On March 13, then-19-year-old Brandon Paasch came from behind and used a textbook slipstream maneuver on the last lap to win the 79th Daytona 200.
Not only was it a big moment is Paasch’s racing career and a tremendous achievement for the family owned- and operated TSE Racing team, if may have been life changing for some others who never stepped foot on pit lane.
The Daytona 200-winning TSE Racing team: (from left) Scott Jensen, Justin “Bubba” Conolty, Mike Sulzer, team owner Mark Stiles, team manager Meghan Ryan (Stiles’ daughter), Brandon Paasch, Scotty Ryan (Meghan‘s husband), Nathan Oldenburg, Kevin Gorman, Chris Quillman, and Eziah Davis. Photo by Stefan Dolipski, courtesy TSE Racing.
In the days leading up to the race, Paasch pledged that he would give half of his winnings to the family of fallen racer Lloyd Bayley.
Bayley was killed in a crash while competing in an ASRA Team Challenge endurance race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on December 5, 2020.
Considering the Daytona 200 is the most lucrative motorcycle road race in America with a $175,000 cash purse and a $25,000 grand prize for the winner, that’s a big promise. But Bayley clearly made a big impact on Paasch, who has literally grown up at racetracks around the world and has met hundreds if not thousands of people in his young career.
“When I first started racing with CCS, [Bayley] would always come up to me and ask how I was doing and if I needed any help with anything,” Paasch told reporters after winning the Daytona 200. “He would go to all the CCS races and was doing all the endurance races, and from a young age I was doing the endurance races as early as I could just to get as much track time as I could. He was always a nice dude and was always helping me out.
“Going deeper than that, his sponsor [Chronic Motorsports] that actually helped him go racing wound up being my trainer now. And while they were sponsoring him, they in turn sponsored me. So technically, without Lloyd, I wouldn’t even be racing today. It means a lot to me to help his family, and to think I may have just paid for his two little girls’ college is unreal.”
Brandon Paasch with friends and family of Lloyd Bayley at Daytona International Speedway. (From left) Gill Lindsay (Bayley’s friend), Alyssia Bayley (Bayley’s daughter), Alana Bayley (Bayley’s daughter), Leonard Bayley (Bayley’s father), Yvett Bayley (Bayley’s widow), Brandon Paasch, and Ethel Bayley Scruggs (Bayley’s mother). Photo by Rick Hentz/Ricks Pics.
Asked for her reaction to Paasch’s generous gesture, Yvett Bayley, Lloyd Bayley’s widow, wrote to Roadracingworld.com. “Brandon making the decision to give half of his winning to our girls was a blessing [and a] selfless act. There are no words to describe how thankful I am and I know Lloyd is. Brandon’s mother raised an amazing young man and should be proud.”
A familiar name topped the timesheets on Friday at Losail as Miller headed teammate Bagnaia, with Quartararo slotting into third
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday, 26 March 2021
Day 1 of MotoGP™ action in 2021 is in the history books, and leading the way on Friday at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar is Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller as the Australian picked up where he left off in testing. Miller’s 1:53.387 was just 0.007s away from the all-time lap record, and teammate Francesco Bagnaia made it a Borgo Panigale factory 1-2. An infinitesimal 0.035s split the two red machines, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three after ending the day 0.188 off Miller.
Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Dorna.
After a scorching FP1 was completed earlier in the day, the Losail floodlights were switched on for FP2 and Miller, Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all almost immediately set laptimes quicker than Franco Morbidelli’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) FP1 pace. That was before the Red Flag came out due to track conditions, with some debris scattered across the track on the start/finish straight. However, after a quick clean up operation, the MotoGP™ riders were back out with one thing on their mind: securing a place in the top 10 and therefore a provisional place in Q2.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aleix Espargaro was the first rider to venture into the 1:53s under the evening lights and briefly went an incredible seven tenths clear, before Rins then cut the deficit to just under half a second. It then fell a little quieter at the top but with just under 15 minutes to go on the opening day, Quartararo slotted into within a tenth of Aleix Espargaro to make it four manufacturers in the top four: Aprilia, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki. Soft front and rear rubber was the choice for pretty much every rider as the first shootout of the year began.
On his next lap, Quartararo made good on his earlier threat and did demote Aleix Espargaro to P2, with Quartararo’s fellow Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales taking over in P3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) were next to climb the ladder into P5 and P6, with rookies Enea Bastianini (Esponsorama Racing) and then Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) enjoying some time in the top 10 too.
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Dorna.
With nine minutes left, Bagnaia then took charge and did so by an almighty 0.275s. That lap was within half a tenth of Marc Marquez’s (Repsol Honda Team) all-time lap record, a 1:53.380, and Miller was next to challenge as he crossed the line within just 0.007s of Marquez’ time and took over in P1. It was soon a Ducati 1-2-3 as well, with Zarco going 0.199s behind Miller and the top 10 positions chopping and changing.
Quartararo was then glowing the timing screens with red in the opening three sectors, but the Yamahas were losing touch in the last sector as the superior grunt of the Ducatis kicked in. Nevertheless, El Diablo was able to grab P3 to break the Ducati trio apart. Bagnaia then threatened to reclaim top spot but Pol Espargaro’s (Repsol Honda Team) second crash of the day, this time at Turn 15, meant the Italian couldn’t complete his lap due to yellow flags.
In the end then, it’s Ducati and Miller who take first blood in 2021 and Bagnaia is forced to settle for second. The Italian makes sure it’s a Bologna 1-2 at the top though, with Yamaha looking good and Quartararo the quickest YZR-M1 rider so far in third. Zarco is looking like a serious contender on the GP21 too and finishes Friday in P4, with Rins going well on the soft tyres – something that bodes well for Suzuki to shrug of their sometime Achilles’ heel of one-lap pace – to claim P5.
Viñales and Morbidelli were close in sixth and seventh, respectively, finishing within three tenths of Miller as Aleix Espargaro slipped to P8 at the end of play. Valentino Rossi finished inside the top 10 for the second session in a row, the nine-time World Champion taking ninth, and Pol Espargaro grabbed a vital P10 despite his late tumble. Two crashes in one day aren’t what HRC’s new recruit would have been looking for, but the number 44 has some good speed.
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) misses out on what could prove to be a crucial top 10 place as his title defence begins, but the gap could hardly be smaller: just 0.013s. With the cooler evening temperatures allowing the riders to set their best times of the day compared to when the sun was beating down in FP1 though, the same could well happen again in FP3 – so will an automatic place in Q2 be a struggle for Mir?
MotoGP™ really has returned with a bang in 2021 as 16 riders finish within a second on the opening day, a fantastic way to welcome back Grand Prix motorcycle racing. 15:15 local time (GMT+3) on Saturday afternoon is when the premier class will be back on track for FP3 and the provisional places in Q2 will be confirmed, so make sure to tune in and come back for the first qualifying shootout of the season from 19:20.
More, from a press release issued by Tech3 KTM Factory Racing:
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing kicks off 2021 campaign under the Losail floodlights
Scorching heat welcomed the MotoGP World Championship on day one of the new season today in Qatar for the first Free Practice. However, conditions changed completely in FP2 tonight, as the second session of the day traditionally took place in the dark.
After just four days of testing, the team’s new entry Danilo Petrucci was quick to adapt to both circumstances, picking up where he left off during the test over a week ago with steadily getting accustomed to his KTM RC16. The Italian concluded day one 0.873 seconds off the provisional Q2 spots.
On the other side of the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing garage, Iker Lecuona started to prepare himself for what will be his first premier class race at the Losail International Circuit. The Spanish youngster completed Friday just 0.324 seconds behind his teammate of the combined FP1 and FP2 timings.
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy Tech3.
Danilo Petrucci
Position: 20th
Time: 1:54.774
Laps: 31
“For sure we are still not in the place where we want to be. We are improving the bike a little bit, but we still have a long way to go. I’m a bit upset, because I lost most of the time in the last two corners. At the same time, we are trying to recover the time we lost during the test here, which is not easy during a race weekend.”
“Maybe we will have some time during FP3 to further adjust the bike. Obviously, we are just at the beginning. We work a lot, we want to improve. Overall, I’m not really satisfied about today, but I’m already focused on tomorrow.”
Iker Lecuona (27). Photo courtesy Tech3.
Iker Lecuona
Position: 22nd
Time: 1:55.098
Laps: 31
“Today has been a quite difficult. My feeling with the bike is good, but I start to have some issues with my arms. I had two surgeries, so I don’t understand. Maybe it’s because of the long off-time. It’s not easy for me to keep the pace.”
“In my time attack, I gave everything, but apparently there’s still something missing. I try to work a lot with the bike and I already feel more comfortable than during the test. We have a margin, that is clear, but I just have to continue working in order to be ready for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP OPEN 2021 CAMPAIGN WITH TOP-6 RESULTS
Losail (Qatar), 26th March 2021
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
FREE PRACTICE
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales have started their 2021 MotoGP campaign today at the Losail International Circuit. They finished in 3rd and 6th place respectively in the combined Friday free practice timesheets.
3rd FABIO QUARTARARO 1’53.575 / 16 + 17 LAPS
6th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’53.639 / 18 + 18 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales went straight down to business today during the first two free practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Qatar. They continued developing their set-ups for Sunday’s race and finished the day in 3rd and 6th place respectively in the combined Friday free practice results.
