More, from a press release issued by Energica Motor Company:
2020 MOTOE TITLE GOES TO TORRES AS TUULI WINS EXCITING SEASON FINALE
The start of MotoE World Cup Race Two at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) has clinched the 2020 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup after a smart ride at the Le Mans circuit in what was the final race of the season for the all-electric series of MotoGP, powered of course by Energica. The experienced Spanish rider finishes his rookie campaign with the best possible result after crossing the line in sixth place. The title win came despite a very scary moment for Torres, who was hit in the back of his Energica Ego Corsa at turn two on the opening lap by Eric Granado, but fortunately for him he was able to stay on the bike and continue.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Jordi Torres. “In this category anything can happen. In the first chicane I heard the sound of gravel and some riders coming from behind – and one even touched me. At this moment I thought I just had to finish the race and take some points because my team needed this title. It’s a big family and I want to thank them so much for putting me in a position to win this championship. We’ll see what happens in the future but now it’s time to enjoy with my family, friends and the team and that’s it; not much more to say!”
Jordi Torres (40) celebrates winning the 2020 FIM MotoE World Cup. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The race itself saw a welcome return to the top step of the podium for Finland’s Niki Tuuli (Avant Ajo MotoE), who was able to defend his lead from Mike Di Meglio after a great drive out of the last corner allowed him to overtake the Frenchman as the two riders headed into the penultimate lap. Third place was taken by Josh Hook (OCTO Pramac MotoE), who spent the majority of the race in close proximity of the aforementioned duo.
An incredible effort was put together from 14th and 15th on the grid by Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) and Matteo Ferrari (Team Trentino Gresini MotoE), who crossed the line in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Swiss rider, who in race one yesterday was for the second time in a row this year an innocent victim of a collision triggered by a rival, was able to make up nine places in one lap, but was unable to get on the back of leading trio.
The race itself saw a welcome return to the top step of the podium for Finland’s Niki Tuuli (Avant Ajo MotoE), who was able to defend his lead from Mike Di Meglio after a great drive out of the last corner allowed him to overtake the Frenchman as the two riders headed into the penultimate lap. Third place was taken by Josh Hook (OCTO Pramac MotoE), who spent the majority of the race in close proximity of the aforementioned duo.
An incredible effort was put together from 14th and 15th on the grid by Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) and Matteo Ferrari (Team Trentino Gresini MotoE), who crossed the line in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Swiss rider, who in race one yesterday was for the second time in a row this year an innocent victim of a collision triggered by a rival, was able to make up nine places in one lap, but was unable to get on the back of leading trio.
Former World Cup Champion Ferrari managed to overtake Torres at the start of the final lap, but his championship situation needed much more in terms of results to allow him to successfully defend the title – after yesterday’s first-lap crash while in the lead. Still, Ferrari was able to clinch the runner-up spot despite being tied in points – and wins – with Aegerter. The difference maker was the second place he scored in the opening race at Jerez.
Seventh place went to LCR E-Team’s Niccolò Canepa who edged his teammate Xavier Simeon at the chequered flag, with Maria Herrera (OpenBank Aspar Team) and Xavier Cardelus completing the top ten.
The Energica team and the Ego Corsa machines will now return to Modena’s HQ to prepare for what will be another exciting season in 2021.
M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI’S BOBBY FONG WINS INDY SUPERBIKE AND ALTUS MOTORSPORTS’ CAM PETERSEN CLINCHES STOCK 1000 CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Fong (50) earned his second Superbike victory, at Indianapolis Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Team Hammer.
Team Hammer added to its long history on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning another MotoAmerica Superbike race as well as a second-consecutive MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong earned his second premier-class victory following a wild, twice red-flagged and restarted main event.
Starting from the outside of Row 1 with teammate Toni Elias holding pole position, Fong stormed into the lead at the start. After being displaced to second, Fong was all over the race leader when the first red flag flew while working the race’s third lap.
Elias took the holeshot the second time around, and the two M4 ECSTAR Suzuki pilots ran 1-2 in the early going. On lap 2, Fong dove past Elias to take the lead and was pulling clear at the front when the race’s second red flag was shown.
Following the second restart, Fong quickly worked his way up into second and pressured the early leader, who then crashed. Fong led until six laps remained in the 15-lap race before again being dropped back to second, but he immediately counter-attacked and forced the new leader into a critical mistake.
From there, Fong fended off a third challenger and won the drag race to the checkered flag by 0.228-second. Elias came home in fourth.
“It was hairy at the end with all the heat cycles on the tires,” Fong said. “With all the warm-up laps and everything, it felt like we did like 30 laps on those tires. But we managed and the bike ran great. I have a rock solid crew behind me. We’ll continue the hard work tomorrow and look to finish the weekend strong.”
Meanwhile, in Twins Cup competition, 15-year-old ace Rocco Landers officially took the torch from 2019 class champion and current Team Hammer Stock 1000 star Alex Dumas. After getting his season off to a bit of an uncertain start, Landers found his form on the SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki SV650 and promptly earned a series of blowout victories en route to locking up the championship a round early.
