Mees Prepares To Defend Home Turf at Lima Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 22, 2021) – Progressive American Flat Track makes its hotly anticipated return to the Johnny K’s Indian Motorcycle Lima Half-Mile powered by Drag Specialties at Lima, Ohio’s Allen County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 26 in the midst of a titanic three-way title fight.
Between them, Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) have accounted for five of six Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle victories on the year along with 13 of 18 possible podiums.
As a result, the talented trio currently rank 1-2-3 in the standings with just nine points separating first from third. All three are previous premier-class winners at the Lima Half-Mile, setting the stage for another epic battle on the venue’s fabled pea-gravel cushion.
As even as the Mission SuperTwins racing has been at the front in 2021, any psychological advantage this weekend must surely go to Mees, who comes into the weekend as the season’s most recent winner, the winner of the previous two Lima Half-Miles, and as the event’s promoter (along with his wife, Nichole).
Behind the leading three, Ohio-native Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) rolls into Lima having strung together finishes of second, second, fourth, and fourth. That form has allowed Vanderkooi to supplant early-season championship leader JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to take over fourth in the points.
Another rider to watch is third Mission Roof Systems pilot Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). Price has finished sixth or better in four of the last five races and earned an eye-opening fourth at Lima back in 2019 as a class rookie.
AFT Singles
Estenson Yamaha’s Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) dominated the 2020 AFT Singles season, winning more than half the races and locking up the championship fight early. Thanks to remarkably consistent finishes, Daniels has placed himself in good strategic position to defend his title. However, seconds, thirds, and fourths are quickly losing their allure to the newly 18-year-old.
Daniels has a real fight on his hands this season with both factory KTM pilots, Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), boasting more wins, rival Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finding his form and teammate Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) demonstrating similar consistency.
Lima’s surface should suit the styles of Daniels’ major challengers quite well — none more so than Texter-Bauman, who has won the last two AFT Singles Main Events at the venue.
Another rider who has fared well at the track in the past is 2016 class champion Ryan Wells (No. 94 1st Impressions Race Team Honda CRF450R), who is due for a big weekend himself.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) has separated himself from his AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines competition with four of six race wins to assemble an imposing 35-point championship advantage.
2019 AFT Singles champion Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) and 2018 AFT Singles champion Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) are the closest riders to Texter in the points and remain threats to break into the 2021 win column on any given weekend.
Fourth-ranked Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) will be motivated to make up for a deeply disappointing weekend in Oklahoma in which he was forced out of action due to mechanical issues on Friday night. While a loaner from Latus Motors and help from Vance & Hines enabled Cose to return to the podium on Saturday, he’s still hungry to make amends.
As such, the Lima Half-Mile couldn’t be better timed for the Californian. The last time the series visited the circuit, Cose overcame the challenge of Texter in the evening’s AFT Production Twins Main to claim his first-career Progressive AFT race victory after more than a decade trying.
Tickets are available for purchase now at https://www.168tickets.com/venue.php?venueID=268. General Admission tickets start at $30, with a limited number of upgraded reserved seating options still available.
The return of the Fan Walk at the OKC Mile I & II was a massive hit for fans and riders alike. It’s back for the Lima Half-Mile along with a Paddock Access ticket upgrade option which provides access to the paddock throughout the event.
The gates will open for fans both days at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for only $1.99 a month via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
The Johnny K’s Indian Motorcycle Lima Half-Mile powered by Drag Specialties will air on NBCSN on Saturday, July 3, at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT, featuring exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage.
Hall of Famer David Aldana to be Grand Marshal of 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
2021 AMA VMD features On Any Sunday theme and special outdoor screening of the beloved moto-documentary
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — David Aldana, one of motorcycle racing’s most legendary and popular riders, and a fixture in Bruce Brown’s epic moto-documentary On Any Sunday, will be Grand Marshal for the 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield, July 23-25, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Aldana replaces fellow On Any Sunday alumnus Mert Lawwill, who unfortunately had to back out due to a scheduling conflict.
Known worldwide for his trademark black leathers with a white skeleton print, Aldana will do more than simply meet and greet fans and sign autographs at this year’s event. He’ll also compete in the AMA’s vintage dirt track program on Saturday evening at the nearby Ashland Country Fairground.
“With the theme of this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days being On Any Sunday,” Aldana said, “which is far and away America’s favorite all-time motorcycle movie, things are going to be extra special. For the fans, for sure, but also for me, as my memories of that 1970 season and that movie are so powerful. I can’t wait to reconnect with all the great motorcycling folks who come to Mid-Ohio each year and celebrate what Bruce Brown achieved, along with so much motorcycle history. VMD is such a great event!”
Aside from Aldana’s presence and a scheduled screening of the movie on Friday night, AMA VMD 2021 will also feature several motorcycles from the fabled film, including a real-deal Husqvarna Malcolm Smith rode in the movie, Mert Lawwill’s KR750 dirt tracker (which he rode during the 1970 season) and a Cal Rayborn Harley-Davidson XRTT 750, also seen in the footage Brown shot.
There’s plenty of racing action for racers and fans, from road racing and motocross to cross-country, dirt track and trials — and much of it with an AMA Grand Championship flavor. Riders as young as age 4 are permitted to compete in motocross, while those 12 and up can ride in trials, dirt track and hare-scrambles events. There’s also exhibition pit-bike racing on Saturday. Learn more and register today.
There’s also the biggest swap meet in North America, with parts and bikes and memorabilia from the past 120 years of motorcycling. Add all that to the scenic Mid-Ohio grounds, plenty of food and refreshments, lots of camping and vintage motorcycles as far as the eye can see, and you’ve got what’s considered one of the very best events in all of motorcycling.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is a fundraiser for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, which houses the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and other thematic exhibits that celebrate motorcycling’s heritage. The museum was founded in 1990 to provide a permanent home to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, which celebrates and preserves the rich tradition of motorcycling in America through the recognition of the sport’s greatest heroes. Proceeds from AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days are donated to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tasked with funding the operation of the museum and Hall of Fame activities.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
Razgatlioglu vs Gerloff: Turkish star heads Yamaha 1-2 as Navarra test concludes
WorldSBK stars took to Navarra on Day 2 for one last time with the top three covered by just 0.093s
The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship may well be underway but crucial testing has been undertaken at the Circuito Navarra, a new venue on the calendar for this season. In the north of Spain in Los Arcos, the all-new venue for WorldSBK welcomed day two testing action and it was once again a Yamaha on top with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) blasting to the top, whilst Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) made it a Yamaha 1-2.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) at speed at Navarra. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
YAMAHA DOMINANCE
Toprak Razgatlioglu was able to strike back in the afternoon running as he took his Yamaha YZF-R1 to top spot, having worked tirelessly over the two days on rider specific internals, with some items on his machine. A small bit of drama in the morning when he ran out of fuel but that didn’t dampen the Turk’s spirits as he completed an astonishing 190 laps. He wasn’t the only one to suffer from running out of fuel as teammate Andrea Locatelli also suffered a similar fate. Locatelli did briefly top the timesheets just before lunch but finished the test early after a positive two-day test where the bike kept getting better and better. Toprak topped the timesheets whilst Locatelli concluded running in fourth.
Making it a Yamaha 1-2 in the test was American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), with Yamaha dominant at Circuito Navarra. Gerloff was working across the two days on an array of things, from set-up to configuration, aiming to refine the set-up on the 2021 motorcycle. It was difficult test on the other side of the garage for Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who after a crash on day one – which left him with a micro-fracture to his middle finger on his right hand – sat out day two and was replaced by substitute Niccolo Canepa. Canepa was developing some parts and concluded the test in ninth place overall.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
KAWASAKI IN TOUCH
Further down the pitlane and it was an early end to proceedings for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes, making their debut at Navarra. They packed up at midday to save their remaining testing for other times. Rea was working on improving the base-setting of the bike at the Los Arcos venue, whilst Lowes was working more for Donington Park set-up. Rea led the way periodically and finished up in third, whilst Lowes overcame three crashes – Turn 13, Turn 9 and ferociously fast at Turn 1 – to complete the top five on the end of day times.
Tom Sykes (66) on his factory BMW M1000RR. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
BMW and the rest of the field
Also finishing up at midday was the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, as Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark continued to work on a variety of areas of the new BMW M 1000 RR. The team worked on suspension settings across the day and focused on getting the bike set up as it would happen in a race weekend. However, they were left wanting more after day one when their chassis solutions didn’t give the expected results. For van der Mark, he finished sixth and said his side of the garage is still aiming to make the bike stop and turn better, whilst Sykes was seventh and pretty pleased with a productive test in northern Spain. For the Independent BMW of Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing), he was eighth and found the new chassis to offer better braking stability, whilst he was left wanting more grip. Overall, he commented on the new chassis have more good points than bad.
Finishing on day one, Team HRC weren’t present at Navarra on day two, but they had plenty to test as both Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam worked on electronic solutions, whilst also waiting for feedback from Japan about the base set-up of a bike. Combined, the riders completed over 150 laps, crucial data for WorldSBK’s first ever visit to Navarra in August.
WorldSSP: AEGERTER ON A MISSION
In World Supersport, it was Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) who once more showed his strength and prowess, completing a stunning 93 laps on his way to the top of the WorldSSP times. The Swiss rider tested suspension, clutch, and electronic set-ups, as well as different gearings on day one and refined small details on day two. Teammate Galang Hendra Pratama completed 69 and the Indonesian built on his feeling at the track across the two days.
Day 2 results with total number of laps across the two days (each day separated in brackets):
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’36.877 – 190 laps (Day 1: 97, Day 2: 93)
2. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.048s – 140 laps (Day 1: 74, Day 2: 66)
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.093s – 112 laps (Day 1: 67, Day 2: 45)
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK +0.174s – 138 laps (Day 1: 85, Day 2: 53)
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.486s – 110 laps (Day 1: 63, Day 2: 47)
6. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.710s – 138 laps (Day 1: 78, Day 2: 60)
7. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.023s – 128 laps (Day 1: 85, Day 2: 43)
8. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) +2.153s – 106 laps (Day 1: 52, Day 2: 54)
Non-stop work for Team HRC during a useful test session at Navarra
Just a few days after the conclusion of the Italian round of the WorldSBK Championship, Team HRC set off for Navarra, one of three new circuits appearing on the Superbike calendar for the first time this year.
The team planned to use the test to collate data and find a base set-up for the bikes at the circuit that will host round 7 over the weekend of 20-22 August, as well as continue with the ongoing development of the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES ridden by Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam.
Having got through its initial work programme swiftly and smoothly, the team decided to continue non-stop for the entire day, completing tasks that it had originally planned to address over two half-day sessions.