Quartararo was a man with a plan for the inaugural Friday session. He got straight back to work and gradually started building up his race pace and concluded the first FP1 of 2021 by setting two consecutive personal best times. His 1‘55.213s on lap 16/16 earned him fourth place, 0.292s from first.
The Frenchman had saved some soft tyres for the FP2 session, which is predicted to be more similar in terms of track conditions to those of Sunday‘s race, held at 20:00 local time (GMT+3). He briefly topped the timesheets with 12 minutes to go. The pace soon picked up, but the youngster responded. He set a 1‘53.575s on lap 16/17 to take third place in the FP2 and combined free practice results, 0.188s from the top.
Viñales got back into the rhythm with ease. He soon featured inside the provisional top 2 as he started work on Sunday‘s race set-up and kept the position. The Spaniard spent the remainder of the afternoon track time focusing on his own free practice plans. He ended FP1 in sixth place, 0.388s from first, thanks to the 1‘55.309s he on lap 7/18.
The Spaniard continued work in FP2, but didn‘t have the same feeling. However, despite the short interruption of a red flag due to debris on the track, he did book progress throughout the cooler evening session, making the last lap his fastest of the weekend thus far. He finished in sixth place in the FP2 and combined rankings, with a 1’53.639s lap and a 0.252s-margin to the front.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today we‘ve officially kicked off the 2021 season and got straight to work. FP1 was a good start. Fabio and Maverick felt comfortable on their bikes. Then, in FP2, both riders used the beginning of the session to test different settings. After that they focused on getting in their time attacks, because the conditions were good, and also considering that tomorrow the temperatures during FP3 will be too hot. Even though we have a good base set-up, we have a bit of room for improvements, and we will use the next sessions to work on that. We will simulate the race in FP4. But overall we are satisfied about how we started the season without any inconveniences.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I‘m so happy to finally make our first laps of the 2021 season. We didn‘t ride with the best tyre option in FP1 because we needed to save the soft tyres for later, for the right moment. We tried something on the first run of FP2 that I didn‘t like, but it‘s good to have been able to try it. Now we know. It was also good to do the two time attacks at the end. It was tough, because our competitors are fast, but I‘m happy that I‘ve done two great laps. There were some small mistakes to improve on, but overall I‘m happy with today.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
We had to wait a long time to start the season. I think we picked up in FP1 where we left off during the Qatar Test. Everything was working well and I felt fantastic on the bike on track, keeping the lines and riding smoothly. In the evening we felt a little bit different than we did during the test. For sure, the track is not in the same condition, but we are certain that we will be able to improve during the race weekend. The bike is working well, it‘s just the conditions that are different, so we need to understand the set-up. For tomorrow we will focus on the balance of the bike to see if we can improve. I know we will fix it. I can‘t wait for tomorrow to put in some nice laps.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
SOLID START FOR ALEIX AND APRILIA ON THE FIRST WEEKEND IN QATAR
Aleix and Aprilia pick up where they had left off, with an extremely solid performance on the first official day of the MotoGP season in Qatar. The Spanish rider’s feeling with the new RS-GP was clear from FP1, where his times were consistently on the high end of the standings, despite the less-than-optimum track conditions. The more indicative FP2 session was a repeat of the earlier one, where Aleix stayed in the lead for quite some time. Traffic on the track at the end of the session kept him from shaving a bit more off his time, but his final eighth place and, more importantly, his great consistency, place him among the possible protagonists of the weekend.
The good news for Lorenzo Savadori came especially from his shoulder, significantly improved with respect to the recent IRTA tests. The Italian still doesn’t have a perfect feeling in acceleration, which is where Lorenzo and his team will focus their work tomorrow.
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“I am satisfied with this start. After the tests, which went well, I had some doubts because when the race weekend begins, the values on the pitch can change. Instead, we confirmed our level today too. I am especially happy with how easy it is for me to be fast with the new RS-GP. It is a fun bike to ride. I feel like I am exploiting it well and the times show that. Now I want to focus on qualifying because I think it is possible to do well in those conditions too. There will be a lot of aspects to assess on Sunday in the race with a completely new bike, from how it performs in the slipstream to fuel consumption. We are tackling one session at a time, but with a very positive spirit.”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“The most important thing today is definitely the condition of my shoulder, which is reacting well, and that gives me peace of mind, even though it still hasn’t fully healed. As for the bike, we identified the areas where we need to work, namely acceleration. At the moment, I am not fully exploiting rear tyre grip and in this category that is precisely where you can make the difference. On one hand, knowing which direction to concentrate on is positive, and on the other, the solution might not be so immediate. We have a few ideas and we’ll put them into practice tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
SUZUKI DOWN TO BUSINESS ON FIRST FRIDAY OF THE SEASON
Alex Rins: 5th – 1’53.623 (+ 0.236)
Joan Mir: 11th – 1’53.914 (+ 0.527)
Team Suzuki Ecstar and the MotoGP field took to Losail Circuit in Qatar on Friday for the first practice sessions of the 2021 season.
For FP1 the track conditions were tricky, with ground temperatures reaching 60 degrees Celsius and dust making for low grip. Nevertheless, the riders quickly got to work adjusting their bikes. Joan Mir and Alex Rins finished this session fifth and seventh respectively.
As night fell around the circuit, the pressure was on to find the feeling and set a fast time, with tomorrow’s FP3 likely to be held in less favourable conditions. Both Rins and Mir opted for the soft-soft tyre combination and they got down to business trying to find a rhythm before a slight interruption due to a red flag flown because of debris on the track. After the session restart both Suzuki riders pushed to get their lap times down, and the FP2 session became very competitive.
Rins and Mir dropped their lap times and managed to get into the Top 10. However, as the action hotted up Mir slipped to 11th place – although just half a second from the top – while Rins held onto fifth place.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“We have finally started the season after good testing here. Today we worked on settings, and then we tried to set lap times during FP2 because tomorrow’s conditions look tricky. So both our riders concentrated on lap times, and although Joan missed out on the Top 10 he still has good pace. Alex did a great job and he was fifth. So we’re looking forward to tomorrow and hoping for good qualifying.”
Alex Rins (42). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Alex Rins:
“Today was a good day, we achieved the target we set, and we did a good lap time. I’ve also improved my time compared with the test here, so I’m satisfied. It seems like qualifying tomorrow will be interesting and the race too, the times are tight with a lot of fast riders! So we’ll continue working hard and trying to improve all the time.”
Joan Mir (36). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Joan Mir:
“It was a difficult day and I think missing the last day of testing here has had an impact on our performance because we still had to adjust some things on the bike to become a little more competitive. We were pretty strong on times, but there’s still work to do. The main thing is that we know where we can improve for the coming days.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Qatar GP. Miller first and Bagnaia second at the end of Friday free practices
The Ducati Lenovo Team resumed action today at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar for the first day of free practices for the inaugural Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, scheduled for this Sunday. In today’s two sessions, both Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia confirmed the competitiveness showed already during the tests held a few weeks ago at the same track, finishing in first and second position respectively in the combined standings on Friday.
Third at the end of FP1, despite a fall without consequences at Turn 4, Miller improved by over a second his best time during the second run held in the evening, closing with a fastest lap in 1:53.387, only seven thousandths off the current circuit record.
Also, for Bagnaia, it was a very positive first day at Losail. Eighth with a lap time in 1:55.365 at the end of the first session, the Italian rider set a fastest lap in 1:53.422 in FP2, finishing second just 35 thousandths behind his teammate.
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:53.387 (1st)
“It was a bit of bumpy start due to the crash in FP1, but then the day ended well. In the afternoon, the wind made the conditions difficult, but towards the evening, I found the feeling with my Desmosedici again; I set a very good lap time with the soft tyre, which is just 7 thousandths off the track record. I’m delighted: it was important to close these first two sessions well because tomorrow in FP3, with the higher temperatures, it will be tough to improve. We were all very close today, and I expect very fast times in qualifying. I am excited and eager to head out on track again tomorrow”.
Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:53.422 (2nd)
“I’m delighted! Today it was important to finish in the top ten: the FP3 session will be held during the day, and with the heat, it will be difficult to get the same times like tonight, and on top of that, it will be windier than today. During the first time attack, I set a very good lap time, and if I hadn’t run into the yellow flag on my second attempt, I probably would have improved it even more. I am satisfied because I feel very comfortable with the bike. Tomorrow, in FP4, we’ll work on the race pace, which is still the only detail we need to focus on”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track tomorrow at 3:15 pm local time for the third free practice session before qualifying for the first GP of the 2021 season starting from 8:00 pm, at the end of FP4.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
MÁRQUEZ HAPPY WITH OPTIMISTIC DEBUT IN DOHA
Álex Márquez made his competitive debut in LCR Honda CASTROL colours as the opening free practice sessions for the Grand Prix of Qatar ushered in the new 2021 MotoGP season. The Spaniard made a solid start to life with Lucio Cecchinello’s team as he finished the day in 12th position and will now look to push on when the riders return to the track for qualifying on Saturday.