Saturday’s contest was more of the same. Landers pulled away from pole and powered to a nearly six-second margin of victory. The latest commanding victory was his seventh Twins Cup win in a row.
After the race, the newly crowned 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion said, “SportbikeTrackGear.com and Team Hammer have put this amazing program behind me all year. After Road America and Atlanta, I didn’t think I was going to be up here. The results early in the year messed with my head a little bit, but I’m feeling so good now. I’ve been feeling so good most of the year. It’s been so awesome working with this whole team. They’ve worked so hard for me and given me such an amazing bike.”
French Canadian Dumas returned to action after breaking his left arm just above the elbow a month and a half ago at Ridge Motorsports Park. The M4 ECSTAR Suzuki pilot showed little signs of rust, battling his way forward in the Stock 1000 race on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 from seventh to take control of third by lap 3.
There he would remain until the race’s final several meters, as he was drafted on the long front straight and displaced to fourth at the checkered flag by a scant 0.043-second. Dumas later returned to the track at the end of the day to take eighth place in the MotoAmerica Superbike race on his Stock 1000 spec GSX-R1000.
Cam Petersen clinched the Stock 1000 title in that race, being credited with a close second in the process. Petersen, on his Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000 built by Team Hammer, stretched his points lead to 51 at The Brickyard. Petersen has won seven races and finished second three times in his magical season.
“It means so much to me. This is my life,” said Petersen. “Just being able to hold this number one plate is pretty special. It’s something I’ve dreamt of my whole life.
“It hasn’t been an easy fight,” he continued. “Every year I’ve been here (in America) I’ve been on a different team, different bike. It seems like every year kind of halfway through the season I start finding my feet. This year, I just decided to ride the Stock 1000 bike and see if I could find my feet again a little bit. I think I lost my way a little bit there a few years ago. This year has probably been the best thing for my career. I’ve had so much fun riding my bike every single weekend.”
MotoAmerica Supersport star Sean Dylan Kelly saw a potential win evaporate when he crashed from the lead while attempting to pull clear of the pack on lap 3. The Floridian blasted to the holeshot from pole aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki and put his head down in hopes of keeping his championship hopes alive. Desperate for a win, Kelly pushed to the maximum but unfortunately paid the price for his calculated risk.
With ‘SDK’ out of commission, it was up to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Lucas Silva to uphold the team’s Supersport honors and he did. Silva charged up from an early seventh place and joined a heated battle for second position. Following an outside pass into third with three laps to go, Silva won a braking duel into Turn 1 on the race’s penultimate lap to take control of second.
Unfortunately, he was pushed wide by a rival’s aggressive last-lap passing attempt. That dropped Silva from second to fourth at the checkered flag, just 0.316-second short of a runner-up result. The result was Silva’s second best of a season in which he’s finished inside the top 10 in every race.
The MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing weekend at IMS will conclude on Sunday.
About Team Hammer
The 2020 season marks Team Hammer’s 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 103 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 281 times and have won nine AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Gagne Takes Second Place in Dramatic Race One at The Brickyard in Indianapolis
Jake Gagne (32). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne took podium honors for the Monster Energy Attack Performance on Saturday in an incident-packed Race One at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, which saw two red flags and three restarts. Teammate and championship points leader Cameron Beaubier had an eventful race in which he led but ultimately crashed out.
After a tough qualifying which saw Beaubier line up fourth ahead of Gagne in sixth, the four-time Superbike Champion got a rapid start and moved up to second by the third corner. Gagne held steady in sixth, while Beaubier wasted no time in his charge and dived past into the lead before the end of the lap. However, before he could stretch his legs, the race was stopped on the second lap after a rider crashed coming out of the final turn. The red flags were brought out to clear debris, and the field went into the pits.
More drama followed just before the restart when Beaubier had an issue and narrowly missed the restart warm-up lap. He had to start at the back of the field, with Gagne starting from his sixth place. Undeterred, Beaubier charged through the pack immediately after the restart, his supreme pace taking him up to seventh by Turn 4 on the first lap. Gagne made a strong restart also, moving up to fifth by the second lap with Beaubier just behind after making the pass for sixth. By the third lap, the champion-elect was up to fourth and hounding the leaders, but the red flags came out again after he and Mathew Scholtz both went down after hitting oil on the track dropped by another rider’s bike. Beaubier was able to return to the pits, and his mechanics worked hard to carry out quick repairs to enable him to return for the second restart.
As the lights went out, Beaubier was on fire again and took over the lead on the first lap. Gagne made progress of his own and was up to fourth, engaged in a tight battle with two riders for those final podium spots. Out front, Beaubier was controlling his pace and looked set to continue lead before an unfortunate crash out of the last corner damaged his bike and forced him to retire from the race.
Gagne meanwhile began to reel in the leaders and light up the timing screens. After the race leader went wide and off track, Gagne moved up a spot and pushed all the way to finish, just 0.228 behind in a hard-fought second place for twenty points with five races left in 2020.
The Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha team return to action for Sunday’s doubleheader at The Brickyard, looking for a strong result for both riders.