The track action ended at around 5.00pm as a result of a rain shower that, albeit brief, left the track wet.
Team HRC will be back on track for the season’s fourth round, scheduled to take place at Donington Park (UK) on 2-4 July.
Alvaro Bautista 19
“Today we used the time we had to understand the Navarra track and collect some references for when we return for the races. The circuit is very small and narrow, with a lot of first gear turns. It is definitely different from what we are used to and challenging because it’s not easy to tackle with a superbike. Another aspect is the asphalt, which is very bumpy, so all in all I think it will be a demanding round. I’m happy we had this test because, in addition to working on the bike set-up for this layout, we also did some electronics testing which we needed to complete, despite having to stop about an hour early because of the rain. It was definitely a useful test, and now we look forward to the next round at Donington Park.”
Leon Haslam 91
“We had to finish the test session a little early because I had a small crash with around one and a half hours to go and once the bike was ready, the rain came. So, we missed the last hour of track time, but we tested many of the items we wanted to try. The track is obviously very different to most others. It’s quite bumpy and reminds me of some of the old English tracks but, honestly, I think it will be a fun one to ride. For sure we have collected some positive information during this test.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Useful Navarra Test Sessions For KRT
Kawasaki Racing Team’s riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes had another new experience to add to their bank of WorldSBK knowledge on the new Ninja ZX-10RR thanks to a confidence-building two day test session at the Circuito de Navarra.
Although controlling their track time to save on their limited number of testing days available in 2021 both Rea and Lowes learned valuable lessons at the 3.933km long Navarra circuit in Northern Spain. These will prove useful when the championship itself visits a track that will be an all-new one on the WorldSBK calendar this year.
Rea concentrated on making sure both he and his Ninja ZX-10RR would arrive at Navarra for race weekend ready to put in the best performance possible, rather than pushing for a fast time at this particular test.
In his first experience of this relatively new circuit in Spain Rea found it challenging and fun to ride, with all kinds of corners and a greater change of elevation in some sectors than he had been expecting. After the first day he changed his riding approach and found benefits on a track neither he nor the team had any data for until this test.
For Lowes this ‘mid-season’ test was an important one to allow him and his technical crew to try some new things based on the experience of the first three rounds on the new Ninja ZX-10RR. He was able to set fast early times, but fell twice on day two. Unhurt, Alex’s confidence was not dented and he now looks forward to his home round in the UK in early July, and the return to Navarra to race there later this summer.
In the overall timesheets after day two Rea was third quickest with a best lap time of 1’36.970, putting him just 0.093 seconds from the fastest time. Lowes was fifth overall, with a 1’37.343 best lap.
After the first three rounds of the FIM Superbike World Championship and now this Navarra test have been completed the next points-scoring round will take place at Donington Park in the UK, between 2-4 July. It is the first home race for both Jonathan and Alex in two years, after the cancellation of the planned 2020 Donington event.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been a really positive two days. I learned the circuit and it is a very difficult circuit to go fast at, to be fair. It has lots of little intricacies and challenges. From a technical point of view it is very challenging. I enjoyed working it out. On day one I learned the track quite quickly but I wasn’t comfortable to keep pushing the bike. On day two I woke up after sleeping on all my feelings and the data we gathered on day one, and I was able to be quite fast straight away. I carried that rhythm through. We found a lot of valuable information that will be good for race weekend and it will definitely allow us to make a shortcut in our set-up time when we start out in free practice one. This track has some mixtures of everything. Some super-fast corners but also some very tight and twisty sections in sectors two and three. The race is going to be a nice one. The main priority here was to learn and I am looking forward to Donington now for our next race weekend.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “I really enjoyed the Navarra circuit in my first time there. I had a good feeling on the bike and I was able to try everything that I wanted to and with a couple of things we tried on corner entry we were partly thinking about Donington, which is our next race. This was also positive. Unfortunately today I had a couple of crashes; made a couple of mistakes. Apart from that, it has been a great test. I leave here happy with the bike, enjoying the Ninja ZX-10RR, and it was a really good test for us. That gives me some confidence going into the next round, which is my home round at Donington Park. So we are really happy.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “The test has been positive. Yesterday we did a half day on track. Johnny was learning the layout and where the most important places were. It is a very different track to ride compared to the ones we are used to. Also, technically, we started to collect information because this is an all new track for us. We had no data, nothing. We found the base but day one was not an easy day because it was a very different track, very bumpy. But we did the job. Today we kept focusing on the most important points and leave here with some base settings to start the race weekend in Navarra. Finally, Johnny was fast with the SC0 tyre and also on the SCX tyre he was strong. Considering we did a half day yesterday and a half day today I think we are in a good place to start the race weekend.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “This was the first time we had been to Navarra and the target was to learn the track as much as possible, and of course to prepare ourselves for the race in August. From the very beginning Alex was fast, one of the fastest on track, and he learned the layout very quickly. We also confirmed our base set-up was working well here. Of course we also tested a few items. After three rounds of the season we know more or less where to improve. So we did a couple of small tests on the bike which worked out very positively. On the second day Alex had two crashes, which can happen; it is part of the job sometimes. But we also reached our target of confirming our machine set-up for race weekend. Overall it has been a really positive test here. Now we can switch off for a couple of days and get ready for Donington and the next round.”
PETRONAS Yamaha SRT primed for trip to “Cathedral of Speed”
TT Circuit Assen hosts final round ahead of summer break for Morbidelli and Rossi this weekend
PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi are eagerly anticipating the return of the DutchGP this weekend; with Assen hosting the final round before the MotoGP summer break.
Morbidelli is looking forward to the return of Assen, after the global pandemic forced its cancellation last year, as it is somewhere that he has enjoyed success in the past. In 2017, when competing in Moto2, the Italian secured pole position, the race win and posted the fastest lap. Feeling ready to tackle its fast and flowing lines, Franco goes into the DutchGP hoping to move back into the top-ten of the world championship standings, as he currently sits 11th with 40 points.
Team-mate Rossi also has a long list of previous success around the 4.5km long TT Circuit Assen – eight wins, ten podiums, five pole positions and seven fastest laps in the premier class. Although the GermanGP did not reflect the Italian’s pace from earlier in the weekend, Valentino goes into this weekend eager to return to the scene of his most recent MotoGP victory and enjoy the final race before the championship’s summer break. Rossi currently has 17 world championship points and sits 19th in the riders’ standings.
Morbidelli and Rossi will be on track at 9.55am local time (3.55pm MYT) Friday for Free Practice 1, with Sunday’s 26-lap MotoGP race due to get underway at 2pm local time (8pm MYT).
Franco Morbidelli
I’m feeling positive about heading to Assen as it is a track that is very flowing, a lot more so than Sachsenring. It’s another historical track, like Mugello, and a circuit that is great to ride. It is tricky, with the changes of direction at high speed, but it is a lot of fun at the same time. It is somewhere that maybe I can find and exploit some advantages of my bike. I won there in 2017, so it’s somewhere that I also have good memories at. I hope that we can have a good race there this weekend.
Valentino Rossi
We need to figure out what happened in Germany and work well to make some improvements before we are back on track this weekend. Assen is a great track for me though and I like the layout a lot, it is very flowing. It is somewhere I really enjoy and you always feel some great emotion when riding there. So we need to stay positive, concentrate on the final round before the summer break and achieve a good result in Assen.
LOUDON, NH – The 98th Annual Loudon Classic weekend by Mayhew Tools featured three days of perfect weather, fans from all over New England, and racing with the NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) series. NEMRR is part of the national Championship Cup Series organization, and riders from the Northeast, Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions competed in a twin-sprint weekend that ran an impressive 45 races in total.
The feature events of the weekend were the three Grand Prix classes, which boasted $9,500 in purse money in total. Specialty Saw presented the Seacoast Sport Cycle Lightweight Grand Prix class and the Street and Competition Unlimited Grand Prix classes. Mayhew Tools was the title sponsor of the featured Loudon Classic Middleweight Grand Prix class together with presenting sponsors Motorace and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In the twin-sprint format the lap times from the Friday races were used to set the grid for the Saturday main events, and the Friday Motorace Middleweight Grand Prix race featured a $1,500 purse.
Saturday’s feature races were held in front of a fantastic crowd and led off with the two support classes presented by Specialty Saw, Lightweight GP and Unlimited GP. First off were the small-displacement machines, and NEMRR #1 rider Rick Doucette of Sandown, NH, showed why he was the heavy favorite, scoring the holeshot and running a string of blazing fast laps in the 1:14 and 1:15 range on his special de-stroked Yamaha YZF-R6/R5. The surprise of the day came from Eli Block, riding a strong running KTM 450 motard bike, who challenged Doucette right to the very end. The motard bike was down on power to the machine of Doucette, but the combination of the nimble handling and equsite skill of Block made for an incredibly entertaining race to watch. Block was especially good on the brakes and was be all over the back tire of Doucette in the back section of the track. In the end, Doucette’s experience and consistency proved too much to handle as he pulled out the win by 0.4 second at the line. The battle for third was a similar battle between the SV650 of Steven Hieder and the Honda 450 motard of MotoAmerica Junior Cup star Ben Gloddy, and in this case the motard won the battle and claimed the last spot on the podium.
In the Unlimited GP feature, pole sitter Shane Narbonne was forced to ride his Yamaha R6 after his Suzuki GSX-R1000 suffered a mechanical failure. Scott Mullin won the drag race off the line, and second row starter Eric Wood, of Ashburnham, MA, was able to use the power of his Kawasaki ZX-10R to pass Narbonne to assume second place as the trio rocketed into Turn One. Wood made an inside pass on Mullin into Turn Six and the two Kawasaki riders began to separate themselves from Narbonne. Mullin kept Wood honest throughout the contest, staying within a few bikelengths until Wood begin to open his advantage to an eventual 2.4 second gap as the pair navigated traffic in the closing laps.
The featured 98th running of the Loudon Classic by Mayhew Tools went off under 84-degree sunshine with a paddock abuzz and stands full of spectators excited to see the action. With all eyes focused on the front row, starting lights came on and perennial NEMRR star Scott Greenwood, of Dunbarton, NH, made an uncharacteristic mistake. To get a jump on the field, Greenwood launched out of his grid spot too early, a mistake that he clearly signaled as he entered Turn One with a gap on the field while he was shaking his head in disbelief. Greenwood was assessed a 30-second penalty, and the race was on. Greenwood and Narbonne separated themselves from the field while running a string of 1:12 lap times, Narbonne racing for the win and Greenwood racing against the clock to try to secure a podium position despite his penalty. Meanwhile, the battle for the podium was raging between the trio of Rick Doucette, Teagg Hobbs (riding a 600 at NHMS for the first time) and Paul Duval together. The 18-year-old Hobbs was fast to the end and came from a mediocre start through Doucette and up to the rear wheel of Duval. After several laps sizing up his competitor Hobbs finally made the move forward and separated himself in the later stages of the race from his competitor to secure a solid second place. Duval was racing against Greenwood and the 30-second penalty, and in the end managed to keep the gap to less than 30 seconds and finished the 20-lap final on the podium. Rounding out the top six were Greenwood in fourth, Doucette and fifth and young upstart Joe LiMandri in sixth. The top finishing amateur rider was Paul Hosue, finishing a very respectable 12th place in a field of 27 riders.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll tool at the bottom left of the PDF viewer to see all pages of the race results.
