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World Endurance: YART Yamaha On Pole For 24 Hours Of Le Mans (Updated)
24 heures Motos - Overall Qualifying Classification - Overall Qualifying Classification
More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events:
YART YAMAHA ON POLE POSITION AT THE 24 HEURES MOTOS
After a hotly disputed second qualifying session at Le Mans, YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team wrested pole position ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team.
After a first qualifying session topped by a whisker by Yoshimura SERT Motul, the Franco-Japanese team lost out by a slight gap to YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team. The Austrian factory team was the only one to have all three riders within 1:35. Karel Hanika, who remained the fastest on track with a 1:35.732 lap, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa were practically within the same tenth of a second in the saddle of the R1 #7.
YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team, who have pocketed the 5 points awarded for pole position, will start from first place on the starting grid ahead of Suzuki Yoshimura SERT Motul (Gregg Black, Xavier Simeon and Sylvain Guintoli) and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Javier Forés).
Tati Team Beringer Racing kept up their efforts. The Kawasaki-mounted independent team (Alan Techer, Sébastien Suchet and Julien Enjolras) are 4th on the grid.
Another independent team stood out today. The VRD Igol Experiences Yamaha is 5th on the grid thanks to Florian Alt, Florian Marino and Nico Terol.
These two bold teams did better than three factory teams, F.C.C. TSR Honda France, Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar and ERC Endurance-Ducati, slowed by crashes this morning.
Moto Ain and 3ART Best of Bike round off the Top 10 at the start of the 24 Heures Motos.
The team missing from the leading pack are Wójcik Racing Team, who are trying to recompose a three-rider line-up in the absence of Gino Rea and Sheridan Morais, unable to be there because of health restrictions, and of Randy Krummenacher, who is competing in World Supersport in Misano.
There was a pitched battle in the Superstock class too. In the end Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers CMS Motostore carried the day ahead of Wójcik Racing Team 2, RAC41 ChromeBurner, Team 33 Louit April Moto, No Limits Motor Team, BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers and National Motos. These teams are grouped together in 11th to 18th place on the grid.
On a cooler track than yesterday afternoon at the Bugatti circuit, the second qualifying was hotly disputed and all the teams improved their performances, which heralds a thrilling race for the opening of the 2021 FIM EWC season.
The 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at midday tomorrow (Saturday) at Le Mans.
Mandy Kainz, team manager YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team
“We are thrilled to get this second pole position in a row at the 24 Heures Motos. We are ready for the race and reassured that Niccolò Canepa is 100% fit after his injury. The race will be hotly fought but we are here to win.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
YART Storm to Second-Consecutive Pole Position in Le Mans
Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa have claimed pole position for the 44th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hour this weekend, setting a combined time of 1:35.804 to go 0.147 seconds clear at the top of the timesheets. The pole position also awards them with five valuable championship points.
YART Yamaha have claimed their second-consecutive Le Mans pole position after a sublime effort from Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa saw them end qualifying just over a tenth clear of second place with a 1:35.804
Six tenths faster than anyone in practice on Thursday morning, the official Yamaha EWC Team got their qualifying underway on Thursday afternoon and were quick out of the blocks. Hanika stormed to the fastest time of the day in the opening session, setting a 1:36.018 to claim first position in the blue riders’ session.
Fritz was next up and, using the same tyres as Hanika, put in a time of a 1:36.395 in session that was interrupted by a red flag. Second position for the German put YART Yamaha in contention to claim provisional pole with just Canepa left to run. Just like team-mate Fritz, the Italian remained on the tyres the team started the session with and despite having less grip, Canepa recorded the third fastest time and saw the team finish the first qualifying in second, just four thousandths behind SERT.
With fresh tyres at their disposal for Friday morning’s cooler qualifying session, YART wasted no time as Czech rider Hanika opened the day’s running. His first lap was good enough for second place but dropped to fourth after a pit stop. Back out on fresh rubber, the 25-year-old immediately picked up the pace, setting the team’s first sub 36 second lap of the event with a 1:35.732, 0.153 seconds quicker than his rivals and just two thousandths shy of the lap record.
With a successful first session completed; the number seven Yamaha was in the hands of Fritz once again as the second session got underway. The German rider took a steady approach to his first few laps but by the mid-way point of the session he had jumped up to second place with a 1:36.405. His next lap was even better, joining team-mate Hanika in the 1:35’s, enough to end the session 0.056 seconds shy of the top spot.
Niccolò Canepa made it a hat-trick of 1:35 lap times as he powered the R1 to first in the red riders’ session. The Italian flew to the top of the timesheets by over three tenths of a second, setting a remarkable 1:35.831 to help his team take back-to-back poles in Le Mans and their third pole in a row.
With all three riders on lap record pace, and the only squad to have all three of their riders under the 1:36’s in qualifying, the team are confident ahead of the FIM Endurance World Championship season opener following strong performances in both the day and night practice sessions.
The VRD IGOL Expériences team also had a strong showing in qualifying. Florian Alt, Florian Marino and Nicolas Terol recorded the fifth fastest time and will start the race as the second highest Yamaha team.
Moto Ain will line up ninth ahead of a quadruple of Yamahas including the Wojcik Racing Team 2 bike who will start 13th. The Wojcik Racing Team suffered a crash early on and recovered to 21st place.
The 44th Edition of the 24 Heures Motos commences at noon on Saturday, June 12th.
Karel Hanika – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Time: 1:35.732
“I’m very happy with our work so far this week, we have showed good pace in both race runs and one lap speed and we earn first five points for the championship! We need to stay focused for the race because the conditions are going to be tough with high temperatures which will be more demanding for both the riders and Bridgestone tyres. But we will try to concentrate on ourselves and keep going lap by lap and hopefully be in a good position for the end of the race.”
Marvin Fritz – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Time: 1:35.849
“We had a great qualifying, but it’s only qualifying and we have a long 24-hours ahead of us. We chose to use one set of tyres on Thursday because we knew our time would come in the second qualifying session on Friday morning. We were the only team to have all of their riders lapping under the 1:36’s which is really good. We are much quicker than last year which shows the great work the team have put in over the winter. We are very well prepared for the race, we need to work out who will start between me and Karel and then we can go from there. We need to make sure we stay focussed on our own race, stay concentrated, bring home some good points and hopefully a trophy!”
Niccolò Canepa – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Time: 1:35.831
“This pole position is special to me after my injury. It’s so nice to be this fast and competitive, so I’m really happy. It was great to claim pole because we get five points for the championship and every point counts in EWC. Now we focus on the race, we know we’re quick and I think the night running will be our best chance to demonstrate our potential with the bike and the Bridgestone tyres. I hope I will be okay to run the full race and fight right till the end.”
Mandy Kainz – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
“Qualifying was good, yesterday we used one set of tyres because we knew the cooler conditions for the second session would suit us better. All three riders were within a tenth of the lap record, Karel missing out by just two thousandths of a second! This is really promising because we didn’t use qualifying tyres, just soft race tyres and immediately the riders were fast. We are confident for the race, two consecutive poles here in Le Mans is good but we need to try and take more from it compared to last year when we unfortunately crashed and finished fourth. But we are happy, pole in Le Mans, Estoril and again this year in Le Mans; this is the maximum we can do! The race will have its own rules so we’ll have to see the outcome. We have the best bike, the best tyres, the best three riders and hopefully the best luck. We’re very happy that Niccolò has returned to his old self, he is very fast and looks in good shape for the race.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
FIM EWC: Third place on the grid for the #37 BMW M 1000 RR and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at the “24 Heures Motos” in Le Mans.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team kicks off its second season in the FIM Endurance World Championship in Le Mans.
Third place on the grid after two-part qualifying on Thursday and Friday.
Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Xavi Forés in action for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team.
Munich. The new #37 BMW M 1000 RR for the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) will start its race debut in Le Mans (FRA) from the front row of the grid. The two-part qualifying for the “24 Heures Motos” took place on Thursday and Friday. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, with regular riders Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Xavi Forés (ESP), ended the two sessions in third place.