Márquez ended just outside the top 10 in both of Friday’s sessions which took place across the afternoon and evening in Doha. After placing 11th in a humid FP1, the 24-year-old was just one place further back in FP2 having at one stage moved up into seventh position. Although he now looks unlikely to secure automatic entry into Q2, Marquez remains hopeful of improving again tomorrow.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Alex Marquez – 12th
(1’54.115)
“It was a positive day, we took a step forward as we improved our lap times compared to the tests, so I’m happy with that. But we’re not in Q2, so tomorrow the key will be to find a good rhythm first of all in FP4, then Q1 will be important to try to be in Q2 for qualifying to get a good position on the grid, so the race is easier. But in general we can be happy with a step forward, we tried different things this afternoon in the front part of the bike that helped me get a better feeling and more power, so tomorrow we need to continue that progress.”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Qatar FP – Very positive first day, Johann P4 and Jorge P13
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Pramac Racing.
Pramac Racing Team riders Johann Zarco and Jorge Martín are back on track again at the Losail Circuit to face this weekend the inaugural Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
Strong of the results obtained in the two test sessions, Johann Zarco closed the first day of free practice with the fourth time marked during FP2 with a time of 1:53:586.
Jorge Martín, who made his MotoGP debut at this circuit in past weeks, also returned to the track with the aim of being competitive in the first race. The Spanish rider made an exceptional performance in FP2 closing in thirteenth position only 2 tenths from the top ten with a time of 1’54.178.
Jorge Martín
During FP1 I suffered a bit, I found some difficulties with the rear, but in the afternoon I found my confidence again, improving my times compared to the tests. I’m very satisfied because I finished just two tenths from the top ten, very happy with the work we have done today, I’m ready for tomorrow.
Johann Zarco
I’m very happy with how we finished this day. In FP2 I did very well and this will be fundamental for tomorrow because in these weather conditions with the asphalt so hot it will be very difficult to improve the times in FP3. We are ready, I feel good and I have a good feeling with the bike, in FP2 with the soft tires I improved a lot and we made a big step forward.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:
Fine margins in the desert on QatarGP opening day for Morbidelli and Rossi
PETRONAS Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli seventh and Valentino Rossi ninth
A red flag period during FP2 and fine margins were the stand out features of the opening day of MotoGP action at the QatarGP, where PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi ended Friday’s practice sessions at Losail International Circuit seventh and ninth respectively – an important achievement with different track conditions predicted for FP3 potentially hindering direct entry to Q2 tomorrow.
Continuing his good form from the pre-season test, Morbidelli reinforced that he’s one to watch after ending the MotoGP FP1 session at the top of the times with a 1min 54.921secs lap. The second practice session of the day saw fine margins separate the riders, as lap times fell in the evening conditions. Franco’s fastest lap – 1min 53.676secs – saw him end the day seventh, just 0.289secs shy of the top.
Rossi, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his GP debut, improved his lap times steadily throughout the 45 minutes of FP1. At the end of the session Vale’s 1min 55.419secs lap put him ninth. After the red flag period, the Italian was a permanent fixture in the top-ten for the majority of the remaining time in FP2. At the end of the session Rossi had posted the ninth quickest time of the day, a 1min 53.874secs lap, which was 0.487secs off the fastest rider.
Tomorrow’s track action for Morbidelli and Rossi will begin with Free Practice 3 at 3.15pm local time (8.15pm MYT), and culminate in the two qualifying sessions that will take place from 8pm local time (1am MYT).
I’m pretty happy about today. I was fast in the afternoon, but then at night we tried the medium rear tyre and we struggled a little bit with it. I still managed to get into the top-ten though, which was really important today because tomorrow it will be difficult to improve the times. You could see that so many riders gave their maximum tonight. There are things that we need to improve, to do better, so we will check what we can do and then try. It will be difficult but I think we can manage to reduce the gap. It will be important to make a good qualifying, but overall I am happy with our performance today.
I’m happy with this first day. I feel really comfortable in the team, there is a nice atmosphere and we are working well in the garage. Our target for today was to try to stay inside the top-ten, because tomorrow it will be difficult to improve the lap time, and in the end I was P9. I feel also happy with the bike and I have already bettered my time from the test, which is good. We now need to work, to try to improve some small details for tomorrow and also we know that the tyre choice is not an easy one to make. For me this is going to be crucial; we think that it will be hot tomorrow but less so on Sunday. Our main aim tomorrow though will be to make a good time attack and start in a top position.
More, from a press release issued by SKY Racing Team VR46:
DEBUT IN THE FP1 FOR LUCA MARINI AT DOHA
The rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia at the start of the Qatar GP
Doha (Qatar), March 26th 2021 – Luca Marini made his debut in the Top class at the Qatar GP which will take place this Sunday. Double free practice session with the rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia who closes in 17th place in the combined standings.
Luca, at work on the riding position and the setting of his Ducati, has signed a good 1’54.432 which means a significant step forward compared to the last testing session.
Luca Marini (10). Photo courtesy SKY Racing Team VR46.
Luca Marini:
A beautiful day: starting with the group of all the riders for the FP was awesome. I am happy with the work done and the updates also in terms of ergonomics that Ducati has brought me. I am more comfortable on the bike and this is also very important for managing the entire race distance. We made some changes to the set up and we also improved the lap tim. I have been on track alone, but tomorrow I will try to follow someone. I lose something at T2 and T3, I still don’t know why, if for the lines or something else and we have to look at the data to be able to make a step forward tomorrow.
Ruben Xaus:
I’m happy with Luca’s debut: he’s a guy who works step by step, but he’s doing well. We had some problems with bike 2 which compromised our schedule and this still means a couple of tenths of a second that we can improve, perhaps with the help of some slipstreams which can make a difference here in Qatar. The lap time does not reflect our real potential and tomorrow we can go close to the 1.54 wall.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
NAKAGAMI TARGETS IMPROVEMENT AFTER DAY ONE IN DOHA
Takaaki Nakagami ended in 14th position as the new MotoGP season got underway in earnest at the Losail International Circuit on Friday. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider was making his competitive debut on his 2021 machinery as the premier class returned to the track for the Grand Prix of Qatar – the first of back-to-back races in Doha.
With the opening free practice sessions of the new campaign taking place across the afternoon and into the evening, Nakagami endured a mixed day. The Japanese star was just outside the top 10 in FP1 as he finished 12th behind new team-mate Alex Marquez, but was unable to push on in a tightly-bunched FP2 due to front brake issues, although he was still within a second of the leading time.
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Takaaki Nakagami – 14th
(1’54.199)
“Today was a bit of a struggle for us because in the most important session, in FP2, we had some issues from beginning to end with the front brake. During the session we tried to fix the issue, to change the material, but unfortunately, we couldn’t find a solution. The good thing is that we already know where we need to improve tomorrow. We’ll try to be optimistic; tomorrow is another day and we’ll try to do better and bring a good result.”
British racer Sam Lowes, riding his Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex, finished on top in Moto2 Free Practice Two Friday evening at Losail International Circuit, in Qatar.
Lowes lowered his time from 2:00.321 in FP1 to 1:58.959 in FP2.
American Joe Roberts improved from a 14th-fastest 2:01.080 in FP1 to a third-best 1:59.272 in FP2, an improvement of 1.8 seconds on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier got off to a tough start Friday. Riding his American Racing Team Kalex, Beaubier did a 2:01.827 in FP1, which ranked him 27th. He improved to 2:00.188 in FP2, which was only 1.227 seconds off Lowes’ time, but it left him 24th on the time sheets.
FIM Moto2 World Championship
Losail International Circuit
Doha, Qatar
March 26, 2021
Free Practice Two Results (all using Triumph engines and Dunlop tires):
Sam Lowes, UK (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), 1:58.959
Marco Bezzecchi, Italy (Sky Racing Team VR46 Kalex), 1:59.063
Joe Roberts, USA (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex), 1:59.272
Xavi Vierge, Spain (Petronas Sprinta Racing Kalex), 1:59.296
Remy Gardner, Australia (Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex), 1:59.320
Bo Bendsneyder, Netherlands (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team Kalex), 1:59.422
Augusto Fernandez, Spain (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), 2:00.373
Yari Montella, Italy (MB Conveyors Speed Up Boscoscuro), 2:00.419
Barry Baltus, Belgium (NTS RW Racing GP NTS), 2:00.689
Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (NTS RW Racing GP NTS), 2:01.765
Race Lap Record: Thomas Luthi, 1:58.711, 2019
All Time Lap Record: Joe Roberts, 1:58.136, 2020
More, from a press release issued by Elf Marc VDS Racing Team:
Lowes leads the way on day one in Qatar
The Englishman started the season as he means to go on by ending Friday at the Losail International Circuit with the fastest time, while Augusto Fernandez looks to fight back from a difficult opening day.
Qatar’s Losail International Circuit hosted the first sessions of the 2021 Moto2 World Championship on Friday with the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – now in its twelfth season racing in this class – showing potential for a victory challenge on Sunday.
Track conditions and temperatures varied between FP1, which started at 14:45 local time, and FP2, which began under the floodlights at 19:05, but Briton Sam Lowes was fast in both, finishing 2nd and 1st in the day’s two sessions.
Augusto Fernandez 27th, 2’00.373
The rider from the Balearic Islands started the weekend brightly, taking the changes from preseason testing with the rear of his bike to finish ninth in FP1 with a time of 2’00.965.
However, an issue with the electronics set-up the 23-year old’s machine restricted his efforts in the evening session. Fernandez is now determined to improve his 2’00.373, which was only good enough for 27th place, on Saturday.