WERA AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS HOSTING THE 3RD ANNUAL VINTAGE CONCOURS IS SET FOR SATURDAY, JULY 3RD
WERA Motorcycle and Ron Raven, founder of the Concours, are set to have the sights and sounds of vintage race bikes on track July 3rd at Barber Motorsports Park when they join the WERA Sportsman Series for the weekend.
Concours Founder, Ron Raven reports, “We have a full and diverse field this year. Last year was a small event without spectators and everyone wearing masks. It seems like as soon as we announced the requests for invitations were open we had a flood of inquiries. People want to get out and share the bikes again. One thing that our chief judge, Brian Slark of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, insisted on this year was a diversity of sound out on the track. So, I am thrilled to say that I think we have met his criteria. In addition to a bevy of TZ250 twins of various ages providing the strong two-stroke sound background, we have Triumph triples; BSA, Norton and Ducati twins; Bultaco and Ducati singles; and a wide variety of four-cylinder superbikes – plus even a Norton rotary.”
Evelyne Clarke, CEO of WERA, remarked after reviewing the entries, “I am super excited about the upcoming Concours. I have been to many races and I have never heard a Norton rotary on track. I kind of imagine the sound from hearing a Mazda rotary race car but can’t wait to hear it in person along with all the other machines that will bring back memories and show the history of our great sport.”
In addition to the bikes on track there will be additional historic bikes on display including one of the very earliest Yoshimura racers and one of the Ducati 888 Superbikes Carl Fogarty raced during is WSBK career. Judging for both the “go” and the “show” class will be headed up by Brian Slark and the trophies are being made in-house by the museum staff.
This year the Concours will be staged in the lower paddock and open to visitors. We encourage you to come out and see where the love of motorcycles all began! One-day tickets will be available for spectators.
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro Riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series which is the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series. WERA also offers Vintage Racing and hosts the Concours de ’Competition and Concours d’ Elegance in July at Barber Motorsports Park. Endurance Racing is also on the menu with our partner N2 and runs 4-5 events a year with a Big Bike Endurance and an Ultralightweight Endurance. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com.
SVENDBORG, Denmark – Leading powersport distributor of premium motorcycle and UTV parts Tucker Powersports, becomes new official distributor of SBS brake products in the US.
SBS is proud to announce a new official Distributor of SBS brake products in the US market. Tucker Powersports, the Texas-based wholesaler, will, with its wide warehouse and dealership network across the United States, increase the availability of the SBS brake brand for dealers and American motorcyclists.
The addition of Tucker Powersports as SBS Distributor is an important step in making SBS a relevant and preferred brake parts supplier across the US.
– Tucker Powersports have for many years been a central market supplier of motorcycle parts in the US. Their wide dealership network with thousands of points-of-sale and progressive dealership support, as part of the new strategy of Tucker Powersports, are just some of the reasons why we deem that this collaboration is an ideal match, states CSO at SBS Friction, Christel Munk Pedersen.
Tucker Powersports can with this agreement supply motorcycle communities across the US with the entire SBS product portfolio, including brake rotors, clutch kits and standard, upgrade and performance brake pads for motorcycles and ATV, UTV and SSV. SBS brake pads are quality certified according to ECE R90 as an industry-first, and both organic and new sinter material brake pads are offered with NUCAP NRS technology, securing a mechanical and indestructible bonding of the compound to the back plate.
– Tucker Powersports is a trusted American brand with a significant presence since the 1970s. Tucker’s professional sales representatives have played a vital role in the success of Tucker, over the past 50 years. We trust that Tucker’s continued ability to service the market and their ambitious sales representatives, will enable SBS an enhanced presence and relevance in the US market, Christel continues.
– We are delighted to partner with SBS Friction, one of the world’s largest suppliers of brake pads and accessories for motorcycles and UTV’s. The quality, performance and range of products that SBS creates is perfect for the dealers we serve, said Tucker’s VP of Sales Brad Turner.
RED BULL KTM’S MAX WHALE CAPS OFF DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND WITH A WIN AT OKC MILE II
Rounds 5 & 6 – American Flat Track Championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Whale capped off a successful double-header weekend in Oklahoma on Saturday as he claimed his second AFT Singles victory of the season at Round 6 of the 2021 American Flat Track Championship.
Serving as the first “mile” of the season, the OKC Mile doubleheader delivered rounds five and six of the series, presenting a variety of challenging track conditions throughout the race weekend. On Friday, Max Whale carried a seventh-place qualifying position into AFT Singles Semi 1, where he powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into third on the opening lap. He fought his way up to the lead battle and with two laps to go, he pulled the trigger to claim the semi win. In the Main Event, Whale put himself into fourth off the start and he got shuffled back to fifth early on. Racing just outside the top-five battle, the Aussie secured sixth on the first night.
Saturday proved to be a new day and Whale was determined to end the weekend on a high note. He came in swinging for AFT Singles Semi 2, securing the holeshot and early lead. With a hard-fought performance, Whale ultimately finished second in the Semi but he entered the Main Event with great momentum behind him. With a second-place start, Whale went to work battling for the lead position early on. Putting together a strategic plan heading into the final laps, Whale hung back and waited for an opportune moment, which came just seconds before the checkered flag when he made his move to secure the lead and put a stamp on victory on day two of racing.
Max Whale on the podium in Oklahoma City. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Whale: “On day one, I had a good Semi win but I struggled to put things together in the Main Event. Day two was great. I stuck onto Henry [Wiles] in the Main Event and I stayed there all race. I managed to pull off a last-lap draft pass for the win. It was a huge accomplishment to get my first “mile” podium and it was a win. I can’t thank my team enough, they put in such a huge effort and it means so much to me. Onto the next one.”
Shayna Texter-Bauman started the weekend off positively with P3 in practice but with deteriorating track conditions throughout the weekend, it became a challenge for the multi-time race winner. In AFT Singles Semi 1, Shayna got off to a top-10 start and battled her way up to a fifth-place finish, setting herself up for a third-row start in the Main Event. She didn’t get the best jump off the start as she found herself in 15th at the end of lap one. She broke into the top-10 late in the race and from there she held strong for 10th place.
Energized and ready to go to battle once again on Saturday, Shayna lined up in AFT Singles Semi 1 and she powered her KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into fifth off the start. She battled mid-pack for the rest of the race, securing the final transfer position in eighth. In the Main Event, Shayna began just outside the top-10 and she battled around the same spot all race long to ultimately finish 12th on the night.
Shayna Texter-Bauman (52). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Texter-Bauman: “In the past I’ve had a lot of success here, so I was really looking forward to this race but man, the track was rough and challenging. We battled some dry conditions throughout the weekend, which made it a little bit of a challenge, but no excuses, the track is the same for everyone. Night one was disappointing but I was also energized for night two because I felt like in the Main Event we were moving forward. Going into night two, we tried to make the bike better for what I was struggling with but unfortunately, we just weren’t able to get it. Overall, just a little bit disappointed in the results. As a team, we’ll put our heads down and think about how we can be better heading into the next race. We have high expectations heading into Lima and we’re ready to get back to work.”
Next Race: Lima Half-Mile – Lima, Ohio – June 26, 2021
AFT Singles Main Event – OKC Mile I
1. Henry Wiles, Honda
2. Dallas Daniels, Yamaha
3. Morgen Mischler, KTM
OTHER KTM
6. Max Whale – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
9. James Ott, KTM
10. Shayna Texter-Bauman – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
11. Aiden RoosEvans, KTM
15. Hunter Bauer, KTM AFT Singles Main Event – OKC Mile II
1. Max Whale – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Henry Wiles, Honda
3. Dallas Daniels, Yamaha
OTHER KTM
5. Hunter Bauer, KTM
11. Morgen Mischler, KTM
12. Shayna Texter-Bauman – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
13. James Ott, KTM
16. David Wiggin, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 6)
1. Dallas Daniels, 112 points
2. Max Whale – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 106
3. Michael Rush, 102
4. Henry Wiles, 83
5. Shayna Texter-Bauman – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 75
6. Morgen Mischler, 74
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Daniels Scores Back-to-Back Podiums at Remington Park
Dallas Daniels. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Estenson Racing’s Dallas Daniels scored his second-consecutive podium finish aboard his Yamaha YZ450F at Remington Park, finishing third in last night’s Progressive American Flat Track AFT Singles Main Event at the OKC Mile II. Mikey Rush rallied back from a third-row start, crossing the line just outside the top five in sixth. On the Mission SuperTwins side of the tent, Kolby Carlile and JD Beach broke the top 10, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.
Daniels got a great start in his Semi and showed strength straight away by challenging Friday night’s winner. He ultimately finished second to secure a front-row start for the Main Event. After the green light, the defending champ was third into turn one. He tried to make a break with the frontrunners but got caught up in a multi-rider scrap, which included his teammate. On Lap 9, Daniels reclaimed third and then put some distance between himself and the competition to secure another podium finish at the OKC Mile. Although he was hoping for a win on his 18th birthday, the third-place finish helped maintain his six-point lead in the championship.
Starting from the third row after a tough Semi race, Rush got a good start in sixth and quickly joined the fight for the final podium spot. The veteran jockeyed for position in the multi-rider battle but ultimately was shuffled back to sixth with five laps to go. Rush kept pushing and narrowly missed that top-five finish at the line.
Another hot day in Oklahoma City made for challenging conditions at the OKC Mile II. The Mission SuperTwins team had a better start to the day but struggled on a dusty, slippery track in the Semi and Main Event. Carlile worked his way from 10th to eighth before the halfway mark. Towards the end of the race, he started to lose a little pace as his eyes filled up with dust, and he was shuffled to ninth. The “Flying Tomato” soldiered on and reclaimed eighth in the final laps. His teammate Beach also had a tough Main Event but fought his way back from last place to ninth.
Estenson Racing heads to Lima, Ohio, next weekend for Round 7 of the Progressive American Flat Track Championship at the legendary Lima Half-Mile on June 25.
