World’s most coveted motorcycle goes to Auction Friday April 30 at Mecum Las Vegas
This legendary 1938 Vincent-HRD Series A Rapide is among the most coveted motorcycles in the world as both the original Vincent V-twin and the fastest motorcycle in the world in its day, knocking the Brough Superior SS100 off its perch.
This extremely rare pre-war superbike is built from an original 1938 Rapide engine mated with an original 1939 frame, which has been correctly and beautifully restored by a renowned Vincent expert using OEM parts wherever possible. It’s a well-known machine in the Vincent Owner’s Club, one of 78 originally produced and the only one available at the moment, as few owners sell their pre-war Rapides. They are the ultimate Vincent twin and among the most desirable motorcycles in the world.
The story of HRD-Vincent goes back to motorcycle racer-turned-manufacturer Howard R. Davies, who leveraged his racing success into a small motorcycle building business. Davies remains the only man to have won a Senior (500cc) Isle of Man TT on a 350cc (Junior) machine, riding for AJS in 1921. He built his own excellent sports machines from 1924, but quickly found himself in financial trouble and the H.R.D. brand was sold to a young Philip Vincent in 1928.
Vincent’s father had made a fortune ranching beef in Argentina, and young Philip Vincent had ideas to incorporate rear springing for the chassis of motorcycles, which he patented, and had the opportunity to test with his own business. Calling his machines Vincent-HRD, he used JAP and Rudge engines in Vincent’s ugly duckling chassis design. It took Australian engineer Phil Irving to bring life and enduring fame to the Vincent-HRD company, designing a high-camshaft 500cc single-cylinder engine for the new Meteor and Comet models for 1934.
Within two years, the single was doubled up to become the 998cc V-twin Rapide model of 1936. It was the fastest production motorcycle in the world at the time with a 110 MPH top speed. The engine was the heart of the beast, and it was slightly let down by its choice of a Burman clutch and gearbox, but in truth only one British gearbox was designed to handle the 50 HP of the Rapide and it was owned by Norton at the time. Regardless, road testers and the few lucky owners were full of praise for the new Rapide, as it handled well and braked very well for the day, with two drum brakes on both the front and rear wheels—and, it went like a rocket.
This rare and most coveted motorcycle goes to auction Friday, April 30 at Mecum in Las Vegas. A once-a-decade opportunity to buy a majorly collectible, running, & museum quality Vincent Series A Rapide Twin. The link to the Mecum auction lot F183 for bidding is https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0121-474902/1938-vincent-hrd-series-a-twin/
• Original 1938 998cc engine with an original 1939 frame
• Correct restoration completed by a renowned Vincent expert
• Extensive use of original factory non-reproduction parts
• Vincent Owners Club ‘VOC’ certificate
• One of approximately 78 produced
• Engine No. V1016 (Manufacture Date January, 14 1938)
• Frame No DV1755 (Manufacture Date June, 14 1939)
Road Atlanta Here We Come: MotoAmerica Support Classes Set For Season Of Change
There Will Be New Champions In Junior Cup, Twins Cup, Stock 1000 And King Of The Baggers And It All Starts This Weekend At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
IRVINE, CA (April 29, 2021) – Even though he is just 16 years old, no one in the history of MotoAmerica’s Junior Cup and Twins Cup classes has won more races than Rocco Landers. And to the delight of the riders in those two classes in 2021, Landers is moving on and will be taking his talents to the Supersport class, beginning this weekend in the 2021 MotoAmerica Series opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
In his two years of racing in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class, Landers won two titles and 29 races. In just one season of Twins Cup racing, Landers moved to the top of the win list with nine victories and one championship. All that adds up to 38 MotoAmerica victories in two seasons of racing for the young phenom… but now comes the challenge. Supersport. Where the big boys live.
When he takes to the grid on Saturday and Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for his Supersport debut, Landers will do so against stout competition. And it begins with 2020 Supersport Champion Richie Escalante, the HONOS Racing Team rider coming in hot off his 13-win season en route to becoming the first rider from Mexico to win an AMA road racing championship. Escalante wants a Superbike ride badly and another dominating season would likely earn him one.
Escalante was beaten last year in race one at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta by his rival Sean Dylan Kelly on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki by just .052 of a second, but the Mexico City resident bounced back in race two – beating Kelly by 6.4 seconds. Those two were the only riders to win Supersport races in 2020 and it was a war in virtually every race. And oftentimes, they were joined by Brandon Paasch.
While Paasch has crossed the Atlantic to race in the British Superbike Series in 2021, the two dominators remain and if Landers can keep those two in sight, there’s a lot to be learned from the pair.
Another rider to make the move to Supersport this year is Landers’ Junior Cup rival from last year, Dominic Doyle. Doyle will ride a BARTCON Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R and he lines up knowing that he was the only rider to beat Landers in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup last year.
Thirty Supersport bikes will line up this coming weekend at Road Atlanta and the talent pool is deep. In addition to the aforementioned Escalante, Kelly, Landers and Doyle, there are others capable of winning. Riders such as MESA37Racing’s Stefano Mesa and his last-minute teammate Xavier Zayat; Sam Lochoff, the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider also jumping up from Junior Cup; North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith; and many more as the closest class of racing last year promises more of the same in 2021.
With Landers and Company up and gone, the favorite rider heading into the 2021 SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class is Landers Racing’s Ben Gloddy, the highest-ranked rider from last year who is still in the class. Gloddy had eight podium finishes a season ago. He will face challenges from the likes of JR12/Westby Racing’s Jack Roach, KERmoto’s Cody Wyman, SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max VanDenBrouck, N2 Racing’s Blake Davis and several other hungry youngsters.
The Stock 1000 entry list for this weekend’s races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is stacked with 34 riders. Again, the defending champion has moved to the HONOS Superbike class with Cameron Petersen trading his Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. In his place will be former factory Superbike racer Jake Lewis, the Kentuckian returning to action after taking the majority of last season off.
Although Petersen has moved on, the rest of the class remains pretty much intact, beginning with 2020 Stock 1000 Series runner-up Corey Alexander. Alexander had 10 podium finishes a year ago, including two wins, en route to second in the title chase, and he’s back on the HONOS HVMC Racing Kawasaki for the coming season. Let’s not forget, that both of Alexander’s wins last year came at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Two-time Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee returns to the class for 2021 and obviously does so as a favorite. Ditto for Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman, and his BMW S 1000 RR. The middle Wyman brother is the only rider other than Petersen and Alexander to win a Stock 1000 race last year.
The list of expected challengers is long: Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert, Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, MESA37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris, Tecfil Racing Team’s Danilo Lewis, Geoff May Racing/VisionWheel.com’s Geoff May, Hunter Dunham Racing’s Hunter Dunham… and the list goes on.
Like Junior Cup, Twins Cup will carry on without its champion Landers. Also, like Junior Cup, there are plenty of racers ready to fill Lander’s boots. Twenty-eight of them, to be precise, in this weekend’s series opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Based on last year, to the top of the list must go Kaleb De Keyrel, the Minnesotan ending up second to Landers in last year’s title chase and the only other rider to win a race (he won three of the first four to open the season, including the one at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta). The big change for De Keyrel is that he will be one of eight riders on the new Aprilia RS 660 with his clad in Robem Engineering/1-833-CJ-KNOWS livery.
Hayden Schultz, who was third in last year’s Twins Cup, is returning and he also has a Robem Engineering Aprilia; Jackson Blackmon, fourth last season, will ride a Yamaha FZ-07/MT-07 in his self-owned Jackson Blackmon Racing team; and last year’s fifth-ranked rider Toby Khamsouk is another set to throw his leg over a new Aprilia with the Robem Engineering team.
With the success of last year’s King Of The Baggers Invitational, the one-off race has turned into a three-round series with title sponsor Mission Foods, and it all begins this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The grid will include the majority of those who took part in the debut last year, led by the 2020 race winner Tyler O’Hara, who will spearhead Indian’s assault on the title on his Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian Challenger.
The biggest challenge O’Hara will face will likely come from the factory Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide of MotoAmerica Superbike racer Kyle Wyman and the Vance & Hines Electra Glide ridden by Hayden Gillim, who was second to O’Hara at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last year.
On-track action gets started on Friday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with practice and qualifying starting at 8:30 a.m. and running through to the last practice session at 4:40 p.m. The first race of the weekend will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. with Stock 1000 Race 1, followed in rapid succession by Supersport Race 1 (2 p.m.), HONOS Superbike Race 1 (3 p.m.), Twins Cup Race 1 (4 p.m.) and SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Race 1 (4:45 p.m.)
On Sunday, racing begins at noon with Stock 1000 Race 2, Mission King Of The Baggers (12:30 p.m.), Supersport Race 2 (1 p.m.), SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Race 2 (2 p.m.), HONOS Superbike Race 2 (3 p.m.) and Twins Cup Race 2 (4 p.m.).
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
“There’s no target… just ride the bike!”: riders ready for a new challenge in Jerez
Quartararo, Bagnaia, Mir, Morbidelli, Marquez and Acosta take stock and look forward to the Gran Premio Red Bull de España
Thursday, 29 April 2021
After another rollercoaster round in Portugal, the grid are ready to get back in business for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) headlined the Pre-Event Press Conference, joined by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), top Independent Team rider in Portugal Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Moto3™ rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Here are some key quotes:
Fabio Quartararo. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fabio Quartararo: “I’m feeling pretty excited, first of all because I love this track but also because I’m feeling great on the bike and great with the team. I’m just thinking about, you know, working the same way as we did in Qatar and not thinking that last year I won both races here because I we saw Miguel win in Portimão last year and then have some struggles this year, so I just want to focus in working in the same way and be ready for Sunday. It means nothing that we won both races last year.
“I feel like the 2020 season helped me a lot because a lot of things happened. In 2019, everything was perfect and I enjoyed it a lot with seven podiums and six pole positions. 2020 was more up and down though. We started well but then we had some engine problems, some electronic problems and I lost my mind a little bit. Then we got it back but the end of the season was a total disaster and I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Staying calm is the most important for me because when I get little bit angry on the bike, my comments to the team are not clear. Being much calmer on the bike is working much better for me and the results at the first races show that, so I want to keep working like this. I know it’s not easy but I’m feeling great and I feel like we are going into the right direction so I’m happy.”
Francesco Bagnaia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Francesco Bagnaia: “I’m really confident because at the moment I feel good with everything; my bike, my team. Last year I was competitive here, most of all in the second race, and I had just back luck for having the engine failure but we were strong. I think it can be a positive weekend for us and I think we can try to stay in the top three again.”
Has Pecco seen he has a big fan in former MotoGP™ rider Ben Spies, who says his riding style is something that gets the best out of the Ducati?
“I’ve seen the tweet from Ben, it’s always nice to see past riders say something about us and I really appreciate it. Already last year I started to try to ride the Ducati in a different way, and I understand better now how to do it. Last year in the second part of the season I was struggling a lot and it was difficult to accept it and understand what was happening. But then in preseason testing, I started to have the same feeling again and maybe all the work we’ve done this winter with training and in the gym with the others from the Academy has given me extra motivation and confidence. In the first race in Qatar I was trying to manage the tyres but I learned from that race I had to use the tyre in a different way. In the second race I was faster than the first but made mistakes and lost the opportunity to win. In Portimão I was very confident with the bike and felt great on everything, we know our potential is great in acceleration and braking and I tried to concentrate more on that area, and the bike, if you push, is turning well. It’s strange but something that with our bike is working well.”
Joan Mir. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Joan Mir: “Last year was a difficult start to the season here. It’s true that the heat of last year made it pretty difficult for everyone and it looks like this year it will be colder. This is something that can be good for us. Everyone knows this track really well and it’s always really difficult to make a difference but well we will try to do our best with the package that we have. Our goal is to finish on the podium, to fight for the podium and then we will see. It’s true that last year here was not really good but also Portimão was not too good and I was able to make a good result, so I will try to do my best.”
Franco Morbidelli. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Franco Morbidelli: “Portimão felt great, I felt amazing getting back to some top spots and positions, and it felt just great to do the race I did. I had a good fight in the beginning and then tried to maintain the most consistent pace I could throughout the whole race so it was nice. Here, we have good trust in this track. Last year I was close to the podium in both races, and unfortunately for two different reasons I didn’t manage to get it in either but we’ll see. I’ll try to do my best this weekend, try to keep the momentum that I hope started in Portimão, and we’ll see.”