“We still need to find the base to feel good”
“A difficult day! It was not the best start to the season. We came here from testing with some work to do and we couldn’t do it today because of the problem with the electronics. It’s a shame because we need the time to try some things. We still need to find the base to feel good and fight with those guys at the front. We’re missing something and it’s a shame because we couldn’t try anything in FP2. And FP2 is the real one because they are going to be the same conditions as the race. We’ll keep working. Tomorrow is going to be difficult because the conditions will be difficult in FP2 to improve the lap time so we might be in Q1. We will try anyway. Let’s work to find the solution to do a good race on Sunday.”
Sam Lowes 1st, 1’58.959
Having topped the times at the test at this track last weekend, Lowes started with his base setting from preseason and was immediately fast, finishing 2nd in FP1. He then improved his personal best time by 1.362s to top FP2 with a lap of 1’58.959.
A nine-lap run in the first half of FP2 demonstrated Lowes’ excellent consistency, with seven of those laps in the low 1’59s or high 1’58s.
“We can be positive and happy about the first day”
“It’s nice to start the season after all the testing. And it’s nice to start in a relaxed way the same as the test. A really positive first day. We tried something in the front to give me a bit more stability. The track was a little bit different (to the test) so we’re not 100% sure, but for me it felt a little bit better. My pace compared to the test was a little slower, but compared to the other guys it was stronger. This is the important schedule of the weekend. FP1 and FP3 are during the day time. FP2 is the main one. We kept the tyre, did the run and the pace is not so far. We can be positive and happy about the first day and look forward to tomorrow and the first Qualifying session of the year.”
Featured In the March 2021 issue of Roadracing World:
Ohvale redefined mini moto riding and racing in the U.S.A. a few years ago with the introduction of its GP-0 line of bikes: The 110 automatic, the 110 four-speed, the 160 four-speed, and the 190 Daytona, which comes in four-speed and five-speed versions.
The Ohvale models are the official motorcycles of MotoAmerica’s Mini Cup, a one-make feeder series for young racers.Now, at the urging of North American distributor Rise Moto, Ohvale has developed the new GP-2, for larger (and older) riders…
—More Mini Moto Fun, by Associate Editor David Swarts
When Ohvale entered the mini road racing market in North America, it changed the game for young U.S. racers. Now the company is stepping up its game with its new GP-2 racebike. Read all the details in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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Jayson Uribe Takes Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike Slicks to Track Record at Buttonwillow Raceway
ADR Motorsports Makes it Two Track Records in 2021 with DIABLO™ Superbike Slicks
ROME, Ga. (March 25, 2021) – Pirelli Tire North America captured the brand’s second absolute motorcycle track record of the 2021 season as ADR Motorsports rider Jayson Uribe set the pace at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Kern County, California. Uribe’s achievement was set during the opening round of the 2021 American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM) Championship aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000 equipped with Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike slicks.
“We worked hard all weekend on getting the bike and myself dialed in for setting fast lap times,” said Uribe. “Being able to set the track record wouldn’t be possible without the support of Pirelli. The trackside service and advice was critical in setting up the bike this weekend. We decided to go with the DIABLO™ Superbike SC1 on the rear because of the colder conditions and tricky grip levels. Huge thanks to the Pirelli crew and the ADR squad for the killer bike!”
Uribe’s new lap record of 1:43.067 was set on Lap 2 in the Formula Pacific class, topping the previous lap record of 1:43.497. A DIABLO™ Superbike SC2 in 125/70-17 was used on the front of his Suzuki motorcycle, while a DIABLO™ Superbike SC1 in 200/65-17 sizing was used on the rear. After setting the pace early in the race, he would go on to take the checkered flag ahead of ADR Motorsports teammate David Anthony.
“Pirelli riders were strong all weekend long,” said Chris Maguire, CT Racing, Pirelli Trackside Vendor. “Despite colder temperatures, several classes saw riders on Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike slicks setting their personal records as well as track records. Jayson [Uribe] was absolutely flying in the Formula Pacific class and really demonstrated just how good the latest generation Pirelli slicks are. Congrats Jayson!”
Anthony was the first Pirelli rider to earn an absolute motorcycle track record in 2021, which came at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in February. Pirelli continues to remain the motorcycle tire of choice for North American riders looking to reach the top step of the podium and log fast laps at events and series that do not have a spec tire rule. Reward prizes are offered to riders who set a new motorcycle track record while using Pirelli race compound tires.
For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York Confirms Parts Unlimited and Mount Airy Casino Resort as Key Sponsors
Dunmore, PA – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York is proud to announce two key partners in the assault of the 2021 MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Series: global parts distributor Parts Unlimited and Pennsylvania’s Mount Airy Casino Resort.
“Our partnership with Parts Unlimited and Mount Airy Casino Resort are real signs that road racing in the US is headed in a good direction,” says team Principal Bobby Shek. “Parts Unlimited is involved in racing and MotoAmercia, so we are excited that they are back supporting a Ducati effort, something that hasn’t been done since the time of the Ducati 999R!”
“The Team at Parts Unlimited is Excited to be “supporting the sport” with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York and Mount Airy Casino Resort,” says Jeff Derge, Vice President of Sales at Parts Unlimited. “We look forward to an exciting year of racing.”
Mount Airy Casino Resort, Pennsylvania’s first AAA Four Diamond-rated casino, is also excited to debut as a sponsor in the world of motorcycle racing.
“We are very excited to enter into this partnership with Ducati NYC, as we see many synergies between these two luxury brands and share demographics with high-end clientele,” said Glenn Cademartori, Vice President of Marketing at Mount Airy Casino Resort. “With the resurgence in guests visiting from New York City, southern New York, and northern New Jersey, this partnership makes perfect sense to us for continued growth in these markets.”
Team Manager Eraldo Ferracci says: “It’s great to see these two powerhouses supporting the Warhorse HSBK Ducati team. As Bobby and I have said since day one, the ultimate goal is to have Ducati fight for a title. This type of support will help us achieve our mission.”
Piloting the Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V4 R during the 9-round Superbike Series is the 28-year-old Frenchman Loris Baz, who spent three years in MotoGP (2015-2017) and six years in World Superbike (2012-2014; 2018-2020). During the 2020 WorldSBK season, Baz scored four podiums and finished the season eight overall, the second-best of independent riders. Throughout his WorldSBK career, he had achieved two wins, two poles, 18 podiums, and three fastest laps.
The team is powered by Warhorse HSBK Racing, North American Warhorse, Ducati New York, and Horsepower HD.
For ongoing race season updates, subscribe to HSBK Racing on:
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Founded in 2011, HSBK Racing pairs the best sponsors, technicians, riders, and industry insiders to create an unstoppable team that consistently runs at the front of the pack in any premier class. The team claimed Ducati’s first win in America after 10 years. In 2019 the team formed a partnership with North American Warhorse and Ducati New York to create Warhorse HSBK Racing.
North American Warhorse, located in Dunmore, PA, is the largest premier motorcycle and power sports dealership in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As an authorized dealer of the top power sports brands worldwide, North American Warhorse provides the largest selection of vehicles in the Northeast Pennsylvania area.
Ducati New York, located in SoHo, is the flagship Ducati dealership, with a renovated showroom of more than 7,500 square feet at a fashionable address. The Manhattan showroom has Italian style and modern aesthetic of Ducati, with a comprehensive line of apparel, dedicated Ducati accessories, and an all-new Ducati service department.
Horsepower HD, part of the Warhorse Powersports Group, serves the Williamsport, Pa., area, offering the best in new and pre-owned HD bikes and parts.
Parts Unlimited is owned by LeMans Corporation, which also owns Drag Specialities. Headquartered in Janesville, Wisc., Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties sell to over 12,000 dealerships worldwide and continue to expand their market penetration with their sister companies, Parts Canada and Parts Europe.
Mount Airy Poconos Casino Resort boasts the ultimate gaming experience with over 1,800 slot machines, 80 table games, and a sportsbook. As Pennsylvania’s first AAA Four Diamond-rated casino, the resort’s nearly 300 upscale guest rooms and suites are complemented by a 20,000-square-foot convention center and ballroom that serve as a state-of-the-art venue for private and corporate events, weddings, and entertainment. Guests can discover a variety of signature restaurant options, including Guy Fieri’s Mt. Pocono Kitchen and the award-winning Bistecca by Il Mulino. This all-encompassing, full-service resort destination for outdoor enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike, features a Sports Illustrated recognized lakefront 18-hole golf course; a 16,000-square-foot spa, salon, and exercise facility; a luxury indoor/outdoor pool, aptly called Wet; and a covered outdoor pavilion that hosts a summer concert series. Mount Airy Casino Resort is less than 90 minutes from Philadelphia, New York City, and northern New Jersey. For more, visit www.mountairycasino.com
Brandon Paasch celebrates after winning the 79th Daytona 200 Photo by Rick Hentz/Ricks Pics.
On March 13, then-19-year-old Brandon Paasch came from behind and used a textbook slipstream maneuver on the last lap to win the 79th Daytona 200.
Not only was it a big moment is Paasch’s racing career and a tremendous achievement for the family owned- and operated TSE Racing team, if may have been life changing for some others who never stepped foot on pit lane.
The Daytona 200-winning TSE Racing team: (from left) Scott Jensen, Justin “Bubba” Conolty, Mike Sulzer, team owner Mark Stiles, team manager Meghan Ryan (Stiles’ daughter), Brandon Paasch, Scotty Ryan (Meghan‘s husband), Nathan Oldenburg, Kevin Gorman, Chris Quillman, and Eziah Davis. Photo by Stefan Dolipski, courtesy TSE Racing.