Tommy Hayden – Estenson Racing Team Manager
“The second day here in Oklahoma City started off a little better for us. The guys were a little more competitive in practice and qualifying. We thought we had the potential to have better results today, and the guys fought hard. Although the results didn’t show, I do think that we were a little better. We were definitely hoping to make a bigger step tonight, but we just weren’t able to. So we’ll leave here, regroup and come back for a better result next weekend at Lima.”
Dallas Daniels – Estenson Racing AFT Singles
“It was definitely a crazy race. We made a shock change before the Main Event, and it took me a while to figure out how to ride it differently. I finally was able to build a bit of a gap, but by then, the leaders were long gone. It’s hard to be disappointed with a podium, but I really wanted to win tonight. It’s awesome for the team though, everyone works their butts off, so I’m happy to reward them with a podium. All in all, it was a good points night on a tricky track. We’ll move on to Lima next weekend and do better.”
Mikey Rush – Estenson Racing AFT Singles
“I had a decent night two at the OKC Mile. We struggled a little bit on setup and tried some stuff going into the Semi, but kind of went the wrong direction. We went back the other way for the Main Event, and it was a lot better. Starting on the third row was pretty difficult, so I’m super happy to come from the third row to get sixth. We’ll keep our head high, keep chipping away and get ready for Lima next week. The team did a great job making the changes I wanted on the bike. I’m looking forward to getting back at it at Lima next weekend.”
Kolby Carlile – Estenson Racing Mission SuperTwins
“I had a tough day here at the OKC Mile II and didn’t have the race I wanted to. Today they took a lot of the material off the track, and it was a lot more slippery. We tried a lot of stuff all day, and we came away with a decent setup for the Main Event. I was able to get going, but it was so dusty that my eyes filled up with dust, and by the end of the race, I could hardly see at all and had to drop my pace a bit. I was able to finish in eighth place tonight and learn a few things. I’m happy that we get to race again next weekend, and I’m really looking forward to Lima.”
JD Beach – Estenson Racing Mission SuperTwins
“It was another tough day for us in Oklahoma City. The track was a little smoother today compared to yesterday but more brushed off, so it was pretty slippery. We kept working hard but still struggled. We’re going to go back to work and try for a better result at Lima.”
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
BRANDON ROBINSON AND JARED MEES SPLIT WINS AT OKLAHOMA CITY DOUBLEHEADER
Jared Mees (9). Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Robinson becomes second rider to win two Mission SuperTwins victories of the season; Jared Mees’ 3-straight win streak at OKC comes to an end, but completes 4th career win at Remington Park
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (June 18/19, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by KICKER, continued its 2021 American Flat Track season with wins at this weekend’s doubleheader at Oklahoma City Mile I and II. Brandon Robinson took first place in Friday night’s Mile I, while Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees won Mile II on Saturday night.
Robinson was sidelined for the past three weeks, after an injury at Joliet back on May 29. Nursing a bad knee, Robinson dealt with the rough conditions at the Remington Park venue while holding his own. A hot Briar Bauman finished in second place, after back-to-back event wins in Fort Worth and Joliet.
Friday night’s victory marked Robinson’s second of the 2021 AFT season, his first coming at the Volusia Half-Mile I event in March. Robinson’s Wrecking Crew teammate Jared Mees also made the podium on Friday, finishing third.
With a third place finish last month in Chicago and in Friday night’s event, Mees came into Saturday with a chip on his shoulder. Mees ended up on top of the Mile II event, winning his second race of the season. This win was Mess’ 4th career victory in 5 appearances in Oklahoma City.
The multi-time Grand National Champion Mees got off to a great start from the opening lap and never looked back. Friday’s victor, Robinson, got a great feel for the track but didn’t get a good starting position. Again, Robinson found himself battling the pack and ultimately clawed his way to a second place finish, ahead of Briar Bauman.
Through seven races, Robinson, Mees, and Bauman all have two wins a piece. With second and third place finishes in Oklahoma City, Bauman is still atop of the leaderboard with 114 points. Two points separate Robinson and Mees, who have 107 and 105, respectively. Jarod Vanderkooi, who made consecutive fourth place finishes this weekend, also sits in fourth with 93 points.
The 2021 AFT season will continue on Saturday, June 26, at the Lima half-mile. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
After a short break to what has been an intense starting schedule for the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship a two-day ‘in-season’ test session is taking place for KRT at the new WorldSBK venue of Circuito de Navarra in Spain.
With three meetings inside a four week window after a long-delayed start, the 2021 WorldSBK season is very much underway. Next up for the hardworking KRT duo of six-times champion Jonathan Rea and proven race winner Alex Lowes is a two day test at Navarra, between 21-22 June.
Lowes and Rea are first time riders at this circuit in Northern Spain and will be competitors during round seven of the WorldSBK championship at this same venue later this season.
The previous round at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli was held in hot conditions and ideally those are the conditions the team hope to find at Navarra. The weather may potentially have other plans but no matter the ambient conditions at this test it will allow Rea and Lowes to ride their new Ninja ZX-10RR machines around what is an all-new circuit for WorldSBK.
The 3.933km long Circuito de Navarra racetrack was built in 2010 and features no fewer than 15 corners over its relatively short length. It still manages to feature a huge variety of corners, including fast curves at Turns 1, 5, 10 and 14 plus what appear to be several out-braking opportunities approaching the more angular and slower corners.
The official Ducati squad has already tested at Navarra and as well as KRT there will be official teams from BMW, Honda and Yamaha present at these Current Navarra tests — showing the importance of entering any new round armed with at least some track knowledge before racing starts for real.
Navarra will be the seventh round of the 2021 championship when it comes around between 20-22 August, providing another ‘first’ for WorldSBK. It will begin a run of five mostly Southern European races that will ensure a busy autumn for WorldSBK in general, before the season culminates with two scheduled long haul races, in Argentina and Indonesia.
Alex and Jonathan will return to home ground for the next round of competitive action in the WorldSBK championship, at the Donington Park Circuit in the UK, between 2-4 July.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I am very curious to try a new circuit and it is always exciting to go somewhere I have never raced at before. As well as the track being new for me it is also new for the team. The test is really important to understand the layout, the gearing, and initial set-up so we can arrive at Navarra for FP1 during race weekend in the best possible shape. We have some new items for our test programme that I have to test for KHI, which is nice to test in the middle of the season to make more steps with the Ninja ZX-10RR. Apart from that I will try to enjoy the riding and get the feeling step by step. The main target of the test is to find a rhythm on the track, so let’s see what the next few days bring.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “Over the first three rounds of the season we had three different tracks and three different temperatures. It got progressively hotter towards Misano, which was a really hot one, and I was hoping for some hot conditions at this Navarra test. Those are the conditions I lack a little experience with on this bike so we can try a few things to handle high track temperatures and tyre management. In terms of the bike we had a base settings from the winter tests that we have tweaked a little bit. So we are going to do some back-to-back testing at Navarra to give us a base setting. The next race is at Donington but once August starts we have a pretty busy schedule. So we want to make sure we are not changing the bike too much by finding some consistency. On top of that, Navarra is a new track, so I have done some research, watched some onboard laps, things like that. It looks great, like it has a bit of character, some faster corners and maybe a bit bumpy in places, plus some tighter sections. It is always nice to go to a new track for the first time. More or less the target for this test is to refine the set-up we have, not do anything too major.”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “This Navarra test has been organised mainly to understand the track characteristics because it is a new on in the WorldSBK calendar. We have tried to find a way to make a test and understand how to set-up the bike there. It will be another new track for everybody and it is important over the two days understand the bike there. For the rest it will be a kind of test to continue solving some difficulties we found in Misano. We will continue developing solutions when the track temperature is high and the track grip is less. This is an opportunity to test in the summer to understand how to understand the tyre situation better and to continue our work in general.”
Matteo Bertelle wins from pole Sachsenring Rookies Race 2
Matteo Bertelle won his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race in dramatic fashion. The 17-year-old Italian was in the lead battle all the way and managed to avoid a 5 rider fall starting the final laps that took out the rest of the lead group.
After his solitary last lap he crossed the line over 2 seconds ahead of Daniel Muñoz with Tatchakorn Buasri granted 3rd after Diogo Moreira was penalised a place for a last lap track limits infraction.
It had been another incredible KTM battle and with the laps counting down Saturday’s winner David Alonso looked most comfortable in the lead. As the pack went onto the last lap he was under great pressure from Daniel Holgado, David Muñoz, Marcos Uriarte, Iván Ortolá and Bertelle.”
“The six all funnelled into Turn 1 and simply didn’t fit, Bertelle managed to back out of it but the other five ended in the gravel, fortunately without serious injury.
Matteo Bertelle takes the luck and the win
“It has been a fantastic weekend. Yesterday was an unlucky day but today was a lucky day. I am so sorry for the other guys who crashed but this is the race.”
“I had a very good feeling with the bike and I say thanks to my mechanic Frederico and everyone who supports me so much and I will see you in Austria.”
Daniel Muñoz looking for more
“It was a very difficult race because I have pain in my arm all week,” explained the 15-year-old Spaniard. “But I am happy for the podium. I still want more because I couldn’t run with the first group in the last laps.”
“For this I am not happy but I am training and working for the next races. I still need to improve a lot of things and I want to battle at the front at the Red Bull Ring and have the rhythm to be fighting at the front right to the last laps.”
Tatchakorn Buasri happy to podium
“Today I am very happy because I improved a lot,” enthused the 20-year-old Thai. “I was fighting in the front group. In the last few laps I lost the leaders as I had a big highside as I opened the throttle and then there was a big gap to the lead group.”
“Then the front group had a big crash and I was then fighting for 2nd place. It was a great last lap battle and finally I could get the podium. I am very excited and happy with the result. I think we made big improvements and I can’t wait to go racing again.”
David Alonso misses the double
“Today I made a good start but in the first corner I touched with some rider and then I was at the back of the group more or less, waiting until the last laps. I felt good and also the riders were pushing hard so I stayed there,” explained the 15-year-old Colombian.
“Then with 5 laps to go I got into the lead and I pushed hard. I was happy that I could do good laps alone. It was fast but I could not get away. In the last lap I was second but going to be first then one rider hit us all and that finished the race.”
Briar Bauman (1) and the stars of the AFT Mission SuperTwins class will converge on the Lima Half-Mile this coming weekend. Photo courtesy AFT.
Mees Prepares To Defend Home Turf at Lima Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 22, 2021) – Progressive American Flat Track makes its hotly anticipated return to the Johnny K’s Indian Motorcycle Lima Half-Mile powered by Drag Specialties at Lima, Ohio’s Allen County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 26 in the midst of a titanic three-way title fight.
