daniel Holgado (Aspar Junior Team) shared the wins. Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro Talent Team-Ciatti) was once again the dominant force in the Moto2™ European Championship as he raced into the distance winning both races and it was 15-year-old Xabi Zurutuza (Cuna de Campeones) that took the win in Hawkers European Talent Cup.
In race 1 of the FIM Moto3™ JWCh Daniel Holgado was denied victory for the first time in 2021 as he ended up finishing fourth. The win went the way of Syarifuddin Azman, who went from 5th to 1st at Turn 10 on the final lap to take his first-ever victory in the class. An incredible ride saw David Munoz (Avatel-Cardoso Racing) go from 19th to 2nd for his first podium in the class and completing the top three was Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) just 0.272s behind at the flag.
Race 2 was an entirely different story as a return to normality arrived for Holgado, and by normality, we mean a return to winning ways. Victory number four of the season greeted the Spaniard as he held off a leading pack of nine on the final lap. Ivan Ortola (Team MTA) rode to a superb 2nd place to take his best finish in the class. Completing the podium was the young Brit Scott Ogden (Aspar Junior Team) to make it an Aspar 1-3 and even 4 when you include David Alonso (Aspar Junior Team) in 4th place. For Ogden though, it was a maiden podium and it capped off a strong day after 5th in the first race. At the end of the FIM Moto3™ JWCh running in Barcelona, Holgado stretches his Championship lead out to a staggering 53 points.
In Moto2™ ECh it was business as usual for Aldeguer at the flag, but he did have some work to do! The 16-year-old was squeezed out at Turn 1 as Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Intact SIC Racing Team) and Alonso Lopez (Boscosuro Talent Team-Ciatti) grabbed 1st and 2nd on the first lap. Aldeguer quickly set to work and picked them off to take the lead and from there, streaked away to a 7-second winning margin. Behind, Lopez got the better of a strong Tulovic as the pair rounded out the podium.
Race 2 was dominated from lights to flag by Aldeguer as he grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. He was held honest by Lopez for 7 laps before Lopez then slipped back, relinquishing to Aldeguer’s superior pace. Tulovic would once again take 3rd place but this time didn’t quite have to pace to run with Lopez. But Tulovic can be happy with a double podium performance as he’s now in control of 3rd place in the Championship.
As always, HETC provided action right from the off as the racers of the future got to grips with hot and greasy conditions in Catalunya. With just one race on the agenda for the youngsters, they were giving it everything from the start and a group of 4 broke away in the early laps. The Cuna de Campeones trio of Zurutuza, Hugo Millan and Adrian Cruces were joined by the fast-starting Maximo Martinez (Team Honda Laglisse) as they pulled well clear of the pack by 12 seconds in the end. But, there was drama, as the then Championship Leader Cruces tumbled at Turn 7, leaving his teammates and Martinez to battle it out. A last lap thriller unfolded, with Zurutuza coming out on top by just 0.024s from Martinez and Millan a further 0.022s back in 3rd. After 5 races, Millan leads the Championship by just 7 points.
For all the results, race analysis and more, make sure you check out www.fimcevrepsol.com
Racer Kyle Wyman broke his left arm when he crashed during Sunday’s MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Race Two at Road America.
Wyman was running seventh and was in the battle for fourth when on lap six of the 12-lap race he crashed his Panera Bread KWR Ducati Panigale V4 R going into the chicane.
“It was a simple low side,” Wyman wrote in a text message to Roadracingworld.com, “but I fell to the inside of the curb going into the chicane and my elbow caught a huge concrete lip.
“I definitely need surgery. It’s my left elbow. The whole head of the radius is broken off. I felt it snap.”
An X-ray of Kyle Wyman’s left elbow. Image courtesy Kyle Wyman Racing.
Wyman is currently ranked eighth in the HONOS Superbike Championship point standings, but after winning on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers race Sunday, he is leading that Championship.
The next MotoAmerica race is June 25-27 at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. The third and final round of the King of the Baggers series will take place July 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
A scene from the 2018 AIMExpo. Photo courtesy of AIMExpo.
AIMEXPO ROLLING INTO LAS VEGAS FOR 2022 SHOW
Tucker Powersports partnership expands show’s dealer training and support
IRVINE, Calif., June 15, 2021 – The Motorcycle Industry Council’s American International Motorcycle Expo has selected the world famous Las Vegas Convention Center for AIMExpo 2022, scheduled for January 19-21, 2022. Tucker Powersports will co-locate their annual dealer show at the venue, creating the largest and most important powersports industry event in the country.
“AIMExpo 2022 will be the first time our industry gathers together in more than two years, and we are working to make this a can’t miss event for everyone in powersports,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the Motorcycle Industry Council. “In the two years since we last met, our industry managed to thrive under the most challenging of circumstances. We are building a show that will help dealers continue this success, no matter what the future holds.”
New for 2022, AIMExpo will be partnering with Tucker Powersports and other industry leaders to create an educational line-up that offers basic and advanced sessions designed to increase dealership profitability, community visibility, and efficiency. Focusing on the business of your business, AIMExpo Dealer Education will help drive door swings by sharing content that speaks to community engagement, business management, and best practices for retail operations.
“By continuing to partner with Tucker Powersports, the nation’s premier powersports distributor, both AIMExpo and Tucker will be able to deliver exponential value to dealers and enable them to efficiently connect and conduct business,” said Cinnamon Kernes, vice president marketing and events.
In addition to the combined educational offerings available through AIMExpo and Tucker, nearly 300,000 square feet of adrenaline-filled exhibit space will feature more than 300 of the industry’s top vehicle manufacturers, aftermarket manufacturers, distributors, and service providers showcasing their latest products and services, along with show specials designed to kick-off the powersports industry’s order writing season. Dealers who are customers of Tucker Powersports will enjoy a separate check-in experience, VIP activities, an exclusive lounge on the show floor and much more.
“With COVID pushing us apart for many months, we’re happy that we can help bring dealers together to learn, to experience great products and to reconnect with friends,” said Tucker Powersports President and CEO Marc McAllister. “The powersports industry is all about people joining together to do what they love, and Tucker has always put a high value on building great relationships with our dealers.”
After more than two years since the last AIMExpo, an industry reunion of this scale wouldn’t be complete without networking events celebrating the people and passion that make this industry great. AIMExpo’s opening day will feature a general session focused on the year ahead, market expansion and how the powersports industry can unite for future growth. Following the general session there will be an epic industry party kicking off the 2022 buying season. Finally, after two solid days of education, exhibits, and networking, the show will close out in true Las Vegas style; Johnny Lewis and flat track racing return to AIMExpo for Fast Friday with celebrity, industry, and e-class racing.
To register to attend, participate as an exhibitor or sponsor, book your hotel room, or learn more, visit www.AIMExpoUSA.com.
ABOUT THE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY COUNCIL
The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect, and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications, media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, data communications standards, and involvement in technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers, distributors, dealers, and retailers of motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, ROVs, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts, accessories, and related services, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies, and consultants.
The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Keep up with the industry association on Twitter @followMIC and at MIC.org.
ABOUT TUCKER POWERSPORTS
Featuring the most powerful portfolio of parts, accessories and apparel brands in the powersports industry, Tucker is the go-to supplier for retailers across the nation. Tucker has been earning the trust of the best dealers in the powersports industry for over 50 years.
A grid of students at the MRA New Racers' School at High Plains Raceway. Photo by Brittany Morrison, courtesy MRA.
Denver, CO – The Motorcycle Roadracing Association(MRA) has accepted the resignation of Jim Wilson as President effective June 10, 2021 and has appointed Chris Nami to the position effective June 14, 2021.
Jim is a 20-year member of the MRA and has served on the Board of Directors since 2009 and as President since 2014. After not seeking a fourth term in 2019, Jim was appointed back to the role of the then-vacated President position at the end of the 2020 season.
Jim fell ill with COVID-19 in October 2020 which resulted in a four-month hospital stay, half of that period in a coma on life support. He resumed his President responsibilities in a limited capacity in February 2021.
“My plan after coming back last year was to help the club through the off-season and find my successor,” says Wilson. “Unfortunately, my illness side-tracked that. Now that the season is underway, I feel it is a good time for me to step down and continue to focus on my recovery. I am excited that my good friend, Chris Nami, has accepted the role as President, and I look forward to his leadership in the future. I plan to make myself available to him as an advisor going forward.”
“As a 20+ year member of the MRA family I am honored and humbled with the opportunity to step into this role as President,” says Nami. “There are some very large shoes to fill and I am SO excited for the opportunity to do so. My passion for the MRA and motorcycle racing, Integrity, and diplomacy are my strongest attributes and I know they will serve me well.”
The MRA’s next event is on June 26-27, 2021 at High Plains Raceway.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information, go to http://www.mra-racing.org/
Jake Gagne (32) leads Josh Herrin (2), Bobby Fong (behind Herrin), Cameron Petersen (45), and the rest of the field at the start of MotoAmerica Superbike Race One at Road America in 2021. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
SOLID WEEKEND LANDS CAM PETERSEN ON THE PODIUM TWICE IN WISCONSIN FOR M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI
Brea, CA – Suzuki Motor USA, LLC and Team Hammer reeled in another bountiful trophy harvest as the 2021 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship wrapped up its doubleheader weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
The weekend performance of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Cameron Petersen headlined the combined four-podium showing for Team Hammer. In addition, Altus Motorsports rider Jake Lewis took his second victory of the season on his Team Hammer-built Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Cam Petersen (45) delivered an impressive performance with two Superbike podium finishes. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
Petersen enjoyed a milestone ride on Saturday, soaring to his first career MotoAmerica Superbike podium with a hard-fought third, in his first season in the Superbike class. Despite the achievement, the likable South African came away from that battle less than completely satisfied after missing out on second place by a scant 0.04 seconds. He promptly erased any regrets with an even better showing on Sunday, briefly leading the race before locking down a clear runner-up result.