In the days leading up to the race, Paasch pledged that he would give half of his winnings to the family of fallen racer Lloyd Bayley.
Bayley was killed in a crash while competing in an ASRA Team Challenge endurance race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on December 5, 2020.
Considering the Daytona 200 is the most lucrative motorcycle road race in America with a $175,000 cash purse and a $25,000 grand prize for the winner, that’s a big promise. But Bayley clearly made a big impact on Paasch, who has literally grown up at racetracks around the world and has met hundreds if not thousands of people in his young career.
“When I first started racing with CCS, [Bayley] would always come up to me and ask how I was doing and if I needed any help with anything,” Paasch told reporters after winning the Daytona 200. “He would go to all the CCS races and was doing all the endurance races, and from a young age I was doing the endurance races as early as I could just to get as much track time as I could. He was always a nice dude and was always helping me out.
“Going deeper than that, his sponsor [Chronic Motorsports] that actually helped him go racing wound up being my trainer now. And while they were sponsoring him, they in turn sponsored me. So technically, without Lloyd, I wouldn’t even be racing today. It means a lot to me to help his family, and to think I may have just paid for his two little girls’ college is unreal.”
Brandon Paasch with friends and family of Lloyd Bayley at Daytona International Speedway. (From left) Gill Lindsay (Bayley’s friend), Alyssia Bayley (Bayley’s daughter), Alana Bayley (Bayley’s daughter), Leonard Bayley (Bayley’s father), Yvett Bayley (Bayley’s widow), Brandon Paasch, and Ethel Bayley Scruggs (Bayley’s mother). Photo by Rick Hentz/Ricks Pics.
Asked for her reaction to Paasch’s generous gesture, Yvett Bayley, Lloyd Bayley’s widow, wrote to Roadracingworld.com. “Brandon making the decision to give half of his winning to our girls was a blessing [and a] selfless act. There are no words to describe how thankful I am and I know Lloyd is. Brandon’s mother raised an amazing young man and should be proud.”
A familiar name topped the timesheets on Friday at Losail as Miller headed teammate Bagnaia, with Quartararo slotting into third
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Friday, 26 March 2021
Day 1 of MotoGP™ action in 2021 is in the history books, and leading the way on Friday at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar is Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller as the Australian picked up where he left off in testing. Miller’s 1:53.387 was just 0.007s away from the all-time lap record, and teammate Francesco Bagnaia made it a Borgo Panigale factory 1-2. An infinitesimal 0.035s split the two red machines, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three after ending the day 0.188 off Miller.
Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Dorna.
After a scorching FP1 was completed earlier in the day, the Losail floodlights were switched on for FP2 and Miller, Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all almost immediately set laptimes quicker than Franco Morbidelli’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) FP1 pace. That was before the Red Flag came out due to track conditions, with some debris scattered across the track on the start/finish straight. However, after a quick clean up operation, the MotoGP™ riders were back out with one thing on their mind: securing a place in the top 10 and therefore a provisional place in Q2.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aleix Espargaro was the first rider to venture into the 1:53s under the evening lights and briefly went an incredible seven tenths clear, before Rins then cut the deficit to just under half a second. It then fell a little quieter at the top but with just under 15 minutes to go on the opening day, Quartararo slotted into within a tenth of Aleix Espargaro to make it four manufacturers in the top four: Aprilia, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki. Soft front and rear rubber was the choice for pretty much every rider as the first shootout of the year began.
On his next lap, Quartararo made good on his earlier threat and did demote Aleix Espargaro to P2, with Quartararo’s fellow Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales taking over in P3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) were next to climb the ladder into P5 and P6, with rookies Enea Bastianini (Esponsorama Racing) and then Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) enjoying some time in the top 10 too.
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Dorna.
With nine minutes left, Bagnaia then took charge and did so by an almighty 0.275s. That lap was within half a tenth of Marc Marquez’s (Repsol Honda Team) all-time lap record, a 1:53.380, and Miller was next to challenge as he crossed the line within just 0.007s of Marquez’ time and took over in P1. It was soon a Ducati 1-2-3 as well, with Zarco going 0.199s behind Miller and the top 10 positions chopping and changing.
Quartararo was then glowing the timing screens with red in the opening three sectors, but the Yamahas were losing touch in the last sector as the superior grunt of the Ducatis kicked in. Nevertheless, El Diablo was able to grab P3 to break the Ducati trio apart. Bagnaia then threatened to reclaim top spot but Pol Espargaro’s (Repsol Honda Team) second crash of the day, this time at Turn 15, meant the Italian couldn’t complete his lap due to yellow flags.
In the end then, it’s Ducati and Miller who take first blood in 2021 and Bagnaia is forced to settle for second. The Italian makes sure it’s a Bologna 1-2 at the top though, with Yamaha looking good and Quartararo the quickest YZR-M1 rider so far in third. Zarco is looking like a serious contender on the GP21 too and finishes Friday in P4, with Rins going well on the soft tyres – something that bodes well for Suzuki to shrug of their sometime Achilles’ heel of one-lap pace – to claim P5.
Viñales and Morbidelli were close in sixth and seventh, respectively, finishing within three tenths of Miller as Aleix Espargaro slipped to P8 at the end of play. Valentino Rossi finished inside the top 10 for the second session in a row, the nine-time World Champion taking ninth, and Pol Espargaro grabbed a vital P10 despite his late tumble. Two crashes in one day aren’t what HRC’s new recruit would have been looking for, but the number 44 has some good speed.
Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) misses out on what could prove to be a crucial top 10 place as his title defence begins, but the gap could hardly be smaller: just 0.013s. With the cooler evening temperatures allowing the riders to set their best times of the day compared to when the sun was beating down in FP1 though, the same could well happen again in FP3 – so will an automatic place in Q2 be a struggle for Mir?
MotoGP™ really has returned with a bang in 2021 as 16 riders finish within a second on the opening day, a fantastic way to welcome back Grand Prix motorcycle racing. 15:15 local time (GMT+3) on Saturday afternoon is when the premier class will be back on track for FP3 and the provisional places in Q2 will be confirmed, so make sure to tune in and come back for the first qualifying shootout of the season from 19:20.
More, from a press release issued by Tech3 KTM Factory Racing:
Tech3 KTM Factory Racing kicks off 2021 campaign under the Losail floodlights
Scorching heat welcomed the MotoGP World Championship on day one of the new season today in Qatar for the first Free Practice. However, conditions changed completely in FP2 tonight, as the second session of the day traditionally took place in the dark.
After just four days of testing, the team’s new entry Danilo Petrucci was quick to adapt to both circumstances, picking up where he left off during the test over a week ago with steadily getting accustomed to his KTM RC16. The Italian concluded day one 0.873 seconds off the provisional Q2 spots.
On the other side of the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing garage, Iker Lecuona started to prepare himself for what will be his first premier class race at the Losail International Circuit. The Spanish youngster completed Friday just 0.324 seconds behind his teammate of the combined FP1 and FP2 timings.
Danilo Petrucci (9). Photo courtesy Tech3.
Danilo Petrucci
Position: 20th
Time: 1:54.774
Laps: 31
“For sure we are still not in the place where we want to be. We are improving the bike a little bit, but we still have a long way to go. I’m a bit upset, because I lost most of the time in the last two corners. At the same time, we are trying to recover the time we lost during the test here, which is not easy during a race weekend.”
“Maybe we will have some time during FP3 to further adjust the bike. Obviously, we are just at the beginning. We work a lot, we want to improve. Overall, I’m not really satisfied about today, but I’m already focused on tomorrow.”
Iker Lecuona (27). Photo courtesy Tech3.
Iker Lecuona
Position: 22nd
Time: 1:55.098
Laps: 31
“Today has been a quite difficult. My feeling with the bike is good, but I start to have some issues with my arms. I had two surgeries, so I don’t understand. Maybe it’s because of the long off-time. It’s not easy for me to keep the pace.”
“In my time attack, I gave everything, but apparently there’s still something missing. I try to work a lot with the bike and I already feel more comfortable than during the test. We have a margin, that is clear, but I just have to continue working in order to be ready for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP OPEN 2021 CAMPAIGN WITH TOP-6 RESULTS
Losail (Qatar), 26th March 2021
GRAND PRIX OF QATAR
FREE PRACTICE
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales have started their 2021 MotoGP campaign today at the Losail International Circuit. They finished in 3rd and 6th place respectively in the combined Friday free practice timesheets.
3rd FABIO QUARTARARO 1’53.575 / 16 + 17 LAPS
6th MAVERICK VIÑALES 1’53.639 / 18 + 18 LAPS
Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Maverick Viñales went straight down to business today during the first two free practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Qatar. They continued developing their set-ups for Sunday’s race and finished the day in 3rd and 6th place respectively in the combined Friday free practice results.
Quartararo was a man with a plan for the inaugural Friday session. He got straight back to work and gradually started building up his race pace and concluded the first FP1 of 2021 by setting two consecutive personal best times. His 1‘55.213s on lap 16/16 earned him fourth place, 0.292s from first.
The Frenchman had saved some soft tyres for the FP2 session, which is predicted to be more similar in terms of track conditions to those of Sunday‘s race, held at 20:00 local time (GMT+3). He briefly topped the timesheets with 12 minutes to go. The pace soon picked up, but the youngster responded. He set a 1‘53.575s on lap 16/17 to take third place in the FP2 and combined free practice results, 0.188s from the top.