The starting positions are determined by taking the average of the respective best times of the individual riders. At 1:36.099 minutes, the average time for Reiterberger, Mikhalchik and Forés was just 0.297 off pole position. The famous 24-hour race gets underway at 12:00 on Saturday.
Two privateer BMW Motorrad Motorsport teams are also in action at the “24 Heures Motos”. Team LRP Poland starts from 20th place with the #90 BMW S 1000 RR, while the Univers Racing/AC Racing team lines up in 35th place on the grid.
Quotes after the Le Mans qualifying.
Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “I am quite happy with qualifying. Third place, only two tenths of a second behind the first place. That was not too bad. All three riders have the same speed, which is really good. As is the same for everyone, the high temperatures are a challenge. It is very hot here. I think that we are well prepared. It will be a very long and tough race in these temperatures – but we are confident.”
Markus Reiterberger: “It was very hot in the first qualifying session yesterday, and that is apparently something we struggle with. The bike behaves differently in these temperatures to during the test in spring. It was cooler today and I was the fastest man in the team with a 1:35 lap on the new tyre – not the Qualifier. We all improved and managed to secure third place on the grid. We saw that we have a slight disadvantage in the heat, but that changes when it gets cooler. Because of this, we must now consider how to pace the race tactically. It is definitely going to be a challenging, long and tough race, but we are feeling positive and excellently prepared.”
Xavi Forés: “Qualifying went quite well for us. We finished in third position and our pace was quite good. But the track conditions were much hotter than when we were here for testing, so our bike is working differently. Overall, it was not too bad. All three riders have been riding on the same pace, which has to be the target especially for the race. So yes, I am happy. The bike is working as we want and we have to be clever for the race. We are looking forward to start it.”
Ilya Mikhalchik: “I am happy about the result. Especially today I had a good feeling. The days before I still was struggling a bit as the temperatures were hotter than during the test in spring and that was a challenge for us. But the team found good solutions for the bike, even for hot conditions, and the tyres started to work quite well. We are confident that we can do a good job. The important thing is to have a good start and to be constant and stable and then, when the night comes, it should be our time, because we were really fast in the cooler temperatures. Let’s hope for a clean race and that we can finish in a top position after 24 hours.”
More, from a press release issued by F.C.C. TSR Honda France:
F.C.C. TSR Honda France qualifies in sixth, RAC41 Chromeburner third in class for the start of the 24h Motos at Le Mans
FIM Endurance World Championship team F.C.C. TSR Honda France will start from sixth position on the grid for the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans
After two very warm qualifying sessions at the Bugatti circuit, FIM Endurance World Championship team F.C.C. TSR Honda France will start from sixth position on the grid for the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. In the Superstock category, RAC41 Chromeburner started strongly to line up third in class for tomorrow’s race.
On Thursday, last year’s winners of the event finished the first qualifying in fifth place with a best lap time in 1:37.221, saving some tyres for the final qualifying as the opening session proved too hot to set a real qualifying pace.
The team also obtained the fifth best time with a 1:36.789 lap during the second qualifying session at Le Mans on Friday. The team wanted to test a new front tyre as the day ended up being much hotter than expected, so it was important to gain data on the harder compound which will be needed for the race. In the third session of the qualifying, a crash from Mike prevented the team from improving the lap time.
The combined qualifying times gave the Honda’s endurance specialists Josh Hook, Mike Di Meglio and Yuki Takahashi, an average lap of 1:36.789 and the team, qualified on sixth place aboard the Fireblade SP.
Further Honda teams lining up for the 24 Heures Motos on the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP include the RAC41 Chromeburner that obtained a strong qualifying, where they finished 14th fastest overall (1:38.518) and third best lap time in the Superstock Category while National Motos will start 18th overall.
The race will be flagged off at 12:00 (CEST) on Saturday 12th June and finished at 12:00 (CEST) on Sunday 13th June.
Josh Hook 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘Qualifying 2 wasn’t too bad. Although it wasn’t the perfect conditions this morning to try the new front tyre, it was working well even in lower temperatures this morning, so it will work for the race that is positive for us. We have a good race bike, and that’s our focus to concentrate on 24 hours, and we believe it will be very strong. Qualifying position doesn’t credit the work we’ve put into but looking forward to the race. I think we can be very consistent and faster.’
Mike Di Meglio 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘I am very disappointed for the team because I had a crash. Josh tried a new front that looked better, and Yuki was with a used tyre in the qualifying before me. I saw that his pace was 36 high, 37 low so I started with used tyres, so with a new front and used rear, and I tried to have a good rhythm. I pushed a lot to be very warm when I will have a new rear tyre, and it was my mistake, I lost the front. We tried to go with the other bike, with the same front tyre, but I couldn’t improve my lap time as there was a damage with the wheel, but better now than at the race. I think it is important that we gained some advice with new tyre for hot temperature.’
Yuki Takahashi 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘I made a crash yesterday so sorry for the team and my team mates. After the crash the team worked very well and today we tried new front tyre that was very good. I have very good feeling with the bike and I pushed a little more and I am happy with my lap time and hope to have a great race tomorrow’.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL SUZUKI 2ND ON LE MANS GRID
Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki: GSX-R1000R – 2nd.
After a hard-fought qualifying session at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team confirmed its status as a serious candidate for victory by setting the second fastest time.
Despite a completely revised line-up for the 2021 season, the team formed by the combination of Japanese Yoshimura and French SERT is already proving to be one of the most formidable in the FIM EWC field. The team gave a clear indication of its sporting potential with a provisional pole position in the first qualifying session on Thursday.
In today’s second qualifying session, the trio of Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon and Sylvain Guintoli continued their efforts. The men at the controls of the reigning world champions Suzuki took advantage of a cooler track than the day before to improve their time significantly.
Black set his best lap of 1.35.915, while Siméon stood out with an excellent time of 1.35.793. Guintoli, the latest team recruit and former World Superbike Champion, finished his last practice session with a time very close to his team-mates in 1.36.145.
At the end of this second qualifying session, the regularity and consistency of the riders paid off. They allow the Yoshimura SERT Motul team to be credited, on the average of the best times, with a time of 1.35.951, only 15 tenths from the pole position. The Suzuki #1 will therefore take off from the second position on the grid of the 44th edition of the 24 Heures Motos, which will start tomorrow, Saturday June 11, at noon.
Gregg Black:
“With all the changes the team has undergone since the end of the 2020 season, we are very happy to be back at the forefront already. We didn’t have much opportunity to ride the bike this winter but we knew that Yoshimura and SERT were working hard on their side. This second place in practice gives us a huge confidence for the race.”
Xavier Siméon:
“Everything went very well and like my team-mates I am very satisfied with the package made by the Yoshimura and SERT teams. The Bridgestone tyres are also very efficient. So we are enjoying the bike. We gave everything we had to get pole position, even if our target is of course to win the race. In the end, the Suzuki is not far from the best time. We therefore have all the assets in hand to aim for the podium of these 24 Heures Motos.”
Sylvain Guintoli:
“Since the start of this project, progress has been continuous. The whole team worked well to get us really close to pole position. We are confident for the race because the bike is efficient and well balanced. This is my first experience in a 24 hour race and I am looking forward to it. I have some questions, of course, but I’m lucky to have a very experienced technical team and riders by my side.”
MotoAmerica: Previews Of The Support Classes Racing At Road America
It’s All Action For Road America This Weekend With MotoAmerica In Town
Superbike, Supersport, Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, King Of The Baggers
And Mini Cup See Record-Breaking Number Of Race Entries
IRVINE, CA (June 10, 2021) – The four miles of Road America racetrack will definitely not be lonely this weekend as the 2021 MotoAmerica Series brings its high-speed show to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for round three of the nine-round championship, with a record-breaking 214 entries set to battle in America’s Dairyland.
Action in the Supersport class has been hot and heavy in the opening two rounds and it will likely be even closer at Road America this weekend. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
In addition to being round three of the 2021 MotoAmerica Series for HONOS Superbike, Supersport, Stock 1000, SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup and Twins Cup, the Road America event will feature round two of the Mission King Of The Baggers and the opening round of the Mini Cup by Motul, which will be held across the paddock at Road America’s karting track.