“That was the plan executed,” Petersen said. “We spoke before the race about what I needed to do and luckily I got off to a really good start. My goal was just to keep the win in sight and have a carrot to chase, and I did that for the most part.”
“Honestly, I can’t thank my team enough. They’ve worked very hard to get me to this point, they gave me the opportunity, they believed in me, and now, we’re finally starting to do it. Hats off to my whole crew.”
In the Stock 1000 class, Jake Lewis proved once again his strength as a racer with his second win of the season and he maintains control as the overall leader in the ultra competitive series.
Race-winner Lewis said, “I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to fight for the win. I was struggling to keep pace yesterday, but once it’s race time and the show goes down, you definitely push a lot harder. I was on the edge. I was looking at my lap timer and I was doing low 2:14s and I haven’t even been in the ‘15s all weekend long.”
Jake Lewis (85) earned a hard-fought Stock 1000 victory on his race-winning Suzuki GSX-R1000. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
M4 ECSTAR Superbike rider Bobby Fong, came away with a pair of fourths, but demonstrated the speed necessary for a sure-fire double podium weekend. After finishing 0.03 seconds off the box on Saturday following a near race-long ride in second position, Fong’s Sunday race took an entirely different shape, albeit with the identical result in the end.
The Californian was pushed wide in Turn One at the start and shuffled back several positions. He was then caught up in numerous scraps, which severely hampered his pace before finally breaking free in fourth late in the 12-lap race. Once in the clear, Fong dramatically closed down on third position. He simply ran out of time, crossing the stripe an even narrower 0.004 seconds removed from the podium the second time around.
“It was a crazy race,” Fong said after Sunday’s contest. “Today didn’t tell the story of what place we had in us. We gambled and put a setting in that I believe could have definitely got us in the top three.”
“I’m happy to finish fourth, but the good thing about racing is we have another weekend coming to redeem ourselves. Everybody knows we don’t like losing. I’m staying positive and looking forward to the next one,” added Fong.
Meanwhile, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s talented teens, Sean Dylan Kelly and Sam Lochoff, earned a podium apiece aboard their GSX-R600s in MotoAmerica Supersport duty.
Sam Lochoff (44) took his first podium finish in the Supersport class on his Suzuki GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
The weekend marked a new career best for Lochoff, who earned his first-ever podium in the middleweight class with a runner-up performance on Saturday. He nearly backed it up with a second podium a day later, but came home fourth at the flag, just 0.088 seconds short at the flag.
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) left it all out on the track and maintained his points lead in the Supersport class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
Kelly went back and forth for Saturday’s thrilling race — engaging in a shootout that saw more than thirty lead changes — before crashing on the final lap with his rival. Critically for his championship hopes, ‘SDK’ remounted and still finished in sixth.
On Sunday, Kelly lost his chance at another scrap for first after getting off to a tough start, but still managed to escape to a well-earned second. As a result, the Floridian continues to lead the early-season title fight.
“Today was much different than yesterday,” Kelly said. “Yesterday was a great race — a hard fight — but we made a mistake in the end. We wanted to build off that, but the start was not good today. I made a mistake in Turn One and a few guys got past me. After that, there was a gap to the lead that I couldn’t make back up. I wasn’t able to do what I wanted, but I know we’re going to build from here. We’ve got another shot at the next round, and we’re going to go in hard and keep on working.”
Wyatt Farris (79) had a solid weekend and continued to earn points for the Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor USA.
In Stock 1000, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris raced his way forward to finish tenth in the race, adding more points to his season total and earning a top-ten position in the overall championship standings.
Team M4 ECSTAR Suzuki will be back in action in two weeks’ time at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 25-27.
More, from a press release issued by Altus Motorsports:
MotoAmerica: Round 3 Results from Road America for the Altus Motorsports Tucker Environmental Service Solutions Team
(Elkhart Lake, WI) Round 3 of the MotoAmerica season was another step forward for the Altus Motorsports team. Jake Lewis took another win in the Stock 1000 class, Kevin Olmedo returned from injury after two rounds off and all of the riders improved throughout the weekend.
Jake Lewis (85). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Honos Superbike & Stock 1000:
Jake Lewis arrived at Elkhart Lake looking to continue where he left off in Virginia. However, Road America was not cooperating on Friday and Saturday. Jake had a difficult time finding pace in the practice and qualifying sessions. The MotoAmerica Round 3 is a single race weekend for Stock 1000, so Lewis used Saturday’s Superbike race to work on his race pace. Those laps paid off on Sunday during the Stock 1000 race. The Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000 was slotted 4th on the starting grid. With a good launch on the restart after a red flag, Lewis jumped into second place. Because the race was shortened to 6 laps, there was no time to waste. He took the lead with three laps to go and didn’t look back.
“I learned a lot in the Superbike race on Saturday. Big thanks to my Altus Motorsports crew for working their butts off to give me a bike I could win on. It means a lot,” said Jake Lewis.
In Superbike, Lewis started Race 1 from 12th position and finished in 11th as the second Stock 1000 machine. For Sunday’s race, he started from 11th and finished in 8th as the top Stock 1000 competitor.
Jaret Nassaney (59). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Supersport 600:
Jaret Nassaney spent most of the weekend looking for pace. He qualified 15th for both Supersport 600 races. In Race 1 on Saturday, he was in a multi-bike battle for 12th for most of the race and was able to hold off the competition to own the spot across the line. In Sunday’s race, he finished in 13th.
“It was a pretty good weekend! We made some changes to the rear for Sunday and, even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, we had good pace and I’m happy with the direction we are headed,” said Jaret Nassaney.
Kevin Olmedo (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Road America was Kevin Olmedo’s first MotoAmerica race in the 2021 season. Returning to the paddock after missing the first two rounds recovering from surgery, Olmedo knew he had work to do. In spite of the time off, he managed to qualify in 7th position. A great start in Race 1 put him into 5th for several laps but, ultimately, he took the checkered flag in 7th. In the Sunday race, Olmedo jumped into 6th off the start and held that spot from flag to flag. Great results for the first time back on the bike.
Hayden Bicknese (69). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Altus Motorsports.
Junior Cup:
Road America is another new track for Hayden Bicknese and he improved his lap time dramatically in every session. Bicknese started Race 1 from 12th position. On lap 2 he crossed the line in 14th but he put his head down and fought through the pack and finished in 8th. In the Sunday race, Hayden continued where he left off on Saturday. With three laps to go he was leading the second pack of riders in 8th place but during the lap he was shuffled back to 13th. Ultimately, he finished in 12th.
“As a team, we think the weekend went very well. Everyone improved. Jake’s bike is running great and glad to see him on the top step again. Jaret and Hayden continue to improve. With Kevin back, the team is complete again. It was great to have him back and, considering that he hasn’t ridden much and was working through some pain, his results were impressive. ” said team owner George Nassaney.
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, and Altus Factory Racing.
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
Career bests and solid points finishes at Road America for Pure Attitude Racing
It was another solid weekend for the Pure Attitude Racing Team in the latest round of the 2021 MotoAmerica Championship, held this past weekend at the iconic Road America circuit in Wisconsin.
With their four riders, Nate Minster and Austin Miller (Supersport), and Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish (Twins Cup), back in action, it was another busy weekend, but one in which the squad can look back on satisfied with how they performed.
Supersport saw the return to the top ten for Nate Minster, the #99 Yamaha rider claiming a double points scoring finish, whilst Austin Miller added further points to his season tally on Saturday, narrowly missing the final point for fifteenth on Sunday after a hard-fought race aboard his Kawasaki.
In Twins Cup both Liam MacDonald and Trevor Standish were once again in the mix. Liam raced to a career best finish of fifth, once again showing great potential and speed at a circuit he doesn’t know. Trevor on the other hand failed to finish. The #16 crashed out of a potential podium early on, suffering a fractured hand in the incident. Further updates on when he will return to the track will follow in due course.
The team now head to Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington in a fortnight.
Austin Miller (61). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller: “The track felt a little different in Q1 than it did on Friday morning. We made a change, but the majority of riders were slower, maybe because of the temperature. I felt good and the bike felt good, and we were able to race hard and score some more points on Saturday, but Race 2 was kind of rough. I wrongly turned the Pit Limiter on and so I was playing catch up. I made a good start and passed a few people but was too far behind to do anything really. A few people went down, and I was closing in on the top fifteen, but I ran out of laps. I was overriding a bit and made a few mistakes, but we can take the positives from the weekend. We have the test day at The Ridge, and this will definitely help us.”
Nate Minster (99). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster: “We had a small electrical issue in Free Practice which came back after about four laps in Q1 which is a shame as I felt really good, even it was only for those four laps in the afternoon. Race 2 was better than race one. We figured out the suspension issue and I was able to improve my lap times by over two seconds a lap and finished in the top ten which I am happy about. We can now move on to The Ridge and hopefully keep the momentum going.”
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “Friday was a good day considering we lost most of the morning session after Jody (Barry) went down hard and they red flagged our session. The main thing is that he looks to be doing ok which is good news to hear and I wish him a speedy recovery. I was still learning the place in Q1. I was able to hang with some of the top guys but stayed out the whole session which was the plan. We ended the opening day in P8 which was my best provisional grid slot, so all things considered I was happy. I improved in Q2 and achieved my best qualifying position. In the race I made a good start and saw Trevor go down in front of me but thankfully he is not too badly hurt. I knew I was in the top six and then I just focused as other guys started to fall. I closed in on P4 and narrowly missed out on the line, but I am super happy. I have scored points in every race, and we are getting close to the podium. A big thanks to the whole Pure Attitude Racing team. They are really giving me the tools to do a good job!”
Trevor Standish (16). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish: “I struggled with the feeling on the bike in Q1 but the times we did were still decent which pleased me. We made some changes for Q2 which worked, and I was able to qualify fourth. I made a great start, but my race was over pretty much immediately. I knew I had the pace to run at the front, but I made a small mistake and went down. I have fractured my hand but thankfully it is not too bad, and we will be back on track stronger than ever really soon. It’s disappointing to score no points but the season is long, and we have shown that we have the potential to fight for podiums every race and this is what I have to remember as we move on to The Ridge, Laguna and the rest of the tracks.”