Between them, Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), and Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) have accounted for five of six Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle victories on the year along with 13 of 18 possible podiums.
As a result, the talented trio currently rank 1-2-3 in the standings with just nine points separating first from third. All three are previous premier-class winners at the Lima Half-Mile, setting the stage for another epic battle on the venue’s fabled pea-gravel cushion.
As even as the Mission SuperTwins racing has been at the front in 2021, any psychological advantage this weekend must surely go to Mees, who comes into the weekend as the season’s most recent winner, the winner of the previous two Lima Half-Miles, and as the event’s promoter (along with his wife, Nichole).
Behind the leading three, Ohio-native Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) rolls into Lima having strung together finishes of second, second, fourth, and fourth. That form has allowed Vanderkooi to supplant early-season championship leader JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to take over fourth in the points.
Another rider to watch is third Mission Roof Systems pilot Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). Price has finished sixth or better in four of the last five races and earned an eye-opening fourth at Lima back in 2019 as a class rookie.
AFT Singles
Estenson Yamaha’s Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) dominated the 2020 AFT Singles season, winning more than half the races and locking up the championship fight early. Thanks to remarkably consistent finishes, Daniels has placed himself in good strategic position to defend his title. However, seconds, thirds, and fourths are quickly losing their allure to the newly 18-year-old.
Daniels has a real fight on his hands this season with both factory KTM pilots, Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), boasting more wins, rival Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finding his form and teammate Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) demonstrating similar consistency.
Lima’s surface should suit the styles of Daniels’ major challengers quite well — none more so than Texter-Bauman, who has won the last two AFT Singles Main Events at the venue.
Another rider who has fared well at the track in the past is 2016 class champion Ryan Wells (No. 94 1st Impressions Race Team Honda CRF450R), who is due for a big weekend himself.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) has separated himself from his AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines competition with four of six race wins to assemble an imposing 35-point championship advantage.
2019 AFT Singles champion Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) and 2018 AFT Singles champion Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) are the closest riders to Texter in the points and remain threats to break into the 2021 win column on any given weekend.
Fourth-ranked Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) will be motivated to make up for a deeply disappointing weekend in Oklahoma in which he was forced out of action due to mechanical issues on Friday night. While a loaner from Latus Motors and help from Vance & Hines enabled Cose to return to the podium on Saturday, he’s still hungry to make amends.
As such, the Lima Half-Mile couldn’t be better timed for the Californian. The last time the series visited the circuit, Cose overcame the challenge of Texter in the evening’s AFT Production Twins Main to claim his first-career Progressive AFT race victory after more than a decade trying.
Tickets are available for purchase now at https://www.168tickets.com/venue.php?venueID=268. General Admission tickets start at $30, with a limited number of upgraded reserved seating options still available.
The return of the Fan Walk at the OKC Mile I & II was a massive hit for fans and riders alike. It’s back for the Lima Half-Mile along with a Paddock Access ticket upgrade option which provides access to the paddock throughout the event.
The gates will open for fans both days at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for only $1.99 a month via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
The Johnny K’s Indian Motorcycle Lima Half-Mile powered by Drag Specialties will air on NBCSN on Saturday, July 3, at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT, featuring exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage.
David Aldana (10) on a Kawasaki back in the day. Photo courtesy AMA.
Hall of Famer David Aldana to be Grand Marshal of 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
2021 AMA VMD features On Any Sunday theme and special outdoor screening of the beloved moto-documentary
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — David Aldana, one of motorcycle racing’s most legendary and popular riders, and a fixture in Bruce Brown’s epic moto-documentary On Any Sunday, will be Grand Marshal for the 2021 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Royal Enfield, July 23-25, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Aldana replaces fellow On Any Sunday alumnus Mert Lawwill, who unfortunately had to back out due to a scheduling conflict.
Known worldwide for his trademark black leathers with a white skeleton print, Aldana will do more than simply meet and greet fans and sign autographs at this year’s event. He’ll also compete in the AMA’s vintage dirt track program on Saturday evening at the nearby Ashland Country Fairground.
“With the theme of this year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days being On Any Sunday,” Aldana said, “which is far and away America’s favorite all-time motorcycle movie, things are going to be extra special. For the fans, for sure, but also for me, as my memories of that 1970 season and that movie are so powerful. I can’t wait to reconnect with all the great motorcycling folks who come to Mid-Ohio each year and celebrate what Bruce Brown achieved, along with so much motorcycle history. VMD is such a great event!”
Aside from Aldana’s presence and a scheduled screening of the movie on Friday night, AMA VMD 2021 will also feature several motorcycles from the fabled film, including a real-deal Husqvarna Malcolm Smith rode in the movie, Mert Lawwill’s KR750 dirt tracker (which he rode during the 1970 season) and a Cal Rayborn Harley-Davidson XRTT 750, also seen in the footage Brown shot.
There’s plenty of racing action for racers and fans, from road racing and motocross to cross-country, dirt track and trials — and much of it with an AMA Grand Championship flavor. Riders as young as age 4 are permitted to compete in motocross, while those 12 and up can ride in trials, dirt track and hare-scrambles events. There’s also exhibition pit-bike racing on Saturday. Learn more and register today.
There’s also the biggest swap meet in North America, with parts and bikes and memorabilia from the past 120 years of motorcycling. Add all that to the scenic Mid-Ohio grounds, plenty of food and refreshments, lots of camping and vintage motorcycles as far as the eye can see, and you’ve got what’s considered one of the very best events in all of motorcycling.
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is a fundraiser for the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, which houses the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame and other thematic exhibits that celebrate motorcycling’s heritage. The museum was founded in 1990 to provide a permanent home to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, which celebrates and preserves the rich tradition of motorcycling in America through the recognition of the sport’s greatest heroes. Proceeds from AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days are donated to the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tasked with funding the operation of the museum and Hall of Fame activities.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit americanmotorcyclist.com.
Garrett Gerloff (31) in action at Circuito de Navarra. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
Razgatlioglu vs Gerloff: Turkish star heads Yamaha 1-2 as Navarra test concludes
WorldSBK stars took to Navarra on Day 2 for one last time with the top three covered by just 0.093s
The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship may well be underway but crucial testing has been undertaken at the Circuito Navarra, a new venue on the calendar for this season. In the north of Spain in Los Arcos, the all-new venue for WorldSBK welcomed day two testing action and it was once again a Yamaha on top with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) blasting to the top, whilst Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) made it a Yamaha 1-2.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) at speed at Navarra. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
YAMAHA DOMINANCE
Toprak Razgatlioglu was able to strike back in the afternoon running as he took his Yamaha YZF-R1 to top spot, having worked tirelessly over the two days on rider specific internals, with some items on his machine. A small bit of drama in the morning when he ran out of fuel but that didn’t dampen the Turk’s spirits as he completed an astonishing 190 laps. He wasn’t the only one to suffer from running out of fuel as teammate Andrea Locatelli also suffered a similar fate. Locatelli did briefly top the timesheets just before lunch but finished the test early after a positive two-day test where the bike kept getting better and better. Toprak topped the timesheets whilst Locatelli concluded running in fourth.
Making it a Yamaha 1-2 in the test was American Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), with Yamaha dominant at Circuito Navarra. Gerloff was working across the two days on an array of things, from set-up to configuration, aiming to refine the set-up on the 2021 motorcycle. It was difficult test on the other side of the garage for Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who after a crash on day one – which left him with a micro-fracture to his middle finger on his right hand – sat out day two and was replaced by substitute Niccolo Canepa. Canepa was developing some parts and concluded the test in ninth place overall.
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
KAWASAKI IN TOUCH
Further down the pitlane and it was an early end to proceedings for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes, making their debut at Navarra. They packed up at midday to save their remaining testing for other times. Rea was working on improving the base-setting of the bike at the Los Arcos venue, whilst Lowes was working more for Donington Park set-up. Rea led the way periodically and finished up in third, whilst Lowes overcame three crashes – Turn 13, Turn 9 and ferociously fast at Turn 1 – to complete the top five on the end of day times.
Tom Sykes (66) on his factory BMW M1000RR. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
BMW and the rest of the field
Also finishing up at midday was the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, as Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark continued to work on a variety of areas of the new BMW M 1000 RR. The team worked on suspension settings across the day and focused on getting the bike set up as it would happen in a race weekend. However, they were left wanting more after day one when their chassis solutions didn’t give the expected results. For van der Mark, he finished sixth and said his side of the garage is still aiming to make the bike stop and turn better, whilst Sykes was seventh and pretty pleased with a productive test in northern Spain. For the Independent BMW of Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing), he was eighth and found the new chassis to offer better braking stability, whilst he was left wanting more grip. Overall, he commented on the new chassis have more good points than bad.
Finishing on day one, Team HRC weren’t present at Navarra on day two, but they had plenty to test as both Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam worked on electronic solutions, whilst also waiting for feedback from Japan about the base set-up of a bike. Combined, the riders completed over 150 laps, crucial data for WorldSBK’s first ever visit to Navarra in August.
WorldSSP: AEGERTER ON A MISSION
In World Supersport, it was Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) who once more showed his strength and prowess, completing a stunning 93 laps on his way to the top of the WorldSSP times. The Swiss rider tested suspension, clutch, and electronic set-ups, as well as different gearings on day one and refined small details on day two. Teammate Galang Hendra Pratama completed 69 and the Indonesian built on his feeling at the track across the two days.
Day 2 results with total number of laps across the two days (each day separated in brackets):
1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’36.877 – 190 laps (Day 1: 97, Day 2: 93)
2. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.048s – 140 laps (Day 1: 74, Day 2: 66)
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.093s – 112 laps (Day 1: 67, Day 2: 45)
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK +0.174s – 138 laps (Day 1: 85, Day 2: 53)
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.486s – 110 laps (Day 1: 63, Day 2: 47)
6. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.710s – 138 laps (Day 1: 78, Day 2: 60)
7. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.023s – 128 laps (Day 1: 85, Day 2: 43)
8. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) +2.153s – 106 laps (Day 1: 52, Day 2: 54)
Non-stop work for Team HRC during a useful test session at Navarra
Just a few days after the conclusion of the Italian round of the WorldSBK Championship, Team HRC set off for Navarra, one of three new circuits appearing on the Superbike calendar for the first time this year.
The team planned to use the test to collate data and find a base set-up for the bikes at the circuit that will host round 7 over the weekend of 20-22 August, as well as continue with the ongoing development of the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADES ridden by Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam.
Having got through its initial work programme swiftly and smoothly, the team decided to continue non-stop for the entire day, completing tasks that it had originally planned to address over two half-day sessions.
The track action ended at around 5.00pm as a result of a rain shower that, albeit brief, left the track wet.
Team HRC will be back on track for the season’s fourth round, scheduled to take place at Donington Park (UK) on 2-4 July.