Supersport: The One-Two Punch
Two men have won Supersport races thus far in 2021 and they are the same two men who won all the races last year: Richie Escalante and Sean Dylan Kelly. Last year at this time, Escalante had won the first four races and they were all held at Road America. This year, it’s been Kelly and his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki who have gotten off to the fast start with wins in the first three races of the year.
Escalante, who won last year’s Supersport title on his HONOS-backed Kawasaki, comes into Road America with a win under his belt from race two at VIRginia International Raceway.
As was the case last year, these two will battle for the title to the very end and it will be interesting to see if any interlopers venture into their domain.
With Escalante struggling to match Kelly’s pace at Road Atlanta, he was happy to turn the tide in the second race at VIRginia International Raceway to win his first race of the season – despite undergoing surgery to repair a broken collarbone suffered in a cycling accident. Kelly comes to Road Atlanta with a 17-point lead, but there’s plenty of racing to come and Road America should be a dogfight.
Third-best at this point in the season is MESA37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa, the privateer team owner/racer was second and third at VIR and sits 48 points out of the lead. He’s nine points ahead of two-time Junior Cup Champion and 2020 Twins Cup Champion Rocco Landers. The 16-year-old Landers earned his first podium in just his second Supersport race on his Landers Racing/Tyrant Designs/Yamaha/Yamalube-backed YZF-R6 and he’s a point ahead of former fellow Junior Cupper Samuel Lochoff and his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Benjamin Smith is the other rider who has shown the ability to run with the lead duo and he earned his first career Supersport podium at VIR on his North East Cycle Outlet Yamaha YZF-R6.
Stock 1000: A Packed Grid
Forty-six racers have entered the Stock 1000 race for their shot at glory in Wisconsin so expect busy practice and qualifying sessions for those trying to make the cut and those trying to survive the traffic jams.
Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis leads the way coming into Road America with the former Superbike rider leading Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert by seven points. Lewis is riding the Suzuki GSX-R1000 that won the championship last year in the hands of Cameron Petersen, who has made the move to the HONOS Superbike class with the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team.
Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman sits third in the series standings, 10 points out of the lead. Wyman joins Lewis, Gilbert and HONOS HVMC Racing’s Cory Alexander as race winners with four different riders winning the first four races. Alexander is fourth in the point standings, just 13 out of the lead, and tied with Geoff May Racing/VisionWheel.com’s Geoff May.
Ashton Yates is the fifth rider within 20 points of the championship lead, the Georgian finishing on the podium in both races at Road Atlanta on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup: All New!
One thing that is absolutely guaranteed in this year’s SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class at Road America… there will be a new champion in the class. That’s because both two-time champion Landers and the man who won three of the first four races at Road America, Dominic Doyle have both graduated to the Supersport class.
The big three coming into Road America are the three race winners from the first four races – Ben Gloddy, Tyler Scott and Cody Wyman.
Gloddy has won twice so far this year, in race two at Road Atlanta and race one at VIR. The Landers Racing rider holds down the championship points lead by 16 points over Scott and his Scott Powersports/KTM. Scott won the very first race of the year – and his first career MotoAmerica race – at Road Atlanta. Wyman, meanwhile, won race two at VIR for what was his first MotoAmerica race victory. Wyman is third, 25 points behind Gloddy.
Twins Cup: Anybody’s Game
Twelve points separate the top five riders in the 2021 Twins Cup Championship and any of the top 10 in the series standings is capable of winning races.
Innovative Motorsports/Mike’s Import’s Teagg Hobbs leads the way coming into Wisconsin with 63 points and two victories on his Suzuki SV650. He holds down a nine-point lead over Pure Attitude Racing’s Trevor Standish, with the SV650 rider just one point ahead of Righteous Racing’s Jody Barry and Robem Engineering’s Kaleb De Keyrel. Both Barry and De Keyrel join Hobbs as race winners four races into the series and both are both racing the new Aprilia RS 660 as the series is turning into a Suzuki vs. Aprilia Championship, though we can’t count out the Yamaha FZ-07/MT-07 of Jackson Blackmon, who is sixth in the series and just 23 points out of first despite missing the first two races due to injury.
Mission King Of The Baggers: Feel The Noise
Like a little not-so-friendly rivalry between manufacturers? Then sit back and enjoy the Mission King Of The Baggers, with the class set to make its Road America debut this weekend after opening its season at Road Atlanta.
This series is all about rivalry: Harley-Davidson vs. Indian. Indian vs. Harley-Davidson. No matter how you look at it, it’s interesting and both are hellbent on beating the other.
So far, Indian has had the upper hand with Tyler O’Hara winning both the debut of the class last year at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and the 2021 series opener at Road Atlanta. While O’Hara ran off track at Laguna and still hunted down and passed Vance & Hines Harley rider Hayden Gillim, he had his hands a bit fuller when Harley-Davidson brought a full factory effort to Road Atlanta with Superbike racer Kyle Wyman leading a lot of the race before giving way to O’Hara.
Harley is serious, though, and both the factory team and the Vance & Hines team are expected to add second riders to their stable for this weekend’s race at Road America. Indian has already established that they have the upper hand. Now it’s time to see if they keep it.
Enjoy the show!
Mini Cup By Motul: Youth Is Served
The youngest racers in MotoAmerica will start their season this weekend on the karting track at Road America as the Mini Cup by Motul Championship gets under way with a full slate of racing action on Saturday.
The Mini Cup by Motul features three classes of racing: 190cc, 160cc and 110cc. With the dominant Rossi Moor no longer racing in Mini Cup, the championship in the 190 class is wide open, led by the rider who ended up second to Moor last year – Jesse James Shedden. Shedden also finished third in the 160cc class to Mikey Lou Sanchez and Moor with Sanchez also taking the 110cc crown in 2020.
Road America Notes
The women racers taking part in Royal Enfield’s Build Train Ride (BTR) program aren’t racing at Road America, but they will be there in full force. Look for Royal Enfield’s semi in the Road America paddock to not only meet the racers, but also take a look at their Royal Enfield Continental GT builds.
Defending Supersport Champion Richie Escalante won all four Supersport races held at Road America last year and left Wisconsin with a 40-point lead in the championship. He was never headed as he stormed to the championship with a 40-point margin over his rival Sean Dylan Kelly at season’s end.
Rocco Landers was a bit shell-shocked at Road America when he lost the first three Junior Cup races of the season to Dominic Doyle. Landers won the fourth race at Road America, however, and never looked back in racing to his second consecutive title in the class. Landers, meanwhile, won his first career Twins Cup race in race three at Road America and eventually captured that title as well. Thus, the 16-year-old moves to the Supersport class this year with three MotoAmerica titles on his resume and 38 wins (29 in Junior Cup, nine in Twins Cup).
PJ Jacobsen and Cameron Petersen split wins in last year’s two Stock 1000 races at Road America. Jacobsen, however, suffered season-ending injuries in the second Road America round.
The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup lap record at Road America is owned by Rocco Landers with his 2:39.192 set in the second event in Elkhart Lake in June; the Twins Cup lap record is owned by Kaleb De Keyrel, a 2:27.355 also coming in the June race; the Supersport lap record at Road America is still held by Garrett Gerloff, who lapped the four-mile circuit in 2:17.675 in 2017; the Stock 1000 lap record is the domain of PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker lapping at 2:15.047 last year.
Podcast: Greg’s Garage Pod With Jason Pridmore, Episode 129
Greg’s Garage Pod with Co-Host Jason Pridmore p/b ARAI – A motorcycle racing Pod about MotoGP, MotoAmerica, and World Superbike, Pro Motocross, American Flat Track, Supercross, and more. If you’d like to support the channel here is our Patreon link:
https://www.patreon.com/gregsgaragetv
In this episode, Co-Hosts Greg White and Jason Pridmore talk:
MotoGP – Round 7 from Catalunya in Spain. My oh my this was a great race, but most of the conversation is about race direction and Fabio Quartararo’s open leathers. The boys break some things down with Jason not so angry in this one.
MotoAmerica – What a weekend it will be in Elkhart Lake, WI! The boys look at the entry list to see the return of Larry Pegram! 36 racers will try and qualify for Honos Superbike. 45+ for Stock1000.