More, from a press release issued by Jackson Blackmon Racing:
Podium Streak Continues for Blackmon
Jackson Blackmon (18). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Jackson Blackmon Racing.
Jackson Blackmon picks up another 2nd place finish in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup race at Road America. Making it three starts and three 2nd place finishes for the young gun out of South Carolina. Jackson was able to avoid chaos in the Twins Cup race Saturday where the top 3 in the championship either did not start or finish the race. Jackson is now sitting 4th in the championship just 17 points behind despite missing the first round at Road Atlanta due to a broken wrist.
“I am super happy with the weekend and how this season has started for me,” said Blackmon. “It has been awesome getting more seat time on my Yamaha MT-07 and still learning and adapting every time out. Was blessed to have support from the North East Cycles guys as well as Yamaha and Finishline Machine getting the bike better and better every weekend. Thank you to everyone behind me, super excited to carry the momentum to The Ridge!”
Jackson Blackmon Racing is still learning week by week as it is their first full Twins Cup season. Nineteen year old Jackson Blackmon is not only the rider for JBR, but also runs his own program with the support from his father’s machine shop Finsihline Machine. The duo is making a name for themselves this year. Will we see Jackson on the all new Yamaha R7 soon? Stay tuned to find out.
JBR would like to thank their sponsors and supporters; Yamaha Motor USA, Finishline Machine, North East Cycles, Yamalube, Trackday Winner, GP Tech, Wiseco Pistons, HJC Helmets, Roaring Toyz, Millennium Technologies, OneX, Web Cams, SBS Brakes, Vortex, and 64 Degrees.
More, from a press release issued by Travis Wyman Racing:
Travis Wyman scores top five in Stock 1000, top 10 in Superbike at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America
BMW rider remains points leader in Superbike Cup, now ninth in Superbike standings
Travis Wyman (10). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Travis Wyman Racing.
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — It was a busy weekend for Travis Wyman at MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Road America round. The BMW rider competed in four races aboard two different motorcycles at the June 11-13 event, including three races on Sunday afternoon.
Wyman’s top-five finish in the weekend’s lone Stock 1000 race and top-10 in Sunday’s Superbike race helped him maintain his lead in the Superbike Cup standings and kept him in the hunt for the Stock 1000 title. The Las Vegas resident also is ninth in the overall Superbike standings.
The Travis Wyman Racing team’s first on-track session of the weekend was Stock 1000 Friday practice, which Wyman finished fifth-fastest aboard his 2020 BMW S 1000 RR. Later Friday, Wyman was the fourth-fastest rider in the afternoon Qualifying 1 session, during which he improved his best lap time from practice by more than a second.
When qualifying wrapped up Saturday morning, Wyman had secured fifth place on the starting grid for Sunday’s Stock 1000 race despite suffering a crash during the session. In Saturday’s Superbike race, Wyman battled his way through some mechanical gremlins from his crash during qualifying to finish the race in 12th overall and third among the Superbike Cup competitors.
Wyman’s fortunes proved to be better on Sunday. The Stock 1000 race was stopped after less than one lap due to an on-track incident, and Wyman got a good start when racing got back underway. Though he was held up by another rider for the opening laps of the race, Wyman was able to advance to fourth place on Lap 4 of the shortened six-lap race and had to settle for a lonely fourth-place finish. In Sunday’s Superbike race, Wyman started the race 12th on the grid and – thanks to some attrition farther up the running order – capped off the weekend with a ninth-place finish. It was Wyman’s fourth top 10 in the Superbike Class this season, and he recorded the second-best finish among the Superbike Cup riders..
The weekend also marked Wyman’s first outing as a factory Harley-Davidson rider in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Class. Wyman qualified fourth for the weekend’s Baggers race and was battling for the last step on the podium for the first half of the five-lap race. He ended up scoring a second-place finish when two other front runners dropped out of the race.
Travis Wyman Racing’s next event will be Round 4 of the 2021 MotoAmerica season, which is scheduled for June 25-27 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
Travis Wyman / No. 10
“This was an extremely successful weekend for the team. We were dealing with braking issues all weekend due to the high ambient temperatures. I was really happy with the pace I was running during the Stock 1000 race, and it’s unfortunate that I got held up and wasn’t able to compete for a victory. My team did an amazing job getting our BMW S 1000 RR repaired after my crash in Qualifying 2 to be ready for Saturday’s Superbike race. We’re still leading the Superbike Cup title chase by a good margin, and I’m looking forward to having another crack at The Ridge Motorsports Park in a couple weeks time. We were still learning our new BMW when we raced there last year, and I think that experience will help us have a good start to the weekend there. I also am happy to have welcomed Klock Werks back as a title sponsor for Road America, and I look forward to continuing to grow our marketing partnership.”
More, from a press release issued by N2 Racing:
Blake Davis Finishes Top 5 at Road America
Blake Davis (22). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy N2 Racing.
Elkhart Lake, WI (June 2021) – N2 Racing’s Blake Davis finished top five in both MotoAmerica Junior Cup races at Road America despite having a 78cc displacement disadvantage. Blake was able to use smart riding and the sublime handling of the BobbleHeadMoto-built Yamaha YZF-R3 to score his best finish of the year at the fastest track in the series. Blake is now eighth in the points after recovering from a DNF at the first round.
This was Blake’s first trip to the picturesque Wisconsin track, and he learned it very quickly. Blake was 5th in Free Practice 1 with a lap time of 2:44.42. Blake and the team made significant progress learning the track and bike set up and was able to lower his lap time to 2:41.948 in Qualifying 2 for a fifth place starting position in the middle of row two.
MotoAmerica Junior Cup Race One was a barn burner with seven riders fighting for the win on the last lap. Blake led for several sectors at various parts of the race. The sweet handling Yamaha able to ride around the outside of bikes with 20% bigger engines, but Road America is all about the draft. On the last lap, Blake made a pass for fourth leading on the front straight and the run to the finish, but the little Yamaha simply didn’t have enough power to pass the larger engine competitors on the straight and Blake had to settle for fourth.
Sunday’s Junior Cup Race Two was the one of the best races of the weekend with a lead pack of seven riders covered by less than 3 tenths of a second going into the last lap. Once again, Blake was right there with the lead group leading at several points during the race. On the last lap, Blake used the superior handling of the Yamaha on the long radius carousel corner to drive around the outside and lead going into the chicane leading on to the back straight. Blake was then passed by four riders going into Canada corner. Blake put himself in a great position in the last corner, but the little Yamaha simply could not draft past the larger bikes going up the hill to the finish and Blake finished 5th.
Kris Smith (Team Owner) – “It’s been very challenging building N2 Racing over the last three years, but the effort is finally paying off. Blake did a fantastic job this weekend. This was his first time to Road America and he learned the track very quickly. The team is very professional and adding Blake’s talent and personality to the mix has been uplifting for all of us. We were able to make progress all weekend, going faster every session. We are very excited about the tight technical tracks like The Ridge and Laguna coming up next. We think this will be a great place for Blake to shine. Blake is a pro and a joy to work with. I must remind myself that he is only 14.”
Blake Davis – “Both races were a huge draft battle to the end. I’m happy with the improvements. N2 has been working hard to develop the R3 making it reliable and faster to be able to compete at the front.”
About N2 Track Days:
N2 provides a structured riding environment for sport-bike riders of all levels promoting motorcycle safety through instruction on a closed course racetrack. Our instructors and coaching staff are comprised of club-racers, pro racers, and experienced track day riders who are articulate and passionate about all aspects of this sport. N2 strives to provide an enjoyable riding experience in an environment where members can hone their skills and inspire confidence in their riding ability. Riding with N2 means you and your sportbike gain access to a structured environment without the hazards, limitations, distractions, and obstacles that you’ll find on the street.
N2 Racing is proudly sponsored by: N2 Track Days, BobbleHeadMoto, SBS Brakes, Renthal, Motorex, Shoei Helmets, Ohlins USA, Trading Paint, Westby Racing, and Moto Liberty
More, from a press release issued by Ethan Cook Racing:
Ethan Cook leaves Road America ninth overall in the Twins Cup Championship
Ethan Cook may be in his first season of MotoAmerica competition but that hasn’t stopped the youngster from showing great potential in the opening three rounds of the 2021 Twins Cup series, culminating with a superb ride to sixth in the latest race at Road America in Wisconsin.
Fast throughout the event, Ethan scorched to his best ever qualifying position of eighth position on Saturday morning before converting his third row start to P6 at the flag after a great race long fight with former Asia Road Racing front runner Liam MacDonald.
Cook’s result bagged him ten points meaning he now sits ninth overall in the standings ahead of the next round at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington in a fortnight.
Ethan Cook: “Q1 went rather good considering that our Free Practice session was cut short when someone went down. I was still learning the track but felt really good after a few changes for the afternoon session. I was able to improve by three seconds a lap in Q2 thanks to a gearing change and some changes to the suspension. I was able to get a tow, which you need at Road America and made it onto the third row of the grid for the race. In the race I finished sixth. I felt good on the bike and am happy to achieve my best race finish in MotoAmerica. Overall, it was a great weekend, and I am excited to see how we go in the next race at The Ridge.”
For more information go to EthanCookRacing.com
More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing:
First MotoAmerica Win for Gus Rodio at Wisconsin
Gus Rodio (96). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Rodio Racing.
Gus Rodio, aboard his Rodio Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 nabbed his very first MotoAmerica Sportbike Track Gear Junior Cup podium in epic fashion, winning race two at Road America by .02 second.
Rodio, who finished a strong fifth in race one, figured out the drafting strategy for the victory in race two.
“My original strategy was to get out front and pull a gap, but I figured out I couldn’t be out front and push my own wind,” Rodio said, “so I had to work the draft a bit down the straight.”