Richard Stanboli – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“It’s been a very atypical weekend so far. Cameron started on the second row after crashing out of qualifying yesterday and then crashed in the race when another rider oiled the track, and then again while leading the race after the third restart. It was just a bizarre race. I think the fans will have to watch it to understand it fully.
“Jake, on the other hand, had a good ride after starting from the second row. He continues to improve his pace, and he came up just short of the win in a challenging race. Tomorrow we will regroup and work toward putting our Yamaha R1s at the top of the podium.”
Jake Gagne – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“It was definitely a crazy day! Three restarts made for interesting racing, but finally, my third start was a bit better. The two riders up front got away quick, and it took me a bit to reel them in. In the end, I just wasn’t quite close enough to make a run on Bobby (Fong) for the win, but I’m happy with my race overall and excited for the doubleheader tomorrow!”
Cameron Beaubier – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“The guys worked really hard to put together a strong package for today, but I could never really find my groove. The race was chaotic, and just when I started to find my flow after the restarts I made a small mistake while leading on the exit onto the straight and put the bike down. I’d like to thank the team and I am confident we can come back tomorrow with a strong pace for the win.”
Petrucci paints a wet weather masterpiece at Le Mans
Ducati win at the venue for the first time, with Alex Marquez taking a maiden MotoGP™ podium – and Dovizioso the furthest title challenger forward by far in fourth
Sunday, 11 October 2020
Danilo Petrucci (9) taking the checkered flag at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) is a wet weather master, but until now the Italian was always the bridesmaid in the rain. But no longer, as the number 9 put in a stunner in the Shark Helmets Grand Prox de France to take his second premier class win and first in the wet. It’s Ducati’s first victory at the Sarthe circuit too, with Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) marking his own first in second place as the rookie took a stunning maiden premier class podium – from 18th on the grid. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing completed the rostrum in another impressive ride in the wet, pipping Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) as the Italian was forced to settle for fourth – but far outscored his key title rivals.
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) took the holeshot, the Australian characteristically quick off the line, with Crutchlow swooping through trying to take the long way round. Polesitter Quartararo lost out as he dropped behind Miller, Petrucci and Dovizioso, but he was quick to try and fend off an attack from Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He did initially, but the drama early on Lap 1 turned more heads: Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) skittled out, sending two crucial title contenders wide and dropping them right down the field: Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Back at the front though, it was Petrucci who’d taken over in the lead, the Italian looking comfortable ahead of compatriot and teammate Dovizioso as they got through on early leader Miller. The three had a couple of seconds in hand ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who had sliced his way through on Pol Espargaro to take over in the chase to catch the podium fight, but the Suzuki man was on a charge as Quartararo slipped backwards, Viñales continued his charge forwards and Mir remained relegated to outside the points as the latter two tried to recover from their early run off.
Pol Espargaro had Crutchlow for company, but soon there was another machine on the scene. Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda team) was showing incredible pace as the Spaniard caught and passed Crutchlow, and then he was homing in on Pol Espargaro – with fastest lap after fastest lap. And then all hell broke loose…
Rins, after catching the front group, had a nibble or two at Miller, before a few laps later the Suzuki man threw everything up the inside in a multi-buy for the lead – right after Dovizioso had taken over at the front. Dovi was shuffled back, contact ricocheted through the group and it was Petrucci who managed to emerge ahead, Rins second and Miller slotting back into third after running off and holding up his hand to give the advantage back.
And then there was more: a puff of smoke from the rear of Miller’s Ducati saw the Aussie forced to sit up and he was suddenly out with a mechanical – and then Rins suddenly slid out of contention. That shot of sudden drama left Petrucci with a couple of seconds in hand at the front, Dovizioso in second and Alex Marquez now up into third as the impressive rookie had sliced through on Pol Espargaro. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was close behind too, with the podium far from decided.
The gap to Petrucci was coming down, butMarquez was also right on Dovi. And sure enough, the number 73 picked his moment to perfection and sliced through – then immediately starting to make a gap back and catch Petrucci. The laps were running out, but the rookie was on an almighty charge.
Pol Espargaro struck to take third from Dovizioso soon after, before the Italian found himself in a battle with Miguel Oliveira as well. Onto the last lap just ahead though, it was 1.2 seconds from Petrucci back to Marquez, the rookie taking a good chunk of tenths off but the time ticking down. And the number 9 in the leading was holding firm, perfectly poised on the way to a second Grand Prix win…
Ultimately, the Italian wouldn’t be caught as he crossed the line for Ducati’s first win at Le Mans, his second premier class win and a huge boost of confidence after a difficult season. Alex Marquez kept it upright to get the incredible return for his stunning pace – having only ridden in the wet on Friday – with Pol Espargaro holding Dovizioso at bay.
Oliveira ended up with his hands full in the fight for fifth, and some late race pace from home hero Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) saw the Frenchman mug the Portuguese rider to end the race as top Independent Team rider in fifth. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) took seventh and was the second Honda home as Cal Crutchlow crashed out, with Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) in P8. And then came the three who begun the race on top in the title fight…
Fabio Quartararo won the tight, tight tussle for ninth as the Frenchman managed to fend off 2021 teammate Viñales late on, but it was a three-way scrap to the absolute last as Viñales then also managed to beat Mir to the line by almost nothing. The result? Quartararo extends his Championship lead to ten points ahead of Mir, and Dovizioso leapfrogs Viñales into third overall…
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the next man over the line in P12 after a tougher first race in the wet for the South African, with Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) taking P13. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was 14th, was Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) completing the points and those classified in France.