WorldSBK – A quick preview chat about this weekend’s Misano races.
Pro Motocross – Results from Colorado with Roczen the hot hand right now.
Race Calendar/Next Week – MotoAmerica for Elkhart Lake, WorldSBK from Misano, Italy, FIM World Endurance the 24 hours in Le Mans, Freemansburg, PA has another AMA Pro Hill Climb,l Baja 500, WORCS in Idaho, and AMA National Enduro in Greensboro, GA
MotoAmerica: Travis Wyman Joins Harley’s King Of The Baggers Team
RACER TRAVIS WYMAN JOINS HARLEY-DAVIDSON SCREAMIN’ EAGLE FACTORY TEAM FOR KING OF THE BAGGERS SERIES
Brothers Travis and Kyle Wyman to Race Factory Road Glide Special Bikes at Road America
MILWAUKEE (June 10, 2021) – The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory racing team will field multi-talented racer Travis Wyman as a second entry in its MotoAmerica King of the Baggers road racing series. Travis Wyman will race a factory-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide® Special powered by a modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine. He joins his brother, Kyle Wyman, on the two-rider team for the King of the Baggers race June 11-13 at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wis.
In addition to its factory team effort, Harley-Davidson is offering a nearly $30,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson racers competing in the King of the Baggers series.
“We are ready to turn up the heat in MotoAmerica at our home track of Road America by adding Travis to the Screamin’ Eagle factory team,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO Harley-Davidson. “The King of the Baggers series is bringing big excitement for fans, and we’re pleased to add to the show by expanding our team to two top riders representing Harley-Davidson and Screamin’ Eagle.”
The three-round MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series is for race-prepared, American V-Twin touring motorcycles equipped with a fairing and saddlebags. In the series debut on May 2 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Kyle Wyman placed second on the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory Road Glide Special motorcycle.
Travis Wyman is the owner of Travis Wyman Racing, based in Las Vegas. He is currently also competing in MotoAmerica Stock 1000, Honos Superbike and Superbike Cup. The 29-year-old racer finished the 2020 MotoAmerica season in second place in the Superbike Cup and third in the Stock 1000 championship. Travis Wyman also competed in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers invitational race last October at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, scoring a fourth-place finish aboard a Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Kyle and Travis Wyman are the sons of Kim Wyman, owner of Harv’s Harley-Davidson in Macedon, N.Y.
Round two of the King of the Baggers series is June 11-13 at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wis. The series continues July 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Calif.
About the Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine: The Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 is the most-powerful street-compliant performance engine offered by Harley-Davidson. Built from the bottom up in Milwaukee, this 131-cubic-inch (2147cc) Screamin’ Eagle® crate engine delivers 131 ft-lb of torque to the rear wheel, and may be installed in 2017-later Harley-Davidson Touring models.
About Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture with an expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable motorcycles in addition to riding experiences and exceptional motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get Harley-Davidson riders on the road. Learn more at www.harley-davidson.com.
MotoGP: Austrian Rounds To Allow Full-Capacity Fan Attendance
Red Bull Ring to welcome fans back to MotoGP™
Both the Styrian and Austrian Grands Prix set for full fan attendance in 2021
Thursday, 10 June 2021
Dorna Sports is delighted to confirm that both the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria and the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich will welcome fans back to the grandstands in 2021.
Spectator restrictions are being lifted at sporting events in Austria this summer, and the gates of the Red Bull Ring will therefore be open to MotoGP™ fans who are either vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid-19.
Fans will be able to attend the emblematic Spielberg venue at full capacity for both the Styrian and Austrian GPs.
The MotoGP™ paddock will continue to operate as a separate Covid-19 safe bubble at both events.
Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup Is Start Of “SBK Roadway”
SBK® Roadway: a road built to make dreams come true
The first round of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup also marks the start of the new SBK® Roadway programme, a new initiative to help young riders to “build” and reveal their talent in the WorldSBK pathway.
The SBK® Roadway programme is a Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) initiative aiming to integrate emerging talents within the WorldSBK paddock, while giving them the opportunity to compete in a professional racing environment with the ambition to, one day, see them race in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup is the first project set to join the SBK® Roadway initiative. Set to begin at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” throughout the Pirelli Made in Italy Emilia-Romagna Round held from the 11th to the 13th of June 2021, the 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup will take place alongside six rounds of the Championship. The 27 young riders on the provisionally permanent entry list, aged from 12 to 20 years old from all around the globe will compete across six double-header rounds, making it a total of 12 races, as they make their way towards world championship competition.
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director:
“The SBK® Roadway programme is a key initiative for DWO as we aim to develop young talents to the WorldSBK family. It is very important for us to support younger generations in the early stages of their career in a safe and professional environment. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup is the first path to this new programme and we would like to thank Yamaha for joining the initiative. We look forward to building more routes to the SBK® Roadway and discovering the future Champions of WorldSBK.”
World Endurance: How To Watch The 24 Hours Of Le Mans
2021 24 HEURES MOTOS TO BE SHOWN AROUND THE WORLD
Fans around the world will be able to watch thrilling live coverage of the 44th edition of the 24 Heures Motos. Held behind closed doors, the first race of the 2021 FIM EWC season will be flagged off at 12 noon CEST on Saturday 12 June at the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans.
Fans around the world will be able to watch live coverage of the race. To ensure they do not miss out on the spectacular start to the opening race of the world Endurance season, the live coverage will start on Eurosport 2 from 11.45pm on Saturday and continue for the first few hours, and will then transmit the intensity of the last five hours of the race from 7am all the way to the finish line and the podium ceremony.
Eurosport France is also inviting fans to experience the magic of Endurance at night. Besides the start of the race, Eurosport 2 will provide live coverage from 7pm on Saturday to 12.30am on Sunday.
The full race can also be watched live online on Eurosport’s digital platform with commentary in English and French.
Beyond the Eurosport network, the 24 Heures Motos will be available for viewers throughout the world. In France, the channel L’Équipe, which has shown the FIM EWC since 2016, will provide live coverage of the race starting at 11.30am and return in the evening, then show the race live again from 7am on Sunday through to the podium.
RTBF Auvio in Belgium, RTL Play in Luxembourg, Servus TV in Austria and RTVS in Slovakia will all provide full live coverage of the race.
In North America, the platform OTT Motortrend will stream full live coverage, as with all the other races this season.
In Japan, JSports will show live coverage of the start on Saturday from 6.45pm to 10pm JST and again on Sunday from 5pm to 7.30pm.
In New Zealand, Sky NZ will show live coverage of the race.
The international platform Motorsport.tv will give fans a chance to see full live coverage in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
The highlights programme further enlarges the international broadcast of the FIM EWC. In Europe, the highlights will be shown on Sky Sport in Italy, Motowizja in Poland and TV3 Sports, a channel owned by the group AM Baltics. MAV TV will show the highlights in the U.S., SuperSport and StarTimes in Africa, Dubai Sports in the Middle East, Bein Sports in Asia, Nippon TV in Japan, Astro in Malaysia and True Visions in Thailand.
360 EWC Fan Tour
Eurosport Events is further enriching its 360 EWC Fan Tour experience, successfully launched last August at Le Mans. The interactive platform combines virtual reality and 360° videos. It will be available free of cost from midday on Friday 11 June on any computer, tablet, smartphone or VR headset on www.ewc360fantour.com
The programme has 12 videos to transport fans to the heart of Endurance action with on-board tours, a street view-style discovery of the pitlane, a pit stop as experienced by a mechanic, and much more. Three live videos are also programmed before the starting grid and then in the pitlane during the race.
Don’t miss any of the action: follow practice and the race on the website fimewc.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and via the live timing.
MotoAmerica: Gloddy Quickest In Junior Cup FP1 At Road America
This weekend’s results are brought to you by Blud Lubricants – Racing Is In Our Blud!!!
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World Endurance: YART Yamaha On Pole For 24 Hours Of Le Mans (Updated)
24 heures Motos - Overall Qualifying Classification - Overall Qualifying Classification
More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events:
YART YAMAHA ON POLE POSITION AT THE 24 HEURES MOTOS
After a hotly disputed second qualifying session at Le Mans, YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team wrested pole position ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team.