“I’m super happy to get my first podium, and for it to be a win! I can’t ask for anything more, and it sure won’t be the last one.” Rodio went on to dedicate the win to Artie Meeker who couldn’t attend this round in person.
The rest of the Rodio Racing crew (Frank Angel, Mike Marthaler) felt the thrill of the win, but none more than team owner and race dad, Kevin Rodio.
“We’ve been working hard, putting in the time, and chasing this one for a while now. There are a lot of other race families out there doing the same, and I can finally tell them it’s worth it,” Kevin said.
A surprise addition to the crew was “Limey” the nickname given to the green front fender required for Kawasaki contingency. With this win, his nickname has been changed to “Lucky Limey” and he’ll be a fixture on the bike all season long.
Rodio Racing can’t compete without the help of the following sponsors: HJC Helmets, Spears Racing, EvolveGT, MAR Contractors, LiquiMoly USA, Dunlop, VortexEK, K-Tech Suspension, Orient Express Racing, Triple Strong Racing, N2 Track Days, REB Graphics, Jonco Collision, Innovative Motorsports, VNM Sport, RS Taichi/Moto-Liberty, Motogladiator,
More, from a press release issued by Jeremy Cook Racing:
Jeremy Cook ends challenging MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America round with big crash, broken collarbone
Jeremy Cook (81). Photo by Jim Lester, courtesy Jeremy Cook Racing.
BMW rider remains determined to compete at next MotoAmerica round in two weeks time
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Jeremy Cook had a weekend to forget at MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Road America round, but – despite a broken collarbone and heavily damaged motorcycle – is raring to be back on his BMW S 1000 RR at MotoAmerica’s next event.
The Marylander struggled during his second time racing at Road America in five years to get the most out of his team’s BMW on Friday and Saturday. The June 11-13 event came to a dramatic end for Cook on Lap 1, Turn 1 of Sunday’s Stock 1000 race. Nevertheless, Cook has experience racing within days of having collarbone surgery and plans to put that experience to use June 25-27 when MotoAmerica visits The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
Cook started the weekend struggling for pace in the Stock 1000 Class’ Friday practice as the team was figuring out how to get the most out of its BMW package. Cook finished that session 31st in the 40-rider field with a fastest lap time of 2:29.216. Cook later showed a big improvement in the afternoon qualifying. He posted the 28th-fastest lap of the session and dropped his best lap time around the 4.048-mile road course by more than two seconds to a 2:27.146. When Saturday’s Qualifying 2 session concluded, Cook had secured 28th for Sunday’s Stock 1000 starting grid and had improved his best lap time by about another two seconds with a 2:24.822.
The team’s hard work toward finding an ideal setup came to fruition in Sunday morning warm-up. Cook posted a weekend-best lap time of 2:23.339 and was the 22nd-fastest rider during the session.
When the Stock 1000 race got underway on Sunday, Cook got a good start, had moved up about 10 positions and was riding the outside line through Turn 1 when another rider crashed and skidded into his path. Cook did not have time to avoid the down rider and ended up coming off his BMW in spectacular fashion. Cook was thrown off his motorcycle forward and to the left, and his BMW took an odd trajectory — tumbling end over end several times before coming to rest in the Turn 1 gravel trap.
Cook met with the surgeon who performed his previous collarbone operation on Wednesday and learned that his collarbone is broken in several places. Cook also has pain, swelling or other signs of injury in his right knee, both ankles, right foot, hips, hamstrings and neck. As for Cook’s BMW S 1000 RR, the front forks, triple clamps, axle are bent, both rims are shattered and the subframe, battery box, exhaust and crash protection parts are all badly damaged.
Despite Cook and his motorcycle being battered in the crash, the Jeremy Cook Racing team still plans to make the cross-country trek to Washington with a not-fully-repaired BMW S 1000 RR. The estimated bike repair cost is about $5,000 – $15,000.
Jeremy Cook / No. 81
“It certainly wasn’t the weekend we’d hoped for at Road America. But, considering how bad Sunday’s crash was, I’m grateful that there’s even a possibility that I could be racing at The Ridge later this month. It wasn’t any fun struggling to find the pace I know that I and my BMW S 1000 RR can run around this fast, flowing track, and it’s too bad we didn’t even get a lap in once we found a race setup we really liked. I’ve broken my collarbone before, and I went club racing five days after the last time I had collarbone surgery. I really want to get right back into the saddle of my BMW S 1000 RR. We have a lot of work to do to get the bike repaired and ready for Washington, and I encourage anyone who would like to chip in and help my team get back to racing to contact me via my Facebook page, named ‘Jeremy Cook #81.’ or send their donation to http://www.paypal.me/jeremycook81.”
More, from a press release issued by Andrew Lee Racing:
Step by step the results are coming for Andrew Lee in MotoAmerica Stock 1000
Double MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee continued his trend of top six finishes in the latest round of the 2021 series at Road America, Wisconsin.
Back on track after a year’s hiatus, Lee raced to his second top six finish of the year in Race 2 at the iconic circuit located in Elkhart Lake, after claiming a season’s best fifth at the previous round in Virginia. The result means Andrew sits seventh overall in the standings having finished inside the top eight in all five races held so far.
Lee will be back on track next weekend at Ridge Motorsports Park.
Andrew Lee: “It was a long weekend, but we made a lot of good progress. Looking glass half full, I think we have made a good step, which I am confident we can maintain at The Ridge. It’s a little later in the season that we would have liked but we are now moving in the right direction. It’s a new bike so we are starting from scratch on a Friday. I now feel much more comfortable so I am sure we will be more competitive on Friday’s moving forward which should see us further up the field come race day. A big thanks to my Franklin Armory team. They are working great, and the results will come.”
For more information go to www.andrewleeracing.com
More, from a press release issued by HONOS HVMC Racing Team:
More Podiums For HONOS HVMC Racing At Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin – Round 3 of the MotoAmerica championship took place this past weekend at the infamous Road America circuit with hot temperatures, beautiful sunny skies, and an absolutely packed crowd. The event concluded on a high note with Richie Escalante scoring a dominating victory in Sunday’s Supersport race two after rebounding from a clash with his championship rival in Saturday’s race one. Corey Alexander also earned a third place finish in the only Stock 1000cc race of the weekend Sunday morning whilst battling for top ten finishes in both Superbike races.
Richie, still recovering from a recent clavicle injury, arrived back in true form setting the pace throughout practice and qualifying only narrowly missing out on pole position during qualifying two. Race one proved to be an all out battle royale after Richie and Sean Dylan Kelly swapped positions several times per lap for the entirety before the duo crashed in tandem on the final lap. Richie was able to get back up finishing in 5th place scoring valuable points just ahead of his championship competitor whom also remounted.
At the start of Supersport race 2 Richie and his Graves-Spec Kawasaki ZX-6R took off to an early lead which he smoothly maintained to a dominate finish 9.5 seconds ahead of second place. Richie commented.. “Overall this weekend at Road America was amazing. We worked on making me more comfortable on my bike and tried some new things. We had some strong battles with Sean and I’m happy to walk away with good points in the championship. Thanks to my crew chief and mechanics for working so hard.” Richies personal sponsors include Fresh & Lean, HJC Helmets, Vircos Leathers, Alpinestars, and Hidalgo.
Corey also continued on form from his recent win at VIR and set the pace throughout qualifying and practice narrowly missing out on pole position. The sole Stock 1000cc race of the weekend saw the #23 get off to a great start leading throughout lap 1 only to be red flagged. After the restart Corey was shuffled back to third place which he would maintain for the entirety of the shortened 6 lap race. In both Superbike races Alexander battled for top ten’s aboard his Stock 1000cc Graves-Spec Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine finishing with a 13th and 10th place respectively. Corey now sits in third position in both the Stock 1000cc and Superbike Cup championships.
“We had a great weekend and made leaps forward with our bike in every session” Corey said. “It was a bummer we got caught out by the red flag during the race and the other guys were able to make some changes that helped them step up the pace for the restart. The times we were battling at were quite fast and we just didn’t have anything for them in a straight-line due to my weight and size. Thanks to the boys for all the hard work, we will come back strong in two weeks.” Corey’s personal sponsors include: Corey’s personal sponsors include Arai Helmets, Alpinestars, Sals Pizza & Pasta, Ikoniqa, Four3 Performance Lab, Gemini, and Prestige Services Group.
The HONOS HVMC Racing team heads to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington for round 4 of the MotoAmerica Championship June 25-27th. 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 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York:
Loris Baz has mixed fortunes during the third round of the MotoAmerica Superbike series at Road America
The Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Team and rider Loris Baz arrived at round three of the 2021 MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Championship at Road America with high ambitions for conquering one of the USA’s quickest road race tracks.
The team went straight to work during Friday practice and qualifying before loads of fans, the track the busiest it’s been in a decade. The 28-year-old Frenchman Baz qualified fifth on the Ducati Panigale V4 R, putting him on the second row for Saturday’s race one. During race one, by the final lap, Baz worked his way to third. He then took second after winning a drag race to the finish line thanks to the power of the V4 R.
Ahead of Sunday’s race two, the team made some slight modifications to make the Ducati turn quicker as they hoped to capitalize on the front-row start. As Baz was passing for the lead on lap three, he was forced to retire due to a technical problem.
“It’s been a tough weekend,” Baz said. “I have a bittersweet taste because we struggled a lot in qualifying, but after qualifying, we made some big changes on the bike, so thank you to the crew for that. We found the way and we started race one with a totally different bike—I needed a couple of laps to learn the settings—then I managed to improve my pace to get in front of Bobby (Fong) and Cameron (Petersen) at the end.
“We made another big change this morning and I felt so good for race two. We closed the gap to Jake and I was really starting to think we could fight for the win. In such a small time the team did an amazing job with changing the bike, but straight away in lap one I felt something in the engine, and then in lap three it expired. We’ll put our heads down and come back better for the next round.”