Is his mental, more philosophical approach key to overcoming tougher times?
“It’s the story of my life trying to overcome difficult times. It’s happened in the past and it will happen in the future, and I hope to be hard enough and ready enough to overcome the difficult moments I will face.”
Marc Marquez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marc Marquez: “Portimão was a special weekend but here I feel like everything is a bit quieter and this is important, it feels like a normal weekend. It’s not like my physical condition are completely different, they are very similar, but I hope to ride in a better way from FP1 and my target is to hopefully be more stable with my physical condition during all the weekend.
“I have good and bad memories here, of course, but better memories than worse memories, so this will be important. There’s no target, no clear target, just ride the bike, have more kilometres, try to feel better the position of the bike. We know where our limit is now and it’s not with the bike or the tyres, it’s more about me. We know where the limit is and we know where we need to improve but we need time, days and kilometres on the bike.”
Pedro Acosta. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Pedro Acosta: “I feel incredible, after a good preseason, we knew we could do good results but nothing like this finally when you come to the world championship, you don’t think about winning races in the first part of the year or something like this. We have to keep working.
“A few minutes ago I was nervous, but if I am here it’s because we’re working well.”
Mir and Marquez were also asked about the rookie’s incredible performances so far:
Mir on Acosta: “I imagine how he feels, I remember the first time I was in a Press Conference I was really nervous I think he’s the same! Pedro is doing a really good job, during the last year in the Rookies Cup I went there to see him and wish him good luck in a couple of races because one of my mechanics Fernando is a neighbour of Pedro and Fernando spoke a couple of times about him and that he’s fast. He was right! I think he’s doing a great job, I think he has a bright future in front of him. He rides in a really good way and he’s showing that even if he’s a rookie, he’s the main contender this year.”
Marquez on Acosta: “I already spoke with him before and his riding style is good, his talent is good, he’s fast and this is obvious from the results! Being here in the Press Conference between MotoGP riders at 16 years old… I think it’s difficult to deal with because it’s maybe too much pressure but as I said to him: forget about everything, enjoy it now, you’re a young talented kid. If he wins on Sunday it will be ok, if he finishes top five or top ten, it will be ok. It’s his first year! Now is the time to enjoy it is my advice to him, he’ll have time to put pressure on himself and apart from that, also congrats because he’s riding amazingly and he will arrive soon! I’ll try to be there but he’ll arrive soon competing with us!”
Fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap of Silverstone puts Glenn Irwin on top at opening test
Glenn Irwin and Honda Racing kicked off their 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship campaign in style by smashing the lap record on the final day of the opening official test at Silverstone, setting the fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap of the National circuit by 0.090s.
The top 17 riders were covered by just 0.988s on combined times after the two days on circuit, with four different manufacturers represented in the top four positions ahead of next week’s second test at Snetterton.
Glenn Irwin’s lap record-breaking time came in the penultimate session of the test, with the Honda Racing rider putting himself firmly at the head of the times, although McAMS Yamaha rider Tarran Mackenzie was also under the existing record and just 0.016s adrift of his rival.
Silverstone again proved to be a strong circuit for the Buildbase Suzuki team and after setting the pace at lunchtime, Danny Kent’s time in that session put him third overall on the combined times as he proved to put his track knowledge to use as he prepares for his new campaign.
Kyle Ryde showed impressive pace with the new BMW M 1000 RR to post the fourth fastest time for the Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW team, he had topped the timesheets in the final session of the test, despite conditions meaning the pace couldn’t match what was set earlier in the day.
Jason O’Halloran had set the pace on the opening day of testing action and the McAMS Yamaha rider ended the test fifth fastest overall, holding off the second Buildbase Suzuki of Gino Rea and the SYNETIQ BMW pairing of Danny Buchan and Andrew Irwin.
Christian Iddon held ninth place on combined times for VisionTrack Ducati, his teammate and reigning champion Josh Brookes suffered a high-speed crash in the final session, which ended his day prematurely. The Australian was able to walk away from the crash but sustained a finger injury.
Ryan Vickers completed the top ten for the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team, edging out FHO Racing BMW’s Xavi Forés by just 0.038s.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Official Test, Silverstone combined times:
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) 53.139 seconds
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.061s
Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +0.174s
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) +0.184s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.211s
Gino Rea (Buildbase Suzuki) +0.296s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.339s
Andrew Irwin (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.343s
Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) +0.346s
Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki) +0.414s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin, Honda Racing
“It has been a really productive test and one of two halves; yesterday the pace was slower than last year and you put it down to conditions, but it was also similar conditions today. I think we all know how to ride, but I think you forget all the niche things that make you compete at this level and I feel we did that better today.
“I improved today and we had a lot that we needed to get through here. We tried some new things that we thought might not even work, but the lap time in the third session was really good and I was happy.
“In the final session I was on another faster lap so I was buzzing, but I came across another rider in the last sector so didn’t get to complete it, but it has been a good day and the team have worked amazing. We can’t be complacent as we don’t know what everyone else is working on, but I feel strong and we can now look forward to the next test at Snetterton.”
More, from a press release issued by VisionTrack Ducati:
Brookes And Iddon On The Pace At Silverstone Test
The VisionTrack Ducati pairing of Josh Brookes and Christian Iddon got their 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship up and running in style when the first official test of the season took place at the Silverstone National circuit over these past two days.
Defending champion Brookes and third-placed championship contender from 2020 Iddon have remained with Paul Bird’s Lake District-based squad for a second successive season aboard the factory-supported VisionTrack Ducati Panigale V4Rs and after a private test at Knockhill last week, the pair were in action against the full field of competitors who will contest this year’s 11-round series.
Cool and occasionally damp conditions were the order of the day for Wednesday’s four sessions whereby 37-year-old Bedfordshire-based Australian Brookes ended up second fastest behind his compatriot Jason O’Halloran whilst 36-year-old Mancunian Iddon, now based on Tyneside, finished third fastest, less than a tenth of a second behind his teammate.
Today (Thursday) was once again very cold although the rain held off as the times from the opening day plummeted. Iddon consistently lowered his times in the opening three sessions whilst Brookes improved in the day’s second session to record his fastest lap of the test.
Brookes, running the number one plate in Bennetts BSB for the first time since Tommy Hill tried to defend his crown in 2012, unfortunately crashed out of the final session and sustained a finger injury which meant a trip to hospital for further investigation.
Josh Brookes (1). Photo by DoubleRed Photographic, courtesy VisionTrack Ducati.
Josh Brookes: “I’ve taken a lot of skin off the little finger and there is a risk of infection as it’s down to the bone but apart from that I’m OK and my finger is fine. There are no other injuries so it’s just a case of getting it cleaned up. I’m still working out what happened in the crash, but the track was cooling down and I perhaps carried a bit too much brake so maybe that’s what happened. The test was good to a point, but we did a lot of experimenting and didn’t really find a lot that improved our existing package. It’s now a case of working on what we know best and finding the consistency we need.”
Christian Iddon (21). Photo by DoubleRed Photographic, courtesy VisionTrack Ducati.
Christian Iddon: “I’m really happy with the way the test has gone, everything is good. Silverstone is unique as everyone ends up with very similar lap times, it’s just one of those tracks. My aim over the two days was to experiment with a few ideas and to try some stuff we didn’t get round to trying last year, mainly to do with tyre life and some other settings. We achieved what we needed and in the last session, I just did a race run rather than chasing a lap time. It was unfortunate for Josh to crash and hope his finger injury is not too serious.”
John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “We were happy enough with our progress yesterday and after a good start, today didn’t go so well. It meant that Josh ended the combined times in 12th place with Christian in ninth but despite the track not suiting our bike, valuable data was gained for when the series visits later in the year. Christian made good progress throughout the test but sadly Josh crashed and sustained an injury to his little finger in the final session which necessitated a trip to the hospital to get it checked out but hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
The opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place over the weekend of 25/27 June at Oulton Park.
More, from a press release issued by Buildbase Suzuki:
Kent and Rea inside top six as Neave tops superstock times at first preseason test
Kent finishes debut test P3 with focus on getting comfortable aboard his new machine.
Rea focusses on development with new engine spec and throttle maps from Suzuki Motor Corporation.
Neave tops times for perfect start to 2021 season.
Buildbase Suzuki’s Danny Kent and Gino Rea both finished the first preseason test for the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship inside the top six – with Kent an impressive P3 – while their teammate in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship, Tim Neave, topped the time sheets aboard his GSX-R1000R.
For former Moto3 world champion Kent the two-day test was about getting comfortable with his new GSX-R1000R superbike, as he makes the switch from superstock machinery. Despite ad hoc appearances on a superbike in recent years, 2021 marks the start of a full-time campaign, and while there is still learning to be done, by his own admission, ending the test P3 on the time sheets has served as a welcome confidence boost.
As the comparable superbike veteran, Rea had a dedicated testing schedule to follow over the course of the two days, evaluating a new engine spec from Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan as well as electronics settings, with a focus on power delivery and engine braking. Despite a clear focus on development, he still set the sixth fastest time of the two days.
Danny Kent (52). Photo courtesy Buildbase Suzuki.
Danny Kent, “I’ve got to be happy with that at the end of the day. This, really, was my first proper go on a superbike with a good team around me that know the bike and have the experience, so to come away in the top three; it feels good. I was a bit worried, you have thoughts about if you’ll be fast enough when it comes to it and people have asked that question of me, and understandably maybe, but I think today’s answered those questions, and confidence is pretty high at the moment.
“The objective at this test was to just get comfortable, and I wanted to come away feeling like the bike was mine, and we definitely achieved that. The bike felt great and the team have done a really good job. They’ve got so much experience at this level I just rode the bike, and let them make any changes they wanted to make. The result was it made doing the lap times so easy and I think with a more experienced rider than me onboard it could easily have topped the times. I just kept making the odd mistake when pushing hard and I’d over ride and do the wrong things to go fast on a superbike. So I’ve got a bit of learning to do still but I think I could have gone faster. Plus we lost nearly two sessions with a crash on Wednesday morning.
“Being at Silverstone made it easier as I know that track, and I know it’ll be harder at Snetterton. But I also know the bike can go fast there. It’s just going to be a case of putting the laps in, learning the circuit, the bike, and keep building that connection. For the first day back it feels pretty good.”
Gino Rea (44). Photo courtesy Buildbase Suzuki.
Gino Rea, “This test has been really good, and it was just nice to be back with the team and back on the superbike after a long winter off. We had a lot to test and a lot to get through, and day one was pretty much dedicated to working on the electronics and we didn’t do much to the chassis. Today [Thursday] we focussed on that a bit more, and the biggest change there for me is the new Suter swingarm, so we spent time getting that dialled in.
“With a lot to get through it’s really hard not to look at the times and see what people are doing, but we kept our focus on the job, and it’s actually been really nice for me to have a test – I missed this test last year – to put the laps in and work on the bike and not worry about the times so much. But today we did push on a bit, nothing crazy, but to see what the package was capable of. We didn’t chuck the super soft tyre in that some people used, but considering we were doing a lot of testing I think we were competitive and consistent, and the two days couldn’t really have gone much better.
“The test at Snetterton, I think will be similar; we still have some areas to work on with the electronics, so that’s still my focus, but then we’ll go from there.”
In the hotly-contested Pirelli National Superstock Championship Neave ended the test P1, just half a second off his own lap record despite the colder and windier conditions. Minor changes to the electronics setup were the only changes, as he spent the test putting in the laps to get himself back up to speed.
Tim Neave, “I’m really chuffed, and I wasn’t expecting it to be honest, I was just taking my time, letting it come to me, and after a few laps I saw P1 and got a big buzz. So it’s a good start to the year and can’t really ask for more. The bike setup is the same last year, which is good for me. We didn’t make one change all day apart from a new tyre at the end. We knew we had a good setting from last year so we just left it. And I think we could have got nearer the lap record were it not for the wind; it was so strong it was hard to pull fifth down the start finish straight.
“Hopefully we’ll pick up where we left off at Snetterton, and if we can be in the top five consistently all year, then I think we can fight for wins week in, week out. This test has lifted a bit of a weight off my shoulders to be honest and I feel more relaxed; I’m in a perfect environment with the team, the bike’s working well, and I know we can be at the front.”