Viñales got back into the rhythm with ease. He soon featured inside the provisional top 2 as he started work on Sunday‘s race set-up and kept the position. The Spaniard spent the remainder of the afternoon track time focusing on his own free practice plans. He ended FP1 in sixth place, 0.388s from first, thanks to the 1‘55.309s he on lap 7/18.
The Spaniard continued work in FP2, but didn‘t have the same feeling. However, despite the short interruption of a red flag due to debris on the track, he did book progress throughout the cooler evening session, making the last lap his fastest of the weekend thus far. He finished in sixth place in the FP2 and combined rankings, with a 1’53.639s lap and a 0.252s-margin to the front.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today we‘ve officially kicked off the 2021 season and got straight to work. FP1 was a good start. Fabio and Maverick felt comfortable on their bikes. Then, in FP2, both riders used the beginning of the session to test different settings. After that they focused on getting in their time attacks, because the conditions were good, and also considering that tomorrow the temperatures during FP3 will be too hot. Even though we have a good base set-up, we have a bit of room for improvements, and we will use the next sessions to work on that. We will simulate the race in FP4. But overall we are satisfied about how we started the season without any inconveniences.
Fabio Quartararo (20). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
FABIO QUARTARARO
I‘m so happy to finally make our first laps of the 2021 season. We didn‘t ride with the best tyre option in FP1 because we needed to save the soft tyres for later, for the right moment. We tried something on the first run of FP2 that I didn‘t like, but it‘s good to have been able to try it. Now we know. It was also good to do the two time attacks at the end. It was tough, because our competitors are fast, but I‘m happy that I‘ve done two great laps. There were some small mistakes to improve on, but overall I‘m happy with today.
Maverick Vinales (12). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
We had to wait a long time to start the season. I think we picked up in FP1 where we left off during the Qatar Test. Everything was working well and I felt fantastic on the bike on track, keeping the lines and riding smoothly. In the evening we felt a little bit different than we did during the test. For sure, the track is not in the same condition, but we are certain that we will be able to improve during the race weekend. The bike is working well, it‘s just the conditions that are different, so we need to understand the set-up. For tomorrow we will focus on the balance of the bike to see if we can improve. I know we will fix it. I can‘t wait for tomorrow to put in some nice laps.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
SOLID START FOR ALEIX AND APRILIA ON THE FIRST WEEKEND IN QATAR
Aleix and Aprilia pick up where they had left off, with an extremely solid performance on the first official day of the MotoGP season in Qatar. The Spanish rider’s feeling with the new RS-GP was clear from FP1, where his times were consistently on the high end of the standings, despite the less-than-optimum track conditions. The more indicative FP2 session was a repeat of the earlier one, where Aleix stayed in the lead for quite some time. Traffic on the track at the end of the session kept him from shaving a bit more off his time, but his final eighth place and, more importantly, his great consistency, place him among the possible protagonists of the weekend.
The good news for Lorenzo Savadori came especially from his shoulder, significantly improved with respect to the recent IRTA tests. The Italian still doesn’t have a perfect feeling in acceleration, which is where Lorenzo and his team will focus their work tomorrow.
Aleix Espargaro (41). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“I am satisfied with this start. After the tests, which went well, I had some doubts because when the race weekend begins, the values on the pitch can change. Instead, we confirmed our level today too. I am especially happy with how easy it is for me to be fast with the new RS-GP. It is a fun bike to ride. I feel like I am exploiting it well and the times show that. Now I want to focus on qualifying because I think it is possible to do well in those conditions too. There will be a lot of aspects to assess on Sunday in the race with a completely new bike, from how it performs in the slipstream to fuel consumption. We are tackling one session at a time, but with a very positive spirit.”
Lorenzo Savadori (32). Photo courtesy Aprilia.
LORENZO SAVADORI
“The most important thing today is definitely the condition of my shoulder, which is reacting well, and that gives me peace of mind, even though it still hasn’t fully healed. As for the bike, we identified the areas where we need to work, namely acceleration. At the moment, I am not fully exploiting rear tyre grip and in this category that is precisely where you can make the difference. On one hand, knowing which direction to concentrate on is positive, and on the other, the solution might not be so immediate. We have a few ideas and we’ll put them into practice tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
SUZUKI DOWN TO BUSINESS ON FIRST FRIDAY OF THE SEASON
Alex Rins: 5th – 1’53.623 (+ 0.236)
Joan Mir: 11th – 1’53.914 (+ 0.527)
Team Suzuki Ecstar and the MotoGP field took to Losail Circuit in Qatar on Friday for the first practice sessions of the 2021 season.
For FP1 the track conditions were tricky, with ground temperatures reaching 60 degrees Celsius and dust making for low grip. Nevertheless, the riders quickly got to work adjusting their bikes. Joan Mir and Alex Rins finished this session fifth and seventh respectively.
As night fell around the circuit, the pressure was on to find the feeling and set a fast time, with tomorrow’s FP3 likely to be held in less favourable conditions. Both Rins and Mir opted for the soft-soft tyre combination and they got down to business trying to find a rhythm before a slight interruption due to a red flag flown because of debris on the track. After the session restart both Suzuki riders pushed to get their lap times down, and the FP2 session became very competitive.
Rins and Mir dropped their lap times and managed to get into the Top 10. However, as the action hotted up Mir slipped to 11th place – although just half a second from the top – while Rins held onto fifth place.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“We have finally started the season after good testing here. Today we worked on settings, and then we tried to set lap times during FP2 because tomorrow’s conditions look tricky. So both our riders concentrated on lap times, and although Joan missed out on the Top 10 he still has good pace. Alex did a great job and he was fifth. So we’re looking forward to tomorrow and hoping for good qualifying.”
Alex Rins (42). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Alex Rins:
“Today was a good day, we achieved the target we set, and we did a good lap time. I’ve also improved my time compared with the test here, so I’m satisfied. It seems like qualifying tomorrow will be interesting and the race too, the times are tight with a lot of fast riders! So we’ll continue working hard and trying to improve all the time.”
Joan Mir (36). Photo courtesy Team Suzuki ECSTAR.
Joan Mir:
“It was a difficult day and I think missing the last day of testing here has had an impact on our performance because we still had to adjust some things on the bike to become a little more competitive. We were pretty strong on times, but there’s still work to do. The main thing is that we know where we can improve for the coming days.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team:
Qatar GP. Miller first and Bagnaia second at the end of Friday free practices
The Ducati Lenovo Team resumed action today at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar for the first day of free practices for the inaugural Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship, scheduled for this Sunday. In today’s two sessions, both Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia confirmed the competitiveness showed already during the tests held a few weeks ago at the same track, finishing in first and second position respectively in the combined standings on Friday.
Third at the end of FP1, despite a fall without consequences at Turn 4, Miller improved by over a second his best time during the second run held in the evening, closing with a fastest lap in 1:53.387, only seven thousandths off the current circuit record.
Also, for Bagnaia, it was a very positive first day at Losail. Eighth with a lap time in 1:55.365 at the end of the first session, the Italian rider set a fastest lap in 1:53.422 in FP2, finishing second just 35 thousandths behind his teammate.
Jack Miller (43). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Jack Miller (#43 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:53.387 (1st)
“It was a bit of bumpy start due to the crash in FP1, but then the day ended well. In the afternoon, the wind made the conditions difficult, but towards the evening, I found the feeling with my Desmosedici again; I set a very good lap time with the soft tyre, which is just 7 thousandths off the track record. I’m delighted: it was important to close these first two sessions well because tomorrow in FP3, with the higher temperatures, it will be tough to improve. We were all very close today, and I expect very fast times in qualifying. I am excited and eager to head out on track again tomorrow”.
Francesco Bagnaia (63). Photo courtesy Ducati.
Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1:53.422 (2nd)
“I’m delighted! Today it was important to finish in the top ten: the FP3 session will be held during the day, and with the heat, it will be difficult to get the same times like tonight, and on top of that, it will be windier than today. During the first time attack, I set a very good lap time, and if I hadn’t run into the yellow flag on my second attempt, I probably would have improved it even more. I am satisfied because I feel very comfortable with the bike. Tomorrow, in FP4, we’ll work on the race pace, which is still the only detail we need to focus on”.
The Ducati Lenovo Team riders will be back on track tomorrow at 3:15 pm local time for the third free practice session before qualifying for the first GP of the 2021 season starting from 8:00 pm, at the end of FP4.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
MÁRQUEZ HAPPY WITH OPTIMISTIC DEBUT IN DOHA
Álex Márquez made his competitive debut in LCR Honda CASTROL colours as the opening free practice sessions for the Grand Prix of Qatar ushered in the new 2021 MotoGP season. The Spaniard made a solid start to life with Lucio Cecchinello’s team as he finished the day in 12th position and will now look to push on when the riders return to the track for qualifying on Saturday.
Márquez ended just outside the top 10 in both of Friday’s sessions which took place across the afternoon and evening in Doha. After placing 11th in a humid FP1, the 24-year-old was just one place further back in FP2 having at one stage moved up into seventh position. Although he now looks unlikely to secure automatic entry into Q2, Marquez remains hopeful of improving again tomorrow.