After three of nine rounds, Baz is seventh in the Superbike Championship with 53 points. The team will complete a track day at Brainard Raceway in Minnesota this week as it gets sorted for round four Jul 9-11 at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
The team is made possible through key partners: North American Warhorse, Parts Unlimited, Ducati New York, Horsepower HD, Competition Werkes, Mount Airy Casino & Resort, New York Safety Track, and Fast by Ferraci.
In addition to the support of their technical sponsors: Akrapovic, Bickle Racing, DID Chain, DNA Air Filters, Drippen Wet, Drive Systems USA, EVOL Technologies, FullSix Carbon, Full Spectrum, Hard Knocks Moto Coffee, Melotti Racing, OGNIBENE S.p.A., Spider, RaceSeats, Samco Sport, Spiegler Performance, Race Technologies, and TechSpec.
For ongoing race season updates, follow HSBK Racing on:
Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Photo courtesy AFT.
Progressive AFT Set for Double Showdown at OKC Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the first time in 2021, the full power of Progressive American Flat Track will be unleashed on a big Mile racetrack with this weekend’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER at Remington Park, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Friday, June 18 and Saturday, June 19.
Blending maximum velocity, intensity, strategy, and bravery, the series’ Miles stand out as highlights on the annual calendar. The OKC Mile represents an outstanding example of the discipline, delivering ultra-close racing at a state-of-the-art facility in front of massive crowds.
Coming off of the cathartic victory of reigning two-time champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) at the recent Chicago Half-Mile, his Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title rival Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) will be seriously motivated to counter with a victory (or two) of his own this weekend.
While he built his reputation largely on his Half-Mile prowess — and later his all-around game — Mees has developed into one of the sport’s all-time great Milers in recent years. Since 2016, he’s racked up an astonishing 15 Mile wins, including all three previous stops at Remington Park.
Even though title hopeful Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) is out of action while on the mend from injury, Mees’ path to victory will be all the more difficult to negotiate considering this weekend marks the anticipated return of “Mile Master” Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley/Howerton Motorsports Indian FTR750).
A tactical genius in high-speed drafting wars, Smith is tied with the iconic Bubba Shobert for third on the all-time Mile wins list at 25. Now picking and choosing his best races and funneling all of his focus and effort into winning those rather than the season-long grind of a championship chase, Smith could be a serious threat at the OKC Mile.
Despite the fact that the OKC Mile is one of the few Miles Smith has yet to conquer, he’s been on the podium in each of his three attempts. Given a sniff of the draft on the final lap, victory #26 could be within his grasp.
AFT Singles
Estenson Yamaha teammates Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) are separated by just a single point atop the AFT Singles championship order thanks to their consistent excellence. Rush has yet to finish off the podium this year, while Daniels has finished no lower than fourth and holds the slight advantage thanks to his Atlanta Super TT victory.
Both riders are proven Mile experts — Rush in particular — so it would be a surprise if they weren’t among the lead group battling it out for the wins again this weekend.
However, all eyes will be on the class’ all-time winningest rider, Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE). Aggressive, instinctive and intelligent, Texter-Bauman is nearly unbeatable on high-speed tracks when everything is clicking, as evidenced by her record eight-career Mile wins, including one at Remington Park. Should she up that tally to ten, Texter-Bauman would instantly reignite the title pursuit she kicked off in double-win fashion back in March at Volusia Speedway Park.
Even though he’s best known for his legendary TT and ST accomplishments, Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) was actually the best Miler in the class during last year’s abbreviated schedule with a win and runner-up at the 2020 Indy Mile. The Honda ace could use a similar result this weekend to kickstart his championship campaign.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) leads the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines field into the OKC Mile fresh off his second victory of the season at the Chicago Half-Mile.
The championship’s top four ranked riders — Texter, Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) — have put themselves in that position with consistently strong performances.
Oklahoma native Danny Eslick (No. 64 Pro One Industries Kawasaki Ninja 650), fresh off of a third place finish at the Chicago Half-Mile, stands confident as he prepares to line up on his home turf.
In its return, the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile brings back with it the open paddock experience and the return of a rider autograph session to precede Opening Ceremonies both days. Chasing Neon will entertain with its eclectic mix of live party music that ranges from country to classic rock and everything in between. Additionally, the Fan Zone and vendor area will keep spectators fully fed, hydrated, and stimulated all day at the track.
Tickets are available for purchase at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3324. General Admission tickets on the Apron start at $35 (kids 12 and under are free with the purchase of an adult GA ticket). Outdoor Premium GA Grandstand tickets are $40 ($20 for kids 12 and under), and Indoor Premium GA Grandstands tickets are $50 ($25 for kids 12 and under). A number of upgraded ticket options are also available, although several have already sold out and others are going fast. Fans who purchase Friday and Saturday General Admission tickets in advance will receive a $10 multi-day discount.
The gates will open for fans both days at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for only $1.99 a month via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
The Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER will air back-to-back on NBCSN on Saturday, June 26, starting at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT, featuring exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage accompanied by expert commentary.
Jake Gagne (32) leads Cameron Petersen (45), Loris Baz (76) and Kyle Wyman (33) early in MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Gagne Storms to Victory for Road America Sweep
Jake Gagne (32). Photo courtesy Yamaha Racing.
Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne continues to dominate, breaking another track record en route to victory in today’s MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at Road America. Teammate Josh Herrin overcame adversity to score his second top-five finish this weekend in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Once again, Gagne grabbed the holeshot from pole position, but this time around, the competition was hot on his heels and made the pass in Turn 5. The 28-year-old quickly reclaimed the lead and then upped the ante by breaking Cameron Beaubier’s track record in a Superbike race, an impressive 2:10.998. From there, Gagne put in some consistently fast times to win his fifth consecutive race by a 6.7-second margin, expanding his lead in the championship to 18 points.
Herrin lined up fifth for today’s grid and got a great start from the second row to third. Unfortunately, he got shuffled back to seventh in the opening laps, but the 2013 Superbike Champion kept pushing to fight his way back. He made the pass for fifth going into the first turn on Lap 5, and then advanced to fourth a lap later. The battle heated up with five laps to go, and Herrin was pushed wide in the chicane and shuffled back to sixth. He was able to move back into fifth a lap later, where he ultimately finished.
The Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team heads to The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, for Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on June 25-27.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Road America is a special track, and the fans were awesome! It was another great day for the Yamaha R1. Jake once again was in complete harmony with the machine and led every lap for the win and set another race record. As a matter of fact, the R1 has every track record on our circuit with the exception of Brainerd, where we haven’t raced but will be testing there next week. We look forward to the next race at The Ridge where we will see if Josh or Jake can break Cameron’s track record from 2020. It should be good fun.”
Jake Gagne – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“The Fresh N’ Lean Attack Yamaha R1 was on rails all weekend! I’m super happy for the team and that we were able to put everything together to have two great wins here at Road America. We’ll keep this momentum going and keep working hard for more great weekends like this. It was amazing to see the great fan turn out this weekend as well. I’m looking forward to the next one.”
Josh Herrin – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“It was a tough weekend, but we still managed to leave with some decent points. We will get back to work and come back swinging at The Ridge.”
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Notches His Fifth Podium Result In Six Races
Elkhart Lake, WI – After finishing sixth in Saturday’s Superbike race at Road America, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz bounced back with a podium finish on Sunday. With his third-place finish, Mathew has reached the podium in five out of the six races thus far in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Starting on the outside of row two based on his sixth-place finish in Saturday’s race, Mathew got off to a good start and quickly went to work moving towards the front. He raced the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 all the way up to third place by lap three and maintained his podium position all the way to the checkered flag, while also successfully holding off a strong challenge from Bobby Fong on the run up the hill to the finish line.
Mathew Scholtz (11) at speed during Superbike Race Two at Road America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
“We made some pretty huge changes with the traction control just to try to drive out of the corners better,” Mathew said. “Yesterday, we could see that the top speed wasn’t bad, but it was that third, fourth, fifth gear coming out of the corners where we were losing big time. So, we decided to turn off the traction control, which made it really hard, but it definitely drove better. You could see the lap times were better for the first couple of laps. It worked out perfectly that I got past (Bobby) Fong, (Josh) Herrin, Kyle Wyman, and just rode my own race from there. Then, with maybe four laps to go, something started happening. There was liquid shooting back up at me, and the clutch lever was bouncing backwards and forwards. Everything wasn’t really working well, but I managed to hold on. I’m happy to be third and back up here on the podium. Thank you to the Westby team. Everybody has been working hard. We have our work cut out for us to try to catch up to Jake, but we’re ready for the challenge.”
Westby Racing’s Junior Cup rider Jack Roach’s weekend could be summed up as a learning experience. After qualifying 7th, but finishing 14th in the race on Saturday, he ran off the track in Sunday’s race and ultimately finished 18th.
Next up for Westby Racing is round four of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington, on June 25 through 27.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Ups and Downs for Ducati Duo in Wisconsin
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Round three of the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship saw the trials and tribulations of professional motorcycle racing never more evident for Ducati duo Loris Baz and Kyle Wyman.
In a weekend of near perfect racing conditions at the legendary Road America, Baz lit up the scorecard by snatching second place on the line in race one after an epic battle with Suzuki riders Cameron Petersen and Bobby Fong.
The French maestro used all his guile and the speed of the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York machine to out-drag Petersen to the flag, with Wyman ending race one a solid seventh on the Panera Bread Ducati.
However, as so often goes in motorcycle racing, the Ducati racers were in for a shock in Sunday’s race two with Baz enduring a technical issue and Wyman suffering a crash.
2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 125
P2 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 107
P3 – Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 83
P4 – Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) 82
P5 – Bobby Fong (Suzuki) 72
P7 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 53
P8 – Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 49
Loris Baz (76) at speed at Road America. Photo courtesy Ducati North America.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #76)
“It’s been a tough weekend,” Baz said. “I have a bittersweet taste because we struggled a lot in qualifying, but after qualifying we made some big changes on the bike, so thank you to the crew for that. We found the way and we started race one with a totally different bike—I needed a couple of laps to learn the settings—then I managed to improve my pace to get in front of Bobby (Fong) and Cameron (Petersen) at the end.