Alvaro Bautista 19
“Today we used the time we had to understand the Navarra track and collect some references for when we return for the races. The circuit is very small and narrow, with a lot of first gear turns. It is definitely different from what we are used to and challenging because it’s not easy to tackle with a superbike. Another aspect is the asphalt, which is very bumpy, so all in all I think it will be a demanding round. I’m happy we had this test because, in addition to working on the bike set-up for this layout, we also did some electronics testing which we needed to complete, despite having to stop about an hour early because of the rain. It was definitely a useful test, and now we look forward to the next round at Donington Park.”
Leon Haslam 91
“We had to finish the test session a little early because I had a small crash with around one and a half hours to go and once the bike was ready, the rain came. So, we missed the last hour of track time, but we tested many of the items we wanted to try. The track is obviously very different to most others. It’s quite bumpy and reminds me of some of the old English tracks but, honestly, I think it will be a fun one to ride. For sure we have collected some positive information during this test.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Useful Navarra Test Sessions For KRT
Kawasaki Racing Team’s riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes had another new experience to add to their bank of WorldSBK knowledge on the new Ninja ZX-10RR thanks to a confidence-building two day test session at the Circuito de Navarra.
Although controlling their track time to save on their limited number of testing days available in 2021 both Rea and Lowes learned valuable lessons at the 3.933km long Navarra circuit in Northern Spain. These will prove useful when the championship itself visits a track that will be an all-new one on the WorldSBK calendar this year.
Rea concentrated on making sure both he and his Ninja ZX-10RR would arrive at Navarra for race weekend ready to put in the best performance possible, rather than pushing for a fast time at this particular test.
In his first experience of this relatively new circuit in Spain Rea found it challenging and fun to ride, with all kinds of corners and a greater change of elevation in some sectors than he had been expecting. After the first day he changed his riding approach and found benefits on a track neither he nor the team had any data for until this test.
For Lowes this ‘mid-season’ test was an important one to allow him and his technical crew to try some new things based on the experience of the first three rounds on the new Ninja ZX-10RR. He was able to set fast early times, but fell twice on day two. Unhurt, Alex’s confidence was not dented and he now looks forward to his home round in the UK in early July, and the return to Navarra to race there later this summer.
In the overall timesheets after day two Rea was third quickest with a best lap time of 1’36.970, putting him just 0.093 seconds from the fastest time. Lowes was fifth overall, with a 1’37.343 best lap.
After the first three rounds of the FIM Superbike World Championship and now this Navarra test have been completed the next points-scoring round will take place at Donington Park in the UK, between 2-4 July. It is the first home race for both Jonathan and Alex in two years, after the cancellation of the planned 2020 Donington event.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been a really positive two days. I learned the circuit and it is a very difficult circuit to go fast at, to be fair. It has lots of little intricacies and challenges. From a technical point of view it is very challenging. I enjoyed working it out. On day one I learned the track quite quickly but I wasn’t comfortable to keep pushing the bike. On day two I woke up after sleeping on all my feelings and the data we gathered on day one, and I was able to be quite fast straight away. I carried that rhythm through. We found a lot of valuable information that will be good for race weekend and it will definitely allow us to make a shortcut in our set-up time when we start out in free practice one. This track has some mixtures of everything. Some super-fast corners but also some very tight and twisty sections in sectors two and three. The race is going to be a nice one. The main priority here was to learn and I am looking forward to Donington now for our next race weekend.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “I really enjoyed the Navarra circuit in my first time there. I had a good feeling on the bike and I was able to try everything that I wanted to and with a couple of things we tried on corner entry we were partly thinking about Donington, which is our next race. This was also positive. Unfortunately today I had a couple of crashes; made a couple of mistakes. Apart from that, it has been a great test. I leave here happy with the bike, enjoying the Ninja ZX-10RR, and it was a really good test for us. That gives me some confidence going into the next round, which is my home round at Donington Park. So we are really happy.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “The test has been positive. Yesterday we did a half day on track. Johnny was learning the layout and where the most important places were. It is a very different track to ride compared to the ones we are used to. Also, technically, we started to collect information because this is an all new track for us. We had no data, nothing. We found the base but day one was not an easy day because it was a very different track, very bumpy. But we did the job. Today we kept focusing on the most important points and leave here with some base settings to start the race weekend in Navarra. Finally, Johnny was fast with the SC0 tyre and also on the SCX tyre he was strong. Considering we did a half day yesterday and a half day today I think we are in a good place to start the race weekend.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “This was the first time we had been to Navarra and the target was to learn the track as much as possible, and of course to prepare ourselves for the race in August. From the very beginning Alex was fast, one of the fastest on track, and he learned the layout very quickly. We also confirmed our base set-up was working well here. Of course we also tested a few items. After three rounds of the season we know more or less where to improve. So we did a couple of small tests on the bike which worked out very positively. On the second day Alex had two crashes, which can happen; it is part of the job sometimes. But we also reached our target of confirming our machine set-up for race weekend. Overall it has been a really positive test here. Now we can switch off for a couple of days and get ready for Donington and the next round.”
Valentino Rossi (46) in action at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy PETRONAS Yamaha SRT.
PETRONAS Yamaha SRT primed for trip to “Cathedral of Speed”
TT Circuit Assen hosts final round ahead of summer break for Morbidelli and Rossi this weekend
PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi are eagerly anticipating the return of the DutchGP this weekend; with Assen hosting the final round before the MotoGP summer break.
Morbidelli is looking forward to the return of Assen, after the global pandemic forced its cancellation last year, as it is somewhere that he has enjoyed success in the past. In 2017, when competing in Moto2, the Italian secured pole position, the race win and posted the fastest lap. Feeling ready to tackle its fast and flowing lines, Franco goes into the DutchGP hoping to move back into the top-ten of the world championship standings, as he currently sits 11th with 40 points.
Team-mate Rossi also has a long list of previous success around the 4.5km long TT Circuit Assen – eight wins, ten podiums, five pole positions and seven fastest laps in the premier class. Although the GermanGP did not reflect the Italian’s pace from earlier in the weekend, Valentino goes into this weekend eager to return to the scene of his most recent MotoGP victory and enjoy the final race before the championship’s summer break. Rossi currently has 17 world championship points and sits 19th in the riders’ standings.
Morbidelli and Rossi will be on track at 9.55am local time (3.55pm MYT) Friday for Free Practice 1, with Sunday’s 26-lap MotoGP race due to get underway at 2pm local time (8pm MYT).
Franco Morbidelli
I’m feeling positive about heading to Assen as it is a track that is very flowing, a lot more so than Sachsenring. It’s another historical track, like Mugello, and a circuit that is great to ride. It is tricky, with the changes of direction at high speed, but it is a lot of fun at the same time. It is somewhere that maybe I can find and exploit some advantages of my bike. I won there in 2017, so it’s somewhere that I also have good memories at. I hope that we can have a good race there this weekend.
Valentino Rossi
We need to figure out what happened in Germany and work well to make some improvements before we are back on track this weekend. Assen is a great track for me though and I like the layout a lot, it is very flowing. It is somewhere I really enjoy and you always feel some great emotion when riding there. So we need to stay positive, concentrate on the final round before the summer break and achieve a good result in Assen.
Shane Narbonne (64) at speed during the 98th Loudon Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Photo by Martin Hanlon, courtesy NEMRR.
LOUDON, NH – The 98th Annual Loudon Classic weekend by Mayhew Tools featured three days of perfect weather, fans from all over New England, and racing with the NorthEast Motorcycle Road Racing (NEMRR) series. NEMRR is part of the national Championship Cup Series organization, and riders from the Northeast, Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic regions competed in a twin-sprint weekend that ran an impressive 45 races in total.
The feature events of the weekend were the three Grand Prix classes, which boasted $9,500 in purse money in total. Specialty Saw presented the Seacoast Sport Cycle Lightweight Grand Prix class and the Street and Competition Unlimited Grand Prix classes. Mayhew Tools was the title sponsor of the featured Loudon Classic Middleweight Grand Prix class together with presenting sponsors Motorace and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In the twin-sprint format the lap times from the Friday races were used to set the grid for the Saturday main events, and the Friday Motorace Middleweight Grand Prix race featured a $1,500 purse.
Saturday’s feature races were held in front of a fantastic crowd and led off with the two support classes presented by Specialty Saw, Lightweight GP and Unlimited GP. First off were the small-displacement machines, and NEMRR #1 rider Rick Doucette of Sandown, NH, showed why he was the heavy favorite, scoring the holeshot and running a string of blazing fast laps in the 1:14 and 1:15 range on his special de-stroked Yamaha YZF-R6/R5. The surprise of the day came from Eli Block, riding a strong running KTM 450 motard bike, who challenged Doucette right to the very end. The motard bike was down on power to the machine of Doucette, but the combination of the nimble handling and equsite skill of Block made for an incredibly entertaining race to watch. Block was especially good on the brakes and was be all over the back tire of Doucette in the back section of the track. In the end, Doucette’s experience and consistency proved too much to handle as he pulled out the win by 0.4 second at the line. The battle for third was a similar battle between the SV650 of Steven Hieder and the Honda 450 motard of MotoAmerica Junior Cup star Ben Gloddy, and in this case the motard won the battle and claimed the last spot on the podium.
In the Unlimited GP feature, pole sitter Shane Narbonne was forced to ride his Yamaha R6 after his Suzuki GSX-R1000 suffered a mechanical failure. Scott Mullin won the drag race off the line, and second row starter Eric Wood, of Ashburnham, MA, was able to use the power of his Kawasaki ZX-10R to pass Narbonne to assume second place as the trio rocketed into Turn One. Wood made an inside pass on Mullin into Turn Six and the two Kawasaki riders began to separate themselves from Narbonne. Mullin kept Wood honest throughout the contest, staying within a few bikelengths until Wood begin to open his advantage to an eventual 2.4 second gap as the pair navigated traffic in the closing laps.
