Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a perfect weekend at Virginia International Raceway with another dominant MotoAmerica Superbike victory in today’s Race Two. His teammate Herrin battled for a podium position but ultimately had to settle for fourth.
It was another hot one in Alton, Virginia, but that didn’t stop Gagne’s forward charge. The Californian topped morning warm-up to lead every session of the second round of the championship and then got another flying start from pole position to grab the holeshot. He then put in some consistently fast times, including the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2, and checked out to score his third consecutive win in the premier class by nearly 14 seconds. Gagne’s masterclass victory closed the gap on the points leader to six points.
With Sunday’s race being gridded by yesterday’s results, Herrin joined his teammate on the front row in third. Although he didn’t get the start he was hoping for, he was able to advance to third amidst the chaos going into the first turn. The 2013 Superbike Champion then drafted past the competition on the front straight to take the runner-up position at the start of Lap 2 but was passed on the following lap. While his teammate continued to stretch his lead, Herrin once again had a fight on his hands. At times, it was a four-rider battle for the podium, but he held onto third for eight laps despite the pressure. After the halfway mark, he found himself in a heated battle with the points leader, Mathew Scholtz. With four laps to go, Herrin went wide into Turn 1 and was passed by his fellow Yamaha rider, ultimately having to settle for fourth. The California rider leaves Virginia sitting third in the championship standings.
Next up for the Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team is Round 3 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on June 11- 13, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“As I said after Race One at Road Atlanta, everyone gives up one or two races and that we would make sure that we did not give up anymore. We did just that this weekend. Our R1s once again proved to be the fastest and best-handling bikes on the track. We went away with another track record and Jake is super motivated to continue his momentum. We also made some good headway with Josh. He will for sure be super strong at Road America and we are anxious to race there as our bikes always work well there.”
Jake Gagne (32). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“We rolled this R1 off the truck on Friday, and it was working amazing straight away. To get pole and my first double win feels amazing! I’m so stoked for the whole team. These guys have been working so hard, and to have a stellar weekend like this is a huge pay off. We’ll try to keep this momentum rolling!”
Josh Herrin (2). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Josh Herrin – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“I’m happy with our results this weekend. We made a lot of headway towards getting me more confident on the motorcycle. Also, we got some solid points and are leaving here healthy. Thank you to the entire team for all of their hard work and congrats to Gagne and his team on two great races.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati on the Podium at VIRginia International Raceway
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Round two of the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship was a fine one for the Bologna boys as Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York) clinched the first podium of his MotoAmerica career with second place in race two behind Yamaha’s Jake Gagne, who took out both races in Virginia.
Baz, who finished fourth in Saturday’s race one, used all his experience to fend off the attack from Mathew Scholtz and Josh Herrin, the Frenchman holding a gap of just over one second at the flag to the Yamaha duo.
It was a similarly great race from Panera Bread Ducati rider Kyle Wyman, who after finishing seventh in race one, changed the set up on his green and black Ducati to come home sixth in race two. The result saw Wyman seven seconds closer to winner Gagne at the flag, and optimistic of a good result next time out at Road America on June 25-27.
2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 81
P2 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 75
P3 – Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 61
P4 – Bobby Fong (Suzuki) 46
P5 – Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) 46
P6 – Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 40
P8 – Loris Baz Ducati 33
Loris Baz (76). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #76)
“I wanted more coming into this weekend but, honestly, it’s been a tough weekend for us,” Baz said. “We had to guess the set-up of the bike a little bit—we got the guess right in Atlanta but we missed the mark in VIR. We changed the bike a lot from Friday to Saturday, a lot of electronics, which made the straight line speed less than we’d hoped for in race one. I had to fight really hard to stay in front of the guys and I lost the podium.
“Today we improved the bike a lot in the warm-up, and we had a really good race. I had to fight so hard to bring it home. I kept increasing the gap until I was 4.5 seconds in front, then I just tried to manage it to the flag and we got our first podium, which I’m so happy about. Thank you very much to Ducati and my team who have worked so hard and hats off to Jake Gagne on an excellent ride today.”
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Kyle Wyman (Panera Bread Ducati – Ducati #33)
“Race one was a struggle as we were trying to get to some edge grip out of the bike and we really struggled to find our way,” Wyman said. “I thought we had a set up but it turned out not to be, and I couldn’t do much back in seventh.
“But, we got some good data and tried some stuff overnight that got us a lot closer in the morning. Then this morning’s data was pivotal for us to make a decision for the race to go a little bit softer in the rear, and race two was awesome.
“I had so much fun out there. It felt so good to be up towards the front and battling with the with the podium guys. That put us back where I know we belong. We ended up sixth but it was such a positive takeaway for us to realize we can be up there at the front and fighting for it.
“I’m really looking forward to our two-day test and in about a week and half at Pittsburgh. It’s going to get us even closer to the front. We haven’t tested yet this year so this is really good for us moving forward and I can’t wait to get to Road America and fight up the front.”
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
For the second race running, VIR sees four Pure Attitude Racing riders in the points
Pure Attitude Racing enjoyed another successful weekend in the latest round of the MotoAmerica championship with all four riders achieving points scoring finishes for the second consecutive event.
Buoyed by their front running pace in the Twins Cup season opener Trevor Standish and Liam MacDonald were once again in the mix, both riders bagging a double top ten finish. Trevor taking a sixth and a fifth to remain second overall in the points classification, while Liam took a tenth and ninth place finish to consolidate ninth overall in his debut season of racing in the US.
In Supersport both riders, Nate Minster and Austin Miller overcome small issues to salvage 12th and 15th respectively at the flag in race one on Saturday, with Austin racing solo on Sunday following an incident that saw Nate Minster take a tumble through no fault of his own. Miller raced to fourteenth and his first double points finish of the year.
Trevor Standish (16). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start in Race 1 and was leading but got shuffled back a bit early on. I was holding my own but then ran into some rear grip issues which prevented me from pushing as hard as I knew we could have. It was a solid Saturday and good points for the championship. Race 2 was a nice step forward. I was leading again for a lap and was able to hang with the lead group before arm pump meant I faded a little. Fifth and still second overall in the points is a great result and I am ready to race again at Road America in a couple of weeks.”
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “Race 1 went really well. I had a much better feeling and was able to settle into my rhythm more quickly than at Road Atlanta. I was able to lap consistently but it was tough with my arm pumping towards the end. VIR is really physical. I am really proud of my race and of the team for giving me such a great bike, and for rebuilding it after I stepped off in Q1. Mentally it was the best I have ever felt, coming back from a crash, and getting a good result and it’s all down to the team. I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people to be with. Race 2 went even better. I got a lightning start and was running fifth. I felt really good. I lost the rear and the front on the same lap but saved it and was able to bring it home for my fourth points finish in a row!”
Nate Minster (99). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster: “Qualifying was ok. We had some pretty big suspension issues, but the team worked well, and we were able to improve although Q2 was still a little rough. I was suffering some arm pump which meant it was hard to hang onto the bike I was determined to give it my all in the races. Race 1 was actually pretty good all things considered. We still don’t have the ideal setting, but I was able to lap consistently and got some points. In the Warm-Up we wanted to test some things. We got down to pace right away but then I was taken out by another rider in the last five minutes of the session. I decided not to ride as I wasn’t feeling the best. The team fully supported my decision, and we will come back strong at Road America.”
Austin Miller (61). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller: “We finally got the bike straightened out for Q2 and it went really well. It was a hard day of working on things, but we made the race which was the important thing and the target. The focus was to push for points in the race and I was able to achieve that. I needed that after all the problems and missing most of the first day as I was beginning to lose hope. I was able to finish fifteenth after gaining eight places from where I started. I made an ok start and made a few mistakes but was able to bring it home. Race Two went great. I made a good start but around lap eleven my arm started to stiffen, and it was difficult to ride as I wanted. I almost got one more position on the last lap, but I ran out of time. We made a step from Race 1 and it was two races in the points for the first time in my Supersport career so I can move on to Road America happy.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering riders score podium, top-five finishes at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Virginia
Aprilia team leaves VIRginia International Raceway with all three riders in top eight in Twins Cup standings
ALTON, Va. — The Robem Engineering squad faced much uncertainty as it prepared for this weekend’s MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Virgina round at VIRginia International Raceway. The team was campaigning a new-for-2021 motorcycle at a track two of its riders had little or no experience on. Despite the odds not being in its favor, the three-rider team scored a podium and two additional top-five finishes in the round’s two MotoAmerica Twins Cup races.
The team had only one race weekend under its belt with its Aprilia RS 660 motorcycles prior to the May 21-23 event getting underway. By the end of the weekend, all three of the team’s riders – Kaleb De Keyrel, Hayden Schultz and Toby Khamsouk — had maintained or improved their position in the Twins Cup standings. De Keyrel held onto fourth in the championship – just 11 points behind the class leader — Schultz moved up from ninth place to seventh and Khamsouk advanced from 12th place to eighth.
The team got off to a good start when on-track activity commenced Friday morning. Khamsouk was the third-fastest rider in the session, with Schultz finishing practice in fourth and De Keyrel in seventh. When Twins Cup qualifying got underway on Friday afternoon, Khamsouk was again the third-fastest rider in the 28-bike field. De Keyrel finished the session in seventh – posting a lap time about three seconds faster than his best practice time – and Schultz ended up in sixth place. When qualifying wrapped up early Saturday afternoon, De Keyrel had secured second place on the starting grid. Schultz qualified sixth and Khamsouk seventh.
Saturday’s race saw Schultz and De Keyrel in the pack of riders in the hunt for the race lead. Schultz was the team’s top-finishing rider, bringing his Aprilia home in fourth place and missing out on a podium finish by less than three-tenths of a second. De Keyrel was right behind Schultz, finishing fifth, and Khamsouk crossed the finish line in seventh place.
Sunday’s Twins Cup race went better for the team, as De Keyrel claimed the last step on the podium and Schultz and Khamsouk finished sixth and eighth, respectively. De Keyrel got a great start, led the field into Turn 1 and finished about three-tenths of a second behind the second-place rider.
The next round on the 2021 MotoAmerica schedule takes place June 11-13 at the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The team plans to test on Monday on VIR’s South Course, which will provide the team valuable data to help perfect its setup for its Aprilia RS 660s.
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51
“It’s been a little bit of a struggle this weekend, but we ended it on a pretty positive note. I’m extremely happy with the setup we used for Race 2. We changed our tire choice as the weekend went on, which also worked out for us. Overall, I felt a lot better in Race 2 than Race 1 as far as being comfortable on the bike. On Saturday, I had trouble pushing the bike without it pushing back. The team worked really hard on finding solutions to our setup issues. I’m really looking forward to the next round at Road America. I grew up in Minnesota and will have lots of friends and family coming to see me race there.”
Hayden Schultz (49). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Hayden Schultz / No. 49
“The weekend had some positives and some things we can improve on. This was my first time racing at VIR, so I had to learn a new track before we could really get going on figuring out how to make our Aprilia work best here. You can play as many hours on a video game as you want, but it just doesn’t replicate reality. Race 1 wasn’t so bad, but we missed out on a podium finish. We were only about a second off the win in that race. For Race 2, we didn’t have the race we wanted, as I struggled getting by a couple other riders that I maybe had a chance to. The bike was working well, and I know it will get better as the season goes along. I owe a big shout out to the team for giving me a bike that can run up front. Now it’s my job to get better and make those better results happen. I expect a lot out of myself as a rider, especially after consistently being on the podium last year. Even though I was a learning a new track, I still expected to be on the podium. We’re not far off from getting a win, but it’s frustrating to get the results we had this weekend.”
Toby Khamsouk (27). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Toby Khamsouk / No. 27
“It was an up and down weekend. We learn a lot though, and I really like this track. With having to learn a new bike, it just wasn’t the weekend we’d hoped for. We were working to find the right setup for me. Lots of positive vibes from this event though, and I’ll be working hard to help my team find a good setup quicker at Road America.”
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.
V for Velocità: can Ducati keep the momentum at Mugello?
Home turf beckons for the Italian manufacturer and with Miller on a roll, three Ducatis in the top four and two 1-2s in a row, it’s great reading for Borgo Panigale and a warning for the rest
Monday, 24 May 2021
Would you have predicted this in Qatar? The gossip went into overdrive back in the desert as Ducati didn’t win either of the season openers at one of their “favourite” or most successful tracks, but now the factory can enjoy its elegant silence on the matter even more. Two 1-2s in a row, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the top step in both and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) taking a second place apiece, make quite a statement. The three are all in the top four in the standings too – something Ducati have never had before – and Bagnaia is only a point off the lead. That would be enough to grab some attention in itself but the next track up, unfortunately for the rest, is also the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
The Italian venue is a rider and fan favourite for a reason, a stunning enough landmark in itself even before adding the spectacle of one of MotoGP™’s most golden of eras carving its way through the Tuscan hills. Fast, flowing and fast becoming a place synonymous with Ducati glory, yes it’s home turf. But it’s also somewhere Borgo Panigale machinery has won the last three editions and been on the podium since 2015.
The favourite to keep the roll going must be Miller. With his win in Le Mans in tough conditions, and that despite two Long Lap penalties, he followed up his Jerez stunner in style and it seems safe to say the Australian will now read the stats about Mugello with glee rather than pressure. Miller is a key architect of the momentum behind the manufacturer and the monkey some saw on his back after the first three rounds of the season is nowhere in sight now, whichever way you want to spin it. Can he make it three in a row? Or can his teammate fight back?
Bagnaia has been impressive in 2021 and led the standings for the first time just before Le Mans, with speed at every venue and few mistakes to go with it. With less premier class experience than Miller, he could have been forgiven for a few too. His French GP was a solid statement of intent, however, as the Italian somehow found himself down in 19th just after the start… then rode back through to fourth in conditions that caught out the very best, and again, like Miller, despite two Long Lap Penalties. If there was a day to lose your head, it was leading the Championship and sinking to the bottom of the top 20 early doors. But he didn’t.
And what about Zarco? The Frenchman hunted down another podium and moved back up to third overall, so what does he have in the locker? A Pramac win on home turf would be a popular one and the number 5, like Bagnaia, hasn’t yet tasted the top step in the premier class although he’s been close. His teammate this weekend could also be one to watch complicating the lives of a few riders who could find themselves on the cusp of Q2 too as Michele Pirro steps in to replace the injured Jorge Martin. Pirro knows both track and machine, and has impressed aplenty on wildcards.
All that said, it’s far from a foregone conclusion that Ducati will take their fourth Mugello win in a row. Three in the top four they may have, but it’s Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) back on top – and the Frenchman’s there despite his tough plummet down the order after arm pump in Jerez. He took a well-earned home podium at Le Mans despite coming back from surgery, and before Ducati started to assert their dominance at Mugello it was Yamaha territory. Jorge Lorenzo took the most recent wins but Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was on the podium in 2018 and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) the year before that. With a dry, less chaotic weekend hopefully ahead, what can they – and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) – do?
Dry and less chaotic will likely be a hope for Team Suzuki Ecstar too. A double DNF in France saw reigning Champion Joan Mir fall outside the top five in the standings, and left teammate Alex Rins with an even bigger hill to climb to get back into real contention. The Hamamatsu factory have form at Mugello though, with Rins only two tenths off the podium in 2019 as he hung on to the Marquez-Ducati fight and almost managed to ruin the party for all of them. The Suzuki works well around the majority of the venue and Rins will be out to show that and bounce back, as will Mir – but the reigning Champion also has a fair bit less experience of the track on premier class machinery, with MotoGP™ having not visited Mugello last year.
Aprilia are another who, like Ducati, will be both optimistic and riding on home turf. The Noale factory have taken a big step forward in 2021 and their bike should prove a good fit for Mugello. It may have been heartbreak at Le Mans but Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just keeps impressing, and teammate Lorenzo Savadori was a serious threat in the damp. Can he take another step forward, and can Aleix Espargaro pick up where he left off? Aprilia also have Andrea Dovizioso confirmed as doing more testing throughout the season, whose record at Mugello is one of the best in recent years. He’s also already ridden the RS-GP there, although the weather didn’t play ball…
Mugello, meanwhile, was also a place where Honda really hammered home their top speed gains in 2019 as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went toe to toe with the Bologna bullets and was absolutely not left in the dust. Marquez’ win in 2014 at the track is the only non-Ducati win for a rider still on the grid since then too, and his 2019 battle at the front against the factory Ducati duo at the time was a stunner. The French GP saw flag-to-flag master Marquez make an uncharacteristic mistake and crash out, but there were more flashes of his former self as his comeback continues. What can he do?
LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami and LCR Honda Castrol teammate Alex Marquez both took solid results in France too after a tougher start to the season, and Nakagami equalled his best ever result in Jerez just before that. Alex Marquez won at Mugello in Moto2™ last time he rode there as well, although this is his first taste of it in the premier class. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was also gaining ground in France, so they can’t be counted out of the increasingly tough fight for Q2 and more.
That also goes for KTM. It’s been a tougher start to the season but Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) equalled the best result of the Austrian factory’s year so far at Le Mans, and he knows the top step at Mugello, although in red. Teammate Iker Lecuona also impressed in France, so can both start to cut the gap to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira? There have been flashes of speed from them since Binder’s fifth in Portugal, but it’s not all come together on race day for either since. Binder and Lecuona have also not yet ridden at Mugello in MotoGP™ though, so that could also factor in to the weekend. Can KTM push back towards the bigger points hauls?
Tuscany is one of the world’s most emblematic destinations, and MotoGP™ is lucky enough to have Mugello nestled right in the middle. The paddock returns to the venue in 2021 looking quite different to the last time we were there, but the track remains the same stunner for man and machine. Make sure to tune in for the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley on Sunday the 30th of May, with lights out for the premier class at 14:00 (GMT +2).
Gardner? Fernandez? The home heroes? Moto2™ rolls into Mugello
The Australian hasn’t won yet this season, Fernandez has less laps at the venue and the home heroes want to strike back… what awaits for Moto2™?
After another stunner from Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the Moto2™ rookie is now just a single point behind his veteran teammate atop the Moto2™ standings as the paddock heads for Mugello. But given its absence on the 2020 calendar, the Tuscan venue is one where Fernandez has quite a few fewer laps than his rivals: he’s only raced there as a Moto3™ rookie in 2019. The Spaniard came home 11th, however… already proving his CV as a fast learner. So will he be leading from the front or playing catch up this time round?
His teammate Remy Gardner will be pushing to make sure it’s the latter. The Australian is on a supreme run of form stretching back to even before the start of 2021, and that’s exactly how he finds himself at the top of the table. With his rookie teammate proving such a force to be reckoned with, already winning two races, Gardner knows he has to strike when Fernandez is on the back foot and take the maximum points when he isn’t. So far so good on both counts, but Mugello will be another test of his so far exemplary judgments on Sundays.
Waiting in the wings there are two riders with even more motivation at this particular racetrack, however: Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). The former is on a podium run and the latter already a race winner this year, but both will want victory on home turf. Bezzecchi hasn’t had all the pieces come together perfectly so far this year but is proving super consistent since we left Qatar, whereas Diggia is somewhat the opposite. The Gresini rider created himself a new postcode in the lead at Jerez to win his first Moto2™ race in style, adding to a podium first time out in 2021, but in the other three races it’s been up and down. Can the home heroes make a push for the front again?
For Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) meanwhile, it’ll be a different challenge. The Brit bounced back well from a DNF in Portugal and said it was important to do so, with no OTT heroics and solid points. That will likely be the mission as he aims to hit back at Mugello following a crash in France: take points. Get on or near the podium. Claw back a little deficit. But the Brit is also one of the fastest men in the intermediate class on any given Sunday, so he can’t be counted out.
The next two riders in the standings likely have similar goals though: Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) crashed from the front in France and Aron Canet (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) earlier than that, although they’re holding on as the next two in the standings after the fastest five so far this season. What can they do? Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) is now equal on points with Canet too, and the German will want to build momentum after a solid result.
Recent Mugello history also says Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) could be up there in the top five again, and he’ll want some redemption after Le Mans followed some good steps forward, but speaking of… the king of those in France must surely be Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP). Le Mans was a stunner from the rookie Italian, so has he got more in the locker at Mugello on home turf?
Gardner has the consistency and the experience. Raul Fernandez is a fast learner. Bezzecchia and Diggia want some home turf glory, and Sam Lowes needs some good points. Who’ll come out on top? Mugello puts plenty on the line in Moto2™, so make sure to tune in at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Moto2™ Championship top five:
1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 89
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 88
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 72
4 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 66
5 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – 60
Moto3™ vs Mugello: Acosta leads the freight train into Tuscany
The Championship leader increased his lead significantly in France, and that despite a crash. But now, more new turf awaits at Mugello… in Moto3™ at least
The course of a Moto3™ race rarely did run smooth, but Le Mans was even more drama than normal. With Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) taking his first win of the year, second overall and first for GASGAS, it was a different face on the top step to the one we’d become accustomed to seeing in 2021. But Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), despite taking a tumble in the difficult conditions, still got back on and took a good haul of points – and finished far ahead of those who’d previously been his closest challengers to boot. The result? An even bigger Championship lead.
For the veterans on his tail – Garcia, and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) – the good news is the experience they all have at Mugello, and for the most part, their CVs there too. The Italians will also be fired up on home turf as we return to the track for the first time since 2019. The slightly worse news is that, unlike Le Mans, Acosta does actually have a track record at Mugello: a second place in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies race at the venue in 2019, the year he came runner up overall before going on to annihilate the competition last season. So it’s new turf on his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine… but it’s not a shot in the dark.
The Italians will be gunning hard though, as will Garcia after a good shot of confidence from his win in France. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) too, and home hero Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) after their first podiums. Both will be wanting more good points. Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) remained on his consistent roll of top finishes too despite the different conditions in France, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) got some good points on the board just ahead of his former teammate. Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and fellow rookie Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) also took their best finishes of the season so far, and confidence goes a long way.
Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), meanwhile, will be on an opposite mission: bouncing back. After the South African got skittled out at Jerez through no fault of his own, a crash in France put paid to solid points and he’s now down in eighth overall. Can he fight back before summer break and get back into the upper echelons of the Championship? He’ll be aiming to start that at Mugello.
The kilometre-long straight at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello always provides one of the greatest Moto3™ spectacles of the season. They’ll take it on again this Sunday, with the lights out at 11:00 (GMT +2) for another incredible lightweight class challenge.
For the racers, race team technicians and families at the highest level of professional Motocross and Supercross, a return to racing was not guaranteed in 2020, and it was treasured when it came. While a surge of new off-road motorcycle enthusiasts were born in the 2020 lockdown, some of the sport’s most faithful allies were laying the groundwork for the sport’s future.
Producer Troy Adamitis and director Nate Scribner, who have created The Great Outdoors, The Moto: Inside the Outdoors, Supercross: Behind the Dream, MX Nation and MX World, have partnered with RIDE Motorcycles to bring you an account of American Motocross’ Year of Jubilee.
Gurecky gets the hammer down for another wet weather masterclass in Race 1
The Czech rider was up to his old tricks in tricky conditions at Oschersleben, with Kocourek back on the podium in second and Phommara impressing in third
Jakub Gurecky (59). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 23 May 2021
Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) hammered home his wet weather mastery once again at Oschersleben, the Czech rider disappearing in Race 1 for another stunner of a victory out front in difficult conditions. Teammate Jonas Kocourek came home second in a JRT Brno Circuit 1-2, with Swiss rookie Lennoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) impressing in the wet once again to take his first Northern Talent Cup podium in third.
From the start it was Gurecky in charge as he took the holeshot, with Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) initially able to go with him… but not for long. The number 81 had an early excursion on Lap 1 and, although he was able to re-join, that left Gurecky ahead of the game and Kocourek in second.
Initially, Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team), Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team) and polesitter Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) were on the chase, although the number 81 of Luciano didn’t lose too much time slicing back through into a podium place.
From there he set about reeling in Kocourek as Phommara set about making his way through the pack. By Lap 11, the number 81 of Luciano was back past Kocourek and Phommara had leapfrogged the rest to get in the fight for fourth, but more drama was to come.
In the last couple of laps disaster struck for Luciano once again. Heading off track for the second time, the Belgian rider shuffled way back down the order upon re-joining, with Kocourek able to take back second and secure himself a safer gap behind himself to boot. Phommara, meanwhile, had continued his charge and swept back round the outside of Hosciuc to lead the fight for the podium on the penultimate lap as well.
Conditions remained tricky, and Jordan Bartucca (Allesauto Racing) found that out as he then suddenly slid off in the background, leaving Phommara vs Hosciuc as the battle for third. As Gurecky crossed the line nearly 18 seconds clear to complete his masterclass and Kocourek took second place though, there was even more drama behind the two Czech riders: Hosciuc was down, leaving Phommara unthreatened round the rest of the last lap to take an impressive third place.
Fourth went to Bartucca despite his brief spill, the Swiss rider with enough time to slot back in and just beat polesitter Moor by a few tenths. Nevertheless, the Hungarian rookie and pacesetter in the dry will likely be satisfied by completing the top five and taking his first big haul of points this year.
Varga took sixth ahead of a good race for Martin Vincze (Chrobák Motorsport Egyesület), with Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) a little further back in P8. Stepan Zuda (Motoracing23 Klub V ACR) took ninth, with Luciano able to salvage tenth place and some valuable points despite two run offs in the first race of the day.
Gurecky flexes his wet weather prowess to extend his lead in Race 2
Can he be beaten in the wet? Not so far! The Czech rider wins again, with Luciano in second and Kocourek taking third despite a tumble
Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) completed the double at Oschersleben as the weather stayed wet on Sunday afternoon, the Czech rider needing no excuse to once again flex his prowess in difficult conditions. This time around his closest challenger in the standings, Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team), had a less adventurous race to come home second, with Jonas Kocourek in third to make it both JRT Brno Circuit riders on the podium in both races… and that despite a tumble for the number 56.
Gurecky got away in the lead for the holeshot once again, but unlike Race 1 Luciano was able to stay with him on take two. Kocourek had good speed once again to slot into third, with Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) on the chase as he fought to bounce back from late disaster on Sunday morning. He had Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) and Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) for company not long after, and behind Lennoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) was a man on the move once again as the Race 1 podium finisher started gaining ground. By Lap 7, he was up into fourth.
Meanwhile at the front, Gurecky was starting to stretch his legs as Luciano moved back into the clutches of Kocourek. On Lap 10 the Czech rider arrived and struck to take over in second, the fastest man on track before disaster suddenly struck. He slid off, Luciano cruised past through and the number 56 scrambled to slot back into the podium places. He did, re-joining in third but with Phommara then much closer…
Ultimately, however, it would remain the same top three to the line. Gurecky completed the double with an even bigger gap – this time over 20 seconds – with Luciano finding some redemption and crossing the line second to take 20 valuable points. Kocourek was able to keep third, managing to pull away out of the clutches of another incredibly impressive performance from Phommara.
In turn, the Swiss rookie just held off Moor as the Hungarian completed the top five, with Beekmans taking sixth after losing tabs on the two ahead in the latter stages. Likewise Hosciuc, who was forced to settle for seventh but took some good points after a late crash in Race 1.
Damian Boessenkool (Team KNMV) took eighth, with Niklas Kitzbichler (Racing-Team-Kitzbichler) fending off Noel Willemson (PrüstelGP Junior Team), Martin Vincze (Chrobák Motorsport Egyesület) and Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team) for ninth. The battle between the four was covered by less than two and a half tenths.
That’s it from Oschersleben and Round 2, with Gurecky starting to pull away at the top. The NTC is back in action in a month as the legendary Sachsenring plays host, the Cup back racing alongside the MotoGP™ World Championship!
MotoAmerica: Gagne Takes Third Straight With Dominant VIR Victory
Yamaha’s Jake Gagne Completes Perfect Weekend In Virginia
Jake Gagne (32) leads Kyle Wyman (33), Josh Herrin (2), Loris Baz (76), Travis Wyman (10), Hector Barbera (80), Bobby Fong (50) and the rest of the field at the start of Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
DANVILLE, VA (May 23, 2021) – Three races a championship does not make, but the performance of Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha’s Jake Gagne certainly makes sleeping a little rough for those who are racing against him.
Gagne won his third straight MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike race on Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway, and he did so in impressive fashion. Again. On Saturday, Gagne won by 11.8 seconds. Today that gap swelled to 13.9 seconds. As he did yesterday, Gagne led into turn one and proceeded to lead every lap thereafter, crossing the finish line well clear of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York’s Loris Baz, the Frenchman earning his first career MotoAmerica podium.
“Today was a little more comfortable for us,” Gagne said. “I think it was a little hotter today. I think the track temp was maybe a little hotter. So, I knew I needed to be a little easier on the tires because yesterday we roasted out here pretty good. After yesterday’s race, we really learned a lot, when you get a whole 20 laps underneath you in race conditions. So, we just made a couple minor tweaks, and the bike just came a lot easier for me to ride today. I was just having fun sliding around out there. It’s nice when you’ve got a little bit of a gap. I was keeping an eye on my pit board. But you can’t let up. These guys, I know they’re going to keep rolling and if you just back off a couple percent that’s when something can happen. So, I just kept riding and having fun. Hats off to the Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance crew. Even after a great day yesterday, they went back and worked hard last night to get a couple little improvements coming into today. This Yamaha came off the truck good on Friday. We changed the gearing for Atlanta, and she was rolling good. I’m really looking forward to Road America. I think that will be kind of a whole different track than these first two we dealt with, so it will be cool to switch it up a little bit. It’s good to get a win.”
Baz’s race was eventful early as he battled with a pack of four for second place, but once he got to the spot, he was able to pull clear and monitor his gap to third place. He knew there was no catching Gagne. In fact, he knew that before the race started based on Gagne’s race pace from Saturday.
“I’m enjoying it a lot since three months,” Baz said of his working visit to the U.S. “We’ve been working so hard with the team to do good work. We knew that the test in Austin we were fast, but we knew we were coming to tracks where we struggle a bit more. I was surprised we struggled so much. Race one (at Road Atlanta where he crashed) we were able to win and race two the bike broke. It was hard to swallow that for three weeks. We came here with the same goal as Atlanta, but we just struggled more all weekend. We were so far off on Friday. We didn’t expect to put the bike in the top five. We were so far away. It was so hard to ride. The crew did an amazing job this Friday to improve the electronics and we made a decent qualifying. Unfortunately, we had trouble on the tire. I knew the track was killing the tread. It was a tough race yesterday before and today. I knew that the best we could do with our pace was P2. The target was to try to go behind Jake (Gagne) and follow him. I gave everything that I had and still could not do it. So, it was a lonely race, trying to increase the gap to the guys behind and just manage my tires because I didn’t know what to expect at the end. I was just managing the gap and had a couple of tenths. Just trying to bring it to the end because I was struggling with my rear tire. I’m really happy. I think one of the hardest parts of the Ducati we improved a lot. The target is still exactly the same as when I came. I know these guys are fast and I’m just ready to battle with them.”
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was roughed up in turn one off the start and finished the opening lap in 14th, but the South African didn’t give up and pushed his way through the pack, eventually making his way to the heels of those battling for third. When all was said and done, Scholtz had worked his to third to maintain his perfect season of podium finishes.
“I just saw one of the M4 Suzuki bikes coming up the inside, so I gave him space,” Scholtz said. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) ran off the track. I’m not sure if he got touched. It’s just one of those unfortunate things. I’m trying to get aggressive in the first corner trying to hang onto Jake (Gagne) because I knew if I could slot in behind Jake, he would pull me and I kind of had the pace over everyone else after about lap eight or 10.”
Scholtz’s fourth podium, including his win in race one at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, keeps him in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship lead with his 81 points, six more than the fast-closing Gagne. Gagne’s Fresh N’ Easy Attack Performance Yamaha teammate Josh Herrin is third with 61 points, the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion finishing off the podium for first time this season on Sunday at VIR.
Herrin, meanwhile, managed to hold off the advances of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong for fourth with the latter bouncing back from mechanical issues that thwarted his progress on Saturday.
Kyle Wyman had his strongest race of the 2021 season, the Panera Bread Ducati rider in the fight for second/third early on before slipping back to finish sixth.
Fong’s M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Cameron Petersen was some two seconds adrift of Wyman and in seventh after having to fight through from well back after being involved in the melee in turn one.
Scheibe Racing’s Hector Barbera was eighth, but he really deserved more. An off-track excursion cost him a shot at the podium as he was fighting for third when he couldn’t get the BMW stopped for turn one in the heat of battle and was forced to take to the grass.
Ninth went to HONOS HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander, the Stock 1000-spec Kawasaki ZX-10R mounted New Yorker ending the race as the top finishing Superbike Cup entry. Franklin Armory/Disrupt/RG Racing/Kawasaki’s Andrew Lee had his best result of the season thus far in 10th, some four seconds adrift of Alexander and only .001 of a second ahead of Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz And Westby Racing Leave VIR With The Superbike Points Lead In Hand
Alton, VA – May 23, 2021 – With two rounds and four races completed in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz holds a six-point lead in the standings based on the strength of his race finishes thus far. Mathew notched a victory and a second-place finish at Road Atlanta in round two, and then, he added another runner-up finish on Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway. On Sunday, “The Scholtz Kid” added a third-place finish to his four-race podium streak in a hard-fought result where he had to overcome adversity.
On the opening lap of Sunday’s final race of the weekend, Mathew got caught up in traffic going into turn one. Thankfully, he didn’t suffer a tipover in the incident, but it did shuffle him all the way back to 14th. Undaunted, he went about his business and started clicking off laps as fast as, or faster than, the leaders. On lap 13, he made it all the way back up to third place where he battled with Josh Herrin for a few laps before securing the final spot on the podium on lap 17.
All in all, it was a hero effort from Mathew, who knows that podium finishes all season long are the key to winning his first MotoAmerica Superbike title.
Mathew Scholtz. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
“I just saw one of the M4 Suzuki bikes coming up the inside, so I gave him space,” Mathew commented. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) ran off the track. I’m not sure if he got touched. It’s just one of those unfortunate things. I was trying to get aggressive in the first corner, trying to hang onto Jake (Gagne) because I knew if I could slot in behind him, he would pull me, and I kind of had the pace over everyone else after about lap 8 or 10.”
Westby Racing’s Junior Cup rider Jack Roach’s weekend at VIR went from bad on Saturday to worse on Sunday. After not being able to finish race one due to a technical issue, he crashed out of race two on lap 4 while in heavy traffic.
Jack Roach (12), Max VanDenBrouck (48), David Kohlstaedt (29), and Gus Rodio (96) on track. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Jack said, “This round was full of ups and downs, and as it turned out, the best part was qualifying P3 and maintaining consistent speed throughout the weekend. I wanted to get two really good race results but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Two DNF’s obviously don’t show my potential. I can’t thank Chuck (Giacchetto) from Westby Racing and Shiloh (Salopek) from N2 Racing enough for all their support. Road America is my favorite track, so I can’t wait for the next round to begin.”
Next up for Westby Racing is round three of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on June 11 through 13.
Escalante Rebounds To Get First Supersport Win Of The Year At VIR
Richie Escalante Fights Off Injury To Win MotoAmerica Supersport
DANVILLE, VA (May 23, 2021) – As Richie Escalante said from Parc Ferme after winning Sunday’s second of two MotoAmerica Supersport races at VIRginia International Raceway, “Richie is back.”
Two weeks removed from having his collarbone plated, Escalante won his first Supersport race of the season on Sunday and not a minute too soon as his championship rival Sean Dylan Kelly had won three straight races to begin the 2021 season.
Escalante wasn’t the only championship hopeful to return to the top step of the podium at VIR as Corey Alexander went out and won his first Stock 1000 race of the season after a rocky start to his campaign.
As for the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup and Twins Cup races at VIR, it was a case of a pair of first-time class winners in Cody Wyman and Jody Barry.
Corey Alexander (23) beat Jake Lewis (85) by a fraction of a second in Stock 1000 Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Stock 1000: Happy Birthday To Alexander
On the occasion of his 27th birthday, HONOS HVMC Kawasaki rider Corey Alexander gave himself a priceless, hard-fought gift when he won Sunday’s Stock 1000 race two at VIRginia International Raceway.
Saturday’s race one winner Jake Lewis almost spoiled Alexander’s rolling birthday party when he very nearly overtook Alexander on the final lap, but Alexander maintained his position at the front and kept Lewis and his Altus Motorsports Suzuki behind him, taking the checkers by .047 of a second over the Kentuckian. With Lewis in second, third place went to Michael Gilbert Racing Kawasaki’s Michael Gilbert, who was just under a second behind Lewis.
“It was fun riding with these guys up front,” Alexander said. “You can kind of depend on them to at least give you a little bit of space. There wasn’t much there, but I knew (Lewis) wasn’t just going to punt me. So, I was holding on tight a little bit, and I knew I was dragging him out to the grass and the only way I could really get the bike off of him was to accelerate. Fortunately, I kind of fell forward a little bit. But otherwise, we went back and watched the race last night and kind of saw some spots where he was better than me. I don’t know if I really improved in them, but I knew that I couldn’t let him by me in those spots, so I kind of tightened up my lines a little bit. The guys made a couple changes to allow me to brake better, which was kind of my strong suit I think today. I utilized that to make sure that I could lead the race. I learned yesterday from Jake that catching those backmarkers and kind of keeping your race under a lead and get through them smoothly, that will put you in a position to win. So that’s all I really cared about. As soon as Geoff (May) got by me, I needed to get back by him. Same thing with Jake. I knew I had to pass everybody on the brakes. Can’t ask for a better birthday.”
Richie Escalante (1) leads Stefano Mesa (37), Sean Dylan Kelly (40), Benjamin Smith (88), Sam Lochoff (44), and the rest of the field in Supersport Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Supersport: The Return Of Richie
Defending MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Richie Escalante’s title defense got off to a bit of a rocky start. The HONOS Kawasaki rider did finish second in both races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, but then, right after that round, he fractured his collarbone in a training accident on his bicycle. Despite the setback, Escalante not only raced at VIR, but he put in a dominant performance in Sunday’s race, winning by more than seven-and-a-half seconds over M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly, who has been unstoppable up to this point.