“We made another big change this morning and I felt so good for race two. We closed the gap to Jake and I was really starting to think we could fight for the win. In such a small time the team did an amazing job with changing the bike, but straight away in lap one I felt something in the engine, and then in lap three it expired. We’ll put our heads down and come back better for the next round.”
Kyle Wyman (33) leading Hector Barbera (80) at Road America. Photo courtesy Ducati North America.
Kyle Wyman (Panera Bread Ducati – Ducati #33)
“I crashed in the middle of race two and broke the radius in my elbow,” Wyman said. “I’ll have to wait until Tuesday to get surgery. Up until that point I was having a good race but I was having a few issues with the front. These are the highs and lows of racing. It was a little low side crash and I caught my elbow on the inside of the curb and I felt it immediately. We’ll come back stronger.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering rider De Keyrel takes victory in Twins Cup race at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Road America
Schultz scores third top-five finish of 2021 MotoAmerica season at June 11-13 event
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Kaleb De Keyrel had lots of friends and family cheering him on Friday and Saturday at MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Road America round, and the Minnesotan didn’t let his audience down. The Robem Engineering rider piloted his Aprilia RS 660 to a dominant win in Saturday’s Twins Cup race, claiming his second victory of the 2021 season.
De Keyrel’s teammate, Hayden Schultz, also had a positive weekend. The Arkansas rider scored a fourth place in Saturday’s race and held onto seventh place in the Twins Cup standings.
The win allowed De Keyrel — who was the runner-up in the 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup — to move up from fourth to first in the class’ points standings, and it was his second victory in five races aboard the newly-homologated-for-2021 Aprilia RS 660.
The team’s third rider, Toby Khamsouk, did not take part in the Road America round to attend to a personal matter.
Part of the team’s success at Road America can be attributed to the test day it conducted after the previous MotoAmerica round at VIRginia International Raceway had concluded. The additional track time allowed the team to gather much-needed data about its trio of Aprilia RS 660s and greatly improve its baseline setups for all three riders.
De Keyrel and Schultz got very little track time on Friday at Road America due to the morning Twins Cup practice session being red-flagged and later canceled because of an on-track incident. De Keyrel finished the session at the top of the time sheets, and Schultz posted the third-fastest time. Later Friday during Qualifying 1, De Keyrel laid down the second-fastest time of the session, and Schultz finished the session seventh-fastest.
De Keyrel’s commanding pace was on full display when qualifying wrapped up Saturday morning, as he claimed pole position by a margin of 0.852 seconds. Schultz finished qualifying in sixth place, posting a time of 2:31.583 around the 4.048-mile circuit.
It was De Keyrel’s time to shine in the weekend’s only Twins Cup race, and he delivered an impressive performance. After getting a good start and claiming the holeshot, De Keyrel gradually built a lead over the pack of riders battling for second place. He led all eight laps of the race, taking the win by a margin of more than 7.9 seconds. Schultz also had a good race on Saturday. After getting shuffled back a couple positions at the start, he worked his way to a fourth-place finish.
The Robem Engineering team will be back in action at Round 4 of the 2021 MotoAmerica season, which takes place June 25-27 at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Wash.
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51
“We only got two laps in during Friday practice, but I felt comfortable right from the start aboard my Aprilia. It felt great being able to go out and put down quick laps right away. We made some changes to our setup from what we used at VIR, and we learned a lot about what I needed out of the bike during Qualifying 1. That helped me feel comfortable to push the bike more at the start of Qualifying 2 on Saturday, and we were able to go quite a bit faster than everyone else. Drafting is a huge factor here at Road America with its long straightaways. I knew I was going to have to put my head down from the start and try to break the draft. I was able to do that pretty quickly and was able to focus on just being smooth and smart with the lead I had. The Aprilia RS 660 handled like a dream: it was easily the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike. I’m extremely excited to be leading the championship now and am looking forward to bringing this momentum to Washington.”
Hayden Schultz (49). Photo by Sara Chappell Photos, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Hayden Schultz / No. 49
“I was happy to come away from the Road America round with good points, although the result isn’t exactly what I was hoping for this weekend. I worked incredibly hard to try to get to the front, but with limited track time – due to the length of the track and losing most of the first practice session – I struggled to give the team the feedback it needed to find an ideal setup. I unfortunately wasn’t able to run up front with my teammate in the race, but we’re going to carry what we learned here at Road America into the next round. We’ll have time to test the bike at the Ridge to improve our setup and, hopefully, we’ll be able to join Kaleb on the podium at The Ridge.”
Robem Engineering’s technical partners for 2021 include 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 Aprilia:
APRILIA RS 660 CONTINUES TO WIN IN MOTOAMERICA
AT ROAD AMERICA POLE POSITION AND SOLO VICTORY FOR KALEB DE KEYREL, NOW LEADER OF THE TWINS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
Kaleb De Keyrel on the Twins Cup podium at Road America. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
The Aprilia RS 660 continues to win and amaze in the hard-fought Twins category of the US MotoAmerica championship: already the protagonist at the beginning of May of a sensational debut in the inaugural race in Atlanta, with three Italian bikes in the first three positions, this weekend the brand new mid-range sports bike from Noale scored another success on the demanding Road America circuit at Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin.
A confirmation of the dynamic and engine qualities of the RS 660, homologated just before the start of the championship and now already among the favorites for the final victory of the prestigious US series for twin-cylinder bikes.
Kaleb De Keyrel, riding his RS 660 prepared by the Robem Engineering team, was the author of a weekend of dominance, he first obtained the pole position with a margin of over 8 tenths of a second place, then in the race he kept an unapproachable pace for his opponents, crossing the finish line with almost 8″ of gap on Jackson Blackmon (Yamaha).
Thanks to this success, his second of the season, De Keyrel has also taken the lead in the overall standings with 76 points, 10 more than his closest rival, Chris Parrish (Suzuki).
“I felt comfortable right from the start with my Aprilia. It felt great being able to go out and put down quick laps right away, that helped me feel comfortable to push the bike more at the start of Qualifying 2 on Saturday, and we were able to go quite a bit faster than everyone else. Drafting is a huge factor here at Road America with its long straightaways. I knew I was going to have to put my head down from the start and try to break the draft. I was able to do that pretty quickly and was able to focus on just being smooth and smart with the lead I had. The Aprilia RS 660 handled like a dream: it was easily the most comfortable I’ve felt on the bike.”
Aprilia RS 660, launched last October, is revolutionizing the concept of sportiness, it is so light and effective between the curves that, although designed to be used daily on the road, it is capable of transforming itself with a few changes into an extremely fast and fun bike between the curbs. The dynamic qualities, the rigour of the frame, the reduced weight and the exciting performance of the new 100 HP twin-cylinder engine enhance the driving pleasure of a motorcycle that, after being one of the most eagerly awaited novelties, has proved to be fun and enjoyable, able to give emotions in every situation of use.
More, from a press release issued by Harley-Davidson:
FACTORY H-D RIDERS KYLE AND TRAVIS WYMAN FINISH 1-2 AT ROAD AMERICA
Harley-Davidson Racers Sweep Podium Spots
Kyle Wyman (33) acknowledging his crew along pit wall as he takes the checkered flag at Road America. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Harley-Davidson.
MILWAUKEE (June 14, 2021) – The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory racing team put a dominating stamp on the second round of the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers road racing series at its home track of Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Kyle Wyman, aboard the #33 factory-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide® Special powered by a modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine, set pole position, posted the quickest lap of the race, led every lap, and took the win by more than 15 seconds. His new teammate and brother Travis Wyman finished second in his debut on his #10 factory prepped Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special. Hayden Gillim took third and completed the podium sweep for H-D racers aboard his #79 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Street Glide.
With the win, Kyle Wyman takes a commanding 16-point lead over Gillim in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series heading into the final round at Laguna Seca. Indian motorcycle racers Frankie Garcia and Tyler O’Hara sit in third and fourth, while Travis Wyman is fifth in points.
“It’s pretty amazing, getting a chance to ride for the factory, is something that’s a dream come true,” said Kyle Wyman. “Now to win for the factory is incredible. I can’t thank Harley-Davidson enough and really all the individuals on the team because these guys are so passionate. They deserve this win so much. These guys put in so much work. It just feels amazing. One-two for the Wyman brothers, one-two for Harley-Davidson, it couldn’t be any better.”
“When I found out that my brother got this deal with Harley-Davidson, I was pretty excited for him but also jealous,” said Travis Wyman. “I actually made a joke to him that if they ever want a second rider to hit me up. And then within a month of having this program he asked me if I wanted to join the team. Through testing Kyle was quicker than me, but I knew that if we got the right set up, I would have a shot at the podium, and that was my goal for the weekend. Each time I got on the bike I felt more comfortable. With Kyle finishing first and me finishing second, it’s an accelerated dream come true for both of us.”
Kyle and Travis Wyman are the sons of Kim Wyman, owner of Harv’s Harley-Davidson in Macedon, N.Y., and grew up around Harley-Davidson and flat track racing.
“All of us at Harley-Davidson are very proud of Kyle and Travis, and the dedicated team of Harley-Davidson engineers who developed this program entirely in-house in addition to their everyday assignments,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO Harley-Davidson.
The MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series is for race-prepared, American V-Twin touring motorcycles equipped with a fairing and saddlebags. Harley-Davidson is offering a nearly $30,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson® competing racers. The final round of the King of the Baggers series is July 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Calif.
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results Road America:
Kyle Wyman (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
Travis Wyman (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
Hayden Gillim (Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson)
Danny Eslick (Rossmeyer Daytona Racing Harley-Davidson)
Frankie Garcia (RSD Indian)
Zack Nation (Zack Nation Racing Harley-Davidson)
John Sueberling (Mad Monkey Motorsports Harley-Davidson)
Eric Stahl (Jiffy Tune Racing Harley-Davidson)
MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Series Points:
Kyle Wyman 45 (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
Hayden Gillim 29 (Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson)
Frankie Garcia 27 (RSD Indian)
Tyler O’Hara 25 (S&S Indian)
Travis Wyman 20 (Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson)
John Sueberling 19 (Mad Monkey Motorsports Harley-Davidson)
Eric Stahl 19 (Jiffy Tune Racing Harley-Davidson)
Danny Eslick 13 (Rossmeyer Daytona Racing Harley-Davidson)
Zack Nation 10 (Zack Nation Racing Harley-Davidson)
Sachsenring: a blank slate or the return of the King?