That’s it from a dramatic Le Mans, and now we head for the very different MotorLand Aragon. Back to home turf for many and with some chances lost in France, the title fight remains incredibly tight – so don’t miss another dose of MotoGP™ next weekend!
MotoGP™ podium
1 Danilo Petrucci – Ducati Team – Ducati 45:54.736
2 Alex Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – +1.273
3 Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – +1.711
Top Independent Team rider
5 Johann Zarco – Esponsorama Racing – Ducati +4.310
Danilo Petrucci: “It was I think one of the first times in my life I was disappointed to see rain on the grid because I expected to be fast in the dry and after this morning I felt really good on the bike and I thought we could fight for the podium, I didn’t know if for the win, but then I saw the rain and I switched from medium to soft on the rear at the last minute… but then I immediately wanted to stay in front, because I wanted to stay far from the problems, and then I saw at the beginning we were three Ducatis, and then Rins coming fast… fortunately we have fans here and screens so I could see it. Then Dovi tried to pass me, we were close to each other but I thought there were too many behind so I immediatley passed him again, but then I said come on risk a bit! I tried to push and made a gap but I had a big moment at turn 4, I stayed up but then I saw Alex coming very fast, and I said come on push you can’t lose this race! And I was able to win! It’s incredible to come back on the top step.”
Duel Britannia: Lowes takes stunning win at Le Mans, late heartbreak for Dixon
The number 22 takes a dominant win in the end after heartbreak for Dixon and a drama-filled comeback for Roberts
Sam Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took a stunning win in the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, the Brit crossing the line in a class of his own to launch himself well back into the title fight. Compatriot Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) suffered some late heartbreak after a crash out the lead, with Remy Gardner (ONXOX TKKR SAG Team) then taking second as he attacked Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) on the last lap. Drama hit for polesitter Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) before the race as he had a problem on the grid and was forced into pitlane to try and get the bike going, managing that and heading out late on the Warm Up lap… and not making it round quite in time before the lights went out…
Gardner took the holeshot from Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Australian streaking away in the lead initially and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) heading through into second. Lowes was then soon through into the top three too, and the Brit then hopped past the two men ahead to take over at the front early doors.
Dixon was on a charge, however. The 96 sliced through to second not long after, with Martin an early casualty as he then crashed out. Next was Vierge, the number 97 highsiding in front of Gardner and that seeing Bezzecchi home in on third.
A moment then hit for Gardner too and the Australian was swarmed by Bezzecchi, as similar hit at the front too for Lowes. Into Turn 9, the Brit had a huge moment and headed off onto the run off and Long Lap penalty area, saving it but then left with quite a deficit to Dixon, who’d taken over at the front…
The laps ticked on, Dixon marched on and Lowes was left with the task to reel him in as the fight for third between Bezzecchi and Gardner stayed incredibly tight. Roberts, meanwhile, was absolutely charging through from the back, and the American was already picking off riders in the top ten…
Then, suddenly, disaster struck for Dixon. With a comfortable lead still intact, the tricky conditions suddenly caught the number 96 out – and out he slid. Heartbroken in the gravel trap as he lost out on the chance of a first win, Lowes was back in front and Dixon unable to restart.
For the number 22, that was all she wrote. Lowes kept it tidy over the last handful of laps to cross the line with an impressive near four-second gap, back on the top step for the first time in a few seasons – and putting himself right back in the title fight. Meanwhile, it all went down to a dramatic final lap for Gardner and Bezzecchi, the Italian defending throughout the final lap until an absolute last minute final corner lunge saw Gardner beat him to the line. For Bezzechhi though, the points are a valuable haul as the Italian moves up to within five points of Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) in second.
Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took fourth after a solid ride, the last man in touch with the podium fight, with veteran Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) taking a solid fifth place. And then came Roberts…
Despite the drama at the start and beginning the race even further back than the back of the grid, the American’s stunning charge saw him take home an awesome sixth place. A win it wasn’t and he’ll rue his luck, but it was a true stunner.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Termozeta Speed Up) put in an impressive performance riding a little sore following his crash earlier in the weekend as he took P7, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) next up as they took solid results in difficult conditions to score some big points hauls. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top ten despite a tougher weekend for the German.
So where were the top two in the title? Bastianini took P11 in the end, a handful of points not seeing him gain big ground but he was ahead of Championship leader Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), who failed to score. After a big highside on Friday left him bruised, the Italian impressed to finish but just missed out on points in P17.
Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40), Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing), Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Hafizh Syahrin (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) completed the points.
That’s it from Le Mans. No it’s on to Aragon and a whole new challenge, with Lowes in P4 now only an apt 22 points off… can Marini bounce back at MotorLand? Find out next weekend!