Kelly did finish second, but he was clearly not happy with the result and felt like the changes they made to the bike overnight after Saturday’s race did not improve the bike. Mesa37 Racing Kawasaki’s Stefano Mesa, himself also dealing with some bumps and bruises, toughed it out and finished third albeit a little more than 11 seconds behind Kelly.
“I’m so happy,” Escalante said. “I think yesterday my confidence changed for today. Just as I start the race, I was feeling maybe don’t think it’s a race. Maybe very long the first group. Today I feel great. I woke up more motivated, more relaxed. I feel great in my collarbone. So, I’m so happy. My Honos Racing team is working amazing giving me my bike. My feeling is the same as last year. So, really happy. I’m pushing hard and I passed Sean and then I just waited for pass me again. I tried my best in the first laps. So hard in the last five laps I had to ride the bike not looking at the people waiting for finish the race. I’m so happy. Thanks to all my sponsors and people supporting me. I’m ready for the next round. It’s one of my favorite tracks, so let’s go.”
Jackson Blackmon (18), Jody Barry (717), Kaleb De Keyrel (51), Teagg Hobbs (behind De Keyrel), and Trevor Standish (16) battle at the front during Twins Cup Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Twins Cup: Barry Turns Up The Heat
Former KTM RC Cup competitor Jody Barry has returned to the MotoAmerica paddock after a few years away, and the Righteous Racing Aprilia rider is making quite a name for himself in his return. After reaching the podium at Road Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, Barry got a breakthrough win in Sunday’s Twins Cup race two at VIR. He overtook Jackson Blackmon Yamaha rider Jackson Blackmon on the final lap of the 10-lap event and held onto the lead to win by just .166 of a second over second-place Blackmon. Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Kaleb De Keyrel finished third, just under half-a-second behind Blackmon.
“I definitely figured I had to put the move on early because (Blackmon’s) Yamaha is no slouch in the straightaway,” Barry said. “I was praying to everything out there that I could put enough of a gap on him that he didn’t pass me. It really is just awesome.”
Tyler Scott (70) leads Cody Wyman (34), Max VanDenBrouck (48) and the rest of the field early in Junior Cup Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
SportbikeTrackGear.Com Junior Cup: Wyman’s First
In Sunday’s SportbikeTrackGear.com race two, Kermoto/Madden Painting Kawasaki rider Cody Wyman finally got the breakthrough MotoAmerica win that has eluded him for a couple of years. The youngest of the racing Wyman brothers, Cody has become a master of the draft pass, and he used it to perfection on the final lap to escape the gaggle of riders at the front and put himself in perfect position to take the checkered flag first. Wyman nipped second-place finisher Ben Gloddy, who was aboard a Landers Racing Kawasaki, by just .049 of a second. Gloddy won Saturday’s race one and appeared to be headed for the double win until Wyman swooped in and grabbed the victory. Also among the lead group was Veloce Racing Kawasaki’s Maxwell Toth, the California rider taking third just .113 of a second behind Gloddy.
“I’ve got to thank team Westby for taking a chance on me a couple years ago,” Wyman said. “To get on a competitive bike and get more comfortable, this is really just the momentum to keep this rolling for the rest of the year. I thought I blew it on the last lap when I got really loose through the esses. Really pushed the braking zones harder than I ever had, and I was driving my life out of the last corner. Lucky that start/finish line is pretty far down there, because I sure needed that. This is great to get my first win and match my brothers’ wins. For all three of us to get a win… it means a lot for the family.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Redding bounces back with slick gamble to take Race 2 victory at Aragon
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
After a disappointing Tissot Superpole Race, Redding responded in phenomenal fashion with commanding Race 2 victory
The drama continued in the final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race of the Pirelli Aragon Round after a tyre gamble by Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) meant he responded to earlier disappointment to claim a sensational victory in Race 2 at MotorLand Aragon, coming home almost ten seconds clear of his rivals.
An earlier rain shower meant the track was wet but drying throughout the day and, although there was a drying line appearing, most riders decided to race with the immediate tyres. As the track dried further, Redding was able to make his slick tyres work to move into the front and he did not look back, while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in second ahead of teammate Alex Lowes.
The intermediate runners started off the race in the strongest position with six-time World Champion Rea (and teammate Lowes with American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Gerloff was able to make the move on Lowes for second place.
He soon had his eyes on Rea but it ended with Gerloff coming off his bike and Rea taking a trip through the gravel at Turn 14; an incident that cost both riders places and was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK stewards, and Gerloff given a Long Lap Penalty; the first rider in WorldSBK to be given such a penalty.
The incident allowed Lowes, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to jump ahead of Rea, with Razgatlioglu challenging Lowes for the lead of the race before van der Mark got by his former teammate to give the BMW M 1000 RR its first lap in the lead.
The mixed conditions meant different strategies on the grid with tyre selection with only Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) starting from the grid, although Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) made the switch to slicks before the race started with the Italian starting from the pit lane.
While the intermediate runners had the advantage in the early stages of the races, the track soon came into favour for the slick-shod bikes, with Redding passing Razgatlioglu for the lead and soon pulling out a large gap to the chasing pack to take his first win of the 2021 season.
While Redding extended his lead out in front, the battle for second was hotting up between van der Mark, Rea, Lowes, Razgatlioglu and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who managed his intermediate tyres to latch onto the battle for second place. Rea had briefly got ahead of van der Mark at the final corner, but the Dutchman was able to fight back, although Rea was able to make the same move work on Lap 10 until Turn 1 on the next lap, with van der Mark fighting back.
Sykes was able to pass Razgatlioglu on Lap 12 of 18 to move into fifth place as BMW searched for a strong result on their first weekend with the new BMW M 1000 RR, although the move cost both riders time. On Lap 13, Rea was able to make a move on van der Mark and make it stick to secure second place, before Lowes followed through a couple of laps later. Van der Mark tried to fight back but found himself sandwiched between teammate Sykes, who was on the kerbs at Turn 1, and Lowes on the inside, with van der Mark eventually falling down to fifth behind Lowes in third and Sykes fourth; the first time two BMWs have finished in the top five since 2013.
Drama was never far away in this race and that continued throughout the top ten with a three-way battle for sixth place between Razgatlioglu, Folger and Gerloff; the Turkish star just about holding on from Gerloff and Folger, who started on slick tyres. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) was ninth with Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) securing his first top-ten finish.
Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) came home in 11th place ahead of a trio of rookies as Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured another points finish in his maiden WorldSBK weekend, Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 14th on an impressive weekend for the youngest rider on the grid. Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) was the final points position with 15th, finishing ahead of Rinaldi.
Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) was the only BMW rider outside the top ten, finish just clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) who was 18th. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) was the first to fall victim to the difficult conditions as he came off his Ducati Panigale V4 R at Turn, forcing the Welshman to retire from Race 2 on the opening lap of the race. Leon Haslam’s (Team HRC) race came to an end on Lap 5 after he came off his Honda at Turn 2, with the British rider retiring from the race. Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) was another retirement after he crashed at Turn 1. Davies was able to finish the race in 19th despite the crash, ahead of TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri.
P1 Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati)
“It was weird, it kind of feels like I haven’t raced because I was on my own. But it was a gamble. I took a gamble this morning, I didn’t know whether to go for the intermediate and I was debating. It was the same situation again on the grid, and I remember Sachsenring a few years ago in MotoGP™, the intermediate cost me a podium. I remember saying ‘I won’t use an intermediate in race conditions again, put the slicks on and I’ll take the chance’. It was a bit sketchy actually, the cojo*** as they call it here, in the beginning. You have to take a gamble sometimes. I lost out this morning, went the wrong way. I lost out at Brands Hatch in 2019, I went with intermediates, it cost me. I finally took a gamble and it paid off for a win. I’m happy for that but it was a really tough and strange weekend.”
P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I’m just so happy to finish, to be honest! Early in the race, he came through and I thought, the line wasn’t big there, it was quite narrow and then he crashed, but my instincts told me to open the gas and try to get away from the bike. Then there was deep, deep gravel. I fully motocrossed it, putting weight on the rear, going through the gravel. I thought I best let at least two guys past so I didn’t gain an advantage, for sure, because it was faster to straight line the chicane. I did what I could with the intermediate, huge kudos to Pirelli because that tyre stayed together. We were doing 52s at the end and that was fast, the thing’s moving around but the bike was working really well today. Of course, the right decision was slicks so fair play to Scott for that.”
P3 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“Happy with that. To be honest, I nearly went full dry as well on the grid but the track was so wet but from the sighting lap to the warm up lap it changed completely. I went for the intermediate, it was the safest choice for me. To be honest, after three or four laps, I was struggling especially with the front. It was just getting too hot. I had a little bit of a battle with Michael and Toprak but I was just destroying the tyre trying to dive up the inside and brake really late. I thought I couldn’t get any further than this group, so tried to be smart and smooth, lift the bike up, and at the end of the race I played a little bit with the mapping to change the power of the bike and the last four or five laps I found a pretty good setting that was hooking up really well, I still had some grip and I was catching Jonny back a little bit. It’s been a tough weekend in terms of managing the conditions but for the first one, to be back racing, back on the grid, I’m really happy about that and really looking forward to Estoril next week.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
#AragonWorldSBK Race-2. Only the brave! Scott Redding bets on slick tires – on the wet track – and conquers a stunning victory at Motorland
This Sunday at the Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain) will not be easily forgotten, also due to the unpredictable weather conditions.
A day full of emotions for the Aruba.it Ducati – Racing team, started with the disappointment for the Superpole Race and finished with the heroic victory of Scott Redding.
Michael Rinaldi plays all for all but his extreme choice does not bring the desired results.
Superpole Race
Both Redding and Rinaldi start the race with rain tires, but they have to face some difficulties from the first lap: the rain is not as heavy as in the morning, and the race gets complicated for both the riders.
Scott tries to push in the first 2 laps taking the lead, but soon he is no longer able to secure his position against his opponents, who chose the intermediate tires.
The Englishman fights until the end to finish in P8 and gaining, at any rate, 2 points.
Starting from the ninth position, Michael finds himself in the same situation and finishes in P12.
Race-2
It is tricky to guess the track condition. The rain has stopped falling but the tarmac is still wet and chances of a new storm are high.
Scott Redding gets on the grid with the intermediate tires, but at the very last moment right before the start, he decides – the only one to make this choice – to opt for the slicks tires, both on the front and on the rear. The English rider wins his bet: he regains seven positions in the first six laps, and then he takes the lead on lap 7, winning the race almost 10 seconds ahead of Rea (Kawasaki).
Michael Rinaldi tries to play the same card coming back to the pits at the end of the sighting lap to put on slick tires. The gap with the group – on intermediate tires – is however too wide to be bridged. The Italian rider finishes in 16th place.
Scott Redding, Michael Rinaldi, and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team now move to Portugal for the second round of the 2021 season, which is taking place next weekend at the Estoril circuit.
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“Yes, it’s true, I took a big risk. In my career, however, the intermediate tires have betrayed me twice, both times when I was close to achieving a great result. For this reason, without hesitation, I asked my team to put on slicks tires. In the first few laps I tried not to make any mistake and then, obviously, it was not difficult to take the lead. For sure I would have preferred winning after having fought with the other guys, but it is still an important success, especially in light of what happened this weekend”.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (21) and Jonas Folger (94). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“In these circumstances, you have to know how to evaluate the situation and make the right choice. Today I made the wrong choice and, as a result, I had one of the worst races of my career. Last year I came away from Aragon with 3 podiums; this year with only 9 points. This means that we have to find the feeling that we have been missing. The motivation is not lacking and I will try, together with the team, to turn the page from the next race”.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claims its best team result so far in WorldSBK with the new BMW M 1000 RR.
Fourth and fifth place for Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark in race two of the season-opener at MotorLand Aragón.
Impressive performance and fastest lap of the race from van der Mark in the morning’s Superpole race.
Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) rounds off a successful Sunday by fighting back to eighth; 17th place for Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse).
Tom Sykes (66) and Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Alcañiz. The new BMW M 1000 RR has demonstrated its potential in the FIM Superbike World Championship. The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claimed its best team result so far at the opening round of the 2021 season at MotorLand Aragón (ESP). Tom Sykes (GBR) and Michael van der Mark (NED) ended race two on Sunday afternoon in fourth and fifth places, just one and a half seconds outside the podium positions. Van der Mark had already impressed with a strong comeback in the morning’s Superpole race. Jonas Folger (GER) from BMW satellite team Bonovo MGM Racing finished eighth to round off a successful Sunday.
After enjoying warm and sunny conditions on Friday and Saturday, Sunday started with rain. The circuit was damp in places at the start of the Superpole race, but was also drying out in other places making tyre selection rather tricky. Van der Mark opted for slick tyres, on which he shot through from 15th on the grid to finish fifth at the end of the ten-lap sprint race. The Dutchman also set the fastest lap of the race on his BMW M 1000 RR. Sykes started from third place on the wet-weather tyre, and was initially running in the top five. However, he then fell back through the field and returned to the garage on lap eight as his tenth place on the grid for race two was secure in any case.
Conditions were similarly unsettled at the start of race two in the afternoon. Van der Mark (fifth on the grid) and Sykes (tenth on the grid) both opted for intermediate tyres. Van der Mark was battling with the leading group from the word go, and actually briefly took the lead on lap six. He then spent several laps defending second place against Jonathan Rea (GBR / Kawasaki). With just a few laps remaining, Rea and his team-mate Alex Lowes (GBR) managed to find their way past him. Meanwhile, Sykes was consistently picking his way through the field and ultimately found himself behind van der Mark. The two swapped positions on lap 16 of 18, meaning Sykes finished fourth, ahead of his team-mate in fifth.
Folger ended the Superpole race in 13th place, having started 18th. His big moment came in race two. He and the Bonovo MGM Racing team opted for slicks. Folger initially had to restrain himself and dropped down the field. However, he then launched an impressive comeback. On the final lap, Folger had climbed into sixth place, behind the two riders from the BMW works team. Shortly before the chequered flag, he lost two positions due to a small mistake, meaning he crossed the finish line in eighth place. Eugene Laverty, riding for BMW satellite team RC Squadra Corse, was 16th in the Superpole race and ended race two in 17th place.
Reactions after race two at MotorLand Aragón.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “We are very happy. We invested so much work in this project in the winter, and it was very difficult at the tests to establish exactly how we really compared to the others. We got off to a difficult start this weekend, so it is great to be able to turn that around in this way. Sure they were extraordinary conditions, but it was very pleasing to see that we were able to challenge the Kawasakis, which are setting the benchmark, for the full race. There were obviously times in the race when we would have liked to have finished on the podium, but it is excellent that we were able to demonstrate with two or even three bikes that we have the potential to do that. It is a strong result, on which we can build. We are super happy. The work has paid off, but we will not stop here – we will continue to work hard.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “A great day. Yesterday it was a struggle in areas, so I was happy with how we finished the race. Today, I was struggling to see if we could improve on that, but this morning Michael went out in the morning’s warm-up in the rain and was immediately fast considering this was his first ever outing in the wet conditions on the BMW M 1000 RR. In the Superpole race, Michael had a really good run, so to see him come away with fifth was pleasing as he is learning every day when he gets on the bike. Tom had an issue with the rear tyre in the Superpole race so we had to retire but nevertheless we started in P5 and P10 in race two. That race was really exciting, to be battling for the lead and never out of the top-three, top-four places for most of the race was great to see. Both BMWs were in the spotlight and it’s testament to the whole of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team who have brought this bike through. Heading into Estoril we can be confident we can be threat for the rest of the season.”
Tom Sykes, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “A bittersweet day, really. We definitely had a Superpole race to forget which we won’t go into too much detail about. That meant that we compromised our start position in race two. For race two, I wanted to go with the slick tyre but after this morning we opted to play it safe on the intermediates. Overall, after a good start, it was a bit of a waiting game. I could see what the guys in front of me were doing but obviously considering the tyres we were on I tried a different strategy to feel where the BMW M 1000 RR was working and where we had to improve. Unfortunately, we just missed out on the podium today, but considering our results here last year it is a huge improvement.”
Michael van der Mark, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “This morning, we had a wet warm-up session which was my first time on the BMW M 1000 RR in the rain, and to be honest I had such a good feeling from the first lap. The Superpole race was in mixed conditions but I opted to go with the slick tyre and in the end was the right choice. It did however keep raining at times during the race which slowed me down in places but anyway it was a good result for us. This afternoon’s race two again was a gamble on tyre choice, and I knew I made the wrong choice going up to the start as the track was drying so quickly. Despite that we made a good start, had some incredible battles taking the lead but I knew I was asking too much of the tyres and in the end some guys got past me. But we have got to be happy with the two P5 positions and most importantly the experience I’ve gained with the BMW M 1000 RR.”
Jonas Folger, Bonovo MGM Racing: “We are absolutely happy with eighth place in race two. It is class that we managed this at the end of what was a difficult weekend. The conditions were very difficult and we did not know for a long time whether wets or slicks were the best option. We opted for slicks in the end. Only very few others made the same decision, including the winner Scott Redding, and we set the same lap time as Scott. The weather obviously suited us, but we are very happy. Unfortunately, I went wide in the battle with Toprak Razgatlioglu at the end of the race, otherwise we could perhaps have finished sixth. However, eighth place was still the highlight compared to the rest of the weekend, so we are very happy.”
Eugene Laverty, RC Squadra Corse: “It was not a good day, unfortunately. We had some problems in all sessions. For the long race, I had the wet front tyre and the other riders had intermediates or slick tyres so there was no chance to move further forward. So it was really disappointing but I am looking forward to Estoril already. I said that Aragón and Estoril have been the toughest two tracks for our bike last year so we have a big challenge but we did a good job here yesterday during qualifying so that’s reason for optimism. In Estoril, we need to put our progress on paper because this weekend we weren’t able to get the results we wanted.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Wins Another As Lowes Podiums Twice
Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored another race win and then a second place at Motorland Aragon on Sunday 23 May to lead the championship after the first weekend of WorldSBK racing in 2021. Alex Lowes (KRT) is ranked second overall after two more strong podium rides, in second and third place.
After two dry days at Motorland rains appeared on Sunday morning, making the warm-up session fully wet. The ten lap Tissot Superpole ‘sprint’ race and then the final 18 lap Race Two were held in slightly different, if changeable conditions, where tyre choice proved to be even more important to the final results than normal
In the ten lap Superpole race at 11.00am Rea used his pole position starting place to full effect, only being demoted for a short time before taking back a lead that would grow to 3.5 seconds over Lowes at the flag.
Lowes was again on good form in the sprint, with both KRT riders opting for what proved to be the correct choice of intermediate fronts and rears in the sprint race.
Race Two proved to be more or less dry on the racing line after the sighting lap, which saw Scott Redding and his slick tyres take his first win of the year.
Rea was a clear second despite being pushed off track when another rider ran in too hot during the approach to a corner. Fortunate not to fall, Rea got going again from fifth place to work his way into a final second place and finish off a superb weekend – highlighted by reaching an unprecedented career total of 100 race wins on Saturday. He now has 101 race wins in total after his subsequent Superpole race win on Sunday.