After a first qualifying session topped by a whisker by Yoshimura SERT Motul, the Franco-Japanese team lost out by a slight gap to YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team. The Austrian factory team was the only one to have all three riders within 1:35. Karel Hanika, who remained the fastest on track with a 1:35.732 lap, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa were practically within the same tenth of a second in the saddle of the R1 #7.
YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team, who have pocketed the 5 points awarded for pole position, will start from first place on the starting grid ahead of Suzuki Yoshimura SERT Motul (Gregg Black, Xavier Simeon and Sylvain Guintoli) and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team (Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Javier Forés).
Tati Team Beringer Racing kept up their efforts. The Kawasaki-mounted independent team (Alan Techer, Sébastien Suchet and Julien Enjolras) are 4th on the grid.
Another independent team stood out today. The VRD Igol Experiences Yamaha is 5th on the grid thanks to Florian Alt, Florian Marino and Nico Terol.
These two bold teams did better than three factory teams, F.C.C. TSR Honda France, Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar and ERC Endurance-Ducati, slowed by crashes this morning.
Moto Ain and 3ART Best of Bike round off the Top 10 at the start of the 24 Heures Motos.
The team missing from the leading pack are Wójcik Racing Team, who are trying to recompose a three-rider line-up in the absence of Gino Rea and Sheridan Morais, unable to be there because of health restrictions, and of Randy Krummenacher, who is competing in World Supersport in Misano.
There was a pitched battle in the Superstock class too. In the end Team 18 Sapeurs-Pompiers CMS Motostore carried the day ahead of Wójcik Racing Team 2, RAC41 ChromeBurner, Team 33 Louit April Moto, No Limits Motor Team, BMRT 3D Maxxess Nevers and National Motos. These teams are grouped together in 11th to 18th place on the grid.
On a cooler track than yesterday afternoon at the Bugatti circuit, the second qualifying was hotly disputed and all the teams improved their performances, which heralds a thrilling race for the opening of the 2021 FIM EWC season.
The 24 Heures Motos will be flagged off at midday tomorrow (Saturday) at Le Mans.
Mandy Kainz, team manager YART–Yamaha Official EWC Team
“We are thrilled to get this second pole position in a row at the 24 Heures Motos. We are ready for the race and reassured that Niccolò Canepa is 100% fit after his injury. The race will be hotly fought but we are here to win.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:
YART Storm to Second-Consecutive Pole Position in Le Mans
Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa have claimed pole position for the 44th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hour this weekend, setting a combined time of 1:35.804 to go 0.147 seconds clear at the top of the timesheets. The pole position also awards them with five valuable championship points.
YART Yamaha have claimed their second-consecutive Le Mans pole position after a sublime effort from Karel Hanika, Marvin Fritz and Niccolò Canepa saw them end qualifying just over a tenth clear of second place with a 1:35.804
Six tenths faster than anyone in practice on Thursday morning, the official Yamaha EWC Team got their qualifying underway on Thursday afternoon and were quick out of the blocks. Hanika stormed to the fastest time of the day in the opening session, setting a 1:36.018 to claim first position in the blue riders’ session.
Fritz was next up and, using the same tyres as Hanika, put in a time of a 1:36.395 in session that was interrupted by a red flag. Second position for the German put YART Yamaha in contention to claim provisional pole with just Canepa left to run. Just like team-mate Fritz, the Italian remained on the tyres the team started the session with and despite having less grip, Canepa recorded the third fastest time and saw the team finish the first qualifying in second, just four thousandths behind SERT.
With fresh tyres at their disposal for Friday morning’s cooler qualifying session, YART wasted no time as Czech rider Hanika opened the day’s running. His first lap was good enough for second place but dropped to fourth after a pit stop. Back out on fresh rubber, the 25-year-old immediately picked up the pace, setting the team’s first sub 36 second lap of the event with a 1:35.732, 0.153 seconds quicker than his rivals and just two thousandths shy of the lap record.
With a successful first session completed; the number seven Yamaha was in the hands of Fritz once again as the second session got underway. The German rider took a steady approach to his first few laps but by the mid-way point of the session he had jumped up to second place with a 1:36.405. His next lap was even better, joining team-mate Hanika in the 1:35’s, enough to end the session 0.056 seconds shy of the top spot.
Niccolò Canepa made it a hat-trick of 1:35 lap times as he powered the R1 to first in the red riders’ session. The Italian flew to the top of the timesheets by over three tenths of a second, setting a remarkable 1:35.831 to help his team take back-to-back poles in Le Mans and their third pole in a row.
With all three riders on lap record pace, and the only squad to have all three of their riders under the 1:36’s in qualifying, the team are confident ahead of the FIM Endurance World Championship season opener following strong performances in both the day and night practice sessions.
The VRD IGOL Expériences team also had a strong showing in qualifying. Florian Alt, Florian Marino and Nicolas Terol recorded the fifth fastest time and will start the race as the second highest Yamaha team.
Moto Ain will line up ninth ahead of a quadruple of Yamahas including the Wojcik Racing Team 2 bike who will start 13th. The Wojcik Racing Team suffered a crash early on and recovered to 21st place.
The 44th Edition of the 24 Heures Motos commences at noon on Saturday, June 12th.
Karel Hanika – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Time: 1:35.732
“I’m very happy with our work so far this week, we have showed good pace in both race runs and one lap speed and we earn first five points for the championship! We need to stay focused for the race because the conditions are going to be tough with high temperatures which will be more demanding for both the riders and Bridgestone tyres. But we will try to concentrate on ourselves and keep going lap by lap and hopefully be in a good position for the end of the race.”
Marvin Fritz – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Time: 1:35.849
“We had a great qualifying, but it’s only qualifying and we have a long 24-hours ahead of us. We chose to use one set of tyres on Thursday because we knew our time would come in the second qualifying session on Friday morning. We were the only team to have all of their riders lapping under the 1:36’s which is really good. We are much quicker than last year which shows the great work the team have put in over the winter. We are very well prepared for the race, we need to work out who will start between me and Karel and then we can go from there. We need to make sure we stay focussed on our own race, stay concentrated, bring home some good points and hopefully a trophy!”
Niccolò Canepa – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Time: 1:35.831
“This pole position is special to me after my injury. It’s so nice to be this fast and competitive, so I’m really happy. It was great to claim pole because we get five points for the championship and every point counts in EWC. Now we focus on the race, we know we’re quick and I think the night running will be our best chance to demonstrate our potential with the bike and the Bridgestone tyres. I hope I will be okay to run the full race and fight right till the end.”
Mandy Kainz – YART Yamaha Official EWC Team, Team Manager
“Qualifying was good, yesterday we used one set of tyres because we knew the cooler conditions for the second session would suit us better. All three riders were within a tenth of the lap record, Karel missing out by just two thousandths of a second! This is really promising because we didn’t use qualifying tyres, just soft race tyres and immediately the riders were fast. We are confident for the race, two consecutive poles here in Le Mans is good but we need to try and take more from it compared to last year when we unfortunately crashed and finished fourth. But we are happy, pole in Le Mans, Estoril and again this year in Le Mans; this is the maximum we can do! The race will have its own rules so we’ll have to see the outcome. We have the best bike, the best tyres, the best three riders and hopefully the best luck. We’re very happy that Niccolò has returned to his old self, he is very fast and looks in good shape for the race.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
FIM EWC: Third place on the grid for the #37 BMW M 1000 RR and the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at the “24 Heures Motos” in Le Mans.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team kicks off its second season in the FIM Endurance World Championship in Le Mans.
Third place on the grid after two-part qualifying on Thursday and Friday.
Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Xavi Forés in action for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team.
Munich. The new #37 BMW M 1000 RR for the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC) will start its race debut in Le Mans (FRA) from the front row of the grid. The two-part qualifying for the “24 Heures Motos” took place on Thursday and Friday. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, with regular riders Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Xavi Forés (ESP), ended the two sessions in third place.
The starting positions are determined by taking the average of the respective best times of the individual riders. At 1:36.099 minutes, the average time for Reiterberger, Mikhalchik and Forés was just 0.297 off pole position. The famous 24-hour race gets underway at 12:00 on Saturday.