Moto2™ podium
1 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex 41:27.648
2 Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex +3.822
3 Marco Bezzecchi- Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex +4.184
Sam Lowes: “You know I felt sorry for Jake and I want to say well done to him because he’s been doing well in the last few races and he was riding good then. It was easy to crash in those conditions but I felt really good, apart from locking the front into Turn 9, I just got it a little wrong a little bit on the damp patch. You could see it coming up and I just caught the edge of it and yeah, I was lucky to stay on, so then after I just took it easy. Jake had good pace and I didn’t want to get too close to him because when I’m behind I have a tendency to rush in a little bit, so I wanted to look after the front. So I tried to keep about a second and a half and then push towards the end but he was real strong but unfortunately he went down and yeah, I felt good, I felt good all weekend and that’s three podiums in a row and I’m really happy to get this win because it has been a long time since I won a race and we’re going into Aragon next week which is where my last win was so it was nice to get it before going back there. It’s really nice for me at the SHARK Helmets French Grand Prix, obviously being a long time SHARK rider, thanks to everyone for their support but yeah, it has been a very good day!”
Vietti victorious in France as the title fight takes another twist
The Italian wins and moves up to third overall, with Arenas back in the points lead as Ogura struggles and McPhee crashes out
Celestino Vietti (13) and Albert Arenas (75) at the finish of the Moto3 race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) took what could turn out to be a vital victory in the Moto3™ race at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, the Italian striking when it counted to overhaul Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) by a tenth and take home a valuable 25 points. Behind Arbolino, Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) completed the podium and with that, took back the Championship lead as Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) ended up outside the front group and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) failed to finish in France.
Arenas took the holeshot, streaking away into Turn 1 in clear air, but it didn’t take long for Arbolino to home in, with Jaume Masia (Leopard Raacing) slotting into third as he made up some ground after getting bogged down off the line from pole. McPhee lost out in a big way as the Brit went from front row to tenth, with Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) two to move up.
Arenas wasn’t allowed to escape. Masia striking quickly to take over in the lead on Lap 2, and so began the classic freight train fun. Masia led Arbolino and Rodrigo, with Vietti also leapfrogging the number 75 over the line next time around. The front quintet had made a small break, but Catalan GP winner Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) was on the chase and the South African soon caught them and got busy, the front group back to 16 riders line astern.
Some drama then hit though, as Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) collected teammate Romano Fenati and both Husqvarnas slid out, before Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took a tumble not long after. That left a lead group of 13, and Masia remained at the head of the field – with Arenas for close company.
As organised chaos reigned at the front, Arenas sliced his way through to first and it was going well for the number 75, with McPhee down in tenth and points leader heading into the race, Ai Ogura, struggling to stay in the top twenty and outside the front freight train. That group was getting whittled down lap by lap too, with Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) losing touch to make it 12 riders in the battle for P1.
With seven to go, that became 11 as Darryn Binder suddenly sat up, a mechanical problem forcing the South African out of the race and the front group scattering to move round the stricken KTM. That they did, and the fight raged on before Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) dropped off the back too with a crash. And there were more as, suddenly, the Championship took another huge twist: a crash for Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) took the Spaniard out of the group, and the man right behind him was unable to avoid the incident, getting collected: Championship challenger McPhee.
But the top eight marched on, Arenas among them, and Ogura had made his way to tenth by then – adding a valuable haul of points as he steadily made his progress from the P24 he’d dropped down to initially. Onto the penultimate lap it was Masia who remained in the hotseat at the front, but a sudden bobble for the number 5 suddenly saw him leapfrogged as Vietti was able to take charge, the Italian sweeping through from third to lead – and lead he did over the line for the final lap.
Would anyone be able to catch the Italian? They would not. Keeping it pinned to perfection, the number 13 didn’t give anyone a chance to attack – and managed to cross the line a tenth and a half clear to make a huge gain in the standings to boot, now third. Arbolino took second and is another who gains on the top overall after another impressive ride to the podium, with Arenas taking a rostrum finish in third – and back on top as the Championship leader.
Masia was forced to settle for fourth despite his exemplary race, that late wobble costing the Spaniard, with the top five completed by an impressive charge from Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46). And in sixth, finally there was an end in sight for Ayumu Sasaki’s (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) run of bad luck. After what seemed like an eternal reel of getting collected in other riders’ incidents, the Japanese rider had a drama free Le Mans to convert eighth on the grid to sixth in the race.
Fernandez takes seventh after losing a little ground late on, with Rodrigo completing the front group in P8. There was then a gap back to the next battle on track, but it was a familiar name who fought his way to the head of it: Ogura. The number 79 did the most damage limitation possible to move up from 17th on the grid and P24 early in the race, getting the better of Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) as the Spaniard completed the top ten.
Garcia, Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Riccardo Rossi (BOE Skull Rider Facile Energy) and Stefano Nepa (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) completed the points in France.
Arenas has taken back the reins as we now head for his home turf, on 135 at the top as Ogura slips down to 129. It’s now Vietti in third, the Italian on 119 and gaining some serious ground, with Arbolino close behind and McPhee shuffled down to fifth. What will the shuffle look like in Aragon? Find out in only a week as we go again at MotorLand!