The featured 98th running of the Loudon Classic by Mayhew Tools went off under 84-degree sunshine with a paddock abuzz and stands full of spectators excited to see the action. With all eyes focused on the front row, starting lights came on and perennial NEMRR star Scott Greenwood, of Dunbarton, NH, made an uncharacteristic mistake. To get a jump on the field, Greenwood launched out of his grid spot too early, a mistake that he clearly signaled as he entered Turn One with a gap on the field while he was shaking his head in disbelief. Greenwood was assessed a 30-second penalty, and the race was on. Greenwood and Narbonne separated themselves from the field while running a string of 1:12 lap times, Narbonne racing for the win and Greenwood racing against the clock to try to secure a podium position despite his penalty. Meanwhile, the battle for the podium was raging between the trio of Rick Doucette, Teagg Hobbs (riding a 600 at NHMS for the first time) and Paul Duval together. The 18-year-old Hobbs was fast to the end and came from a mediocre start through Doucette and up to the rear wheel of Duval. After several laps sizing up his competitor Hobbs finally made the move forward and separated himself in the later stages of the race from his competitor to secure a solid second place. Duval was racing against Greenwood and the 30-second penalty, and in the end managed to keep the gap to less than 30 seconds and finished the 20-lap final on the podium. Rounding out the top six were Greenwood in fourth, Doucette and fifth and young upstart Joe LiMandri in sixth. The top finishing amateur rider was Paul Hosue, finishing a very respectable 12th place in a field of 27 riders.
Editorial Note: Use the scroll tool at the bottom left of the PDF viewer to see all pages of the race results.
WERA AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS HOSTING THE 3RD ANNUAL VINTAGE CONCOURS IS SET FOR SATURDAY, JULY 3RD
WERA Motorcycle and Ron Raven, founder of the Concours, are set to have the sights and sounds of vintage race bikes on track July 3rd at Barber Motorsports Park when they join the WERA Sportsman Series for the weekend.
Concours Founder, Ron Raven reports, “We have a full and diverse field this year. Last year was a small event without spectators and everyone wearing masks. It seems like as soon as we announced the requests for invitations were open we had a flood of inquiries. People want to get out and share the bikes again. One thing that our chief judge, Brian Slark of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, insisted on this year was a diversity of sound out on the track. So, I am thrilled to say that I think we have met his criteria. In addition to a bevy of TZ250 twins of various ages providing the strong two-stroke sound background, we have Triumph triples; BSA, Norton and Ducati twins; Bultaco and Ducati singles; and a wide variety of four-cylinder superbikes – plus even a Norton rotary.”
Evelyne Clarke, CEO of WERA, remarked after reviewing the entries, “I am super excited about the upcoming Concours. I have been to many races and I have never heard a Norton rotary on track. I kind of imagine the sound from hearing a Mazda rotary race car but can’t wait to hear it in person along with all the other machines that will bring back memories and show the history of our great sport.”
In addition to the bikes on track there will be additional historic bikes on display including one of the very earliest Yoshimura racers and one of the Ducati 888 Superbikes Carl Fogarty raced during is WSBK career. Judging for both the “go” and the “show” class will be headed up by Brian Slark and the trophies are being made in-house by the museum staff.
This year the Concours will be staged in the lower paddock and open to visitors. We encourage you to come out and see where the love of motorcycles all began! One-day tickets will be available for spectators.
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro Riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series which is the Pirelli/WERA National Challenge Series. WERA also offers Vintage Racing and hosts the Concours de ’Competition and Concours d’ Elegance in July at Barber Motorsports Park. Endurance Racing is also on the menu with our partner N2 and runs 4-5 events a year with a Big Bike Endurance and an Ultralightweight Endurance. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com.
SVENDBORG, Denmark – Leading powersport distributor of premium motorcycle and UTV parts Tucker Powersports, becomes new official distributor of SBS brake products in the US.
SBS is proud to announce a new official Distributor of SBS brake products in the US market. Tucker Powersports, the Texas-based wholesaler, will, with its wide warehouse and dealership network across the United States, increase the availability of the SBS brake brand for dealers and American motorcyclists.
The addition of Tucker Powersports as SBS Distributor is an important step in making SBS a relevant and preferred brake parts supplier across the US.
– Tucker Powersports have for many years been a central market supplier of motorcycle parts in the US. Their wide dealership network with thousands of points-of-sale and progressive dealership support, as part of the new strategy of Tucker Powersports, are just some of the reasons why we deem that this collaboration is an ideal match, states CSO at SBS Friction, Christel Munk Pedersen.
Tucker Powersports can with this agreement supply motorcycle communities across the US with the entire SBS product portfolio, including brake rotors, clutch kits and standard, upgrade and performance brake pads for motorcycles and ATV, UTV and SSV. SBS brake pads are quality certified according to ECE R90 as an industry-first, and both organic and new sinter material brake pads are offered with NUCAP NRS technology, securing a mechanical and indestructible bonding of the compound to the back plate.
– Tucker Powersports is a trusted American brand with a significant presence since the 1970s. Tucker’s professional sales representatives have played a vital role in the success of Tucker, over the past 50 years. We trust that Tucker’s continued ability to service the market and their ambitious sales representatives, will enable SBS an enhanced presence and relevance in the US market, Christel continues.
– We are delighted to partner with SBS Friction, one of the world’s largest suppliers of brake pads and accessories for motorcycles and UTV’s. The quality, performance and range of products that SBS creates is perfect for the dealers we serve, said Tucker’s VP of Sales Brad Turner.
Max Whale (18). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
RED BULL KTM’S MAX WHALE CAPS OFF DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND WITH A WIN AT OKC MILE II
Rounds 5 & 6 – American Flat Track Championship
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Whale capped off a successful double-header weekend in Oklahoma on Saturday as he claimed his second AFT Singles victory of the season at Round 6 of the 2021 American Flat Track Championship.
Serving as the first “mile” of the season, the OKC Mile doubleheader delivered rounds five and six of the series, presenting a variety of challenging track conditions throughout the race weekend. On Friday, Max Whale carried a seventh-place qualifying position into AFT Singles Semi 1, where he powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into third on the opening lap. He fought his way up to the lead battle and with two laps to go, he pulled the trigger to claim the semi win. In the Main Event, Whale put himself into fourth off the start and he got shuffled back to fifth early on. Racing just outside the top-five battle, the Aussie secured sixth on the first night.
Saturday proved to be a new day and Whale was determined to end the weekend on a high note. He came in swinging for AFT Singles Semi 2, securing the holeshot and early lead. With a hard-fought performance, Whale ultimately finished second in the Semi but he entered the Main Event with great momentum behind him. With a second-place start, Whale went to work battling for the lead position early on. Putting together a strategic plan heading into the final laps, Whale hung back and waited for an opportune moment, which came just seconds before the checkered flag when he made his move to secure the lead and put a stamp on victory on day two of racing.
Max Whale on the podium in Oklahoma City. Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Whale: “On day one, I had a good Semi win but I struggled to put things together in the Main Event. Day two was great. I stuck onto Henry [Wiles] in the Main Event and I stayed there all race. I managed to pull off a last-lap draft pass for the win. It was a huge accomplishment to get my first “mile” podium and it was a win. I can’t thank my team enough, they put in such a huge effort and it means so much to me. Onto the next one.”
Shayna Texter-Bauman started the weekend off positively with P3 in practice but with deteriorating track conditions throughout the weekend, it became a challenge for the multi-time race winner. In AFT Singles Semi 1, Shayna got off to a top-10 start and battled her way up to a fifth-place finish, setting herself up for a third-row start in the Main Event. She didn’t get the best jump off the start as she found herself in 15th at the end of lap one. She broke into the top-10 late in the race and from there she held strong for 10th place.
Energized and ready to go to battle once again on Saturday, Shayna lined up in AFT Singles Semi 1 and she powered her KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into fifth off the start. She battled mid-pack for the rest of the race, securing the final transfer position in eighth. In the Main Event, Shayna began just outside the top-10 and she battled around the same spot all race long to ultimately finish 12th on the night.
Shayna Texter-Bauman (52). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Texter-Bauman: “In the past I’ve had a lot of success here, so I was really looking forward to this race but man, the track was rough and challenging. We battled some dry conditions throughout the weekend, which made it a little bit of a challenge, but no excuses, the track is the same for everyone. Night one was disappointing but I was also energized for night two because I felt like in the Main Event we were moving forward. Going into night two, we tried to make the bike better for what I was struggling with but unfortunately, we just weren’t able to get it. Overall, just a little bit disappointed in the results. As a team, we’ll put our heads down and think about how we can be better heading into the next race. We have high expectations heading into Lima and we’re ready to get back to work.”
Next Race: Lima Half-Mile – Lima, Ohio – June 26, 2021
AFT Singles Main Event – OKC Mile I
1. Henry Wiles, Honda
2. Dallas Daniels, Yamaha
3. Morgen Mischler, KTM
OTHER KTM
6. Max Whale – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
9. James Ott, KTM
10. Shayna Texter-Bauman – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
11. Aiden RoosEvans, KTM
15. Hunter Bauer, KTM AFT Singles Main Event – OKC Mile II
1. Max Whale – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Henry Wiles, Honda
3. Dallas Daniels, Yamaha
OTHER KTM
5. Hunter Bauer, KTM
11. Morgen Mischler, KTM
12. Shayna Texter-Bauman – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
13. James Ott, KTM
16. David Wiggin, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 6)
1. Dallas Daniels, 112 points
2. Max Whale – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 106
3. Michael Rush, 102
4. Henry Wiles, 83
5. Shayna Texter-Bauman – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 75
6. Morgen Mischler, 74
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Daniels Scores Back-to-Back Podiums at Remington Park
Dallas Daniels. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Estenson Racing’s Dallas Daniels scored his second-consecutive podium finish aboard his Yamaha YZ450F at Remington Park, finishing third in last night’s Progressive American Flat Track AFT Singles Main Event at the OKC Mile II. Mikey Rush rallied back from a third-row start, crossing the line just outside the top five in sixth. On the Mission SuperTwins side of the tent, Kolby Carlile and JD Beach broke the top 10, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively.
Daniels got a great start in his Semi and showed strength straight away by challenging Friday night’s winner. He ultimately finished second to secure a front-row start for the Main Event. After the green light, the defending champ was third into turn one. He tried to make a break with the frontrunners but got caught up in a multi-rider scrap, which included his teammate. On Lap 9, Daniels reclaimed third and then put some distance between himself and the competition to secure another podium finish at the OKC Mile. Although he was hoping for a win on his 18th birthday, the third-place finish helped maintain his six-point lead in the championship.
Starting from the third row after a tough Semi race, Rush got a good start in sixth and quickly joined the fight for the final podium spot. The veteran jockeyed for position in the multi-rider battle but ultimately was shuffled back to sixth with five laps to go. Rush kept pushing and narrowly missed that top-five finish at the line.
Another hot day in Oklahoma City made for challenging conditions at the OKC Mile II. The Mission SuperTwins team had a better start to the day but struggled on a dusty, slippery track in the Semi and Main Event. Carlile worked his way from 10th to eighth before the halfway mark. Towards the end of the race, he started to lose a little pace as his eyes filled up with dust, and he was shuffled to ninth. The “Flying Tomato” soldiered on and reclaimed eighth in the final laps. His teammate Beach also had a tough Main Event but fought his way back from last place to ninth.