A number of other Hawk Racing supported riders were also present on a fleet of GSX-R superstock machines, including Tom Ward, Tom Oliver, and Leon Jeacock, while former Buildbase Suzuki superbike rider and British Supersport champion Luke Stapleford was also in action.
Dick Mann’s late ex-wife Susie once related a story about one of Bugsy’s experiences at the Daytona 200.
This was back when qualifying was done via a flying lap on the oval on Wednesday or Thursday. It was the same day that the Alligator enduro was contested nearby. The day started with heavy rain, which was forecast to continue throughout the day.
Seeing that qualifying would certainly be delayed, Mann took his BSA thumper and entered the enduro. Sure enough, by midday, the rain stopped and the track began to dry. BSA sent people to try to find Mann and get him back to the Speedway, because if you didn’t qualify on that day, you couldn’t start in the first wave. Time was running out to qualify, and there was no sign of Dick Mann. BSA was desperate. They finally managed to squeeze Mann’s teammate Ralph White into Mann’s leathers. This was no mean feat. White was significantly taller than Mann. They sent him out to qualify for Mann.
What really annoyed White was that he qualified better as Mann than as himself (perhaps the compressed version offered less wind resistance).
As far as I know, Dick Mann was the only rider ever to qualify for the Daytona 200 without having actually been there.
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE ANNOUNCES THREE TEAMS RUNNING INDIAN CHALLENGERS IN 2021 BAGGER RACING EVENTS
Mission® Foods, S&S® and Tyler O’Hara Return to Defend MotoAmerica® King of the Baggers’ Title & Compete in Inaugural Bagger Racing League™
Roland Sands Design® and Frankie Garcia to Race King of the Baggers & Bagger Racing League™, While Also Running New Indian Chief in Bagger Racing League™’s Big Twin Class
Saddlemen Flips the Script, Trading Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® for Indian Challenger, Calls Upon ‘World’s Fastest Female’ Road Racer Patricia Fernandez
MINNEAPOLIS (April 29, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today announced three privately-backed teams running the Indian Challenger at 2021 bagger racing events. The three teams include reigning King of the Baggers Champion Mission® Foods S&S® Indian Challenger, 2020 King of the Baggers third-place finisher Roland Sands Design® (RSD), and new Indian Challenger converts, Saddlemen.
“Despite numerous naysayers and doubters of last year’s inaugural King of the Baggers race, it proved to be a massive success and the ultimate proving ground for the Indian Challenger, and we’re excited to be a part of it again in 2021,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “We’re proud have three privately funded teams showcasing the Indian Challenger’s superior performance in both the MotoAmerica® Mission® King of the Baggers series and the Drag Specialties Bagger Racing League™.”
With superior stock performance, including a best-in-class 122 horsepower PowerPlus motor, an inverted front fork, and a hydraulically-adjustable FOX® rear shock, the Indian Challenger gives these three privateers a formidable advantage. This was no better evidenced than at the inaugural King of the Baggers last October where the two Indian Challenger entries finished first and third in a field that featured 13 Harley-Davidson® baggers.
Among the teams invited to the King of the Baggers and Bagger Racing League™ events, S&S®, RSD, and Saddlemen are the only Indian Challenger entries.
Mission® Foods S&S® Indian Challenger
As reigning King of the Baggers champion, Tyler O’Hara and S&S® will enter this year as the clear-cut team to beat at round one of the MotoAmerica® series at Road Atlanta on May 2. That said, the team enters the series with nothing but confidence, backed by a full-year of preparation to defend the crown it captured in 2021.
“Most race teams don’t learn a whole lot from winning, but we did. We’ve spent the past year meticulously refining our setup specific to Tyler’s preferences to ensure the highest level of performance,” said Jeff Bailey, crew chief for the S&S® team. “Backed by Tyler’s phenomenal skills, S&S® has decades of racing and performance expertise, and the undisputed bagger racing king, the Indian Challenger, our expectations are extremely high.”
But King of the Baggers will not be the only action for S&S® and O’Hara in Atlanta that weekend. In a throwback to the golden age of the AMA Grand National Championship of yester-year, O’Hara will split duties, piloting the Indian FTR750 at the American Flat Track Atlanta Super TT the day before throwing a leg over his Mission® Foods Indian Challenger to begin his King of the Baggers title defense.
“I’ve always been known for versatility and the ability to be highly competitive on just about any motorcycle within a variety of racing formats, and this weekend in Atlanta provides the ultimate stage to demonstrate that,” said O’Hara. “There is no doubt that I’ve got my work cut out for me, but having dominant track weapons like the Indian FTR750 and Indian Challenger certainly helps. Regardless of outcomes, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to push my limits and challenge I couldn’t be more excited to take on.”
Frankie Garcia (14) on his RSD Indian Challenger. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
RSD
Armed with the RSD Indian Challenger, Roland Sands and the 2020 King of the Baggers third-place finisher, Frankie Garcia, return with a chip on their shoulder and ambitions to dethrone O’Hara. In addition to King of the Baggers, the RSD Challenger will be one of two RSD entries in the Bagger Racing League™ series as RSD adds the new 2022 Indian Chief to its stable of race-ready Indian Motorcycles to compete in the Big Twin class.
“We faced so many curveballs at Laguna Seca last year, not the least of which came when Frankie looped the bike in practice, and we scrambled through the night to get the bike, and Frankie’s body, ready to go for the final. Frankie putting it on the box after all that was an incredible accomplishment, and we couldn’t be more motivated to raise the bar and take the crown in 2021,” said Roland Sands. “There’s no doubt we’re the guys known for having a little too much fun, but make no mistake, the Indian Challenger is an absolute beast and our sights are set on the top of the box.”
“Last year’s inaugural King of the Baggers was an unforgettable experience and when it was all said and done, I was incredibly proud to be on the podium. At the same time, after coming so close in spite of nearly catastrophic challenges, we were all left wondering what could have been,” said Garcia. “That experience provides a ton of motivation heading into the expanded series this year and podiums will not be enough. We want to wear the crown when it’s all said and done this year.”
Patricia Fernandez. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Saddlemen
After finishing in the middle of the pack at the inaugural King of the Baggers, Saddlemen came to the age-old conclusion, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
The team enters the 2021 bagger racing season, discarding its Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® in favor of the reigning king, the Indian Challenger. To pilot the new race-ready bagger, Saddlemen called upon the highly-skilled Patricia Fernandez. Dubbed “the world’s fastest female road racer,” Fernandez will be the only female rider in the field. The team will be led by famed custom bike builder, Michael “Woolie” Woolaway, and will compete in select rounds of the King of the Baggers series and Bagger Racing League™.
“It was an honor to take part in the inaugural King of the Baggers last October, but it was obvious we needed more performance after watching Tyler and Frankie make quick work of the field aboard their Indian Challengers,” said Woolie. “This year, we have the luxury of a machine that packs enormous power and incredible performance capabilities right out of the box.”
“After seeing so much excitement around the inaugural race last year and hearing the news of an extended series in 2021, I couldn’t help thinking how cool it would be for a queen to be the King of the Baggers,” said Fernandez. “Thankfully, my friends at Saddlemen stepped up to give me the opportunity, and I could not be more excited to throw a leg over the Saddlemen Indian Challenger and show the world what I’m capable of.”
For the 2021 season, MotoAmerica® will host three rounds of King of the Baggers racing. The first round kicks off at MotoAmerica® Superbike in Atlanta April 30-May 2. The newest racing series added to the fold is the Drag Specialties Bagger Racing League™, which will host its inaugural event at the Utah Motorsports Campus June 25-27.
For more information on bagger racing, visit MotoAmerica.com and BaggerRacingLeague.com.
To learn more about each race team, visit SSCycle.com, RolandSands.com and Saddlemen.com. For information about Indian Motorcycle and the Indian Challenger, visit IndianMotorcycle.com, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company 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.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Harley®, Harley-Davidson®, and Road Glide® are registered trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. FOX® is a registered trademark of Fox Factory Inc.; Roland Sands Design® is a registered trademark of Roland Sands Design, Inc.; RSD® is a registered trademark of Roland W. Sands; S&S® is a registered trademark of S&S CYCLE, INC.; MotoAmerica® is a registered trademark of Krave Group, LLC; Mission® is a registered trademark of Gruma Corporation; BRL Bagger Racing League™ is a trademark of Rocket Rob Productions, LLC AKA Bagger Racing League™.
ABOUT S&S® CYCLE
S&S® Cycle was born from a passion for racing and has spent over six decades building performance for the powersports market. Their unwavering focus on quality, reliability and top shelf power has made S&S® Cycle the absolute leader in high performance on the street and track.
ABOUT MISSION® FOODS:
MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit www.missionfoods.com
ABOUT RSD
Roland Sands Design, Inc., a subsidiary of Roll and Company, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is a multifaceted business that includes commissioned custom motorcycle builds, aftermarket hard part design and manufacture, home decor, technical riding and casual apparel, the Super Hooligan National Championship amateur flat track series, Moto Classic Events and more. Roland Sands Design incorporates a small team of dedicated designers, engineers, fabricators, mechanics and more, that feed the collective creativity that emanates from the retail and office location at 10571 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos, CA 90720.
“Expect a big fight”: MotoE™ riders ready to roll in Jerez
The pre-event Press Conference kicks off the first FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup round of the season
Thursday, 29 April 2021
It’s that time of year again: MotoE™ time! The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup begins its third season this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, and the pre-event Press Conference kicked off proceedings. 2020 Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) headlined, joined by key rivals Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Eric Granado (One Energy Racing), 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE), newcomer Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) and the fastest rookie in testing, Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team).
Here is a selection of quotes:
Jordi Torres: “When you arrive to the first race you never know how your rivals are. We only did two tests here in Jerez and we know the track well, it’s perfect but… maybe after, during the year, with different conditions or at a different track with different grip, it is more different. This race I think all the guys are very competitive and aggressive. And I expect to be there, to have a big fight. We’ll see what happens! But for sure we need to improve a bit more because in the test we didn’t have 100% performance. But for sure, during the race we’ll put our balls on the table to be aggressive and to get, if possible, some podiums or try to fight for the victory.”
Torres was one who, like Granado, didn’t seem to push to the maximum in the race simulation in testing:
“For me our best option was to cut the throttle and do a personal test and see how the behaviour of the bike was in that session, because we changed the bike a lot. And we know it’s better to concentrate on our bike than compare to other riders. We are concentrating more riding alone, trying to get a better feeling.”
Dominique Aegerter: “I’m very happy to be back in MotoE; thanks to the team for letting me ride again in this category! We had two great tests in Jerez fighting in front, we made some different changes on the bike and got some new parts from Energica, and tyres and suspension we tested, and laptimes were a bit faster. We made a great step forward and now this weekend here I’m looking forward to practice and E-pole and then the race.
“We know this track well, so many riders and teams have a lot of data and suspension settings and gearing from this track, and we’ll go to two tracks we haven’t ridden before in Assen and Barcelona, so for sure they’ll be some new things to try if the bike works with a similar setup to here in Jere. But here for sure many riders will be very fast and with close laptimes so it’s important to do a good E-Pole lap to start on the first two rows, and in the race to be in the first group, make a good start and not make any mistakes to fight for the podium.”
Eric Granado: “I’m very happy with preseason, we did a great job and I’m really happy with the work we did with my new team. We are in a good way, I’m feeling good on the bike, I have a good package with the team and settings on the bike. Like Jordi and Domi said, this weekend everyone will be fast for sure because we did two tests here, and we have good data and a good feeling after a lot of laps. So it’ll be difficult but I’ll try and do my best, be in the front group if possible and take maximum points every race, work on that every race to arrive at the end of the season with options to fight.”
One of the fastest in MotoE™ since its inception, the Brazilian is now looking to iron 2021 out into a more consistent year:
“I need to work on this this season, I’m focused on those changes and my new team for sure helps me to have more calm at some moments, and don’t always try to be the fastest because consistency is key, as Matteo showed in 2019 and Jordi last year… I’ll work on that, and do my best every race. Let’s say what happens at the end!”