Two privateer BMW Motorrad Motorsport teams are also in action at the “24 Heures Motos”. Team LRP Poland starts from 20th place with the #90 BMW S 1000 RR, while the Univers Racing/AC Racing team lines up in 35th place on the grid.
Quotes after the Le Mans qualifying.
Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “I am quite happy with qualifying. Third place, only two tenths of a second behind the first place. That was not too bad. All three riders have the same speed, which is really good. As is the same for everyone, the high temperatures are a challenge. It is very hot here. I think that we are well prepared. It will be a very long and tough race in these temperatures – but we are confident.”
Markus Reiterberger: “It was very hot in the first qualifying session yesterday, and that is apparently something we struggle with. The bike behaves differently in these temperatures to during the test in spring. It was cooler today and I was the fastest man in the team with a 1:35 lap on the new tyre – not the Qualifier. We all improved and managed to secure third place on the grid. We saw that we have a slight disadvantage in the heat, but that changes when it gets cooler. Because of this, we must now consider how to pace the race tactically. It is definitely going to be a challenging, long and tough race, but we are feeling positive and excellently prepared.”
Xavi Forés: “Qualifying went quite well for us. We finished in third position and our pace was quite good. But the track conditions were much hotter than when we were here for testing, so our bike is working differently. Overall, it was not too bad. All three riders have been riding on the same pace, which has to be the target especially for the race. So yes, I am happy. The bike is working as we want and we have to be clever for the race. We are looking forward to start it.”
Ilya Mikhalchik: “I am happy about the result. Especially today I had a good feeling. The days before I still was struggling a bit as the temperatures were hotter than during the test in spring and that was a challenge for us. But the team found good solutions for the bike, even for hot conditions, and the tyres started to work quite well. We are confident that we can do a good job. The important thing is to have a good start and to be constant and stable and then, when the night comes, it should be our time, because we were really fast in the cooler temperatures. Let’s hope for a clean race and that we can finish in a top position after 24 hours.”
More, from a press release issued by F.C.C. TSR Honda France:
F.C.C. TSR Honda France qualifies in sixth, RAC41 Chromeburner third in class for the start of the 24h Motos at Le Mans
FIM Endurance World Championship team F.C.C. TSR Honda France will start from sixth position on the grid for the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans
After two very warm qualifying sessions at the Bugatti circuit, FIM Endurance World Championship team F.C.C. TSR Honda France will start from sixth position on the grid for the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. In the Superstock category, RAC41 Chromeburner started strongly to line up third in class for tomorrow’s race.
On Thursday, last year’s winners of the event finished the first qualifying in fifth place with a best lap time in 1:37.221, saving some tyres for the final qualifying as the opening session proved too hot to set a real qualifying pace.
The team also obtained the fifth best time with a 1:36.789 lap during the second qualifying session at Le Mans on Friday. The team wanted to test a new front tyre as the day ended up being much hotter than expected, so it was important to gain data on the harder compound which will be needed for the race. In the third session of the qualifying, a crash from Mike prevented the team from improving the lap time.
The combined qualifying times gave the Honda’s endurance specialists Josh Hook, Mike Di Meglio and Yuki Takahashi, an average lap of 1:36.789 and the team, qualified on sixth place aboard the Fireblade SP.
Further Honda teams lining up for the 24 Heures Motos on the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP include the RAC41 Chromeburner that obtained a strong qualifying, where they finished 14th fastest overall (1:38.518) and third best lap time in the Superstock Category while National Motos will start 18th overall.
The race will be flagged off at 12:00 (CEST) on Saturday 12th June and finished at 12:00 (CEST) on Sunday 13th June.
Josh Hook 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘Qualifying 2 wasn’t too bad. Although it wasn’t the perfect conditions this morning to try the new front tyre, it was working well even in lower temperatures this morning, so it will work for the race that is positive for us. We have a good race bike, and that’s our focus to concentrate on 24 hours, and we believe it will be very strong. Qualifying position doesn’t credit the work we’ve put into but looking forward to the race. I think we can be very consistent and faster.’
Mike Di Meglio 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘I am very disappointed for the team because I had a crash. Josh tried a new front that looked better, and Yuki was with a used tyre in the qualifying before me. I saw that his pace was 36 high, 37 low so I started with used tyres, so with a new front and used rear, and I tried to have a good rhythm. I pushed a lot to be very warm when I will have a new rear tyre, and it was my mistake, I lost the front. We tried to go with the other bike, with the same front tyre, but I couldn’t improve my lap time as there was a damage with the wheel, but better now than at the race. I think it is important that we gained some advice with new tyre for hot temperature.’
Yuki Takahashi 5
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
‘I made a crash yesterday so sorry for the team and my team mates. After the crash the team worked very well and today we tried new front tyre that was very good. I have very good feeling with the bike and I pushed a little more and I am happy with my lap time and hope to have a great race tomorrow’.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL SUZUKI 2ND ON LE MANS GRID
Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki: GSX-R1000R – 2nd.
After a hard-fought qualifying session at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, the Yoshimura SERT Motul team confirmed its status as a serious candidate for victory by setting the second fastest time.
Despite a completely revised line-up for the 2021 season, the team formed by the combination of Japanese Yoshimura and French SERT is already proving to be one of the most formidable in the FIM EWC field. The team gave a clear indication of its sporting potential with a provisional pole position in the first qualifying session on Thursday.
In today’s second qualifying session, the trio of Gregg Black, Xavier Siméon and Sylvain Guintoli continued their efforts. The men at the controls of the reigning world champions Suzuki took advantage of a cooler track than the day before to improve their time significantly.
Black set his best lap of 1.35.915, while Siméon stood out with an excellent time of 1.35.793. Guintoli, the latest team recruit and former World Superbike Champion, finished his last practice session with a time very close to his team-mates in 1.36.145.
At the end of this second qualifying session, the regularity and consistency of the riders paid off. They allow the Yoshimura SERT Motul team to be credited, on the average of the best times, with a time of 1.35.951, only 15 tenths from the pole position. The Suzuki #1 will therefore take off from the second position on the grid of the 44th edition of the 24 Heures Motos, which will start tomorrow, Saturday June 11, at noon.
Gregg Black:
“With all the changes the team has undergone since the end of the 2020 season, we are very happy to be back at the forefront already. We didn’t have much opportunity to ride the bike this winter but we knew that Yoshimura and SERT were working hard on their side. This second place in practice gives us a huge confidence for the race.”
Xavier Siméon:
“Everything went very well and like my team-mates I am very satisfied with the package made by the Yoshimura and SERT teams. The Bridgestone tyres are also very efficient. So we are enjoying the bike. We gave everything we had to get pole position, even if our target is of course to win the race. In the end, the Suzuki is not far from the best time. We therefore have all the assets in hand to aim for the podium of these 24 Heures Motos.”
Sylvain Guintoli:
“Since the start of this project, progress has been continuous. The whole team worked well to get us really close to pole position. We are confident for the race because the bike is efficient and well balanced. This is my first experience in a 24 hour race and I am looking forward to it. I have some questions, of course, but I’m lucky to have a very experienced technical team and riders by my side.”
World Supersport: Gonzalez Goes To The Top In FP1 At Misano
World Superbike: Razgatlioglu P1, Gerloff P3 In FP1 At Misano
MotoAmerica: Previews Of The Support Classes Racing At Road America
It’s All Action For Road America This Weekend With MotoAmerica In Town
Superbike, Supersport, Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, King Of The Baggers
And Mini Cup See Record-Breaking Number Of Race Entries
IRVINE, CA (June 10, 2021) – The four miles of Road America racetrack will definitely not be lonely this weekend as the 2021 MotoAmerica Series brings its high-speed show to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for round three of the nine-round championship, with a record-breaking 214 entries set to battle in America’s Dairyland.
Action in the Supersport class has been hot and heavy in the opening two rounds and it will likely be even closer at Road America this weekend. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
In addition to being round three of the 2021 MotoAmerica Series for HONOS Superbike, Supersport, Stock 1000, SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup and Twins Cup, the Road America event will feature round two of the Mission King Of The Baggers and the opening round of the Mini Cup by Motul, which will be held across the paddock at Road America’s karting track.