Moto3™ podium
1 Celestino Vietti – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM 37:37.384
2 Tony Arbolino – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda +0.142
3 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM +0.198
Celestino Vietti: “A strange race, I didn’t expect this result, we are fast but I didn’t expect it a lot like today. I think we chose the correct tyre, and in the last part I think we had a bit of speed more than the other riders, a little bit. And in the last three laps I tried to go in front but all the riders – like Tony and Albert, Masia – braked very hard and for me it was very difficult to overtake them. But I’m very happy because we managed the race in a good way, and I’m happy for the team because we struggled a bit with three crashes this weekend, I’m happy, this is for them and we’ll try to continue in this way.”
Editorial Note: According to a social media post by his mother Colleen, Mathew Scholtz is due to have surgery Sunday on his broken right ankle and will miss the remainder of this weekend’s races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Westby Racing’s Scholtz Injured In Superbike Race One Crash At Indy; Wyman Is Fifth In Junior Cup
Indianapolis, IN – After a very solid Friday of practice and qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was injured in a crash during Saturday’s Superbike race one, while Mathew’s teammate Cody Wyman nearly had a podium finish in Junior Cup race one to conclude what was a tumultuous day for the team.
Mathew was in the lead group when the frontrunners went into an area on the track where another rider towards the back of the field had crashed during the previous lap. Some of the lead riders got through the turn with their bikes only sliding slightly, but Mathew wasn’t so lucky. The back end of his #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 suddenly snapped around–obviously due to fluid spilled on the track by the previously crashed motorcycle–and he and the machine went sliding off the track. Almost simultaneously, Cameron Beaubier also crashed because of the fluid, and his bike unfortunately slid into Mathew and made hard contact with Mathew’s right leg.
The race was red-flagged and, after a short period of time, Mathew got to his feet, was transported to the track’s medical facility, and then his fiancée Kiara drove him to the hospital to be evaluated and treated for a fractured right ankle and a deep laceration to his right thigh.
Mathew’s prognosis for returning to racing is still to be determined, and an update on his condition will be provided in the coming days. For now, he has been ruled out of Sunday’s two Superbike races, and the entire team sends their best wishes to their rider.
In Saturday’s Junior Cup race and aboard the only Yamaha YZF-R3 in the field, Cody started on the third row in seventh position, and he knew he was in for a fierce battle to reach the podium, as has been the case all season long. He used the knowledge he gained from his previous visits to Indy as a driving instructor, as well as some inspired late-breaking maneuvers, to get himself into position for a coveted spot on the podium, which he had going onto Indy’s long front straightaway on the final lap. At the checkers, third place was a photo finish between Cody and two other riders, and Cody was gutted by the fact that he missed out on third place by just .151 of a second, ultimately finishing fifth, which is still a very good result, but not quite what he wanted.
“On Friday, we were really struggling, and in the first qualifying session, I ended up way down in 14th place. I didn’t have a lot of front-end feel because we decided to use old tires so we could save the new tires for this morning’s final qualifying. During Q2, I felt great, and an overnight change in the bike’s gearing helped me qualify seventh. The afternoon race was red-flagged, and on the restart, I was ninth on the first lap, but I eventually fought my way up to third. I’ve been so close to getting on the podium, and I thought I was in a good spot on the final lap, but I got drafted to the finish line, and I ended up in fifth. I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow and make the bike better for race two.”
Sunday’s Junior Cup race two is at 2:10 p.m. Eastern, and it will be streamed on MotoAmerica Live+. FOX Sports 2 (FS2) will broadcast both of Indy’s Junior Cup races via tape-delay on Tuesday, October 13th starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites. Also, visit https://www.WestbyRacing.com
CONCORD, N.C. (October 10, 2020) – Due to prolonged periods of precipitation, the remaining sessions of the 2020 Progressive Charlotte Half-Mile II have been cancelled.
As with previous events, fans who have purchased tickets may receive a 120% credit valid for any AFT Events race within the next 18 calendar months, or a refund. To submit a request for a credit or refund, please contact AFT Events at [email protected].
The Progressive Charlotte Half-Mile I will air on NBCSN on Friday, October 23, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track wraps up its season with the Progressive AFT Finale at DAYTONA doubleheader Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Tickets for Progressive AFT’s return to Daytona International Speedway on the Short Track at DAYTONA are available now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3134. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for less than $1 per event via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
More, from a press release issued by Energica Motor Company:
2020 MOTOE TITLE GOES TO TORRES AS TUULI WINS EXCITING SEASON FINALE
The start of MotoE World Cup Race Two at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jordi Torres (Pons Racing 40) has clinched the 2020 FIM Enel MotoE World Cup after a smart ride at the Le Mans circuit in what was the final race of the season for the all-electric series of MotoGP, powered of course by Energica. The experienced Spanish rider finishes his rookie campaign with the best possible result after crossing the line in sixth place. The title win came despite a very scary moment for Torres, who was hit in the back of his Energica Ego Corsa at turn two on the opening lap by Eric Granado, but fortunately for him he was able to stay on the bike and continue.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Jordi Torres. “In this category anything can happen. In the first chicane I heard the sound of gravel and some riders coming from behind – and one even touched me. At this moment I thought I just had to finish the race and take some points because my team needed this title. It’s a big family and I want to thank them so much for putting me in a position to win this championship. We’ll see what happens in the future but now it’s time to enjoy with my family, friends and the team and that’s it; not much more to say!”