Matteo Ferrari: “First of all I want to thanks MotoGP and the team because we’re here again, the first race of MotoE and I’m really happy about that. The preseason was a bit different compared to last year because last year I finished first, but during the first race here in Jerez I had some difficult points on the track, so I changed my riding style a bit to understand better the tyres and the new front fork during the test. I didn’t push a lot for the laptime but with my team we tried to find the right setting for this race and I think we’re ready. E-Pole will be very important on Saturday, all the riders are very fast and… then we’ll see on Sunday.”
Yonny Hernandez: “At the beginning it was so different for me, especially on the brakes, the bike is heavier. I just tried do a lot of laps, trying to get a feeling with the bike and understand the category. I think the test was positive for us, at the start it was complicated but by the end of the second day of the test I tried to stay more comfortable and I had more feeling with the bike and team. I’ve tried to find a good setup for the race this weekend and just trying to get the feeling and understand it with laps and laps. It’s difficult for me because you don’t have a lot of time to try many things because sessions are short, you can do five or six laps, and this I think isn’t so much time to understand everything but I think we can improve and I’ll do my best and have a good race.”
And what about E-Pole?
“I’ll try to understand the bike better and especially in the first part of the practice, qualifying on one lap for me is something where we need to work more because for me in the test it was difficult for me in the beginning, I don’t use 100% of the tyres, especially at the beginning. When I start to get the feeling, I need more laps but I’ll do my best to have a good qualifying.”
Fermin Aldeguer: “Thanks for the welcome! I feel very good with MotoE. It’s very different but after the first and second practices I felt really good, free practice to practice I improved a lot and I feel good with the bike and the whole team.
“You don’t have gears, only throttle and the brake and that’s very different. The weight is different. It’s very different but I like it!”
So do we! Tune in for the first E-Pole of the season at 16:05 (GMT +2) on Saturday, before the lights go out for the first showdown of 2021 at 10:05 on Sunday morning.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
ENERGICA AND MOTOE READY FOR 2021 SEASON OPENER AT JEREZ
An Energica Ego Corsa electric racebike at Jerez. Photo by Jesus Robledo, courtesy Energica.
The 2021 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup is about to get underway from tomorrow at the ‘Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto’ in Southern Spain. After two official three-day sessions performed in early March and mid-April, the 18 Energica Ego Corsa machines are ready to storm once again around the technical and fast-flowing Andalusian circuit.
Three half-hour free practice sessions (two on Friday and one on Saturday morning) will allow teams and riders to prepare for Saturday’s single-lap E-Pole and for Sunday’s race, which will be contested over an improved eight-lap distance.
Reigning MotoE World Cup champion Jordi Torres (Pons 40 Racing) will try his best to defend the title earned last year, but on paper it will not be an easy task for the experienced Spanish rider. Two riders have in fact shown a good degree of dominance so far in 2021, something that did not come as a surprise given their performances in the previous editions of the series: new signing of team One Energy Racing’s Eric Granado and second-year rider Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) have rewritten the unofficial lap track a few times before the end of the April test, with the quickest one now being a 1’47.065 set by the Brazilian star on the final day.
All the aforementioned riders will be in ‘good’ company, though, as rookies Fermin Aldeguer (OpenBank Aspar Team) and Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) have shown great speed in their first outings aboard their stunning Energica motorcycles, while it is also expected a return to top form by 2019 title winner and 2020 runner-up Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE). Many other riders will join the battle at the front in what is going to be an electric opening round of the series.
MotoE proceedings will begin tomorrow at 11:50 local time (GMT +2) with Free Practice 1.
Stay tuned via Energica social media and visit www.energicamotor.com in order to keep up to date with the latest news from Jerez and do not forget to listen to the ‘Electrifying Podcast’ for some special episodes about the racing weekend
The podcast is now also available on Spotify and Google Podcast.
ABOUT ENERGICA MOTOR COMPANY S.p.A
Energica Motor Company is the first Italian manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycle and is the single manufacturer chosen by Dorna for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. Energica Motorcycles are on sale worldwide.
FUELL Launches New Powersports Dealer Program for 2021
FUELL building on strong sales momentum in 2021
April 29, 2021 – FUELL is thrilled to announce the launch of their New Powersports Dealer Program. This new and exciting dealer program is the next stage in the growth of the rapidly expanding business featuring the FUELL Flluid E-bike series of urban mobility vehicles.
Launched in 2019, FUELL’s mission is to reinvent the pleasure of riding. The primary concept behind FUELL is to develop a unique range of vehicles for the new urban adventurers, thanks to freedom of design, engineering, and distribution. The Flluid E-bike is the first step in the journey with a host of new products being developed like the Fllow Electric motorcycle that will complement and enhance the entire FUELL collection of vehicles.
The new FUELL dealer program has been created to set-up key Powersports dealers as full service FUELL dealers where customers can come in to see, touch and feel the beautifully designed, powerful and efficient Flluid E-bike. Why Powersports dealers? In a recent survey, 50% of customers who bought a Flluid E-bike are also motorcycle enthusiasts, most are between 45-65 years old, and make between $100,000 to $200,000 per year. What a great way to bring in and develop new riders, as well as providing a fun and efficient new product for existing motorcycle customers.
“I have a passion for engineering and two wheeled vehicles, and I love our new Flluid E-bike because it gives people a new way to find real personal mobility,” said Erik Buell, CTO of FUELL, Inc. “We feel that Powersports dealers are the perfect place to bring in people who are already comfortable on two-wheels, and ready to try something new.”
The FUELL Powersports dealer program will feature the Flluid 1-S that comes standard with two large 504Wh Lithium batteries, a torque sensing 500w mid motor, and a Gates Carbon belt drive with an internally geared hub. This exceptional E-bike provides incredible efficiency, a sleek modern look and a range of up to 125 miles. Additionally, the Flluid 1-S is available for new FUELL dealers to order now.
To sign up to become a new FUELL dealer contact FUELL at [email protected] and to learn more about FUELL vehicles head to www.FUELL.US.
The Autodrom Most will make its debut on the WorldSBK Calendar in 2021 after signing a five-year agreement, while the Australian Round is set to return in 2022.
The FIM, the Autodrom Most and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) are delighted to announce a new agreement that will see the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race in Czech Republic from 2021. The five-year agreement means the Czech Round will be included in the WorldSBK Calendar until 2025 with the announcement made at a presentation in Prague on Thursday 29th of April.
The Autodrom Most will host the Czech Round for the first time as it joins the WorldSBK calendar with the Czech circuit hosting the sixth Round of the 2021 season from the 6th to the 8th of August. All three classes as well as the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup will compete at the Autodrom Most, which includes two Czech riders in WorldSSP300 with Petr Svoboda and Oliver König as well as the Jakub Smrz-run Accolade Smrz Racing team.
Located near Prague, the Autodrom Most was opened in 1983 and was then the first permanent motor racing complex in what was then known as Czechoslovakia. The circuit has already hosted many motorsport events including national motorcycle championships and will be a new, exciting addition to WorldSBK in 2021; while the Championship venue fits within the circuit’s commitment to be part of the sports, social and cultural life of the region. The event will also be broadcast live on Czech channel Nova Sport, following a five-year agreement with DWO.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the FIM, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and DWO have agreed there will be no 2021 edition of the Australian Round. We will now work for a return to the iconic venue in 2022 in the most successful way as the first event of the 2022 Championship.
Josef Zajíček, Autodrom Most Chief Executive Officer: “This is a milestone and a unique event during Autodrom’s history of almost 40 years. We are becoming organisers of World Championship races for the first time. This fact places demanding technical and organisational requirements on us. Nevertheless, we are happy to take up this challenge. Our objective is to open our complex to the general public, which is why we have to offer the best-quality events possible to our racing fans; the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship indisputably belongs to such events. We will make sure that the riders, teams, partners, sponsors as well as spectators may be absolutely satisfied with us and look forward to the next edition of this fantastic display of powerful machines and brave riders.”
Jan Šťovíček, Czech Republic Autoclub’s president: “Speaking for the Autoclub of the Czech Republic, the nation’s authority for motorcycle sports, I’m delighted to see Czech fans at a Czech track enjoying world-class motorcycle road racing, and I’m equally glad that I could contribute to this event. Naturally it’s a win for the promoter of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship too: acquiring a new route with an attractive profile and an experienced organising team is not easy at the moment.”
David Bennett, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, General Manager: “Phillip Island has hosted more World Superbike events than any other circuit in the world. We agree that now is the time to focus our efforts on the Official Test and season opening Round in 2022. The decision not to run a round in 2021 will not adversely impact the continuation of the event. The event is secured for the Phillip Island Circuit until 2027.”
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “We are thrilled to welcome the Autodrom Most to our calendar for the next five seasons. Today’s announcement that WorldSBK is set to return to the Czech Republic for the first time since 2018 reflects the continuing popularity of the Championship among the Czech fans. With Czech teams and riders within the paddock, this is a great opportunity to showcase the Czech Republic on a world stage and I trust the Autodrom Most will be hosting exciting events in the future. Regarding Australia, all parties involved decided that analysing the latest changes in all major motorsport events and with the current uncertainty related to the pandemic, the best solution was to move the event to our usual start-of- the-season date in 2022. We look forward to returning there next year with the Australian Round a key event of the Championship.”
With the 2021 season set to begin in less than a month, the FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization are constantly working with Government Officials and Circuits in order to continue putting everyone’s safety first. Any further updates to the 2021 WorldSBK calendar will be communicated accordingly.
Aprilia Racing signs agreement with Dorna through 2026
From the 2022 season, the RS-GP factory bikes will be on track with the official Aprilia Racing Team
Thursday, 29 April 2021
Dorna Sports is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement with Aprilia Racing to participate in the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship through 2026.
For the next five seasons, Aprilia Racing will be one of the protagonists in the top motorcycle racing competition in the world, thereby reaffirming its mission of technological research and experimentation excellence within the Piaggio Group.
From 2022, Aprilia Racing will participate as manufacturer, with the official RS-GP machines on the track as a factory team, as the agreement has ended with Gresini Racing, which accompanied Aprilia Racing’s participation in the championship since 2015. In the moving and heartfelt memory of Fausto, Aprilia Racing holds team Gresini in the highest regard and wishes to thank them for these years together.
Aprilia is one of the most victorious brands in motorcycle racing history, having won an astonishing 54 world titles in its young career, 38 in World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing, 7 in Superbike and 9 in Off Road disciplines. With 294 GP wins, it is the European brand that has won the most races in World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing. Many of the riders who have made motorcycling history in the last few decades have made their debut on the bikes from Noale. These World Champions include Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Alex Gramigni, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Manuel Poggiali, Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista.
Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO: “I am obviously happy about this agreement. From next season, we will be participating in an official capacity as a manufacturer. This opens up new and hopefully great opportunities and we will need to manage many additional responsibilities. It is a natural step that we are taking just as we are beginning to see the first positive signs from the hard work we’ve done in Noale, first and foremost on our structure, and consequently on our beautiful RS-GP bikes. At this time, our thoughts and gratitude go to Gresini Racing, who have accompanied us in these years. In heartfelt memory of Fausto, I wish the team and all its staff the best success for the coming seasons.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna CEO: “Dorna and Aprilia extending their partnership is really positive news for the FIM MotoGP World Championship. We are excited to continue this association with the Italian manufacturer in a project that has set many fascinating goals, not just in racing performance, but in overall technical excellence in the Championship.”
This restored 1938 Vincent-HRD Series A Rapide is going up for auction Friday, April 30 in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy Liquid Asset Partners.
World’s most coveted motorcycle goes to Auction Friday April 30 at Mecum Las Vegas
This legendary 1938 Vincent-HRD Series A Rapide is among the most coveted motorcycles in the world as both the original Vincent V-twin and the fastest motorcycle in the world in its day, knocking the Brough Superior SS100 off its perch.
This extremely rare pre-war superbike is built from an original 1938 Rapide engine mated with an original 1939 frame, which has been correctly and beautifully restored by a renowned Vincent expert using OEM parts wherever possible. It’s a well-known machine in the Vincent Owner’s Club, one of 78 originally produced and the only one available at the moment, as few owners sell their pre-war Rapides. They are the ultimate Vincent twin and among the most desirable motorcycles in the world.