Supersport: The One-Two Punch
Two men have won Supersport races thus far in 2021 and they are the same two men who won all the races last year: Richie Escalante and Sean Dylan Kelly. Last year at this time, Escalante had won the first four races and they were all held at Road America. This year, it’s been Kelly and his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki who have gotten off to the fast start with wins in the first three races of the year.
Escalante, who won last year’s Supersport title on his HONOS-backed Kawasaki, comes into Road America with a win under his belt from race two at VIRginia International Raceway.
As was the case last year, these two will battle for the title to the very end and it will be interesting to see if any interlopers venture into their domain.
With Escalante struggling to match Kelly’s pace at Road Atlanta, he was happy to turn the tide in the second race at VIRginia International Raceway to win his first race of the season – despite undergoing surgery to repair a broken collarbone suffered in a cycling accident. Kelly comes to Road Atlanta with a 17-point lead, but there’s plenty of racing to come and Road America should be a dogfight.
Third-best at this point in the season is MESA37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa, the privateer team owner/racer was second and third at VIR and sits 48 points out of the lead. He’s nine points ahead of two-time Junior Cup Champion and 2020 Twins Cup Champion Rocco Landers. The 16-year-old Landers earned his first podium in just his second Supersport race on his Landers Racing/Tyrant Designs/Yamaha/Yamalube-backed YZF-R6 and he’s a point ahead of former fellow Junior Cupper Samuel Lochoff and his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.
Benjamin Smith is the other rider who has shown the ability to run with the lead duo and he earned his first career Supersport podium at VIR on his North East Cycle Outlet Yamaha YZF-R6.
Stock 1000: A Packed Grid
Forty-six racers have entered the Stock 1000 race for their shot at glory in Wisconsin so expect busy practice and qualifying sessions for those trying to make the cut and those trying to survive the traffic jams.
Altus Motorsports’ Jake Lewis leads the way coming into Road America with the former Superbike rider leading Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert by seven points. Lewis is riding the Suzuki GSX-R1000 that won the championship last year in the hands of Cameron Petersen, who has made the move to the HONOS Superbike class with the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team.
Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman sits third in the series standings, 10 points out of the lead. Wyman joins Lewis, Gilbert and HONOS HVMC Racing’s Cory Alexander as race winners with four different riders winning the first four races. Alexander is fourth in the point standings, just 13 out of the lead, and tied with Geoff May Racing/VisionWheel.com’s Geoff May.
Ashton Yates is the fifth rider within 20 points of the championship lead, the Georgian finishing on the podium in both races at Road Atlanta on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup: All New!
One thing that is absolutely guaranteed in this year’s SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class at Road America… there will be a new champion in the class. That’s because both two-time champion Landers and the man who won three of the first four races at Road America, Dominic Doyle have both graduated to the Supersport class.
The big three coming into Road America are the three race winners from the first four races – Ben Gloddy, Tyler Scott and Cody Wyman.
Gloddy has won twice so far this year, in race two at Road Atlanta and race one at VIR. The Landers Racing rider holds down the championship points lead by 16 points over Scott and his Scott Powersports/KTM. Scott won the very first race of the year – and his first career MotoAmerica race – at Road Atlanta. Wyman, meanwhile, won race two at VIR for what was his first MotoAmerica race victory. Wyman is third, 25 points behind Gloddy.
Twins Cup: Anybody’s Game
Twelve points separate the top five riders in the 2021 Twins Cup Championship and any of the top 10 in the series standings is capable of winning races.
Innovative Motorsports/Mike’s Import’s Teagg Hobbs leads the way coming into Wisconsin with 63 points and two victories on his Suzuki SV650. He holds down a nine-point lead over Pure Attitude Racing’s Trevor Standish, with the SV650 rider just one point ahead of Righteous Racing’s Jody Barry and Robem Engineering’s Kaleb De Keyrel. Both Barry and De Keyrel join Hobbs as race winners four races into the series and both are both racing the new Aprilia RS 660 as the series is turning into a Suzuki vs. Aprilia Championship, though we can’t count out the Yamaha FZ-07/MT-07 of Jackson Blackmon, who is sixth in the series and just 23 points out of first despite missing the first two races due to injury.
Mission King Of The Baggers: Feel The Noise
Like a little not-so-friendly rivalry between manufacturers? Then sit back and enjoy the Mission King Of The Baggers, with the class set to make its Road America debut this weekend after opening its season at Road Atlanta.
This series is all about rivalry: Harley-Davidson vs. Indian. Indian vs. Harley-Davidson. No matter how you look at it, it’s interesting and both are hellbent on beating the other.
So far, Indian has had the upper hand with Tyler O’Hara winning both the debut of the class last year at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and the 2021 series opener at Road Atlanta. While O’Hara ran off track at Laguna and still hunted down and passed Vance & Hines Harley rider Hayden Gillim, he had his hands a bit fuller when Harley-Davidson brought a full factory effort to Road Atlanta with Superbike racer Kyle Wyman leading a lot of the race before giving way to O’Hara.
Harley is serious, though, and both the factory team and the Vance & Hines team are expected to add second riders to their stable for this weekend’s race at Road America. Indian has already established that they have the upper hand. Now it’s time to see if they keep it.
Enjoy the show!
Mini Cup By Motul: Youth Is Served
The youngest racers in MotoAmerica will start their season this weekend on the karting track at Road America as the Mini Cup by Motul Championship gets under way with a full slate of racing action on Saturday.
The Mini Cup by Motul features three classes of racing: 190cc, 160cc and 110cc. With the dominant Rossi Moor no longer racing in Mini Cup, the championship in the 190 class is wide open, led by the rider who ended up second to Moor last year – Jesse James Shedden. Shedden also finished third in the 160cc class to Mikey Lou Sanchez and Moor with Sanchez also taking the 110cc crown in 2020.
Road America Notes
The women racers taking part in Royal Enfield’s Build Train Ride (BTR) program aren’t racing at Road America, but they will be there in full force. Look for Royal Enfield’s semi in the Road America paddock to not only meet the racers, but also take a look at their Royal Enfield Continental GT builds.
Defending Supersport Champion Richie Escalante won all four Supersport races held at Road America last year and left Wisconsin with a 40-point lead in the championship. He was never headed as he stormed to the championship with a 40-point margin over his rival Sean Dylan Kelly at season’s end.
Rocco Landers was a bit shell-shocked at Road America when he lost the first three Junior Cup races of the season to Dominic Doyle. Landers won the fourth race at Road America, however, and never looked back in racing to his second consecutive title in the class. Landers, meanwhile, won his first career Twins Cup race in race three at Road America and eventually captured that title as well. Thus, the 16-year-old moves to the Supersport class this year with three MotoAmerica titles on his resume and 38 wins (29 in Junior Cup, nine in Twins Cup).
PJ Jacobsen and Cameron Petersen split wins in last year’s two Stock 1000 races at Road America. Jacobsen, however, suffered season-ending injuries in the second Road America round.
The SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup lap record at Road America is owned by Rocco Landers with his 2:39.192 set in the second event in Elkhart Lake in June; the Twins Cup lap record is owned by Kaleb De Keyrel, a 2:27.355 also coming in the June race; the Supersport lap record at Road America is still held by Garrett Gerloff, who lapped the four-mile circuit in 2:17.675 in 2017; the Stock 1000 lap record is the domain of PJ Jacobsen with the New Yorker lapping at 2:15.047 last year.
Podcast: Greg’s Garage Pod With Jason Pridmore, Episode 129
Greg’s Garage Pod with Co-Host Jason Pridmore p/b ARAI – A motorcycle racing Pod about MotoGP, MotoAmerica, and World Superbike, Pro Motocross, American Flat Track, Supercross, and more. If you’d like to support the channel here is our Patreon link:
https://www.patreon.com/gregsgaragetv
In this episode, Co-Hosts Greg White and Jason Pridmore talk:
MotoGP – Round 7 from Catalunya in Spain. My oh my this was a great race, but most of the conversation is about race direction and Fabio Quartararo’s open leathers. The boys break some things down with Jason not so angry in this one.