Marc Marquez has won seven in a row at the track in the premier class. If he can’t challenge for an eighth, who’s going to end his reign?
Monday, 14 June 2021
After a dramatic Catalan GP, the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland beckons for the first race weekend in another back-to-back for the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship. The tight and twisty venue is a different challenge from most, and traditionally there has been a single King of the Sachsenring: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). With seven wins from seven in his time in MotoGP™ – and a few before that too – the number 93 has been almost unassailable at the track, but this time he arrives on the comeback from injury and the flashes of brilliance so far have been very much accompanied by some struggles for the eight-time World Champion. “Like the old Marc,” was his review of the laps he completed in Barcelona though, and on Monday in the post-race test he did more laps than anyone. So is it too soon to expect the King to return to the throne?
If he doesn’t, there’s a somewhat blank slate in his wake. Traditionally though, the next bike home after the winner has been a Yamaha in recent years. So will it be this time? Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) will be hoping so after a dramatic end to his race in Barcelona where race-winning pace translated into sixth in the final results after two penalties. He’ll want to gain that ground back, and teammate Maverick Viñales will want to gain ground full stop – something also true of Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi as some tougher times continue in their garage.
Also traditionally, another Honda has sometimes joined Marc Marquez on the podium. The top rider for the marque as it stands is Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and he’ll want that good form for the bike at the track to translate into a kinder weekend in Germany after a dip recently. He has, after all, already taken a fourth place in 2021, as difficult as the year has been at times. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) will likewise look to the past performance of the machine to give themselves a boost, too. And what did HRC find in the post-Catalan GP test?
The more unknown quantities, in terms of track records, go for the rest. Ducati, to start with the factory equal on points with Yamaha at the top of the Constructors’ Championship, have seemed to edge closer and closer to the front in Germany as their bike has been crafted to turn better and better. And this season, it’s seemingly better than ever. Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) praised the machine after his podium in Catalunya and offered a quick “we’ll see” regarding the Sachsenring, but 2021 so far says there’s more to be optimistic about than ever before. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) will have a few eyes on him too, with the Italian’s riding style and corner speed a key talking point earlier in the year, but his Barcelona weekend a little more muted.
Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), however, got the better of both last time out. The Frenchman was top Independent Team rider and top Ducati – as he is in the standings, although Miller especially is gaining some traction – and cut his gap to the top quite a bit after Quartararo’s two penalties. What can he do? He had a tougher time of it at the track on the Yamaha, or more so in 2017 compared to then-teammate Jonas Folger’s heroics, but Zarco won the Moto2™ race at the track in 2016 and was only 0.083 off doing the same the year before. So he knows his way around… can he hook it up in the premier class?
Ahead of all the Borgo Panigale machinery in Barcelona, however, was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). The Portuguese rider put in an outstanding push on Sunday – and a smart one – to leave the Catalan GP with his first victory in factory colours, and he’s another with some good stats in his past at the track, just 0.066 off the win in Moto2™ in 2017 behind only Morbidelli. Teammate Brad Binder won the Moto2™ race the year after. As this is a track where the Austrian factory have no 2020 data and a best result outside the top ten given the sheer speed of their ascendancy, will it be more of an uphill struggle at this particular – and in some ways peculiar – venue? Or are the riders, mileage so far and updates to the RC16 ready to carry on where they left off?
Suzuki, meanwhile, have a couple of highlights that lend themselves to optimism – in addition to a bike that handles exceedingly well. First is a fourth place for Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the grid in 2019, the last time we raced at the Sachsenring, although he didn’t finish the race and arrives fighting to be fit after a cycling accident ahead of Barcelona. But the other is his teammate – and the reigning Champion – Joan Mir’s seventh place in 2019. Looking back at the Majorcan’s record at the track in his short, sharp ascent to the top of the MotoGP™ world, it goes from Moto3™ win on the way to the title to best Moto2™ result at the time in 2018, a second place. And then straight to seventh as a MotoGP™ rookie – his second best premier class result at the time, behind only Barcelona where he took P6. Since then he’s become World Champion and Suzuki team Champions, so what can they do this time around at the Sachsenring now they’re established at the front?
Finally, for Aprilia the fight for the top five continues and will continue in Germany. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) has been close to it but ended up equalling their best result in the MotoGP™ era, sixth, which speaks to an impressive season but one that remains fixed on a firm goal: the top five, and the podium. Aleix Espargaro sat out the post-Catalan GP test after crashing out of the race but did get his arm, following arm pump surgery previously, checked out. All is ok, and the number 41 will be gunning for more glory in Germany… can he crack that top five this time around?
MotoGP™ take on the Sachsenring on Sunday the 20th of June at 14:00 (GMT +2), with another 25 points in play and even more eyes than normal on Marc Marquez. Is there a new King of the Sachsenring soon to be crowned? We’re about to find out…
4 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 88
5 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – 78
*Independent Team rider
Double trouble: can Red Bull KTM Ajo continue their roll in Germany?
Gardner vs Fernandez has been the recent story. Will the Sachsenring write another chapter in their domination?
2021 is going pretty well for Red Bull KTM Ajo. In Moto2™, it’s a masterclass so far for both Championship leader Remy Gardner and his rookie sensation of a teammate Raul Fernandez, who remains a close second in the standings. The number 25 also been Gardner’s closest challenger on track as the two stamp some serious authority on the season: a 1-2 in the last three races, the latter two with Gardner out front, and the only single race in which neither have been on the podium is Jerez. That’s quite a record, and as we head into the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland the Jaws music has likely already started a faint crescendo for their rivals.
In terms of track records, Gardner has scored points on Moto2™’s last four visits to Saxony, a solid CV even for a rider in the form of his life as everything comes together, so there’s no reason to expect he’ll suddenly lose any speed. There is one added challenge for Raul Fernandez though: a little less experience. That didn’t make much difference at Mugello, however, and on his Moto3™ debut at the Sachsenring in 2018 as an injury replacement, the Spaniard very much showed he knew his way around. So who could challenge the duo?
So far this season it’s been a tale of five riders with the edge on the rest and the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo with a little more than that. Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) have both had wins marred by a few mistakes, so can they hit back? It’s starting to get more and more vital as the summer break approaches, with both seeing big points go begging of late but both already having taken to the top step.
The opposite is true of Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), who has lacked the raw pace to take him to a first win of the season so far but put together an impeccable campaign of consistency in third overall. That’s paying dividends as he now enjoys a nice 26-point cushion ahead of Lowes on the chase. With the metronomic excellence of the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo ahead though, “points make prizes” will soon not be enough. Can the Italian find that step forward in Germany? And can Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), who denied Bezzecchi the third step in Barcelona, keep his renewed form rolling?
Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was back on song in Barcelona too, and he took a solid sixth last time Moto2™ raced in Germany. Bo Bendseyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) impressed last time out to beat Lowes to sixth at Catalunya as well. On German turf though, a few eyes will also be on Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) as he starts to rebuild some speed after a tougher start to 2021. The Bavarian has a good record at the Sachsenring too, including a podium the last time we raced there in 2019…
Finally, Fermin Aldeguer (+Ego Speed Up) could be one to watch for those keen on catching a rider on the ascent. The Spaniard, who has taken five wins from five in the Moto2™ European Championship, including an almost offensively quick double in Barcelona on the Sunday ahead of the Sachsenring, will be in on injury replacement for Yari Montella once again. First time out on the Triumph 765, the 16-year-old took 12th and was just half a tenth off top Boscocuro Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2). And this was at Mugello, where he’d never raced before. Can he make some more magic in Saxony?
Moto2™ go racing in Germany at 12:20 (GMT +2), with another 25 points on the table. Can Red Bull KTM Ajo keep delivering? Or will the Sachsenring see someone able to defeat the duo of the moment? Find out on Sunday in the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland.
Moto2™ Championship top five:
1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 139
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 128
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 101
4 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 75
5 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – 50
Moto3™: can Garcia keep it full GASGAS in Germany?
The Spaniard is officially on a charge… so can he continue to pull in Acosta’s lead at the Sachsenring?
Consistency has been hard to come by in the 2021 Moto3™ season. At first, rookie sensation – and still very much Championship leader – Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had it as those around him faltered, but now the momentum has moved once again and he’s been scoring good points, but not on the podium. Instead, it’s Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) who’s scored 57 points in the last three races, two of which he’s won to emerge as the closest challenger. One in the wet, one in the dry… and now we head to a venue where a few of his rivals lack some experience. And Garcia was in the lead group last time we raced in Germany.
First things first, Acosta has ridden the Sachsenring in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, and won a race. But will that experience count for a lot? He’ll hope so, with at least some track knowledge to help him on his quest to stem the tide of points. But Garcia isn’t the only rider looking to claw back some more ground…
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was just bumped off the podium in Barcelona by a track limits infraction, will be out for some revenge, and the likes of Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) will want to keep finishing ahead of Acosta as they did at Catalunya. Romano Fenati (Steilgarda Max Racing Team) remains fourth overall too and of those returning to race Moto3™ at the Sachsenring this year, the veteran Italian was also the top finisher in 2019 as he took fourth.
Experience is also a question for Catalan GP podium finishers Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3). Rookies in 2020 and therefore not racing the venue in Moto3™ yet, can they stay at the front? Alcoba hasn’t had any experience of the track and will be up against the clock to get up to speed, but Öncü has an impressive record at the place in the Rookies. He took his first victory in the Cup at the track in 2017, and in 2018 he took another win and a second place. Will that, plus the added confidence from an emotional first podium in Barcelona, translate into race day pace in 2021?