The story of HRD-Vincent goes back to motorcycle racer-turned-manufacturer Howard R. Davies, who leveraged his racing success into a small motorcycle building business. Davies remains the only man to have won a Senior (500cc) Isle of Man TT on a 350cc (Junior) machine, riding for AJS in 1921. He built his own excellent sports machines from 1924, but quickly found himself in financial trouble and the H.R.D. brand was sold to a young Philip Vincent in 1928.
Vincent’s father had made a fortune ranching beef in Argentina, and young Philip Vincent had ideas to incorporate rear springing for the chassis of motorcycles, which he patented, and had the opportunity to test with his own business. Calling his machines Vincent-HRD, he used JAP and Rudge engines in Vincent’s ugly duckling chassis design. It took Australian engineer Phil Irving to bring life and enduring fame to the Vincent-HRD company, designing a high-camshaft 500cc single-cylinder engine for the new Meteor and Comet models for 1934.
Within two years, the single was doubled up to become the 998cc V-twin Rapide model of 1936. It was the fastest production motorcycle in the world at the time with a 110 MPH top speed. The engine was the heart of the beast, and it was slightly let down by its choice of a Burman clutch and gearbox, but in truth only one British gearbox was designed to handle the 50 HP of the Rapide and it was owned by Norton at the time. Regardless, road testers and the few lucky owners were full of praise for the new Rapide, as it handled well and braked very well for the day, with two drum brakes on both the front and rear wheels—and, it went like a rocket.
This rare and most coveted motorcycle goes to auction Friday, April 30 at Mecum in Las Vegas. A once-a-decade opportunity to buy a majorly collectible, running, & museum quality Vincent Series A Rapide Twin. The link to the Mecum auction lot F183 for bidding is https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0121-474902/1938-vincent-hrd-series-a-twin/
• Original 1938 998cc engine with an original 1939 frame
• Correct restoration completed by a renowned Vincent expert
• Extensive use of original factory non-reproduction parts
• Vincent Owners Club ‘VOC’ certificate
• One of approximately 78 produced
• Engine No. V1016 (Manufacture Date January, 14 1938)
• Frame No DV1755 (Manufacture Date June, 14 1939)
Sean Dylan Kelly (40) and Richie Escalante (54) battling for the lead in a MotoAmerica Supersport race at Road Atlanta in 2020. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Road Atlanta Here We Come: MotoAmerica Support Classes Set For Season Of Change
There Will Be New Champions In Junior Cup, Twins Cup, Stock 1000 And King Of The Baggers And It All Starts This Weekend At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
IRVINE, CA (April 29, 2021) – Even though he is just 16 years old, no one in the history of MotoAmerica’s Junior Cup and Twins Cup classes has won more races than Rocco Landers. And to the delight of the riders in those two classes in 2021, Landers is moving on and will be taking his talents to the Supersport class, beginning this weekend in the 2021 MotoAmerica Series opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
In his two years of racing in the SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class, Landers won two titles and 29 races. In just one season of Twins Cup racing, Landers moved to the top of the win list with nine victories and one championship. All that adds up to 38 MotoAmerica victories in two seasons of racing for the young phenom… but now comes the challenge. Supersport. Where the big boys live.
When he takes to the grid on Saturday and Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for his Supersport debut, Landers will do so against stout competition. And it begins with 2020 Supersport Champion Richie Escalante, the HONOS Racing Team rider coming in hot off his 13-win season en route to becoming the first rider from Mexico to win an AMA road racing championship. Escalante wants a Superbike ride badly and another dominating season would likely earn him one.
Escalante was beaten last year in race one at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta by his rival Sean Dylan Kelly on the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki by just .052 of a second, but the Mexico City resident bounced back in race two – beating Kelly by 6.4 seconds. Those two were the only riders to win Supersport races in 2020 and it was a war in virtually every race. And oftentimes, they were joined by Brandon Paasch.
While Paasch has crossed the Atlantic to race in the British Superbike Series in 2021, the two dominators remain and if Landers can keep those two in sight, there’s a lot to be learned from the pair.
Another rider to make the move to Supersport this year is Landers’ Junior Cup rival from last year, Dominic Doyle. Doyle will ride a BARTCON Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R and he lines up knowing that he was the only rider to beat Landers in SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup last year.
Thirty Supersport bikes will line up this coming weekend at Road Atlanta and the talent pool is deep. In addition to the aforementioned Escalante, Kelly, Landers and Doyle, there are others capable of winning. Riders such as MESA37Racing’s Stefano Mesa and his last-minute teammate Xavier Zayat; Sam Lochoff, the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider also jumping up from Junior Cup; North East Cycle Outlet Racing’s Benjamin Smith; and many more as the closest class of racing last year promises more of the same in 2021.
With Landers and Company up and gone, the favorite rider heading into the 2021 SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup class is Landers Racing’s Ben Gloddy, the highest-ranked rider from last year who is still in the class. Gloddy had eight podium finishes a season ago. He will face challenges from the likes of JR12/Westby Racing’s Jack Roach, KERmoto’s Cody Wyman, SportbikeTrackGear.com’s Max VanDenBrouck, N2 Racing’s Blake Davis and several other hungry youngsters.
The Stock 1000 entry list for this weekend’s races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is stacked with 34 riders. Again, the defending champion has moved to the HONOS Superbike class with Cameron Petersen trading his Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000 for the M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. In his place will be former factory Superbike racer Jake Lewis, the Kentuckian returning to action after taking the majority of last season off.
Although Petersen has moved on, the rest of the class remains pretty much intact, beginning with 2020 Stock 1000 Series runner-up Corey Alexander. Alexander had 10 podium finishes a year ago, including two wins, en route to second in the title chase, and he’s back on the HONOS HVMC Racing Kawasaki for the coming season. Let’s not forget, that both of Alexander’s wins last year came at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Two-time Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee returns to the class for 2021 and obviously does so as a favorite. Ditto for Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman, and his BMW S 1000 RR. The middle Wyman brother is the only rider other than Petersen and Alexander to win a Stock 1000 race last year.
The list of expected challengers is long: Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert, Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, MESA37 Racing’s Stefano Mesa, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Wyatt Farris, Tecfil Racing Team’s Danilo Lewis, Geoff May Racing/VisionWheel.com’s Geoff May, Hunter Dunham Racing’s Hunter Dunham… and the list goes on.
Like Junior Cup, Twins Cup will carry on without its champion Landers. Also, like Junior Cup, there are plenty of racers ready to fill Lander’s boots. Twenty-eight of them, to be precise, in this weekend’s series opener at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Based on last year, to the top of the list must go Kaleb De Keyrel, the Minnesotan ending up second to Landers in last year’s title chase and the only other rider to win a race (he won three of the first four to open the season, including the one at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta). The big change for De Keyrel is that he will be one of eight riders on the new Aprilia RS 660 with his clad in Robem Engineering/1-833-CJ-KNOWS livery.
Hayden Schultz, who was third in last year’s Twins Cup, is returning and he also has a Robem Engineering Aprilia; Jackson Blackmon, fourth last season, will ride a Yamaha FZ-07/MT-07 in his self-owned Jackson Blackmon Racing team; and last year’s fifth-ranked rider Toby Khamsouk is another set to throw his leg over a new Aprilia with the Robem Engineering team.
With the success of last year’s King Of The Baggers Invitational, the one-off race has turned into a three-round series with title sponsor Mission Foods, and it all begins this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The grid will include the majority of those who took part in the debut last year, led by the 2020 race winner Tyler O’Hara, who will spearhead Indian’s assault on the title on his Mission Foods S&S Cycle Indian Challenger.
The biggest challenge O’Hara will face will likely come from the factory Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Road Glide of MotoAmerica Superbike racer Kyle Wyman and the Vance & Hines Electra Glide ridden by Hayden Gillim, who was second to O’Hara at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last year.
On-track action gets started on Friday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with practice and qualifying starting at 8:30 a.m. and running through to the last practice session at 4:40 p.m. The first race of the weekend will take place on Saturday at 1 p.m. with Stock 1000 Race 1, followed in rapid succession by Supersport Race 1 (2 p.m.), HONOS Superbike Race 1 (3 p.m.), Twins Cup Race 1 (4 p.m.) and SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Race 1 (4:45 p.m.)
On Sunday, racing begins at noon with Stock 1000 Race 2, Mission King Of The Baggers (12:30 p.m.), Supersport Race 2 (1 p.m.), SportbikeTrackGear.com Junior Cup Race 2 (2 p.m.), HONOS Superbike Race 2 (3 p.m.) and Twins Cup Race 2 (4 p.m.).
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
(From left) Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli, Fabio Quartararo, Pedro Acosta, and Joan Mir at the pre-event press conference at Jerez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
“There’s no target… just ride the bike!”: riders ready for a new challenge in Jerez
Quartararo, Bagnaia, Mir, Morbidelli, Marquez and Acosta take stock and look forward to the Gran Premio Red Bull de España
Thursday, 29 April 2021
After another rollercoaster round in Portugal, the grid are ready to get back in business for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) headlined the Pre-Event Press Conference, joined by Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), top Independent Team rider in Portugal Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Moto3™ rookie sensation Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Here are some key quotes:
Fabio Quartararo. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Fabio Quartararo: “I’m feeling pretty excited, first of all because I love this track but also because I’m feeling great on the bike and great with the team. I’m just thinking about, you know, working the same way as we did in Qatar and not thinking that last year I won both races here because I we saw Miguel win in Portimão last year and then have some struggles this year, so I just want to focus in working in the same way and be ready for Sunday. It means nothing that we won both races last year.
“I feel like the 2020 season helped me a lot because a lot of things happened. In 2019, everything was perfect and I enjoyed it a lot with seven podiums and six pole positions. 2020 was more up and down though. We started well but then we had some engine problems, some electronic problems and I lost my mind a little bit. Then we got it back but the end of the season was a total disaster and I feel like I’ve learned a lot. Staying calm is the most important for me because when I get little bit angry on the bike, my comments to the team are not clear. Being much calmer on the bike is working much better for me and the results at the first races show that, so I want to keep working like this. I know it’s not easy but I’m feeling great and I feel like we are going into the right direction so I’m happy.”
Francesco Bagnaia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Francesco Bagnaia: “I’m really confident because at the moment I feel good with everything; my bike, my team. Last year I was competitive here, most of all in the second race, and I had just back luck for having the engine failure but we were strong. I think it can be a positive weekend for us and I think we can try to stay in the top three again.”
Has Pecco seen he has a big fan in former MotoGP™ rider Ben Spies, who says his riding style is something that gets the best out of the Ducati?
“I’ve seen the tweet from Ben, it’s always nice to see past riders say something about us and I really appreciate it. Already last year I started to try to ride the Ducati in a different way, and I understand better now how to do it. Last year in the second part of the season I was struggling a lot and it was difficult to accept it and understand what was happening. But then in preseason testing, I started to have the same feeling again and maybe all the work we’ve done this winter with training and in the gym with the others from the Academy has given me extra motivation and confidence. In the first race in Qatar I was trying to manage the tyres but I learned from that race I had to use the tyre in a different way. In the second race I was faster than the first but made mistakes and lost the opportunity to win. In Portimão I was very confident with the bike and felt great on everything, we know our potential is great in acceleration and braking and I tried to concentrate more on that area, and the bike, if you push, is turning well. It’s strange but something that with our bike is working well.”
Joan Mir. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Joan Mir: “Last year was a difficult start to the season here. It’s true that the heat of last year made it pretty difficult for everyone and it looks like this year it will be colder. This is something that can be good for us. Everyone knows this track really well and it’s always really difficult to make a difference but well we will try to do our best with the package that we have. Our goal is to finish on the podium, to fight for the podium and then we will see. It’s true that last year here was not really good but also Portimão was not too good and I was able to make a good result, so I will try to do my best.”
Franco Morbidelli. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Franco Morbidelli: “Portimão felt great, I felt amazing getting back to some top spots and positions, and it felt just great to do the race I did. I had a good fight in the beginning and then tried to maintain the most consistent pace I could throughout the whole race so it was nice. Here, we have good trust in this track. Last year I was close to the podium in both races, and unfortunately for two different reasons I didn’t manage to get it in either but we’ll see. I’ll try to do my best this weekend, try to keep the momentum that I hope started in Portimão, and we’ll see.”