Lowes was in combative and controlled form in the long Race Two, using his intermediate tyres to their best effect to finish on the podium in third place after his two runner-up showings earlier in the weekend.
After a very strong start to the season with the new Ninja ZX-10RR the KRT riders are 1-2 in the championship standings. Rea leads with an almost perfect 57 points, Lowes has 45 and Redding 40. Kawasaki leads the manufacturers championship by 13 points after round one.
The season opener at Aragon will be followed by the Estoril Round in Portugal, between 28-30 May.
Jonathan Rea. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I am really content with the weekend because to win the first race of the season was 100 times better than last year, and also to claim my 100th victory was a real target of mine. Today, I never experienced conditions like this in my whole career, where it really is a big tyre choice by the minute. Every minute it changes. With three minutes to go in race two I was asking Pere if they still had slicks on the grid! The Superpole race was the first time I had ever raced the intermediate tyres so huge kudos to Pirelli. I decided after that experience to use that tyre choice in the final race as well. It was the safest option. It wasn’t the right one, but it was the safest one, for sure. The majority of the grid had that combination. I realised that I was going to race for second but second feels like a win. The only way we could have been more competitive is with the right tyre choice. From that point of view I am really happy and excited for Estoril next week.”
Alex Lowes. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “We had no chance of staying with Scott in race two because after two laps the track was completely dry. That was a shame but I felt good on the bike and at the end I played a bit with some settings to find a bit more grip. Three podiums to start the year, on a track I think I have had one podium at in a sprint race on another bike before, but nothing really special. So it is nice to start the season like this. It is just one weekend but I feel good on the bike, which helps. If you are in control on the bike then you can manage the situations a little bit better. This morning in the full wet conditions I felt good. In the dry I felt good. In the mixed conditions we did a good job. In all of these conditions with the bike we understand what is happening and that puts us in a good position going forward.
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Lucas Mahias retired in the sprint race today but was tenth in race two, placing him 15th overall. Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki competitor, and another rookie, Isaac Vinales was 15th and 13th today, having scored point in all three opening races in his native Spain. Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) have yet to score points, with Cresson 20th each time and Cavalieri retiring and then 21st in Sunday’s races.
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Barni Racing Team and Rabat: signs of growth despite a retirement due to a crash in Race 2
Alcaniz (SPA), 23 May 2021. Despite two retirements during the weekend at Motorland Aragon, where the first round of the 2021 WorldSBK season took place, the Barni Racing Team came home with important growing signals ahead of the next round, scheduled in a week at the Estoril circuit, Portugal. After the retirement in Race 1 due to a technical problem, Tito Rabat’s Race 2 ended prematurely due to a crash, just when the Spanish rider was chasing the Top 10. However, in the first Superpole Race of the season, the #53 finished in P14 due to a wrong tyre choice.
Superpole
In the Superpole Race, held in light but persistent rain, Rabat chose wet tires on both front and rear. The choice did not pay off in the first part of the race, where the Catalan lost positions. From the middle of the race onwards, he started a great duel with Vinales (Kawasaki) and, despite a series of overtakes and counter-overtakes, the two managed to recover even on Laverty. Under the checkered flag Rabat won the three-way fight for P14.
Race 2
On the starting grid for Race 2 the Ducati Panigale V4 R of the Barni Racing Team lined up on the fifth row. Starting from the thirteenth spot, Rabat had to get familiar with the intermediate tyres, which he had never tried before. After an initial adaptation period, he began to push on. Trying to catch up with the group of riders fighting for the top 10, Tito crashed in turn 1 with five laps to go.
Tito Rabat (53). Photo courtesy Barni Racing Team.
Tito Rabat, #53
«For sure it has been an unlucky weekend, and today the weather made things even more difficult. For the first time in race I used the rain tyres, even though they were not the right choice in the Superpole Race. In Race 2 we used the intermediates and from middle race until the crash my pace was solid and fast. I was pushing because I knew that the riders in front of me were slower, but at Turn 1 I lost the front. I’m very sorry for the team, but beyond the bad luck, I’m convinced that the weekend was useful for us to gain experience».
Marco Barnabò – Team Principal
«From the outside it looks like a bad weekend because we didn’t score any points, but that’s not the case at all. In the Superpole Race we made the wrong tyre choice, while in Race 2, from the middle onwards, we were the fastest on track among the riders who had intermediates. Tito rode for the first time with these tyres and now it is clear that, once he gained experience, he can stay with the group ahead in any condition. Everything that has happened between Friday and today will be useful for us and we look forward with good feelings».
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Team HRC unable to make the most of opportunities at Motorland Aragón
Alvaro Bautista (19) and Leon Haslam (91). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
The second and final day of racing at Motorland Aragón, which was characterised by mixed conditions, saw Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam score seventh and tenth place respectively in the morning’s Tissot Superpole race. In race 2, Bautista crossed the line eleventh, while Haslam unfortunately failed to finish.
Thanks to yesterday’s qualifying results, Bautista and Haslam lined up on the third row of the grid for the 10-lap Tissot Superpole race, which ran on a wet track. Both riders got away fast and were lying fifth and sixth through the opening turns, but, having opted for rain tyres, lost a little ground over the subsequent laps when the track started to dry out. Part of a group of five riders, the Team HRC pair battled hard over the course of the brief race, but the limited laps meant that they could only do so much. Bautista ultimately crossed the line seventh, a fraction of a second behind Razgatlioglu, while Haslam finished the race tenth.
The second Superbike race followed at 2pm CET. Based on the results of the morning’s Superpole race, Bautista started from seventh on the grid, and Haslam tenth, both on intermediate tyres. Bautista held his position through the opening turns, while Haslam gained a position to move into ninth on lap one, then eighth come lap three. On lap five, Haslam unfortunately crashed into turn 2, putting a premature end to what could have been a promising race. From the mid-race point, Bautista found himself struggling again with an electric problem, which caused him to progressively lose out in the latter stages and cross the line in eventual eleventh position.
At the end of this opening weekend, Haslam positions twelfth in the general standings with eight points, followed by Bautista, thirteenth, also with eight points. Team HRC will travel immediately on to Portugal, and the circuit of Estoril, where round 2 of the WorldSBK championship is set to play out already next weekend (28-30 May).
Alvaro Bautista 19
SUPERPOLE RACE P7 RACE 2 P11
“Today in the Superpole race we opted for rain tyres and when the track started to dry out the riders who had chosen intermediates or slicks clearly had different pace. In the end we ended up seventh, the second fastest among those who’d opted for rain tyres. The positive thing is that I had good feeling with the bike in conditions where we have struggled in the past, and that means we’ve taken a step forward in that respect. In race 2, the track was wetter than in the morning and we opted for intermediates, but the asphalt dried quickly during the race. It was the first time I was using these tyres and with a setting that was a bit of a mix, I wasn’t perfectly comfortable. Then, towards the middle of the race I started to have the same electric problem as yesterday and kept struggling to change gear. I had to manage the situation, riding very carefully to avoid taking any risks. It’s a shame, because without this problem yesterday we would have been fighting for the podium, and at least for the top six today. Having said that, we have to stay focused on the positive things, on the fact that we have worked very well on the set-up, the geometry, the suspension, and also the electronics. This gives me a lot of positive energy for next weekend at Estoril.”
Leon Haslam 91
SUPERPOLE RACE P10 RACE 2 DNF
“The Superpole race did not go well unfortunately, after what was a positive (wet) warm-up. One of the issues was that we should have gone with the intermediate, but we also struggled a bit with throttle delivery. So a difficult race in which I took some risks on several occasions. Then in the final race we went with the intermediate solution, as did most riders, and the pace felt really good. I felt that we resolved the power delivery, as well as a few other things, it was only unfortunate that I then crashed. So even though the results overall have not been what we wanted, I do feel that we were able to make a good step in this final race, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do next weekend at Estoril.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
CRAZY WEATHER, A TWO FACES SUNDAY AT GO ELEVEN!
A truly changing Sunday in Aragon, with mixed weather conditions that affected all the sessions. A light rain wet the track several times, without being too heavy. A dry / wet mix created problems to teams and riders.
In the Warm Up, in real wet conditions, the WorldSBK protagonists had the first opportunity of the season to compete with rain tyres. Nobody, however, took too many risks, as it was a very close session to the start time of the Superpole Race.
Just before the Superpole Race, the rain drops and half of the circuit turns out to be almost dry. As soon as he arrived on the grid, Chaz decides immediately convinced to start with intermediate tyres. It was the right choice and the Welsh rider makes a huge gap together with Lowes, Rea and Gerloff. Towards the middle of the race the battle for the podium ignites, the two “Independent” riders swap positions, but the American Yamaha rider was a bit more fast. Excellent fourth position obtained, other good points brought home and a perfect starting position for race 2. Once again, just out of the podium, but congratulations to Chaz both for the courageous choice at the start of the race and for the management of the race!
For Race 2 the conditions are, perhaps, even more complicated. It rains until you reach the grid, after which it stops and a pale sun also comes out. Chaz and the Go Eleven team make for a risky choice, which turned out to be wrong. Rain in front, intermediate behind. Unfortunately, however, not even the time to prepare for the flag to flag and Chaz loses the front, crashing in turn 7. He gets up, goes to the pits to put on the slick tyres and returns to the track determined. Each lap is on average half a second faster than Scott Redding, who will be the winner, without right stand and rear brake, without a wing and part of the rear fairing. The consolation of Race 2 is having set the fastest lap and showing that we could have won the race!
Luckily, not even the time to throw down this Race 2, and it’s already time for Estoril, another track as spectacular as it is technical. Hoping that the weather will be friendly, the goal is to bring home some good races and to get solid points for the Championship!
Congratulations to Scott and to all the Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Team, for the first win of the season for the Ducati Panigale V4-RS!
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“Today was a strange day, this morning Chaz made the right tyres choice, a courageous choice that paid off in the Superpole Race. Unfortunately in the afternoon we crashed on the first lap and it was a real shame! He managed to restart and without the right stand, the rear brake and the right wing he was the fastest on the track and set the fastest lap of the race. It’s a pity…but we are happy by the fact that we could fight for the win, the pace was there and it was one of the bests!”
Chaz Davies (7). Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
Chaz Davies (Rider):
“Today obviously it was really difficult. The Superpole Race was a positive result, we definitively made the right decision with tyres and we had a solid race, finishing P 4. I was happy with that, it was a good starting position for the second Race. For race 2, from the warm up lap I knew we have made the wrong decision with the tyres. I had to decide whether to stop immediately before the race start and put the full slick or start the race. I decided to start the race, but I had a wet front tyre, and at Turn 7, on the very first lap I close the front. Exactly why I am not sure, I could have been a little bit on an extra wet path, sure even that the front tyre wasn’t fully up to working temperature and it scrubbed. But anyway I crashed unfortunately, I picked up the bike, I went to the garage, I put the slick on, then I just tried to enjoy the seventeen laps. I just got the small consolation to get the best lap of the race and the pace wasn’t so bad. I just obviously wished that I made the decision to start on slicks. Today it was a really difficult day, it was really easy to be the hero or the zero and we were both today, hero moved in the Superpole Race, zero moved in the main race. Anyway it has been good to enjoy the weekend with the Team, thanks for the effort and look forward to Estoril next week!”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Strong Performances for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Despite Wet Weather Gambles
Riders Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli were each able to take positives, despite the rain, on the second race day of the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship held at MotorLand Aragón today.
A wet 15-minute Warm Up session at 09:00 this morning set the scene for a tricky day ahead for all teams, including Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK. The 10-lap Superpole Race followed with light showers and a predominantly wet track that left everyone guessing which way it would go. This afternoon’s Race 2 was not much clearer and most of the field chose to race on Pirelli’s intermediate option, while a few riders gambled on full slicks in the hope that the racing line would dry as the race developed.
Two sixth place results for Razgatlıoğlu don’t tell the story of his fight-back from 10th on the grid in the Superpole Race, the first finisher on Pirelli’s full rain tyre, and a fighting performance in Race 2 which included holding the race lead for three laps and battling toe-to-toe with the top group of riders, before a combination of excessive rear tyre wear and some setting issues restricted his progress.
Equally, Locatelli’s first weekend in WorldSBK netted solid top 10 finishes in the two main races and excellent progression through the field in all three starts – going from 14th to finish 12th in the Superpole Race and starting 16th on the grid in Race 2 to finish a commendable ninth overall.
Tomorrow, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK travel directly to Portgual for the second round of the championship at Circuito Estoril, located around 30km from the capital of Lisbon. It was the venue of 2020’s season finale in October, where the team celebrated a near-perfect race weekend with Razgatlıoğlu taking his first ever pole position and winning two of the three races.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: P6 / Race 2: P6
“In the Superpole Race, my strategy was to choose the wet tyre because I saw that it was starting to rain again on the grid – my target was to finish well and to start from a better grid position in Race 2. Sixth was good considering the conditions, the riders in front all chose the intermediate tyres so it was a hard fight to get this result. The second race, I tried hard again to fight for the podium and I was strong in the opening laps – taking the lead for some laps and enjoying fighting. The feeling was not good in the middle of the race and I had to manage some problems, but sixth position can still be important points for the championship. We will see next weekend in Estoril, I love the track, now my R1 is better than before and I have good memories from last year!”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P12 / Race 2: P9
“I am quite happy because in the end we finish P9. It is not easy on the first and second lap for me, so now we need to work on this but for sure today’s races were difficult in the wet conditions. In the middle of Race 2, I was able to go quite fast here and the feeling was good. Overall I learned a lot during the weekend, and with the guys on the team together we did a really good job. Today is one of those days where you can be unlucky or lucky. Because maybe if we tried to use the slick tyre, it could have been a good chance for us to do something – but okay, we lose this opportunity but it is only my first race weekend in WorldSBK. Now we go on to Estoril and hope to push much more because I have more confidence on the R1 and I think this track is a really good opportunity for us.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“Today was really challenging for all the riders and teams, and both the Superpole Race and Race 2 results this afternoon relied on taking the right gamble as well as having the right set-up and confidence. Following yesterday’s superb podium, two sixth place finishes for Toprak is disappointing but – put into the right context – he was the first finisher on wet tyres in the Superpole Race and fought right again at the front until a couple of problems slowed his progress in the long race. Andrea also has had everything thrown at him this weekend – hot conditions in yesterday’s race, a full wet Superpole Race and a long race on intermediates this afternoon. He has been focused and consistent and another top 10 result this afternoon is a solid start as a superbike rider. We knew that coming here to Aragón was going to be tough and even if today’s results were a little underwhelming overall, there are a lot of positives in terms of the outright pace of the 2021 R1 WorldSBK and our ability to fight at the front here in Aragon, at a track which has traditionally been really tough for us in the past. So, we head to Estoril looking to fight again for the podium next weekend!”
More, from a press release issued by GRT Yamaha:
First podium of the season for GRT in Aragon
The first round of the FIM Superbike World Championship came to a close today under wet conditions. The rain came down heavily during the morning’s Warm Up, but it also affected both the Superpole Race and Race 2, which were run on a slippery but not totally wet surface. The conditions were particularly tricky, making it difficult for the teams to make the correct tyre choice for the race.
The last day of the weekend represented a great step in the right direction for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team, as demonstrated both by the performances on track and by the final results, despite the non-completely satisfactory outcome of Race 2. The arrival of the rain, in fact, helped the two GRT riders exploit the entire potential of their R1, and the correct choice of the intermediate tyre allowed them to immediately demonstrate it during the Superpole Race. Race 2 began in the same fashion, with Garrett Gerloff able to fight for the lead, until a crash at turn 14 put an early end to his chances of winning the race.
The Texan’s day had started off with the 8th fastest time in the Warm Up (2’05.193), which was followed by the first podium of his season, a third place which he achieved in the Superpole Race after an impressive recovery from the back. In Race 2 he continued showing great confidence and pace and was able to fight for the lead in the first laps, until a crash forced him to make yet another comeback from the 13th position, and he eventually crossed the finish line in 7th. Despite the disappointment of Race 2, the #31 demonstrated that he will be a force to be reckoned with starting from the upcoming Portuguese round.
Kohta Nozane also impressed on Sunday: 14th in the WarmUp with a 2’06.558, he then ran a strong Superpole Race, climbing to 9th from his 16th starting spot thanks to his consistent pace on the intermediate tyres. In the longer Race 2 he was not able to repeat the same Top-10 performance, but he ran a smart and error-free 18 laps, gathering important experience in mixed conditions and still improving on his Saturday result by finishing 12th. With his first race weekend under his belt, the Japanese can only improve in the next rounds.
Garrett Gerloff. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: 3rd / 7th
“Our Sunday started off really well with a third place in the Superpole Race. The team and I made a perfect decision to go with the intermediate tyre, and it worked. It was nice to be on the podium, even though I felt like I could have gotten second place. In Race 2 I felt really good since the start, and wanted to at least fight for the podium, so I’m very frustrated with the mistake I made: I was behind Johnny (Rea), but I couldn’t stop as quickly as he did, and my options were either to hit him in the back or to get to his inside and hopefully miss him, so that’s what I tried to do. Unfortunately I still ran into him, but at least he was able to stay on two wheels. I crashed, but I managed to pick up the bike right away and keep going. It was a bit bent, but overall the bike was good, so I tried to give the team the best possible result despite the mistake. It was nice to be the top independent rider at the finish. Next week we go to Estoril, a track that both I and my R1 really like, so see you there.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: 9th / 12th
“The conditions were different today, so the tyre choice was a bit tricky. The track kept changing too, so, at the beginning of the race, I was too cautious and I lost positions. I still managed to finish the race and learn so many things. I also took note of so many different aspects in which I have to improve. The next race will be my first time in Estoril, so it will be tough for me, but I will try to be as prepared as possible to do my best for the team: they are working so well with me and helping me a lot, so I will try to get a good result for them in Portugal.”
After the first round of the season, Gerloff sits 6th in the championship standings with 23 points, whereas Nozane is 15th with 7. In less than a week the WorldSBK riders will be on track again at the Circuito do Estoril, with the FP1 kicking off the weekend on Friday 28 May at 10:30 AM, followed by the FP2 at 3 PM, local time.
Jake Gagne (32) leads Kyle Wyman (33), Josh Herrin (2), Loris Baz (76), Travis Wyman (10), Hector Barbera (80), Bobby Fong (50) and the rest of the field at the start of Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Yamaha.
Gagne Unstoppable at VIR
Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne completed a perfect weekend at Virginia International Raceway with another dominant MotoAmerica Superbike victory in today’s Race Two. His teammate Herrin battled for a podium position but ultimately had to settle for fourth.
It was another hot one in Alton, Virginia, but that didn’t stop Gagne’s forward charge. The Californian topped morning warm-up to lead every session of the second round of the championship and then got another flying start from pole position to grab the holeshot. He then put in some consistently fast times, including the fastest lap of the race on Lap 2, and checked out to score his third consecutive win in the premier class by nearly 14 seconds. Gagne’s masterclass victory closed the gap on the points leader to six points.