The tight, twisty Sachsenring may deliver a slightly different Moto3™ showdown to that of many tracks so far, and it’s a new challenge for a few key faces in the field. Who’ll come out on top? We’ll find out on Sunday as Moto3™ see the lights go out on the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at 11:00 (GMT +2).
Stefano Mesa (37). Photo by etechphoto.com, courtesy Pirelli.
Stefano Mesa and Pirelli Take Two with Track Records at Summit Point Raceway and Nelson Ledges Road Course
Mesa’s Ninja® ZX™-10R is Unstoppable with the New DIABLO Superbike SCX Rear
ROME, Ga. – Pirelli Tire North America captured the brand’s third and fourth absolute motorcycle track record of the 2021 racing season as Stefano Mesa put in an impressive performance at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia and then backed it up with an inspiring ride at Nelson Ledges Road Course in Garrettsville, Ohio. The new lap records were set aboard a 2021 Kawasaki Ninja® ZX™-10R motorcycle equipped with Pirelli DIABLO Superbike slicks.
“The feeling of achievement in setting a lap record just never gets old,” said Mesa. “Each year these things become harder and harder to accomplish but having Pirelli and the new products that they continue to develop certainly make a world of difference. They continue to develop incredible products and in return that allows me to be faster. The new 125/70 and 200/65 sizing are just insane, and when combined with this SCX rear compound, it’s a phenomenal package.”
Mesa’s new lap record of 1:10.551 in the Championship Cup Series at Summit Point Raceway was set in the Unlimited GP class, topping his own previous lap record of 1:10.728. A DIABLO Superbike SC2 in 125/70-17 was used on the front of his ZX-10R motorcycle, while a DIABLO Superbike SCX in 200/65-17 sizing was used on the rear. Just one week later, Mesa carried his momentum into Nelson Ledges Road Course by setting a new lap record of 1:03.926 in the WERA Series’ A Superstock class. A DIABLO Superbike SC1 front in 125/70-17 sizing and DIABLO Superbike SCX rear in 200/65-17 sizing were used to outpace the previous record of 1:04.192.
“We’ve seen the new SCX rear tire start to drop lap times across the nation, so these records are no surprise,” said Oscar Solis, Senior Racing Manager, Pirelli. “Stefano [Mesa] has a new weapon of choice with the SCX and we’re glad that he continues to put his trust in the Pirelli brand. He always manages to make this look easy, but we know it’s not. Congrats Stefano!”
Mesa is now the third different Pirelli rider to earn an absolute motorcycle track record in 2021 and the first to do so twice. Pirelli continues to remain the motorcycle tire of choice for North American riders looking to reach the top step of the podium and log fast laps at events and series that do not have a spec tire rule. Reward prizes are offered to riders who set a new motorcycle track record while using Pirelli race compound tires.
For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com
DIABLO is a registered trademark of Pirelli Tire S.p.A
Action from the Springfield Short Track in 2019. Photo courtesy AFT.
Progressive AFT Doubles Up at New York Short Track
AFT Singles to run back-to-back programs at Springfield Short Track
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Progressive American Flat Track announced today that this season’s New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York, has been upgraded to a doubleheader weekend, adding an additional round on Friday, August 13, to the previously scheduled round on Saturday, August 14.
Since making its debut on the series calendar in 2018, the New York Short Track has quickly established itself as a premier event and favorite among fans, officials, and competitors alike. The fantastic facility provides thrilling race action along with a premium fan experience, which were rewarded with sellout crowds in ‘18 and ‘19.
Included on the original, pre-pandemic 2020 schedule, the newly announced doubleheader helps to make up for last year’s missed visit while also returning the ‘21 slate back up to the planned number of events at 17 following last month’s weather-related cancellation of the Texas Half-Mile.
In each of the two previous runnings of the New York Flat Track, the event served as a defining moment for the respective season’s champions.
In 2018, Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was at the absolute peak of his powers at the ⅜-mile, D-shaped oval. There he scored his ninth win in 11 races that season, completing the single-season Grand Slam in the process. The dominant victory also saw him move into a tie with the legendary Ricky Graham for fourth on the all-time wins list at 39 (a number which Mees has since increased to 54).
And in 2019, Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), came into Weedsport Speedway in need of a big night after the prior event saw him suffer a mechanical DNF, which allowed Mees to slash his hard-earned title advantage from 34 points to just 13. Rather than fold under the pressure, Bauman rebounded like a champion, storming away to a blowout victory to stretch his championship lead back out to more than a full race’s haul of points.
With another spectacular Grand National Championship taking shape this season, the 2021 New York Short Track will now have double the opportunity to play host to another title-defining battle (or two) come mid-August.
Another addition to the 2021 schedule is the return of the AFT Singles to the Springfield Short Track on Friday, September 3. Repeating the model launched in 2020, the AFT Singles will be competing in two race programs in the same evening. After qualifying rounds, the competitors will run two sets of Semis and two Main Events, making the Springfield Short Track a huge championship play for riders and an even greater source of entertainment for race fans. The Springfield Short Track will mark the opening of a three-day Progressive AFT racing extravaganza as the Memphis Shades Springfield Mile presented by Law Tigers doubleheader weekend will run the following two days.
Tickets for all races during Labor Day in Springfield can be found at www.springfieldmile.org.
Next Up:
The 2021 Progressive AFT season will resume with the second of five doubleheaders, the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19. Tickets are available for purchase now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3323/#selectTickets.
Daniel Holgado (96) leads the start of FIM CEV Repsol Series Moto3 Junior World Championship Race Two at Catalunya earlier in 2021. Courtesy FIM CEV Repsol Press Office.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll and zoom tools in the bottom left corner of the PDF viewers to better see all pages of the results.
More, from a press release issued by FIM CEV Repsol Press Office:
Championship hopefuls turn the wick up in Barcelona
All done in Barcelona as a day of 5 races comes to an end under the baking sun. New winners and continued dominance, here is what happened on Sunday.
Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya played to host a fantastic display right throughout the weekend. With scorching temperatures met by scorching lap times, the action was plenty as 5 races led to 4 different race winners. In the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship, Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing) and Daniel Holgado (Aspar Junior Team) shared the wins. Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro Talent Team-Ciatti) was once again the dominant force in the Moto2™ European Championship as he raced into the distance winning both races and it was 15-year-old Xabi Zurutuza (Cuna de Campeones) that took the win in Hawkers European Talent Cup.
In race 1 of the FIM Moto3™ JWCh Daniel Holgado was denied victory for the first time in 2021 as he ended up finishing fourth. The win went the way of Syarifuddin Azman, who went from 5th to 1st at Turn 10 on the final lap to take his first-ever victory in the class. An incredible ride saw David Munoz (Avatel-Cardoso Racing) go from 19th to 2nd for his first podium in the class and completing the top three was Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) just 0.272s behind at the flag.
Race 2 was an entirely different story as a return to normality arrived for Holgado, and by normality, we mean a return to winning ways. Victory number four of the season greeted the Spaniard as he held off a leading pack of nine on the final lap. Ivan Ortola (Team MTA) rode to a superb 2nd place to take his best finish in the class. Completing the podium was the young Brit Scott Ogden (Aspar Junior Team) to make it an Aspar 1-3 and even 4 when you include David Alonso (Aspar Junior Team) in 4th place. For Ogden though, it was a maiden podium and it capped off a strong day after 5th in the first race. At the end of the FIM Moto3™ JWCh running in Barcelona, Holgado stretches his Championship lead out to a staggering 53 points.
In Moto2™ ECh it was business as usual for Aldeguer at the flag, but he did have some work to do! The 16-year-old was squeezed out at Turn 1 as Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Intact SIC Racing Team) and Alonso Lopez (Boscosuro Talent Team-Ciatti) grabbed 1st and 2nd on the first lap. Aldeguer quickly set to work and picked them off to take the lead and from there, streaked away to a 7-second winning margin. Behind, Lopez got the better of a strong Tulovic as the pair rounded out the podium.
Race 2 was dominated from lights to flag by Aldeguer as he grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. He was held honest by Lopez for 7 laps before Lopez then slipped back, relinquishing to Aldeguer’s superior pace. Tulovic would once again take 3rd place but this time didn’t quite have to pace to run with Lopez. But Tulovic can be happy with a double podium performance as he’s now in control of 3rd place in the Championship.
As always, HETC provided action right from the off as the racers of the future got to grips with hot and greasy conditions in Catalunya. With just one race on the agenda for the youngsters, they were giving it everything from the start and a group of 4 broke away in the early laps. The Cuna de Campeones trio of Zurutuza, Hugo Millan and Adrian Cruces were joined by the fast-starting Maximo Martinez (Team Honda Laglisse) as they pulled well clear of the pack by 12 seconds in the end. But, there was drama, as the then Championship Leader Cruces tumbled at Turn 7, leaving his teammates and Martinez to battle it out. A last lap thriller unfolded, with Zurutuza coming out on top by just 0.024s from Martinez and Millan a further 0.022s back in 3rd. After 5 races, Millan leads the Championship by just 7 points.
For all the results, race analysis and more, make sure you check out www.fimcevrepsol.com
Racer Kyle Wyman broke his left arm when he crashed during Sunday’s MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Race Two at Road America.
Wyman was running seventh and was in the battle for fourth when on lap six of the 12-lap race he crashed his Panera Bread KWR Ducati Panigale V4 R going into the chicane.
“It was a simple low side,” Wyman wrote in a text message to Roadracingworld.com, “but I fell to the inside of the curb going into the chicane and my elbow caught a huge concrete lip.
“I definitely need surgery. It’s my left elbow. The whole head of the radius is broken off. I felt it snap.”
An X-ray of Kyle Wyman’s left elbow. Image courtesy Kyle Wyman Racing.
Wyman is currently ranked eighth in the HONOS Superbike Championship point standings, but after winning on his Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers race Sunday, he is leading that Championship.
The next MotoAmerica race is June 25-27 at Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, Washington. The third and final round of the King of the Baggers series will take place July 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
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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
May 9, 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