Alex Marquez (73). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Alex Marquez – 12th
(1’54.115)
“It was a positive day, we took a step forward as we improved our lap times compared to the tests, so I’m happy with that. But we’re not in Q2, so tomorrow the key will be to find a good rhythm first of all in FP4, then Q1 will be important to try to be in Q2 for qualifying to get a good position on the grid, so the race is easier. But in general we can be happy with a step forward, we tried different things this afternoon in the front part of the bike that helped me get a better feeling and more power, so tomorrow we need to continue that progress.”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Qatar FP – Very positive first day, Johann P4 and Jorge P13
Johann Zarco (5). Photo courtesy Pramac Racing.
Pramac Racing Team riders Johann Zarco and Jorge Martín are back on track again at the Losail Circuit to face this weekend the inaugural Grand Prix of the 2021 MotoGP World Championship.
Strong of the results obtained in the two test sessions, Johann Zarco closed the first day of free practice with the fourth time marked during FP2 with a time of 1:53:586.
Jorge Martín, who made his MotoGP debut at this circuit in past weeks, also returned to the track with the aim of being competitive in the first race. The Spanish rider made an exceptional performance in FP2 closing in thirteenth position only 2 tenths from the top ten with a time of 1’54.178.
Jorge Martín
During FP1 I suffered a bit, I found some difficulties with the rear, but in the afternoon I found my confidence again, improving my times compared to the tests. I’m very satisfied because I finished just two tenths from the top ten, very happy with the work we have done today, I’m ready for tomorrow.
Johann Zarco
I’m very happy with how we finished this day. In FP2 I did very well and this will be fundamental for tomorrow because in these weather conditions with the asphalt so hot it will be very difficult to improve the times in FP3. We are ready, I feel good and I have a good feeling with the bike, in FP2 with the soft tires I improved a lot and we made a big step forward.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:
Fine margins in the desert on QatarGP opening day for Morbidelli and Rossi
PETRONAS Yamaha SRT’s Franco Morbidelli seventh and Valentino Rossi ninth
A red flag period during FP2 and fine margins were the stand out features of the opening day of MotoGP action at the QatarGP, where PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team’s Franco Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi ended Friday’s practice sessions at Losail International Circuit seventh and ninth respectively – an important achievement with different track conditions predicted for FP3 potentially hindering direct entry to Q2 tomorrow.
Continuing his good form from the pre-season test, Morbidelli reinforced that he’s one to watch after ending the MotoGP FP1 session at the top of the times with a 1min 54.921secs lap. The second practice session of the day saw fine margins separate the riders, as lap times fell in the evening conditions. Franco’s fastest lap – 1min 53.676secs – saw him end the day seventh, just 0.289secs shy of the top.
Rossi, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his GP debut, improved his lap times steadily throughout the 45 minutes of FP1. At the end of the session Vale’s 1min 55.419secs lap put him ninth. After the red flag period, the Italian was a permanent fixture in the top-ten for the majority of the remaining time in FP2. At the end of the session Rossi had posted the ninth quickest time of the day, a 1min 53.874secs lap, which was 0.487secs off the fastest rider.
Tomorrow’s track action for Morbidelli and Rossi will begin with Free Practice 3 at 3.15pm local time (8.15pm MYT), and culminate in the two qualifying sessions that will take place from 8pm local time (1am MYT).
I’m pretty happy about today. I was fast in the afternoon, but then at night we tried the medium rear tyre and we struggled a little bit with it. I still managed to get into the top-ten though, which was really important today because tomorrow it will be difficult to improve the times. You could see that so many riders gave their maximum tonight. There are things that we need to improve, to do better, so we will check what we can do and then try. It will be difficult but I think we can manage to reduce the gap. It will be important to make a good qualifying, but overall I am happy with our performance today.
I’m happy with this first day. I feel really comfortable in the team, there is a nice atmosphere and we are working well in the garage. Our target for today was to try to stay inside the top-ten, because tomorrow it will be difficult to improve the lap time, and in the end I was P9. I feel also happy with the bike and I have already bettered my time from the test, which is good. We now need to work, to try to improve some small details for tomorrow and also we know that the tyre choice is not an easy one to make. For me this is going to be crucial; we think that it will be hot tomorrow but less so on Sunday. Our main aim tomorrow though will be to make a good time attack and start in a top position.
More, from a press release issued by SKY Racing Team VR46:
DEBUT IN THE FP1 FOR LUCA MARINI AT DOHA
The rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia at the start of the Qatar GP
Doha (Qatar), March 26th 2021 – Luca Marini made his debut in the Top class at the Qatar GP which will take place this Sunday. Double free practice session with the rider of the Sky VR46 Avintia who closes in 17th place in the combined standings.
Luca, at work on the riding position and the setting of his Ducati, has signed a good 1’54.432 which means a significant step forward compared to the last testing session.
Luca Marini (10). Photo courtesy SKY Racing Team VR46.
Luca Marini:
A beautiful day: starting with the group of all the riders for the FP was awesome. I am happy with the work done and the updates also in terms of ergonomics that Ducati has brought me. I am more comfortable on the bike and this is also very important for managing the entire race distance. We made some changes to the set up and we also improved the lap tim. I have been on track alone, but tomorrow I will try to follow someone. I lose something at T2 and T3, I still don’t know why, if for the lines or something else and we have to look at the data to be able to make a step forward tomorrow.
Ruben Xaus:
I’m happy with Luca’s debut: he’s a guy who works step by step, but he’s doing well. We had some problems with bike 2 which compromised our schedule and this still means a couple of tenths of a second that we can improve, perhaps with the help of some slipstreams which can make a difference here in Qatar. The lap time does not reflect our real potential and tomorrow we can go close to the 1.54 wall.
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
NAKAGAMI TARGETS IMPROVEMENT AFTER DAY ONE IN DOHA
Takaaki Nakagami ended in 14th position as the new MotoGP season got underway in earnest at the Losail International Circuit on Friday. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider was making his competitive debut on his 2021 machinery as the premier class returned to the track for the Grand Prix of Qatar – the first of back-to-back races in Doha.
With the opening free practice sessions of the new campaign taking place across the afternoon and into the evening, Nakagami endured a mixed day. The Japanese star was just outside the top 10 in FP1 as he finished 12th behind new team-mate Alex Marquez, but was unable to push on in a tightly-bunched FP2 due to front brake issues, although he was still within a second of the leading time.
Takaaki Nakagami (30). Photo courtesy LCR Honda.
Takaaki Nakagami – 14th
(1’54.199)
“Today was a bit of a struggle for us because in the most important session, in FP2, we had some issues from beginning to end with the front brake. During the session we tried to fix the issue, to change the material, but unfortunately, we couldn’t find a solution. The good thing is that we already know where we need to improve tomorrow. We’ll try to be optimistic; tomorrow is another day and we’ll try to do better and bring a good result.”
American Joe Roberts (16). Photo courtesy Italtrans Racing.
British racer Sam Lowes, riding his Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex, finished on top in Moto2 Free Practice Two Friday evening at Losail International Circuit, in Qatar.
Lowes lowered his time from 2:00.321 in FP1 to 1:58.959 in FP2.
American Joe Roberts improved from a 14th-fastest 2:01.080 in FP1 to a third-best 1:59.272 in FP2, an improvement of 1.8 seconds on his Italtrans Racing Kalex.
Five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier got off to a tough start Friday. Riding his American Racing Team Kalex, Beaubier did a 2:01.827 in FP1, which ranked him 27th. He improved to 2:00.188 in FP2, which was only 1.227 seconds off Lowes’ time, but it left him 24th on the time sheets.
FIM Moto2 World Championship
Losail International Circuit
Doha, Qatar
March 26, 2021
Free Practice Two Results (all using Triumph engines and Dunlop tires):
Sam Lowes, UK (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), 1:58.959
Marco Bezzecchi, Italy (Sky Racing Team VR46 Kalex), 1:59.063
Joe Roberts, USA (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex), 1:59.272
Xavi Vierge, Spain (Petronas Sprinta Racing Kalex), 1:59.296
Remy Gardner, Australia (Red Bull KTM Ajo Kalex), 1:59.320
Bo Bendsneyder, Netherlands (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team Kalex), 1:59.422
Augusto Fernandez, Spain (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), 2:00.373
Yari Montella, Italy (MB Conveyors Speed Up Boscoscuro), 2:00.419
Barry Baltus, Belgium (NTS RW Racing GP NTS), 2:00.689
Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (NTS RW Racing GP NTS), 2:01.765
Race Lap Record: Thomas Luthi, 1:58.711, 2019
All Time Lap Record: Joe Roberts, 1:58.136, 2020
More, from a press release issued by Elf Marc VDS Racing Team:
Lowes leads the way on day one in Qatar
The Englishman started the season as he means to go on by ending Friday at the Losail International Circuit with the fastest time, while Augusto Fernandez looks to fight back from a difficult opening day.
Qatar’s Losail International Circuit hosted the first sessions of the 2021 Moto2 World Championship on Friday with the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – now in its twelfth season racing in this class – showing potential for a victory challenge on Sunday.
Track conditions and temperatures varied between FP1, which started at 14:45 local time, and FP2, which began under the floodlights at 19:05, but Briton Sam Lowes was fast in both, finishing 2nd and 1st in the day’s two sessions.
Augusto Fernandez 27th, 2’00.373
The rider from the Balearic Islands started the weekend brightly, taking the changes from preseason testing with the rear of his bike to finish ninth in FP1 with a time of 2’00.965.
However, an issue with the electronics set-up the 23-year old’s machine restricted his efforts in the evening session. Fernandez is now determined to improve his 2’00.373, which was only good enough for 27th place, on Saturday.