With Sunday’s race being gridded by yesterday’s results, Herrin joined his teammate on the front row in third. Although he didn’t get the start he was hoping for, he was able to advance to third amidst the chaos going into the first turn. The 2013 Superbike Champion then drafted past the competition on the front straight to take the runner-up position at the start of Lap 2 but was passed on the following lap. While his teammate continued to stretch his lead, Herrin once again had a fight on his hands. At times, it was a four-rider battle for the podium, but he held onto third for eight laps despite the pressure. After the halfway mark, he found himself in a heated battle with the points leader, Mathew Scholtz. With four laps to go, Herrin went wide into Turn 1 and was passed by his fellow Yamaha rider, ultimately having to settle for fourth. The California rider leaves Virginia sitting third in the championship standings.
Next up for the Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team is Round 3 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship on June 11- 13, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Richard Stanboli – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“As I said after Race One at Road Atlanta, everyone gives up one or two races and that we would make sure that we did not give up anymore. We did just that this weekend. Our R1s once again proved to be the fastest and best-handling bikes on the track. We went away with another track record and Jake is super motivated to continue his momentum. We also made some good headway with Josh. He will for sure be super strong at Road America and we are anxious to race there as our bikes always work well there.”
Jake Gagne (32). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“We rolled this R1 off the truck on Friday, and it was working amazing straight away. To get pole and my first double win feels amazing! I’m so stoked for the whole team. These guys have been working so hard, and to have a stellar weekend like this is a huge pay off. We’ll try to keep this momentum rolling!”
Josh Herrin (2). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Josh Herrin – Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“I’m happy with our results this weekend. We made a lot of headway towards getting me more confident on the motorcycle. Also, we got some solid points and are leaving here healthy. Thank you to the entire team for all of their hard work and congrats to Gagne and his team on two great races.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Ducati on the Podium at VIRginia International Raceway
Sunnyvale, Calif. – Round two of the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship was a fine one for the Bologna boys as Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York) clinched the first podium of his MotoAmerica career with second place in race two behind Yamaha’s Jake Gagne, who took out both races in Virginia.
Baz, who finished fourth in Saturday’s race one, used all his experience to fend off the attack from Mathew Scholtz and Josh Herrin, the Frenchman holding a gap of just over one second at the flag to the Yamaha duo.
It was a similarly great race from Panera Bread Ducati rider Kyle Wyman, who after finishing seventh in race one, changed the set up on his green and black Ducati to come home sixth in race two. The result saw Wyman seven seconds closer to winner Gagne at the flag, and optimistic of a good result next time out at Road America on June 25-27.
2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 81
P2 – Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 75
P3 – Josh Herrin (Yamaha) 61
P4 – Bobby Fong (Suzuki) 46
P5 – Cameron Petersen (Suzuki) 46
P6 – Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 40
P8 – Loris Baz Ducati 33
Loris Baz (76). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York – Ducati #76)
“I wanted more coming into this weekend but, honestly, it’s been a tough weekend for us,” Baz said. “We had to guess the set-up of the bike a little bit—we got the guess right in Atlanta but we missed the mark in VIR. We changed the bike a lot from Friday to Saturday, a lot of electronics, which made the straight line speed less than we’d hoped for in race one. I had to fight really hard to stay in front of the guys and I lost the podium.
“Today we improved the bike a lot in the warm-up, and we had a really good race. I had to fight so hard to bring it home. I kept increasing the gap until I was 4.5 seconds in front, then I just tried to manage it to the flag and we got our first podium, which I’m so happy about. Thank you very much to Ducati and my team who have worked so hard and hats off to Jake Gagne on an excellent ride today.”
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati.
Kyle Wyman (Panera Bread Ducati – Ducati #33)
“Race one was a struggle as we were trying to get to some edge grip out of the bike and we really struggled to find our way,” Wyman said. “I thought we had a set up but it turned out not to be, and I couldn’t do much back in seventh.
“But, we got some good data and tried some stuff overnight that got us a lot closer in the morning. Then this morning’s data was pivotal for us to make a decision for the race to go a little bit softer in the rear, and race two was awesome.
“I had so much fun out there. It felt so good to be up towards the front and battling with the with the podium guys. That put us back where I know we belong. We ended up sixth but it was such a positive takeaway for us to realize we can be up there at the front and fighting for it.
“I’m really looking forward to our two-day test and in about a week and half at Pittsburgh. It’s going to get us even closer to the front. We haven’t tested yet this year so this is really good for us moving forward and I can’t wait to get to Road America and fight up the front.”
More, from a press release issued by Pure Attitude Racing:
For the second race running, VIR sees four Pure Attitude Racing riders in the points
Pure Attitude Racing enjoyed another successful weekend in the latest round of the MotoAmerica championship with all four riders achieving points scoring finishes for the second consecutive event.
Buoyed by their front running pace in the Twins Cup season opener Trevor Standish and Liam MacDonald were once again in the mix, both riders bagging a double top ten finish. Trevor taking a sixth and a fifth to remain second overall in the points classification, while Liam took a tenth and ninth place finish to consolidate ninth overall in his debut season of racing in the US.
In Supersport both riders, Nate Minster and Austin Miller overcome small issues to salvage 12th and 15th respectively at the flag in race one on Saturday, with Austin racing solo on Sunday following an incident that saw Nate Minster take a tumble through no fault of his own. Miller raced to fourteenth and his first double points finish of the year.
Trevor Standish (16). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Trevor Standish: “I made a good start in Race 1 and was leading but got shuffled back a bit early on. I was holding my own but then ran into some rear grip issues which prevented me from pushing as hard as I knew we could have. It was a solid Saturday and good points for the championship. Race 2 was a nice step forward. I was leading again for a lap and was able to hang with the lead group before arm pump meant I faded a little. Fifth and still second overall in the points is a great result and I am ready to race again at Road America in a couple of weeks.”
Liam MacDonald (37). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Liam MacDonald: “Race 1 went really well. I had a much better feeling and was able to settle into my rhythm more quickly than at Road Atlanta. I was able to lap consistently but it was tough with my arm pumping towards the end. VIR is really physical. I am really proud of my race and of the team for giving me such a great bike, and for rebuilding it after I stepped off in Q1. Mentally it was the best I have ever felt, coming back from a crash, and getting a good result and it’s all down to the team. I couldn’t ask for a better bunch of people to be with. Race 2 went even better. I got a lightning start and was running fifth. I felt really good. I lost the rear and the front on the same lap but saved it and was able to bring it home for my fourth points finish in a row!”
Nate Minster (99). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Nate Minster: “Qualifying was ok. We had some pretty big suspension issues, but the team worked well, and we were able to improve although Q2 was still a little rough. I was suffering some arm pump which meant it was hard to hang onto the bike I was determined to give it my all in the races. Race 1 was actually pretty good all things considered. We still don’t have the ideal setting, but I was able to lap consistently and got some points. In the Warm-Up we wanted to test some things. We got down to pace right away but then I was taken out by another rider in the last five minutes of the session. I decided not to ride as I wasn’t feeling the best. The team fully supported my decision, and we will come back strong at Road America.”
Austin Miller (61). Photo courtesy Pure Attitude Racing.
Austin Miller: “We finally got the bike straightened out for Q2 and it went really well. It was a hard day of working on things, but we made the race which was the important thing and the target. The focus was to push for points in the race and I was able to achieve that. I needed that after all the problems and missing most of the first day as I was beginning to lose hope. I was able to finish fifteenth after gaining eight places from where I started. I made an ok start and made a few mistakes but was able to bring it home. Race Two went great. I made a good start but around lap eleven my arm started to stiffen, and it was difficult to ride as I wanted. I almost got one more position on the last lap, but I ran out of time. We made a step from Race 1 and it was two races in the points for the first time in my Supersport career so I can move on to Road America happy.”
More, from a press release issued by Robem Engineering:
Robem Engineering riders score podium, top-five finishes at MotoAmerica Superbikes at Virginia
Aprilia team leaves VIRginia International Raceway with all three riders in top eight in Twins Cup standings
ALTON, Va. — The Robem Engineering squad faced much uncertainty as it prepared for this weekend’s MotoAmerica’s Superbikes at Virgina round at VIRginia International Raceway. The team was campaigning a new-for-2021 motorcycle at a track two of its riders had little or no experience on. Despite the odds not being in its favor, the three-rider team scored a podium and two additional top-five finishes in the round’s two MotoAmerica Twins Cup races.
The team had only one race weekend under its belt with its Aprilia RS 660 motorcycles prior to the May 21-23 event getting underway. By the end of the weekend, all three of the team’s riders – Kaleb De Keyrel, Hayden Schultz and Toby Khamsouk — had maintained or improved their position in the Twins Cup standings. De Keyrel held onto fourth in the championship – just 11 points behind the class leader — Schultz moved up from ninth place to seventh and Khamsouk advanced from 12th place to eighth.
The team got off to a good start when on-track activity commenced Friday morning. Khamsouk was the third-fastest rider in the session, with Schultz finishing practice in fourth and De Keyrel in seventh. When Twins Cup qualifying got underway on Friday afternoon, Khamsouk was again the third-fastest rider in the 28-bike field. De Keyrel finished the session in seventh – posting a lap time about three seconds faster than his best practice time – and Schultz ended up in sixth place. When qualifying wrapped up early Saturday afternoon, De Keyrel had secured second place on the starting grid. Schultz qualified sixth and Khamsouk seventh.
Saturday’s race saw Schultz and De Keyrel in the pack of riders in the hunt for the race lead. Schultz was the team’s top-finishing rider, bringing his Aprilia home in fourth place and missing out on a podium finish by less than three-tenths of a second. De Keyrel was right behind Schultz, finishing fifth, and Khamsouk crossed the finish line in seventh place.
Sunday’s Twins Cup race went better for the team, as De Keyrel claimed the last step on the podium and Schultz and Khamsouk finished sixth and eighth, respectively. De Keyrel got a great start, led the field into Turn 1 and finished about three-tenths of a second behind the second-place rider.
The next round on the 2021 MotoAmerica schedule takes place June 11-13 at the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The team plans to test on Monday on VIR’s South Course, which will provide the team valuable data to help perfect its setup for its Aprilia RS 660s.
Kaleb De Keyrel (51). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Kaleb De Keyrel / No. 51
“It’s been a little bit of a struggle this weekend, but we ended it on a pretty positive note. I’m extremely happy with the setup we used for Race 2. We changed our tire choice as the weekend went on, which also worked out for us. Overall, I felt a lot better in Race 2 than Race 1 as far as being comfortable on the bike. On Saturday, I had trouble pushing the bike without it pushing back. The team worked really hard on finding solutions to our setup issues. I’m really looking forward to the next round at Road America. I grew up in Minnesota and will have lots of friends and family coming to see me race there.”
Hayden Schultz (49). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Hayden Schultz / No. 49
“The weekend had some positives and some things we can improve on. This was my first time racing at VIR, so I had to learn a new track before we could really get going on figuring out how to make our Aprilia work best here. You can play as many hours on a video game as you want, but it just doesn’t replicate reality. Race 1 wasn’t so bad, but we missed out on a podium finish. We were only about a second off the win in that race. For Race 2, we didn’t have the race we wanted, as I struggled getting by a couple other riders that I maybe had a chance to. The bike was working well, and I know it will get better as the season goes along. I owe a big shout out to the team for giving me a bike that can run up front. Now it’s my job to get better and make those better results happen. I expect a lot out of myself as a rider, especially after consistently being on the podium last year. Even though I was a learning a new track, I still expected to be on the podium. We’re not far off from getting a win, but it’s frustrating to get the results we had this weekend.”
Toby Khamsouk (27). Photo by Sara Chappell Photography, courtesy Robem Engineering.
Toby Khamsouk / No. 27
“It was an up and down weekend. We learn a lot though, and I really like this track. With having to learn a new bike, it just wasn’t the weekend we’d hoped for. We were working to find the right setup for me. Lots of positive vibes from this event though, and I’ll be working hard to help my team find a good setup quicker at Road America.”
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.
The Mugello Circuit in Italy. Photo courtesy Michelin.
V for Velocità: can Ducati keep the momentum at Mugello?
Home turf beckons for the Italian manufacturer and with Miller on a roll, three Ducatis in the top four and two 1-2s in a row, it’s great reading for Borgo Panigale and a warning for the rest
Monday, 24 May 2021
Would you have predicted this in Qatar? The gossip went into overdrive back in the desert as Ducati didn’t win either of the season openers at one of their “favourite” or most successful tracks, but now the factory can enjoy its elegant silence on the matter even more. Two 1-2s in a row, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) on the top step in both and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) taking a second place apiece, make quite a statement. The three are all in the top four in the standings too – something Ducati have never had before – and Bagnaia is only a point off the lead. That would be enough to grab some attention in itself but the next track up, unfortunately for the rest, is also the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
The Italian venue is a rider and fan favourite for a reason, a stunning enough landmark in itself even before adding the spectacle of one of MotoGP™’s most golden of eras carving its way through the Tuscan hills. Fast, flowing and fast becoming a place synonymous with Ducati glory, yes it’s home turf. But it’s also somewhere Borgo Panigale machinery has won the last three editions and been on the podium since 2015.
The favourite to keep the roll going must be Miller. With his win in Le Mans in tough conditions, and that despite two Long Lap penalties, he followed up his Jerez stunner in style and it seems safe to say the Australian will now read the stats about Mugello with glee rather than pressure. Miller is a key architect of the momentum behind the manufacturer and the monkey some saw on his back after the first three rounds of the season is nowhere in sight now, whichever way you want to spin it. Can he make it three in a row? Or can his teammate fight back?
Bagnaia has been impressive in 2021 and led the standings for the first time just before Le Mans, with speed at every venue and few mistakes to go with it. With less premier class experience than Miller, he could have been forgiven for a few too. His French GP was a solid statement of intent, however, as the Italian somehow found himself down in 19th just after the start… then rode back through to fourth in conditions that caught out the very best, and again, like Miller, despite two Long Lap Penalties. If there was a day to lose your head, it was leading the Championship and sinking to the bottom of the top 20 early doors. But he didn’t.
And what about Zarco? The Frenchman hunted down another podium and moved back up to third overall, so what does he have in the locker? A Pramac win on home turf would be a popular one and the number 5, like Bagnaia, hasn’t yet tasted the top step in the premier class although he’s been close. His teammate this weekend could also be one to watch complicating the lives of a few riders who could find themselves on the cusp of Q2 too as Michele Pirro steps in to replace the injured Jorge Martin. Pirro knows both track and machine, and has impressed aplenty on wildcards.
All that said, it’s far from a foregone conclusion that Ducati will take their fourth Mugello win in a row. Three in the top four they may have, but it’s Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) back on top – and the Frenchman’s there despite his tough plummet down the order after arm pump in Jerez. He took a well-earned home podium at Le Mans despite coming back from surgery, and before Ducati started to assert their dominance at Mugello it was Yamaha territory. Jorge Lorenzo took the most recent wins but Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was on the podium in 2018 and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) the year before that. With a dry, less chaotic weekend hopefully ahead, what can they – and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) – do?
Dry and less chaotic will likely be a hope for Team Suzuki Ecstar too. A double DNF in France saw reigning Champion Joan Mir fall outside the top five in the standings, and left teammate Alex Rins with an even bigger hill to climb to get back into real contention. The Hamamatsu factory have form at Mugello though, with Rins only two tenths off the podium in 2019 as he hung on to the Marquez-Ducati fight and almost managed to ruin the party for all of them. The Suzuki works well around the majority of the venue and Rins will be out to show that and bounce back, as will Mir – but the reigning Champion also has a fair bit less experience of the track on premier class machinery, with MotoGP™ having not visited Mugello last year.
Aprilia are another who, like Ducati, will be both optimistic and riding on home turf. The Noale factory have taken a big step forward in 2021 and their bike should prove a good fit for Mugello. It may have been heartbreak at Le Mans but Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just keeps impressing, and teammate Lorenzo Savadori was a serious threat in the damp. Can he take another step forward, and can Aleix Espargaro pick up where he left off? Aprilia also have Andrea Dovizioso confirmed as doing more testing throughout the season, whose record at Mugello is one of the best in recent years. He’s also already ridden the RS-GP there, although the weather didn’t play ball…
Mugello, meanwhile, was also a place where Honda really hammered home their top speed gains in 2019 as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went toe to toe with the Bologna bullets and was absolutely not left in the dust. Marquez’ win in 2014 at the track is the only non-Ducati win for a rider still on the grid since then too, and his 2019 battle at the front against the factory Ducati duo at the time was a stunner. The French GP saw flag-to-flag master Marquez make an uncharacteristic mistake and crash out, but there were more flashes of his former self as his comeback continues. What can he do?
LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami and LCR Honda Castrol teammate Alex Marquez both took solid results in France too after a tougher start to the season, and Nakagami equalled his best ever result in Jerez just before that. Alex Marquez won at Mugello in Moto2™ last time he rode there as well, although this is his first taste of it in the premier class. Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was also gaining ground in France, so they can’t be counted out of the increasingly tough fight for Q2 and more.
That also goes for KTM. It’s been a tougher start to the season but Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) equalled the best result of the Austrian factory’s year so far at Le Mans, and he knows the top step at Mugello, although in red. Teammate Iker Lecuona also impressed in France, so can both start to cut the gap to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira? There have been flashes of speed from them since Binder’s fifth in Portugal, but it’s not all come together on race day for either since. Binder and Lecuona have also not yet ridden at Mugello in MotoGP™ though, so that could also factor in to the weekend. Can KTM push back towards the bigger points hauls?
Tuscany is one of the world’s most emblematic destinations, and MotoGP™ is lucky enough to have Mugello nestled right in the middle. The paddock returns to the venue in 2021 looking quite different to the last time we were there, but the track remains the same stunner for man and machine. Make sure to tune in for the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley on Sunday the 30th of May, with lights out for the premier class at 14:00 (GMT +2).
Gardner? Fernandez? The home heroes? Moto2™ rolls into Mugello
The Australian hasn’t won yet this season, Fernandez has less laps at the venue and the home heroes want to strike back… what awaits for Moto2™?
After another stunner from Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), the Moto2™ rookie is now just a single point behind his veteran teammate atop the Moto2™ standings as the paddock heads for Mugello. But given its absence on the 2020 calendar, the Tuscan venue is one where Fernandez has quite a few fewer laps than his rivals: he’s only raced there as a Moto3™ rookie in 2019. The Spaniard came home 11th, however… already proving his CV as a fast learner. So will he be leading from the front or playing catch up this time round?
His teammate Remy Gardner will be pushing to make sure it’s the latter. The Australian is on a supreme run of form stretching back to even before the start of 2021, and that’s exactly how he finds himself at the top of the table. With his rookie teammate proving such a force to be reckoned with, already winning two races, Gardner knows he has to strike when Fernandez is on the back foot and take the maximum points when he isn’t. So far so good on both counts, but Mugello will be another test of his so far exemplary judgments on Sundays.
Waiting in the wings there are two riders with even more motivation at this particular racetrack, however: Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). The former is on a podium run and the latter already a race winner this year, but both will want victory on home turf. Bezzecchi hasn’t had all the pieces come together perfectly so far this year but is proving super consistent since we left Qatar, whereas Diggia is somewhat the opposite. The Gresini rider created himself a new postcode in the lead at Jerez to win his first Moto2™ race in style, adding to a podium first time out in 2021, but in the other three races it’s been up and down. Can the home heroes make a push for the front again?
For Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) meanwhile, it’ll be a different challenge. The Brit bounced back well from a DNF in Portugal and said it was important to do so, with no OTT heroics and solid points. That will likely be the mission as he aims to hit back at Mugello following a crash in France: take points. Get on or near the podium. Claw back a little deficit. But the Brit is also one of the fastest men in the intermediate class on any given Sunday, so he can’t be counted out.
The next two riders in the standings likely have similar goals though: Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) crashed from the front in France and Aron Canet (Kipin Energy Aspar Team) earlier than that, although they’re holding on as the next two in the standings after the fastest five so far this season. What can they do? Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) is now equal on points with Canet too, and the German will want to build momentum after a solid result.
Recent Mugello history also says Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) could be up there in the top five again, and he’ll want some redemption after Le Mans followed some good steps forward, but speaking of… the king of those in France must surely be Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP). Le Mans was a stunner from the rookie Italian, so has he got more in the locker at Mugello on home turf?
Gardner has the consistency and the experience. Raul Fernandez is a fast learner. Bezzecchia and Diggia want some home turf glory, and Sam Lowes needs some good points. Who’ll come out on top? Mugello puts plenty on the line in Moto2™, so make sure to tune in at 12:20 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Moto2™ Championship top five:
1 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 89
2 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 88
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – 72
4 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 66
5 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – 60
Moto3™ vs Mugello: Acosta leads the freight train into Tuscany
The Championship leader increased his lead significantly in France, and that despite a crash. But now, more new turf awaits at Mugello… in Moto3™ at least
The course of a Moto3™ race rarely did run smooth, but Le Mans was even more drama than normal. With Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) taking his first win of the year, second overall and first for GASGAS, it was a different face on the top step to the one we’d become accustomed to seeing in 2021. But Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), despite taking a tumble in the difficult conditions, still got back on and took a good haul of points – and finished far ahead of those who’d previously been his closest challengers to boot. The result? An even bigger Championship lead.
For the veterans on his tail – Garcia, and Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) – the good news is the experience they all have at Mugello, and for the most part, their CVs there too. The Italians will also be fired up on home turf as we return to the track for the first time since 2019. The slightly worse news is that, unlike Le Mans, Acosta does actually have a track record at Mugello: a second place in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies race at the venue in 2019, the year he came runner up overall before going on to annihilate the competition last season. So it’s new turf on his Red Bull KTM Ajo machine… but it’s not a shot in the dark.
The Italians will be gunning hard though, as will Garcia after a good shot of confidence from his win in France. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) too, and home hero Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) after their first podiums. Both will be wanting more good points. Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech3) remained on his consistent roll of top finishes too despite the different conditions in France, and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) got some good points on the board just ahead of his former teammate. Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) and fellow rookie Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) also took their best finishes of the season so far, and confidence goes a long way.
Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), meanwhile, will be on an opposite mission: bouncing back. After the South African got skittled out at Jerez through no fault of his own, a crash in France put paid to solid points and he’s now down in eighth overall. Can he fight back before summer break and get back into the upper echelons of the Championship? He’ll be aiming to start that at Mugello.
The kilometre-long straight at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello always provides one of the greatest Moto3™ spectacles of the season. They’ll take it on again this Sunday, with the lights out at 11:00 (GMT +2) for another incredible lightweight class challenge.
KTM's Marvin Musquin (25) as seen during the 2020 Pro Motocross season. Photo by Simon Cudby, courtesy KTM.
For the racers, race team technicians and families at the highest level of professional Motocross and Supercross, a return to racing was not guaranteed in 2020, and it was treasured when it came. While a surge of new off-road motorcycle enthusiasts were born in the 2020 lockdown, some of the sport’s most faithful allies were laying the groundwork for the sport’s future.
Producer Troy Adamitis and director Nate Scribner, who have created The Great Outdoors, The Moto: Inside the Outdoors, Supercross: Behind the Dream, MX Nation and MX World, have partnered with RIDE Motorcycles to bring you an account of American Motocross’ Year of Jubilee.
Gurecky gets the hammer down for another wet weather masterclass in Race 1
The Czech rider was up to his old tricks in tricky conditions at Oschersleben, with Kocourek back on the podium in second and Phommara impressing in third
Jakub Gurecky (59). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 23 May 2021
Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) hammered home his wet weather mastery once again at Oschersleben, the Czech rider disappearing in Race 1 for another stunner of a victory out front in difficult conditions. Teammate Jonas Kocourek came home second in a JRT Brno Circuit 1-2, with Swiss rookie Lennoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) impressing in the wet once again to take his first Northern Talent Cup podium in third.
From the start it was Gurecky in charge as he took the holeshot, with Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team) initially able to go with him… but not for long. The number 81 had an early excursion on Lap 1 and, although he was able to re-join, that left Gurecky ahead of the game and Kocourek in second.
Initially, Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team), Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team) and polesitter Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) were on the chase, although the number 81 of Luciano didn’t lose too much time slicing back through into a podium place.
From there he set about reeling in Kocourek as Phommara set about making his way through the pack. By Lap 11, the number 81 of Luciano was back past Kocourek and Phommara had leapfrogged the rest to get in the fight for fourth, but more drama was to come.
In the last couple of laps disaster struck for Luciano once again. Heading off track for the second time, the Belgian rider shuffled way back down the order upon re-joining, with Kocourek able to take back second and secure himself a safer gap behind himself to boot. Phommara, meanwhile, had continued his charge and swept back round the outside of Hosciuc to lead the fight for the podium on the penultimate lap as well.
Conditions remained tricky, and Jordan Bartucca (Allesauto Racing) found that out as he then suddenly slid off in the background, leaving Phommara vs Hosciuc as the battle for third. As Gurecky crossed the line nearly 18 seconds clear to complete his masterclass and Kocourek took second place though, there was even more drama behind the two Czech riders: Hosciuc was down, leaving Phommara unthreatened round the rest of the last lap to take an impressive third place.
Fourth went to Bartucca despite his brief spill, the Swiss rider with enough time to slot back in and just beat polesitter Moor by a few tenths. Nevertheless, the Hungarian rookie and pacesetter in the dry will likely be satisfied by completing the top five and taking his first big haul of points this year.
Varga took sixth ahead of a good race for Martin Vincze (Chrobák Motorsport Egyesület), with Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) a little further back in P8. Stepan Zuda (Motoracing23 Klub V ACR) took ninth, with Luciano able to salvage tenth place and some valuable points despite two run offs in the first race of the day.
Gurecky flexes his wet weather prowess to extend his lead in Race 2
Can he be beaten in the wet? Not so far! The Czech rider wins again, with Luciano in second and Kocourek taking third despite a tumble
Jakub Gurecky (JRT Brno Circuit) completed the double at Oschersleben as the weather stayed wet on Sunday afternoon, the Czech rider needing no excuse to once again flex his prowess in difficult conditions. This time around his closest challenger in the standings, Lorenz Luciano (Junior Black Knights Team), had a less adventurous race to come home second, with Jonas Kocourek in third to make it both JRT Brno Circuit riders on the podium in both races… and that despite a tumble for the number 56.
Gurecky got away in the lead for the holeshot once again, but unlike Race 1 Luciano was able to stay with him on take two. Kocourek had good speed once again to slot into third, with Jacopo Hosciuc (Hos Racing Team) on the chase as he fought to bounce back from late disaster on Sunday morning. He had Rossi Moor (FAIRIUM Next Generation Riders Team) and Kas Beekmans (Team KNMV) for company not long after, and behind Lennoxx Phommara (Phommara Team) was a man on the move once again as the Race 1 podium finisher started gaining ground. By Lap 7, he was up into fourth.
Meanwhile at the front, Gurecky was starting to stretch his legs as Luciano moved back into the clutches of Kocourek. On Lap 10 the Czech rider arrived and struck to take over in second, the fastest man on track before disaster suddenly struck. He slid off, Luciano cruised past through and the number 56 scrambled to slot back into the podium places. He did, re-joining in third but with Phommara then much closer…
Ultimately, however, it would remain the same top three to the line. Gurecky completed the double with an even bigger gap – this time over 20 seconds – with Luciano finding some redemption and crossing the line second to take 20 valuable points. Kocourek was able to keep third, managing to pull away out of the clutches of another incredibly impressive performance from Phommara.
In turn, the Swiss rookie just held off Moor as the Hungarian completed the top five, with Beekmans taking sixth after losing tabs on the two ahead in the latter stages. Likewise Hosciuc, who was forced to settle for seventh but took some good points after a late crash in Race 1.
Damian Boessenkool (Team KNMV) took eighth, with Niklas Kitzbichler (Racing-Team-Kitzbichler) fending off Noel Willemson (PrüstelGP Junior Team), Martin Vincze (Chrobák Motorsport Egyesület) and Tibor Varga (Forty Racing Team) for ninth. The battle between the four was covered by less than two and a half tenths.
That’s it from Oschersleben and Round 2, with Gurecky starting to pull away at the top. The NTC is back in action in a month as the legendary Sachsenring plays host, the Cup back racing alongside the MotoGP™ World Championship!
MotoAmerica: Gagne Takes Third Straight With Dominant VIR Victory
Yamaha’s Jake Gagne Completes Perfect Weekend In Virginia
Jake Gagne (32) leads Kyle Wyman (33), Josh Herrin (2), Loris Baz (76), Travis Wyman (10), Hector Barbera (80), Bobby Fong (50) and the rest of the field at the start of Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
DANVILLE, VA (May 23, 2021) – Three races a championship does not make, but the performance of Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance Yamaha’s Jake Gagne certainly makes sleeping a little rough for those who are racing against him.
Gagne won his third straight MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike race on Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway, and he did so in impressive fashion. Again. On Saturday, Gagne won by 11.8 seconds. Today that gap swelled to 13.9 seconds. As he did yesterday, Gagne led into turn one and proceeded to lead every lap thereafter, crossing the finish line well clear of Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York’s Loris Baz, the Frenchman earning his first career MotoAmerica podium.
“Today was a little more comfortable for us,” Gagne said. “I think it was a little hotter today. I think the track temp was maybe a little hotter. So, I knew I needed to be a little easier on the tires because yesterday we roasted out here pretty good. After yesterday’s race, we really learned a lot, when you get a whole 20 laps underneath you in race conditions. So, we just made a couple minor tweaks, and the bike just came a lot easier for me to ride today. I was just having fun sliding around out there. It’s nice when you’ve got a little bit of a gap. I was keeping an eye on my pit board. But you can’t let up. These guys, I know they’re going to keep rolling and if you just back off a couple percent that’s when something can happen. So, I just kept riding and having fun. Hats off to the Fresh N’ Lean Attack Performance crew. Even after a great day yesterday, they went back and worked hard last night to get a couple little improvements coming into today. This Yamaha came off the truck good on Friday. We changed the gearing for Atlanta, and she was rolling good. I’m really looking forward to Road America. I think that will be kind of a whole different track than these first two we dealt with, so it will be cool to switch it up a little bit. It’s good to get a win.”
Baz’s race was eventful early as he battled with a pack of four for second place, but once he got to the spot, he was able to pull clear and monitor his gap to third place. He knew there was no catching Gagne. In fact, he knew that before the race started based on Gagne’s race pace from Saturday.
“I’m enjoying it a lot since three months,” Baz said of his working visit to the U.S. “We’ve been working so hard with the team to do good work. We knew that the test in Austin we were fast, but we knew we were coming to tracks where we struggle a bit more. I was surprised we struggled so much. Race one (at Road Atlanta where he crashed) we were able to win and race two the bike broke. It was hard to swallow that for three weeks. We came here with the same goal as Atlanta, but we just struggled more all weekend. We were so far off on Friday. We didn’t expect to put the bike in the top five. We were so far away. It was so hard to ride. The crew did an amazing job this Friday to improve the electronics and we made a decent qualifying. Unfortunately, we had trouble on the tire. I knew the track was killing the tread. It was a tough race yesterday before and today. I knew that the best we could do with our pace was P2. The target was to try to go behind Jake (Gagne) and follow him. I gave everything that I had and still could not do it. So, it was a lonely race, trying to increase the gap to the guys behind and just manage my tires because I didn’t know what to expect at the end. I was just managing the gap and had a couple of tenths. Just trying to bring it to the end because I was struggling with my rear tire. I’m really happy. I think one of the hardest parts of the Ducati we improved a lot. The target is still exactly the same as when I came. I know these guys are fast and I’m just ready to battle with them.”
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was roughed up in turn one off the start and finished the opening lap in 14th, but the South African didn’t give up and pushed his way through the pack, eventually making his way to the heels of those battling for third. When all was said and done, Scholtz had worked his to third to maintain his perfect season of podium finishes.
“I just saw one of the M4 Suzuki bikes coming up the inside, so I gave him space,” Scholtz said. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) ran off the track. I’m not sure if he got touched. It’s just one of those unfortunate things. I’m trying to get aggressive in the first corner trying to hang onto Jake (Gagne) because I knew if I could slot in behind Jake, he would pull me and I kind of had the pace over everyone else after about lap eight or 10.”
Scholtz’s fourth podium, including his win in race one at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, keeps him in the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship lead with his 81 points, six more than the fast-closing Gagne. Gagne’s Fresh N’ Easy Attack Performance Yamaha teammate Josh Herrin is third with 61 points, the 2013 AMA Superbike Champion finishing off the podium for first time this season on Sunday at VIR.
Herrin, meanwhile, managed to hold off the advances of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong for fourth with the latter bouncing back from mechanical issues that thwarted his progress on Saturday.
Kyle Wyman had his strongest race of the 2021 season, the Panera Bread Ducati rider in the fight for second/third early on before slipping back to finish sixth.
Fong’s M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Cameron Petersen was some two seconds adrift of Wyman and in seventh after having to fight through from well back after being involved in the melee in turn one.
Scheibe Racing’s Hector Barbera was eighth, but he really deserved more. An off-track excursion cost him a shot at the podium as he was fighting for third when he couldn’t get the BMW stopped for turn one in the heat of battle and was forced to take to the grass.
Ninth went to HONOS HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander, the Stock 1000-spec Kawasaki ZX-10R mounted New Yorker ending the race as the top finishing Superbike Cup entry. Franklin Armory/Disrupt/RG Racing/Kawasaki’s Andrew Lee had his best result of the season thus far in 10th, some four seconds adrift of Alexander and only .001 of a second ahead of Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Scholtz And Westby Racing Leave VIR With The Superbike Points Lead In Hand
Alton, VA – May 23, 2021 – With two rounds and four races completed in the 2021 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz holds a six-point lead in the standings based on the strength of his race finishes thus far. Mathew notched a victory and a second-place finish at Road Atlanta in round two, and then, he added another runner-up finish on Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway. On Sunday, “The Scholtz Kid” added a third-place finish to his four-race podium streak in a hard-fought result where he had to overcome adversity.
On the opening lap of Sunday’s final race of the weekend, Mathew got caught up in traffic going into turn one. Thankfully, he didn’t suffer a tipover in the incident, but it did shuffle him all the way back to 14th. Undaunted, he went about his business and started clicking off laps as fast as, or faster than, the leaders. On lap 13, he made it all the way back up to third place where he battled with Josh Herrin for a few laps before securing the final spot on the podium on lap 17.
All in all, it was a hero effort from Mathew, who knows that podium finishes all season long are the key to winning his first MotoAmerica Superbike title.
Mathew Scholtz. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
“I just saw one of the M4 Suzuki bikes coming up the inside, so I gave him space,” Mathew commented. “I could have followed him, but I don’t know what happened from there. I think Cam (Petersen) ran off the track. I’m not sure if he got touched. It’s just one of those unfortunate things. I was trying to get aggressive in the first corner, trying to hang onto Jake (Gagne) because I knew if I could slot in behind him, he would pull me, and I kind of had the pace over everyone else after about lap 8 or 10.”
Westby Racing’s Junior Cup rider Jack Roach’s weekend at VIR went from bad on Saturday to worse on Sunday. After not being able to finish race one due to a technical issue, he crashed out of race two on lap 4 while in heavy traffic.
Jack Roach (12), Max VanDenBrouck (48), David Kohlstaedt (29), and Gus Rodio (96) on track. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Jack said, “This round was full of ups and downs, and as it turned out, the best part was qualifying P3 and maintaining consistent speed throughout the weekend. I wanted to get two really good race results but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Two DNF’s obviously don’t show my potential. I can’t thank Chuck (Giacchetto) from Westby Racing and Shiloh (Salopek) from N2 Racing enough for all their support. Road America is my favorite track, so I can’t wait for the next round to begin.”
Next up for Westby Racing is round three of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, on June 11 through 13.
Escalante Rebounds To Get First Supersport Win Of The Year At VIR
Richie Escalante Fights Off Injury To Win MotoAmerica Supersport
DANVILLE, VA (May 23, 2021) – As Richie Escalante said from Parc Ferme after winning Sunday’s second of two MotoAmerica Supersport races at VIRginia International Raceway, “Richie is back.”
Two weeks removed from having his collarbone plated, Escalante won his first Supersport race of the season on Sunday and not a minute too soon as his championship rival Sean Dylan Kelly had won three straight races to begin the 2021 season.
Escalante wasn’t the only championship hopeful to return to the top step of the podium at VIR as Corey Alexander went out and won his first Stock 1000 race of the season after a rocky start to his campaign.
As for the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup and Twins Cup races at VIR, it was a case of a pair of first-time class winners in Cody Wyman and Jody Barry.
Corey Alexander (23) beat Jake Lewis (85) by a fraction of a second in Stock 1000 Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Stock 1000: Happy Birthday To Alexander
On the occasion of his 27th birthday, HONOS HVMC Kawasaki rider Corey Alexander gave himself a priceless, hard-fought gift when he won Sunday’s Stock 1000 race two at VIRginia International Raceway.
Saturday’s race one winner Jake Lewis almost spoiled Alexander’s rolling birthday party when he very nearly overtook Alexander on the final lap, but Alexander maintained his position at the front and kept Lewis and his Altus Motorsports Suzuki behind him, taking the checkers by .047 of a second over the Kentuckian. With Lewis in second, third place went to Michael Gilbert Racing Kawasaki’s Michael Gilbert, who was just under a second behind Lewis.
“It was fun riding with these guys up front,” Alexander said. “You can kind of depend on them to at least give you a little bit of space. There wasn’t much there, but I knew (Lewis) wasn’t just going to punt me. So, I was holding on tight a little bit, and I knew I was dragging him out to the grass and the only way I could really get the bike off of him was to accelerate. Fortunately, I kind of fell forward a little bit. But otherwise, we went back and watched the race last night and kind of saw some spots where he was better than me. I don’t know if I really improved in them, but I knew that I couldn’t let him by me in those spots, so I kind of tightened up my lines a little bit. The guys made a couple changes to allow me to brake better, which was kind of my strong suit I think today. I utilized that to make sure that I could lead the race. I learned yesterday from Jake that catching those backmarkers and kind of keeping your race under a lead and get through them smoothly, that will put you in a position to win. So that’s all I really cared about. As soon as Geoff (May) got by me, I needed to get back by him. Same thing with Jake. I knew I had to pass everybody on the brakes. Can’t ask for a better birthday.”