Is his mental, more philosophical approach key to overcoming tougher times?
“It’s the story of my life trying to overcome difficult times. It’s happened in the past and it will happen in the future, and I hope to be hard enough and ready enough to overcome the difficult moments I will face.”
Marc Marquez. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Marc Marquez: “Portimão was a special weekend but here I feel like everything is a bit quieter and this is important, it feels like a normal weekend. It’s not like my physical condition are completely different, they are very similar, but I hope to ride in a better way from FP1 and my target is to hopefully be more stable with my physical condition during all the weekend.
“I have good and bad memories here, of course, but better memories than worse memories, so this will be important. There’s no target, no clear target, just ride the bike, have more kilometres, try to feel better the position of the bike. We know where our limit is now and it’s not with the bike or the tyres, it’s more about me. We know where the limit is and we know where we need to improve but we need time, days and kilometres on the bike.”
Pedro Acosta. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Pedro Acosta: “I feel incredible, after a good preseason, we knew we could do good results but nothing like this finally when you come to the world championship, you don’t think about winning races in the first part of the year or something like this. We have to keep working.
“A few minutes ago I was nervous, but if I am here it’s because we’re working well.”
Mir and Marquez were also asked about the rookie’s incredible performances so far:
Mir on Acosta: “I imagine how he feels, I remember the first time I was in a Press Conference I was really nervous I think he’s the same! Pedro is doing a really good job, during the last year in the Rookies Cup I went there to see him and wish him good luck in a couple of races because one of my mechanics Fernando is a neighbour of Pedro and Fernando spoke a couple of times about him and that he’s fast. He was right! I think he’s doing a great job, I think he has a bright future in front of him. He rides in a really good way and he’s showing that even if he’s a rookie, he’s the main contender this year.”
Marquez on Acosta: “I already spoke with him before and his riding style is good, his talent is good, he’s fast and this is obvious from the results! Being here in the Press Conference between MotoGP riders at 16 years old… I think it’s difficult to deal with because it’s maybe too much pressure but as I said to him: forget about everything, enjoy it now, you’re a young talented kid. If he wins on Sunday it will be ok, if he finishes top five or top ten, it will be ok. It’s his first year! Now is the time to enjoy it is my advice to him, he’ll have time to put pressure on himself and apart from that, also congrats because he’s riding amazingly and he will arrive soon! I’ll try to be there but he’ll arrive soon competing with us!”
Fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap of Silverstone puts Glenn Irwin on top at opening test
Glenn Irwin and Honda Racing kicked off their 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship campaign in style by smashing the lap record on the final day of the opening official test at Silverstone, setting the fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap of the National circuit by 0.090s.
The top 17 riders were covered by just 0.988s on combined times after the two days on circuit, with four different manufacturers represented in the top four positions ahead of next week’s second test at Snetterton.
Glenn Irwin’s lap record-breaking time came in the penultimate session of the test, with the Honda Racing rider putting himself firmly at the head of the times, although McAMS Yamaha rider Tarran Mackenzie was also under the existing record and just 0.016s adrift of his rival.
Silverstone again proved to be a strong circuit for the Buildbase Suzuki team and after setting the pace at lunchtime, Danny Kent’s time in that session put him third overall on the combined times as he proved to put his track knowledge to use as he prepares for his new campaign.
Kyle Ryde showed impressive pace with the new BMW M 1000 RR to post the fourth fastest time for the Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW team, he had topped the timesheets in the final session of the test, despite conditions meaning the pace couldn’t match what was set earlier in the day.
Jason O’Halloran had set the pace on the opening day of testing action and the McAMS Yamaha rider ended the test fifth fastest overall, holding off the second Buildbase Suzuki of Gino Rea and the SYNETIQ BMW pairing of Danny Buchan and Andrew Irwin.
Christian Iddon held ninth place on combined times for VisionTrack Ducati, his teammate and reigning champion Josh Brookes suffered a high-speed crash in the final session, which ended his day prematurely. The Australian was able to walk away from the crash but sustained a finger injury.
Ryan Vickers completed the top ten for the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki team, edging out FHO Racing BMW’s Xavi Forés by just 0.038s.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship Official Test, Silverstone combined times:
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) 53.139 seconds
Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.061s
Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +0.174s
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) +0.184s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.211s
Gino Rea (Buildbase Suzuki) +0.296s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.339s
Andrew Irwin (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.343s
Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) +0.346s
Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki) +0.414s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin, Honda Racing
“It has been a really productive test and one of two halves; yesterday the pace was slower than last year and you put it down to conditions, but it was also similar conditions today. I think we all know how to ride, but I think you forget all the niche things that make you compete at this level and I feel we did that better today.
“I improved today and we had a lot that we needed to get through here. We tried some new things that we thought might not even work, but the lap time in the third session was really good and I was happy.
“In the final session I was on another faster lap so I was buzzing, but I came across another rider in the last sector so didn’t get to complete it, but it has been a good day and the team have worked amazing. We can’t be complacent as we don’t know what everyone else is working on, but I feel strong and we can now look forward to the next test at Snetterton.”
More, from a press release issued by VisionTrack Ducati:
Brookes And Iddon On The Pace At Silverstone Test
The VisionTrack Ducati pairing of Josh Brookes and Christian Iddon got their 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship up and running in style when the first official test of the season took place at the Silverstone National circuit over these past two days.
Defending champion Brookes and third-placed championship contender from 2020 Iddon have remained with Paul Bird’s Lake District-based squad for a second successive season aboard the factory-supported VisionTrack Ducati Panigale V4Rs and after a private test at Knockhill last week, the pair were in action against the full field of competitors who will contest this year’s 11-round series.
Cool and occasionally damp conditions were the order of the day for Wednesday’s four sessions whereby 37-year-old Bedfordshire-based Australian Brookes ended up second fastest behind his compatriot Jason O’Halloran whilst 36-year-old Mancunian Iddon, now based on Tyneside, finished third fastest, less than a tenth of a second behind his teammate.
Today (Thursday) was once again very cold although the rain held off as the times from the opening day plummeted. Iddon consistently lowered his times in the opening three sessions whilst Brookes improved in the day’s second session to record his fastest lap of the test.
Brookes, running the number one plate in Bennetts BSB for the first time since Tommy Hill tried to defend his crown in 2012, unfortunately crashed out of the final session and sustained a finger injury which meant a trip to hospital for further investigation.
Josh Brookes (1). Photo by DoubleRed Photographic, courtesy VisionTrack Ducati.
Josh Brookes: “I’ve taken a lot of skin off the little finger and there is a risk of infection as it’s down to the bone but apart from that I’m OK and my finger is fine. There are no other injuries so it’s just a case of getting it cleaned up. I’m still working out what happened in the crash, but the track was cooling down and I perhaps carried a bit too much brake so maybe that’s what happened. The test was good to a point, but we did a lot of experimenting and didn’t really find a lot that improved our existing package. It’s now a case of working on what we know best and finding the consistency we need.”
Christian Iddon (21). Photo by DoubleRed Photographic, courtesy VisionTrack Ducati.
Christian Iddon: “I’m really happy with the way the test has gone, everything is good. Silverstone is unique as everyone ends up with very similar lap times, it’s just one of those tracks. My aim over the two days was to experiment with a few ideas and to try some stuff we didn’t get round to trying last year, mainly to do with tyre life and some other settings. We achieved what we needed and in the last session, I just did a race run rather than chasing a lap time. It was unfortunate for Josh to crash and hope his finger injury is not too serious.”
John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “We were happy enough with our progress yesterday and after a good start, today didn’t go so well. It meant that Josh ended the combined times in 12th place with Christian in ninth but despite the track not suiting our bike, valuable data was gained for when the series visits later in the year. Christian made good progress throughout the test but sadly Josh crashed and sustained an injury to his little finger in the final session which necessitated a trip to the hospital to get it checked out but hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
The opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place over the weekend of 25/27 June at Oulton Park.
More, from a press release issued by Buildbase Suzuki:
Kent and Rea inside top six as Neave tops superstock times at first preseason test
Kent finishes debut test P3 with focus on getting comfortable aboard his new machine.
Rea focusses on development with new engine spec and throttle maps from Suzuki Motor Corporation.
Neave tops times for perfect start to 2021 season.
Buildbase Suzuki’s Danny Kent and Gino Rea both finished the first preseason test for the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike Championship inside the top six – with Kent an impressive P3 – while their teammate in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship, Tim Neave, topped the time sheets aboard his GSX-R1000R.
For former Moto3 world champion Kent the two-day test was about getting comfortable with his new GSX-R1000R superbike, as he makes the switch from superstock machinery. Despite ad hoc appearances on a superbike in recent years, 2021 marks the start of a full-time campaign, and while there is still learning to be done, by his own admission, ending the test P3 on the time sheets has served as a welcome confidence boost.
As the comparable superbike veteran, Rea had a dedicated testing schedule to follow over the course of the two days, evaluating a new engine spec from Suzuki Motor Corporation in Japan as well as electronics settings, with a focus on power delivery and engine braking. Despite a clear focus on development, he still set the sixth fastest time of the two days.
Danny Kent (52). Photo courtesy Buildbase Suzuki.
Danny Kent, “I’ve got to be happy with that at the end of the day. This, really, was my first proper go on a superbike with a good team around me that know the bike and have the experience, so to come away in the top three; it feels good. I was a bit worried, you have thoughts about if you’ll be fast enough when it comes to it and people have asked that question of me, and understandably maybe, but I think today’s answered those questions, and confidence is pretty high at the moment.
“The objective at this test was to just get comfortable, and I wanted to come away feeling like the bike was mine, and we definitely achieved that. The bike felt great and the team have done a really good job. They’ve got so much experience at this level I just rode the bike, and let them make any changes they wanted to make. The result was it made doing the lap times so easy and I think with a more experienced rider than me onboard it could easily have topped the times. I just kept making the odd mistake when pushing hard and I’d over ride and do the wrong things to go fast on a superbike. So I’ve got a bit of learning to do still but I think I could have gone faster. Plus we lost nearly two sessions with a crash on Wednesday morning.
“Being at Silverstone made it easier as I know that track, and I know it’ll be harder at Snetterton. But I also know the bike can go fast there. It’s just going to be a case of putting the laps in, learning the circuit, the bike, and keep building that connection. For the first day back it feels pretty good.”
Gino Rea (44). Photo courtesy Buildbase Suzuki.
Gino Rea, “This test has been really good, and it was just nice to be back with the team and back on the superbike after a long winter off. We had a lot to test and a lot to get through, and day one was pretty much dedicated to working on the electronics and we didn’t do much to the chassis. Today [Thursday] we focussed on that a bit more, and the biggest change there for me is the new Suter swingarm, so we spent time getting that dialled in.
“With a lot to get through it’s really hard not to look at the times and see what people are doing, but we kept our focus on the job, and it’s actually been really nice for me to have a test – I missed this test last year – to put the laps in and work on the bike and not worry about the times so much. But today we did push on a bit, nothing crazy, but to see what the package was capable of. We didn’t chuck the super soft tyre in that some people used, but considering we were doing a lot of testing I think we were competitive and consistent, and the two days couldn’t really have gone much better.
“The test at Snetterton, I think will be similar; we still have some areas to work on with the electronics, so that’s still my focus, but then we’ll go from there.”
In the hotly-contested Pirelli National Superstock Championship Neave ended the test P1, just half a second off his own lap record despite the colder and windier conditions. Minor changes to the electronics setup were the only changes, as he spent the test putting in the laps to get himself back up to speed.
Tim Neave, “I’m really chuffed, and I wasn’t expecting it to be honest, I was just taking my time, letting it come to me, and after a few laps I saw P1 and got a big buzz. So it’s a good start to the year and can’t really ask for more. The bike setup is the same last year, which is good for me. We didn’t make one change all day apart from a new tyre at the end. We knew we had a good setting from last year so we just left it. And I think we could have got nearer the lap record were it not for the wind; it was so strong it was hard to pull fifth down the start finish straight.
“Hopefully we’ll pick up where we left off at Snetterton, and if we can be in the top five consistently all year, then I think we can fight for wins week in, week out. This test has lifted a bit of a weight off my shoulders to be honest and I feel more relaxed; I’m in a perfect environment with the team, the bike’s working well, and I know we can be at the front.”