“We still need to find the base to feel good”
“A difficult day! It was not the best start to the season. We came here from testing with some work to do and we couldn’t do it today because of the problem with the electronics. It’s a shame because we need the time to try some things. We still need to find the base to feel good and fight with those guys at the front. We’re missing something and it’s a shame because we couldn’t try anything in FP2. And FP2 is the real one because they are going to be the same conditions as the race. We’ll keep working. Tomorrow is going to be difficult because the conditions will be difficult in FP2 to improve the lap time so we might be in Q1. We will try anyway. Let’s work to find the solution to do a good race on Sunday.”
Sam Lowes 1st, 1’58.959
Having topped the times at the test at this track last weekend, Lowes started with his base setting from preseason and was immediately fast, finishing 2nd in FP1. He then improved his personal best time by 1.362s to top FP2 with a lap of 1’58.959.
A nine-lap run in the first half of FP2 demonstrated Lowes’ excellent consistency, with seven of those laps in the low 1’59s or high 1’58s.
“We can be positive and happy about the first day”
“It’s nice to start the season after all the testing. And it’s nice to start in a relaxed way the same as the test. A really positive first day. We tried something in the front to give me a bit more stability. The track was a little bit different (to the test) so we’re not 100% sure, but for me it felt a little bit better. My pace compared to the test was a little slower, but compared to the other guys it was stronger. This is the important schedule of the weekend. FP1 and FP3 are during the day time. FP2 is the main one. We kept the tyre, did the run and the pace is not so far. We can be positive and happy about the first day and look forward to tomorrow and the first Qualifying session of the year.”
Jeremy Toye aboard an Ohvale GP-2 190 on the Apex Racing Center track in Perris, California. Photo by Karen E. Ott.
Featured In the March 2021 issue of Roadracing World:
Ohvale redefined mini moto riding and racing in the U.S.A. a few years ago with the introduction of its GP-0 line of bikes: The 110 automatic, the 110 four-speed, the 160 four-speed, and the 190 Daytona, which comes in four-speed and five-speed versions.
The Ohvale models are the official motorcycles of MotoAmerica’s Mini Cup, a one-make feeder series for young racers.Now, at the urging of North American distributor Rise Moto, Ohvale has developed the new GP-2, for larger (and older) riders…
—More Mini Moto Fun, by Associate Editor David Swarts
When Ohvale entered the mini road racing market in North America, it changed the game for young U.S. racers. Now the company is stepping up its game with its new GP-2 racebike. Read all the details in the latest issue of Roadracing World!
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Jayson Uribe (36X) in action at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Photo by Max Klein/Oxymoron Photography, courtesy Jayson Uribe.
Jayson Uribe Takes Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike Slicks to Track Record at Buttonwillow Raceway
ADR Motorsports Makes it Two Track Records in 2021 with DIABLO™ Superbike Slicks
ROME, Ga. (March 25, 2021) – Pirelli Tire North America captured the brand’s second absolute motorcycle track record of the 2021 season as ADR Motorsports rider Jayson Uribe set the pace at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Kern County, California. Uribe’s achievement was set during the opening round of the 2021 American Federation of Motorcyclists (AFM) Championship aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000 equipped with Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike slicks.
“We worked hard all weekend on getting the bike and myself dialed in for setting fast lap times,” said Uribe. “Being able to set the track record wouldn’t be possible without the support of Pirelli. The trackside service and advice was critical in setting up the bike this weekend. We decided to go with the DIABLO™ Superbike SC1 on the rear because of the colder conditions and tricky grip levels. Huge thanks to the Pirelli crew and the ADR squad for the killer bike!”
Uribe’s new lap record of 1:43.067 was set on Lap 2 in the Formula Pacific class, topping the previous lap record of 1:43.497. A DIABLO™ Superbike SC2 in 125/70-17 was used on the front of his Suzuki motorcycle, while a DIABLO™ Superbike SC1 in 200/65-17 sizing was used on the rear. After setting the pace early in the race, he would go on to take the checkered flag ahead of ADR Motorsports teammate David Anthony.
“Pirelli riders were strong all weekend long,” said Chris Maguire, CT Racing, Pirelli Trackside Vendor. “Despite colder temperatures, several classes saw riders on Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike slicks setting their personal records as well as track records. Jayson [Uribe] was absolutely flying in the Formula Pacific class and really demonstrated just how good the latest generation Pirelli slicks are. Congrats Jayson!”
Anthony was the first Pirelli rider to earn an absolute motorcycle track record in 2021, which came at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in February. Pirelli continues to remain the motorcycle tire of choice for North American riders looking to reach the top step of the podium and log fast laps at events and series that do not have a spec tire rule. Reward prizes are offered to riders who set a new motorcycle track record while using Pirelli race compound tires.
For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com
Loris Baz and his new Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike in front of Mount Airy Casino Resort in Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York Confirms Parts Unlimited and Mount Airy Casino Resort as Key Sponsors
Dunmore, PA – Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York is proud to announce two key partners in the assault of the 2021 MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Series: global parts distributor Parts Unlimited and Pennsylvania’s Mount Airy Casino Resort.
“Our partnership with Parts Unlimited and Mount Airy Casino Resort are real signs that road racing in the US is headed in a good direction,” says team Principal Bobby Shek. “Parts Unlimited is involved in racing and MotoAmercia, so we are excited that they are back supporting a Ducati effort, something that hasn’t been done since the time of the Ducati 999R!”
“The Team at Parts Unlimited is Excited to be “supporting the sport” with Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati New York and Mount Airy Casino Resort,” says Jeff Derge, Vice President of Sales at Parts Unlimited. “We look forward to an exciting year of racing.”
Mount Airy Casino Resort, Pennsylvania’s first AAA Four Diamond-rated casino, is also excited to debut as a sponsor in the world of motorcycle racing.
“We are very excited to enter into this partnership with Ducati NYC, as we see many synergies between these two luxury brands and share demographics with high-end clientele,” said Glenn Cademartori, Vice President of Marketing at Mount Airy Casino Resort. “With the resurgence in guests visiting from New York City, southern New York, and northern New Jersey, this partnership makes perfect sense to us for continued growth in these markets.”
Team Manager Eraldo Ferracci says: “It’s great to see these two powerhouses supporting the Warhorse HSBK Ducati team. As Bobby and I have said since day one, the ultimate goal is to have Ducati fight for a title. This type of support will help us achieve our mission.”
Piloting the Warhorse HSBK Ducati Panigale V4 R during the 9-round Superbike Series is the 28-year-old Frenchman Loris Baz, who spent three years in MotoGP (2015-2017) and six years in World Superbike (2012-2014; 2018-2020). During the 2020 WorldSBK season, Baz scored four podiums and finished the season eight overall, the second-best of independent riders. Throughout his WorldSBK career, he had achieved two wins, two poles, 18 podiums, and three fastest laps.
The team is powered by Warhorse HSBK Racing, North American Warhorse, Ducati New York, and Horsepower HD.
For ongoing race season updates, subscribe to HSBK Racing on:
YouTube (www.youtube.com/hsbkracing)
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Instagram (@hsbkracing)
Founded in 2011, HSBK Racing pairs the best sponsors, technicians, riders, and industry insiders to create an unstoppable team that consistently runs at the front of the pack in any premier class. The team claimed Ducati’s first win in America after 10 years. In 2019 the team formed a partnership with North American Warhorse and Ducati New York to create Warhorse HSBK Racing.
North American Warhorse, located in Dunmore, PA, is the largest premier motorcycle and power sports dealership in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As an authorized dealer of the top power sports brands worldwide, North American Warhorse provides the largest selection of vehicles in the Northeast Pennsylvania area.
Ducati New York, located in SoHo, is the flagship Ducati dealership, with a renovated showroom of more than 7,500 square feet at a fashionable address. The Manhattan showroom has Italian style and modern aesthetic of Ducati, with a comprehensive line of apparel, dedicated Ducati accessories, and an all-new Ducati service department.
Horsepower HD, part of the Warhorse Powersports Group, serves the Williamsport, Pa., area, offering the best in new and pre-owned HD bikes and parts.
Parts Unlimited is owned by LeMans Corporation, which also owns Drag Specialities. Headquartered in Janesville, Wisc., Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties sell to over 12,000 dealerships worldwide and continue to expand their market penetration with their sister companies, Parts Canada and Parts Europe.
Mount Airy Poconos Casino Resort boasts the ultimate gaming experience with over 1,800 slot machines, 80 table games, and a sportsbook. As Pennsylvania’s first AAA Four Diamond-rated casino, the resort’s nearly 300 upscale guest rooms and suites are complemented by a 20,000-square-foot convention center and ballroom that serve as a state-of-the-art venue for private and corporate events, weddings, and entertainment. Guests can discover a variety of signature restaurant options, including Guy Fieri’s Mt. Pocono Kitchen and the award-winning Bistecca by Il Mulino. This all-encompassing, full-service resort destination for outdoor enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts alike, features a Sports Illustrated recognized lakefront 18-hole golf course; a 16,000-square-foot spa, salon, and exercise facility; a luxury indoor/outdoor pool, aptly called Wet; and a covered outdoor pavilion that hosts a summer concert series. Mount Airy Casino Resort is less than 90 minutes from Philadelphia, New York City, and northern New Jersey. For more, visit www.mountairycasino.com
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as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