MotoAmerica – What a weekend it will be in Elkhart Lake, WI! The boys look at the entry list to see the return of Larry Pegram! 36 racers will try and qualify for Honos Superbike. 45+ for Stock1000.
WorldSBK – A quick preview chat about this weekend’s Misano races.
Pro Motocross – Results from Colorado with Roczen the hot hand right now.
Race Calendar/Next Week – MotoAmerica for Elkhart Lake, WorldSBK from Misano, Italy, FIM World Endurance the 24 hours in Le Mans, Freemansburg, PA has another AMA Pro Hill Climb,l Baja 500, WORCS in Idaho, and AMA National Enduro in Greensboro, GA
MotoAmerica: Travis Wyman Joins Harley’s King Of The Baggers Team
RACER TRAVIS WYMAN JOINS HARLEY-DAVIDSON SCREAMIN’ EAGLE FACTORY TEAM FOR KING OF THE BAGGERS SERIES
Brothers Travis and Kyle Wyman to Race Factory Road Glide Special Bikes at Road America
MILWAUKEE (June 10, 2021) – The Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory racing team will field multi-talented racer Travis Wyman as a second entry in its MotoAmerica King of the Baggers road racing series. Travis Wyman will race a factory-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide® Special powered by a modified Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine. He joins his brother, Kyle Wyman, on the two-rider team for the King of the Baggers race June 11-13 at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wis.
In addition to its factory team effort, Harley-Davidson is offering a nearly $30,000 cash contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson racers competing in the King of the Baggers series.
“We are ready to turn up the heat in MotoAmerica at our home track of Road America by adding Travis to the Screamin’ Eagle factory team,” said Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president, and CEO Harley-Davidson. “The King of the Baggers series is bringing big excitement for fans, and we’re pleased to add to the show by expanding our team to two top riders representing Harley-Davidson and Screamin’ Eagle.”
The three-round MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series is for race-prepared, American V-Twin touring motorcycles equipped with a fairing and saddlebags. In the series debut on May 2 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Kyle Wyman placed second on the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory Road Glide Special motorcycle.
Travis Wyman is the owner of Travis Wyman Racing, based in Las Vegas. He is currently also competing in MotoAmerica Stock 1000, Honos Superbike and Superbike Cup. The 29-year-old racer finished the 2020 MotoAmerica season in second place in the Superbike Cup and third in the Stock 1000 championship. Travis Wyman also competed in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers invitational race last October at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, scoring a fourth-place finish aboard a Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Kyle and Travis Wyman are the sons of Kim Wyman, owner of Harv’s Harley-Davidson in Macedon, N.Y.
Round two of the King of the Baggers series is June 11-13 at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wis. The series continues July 9-11 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Calif.
About the Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine: The Screamin’ Eagle® Milwaukee-Eight 131 is the most-powerful street-compliant performance engine offered by Harley-Davidson. Built from the bottom up in Milwaukee, this 131-cubic-inch (2147cc) Screamin’ Eagle® crate engine delivers 131 ft-lb of torque to the rear wheel, and may be installed in 2017-later Harley-Davidson Touring models.
About Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision: Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture with an expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable motorcycles in addition to riding experiences and exceptional motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs to help get Harley-Davidson riders on the road. Learn more at www.harley-davidson.com.
MotoGP: Austrian Rounds To Allow Full-Capacity Fan Attendance
Red Bull Ring to welcome fans back to MotoGP™
Both the Styrian and Austrian Grands Prix set for full fan attendance in 2021
Thursday, 10 June 2021
Dorna Sports is delighted to confirm that both the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria and the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich will welcome fans back to the grandstands in 2021.
Spectator restrictions are being lifted at sporting events in Austria this summer, and the gates of the Red Bull Ring will therefore be open to MotoGP™ fans who are either vaccinated, tested or recovered from Covid-19.
Fans will be able to attend the emblematic Spielberg venue at full capacity for both the Styrian and Austrian GPs.
The MotoGP™ paddock will continue to operate as a separate Covid-19 safe bubble at both events.
Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup Is Start Of “SBK Roadway”
SBK® Roadway: a road built to make dreams come true
The first round of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup also marks the start of the new SBK® Roadway programme, a new initiative to help young riders to “build” and reveal their talent in the WorldSBK pathway.
The SBK® Roadway programme is a Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) initiative aiming to integrate emerging talents within the WorldSBK paddock, while giving them the opportunity to compete in a professional racing environment with the ambition to, one day, see them race in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup is the first project set to join the SBK® Roadway initiative. Set to begin at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” throughout the Pirelli Made in Italy Emilia-Romagna Round held from the 11th to the 13th of June 2021, the 2021 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup will take place alongside six rounds of the Championship. The 27 young riders on the provisionally permanent entry list, aged from 12 to 20 years old from all around the globe will compete across six double-header rounds, making it a total of 12 races, as they make their way towards world championship competition.
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director:
“The SBK® Roadway programme is a key initiative for DWO as we aim to develop young talents to the WorldSBK family. It is very important for us to support younger generations in the early stages of their career in a safe and professional environment. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup is the first path to this new programme and we would like to thank Yamaha for joining the initiative. We look forward to building more routes to the SBK® Roadway and discovering the future Champions of WorldSBK.”
World Endurance: How To Watch The 24 Hours Of Le Mans
2021 24 HEURES MOTOS TO BE SHOWN AROUND THE WORLD
Fans around the world will be able to watch thrilling live coverage of the 44th edition of the 24 Heures Motos. Held behind closed doors, the first race of the 2021 FIM EWC season will be flagged off at 12 noon CEST on Saturday 12 June at the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans.
Fans around the world will be able to watch live coverage of the race. To ensure they do not miss out on the spectacular start to the opening race of the world Endurance season, the live coverage will start on Eurosport 2 from 11.45pm on Saturday and continue for the first few hours, and will then transmit the intensity of the last five hours of the race from 7am all the way to the finish line and the podium ceremony.
Eurosport France is also inviting fans to experience the magic of Endurance at night. Besides the start of the race, Eurosport 2 will provide live coverage from 7pm on Saturday to 12.30am on Sunday.
The full race can also be watched live online on Eurosport’s digital platform with commentary in English and French.
Beyond the Eurosport network, the 24 Heures Motos will be available for viewers throughout the world. In France, the channel L’Équipe, which has shown the FIM EWC since 2016, will provide live coverage of the race starting at 11.30am and return in the evening, then show the race live again from 7am on Sunday through to the podium.
RTBF Auvio in Belgium, RTL Play in Luxembourg, Servus TV in Austria and RTVS in Slovakia will all provide full live coverage of the race.
In North America, the platform OTT Motortrend will stream full live coverage, as with all the other races this season.
In Japan, JSports will show live coverage of the start on Saturday from 6.45pm to 10pm JST and again on Sunday from 5pm to 7.30pm.
In New Zealand, Sky NZ will show live coverage of the race.
The international platform Motorsport.tv will give fans a chance to see full live coverage in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
The highlights programme further enlarges the international broadcast of the FIM EWC. In Europe, the highlights will be shown on Sky Sport in Italy, Motowizja in Poland and TV3 Sports, a channel owned by the group AM Baltics. MAV TV will show the highlights in the U.S., SuperSport and StarTimes in Africa, Dubai Sports in the Middle East, Bein Sports in Asia, Nippon TV in Japan, Astro in Malaysia and True Visions in Thailand.
360 EWC Fan Tour
Eurosport Events is further enriching its 360 EWC Fan Tour experience, successfully launched last August at Le Mans. The interactive platform combines virtual reality and 360° videos. It will be available free of cost from midday on Friday 11 June on any computer, tablet, smartphone or VR headset on www.ewc360fantour.com
The programme has 12 videos to transport fans to the heart of Endurance action with on-board tours, a street view-style discovery of the pitlane, a pit stop as experienced by a mechanic, and much more. Three live videos are also programmed before the starting grid and then in the pitlane during the race.
Don’t miss any of the action: follow practice and the race on the website fimewc.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and via the live timing.