A number of other Hawk Racing supported riders were also present on a fleet of GSX-R superstock machines, including Tom Ward, Tom Oliver, and Leon Jeacock, while former Buildbase Suzuki superbike rider and British Supersport champion Luke Stapleford was also in action.
Dick Mann at Daytona in 1971. Photo by Dave Friedman, courtesy the Don Emde Collection.
FIRST PERSON/OPINION:
Dick Mann’s late ex-wife Susie once related a story about one of Bugsy’s experiences at the Daytona 200.
This was back when qualifying was done via a flying lap on the oval on Wednesday or Thursday. It was the same day that the Alligator enduro was contested nearby. The day started with heavy rain, which was forecast to continue throughout the day.
Seeing that qualifying would certainly be delayed, Mann took his BSA thumper and entered the enduro. Sure enough, by midday, the rain stopped and the track began to dry. BSA sent people to try to find Mann and get him back to the Speedway, because if you didn’t qualify on that day, you couldn’t start in the first wave. Time was running out to qualify, and there was no sign of Dick Mann. BSA was desperate. They finally managed to squeeze Mann’s teammate Ralph White into Mann’s leathers. This was no mean feat. White was significantly taller than Mann. They sent him out to qualify for Mann.
What really annoyed White was that he qualified better as Mann than as himself (perhaps the compressed version offered less wind resistance).
As far as I know, Dick Mann was the only rider ever to qualify for the Daytona 200 without having actually been there.
Tyler O’Hara (29) at speed on his Mission Foods S&S Indian Challenger. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE ANNOUNCES THREE TEAMS RUNNING INDIAN CHALLENGERS IN 2021 BAGGER RACING EVENTS
Mission® Foods, S&S® and Tyler O’Hara Return to Defend MotoAmerica® King of the Baggers’ Title & Compete in Inaugural Bagger Racing League™
Roland Sands Design® and Frankie Garcia to Race King of the Baggers & Bagger Racing League™, While Also Running New Indian Chief in Bagger Racing League™’s Big Twin Class
Saddlemen Flips the Script, Trading Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® for Indian Challenger, Calls Upon ‘World’s Fastest Female’ Road Racer Patricia Fernandez
MINNEAPOLIS (April 29, 2021) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today announced three privately-backed teams running the Indian Challenger at 2021 bagger racing events. The three teams include reigning King of the Baggers Champion Mission® Foods S&S® Indian Challenger, 2020 King of the Baggers third-place finisher Roland Sands Design® (RSD), and new Indian Challenger converts, Saddlemen.
“Despite numerous naysayers and doubters of last year’s inaugural King of the Baggers race, it proved to be a massive success and the ultimate proving ground for the Indian Challenger, and we’re excited to be a part of it again in 2021,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “We’re proud have three privately funded teams showcasing the Indian Challenger’s superior performance in both the MotoAmerica® Mission® King of the Baggers series and the Drag Specialties Bagger Racing League™.”
With superior stock performance, including a best-in-class 122 horsepower PowerPlus motor, an inverted front fork, and a hydraulically-adjustable FOX® rear shock, the Indian Challenger gives these three privateers a formidable advantage. This was no better evidenced than at the inaugural King of the Baggers last October where the two Indian Challenger entries finished first and third in a field that featured 13 Harley-Davidson® baggers.
Among the teams invited to the King of the Baggers and Bagger Racing League™ events, S&S®, RSD, and Saddlemen are the only Indian Challenger entries.
Mission® Foods S&S® Indian Challenger
As reigning King of the Baggers champion, Tyler O’Hara and S&S® will enter this year as the clear-cut team to beat at round one of the MotoAmerica® series at Road Atlanta on May 2. That said, the team enters the series with nothing but confidence, backed by a full-year of preparation to defend the crown it captured in 2021.
“Most race teams don’t learn a whole lot from winning, but we did. We’ve spent the past year meticulously refining our setup specific to Tyler’s preferences to ensure the highest level of performance,” said Jeff Bailey, crew chief for the S&S® team. “Backed by Tyler’s phenomenal skills, S&S® has decades of racing and performance expertise, and the undisputed bagger racing king, the Indian Challenger, our expectations are extremely high.”
But King of the Baggers will not be the only action for S&S® and O’Hara in Atlanta that weekend. In a throwback to the golden age of the AMA Grand National Championship of yester-year, O’Hara will split duties, piloting the Indian FTR750 at the American Flat Track Atlanta Super TT the day before throwing a leg over his Mission® Foods Indian Challenger to begin his King of the Baggers title defense.
“I’ve always been known for versatility and the ability to be highly competitive on just about any motorcycle within a variety of racing formats, and this weekend in Atlanta provides the ultimate stage to demonstrate that,” said O’Hara. “There is no doubt that I’ve got my work cut out for me, but having dominant track weapons like the Indian FTR750 and Indian Challenger certainly helps. Regardless of outcomes, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to push my limits and challenge I couldn’t be more excited to take on.”
Frankie Garcia (14) on his RSD Indian Challenger. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
RSD
Armed with the RSD Indian Challenger, Roland Sands and the 2020 King of the Baggers third-place finisher, Frankie Garcia, return with a chip on their shoulder and ambitions to dethrone O’Hara. In addition to King of the Baggers, the RSD Challenger will be one of two RSD entries in the Bagger Racing League™ series as RSD adds the new 2022 Indian Chief to its stable of race-ready Indian Motorcycles to compete in the Big Twin class.
“We faced so many curveballs at Laguna Seca last year, not the least of which came when Frankie looped the bike in practice, and we scrambled through the night to get the bike, and Frankie’s body, ready to go for the final. Frankie putting it on the box after all that was an incredible accomplishment, and we couldn’t be more motivated to raise the bar and take the crown in 2021,” said Roland Sands. “There’s no doubt we’re the guys known for having a little too much fun, but make no mistake, the Indian Challenger is an absolute beast and our sights are set on the top of the box.”
“Last year’s inaugural King of the Baggers was an unforgettable experience and when it was all said and done, I was incredibly proud to be on the podium. At the same time, after coming so close in spite of nearly catastrophic challenges, we were all left wondering what could have been,” said Garcia. “That experience provides a ton of motivation heading into the expanded series this year and podiums will not be enough. We want to wear the crown when it’s all said and done this year.”
Patricia Fernandez. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Saddlemen
After finishing in the middle of the pack at the inaugural King of the Baggers, Saddlemen came to the age-old conclusion, “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
The team enters the 2021 bagger racing season, discarding its Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® in favor of the reigning king, the Indian Challenger. To pilot the new race-ready bagger, Saddlemen called upon the highly-skilled Patricia Fernandez. Dubbed “the world’s fastest female road racer,” Fernandez will be the only female rider in the field. The team will be led by famed custom bike builder, Michael “Woolie” Woolaway, and will compete in select rounds of the King of the Baggers series and Bagger Racing League™.
“It was an honor to take part in the inaugural King of the Baggers last October, but it was obvious we needed more performance after watching Tyler and Frankie make quick work of the field aboard their Indian Challengers,” said Woolie. “This year, we have the luxury of a machine that packs enormous power and incredible performance capabilities right out of the box.”
“After seeing so much excitement around the inaugural race last year and hearing the news of an extended series in 2021, I couldn’t help thinking how cool it would be for a queen to be the King of the Baggers,” said Fernandez. “Thankfully, my friends at Saddlemen stepped up to give me the opportunity, and I could not be more excited to throw a leg over the Saddlemen Indian Challenger and show the world what I’m capable of.”
For the 2021 season, MotoAmerica® will host three rounds of King of the Baggers racing. The first round kicks off at MotoAmerica® Superbike in Atlanta April 30-May 2. The newest racing series added to the fold is the Drag Specialties Bagger Racing League™, which will host its inaugural event at the Utah Motorsports Campus June 25-27.
For more information on bagger racing, visit MotoAmerica.com and BaggerRacingLeague.com.
To learn more about each race team, visit SSCycle.com, RolandSands.com and Saddlemen.com. For information about Indian Motorcycle and the Indian Challenger, visit IndianMotorcycle.com, or follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle Company 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.
INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC. Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same. Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities. Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Harley®, Harley-Davidson®, and Road Glide® are registered trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. FOX® is a registered trademark of Fox Factory Inc.; Roland Sands Design® is a registered trademark of Roland Sands Design, Inc.; RSD® is a registered trademark of Roland W. Sands; S&S® is a registered trademark of S&S CYCLE, INC.; MotoAmerica® is a registered trademark of Krave Group, LLC; Mission® is a registered trademark of Gruma Corporation; BRL Bagger Racing League™ is a trademark of Rocket Rob Productions, LLC AKA Bagger Racing League™.
ABOUT S&S® CYCLE
S&S® Cycle was born from a passion for racing and has spent over six decades building performance for the powersports market. Their unwavering focus on quality, reliability and top shelf power has made S&S® Cycle the absolute leader in high performance on the street and track.
ABOUT MISSION® FOODS:
MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit www.missionfoods.com
ABOUT RSD
Roland Sands Design, Inc., a subsidiary of Roll and Company, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is a multifaceted business that includes commissioned custom motorcycle builds, aftermarket hard part design and manufacture, home decor, technical riding and casual apparel, the Super Hooligan National Championship amateur flat track series, Moto Classic Events and more. Roland Sands Design incorporates a small team of dedicated designers, engineers, fabricators, mechanics and more, that feed the collective creativity that emanates from the retail and office location at 10571 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos, CA 90720.
FIM MotoE World Cup riders (from left) Yonny Hernandez, Dominique Aegerter, Matteo Ferrari, Jordi Torres, Fermin Aldeguer, and Eric Granado. Photo courtesy Dorna.
“Expect a big fight”: MotoE™ riders ready to roll in Jerez
The pre-event Press Conference kicks off the first FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup round of the season
Thursday, 29 April 2021
It’s that time of year again: MotoE™ time! The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup begins its third season this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, and the pre-event Press Conference kicked off proceedings. 2020 Cup winner Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) headlined, joined by key rivals Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Eric Granado (One Energy Racing), 2019 Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE), newcomer Yonny Hernandez (Octo Pramac MotoE) and the fastest rookie in testing, Fermin Aldeguer (Openbank Aspar Team).
Here is a selection of quotes:
Jordi Torres: “When you arrive to the first race you never know how your rivals are. We only did two tests here in Jerez and we know the track well, it’s perfect but… maybe after, during the year, with different conditions or at a different track with different grip, it is more different. This race I think all the guys are very competitive and aggressive. And I expect to be there, to have a big fight. We’ll see what happens! But for sure we need to improve a bit more because in the test we didn’t have 100% performance. But for sure, during the race we’ll put our balls on the table to be aggressive and to get, if possible, some podiums or try to fight for the victory.”
Torres was one who, like Granado, didn’t seem to push to the maximum in the race simulation in testing:
“For me our best option was to cut the throttle and do a personal test and see how the behaviour of the bike was in that session, because we changed the bike a lot. And we know it’s better to concentrate on our bike than compare to other riders. We are concentrating more riding alone, trying to get a better feeling.”
Dominique Aegerter: “I’m very happy to be back in MotoE; thanks to the team for letting me ride again in this category! We had two great tests in Jerez fighting in front, we made some different changes on the bike and got some new parts from Energica, and tyres and suspension we tested, and laptimes were a bit faster. We made a great step forward and now this weekend here I’m looking forward to practice and E-pole and then the race.
“We know this track well, so many riders and teams have a lot of data and suspension settings and gearing from this track, and we’ll go to two tracks we haven’t ridden before in Assen and Barcelona, so for sure they’ll be some new things to try if the bike works with a similar setup to here in Jere. But here for sure many riders will be very fast and with close laptimes so it’s important to do a good E-Pole lap to start on the first two rows, and in the race to be in the first group, make a good start and not make any mistakes to fight for the podium.”
Eric Granado: “I’m very happy with preseason, we did a great job and I’m really happy with the work we did with my new team. We are in a good way, I’m feeling good on the bike, I have a good package with the team and settings on the bike. Like Jordi and Domi said, this weekend everyone will be fast for sure because we did two tests here, and we have good data and a good feeling after a lot of laps. So it’ll be difficult but I’ll try and do my best, be in the front group if possible and take maximum points every race, work on that every race to arrive at the end of the season with options to fight.”