Jordi Torres (40) celebrates winning the 2020 FIM MotoE World Cup. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The race itself saw a welcome return to the top step of the podium for Finland’s Niki Tuuli (Avant Ajo MotoE), who was able to defend his lead from Mike Di Meglio after a great drive out of the last corner allowed him to overtake the Frenchman as the two riders headed into the penultimate lap. Third place was taken by Josh Hook (OCTO Pramac MotoE), who spent the majority of the race in close proximity of the aforementioned duo.
An incredible effort was put together from 14th and 15th on the grid by Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) and Matteo Ferrari (Team Trentino Gresini MotoE), who crossed the line in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Swiss rider, who in race one yesterday was for the second time in a row this year an innocent victim of a collision triggered by a rival, was able to make up nine places in one lap, but was unable to get on the back of leading trio.
The race itself saw a welcome return to the top step of the podium for Finland’s Niki Tuuli (Avant Ajo MotoE), who was able to defend his lead from Mike Di Meglio after a great drive out of the last corner allowed him to overtake the Frenchman as the two riders headed into the penultimate lap. Third place was taken by Josh Hook (OCTO Pramac MotoE), who spent the majority of the race in close proximity of the aforementioned duo.
An incredible effort was put together from 14th and 15th on the grid by Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt IntactGP) and Matteo Ferrari (Team Trentino Gresini MotoE), who crossed the line in fourth and fifth, respectively. The Swiss rider, who in race one yesterday was for the second time in a row this year an innocent victim of a collision triggered by a rival, was able to make up nine places in one lap, but was unable to get on the back of leading trio.
Former World Cup Champion Ferrari managed to overtake Torres at the start of the final lap, but his championship situation needed much more in terms of results to allow him to successfully defend the title – after yesterday’s first-lap crash while in the lead. Still, Ferrari was able to clinch the runner-up spot despite being tied in points – and wins – with Aegerter. The difference maker was the second place he scored in the opening race at Jerez.
Seventh place went to LCR E-Team’s Niccolò Canepa who edged his teammate Xavier Simeon at the chequered flag, with Maria Herrera (OpenBank Aspar Team) and Xavier Cardelus completing the top ten.
The Energica team and the Ego Corsa machines will now return to Modena’s HQ to prepare for what will be another exciting season in 2021.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Photo by David Swarts.
M4 ECSTAR SUZUKI’S BOBBY FONG WINS INDY SUPERBIKE AND ALTUS MOTORSPORTS’ CAM PETERSEN CLINCHES STOCK 1000 CHAMPIONSHIP
Bobby Fong (50) earned his second Superbike victory, at Indianapolis Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Team Hammer.
Team Hammer added to its long history on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning another MotoAmerica Superbike race as well as a second-consecutive MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong earned his second premier-class victory following a wild, twice red-flagged and restarted main event.
Starting from the outside of Row 1 with teammate Toni Elias holding pole position, Fong stormed into the lead at the start. After being displaced to second, Fong was all over the race leader when the first red flag flew while working the race’s third lap.
Elias took the holeshot the second time around, and the two M4 ECSTAR Suzuki pilots ran 1-2 in the early going. On lap 2, Fong dove past Elias to take the lead and was pulling clear at the front when the race’s second red flag was shown.
Following the second restart, Fong quickly worked his way up into second and pressured the early leader, who then crashed. Fong led until six laps remained in the 15-lap race before again being dropped back to second, but he immediately counter-attacked and forced the new leader into a critical mistake.
From there, Fong fended off a third challenger and won the drag race to the checkered flag by 0.228-second. Elias came home in fourth.
“It was hairy at the end with all the heat cycles on the tires,” Fong said. “With all the warm-up laps and everything, it felt like we did like 30 laps on those tires. But we managed and the bike ran great. I have a rock solid crew behind me. We’ll continue the hard work tomorrow and look to finish the weekend strong.”
Meanwhile, in Twins Cup competition, 15-year-old ace Rocco Landers officially took the torch from 2019 class champion and current Team Hammer Stock 1000 star Alex Dumas. After getting his season off to a bit of an uncertain start, Landers found his form on the SportbikeTrackGear.com Suzuki SV650 and promptly earned a series of blowout victories en route to locking up the championship a round early.
Saturday’s contest was more of the same. Landers pulled away from pole and powered to a nearly six-second margin of victory. The latest commanding victory was his seventh Twins Cup win in a row.
After the race, the newly crowned 2020 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion said, “SportbikeTrackGear.com and Team Hammer have put this amazing program behind me all year. After Road America and Atlanta, I didn’t think I was going to be up here. The results early in the year messed with my head a little bit, but I’m feeling so good now. I’ve been feeling so good most of the year. It’s been so awesome working with this whole team. They’ve worked so hard for me and given me such an amazing bike.”