Richie Escalante (1) leads Stefano Mesa (37), Sean Dylan Kelly (40), Benjamin Smith (88), Sam Lochoff (44), and the rest of the field in Supersport Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Supersport: The Return Of Richie
Defending MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Richie Escalante’s title defense got off to a bit of a rocky start. The HONOS Kawasaki rider did finish second in both races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, but then, right after that round, he fractured his collarbone in a training accident on his bicycle. Despite the setback, Escalante not only raced at VIR, but he put in a dominant performance in Sunday’s race, winning by more than seven-and-a-half seconds over M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly, who has been unstoppable up to this point.
Kelly did finish second, but he was clearly not happy with the result and felt like the changes they made to the bike overnight after Saturday’s race did not improve the bike. Mesa37 Racing Kawasaki’s Stefano Mesa, himself also dealing with some bumps and bruises, toughed it out and finished third albeit a little more than 11 seconds behind Kelly.
“I’m so happy,” Escalante said. “I think yesterday my confidence changed for today. Just as I start the race, I was feeling maybe don’t think it’s a race. Maybe very long the first group. Today I feel great. I woke up more motivated, more relaxed. I feel great in my collarbone. So, I’m so happy. My Honos Racing team is working amazing giving me my bike. My feeling is the same as last year. So, really happy. I’m pushing hard and I passed Sean and then I just waited for pass me again. I tried my best in the first laps. So hard in the last five laps I had to ride the bike not looking at the people waiting for finish the race. I’m so happy. Thanks to all my sponsors and people supporting me. I’m ready for the next round. It’s one of my favorite tracks, so let’s go.”
Jackson Blackmon (18), Jody Barry (717), Kaleb De Keyrel (51), Teagg Hobbs (behind De Keyrel), and Trevor Standish (16) battle at the front during Twins Cup Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Twins Cup: Barry Turns Up The Heat
Former KTM RC Cup competitor Jody Barry has returned to the MotoAmerica paddock after a few years away, and the Righteous Racing Aprilia rider is making quite a name for himself in his return. After reaching the podium at Road Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, Barry got a breakthrough win in Sunday’s Twins Cup race two at VIR. He overtook Jackson Blackmon Yamaha rider Jackson Blackmon on the final lap of the 10-lap event and held onto the lead to win by just .166 of a second over second-place Blackmon. Robem Engineering Aprilia’s Kaleb De Keyrel finished third, just under half-a-second behind Blackmon.
“I definitely figured I had to put the move on early because (Blackmon’s) Yamaha is no slouch in the straightaway,” Barry said. “I was praying to everything out there that I could put enough of a gap on him that he didn’t pass me. It really is just awesome.”
Tyler Scott (70) leads Cody Wyman (34), Max VanDenBrouck (48) and the rest of the field early in Junior Cup Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
SportbikeTrackGear.Com Junior Cup: Wyman’s First
In Sunday’s SportbikeTrackGear.com race two, Kermoto/Madden Painting Kawasaki rider Cody Wyman finally got the breakthrough MotoAmerica win that has eluded him for a couple of years. The youngest of the racing Wyman brothers, Cody has become a master of the draft pass, and he used it to perfection on the final lap to escape the gaggle of riders at the front and put himself in perfect position to take the checkered flag first. Wyman nipped second-place finisher Ben Gloddy, who was aboard a Landers Racing Kawasaki, by just .049 of a second. Gloddy won Saturday’s race one and appeared to be headed for the double win until Wyman swooped in and grabbed the victory. Also among the lead group was Veloce Racing Kawasaki’s Maxwell Toth, the California rider taking third just .113 of a second behind Gloddy.
“I’ve got to thank team Westby for taking a chance on me a couple years ago,” Wyman said. “To get on a competitive bike and get more comfortable, this is really just the momentum to keep this rolling for the rest of the year. I thought I blew it on the last lap when I got really loose through the esses. Really pushed the braking zones harder than I ever had, and I was driving my life out of the last corner. Lucky that start/finish line is pretty far down there, because I sure needed that. This is great to get my first win and match my brothers’ wins. For all three of us to get a win… it means a lot for the family.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Redding bounces back with slick gamble to take Race 2 victory at Aragon
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
After a disappointing Tissot Superpole Race, Redding responded in phenomenal fashion with commanding Race 2 victory
The drama continued in the final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race of the Pirelli Aragon Round after a tyre gamble by Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) meant he responded to earlier disappointment to claim a sensational victory in Race 2 at MotorLand Aragon, coming home almost ten seconds clear of his rivals.
An earlier rain shower meant the track was wet but drying throughout the day and, although there was a drying line appearing, most riders decided to race with the immediate tyres. As the track dried further, Redding was able to make his slick tyres work to move into the front and he did not look back, while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in second ahead of teammate Alex Lowes.
The intermediate runners started off the race in the strongest position with six-time World Champion Rea (and teammate Lowes with American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Gerloff was able to make the move on Lowes for second place.
He soon had his eyes on Rea but it ended with Gerloff coming off his bike and Rea taking a trip through the gravel at Turn 14; an incident that cost both riders places and was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK stewards, and Gerloff given a Long Lap Penalty; the first rider in WorldSBK to be given such a penalty.
The incident allowed Lowes, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to jump ahead of Rea, with Razgatlioglu challenging Lowes for the lead of the race before van der Mark got by his former teammate to give the BMW M 1000 RR its first lap in the lead.
The mixed conditions meant different strategies on the grid with tyre selection with only Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) starting from the grid, although Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) made the switch to slicks before the race started with the Italian starting from the pit lane.
While the intermediate runners had the advantage in the early stages of the races, the track soon came into favour for the slick-shod bikes, with Redding passing Razgatlioglu for the lead and soon pulling out a large gap to the chasing pack to take his first win of the 2021 season.
While Redding extended his lead out in front, the battle for second was hotting up between van der Mark, Rea, Lowes, Razgatlioglu and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who managed his intermediate tyres to latch onto the battle for second place. Rea had briefly got ahead of van der Mark at the final corner, but the Dutchman was able to fight back, although Rea was able to make the same move work on Lap 10 until Turn 1 on the next lap, with van der Mark fighting back.
Sykes was able to pass Razgatlioglu on Lap 12 of 18 to move into fifth place as BMW searched for a strong result on their first weekend with the new BMW M 1000 RR, although the move cost both riders time. On Lap 13, Rea was able to make a move on van der Mark and make it stick to secure second place, before Lowes followed through a couple of laps later. Van der Mark tried to fight back but found himself sandwiched between teammate Sykes, who was on the kerbs at Turn 1, and Lowes on the inside, with van der Mark eventually falling down to fifth behind Lowes in third and Sykes fourth; the first time two BMWs have finished in the top five since 2013.
Drama was never far away in this race and that continued throughout the top ten with a three-way battle for sixth place between Razgatlioglu, Folger and Gerloff; the Turkish star just about holding on from Gerloff and Folger, who started on slick tyres. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) was ninth with Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) securing his first top-ten finish.
Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) came home in 11th place ahead of a trio of rookies as Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured another points finish in his maiden WorldSBK weekend, Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 14th on an impressive weekend for the youngest rider on the grid. Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) was the final points position with 15th, finishing ahead of Rinaldi.
Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) was the only BMW rider outside the top ten, finish just clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) who was 18th. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) was the first to fall victim to the difficult conditions as he came off his Ducati Panigale V4 R at Turn, forcing the Welshman to retire from Race 2 on the opening lap of the race. Leon Haslam’s (Team HRC) race came to an end on Lap 5 after he came off his Honda at Turn 2, with the British rider retiring from the race. Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) was another retirement after he crashed at Turn 1. Davies was able to finish the race in 19th despite the crash, ahead of TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri.
P1 Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati)
“It was weird, it kind of feels like I haven’t raced because I was on my own. But it was a gamble. I took a gamble this morning, I didn’t know whether to go for the intermediate and I was debating. It was the same situation again on the grid, and I remember Sachsenring a few years ago in MotoGP™, the intermediate cost me a podium. I remember saying ‘I won’t use an intermediate in race conditions again, put the slicks on and I’ll take the chance’. It was a bit sketchy actually, the cojo*** as they call it here, in the beginning. You have to take a gamble sometimes. I lost out this morning, went the wrong way. I lost out at Brands Hatch in 2019, I went with intermediates, it cost me. I finally took a gamble and it paid off for a win. I’m happy for that but it was a really tough and strange weekend.”
P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“I’m just so happy to finish, to be honest! Early in the race, he came through and I thought, the line wasn’t big there, it was quite narrow and then he crashed, but my instincts told me to open the gas and try to get away from the bike. Then there was deep, deep gravel. I fully motocrossed it, putting weight on the rear, going through the gravel. I thought I best let at least two guys past so I didn’t gain an advantage, for sure, because it was faster to straight line the chicane. I did what I could with the intermediate, huge kudos to Pirelli because that tyre stayed together. We were doing 52s at the end and that was fast, the thing’s moving around but the bike was working really well today. Of course, the right decision was slicks so fair play to Scott for that.”
P3 Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
“Happy with that. To be honest, I nearly went full dry as well on the grid but the track was so wet but from the sighting lap to the warm up lap it changed completely. I went for the intermediate, it was the safest choice for me. To be honest, after three or four laps, I was struggling especially with the front. It was just getting too hot. I had a little bit of a battle with Michael and Toprak but I was just destroying the tyre trying to dive up the inside and brake really late. I thought I couldn’t get any further than this group, so tried to be smart and smooth, lift the bike up, and at the end of the race I played a little bit with the mapping to change the power of the bike and the last four or five laps I found a pretty good setting that was hooking up really well, I still had some grip and I was catching Jonny back a little bit. It’s been a tough weekend in terms of managing the conditions but for the first one, to be back racing, back on the grid, I’m really happy about that and really looking forward to Estoril next week.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
#AragonWorldSBK Race-2. Only the brave! Scott Redding bets on slick tires – on the wet track – and conquers a stunning victory at Motorland
This Sunday at the Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain) will not be easily forgotten, also due to the unpredictable weather conditions.
A day full of emotions for the Aruba.it Ducati – Racing team, started with the disappointment for the Superpole Race and finished with the heroic victory of Scott Redding.
Michael Rinaldi plays all for all but his extreme choice does not bring the desired results.
Superpole Race
Both Redding and Rinaldi start the race with rain tires, but they have to face some difficulties from the first lap: the rain is not as heavy as in the morning, and the race gets complicated for both the riders.
Scott tries to push in the first 2 laps taking the lead, but soon he is no longer able to secure his position against his opponents, who chose the intermediate tires.
The Englishman fights until the end to finish in P8 and gaining, at any rate, 2 points.
Starting from the ninth position, Michael finds himself in the same situation and finishes in P12.
Race-2
It is tricky to guess the track condition. The rain has stopped falling but the tarmac is still wet and chances of a new storm are high.
Scott Redding gets on the grid with the intermediate tires, but at the very last moment right before the start, he decides – the only one to make this choice – to opt for the slicks tires, both on the front and on the rear. The English rider wins his bet: he regains seven positions in the first six laps, and then he takes the lead on lap 7, winning the race almost 10 seconds ahead of Rea (Kawasaki).
Michael Rinaldi tries to play the same card coming back to the pits at the end of the sighting lap to put on slick tires. The gap with the group – on intermediate tires – is however too wide to be bridged. The Italian rider finishes in 16th place.
Scott Redding, Michael Rinaldi, and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team now move to Portugal for the second round of the 2021 season, which is taking place next weekend at the Estoril circuit.
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“Yes, it’s true, I took a big risk. In my career, however, the intermediate tires have betrayed me twice, both times when I was close to achieving a great result. For this reason, without hesitation, I asked my team to put on slicks tires. In the first few laps I tried not to make any mistake and then, obviously, it was not difficult to take the lead. For sure I would have preferred winning after having fought with the other guys, but it is still an important success, especially in light of what happened this weekend”.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (21) and Jonas Folger (94). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“In these circumstances, you have to know how to evaluate the situation and make the right choice. Today I made the wrong choice and, as a result, I had one of the worst races of my career. Last year I came away from Aragon with 3 podiums; this year with only 9 points. This means that we have to find the feeling that we have been missing. The motivation is not lacking and I will try, together with the team, to turn the page from the next race”.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claims its best team result so far in WorldSBK with the new BMW M 1000 RR.
Fourth and fifth place for Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark in race two of the season-opener at MotorLand Aragón.
Impressive performance and fastest lap of the race from van der Mark in the morning’s Superpole race.
Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) rounds off a successful Sunday by fighting back to eighth; 17th place for Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse).
Tom Sykes (66) and Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Alcañiz. The new BMW M 1000 RR has demonstrated its potential in the FIM Superbike World Championship. The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team claimed its best team result so far at the opening round of the 2021 season at MotorLand Aragón (ESP). Tom Sykes (GBR) and Michael van der Mark (NED) ended race two on Sunday afternoon in fourth and fifth places, just one and a half seconds outside the podium positions. Van der Mark had already impressed with a strong comeback in the morning’s Superpole race. Jonas Folger (GER) from BMW satellite team Bonovo MGM Racing finished eighth to round off a successful Sunday.
After enjoying warm and sunny conditions on Friday and Saturday, Sunday started with rain. The circuit was damp in places at the start of the Superpole race, but was also drying out in other places making tyre selection rather tricky. Van der Mark opted for slick tyres, on which he shot through from 15th on the grid to finish fifth at the end of the ten-lap sprint race. The Dutchman also set the fastest lap of the race on his BMW M 1000 RR. Sykes started from third place on the wet-weather tyre, and was initially running in the top five. However, he then fell back through the field and returned to the garage on lap eight as his tenth place on the grid for race two was secure in any case.
Conditions were similarly unsettled at the start of race two in the afternoon. Van der Mark (fifth on the grid) and Sykes (tenth on the grid) both opted for intermediate tyres. Van der Mark was battling with the leading group from the word go, and actually briefly took the lead on lap six. He then spent several laps defending second place against Jonathan Rea (GBR / Kawasaki). With just a few laps remaining, Rea and his team-mate Alex Lowes (GBR) managed to find their way past him. Meanwhile, Sykes was consistently picking his way through the field and ultimately found himself behind van der Mark. The two swapped positions on lap 16 of 18, meaning Sykes finished fourth, ahead of his team-mate in fifth.
Folger ended the Superpole race in 13th place, having started 18th. His big moment came in race two. He and the Bonovo MGM Racing team opted for slicks. Folger initially had to restrain himself and dropped down the field. However, he then launched an impressive comeback. On the final lap, Folger had climbed into sixth place, behind the two riders from the BMW works team. Shortly before the chequered flag, he lost two positions due to a small mistake, meaning he crossed the finish line in eighth place. Eugene Laverty, riding for BMW satellite team RC Squadra Corse, was 16th in the Superpole race and ended race two in 17th place.
Reactions after race two at MotorLand Aragón.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “We are very happy. We invested so much work in this project in the winter, and it was very difficult at the tests to establish exactly how we really compared to the others. We got off to a difficult start this weekend, so it is great to be able to turn that around in this way. Sure they were extraordinary conditions, but it was very pleasing to see that we were able to challenge the Kawasakis, which are setting the benchmark, for the full race. There were obviously times in the race when we would have liked to have finished on the podium, but it is excellent that we were able to demonstrate with two or even three bikes that we have the potential to do that. It is a strong result, on which we can build. We are super happy. The work has paid off, but we will not stop here – we will continue to work hard.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “A great day. Yesterday it was a struggle in areas, so I was happy with how we finished the race. Today, I was struggling to see if we could improve on that, but this morning Michael went out in the morning’s warm-up in the rain and was immediately fast considering this was his first ever outing in the wet conditions on the BMW M 1000 RR. In the Superpole race, Michael had a really good run, so to see him come away with fifth was pleasing as he is learning every day when he gets on the bike. Tom had an issue with the rear tyre in the Superpole race so we had to retire but nevertheless we started in P5 and P10 in race two. That race was really exciting, to be battling for the lead and never out of the top-three, top-four places for most of the race was great to see. Both BMWs were in the spotlight and it’s testament to the whole of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team who have brought this bike through. Heading into Estoril we can be confident we can be threat for the rest of the season.”
Tom Sykes, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “A bittersweet day, really. We definitely had a Superpole race to forget which we won’t go into too much detail about. That meant that we compromised our start position in race two. For race two, I wanted to go with the slick tyre but after this morning we opted to play it safe on the intermediates. Overall, after a good start, it was a bit of a waiting game. I could see what the guys in front of me were doing but obviously considering the tyres we were on I tried a different strategy to feel where the BMW M 1000 RR was working and where we had to improve. Unfortunately, we just missed out on the podium today, but considering our results here last year it is a huge improvement.”
Michael van der Mark, BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “This morning, we had a wet warm-up session which was my first time on the BMW M 1000 RR in the rain, and to be honest I had such a good feeling from the first lap. The Superpole race was in mixed conditions but I opted to go with the slick tyre and in the end was the right choice. It did however keep raining at times during the race which slowed me down in places but anyway it was a good result for us. This afternoon’s race two again was a gamble on tyre choice, and I knew I made the wrong choice going up to the start as the track was drying so quickly. Despite that we made a good start, had some incredible battles taking the lead but I knew I was asking too much of the tyres and in the end some guys got past me. But we have got to be happy with the two P5 positions and most importantly the experience I’ve gained with the BMW M 1000 RR.”
Jonas Folger, Bonovo MGM Racing: “We are absolutely happy with eighth place in race two. It is class that we managed this at the end of what was a difficult weekend. The conditions were very difficult and we did not know for a long time whether wets or slicks were the best option. We opted for slicks in the end. Only very few others made the same decision, including the winner Scott Redding, and we set the same lap time as Scott. The weather obviously suited us, but we are very happy. Unfortunately, I went wide in the battle with Toprak Razgatlioglu at the end of the race, otherwise we could perhaps have finished sixth. However, eighth place was still the highlight compared to the rest of the weekend, so we are very happy.”
Eugene Laverty, RC Squadra Corse: “It was not a good day, unfortunately. We had some problems in all sessions. For the long race, I had the wet front tyre and the other riders had intermediates or slick tyres so there was no chance to move further forward. So it was really disappointing but I am looking forward to Estoril already. I said that Aragón and Estoril have been the toughest two tracks for our bike last year so we have a big challenge but we did a good job here yesterday during qualifying so that’s reason for optimism. In Estoril, we need to put our progress on paper because this weekend we weren’t able to get the results we wanted.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Wins Another As Lowes Podiums Twice
Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored another race win and then a second place at Motorland Aragon on Sunday 23 May to lead the championship after the first weekend of WorldSBK racing in 2021. Alex Lowes (KRT) is ranked second overall after two more strong podium rides, in second and third place.