One of the fastest in MotoE™ since its inception, the Brazilian is now looking to iron 2021 out into a more consistent year:
“I need to work on this this season, I’m focused on those changes and my new team for sure helps me to have more calm at some moments, and don’t always try to be the fastest because consistency is key, as Matteo showed in 2019 and Jordi last year… I’ll work on that, and do my best every race. Let’s say what happens at the end!”
Matteo Ferrari: “First of all I want to thanks MotoGP and the team because we’re here again, the first race of MotoE and I’m really happy about that. The preseason was a bit different compared to last year because last year I finished first, but during the first race here in Jerez I had some difficult points on the track, so I changed my riding style a bit to understand better the tyres and the new front fork during the test. I didn’t push a lot for the laptime but with my team we tried to find the right setting for this race and I think we’re ready. E-Pole will be very important on Saturday, all the riders are very fast and… then we’ll see on Sunday.”
Yonny Hernandez: “At the beginning it was so different for me, especially on the brakes, the bike is heavier. I just tried do a lot of laps, trying to get a feeling with the bike and understand the category. I think the test was positive for us, at the start it was complicated but by the end of the second day of the test I tried to stay more comfortable and I had more feeling with the bike and team. I’ve tried to find a good setup for the race this weekend and just trying to get the feeling and understand it with laps and laps. It’s difficult for me because you don’t have a lot of time to try many things because sessions are short, you can do five or six laps, and this I think isn’t so much time to understand everything but I think we can improve and I’ll do my best and have a good race.”
And what about E-Pole?
“I’ll try to understand the bike better and especially in the first part of the practice, qualifying on one lap for me is something where we need to work more because for me in the test it was difficult for me in the beginning, I don’t use 100% of the tyres, especially at the beginning. When I start to get the feeling, I need more laps but I’ll do my best to have a good qualifying.”
Fermin Aldeguer: “Thanks for the welcome! I feel very good with MotoE. It’s very different but after the first and second practices I felt really good, free practice to practice I improved a lot and I feel good with the bike and the whole team.
“You don’t have gears, only throttle and the brake and that’s very different. The weight is different. It’s very different but I like it!”
So do we! Tune in for the first E-Pole of the season at 16:05 (GMT +2) on Saturday, before the lights go out for the first showdown of 2021 at 10:05 on Sunday morning.
More, from a press release issued by Energica:
ENERGICA AND MOTOE READY FOR 2021 SEASON OPENER AT JEREZ
An Energica Ego Corsa electric racebike at Jerez. Photo by Jesus Robledo, courtesy Energica.
The 2021 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup is about to get underway from tomorrow at the ‘Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto’ in Southern Spain. After two official three-day sessions performed in early March and mid-April, the 18 Energica Ego Corsa machines are ready to storm once again around the technical and fast-flowing Andalusian circuit.
Three half-hour free practice sessions (two on Friday and one on Saturday morning) will allow teams and riders to prepare for Saturday’s single-lap E-Pole and for Sunday’s race, which will be contested over an improved eight-lap distance.
Reigning MotoE World Cup champion Jordi Torres (Pons 40 Racing) will try his best to defend the title earned last year, but on paper it will not be an easy task for the experienced Spanish rider. Two riders have in fact shown a good degree of dominance so far in 2021, something that did not come as a surprise given their performances in the previous editions of the series: new signing of team One Energy Racing’s Eric Granado and second-year rider Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) have rewritten the unofficial lap track a few times before the end of the April test, with the quickest one now being a 1’47.065 set by the Brazilian star on the final day.
All the aforementioned riders will be in ‘good’ company, though, as rookies Fermin Aldeguer (OpenBank Aspar Team) and Miquel Pons (LCR E-Team) have shown great speed in their first outings aboard their stunning Energica motorcycles, while it is also expected a return to top form by 2019 title winner and 2020 runner-up Matteo Ferrari (Indonesian E-Racing Gresini MotoE). Many other riders will join the battle at the front in what is going to be an electric opening round of the series.
MotoE proceedings will begin tomorrow at 11:50 local time (GMT +2) with Free Practice 1.
Stay tuned via Energica social media and visit www.energicamotor.com in order to keep up to date with the latest news from Jerez and do not forget to listen to the ‘Electrifying Podcast’ for some special episodes about the racing weekend
The podcast is now also available on Spotify and Google Podcast.
ABOUT ENERGICA MOTOR COMPANY S.p.A
Energica Motor Company is the first Italian manufacturer of high-performing electric motorcycle and is the single manufacturer chosen by Dorna for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup. Energica Motorcycles are on sale worldwide.
A FUELL Flluid 1-S electric bicycle, a.k.a. E-bike. Photo courtesy FUELL.
FUELL Launches New Powersports Dealer Program for 2021
FUELL building on strong sales momentum in 2021
April 29, 2021 – FUELL is thrilled to announce the launch of their New Powersports Dealer Program. This new and exciting dealer program is the next stage in the growth of the rapidly expanding business featuring the FUELL Flluid E-bike series of urban mobility vehicles.
Launched in 2019, FUELL’s mission is to reinvent the pleasure of riding. The primary concept behind FUELL is to develop a unique range of vehicles for the new urban adventurers, thanks to freedom of design, engineering, and distribution. The Flluid E-bike is the first step in the journey with a host of new products being developed like the Fllow Electric motorcycle that will complement and enhance the entire FUELL collection of vehicles.
The new FUELL dealer program has been created to set-up key Powersports dealers as full service FUELL dealers where customers can come in to see, touch and feel the beautifully designed, powerful and efficient Flluid E-bike. Why Powersports dealers? In a recent survey, 50% of customers who bought a Flluid E-bike are also motorcycle enthusiasts, most are between 45-65 years old, and make between $100,000 to $200,000 per year. What a great way to bring in and develop new riders, as well as providing a fun and efficient new product for existing motorcycle customers.
“I have a passion for engineering and two wheeled vehicles, and I love our new Flluid E-bike because it gives people a new way to find real personal mobility,” said Erik Buell, CTO of FUELL, Inc. “We feel that Powersports dealers are the perfect place to bring in people who are already comfortable on two-wheels, and ready to try something new.”
The FUELL Powersports dealer program will feature the Flluid 1-S that comes standard with two large 504Wh Lithium batteries, a torque sensing 500w mid motor, and a Gates Carbon belt drive with an internally geared hub. This exceptional E-bike provides incredible efficiency, a sleek modern look and a range of up to 125 miles. Additionally, the Flluid 1-S is available for new FUELL dealers to order now.
To sign up to become a new FUELL dealer contact FUELL at [email protected] and to learn more about FUELL vehicles head to www.FUELL.US.
The Autodrom Most will make its debut on the WorldSBK Calendar in 2021 after signing a five-year agreement, while the Australian Round is set to return in 2022.
The FIM, the Autodrom Most and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) are delighted to announce a new agreement that will see the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race in Czech Republic from 2021. The five-year agreement means the Czech Round will be included in the WorldSBK Calendar until 2025 with the announcement made at a presentation in Prague on Thursday 29th of April.
The Autodrom Most will host the Czech Round for the first time as it joins the WorldSBK calendar with the Czech circuit hosting the sixth Round of the 2021 season from the 6th to the 8th of August. All three classes as well as the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Cup will compete at the Autodrom Most, which includes two Czech riders in WorldSSP300 with Petr Svoboda and Oliver König as well as the Jakub Smrz-run Accolade Smrz Racing team.
Located near Prague, the Autodrom Most was opened in 1983 and was then the first permanent motor racing complex in what was then known as Czechoslovakia. The circuit has already hosted many motorsport events including national motorcycle championships and will be a new, exciting addition to WorldSBK in 2021; while the Championship venue fits within the circuit’s commitment to be part of the sports, social and cultural life of the region. The event will also be broadcast live on Czech channel Nova Sport, following a five-year agreement with DWO.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the FIM, the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and DWO have agreed there will be no 2021 edition of the Australian Round. We will now work for a return to the iconic venue in 2022 in the most successful way as the first event of the 2022 Championship.
Josef Zajíček, Autodrom Most Chief Executive Officer: “This is a milestone and a unique event during Autodrom’s history of almost 40 years. We are becoming organisers of World Championship races for the first time. This fact places demanding technical and organisational requirements on us. Nevertheless, we are happy to take up this challenge. Our objective is to open our complex to the general public, which is why we have to offer the best-quality events possible to our racing fans; the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship indisputably belongs to such events. We will make sure that the riders, teams, partners, sponsors as well as spectators may be absolutely satisfied with us and look forward to the next edition of this fantastic display of powerful machines and brave riders.”
Jan Šťovíček, Czech Republic Autoclub’s president: “Speaking for the Autoclub of the Czech Republic, the nation’s authority for motorcycle sports, I’m delighted to see Czech fans at a Czech track enjoying world-class motorcycle road racing, and I’m equally glad that I could contribute to this event. Naturally it’s a win for the promoter of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship too: acquiring a new route with an attractive profile and an experienced organising team is not easy at the moment.”
David Bennett, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, General Manager: “Phillip Island has hosted more World Superbike events than any other circuit in the world. We agree that now is the time to focus our efforts on the Official Test and season opening Round in 2022. The decision not to run a round in 2021 will not adversely impact the continuation of the event. The event is secured for the Phillip Island Circuit until 2027.”
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “We are thrilled to welcome the Autodrom Most to our calendar for the next five seasons. Today’s announcement that WorldSBK is set to return to the Czech Republic for the first time since 2018 reflects the continuing popularity of the Championship among the Czech fans. With Czech teams and riders within the paddock, this is a great opportunity to showcase the Czech Republic on a world stage and I trust the Autodrom Most will be hosting exciting events in the future. Regarding Australia, all parties involved decided that analysing the latest changes in all major motorsport events and with the current uncertainty related to the pandemic, the best solution was to move the event to our usual start-of- the-season date in 2022. We look forward to returning there next year with the Australian Round a key event of the Championship.”
With the 2021 season set to begin in less than a month, the FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization are constantly working with Government Officials and Circuits in order to continue putting everyone’s safety first. Any further updates to the 2021 WorldSBK calendar will be communicated accordingly.
Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola (left) with Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta (right). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aprilia Racing signs agreement with Dorna through 2026
From the 2022 season, the RS-GP factory bikes will be on track with the official Aprilia Racing Team
Thursday, 29 April 2021
Dorna Sports is pleased to announce the signing of an agreement with Aprilia Racing to participate in the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship through 2026.
For the next five seasons, Aprilia Racing will be one of the protagonists in the top motorcycle racing competition in the world, thereby reaffirming its mission of technological research and experimentation excellence within the Piaggio Group.
From 2022, Aprilia Racing will participate as manufacturer, with the official RS-GP machines on the track as a factory team, as the agreement has ended with Gresini Racing, which accompanied Aprilia Racing’s participation in the championship since 2015. In the moving and heartfelt memory of Fausto, Aprilia Racing holds team Gresini in the highest regard and wishes to thank them for these years together.
Aprilia is one of the most victorious brands in motorcycle racing history, having won an astonishing 54 world titles in its young career, 38 in World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing, 7 in Superbike and 9 in Off Road disciplines. With 294 GP wins, it is the European brand that has won the most races in World Championship GP Motorcycle Racing. Many of the riders who have made motorcycling history in the last few decades have made their debut on the bikes from Noale. These World Champions include Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Alex Gramigni, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Manuel Poggiali, Marco Simoncelli and Alvaro Bautista.
Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO: “I am obviously happy about this agreement. From next season, we will be participating in an official capacity as a manufacturer. This opens up new and hopefully great opportunities and we will need to manage many additional responsibilities. It is a natural step that we are taking just as we are beginning to see the first positive signs from the hard work we’ve done in Noale, first and foremost on our structure, and consequently on our beautiful RS-GP bikes. At this time, our thoughts and gratitude go to Gresini Racing, who have accompanied us in these years. In heartfelt memory of Fausto, I wish the team and all its staff the best success for the coming seasons.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna CEO: “Dorna and Aprilia extending their partnership is really positive news for the FIM MotoGP World Championship. We are excited to continue this association with the Italian manufacturer in a project that has set many fascinating goals, not just in racing performance, but in overall technical excellence in the Championship.”
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Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