Estenson Racing heads to Lima, Ohio, next weekend for Round 7 of the Progressive American Flat Track Championship at the legendary Lima Half-Mile on June 25.
Tommy Hayden – Estenson Racing Team Manager
“The second day here in Oklahoma City started off a little better for us. The guys were a little more competitive in practice and qualifying. We thought we had the potential to have better results today, and the guys fought hard. Although the results didn’t show, I do think that we were a little better. We were definitely hoping to make a bigger step tonight, but we just weren’t able to. So we’ll leave here, regroup and come back for a better result next weekend at Lima.”
Dallas Daniels – Estenson Racing AFT Singles
“It was definitely a crazy race. We made a shock change before the Main Event, and it took me a while to figure out how to ride it differently. I finally was able to build a bit of a gap, but by then, the leaders were long gone. It’s hard to be disappointed with a podium, but I really wanted to win tonight. It’s awesome for the team though, everyone works their butts off, so I’m happy to reward them with a podium. All in all, it was a good points night on a tricky track. We’ll move on to Lima next weekend and do better.”
Mikey Rush – Estenson Racing AFT Singles
“I had a decent night two at the OKC Mile. We struggled a little bit on setup and tried some stuff going into the Semi, but kind of went the wrong direction. We went back the other way for the Main Event, and it was a lot better. Starting on the third row was pretty difficult, so I’m super happy to come from the third row to get sixth. We’ll keep our head high, keep chipping away and get ready for Lima next week. The team did a great job making the changes I wanted on the bike. I’m looking forward to getting back at it at Lima next weekend.”
Kolby Carlile – Estenson Racing Mission SuperTwins
“I had a tough day here at the OKC Mile II and didn’t have the race I wanted to. Today they took a lot of the material off the track, and it was a lot more slippery. We tried a lot of stuff all day, and we came away with a decent setup for the Main Event. I was able to get going, but it was so dusty that my eyes filled up with dust, and by the end of the race, I could hardly see at all and had to drop my pace a bit. I was able to finish in eighth place tonight and learn a few things. I’m happy that we get to race again next weekend, and I’m really looking forward to Lima.”
JD Beach – Estenson Racing Mission SuperTwins
“It was another tough day for us in Oklahoma City. The track was a little smoother today compared to yesterday but more brushed off, so it was pretty slippery. We kept working hard but still struggled. We’re going to go back to work and try for a better result at Lima.”
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
BRANDON ROBINSON AND JARED MEES SPLIT WINS AT OKLAHOMA CITY DOUBLEHEADER
Jared Mees (9). Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Robinson becomes second rider to win two Mission SuperTwins victories of the season; Jared Mees’ 3-straight win streak at OKC comes to an end, but completes 4th career win at Remington Park
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (June 18/19, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by KICKER, continued its 2021 American Flat Track season with wins at this weekend’s doubleheader at Oklahoma City Mile I and II. Brandon Robinson took first place in Friday night’s Mile I, while Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees won Mile II on Saturday night.
Robinson was sidelined for the past three weeks, after an injury at Joliet back on May 29. Nursing a bad knee, Robinson dealt with the rough conditions at the Remington Park venue while holding his own. A hot Briar Bauman finished in second place, after back-to-back event wins in Fort Worth and Joliet.
Friday night’s victory marked Robinson’s second of the 2021 AFT season, his first coming at the Volusia Half-Mile I event in March. Robinson’s Wrecking Crew teammate Jared Mees also made the podium on Friday, finishing third.
With a third place finish last month in Chicago and in Friday night’s event, Mees came into Saturday with a chip on his shoulder. Mees ended up on top of the Mile II event, winning his second race of the season. This win was Mess’ 4th career victory in 5 appearances in Oklahoma City.
The multi-time Grand National Champion Mees got off to a great start from the opening lap and never looked back. Friday’s victor, Robinson, got a great feel for the track but didn’t get a good starting position. Again, Robinson found himself battling the pack and ultimately clawed his way to a second place finish, ahead of Briar Bauman.
Through seven races, Robinson, Mees, and Bauman all have two wins a piece. With second and third place finishes in Oklahoma City, Bauman is still atop of the leaderboard with 114 points. Two points separate Robinson and Mees, who have 107 and 105, respectively. Jarod Vanderkooi, who made consecutive fourth place finishes this weekend, also sits in fourth with 93 points.
The 2021 AFT season will continue on Saturday, June 26, at the Lima half-mile. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.
Kawasaki factory riders Jonathan Rea (1) and Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Navarra Test For KRT Duo
After a short break to what has been an intense starting schedule for the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship a two-day ‘in-season’ test session is taking place for KRT at the new WorldSBK venue of Circuito de Navarra in Spain.
With three meetings inside a four week window after a long-delayed start, the 2021 WorldSBK season is very much underway. Next up for the hardworking KRT duo of six-times champion Jonathan Rea and proven race winner Alex Lowes is a two day test at Navarra, between 21-22 June.
Lowes and Rea are first time riders at this circuit in Northern Spain and will be competitors during round seven of the WorldSBK championship at this same venue later this season.
The previous round at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli was held in hot conditions and ideally those are the conditions the team hope to find at Navarra. The weather may potentially have other plans but no matter the ambient conditions at this test it will allow Rea and Lowes to ride their new Ninja ZX-10RR machines around what is an all-new circuit for WorldSBK.
The 3.933km long Circuito de Navarra racetrack was built in 2010 and features no fewer than 15 corners over its relatively short length. It still manages to feature a huge variety of corners, including fast curves at Turns 1, 5, 10 and 14 plus what appear to be several out-braking opportunities approaching the more angular and slower corners.
The official Ducati squad has already tested at Navarra and as well as KRT there will be official teams from BMW, Honda and Yamaha present at these Current Navarra tests — showing the importance of entering any new round armed with at least some track knowledge before racing starts for real.
Navarra will be the seventh round of the 2021 championship when it comes around between 20-22 August, providing another ‘first’ for WorldSBK. It will begin a run of five mostly Southern European races that will ensure a busy autumn for WorldSBK in general, before the season culminates with two scheduled long haul races, in Argentina and Indonesia.
Alex and Jonathan will return to home ground for the next round of competitive action in the WorldSBK championship, at the Donington Park Circuit in the UK, between 2-4 July.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “I am very curious to try a new circuit and it is always exciting to go somewhere I have never raced at before. As well as the track being new for me it is also new for the team. The test is really important to understand the layout, the gearing, and initial set-up so we can arrive at Navarra for FP1 during race weekend in the best possible shape. We have some new items for our test programme that I have to test for KHI, which is nice to test in the middle of the season to make more steps with the Ninja ZX-10RR. Apart from that I will try to enjoy the riding and get the feeling step by step. The main target of the test is to find a rhythm on the track, so let’s see what the next few days bring.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “Over the first three rounds of the season we had three different tracks and three different temperatures. It got progressively hotter towards Misano, which was a really hot one, and I was hoping for some hot conditions at this Navarra test. Those are the conditions I lack a little experience with on this bike so we can try a few things to handle high track temperatures and tyre management. In terms of the bike we had a base settings from the winter tests that we have tweaked a little bit. So we are going to do some back-to-back testing at Navarra to give us a base setting. The next race is at Donington but once August starts we have a pretty busy schedule. So we want to make sure we are not changing the bike too much by finding some consistency. On top of that, Navarra is a new track, so I have done some research, watched some onboard laps, things like that. It looks great, like it has a bit of character, some faster corners and maybe a bit bumpy in places, plus some tighter sections. It is always nice to go to a new track for the first time. More or less the target for this test is to refine the set-up we have, not do anything too major.”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “This Navarra test has been organised mainly to understand the track characteristics because it is a new on in the WorldSBK calendar. We have tried to find a way to make a test and understand how to set-up the bike there. It will be another new track for everybody and it is important over the two days understand the bike there. For the rest it will be a kind of test to continue solving some difficulties we found in Misano. We will continue developing solutions when the track temperature is high and the track grip is less. This is an opportunity to test in the summer to understand how to understand the tyre situation better and to continue our work in general.”
Matteo Bertelle (28) leads Ivan Ortola (24), Marcos Uriarte (89), and the rest of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup field during Race Two at Sachsenring. Photo courtesy Red Bull.
Matteo Bertelle wins from pole Sachsenring Rookies Race 2
Matteo Bertelle won his first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race in dramatic fashion. The 17-year-old Italian was in the lead battle all the way and managed to avoid a 5 rider fall starting the final laps that took out the rest of the lead group.
After his solitary last lap he crossed the line over 2 seconds ahead of Daniel Muñoz with Tatchakorn Buasri granted 3rd after Diogo Moreira was penalised a place for a last lap track limits infraction.
It had been another incredible KTM battle and with the laps counting down Saturday’s winner David Alonso looked most comfortable in the lead. As the pack went onto the last lap he was under great pressure from Daniel Holgado, David Muñoz, Marcos Uriarte, Iván Ortolá and Bertelle.”
“The six all funnelled into Turn 1 and simply didn’t fit, Bertelle managed to back out of it but the other five ended in the gravel, fortunately without serious injury.
Matteo Bertelle takes the luck and the win
“It has been a fantastic weekend. Yesterday was an unlucky day but today was a lucky day. I am so sorry for the other guys who crashed but this is the race.”
“I had a very good feeling with the bike and I say thanks to my mechanic Frederico and everyone who supports me so much and I will see you in Austria.”
Daniel Muñoz looking for more
“It was a very difficult race because I have pain in my arm all week,” explained the 15-year-old Spaniard. “But I am happy for the podium. I still want more because I couldn’t run with the first group in the last laps.”
“For this I am not happy but I am training and working for the next races. I still need to improve a lot of things and I want to battle at the front at the Red Bull Ring and have the rhythm to be fighting at the front right to the last laps.”
Tatchakorn Buasri happy to podium
“Today I am very happy because I improved a lot,” enthused the 20-year-old Thai. “I was fighting in the front group. In the last few laps I lost the leaders as I had a big highside as I opened the throttle and then there was a big gap to the lead group.”
“Then the front group had a big crash and I was then fighting for 2nd place. It was a great last lap battle and finally I could get the podium. I am very excited and happy with the result. I think we made big improvements and I can’t wait to go racing again.”
David Alonso misses the double
“Today I made a good start but in the first corner I touched with some rider and then I was at the back of the group more or less, waiting until the last laps. I felt good and also the riders were pushing hard so I stayed there,” explained the 15-year-old Colombian.
“Then with 5 laps to go I got into the lead and I pushed hard. I was happy that I could do good laps alone. It was fast but I could not get away. In the last lap I was second but going to be first then one rider hit us all and that finished the race.”
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