After two dry days at Motorland rains appeared on Sunday morning, making the warm-up session fully wet. The ten lap Tissot Superpole ‘sprint’ race and then the final 18 lap Race Two were held in slightly different, if changeable conditions, where tyre choice proved to be even more important to the final results than normal
In the ten lap Superpole race at 11.00am Rea used his pole position starting place to full effect, only being demoted for a short time before taking back a lead that would grow to 3.5 seconds over Lowes at the flag.
Lowes was again on good form in the sprint, with both KRT riders opting for what proved to be the correct choice of intermediate fronts and rears in the sprint race.
Race Two proved to be more or less dry on the racing line after the sighting lap, which saw Scott Redding and his slick tyres take his first win of the year.
Rea was a clear second despite being pushed off track when another rider ran in too hot during the approach to a corner. Fortunate not to fall, Rea got going again from fifth place to work his way into a final second place and finish off a superb weekend – highlighted by reaching an unprecedented career total of 100 race wins on Saturday. He now has 101 race wins in total after his subsequent Superpole race win on Sunday.
Lowes was in combative and controlled form in the long Race Two, using his intermediate tyres to their best effect to finish on the podium in third place after his two runner-up showings earlier in the weekend.
After a very strong start to the season with the new Ninja ZX-10RR the KRT riders are 1-2 in the championship standings. Rea leads with an almost perfect 57 points, Lowes has 45 and Redding 40. Kawasaki leads the manufacturers championship by 13 points after round one.
The season opener at Aragon will be followed by the Estoril Round in Portugal, between 28-30 May.
Jonathan Rea. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I am really content with the weekend because to win the first race of the season was 100 times better than last year, and also to claim my 100th victory was a real target of mine. Today, I never experienced conditions like this in my whole career, where it really is a big tyre choice by the minute. Every minute it changes. With three minutes to go in race two I was asking Pere if they still had slicks on the grid! The Superpole race was the first time I had ever raced the intermediate tyres so huge kudos to Pirelli. I decided after that experience to use that tyre choice in the final race as well. It was the safest option. It wasn’t the right one, but it was the safest one, for sure. The majority of the grid had that combination. I realised that I was going to race for second but second feels like a win. The only way we could have been more competitive is with the right tyre choice. From that point of view I am really happy and excited for Estoril next week.”
Alex Lowes. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “We had no chance of staying with Scott in race two because after two laps the track was completely dry. That was a shame but I felt good on the bike and at the end I played a bit with some settings to find a bit more grip. Three podiums to start the year, on a track I think I have had one podium at in a sprint race on another bike before, but nothing really special. So it is nice to start the season like this. It is just one weekend but I feel good on the bike, which helps. If you are in control on the bike then you can manage the situations a little bit better. This morning in the full wet conditions I felt good. In the dry I felt good. In the mixed conditions we did a good job. In all of these conditions with the bike we understand what is happening and that puts us in a good position going forward.
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Lucas Mahias retired in the sprint race today but was tenth in race two, placing him 15th overall. Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki competitor, and another rookie, Isaac Vinales was 15th and 13th today, having scored point in all three opening races in his native Spain. Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) have yet to score points, with Cresson 20th each time and Cavalieri retiring and then 21st in Sunday’s races.
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Barni Racing Team and Rabat: signs of growth despite a retirement due to a crash in Race 2
Alcaniz (SPA), 23 May 2021. Despite two retirements during the weekend at Motorland Aragon, where the first round of the 2021 WorldSBK season took place, the Barni Racing Team came home with important growing signals ahead of the next round, scheduled in a week at the Estoril circuit, Portugal. After the retirement in Race 1 due to a technical problem, Tito Rabat’s Race 2 ended prematurely due to a crash, just when the Spanish rider was chasing the Top 10. However, in the first Superpole Race of the season, the #53 finished in P14 due to a wrong tyre choice.
Superpole
In the Superpole Race, held in light but persistent rain, Rabat chose wet tires on both front and rear. The choice did not pay off in the first part of the race, where the Catalan lost positions. From the middle of the race onwards, he started a great duel with Vinales (Kawasaki) and, despite a series of overtakes and counter-overtakes, the two managed to recover even on Laverty. Under the checkered flag Rabat won the three-way fight for P14.
Race 2
On the starting grid for Race 2 the Ducati Panigale V4 R of the Barni Racing Team lined up on the fifth row. Starting from the thirteenth spot, Rabat had to get familiar with the intermediate tyres, which he had never tried before. After an initial adaptation period, he began to push on. Trying to catch up with the group of riders fighting for the top 10, Tito crashed in turn 1 with five laps to go.
Tito Rabat (53). Photo courtesy Barni Racing Team.
Tito Rabat, #53
«For sure it has been an unlucky weekend, and today the weather made things even more difficult. For the first time in race I used the rain tyres, even though they were not the right choice in the Superpole Race. In Race 2 we used the intermediates and from middle race until the crash my pace was solid and fast. I was pushing because I knew that the riders in front of me were slower, but at Turn 1 I lost the front. I’m very sorry for the team, but beyond the bad luck, I’m convinced that the weekend was useful for us to gain experience».
Marco Barnabò – Team Principal
«From the outside it looks like a bad weekend because we didn’t score any points, but that’s not the case at all. In the Superpole Race we made the wrong tyre choice, while in Race 2, from the middle onwards, we were the fastest on track among the riders who had intermediates. Tito rode for the first time with these tyres and now it is clear that, once he gained experience, he can stay with the group ahead in any condition. Everything that has happened between Friday and today will be useful for us and we look forward with good feelings».
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Team HRC unable to make the most of opportunities at Motorland Aragón
Alvaro Bautista (19) and Leon Haslam (91). Photo courtesy Team HRC.
The second and final day of racing at Motorland Aragón, which was characterised by mixed conditions, saw Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam score seventh and tenth place respectively in the morning’s Tissot Superpole race. In race 2, Bautista crossed the line eleventh, while Haslam unfortunately failed to finish.
Thanks to yesterday’s qualifying results, Bautista and Haslam lined up on the third row of the grid for the 10-lap Tissot Superpole race, which ran on a wet track. Both riders got away fast and were lying fifth and sixth through the opening turns, but, having opted for rain tyres, lost a little ground over the subsequent laps when the track started to dry out. Part of a group of five riders, the Team HRC pair battled hard over the course of the brief race, but the limited laps meant that they could only do so much. Bautista ultimately crossed the line seventh, a fraction of a second behind Razgatlioglu, while Haslam finished the race tenth.
The second Superbike race followed at 2pm CET. Based on the results of the morning’s Superpole race, Bautista started from seventh on the grid, and Haslam tenth, both on intermediate tyres. Bautista held his position through the opening turns, while Haslam gained a position to move into ninth on lap one, then eighth come lap three. On lap five, Haslam unfortunately crashed into turn 2, putting a premature end to what could have been a promising race. From the mid-race point, Bautista found himself struggling again with an electric problem, which caused him to progressively lose out in the latter stages and cross the line in eventual eleventh position.
At the end of this opening weekend, Haslam positions twelfth in the general standings with eight points, followed by Bautista, thirteenth, also with eight points. Team HRC will travel immediately on to Portugal, and the circuit of Estoril, where round 2 of the WorldSBK championship is set to play out already next weekend (28-30 May).
Alvaro Bautista 19
SUPERPOLE RACE P7 RACE 2 P11
“Today in the Superpole race we opted for rain tyres and when the track started to dry out the riders who had chosen intermediates or slicks clearly had different pace. In the end we ended up seventh, the second fastest among those who’d opted for rain tyres. The positive thing is that I had good feeling with the bike in conditions where we have struggled in the past, and that means we’ve taken a step forward in that respect. In race 2, the track was wetter than in the morning and we opted for intermediates, but the asphalt dried quickly during the race. It was the first time I was using these tyres and with a setting that was a bit of a mix, I wasn’t perfectly comfortable. Then, towards the middle of the race I started to have the same electric problem as yesterday and kept struggling to change gear. I had to manage the situation, riding very carefully to avoid taking any risks. It’s a shame, because without this problem yesterday we would have been fighting for the podium, and at least for the top six today. Having said that, we have to stay focused on the positive things, on the fact that we have worked very well on the set-up, the geometry, the suspension, and also the electronics. This gives me a lot of positive energy for next weekend at Estoril.”
Leon Haslam 91
SUPERPOLE RACE P10 RACE 2 DNF
“The Superpole race did not go well unfortunately, after what was a positive (wet) warm-up. One of the issues was that we should have gone with the intermediate, but we also struggled a bit with throttle delivery. So a difficult race in which I took some risks on several occasions. Then in the final race we went with the intermediate solution, as did most riders, and the pace felt really good. I felt that we resolved the power delivery, as well as a few other things, it was only unfortunate that I then crashed. So even though the results overall have not been what we wanted, I do feel that we were able to make a good step in this final race, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can do next weekend at Estoril.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
CRAZY WEATHER, A TWO FACES SUNDAY AT GO ELEVEN!
A truly changing Sunday in Aragon, with mixed weather conditions that affected all the sessions. A light rain wet the track several times, without being too heavy. A dry / wet mix created problems to teams and riders.
In the Warm Up, in real wet conditions, the WorldSBK protagonists had the first opportunity of the season to compete with rain tyres. Nobody, however, took too many risks, as it was a very close session to the start time of the Superpole Race.
Just before the Superpole Race, the rain drops and half of the circuit turns out to be almost dry. As soon as he arrived on the grid, Chaz decides immediately convinced to start with intermediate tyres. It was the right choice and the Welsh rider makes a huge gap together with Lowes, Rea and Gerloff. Towards the middle of the race the battle for the podium ignites, the two “Independent” riders swap positions, but the American Yamaha rider was a bit more fast. Excellent fourth position obtained, other good points brought home and a perfect starting position for race 2. Once again, just out of the podium, but congratulations to Chaz both for the courageous choice at the start of the race and for the management of the race!
For Race 2 the conditions are, perhaps, even more complicated. It rains until you reach the grid, after which it stops and a pale sun also comes out. Chaz and the Go Eleven team make for a risky choice, which turned out to be wrong. Rain in front, intermediate behind. Unfortunately, however, not even the time to prepare for the flag to flag and Chaz loses the front, crashing in turn 7. He gets up, goes to the pits to put on the slick tyres and returns to the track determined. Each lap is on average half a second faster than Scott Redding, who will be the winner, without right stand and rear brake, without a wing and part of the rear fairing. The consolation of Race 2 is having set the fastest lap and showing that we could have won the race!
Luckily, not even the time to throw down this Race 2, and it’s already time for Estoril, another track as spectacular as it is technical. Hoping that the weather will be friendly, the goal is to bring home some good races and to get solid points for the Championship!
Congratulations to Scott and to all the Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Team, for the first win of the season for the Ducati Panigale V4-RS!
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“Today was a strange day, this morning Chaz made the right tyres choice, a courageous choice that paid off in the Superpole Race. Unfortunately in the afternoon we crashed on the first lap and it was a real shame! He managed to restart and without the right stand, the rear brake and the right wing he was the fastest on the track and set the fastest lap of the race. It’s a pity…but we are happy by the fact that we could fight for the win, the pace was there and it was one of the bests!”
Chaz Davies (7). Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
Chaz Davies (Rider):
“Today obviously it was really difficult. The Superpole Race was a positive result, we definitively made the right decision with tyres and we had a solid race, finishing P 4. I was happy with that, it was a good starting position for the second Race. For race 2, from the warm up lap I knew we have made the wrong decision with the tyres. I had to decide whether to stop immediately before the race start and put the full slick or start the race. I decided to start the race, but I had a wet front tyre, and at Turn 7, on the very first lap I close the front. Exactly why I am not sure, I could have been a little bit on an extra wet path, sure even that the front tyre wasn’t fully up to working temperature and it scrubbed. But anyway I crashed unfortunately, I picked up the bike, I went to the garage, I put the slick on, then I just tried to enjoy the seventeen laps. I just got the small consolation to get the best lap of the race and the pace wasn’t so bad. I just obviously wished that I made the decision to start on slicks. Today it was a really difficult day, it was really easy to be the hero or the zero and we were both today, hero moved in the Superpole Race, zero moved in the main race. Anyway it has been good to enjoy the weekend with the Team, thanks for the effort and look forward to Estoril next week!”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Strong Performances for Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Despite Wet Weather Gambles
Riders Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli were each able to take positives, despite the rain, on the second race day of the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship held at MotorLand Aragón today.
A wet 15-minute Warm Up session at 09:00 this morning set the scene for a tricky day ahead for all teams, including Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK. The 10-lap Superpole Race followed with light showers and a predominantly wet track that left everyone guessing which way it would go. This afternoon’s Race 2 was not much clearer and most of the field chose to race on Pirelli’s intermediate option, while a few riders gambled on full slicks in the hope that the racing line would dry as the race developed.
Two sixth place results for Razgatlıoğlu don’t tell the story of his fight-back from 10th on the grid in the Superpole Race, the first finisher on Pirelli’s full rain tyre, and a fighting performance in Race 2 which included holding the race lead for three laps and battling toe-to-toe with the top group of riders, before a combination of excessive rear tyre wear and some setting issues restricted his progress.
Equally, Locatelli’s first weekend in WorldSBK netted solid top 10 finishes in the two main races and excellent progression through the field in all three starts – going from 14th to finish 12th in the Superpole Race and starting 16th on the grid in Race 2 to finish a commendable ninth overall.
Tomorrow, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK travel directly to Portgual for the second round of the championship at Circuito Estoril, located around 30km from the capital of Lisbon. It was the venue of 2020’s season finale in October, where the team celebrated a near-perfect race weekend with Razgatlıoğlu taking his first ever pole position and winning two of the three races.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: P6 / Race 2: P6
“In the Superpole Race, my strategy was to choose the wet tyre because I saw that it was starting to rain again on the grid – my target was to finish well and to start from a better grid position in Race 2. Sixth was good considering the conditions, the riders in front all chose the intermediate tyres so it was a hard fight to get this result. The second race, I tried hard again to fight for the podium and I was strong in the opening laps – taking the lead for some laps and enjoying fighting. The feeling was not good in the middle of the race and I had to manage some problems, but sixth position can still be important points for the championship. We will see next weekend in Estoril, I love the track, now my R1 is better than before and I have good memories from last year!”
Andrea Locatelli (55). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P12 / Race 2: P9
“I am quite happy because in the end we finish P9. It is not easy on the first and second lap for me, so now we need to work on this but for sure today’s races were difficult in the wet conditions. In the middle of Race 2, I was able to go quite fast here and the feeling was good. Overall I learned a lot during the weekend, and with the guys on the team together we did a really good job. Today is one of those days where you can be unlucky or lucky. Because maybe if we tried to use the slick tyre, it could have been a good chance for us to do something – but okay, we lose this opportunity but it is only my first race weekend in WorldSBK. Now we go on to Estoril and hope to push much more because I have more confidence on the R1 and I think this track is a really good opportunity for us.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK
“Today was really challenging for all the riders and teams, and both the Superpole Race and Race 2 results this afternoon relied on taking the right gamble as well as having the right set-up and confidence. Following yesterday’s superb podium, two sixth place finishes for Toprak is disappointing but – put into the right context – he was the first finisher on wet tyres in the Superpole Race and fought right again at the front until a couple of problems slowed his progress in the long race. Andrea also has had everything thrown at him this weekend – hot conditions in yesterday’s race, a full wet Superpole Race and a long race on intermediates this afternoon. He has been focused and consistent and another top 10 result this afternoon is a solid start as a superbike rider. We knew that coming here to Aragón was going to be tough and even if today’s results were a little underwhelming overall, there are a lot of positives in terms of the outright pace of the 2021 R1 WorldSBK and our ability to fight at the front here in Aragon, at a track which has traditionally been really tough for us in the past. So, we head to Estoril looking to fight again for the podium next weekend!”
More, from a press release issued by GRT Yamaha:
First podium of the season for GRT in Aragon
The first round of the FIM Superbike World Championship came to a close today under wet conditions. The rain came down heavily during the morning’s Warm Up, but it also affected both the Superpole Race and Race 2, which were run on a slippery but not totally wet surface. The conditions were particularly tricky, making it difficult for the teams to make the correct tyre choice for the race.
The last day of the weekend represented a great step in the right direction for the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team, as demonstrated both by the performances on track and by the final results, despite the non-completely satisfactory outcome of Race 2. The arrival of the rain, in fact, helped the two GRT riders exploit the entire potential of their R1, and the correct choice of the intermediate tyre allowed them to immediately demonstrate it during the Superpole Race. Race 2 began in the same fashion, with Garrett Gerloff able to fight for the lead, until a crash at turn 14 put an early end to his chances of winning the race.
The Texan’s day had started off with the 8th fastest time in the Warm Up (2’05.193), which was followed by the first podium of his season, a third place which he achieved in the Superpole Race after an impressive recovery from the back. In Race 2 he continued showing great confidence and pace and was able to fight for the lead in the first laps, until a crash forced him to make yet another comeback from the 13th position, and he eventually crossed the finish line in 7th. Despite the disappointment of Race 2, the #31 demonstrated that he will be a force to be reckoned with starting from the upcoming Portuguese round.
Kohta Nozane also impressed on Sunday: 14th in the WarmUp with a 2’06.558, he then ran a strong Superpole Race, climbing to 9th from his 16th starting spot thanks to his consistent pace on the intermediate tyres. In the longer Race 2 he was not able to repeat the same Top-10 performance, but he ran a smart and error-free 18 laps, gathering important experience in mixed conditions and still improving on his Saturday result by finishing 12th. With his first race weekend under his belt, the Japanese can only improve in the next rounds.
Garrett Gerloff. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff: 3rd / 7th
“Our Sunday started off really well with a third place in the Superpole Race. The team and I made a perfect decision to go with the intermediate tyre, and it worked. It was nice to be on the podium, even though I felt like I could have gotten second place. In Race 2 I felt really good since the start, and wanted to at least fight for the podium, so I’m very frustrated with the mistake I made: I was behind Johnny (Rea), but I couldn’t stop as quickly as he did, and my options were either to hit him in the back or to get to his inside and hopefully miss him, so that’s what I tried to do. Unfortunately I still ran into him, but at least he was able to stay on two wheels. I crashed, but I managed to pick up the bike right away and keep going. It was a bit bent, but overall the bike was good, so I tried to give the team the best possible result despite the mistake. It was nice to be the top independent rider at the finish. Next week we go to Estoril, a track that both I and my R1 really like, so see you there.”
Kohta Nozane (3). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Kohta Nozane: 9th / 12th
“The conditions were different today, so the tyre choice was a bit tricky. The track kept changing too, so, at the beginning of the race, I was too cautious and I lost positions. I still managed to finish the race and learn so many things. I also took note of so many different aspects in which I have to improve. The next race will be my first time in Estoril, so it will be tough for me, but I will try to be as prepared as possible to do my best for the team: they are working so well with me and helping me a lot, so I will try to get a good result for them in Portugal.”
After the first round of the season, Gerloff sits 6th in the championship standings with 23 points, whereas Nozane is 15th with 7. In less than a week the WorldSBK riders will be on track again at the Circuito do Estoril, with the FP1 kicking off the weekend on Friday 28 May at 10:30 AM, followed by the FP2 at 3 PM, local time.
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www.roadracingworld.com
May 26, 2026
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