French Canadian Dumas returned to action after breaking his left arm just above the elbow a month and a half ago at Ridge Motorsports Park. The M4 ECSTAR Suzuki pilot showed little signs of rust, battling his way forward in the Stock 1000 race on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 from seventh to take control of third by lap 3.
There he would remain until the race’s final several meters, as he was drafted on the long front straight and displaced to fourth at the checkered flag by a scant 0.043-second. Dumas later returned to the track at the end of the day to take eighth place in the MotoAmerica Superbike race on his Stock 1000 spec GSX-R1000.
Cam Petersen clinched the Stock 1000 title in that race, being credited with a close second in the process. Petersen, on his Altus Motorsports GSX-R1000 built by Team Hammer, stretched his points lead to 51 at The Brickyard. Petersen has won seven races and finished second three times in his magical season.
“It means so much to me. This is my life,” said Petersen. “Just being able to hold this number one plate is pretty special. It’s something I’ve dreamt of my whole life.
“It hasn’t been an easy fight,” he continued. “Every year I’ve been here (in America) I’ve been on a different team, different bike. It seems like every year kind of halfway through the season I start finding my feet. This year, I just decided to ride the Stock 1000 bike and see if I could find my feet again a little bit. I think I lost my way a little bit there a few years ago. This year has probably been the best thing for my career. I’ve had so much fun riding my bike every single weekend.”
MotoAmerica Supersport star Sean Dylan Kelly saw a potential win evaporate when he crashed from the lead while attempting to pull clear of the pack on lap 3. The Floridian blasted to the holeshot from pole aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki and put his head down in hopes of keeping his championship hopes alive. Desperate for a win, Kelly pushed to the maximum but unfortunately paid the price for his calculated risk.
With ‘SDK’ out of commission, it was up to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammate Lucas Silva to uphold the team’s Supersport honors and he did. Silva charged up from an early seventh place and joined a heated battle for second position. Following an outside pass into third with three laps to go, Silva won a braking duel into Turn 1 on the race’s penultimate lap to take control of second.
Unfortunately, he was pushed wide by a rival’s aggressive last-lap passing attempt. That dropped Silva from second to fourth at the checkered flag, just 0.316-second short of a runner-up result. The result was Silva’s second best of a season in which he’s finished inside the top 10 in every race.
The MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing weekend at IMS will conclude on Sunday.
About Team Hammer
The 2020 season marks Team Hammer’s 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 103 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 281 times and have won nine AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships (in Superbike and Supersport.) The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Gagne Takes Second Place in Dramatic Race One at The Brickyard in Indianapolis
Jake Gagne (32). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Jake Gagne took podium honors for the Monster Energy Attack Performance on Saturday in an incident-packed Race One at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, which saw two red flags and three restarts. Teammate and championship points leader Cameron Beaubier had an eventful race in which he led but ultimately crashed out.
After a tough qualifying which saw Beaubier line up fourth ahead of Gagne in sixth, the four-time Superbike Champion got a rapid start and moved up to second by the third corner. Gagne held steady in sixth, while Beaubier wasted no time in his charge and dived past into the lead before the end of the lap. However, before he could stretch his legs, the race was stopped on the second lap after a rider crashed coming out of the final turn. The red flags were brought out to clear debris, and the field went into the pits.
More drama followed just before the restart when Beaubier had an issue and narrowly missed the restart warm-up lap. He had to start at the back of the field, with Gagne starting from his sixth place. Undeterred, Beaubier charged through the pack immediately after the restart, his supreme pace taking him up to seventh by Turn 4 on the first lap. Gagne made a strong restart also, moving up to fifth by the second lap with Beaubier just behind after making the pass for sixth. By the third lap, the champion-elect was up to fourth and hounding the leaders, but the red flags came out again after he and Mathew Scholtz both went down after hitting oil on the track dropped by another rider’s bike. Beaubier was able to return to the pits, and his mechanics worked hard to carry out quick repairs to enable him to return for the second restart.
As the lights went out, Beaubier was on fire again and took over the lead on the first lap. Gagne made progress of his own and was up to fourth, engaged in a tight battle with two riders for those final podium spots. Out front, Beaubier was controlling his pace and looked set to continue lead before an unfortunate crash out of the last corner damaged his bike and forced him to retire from the race.
Gagne meanwhile began to reel in the leaders and light up the timing screens. After the race leader went wide and off track, Gagne moved up a spot and pushed all the way to finish, just 0.228 behind in a hard-fought second place for twenty points with five races left in 2020.
The Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha team return to action for Sunday’s doubleheader at The Brickyard, looking for a strong result for both riders.
Richard Stanboli – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“It’s been a very atypical weekend so far. Cameron started on the second row after crashing out of qualifying yesterday and then crashed in the race when another rider oiled the track, and then again while leading the race after the third restart. It was just a bizarre race. I think the fans will have to watch it to understand it fully.
“Jake, on the other hand, had a good ride after starting from the second row. He continues to improve his pace, and he came up just short of the win in a challenging race. Tomorrow we will regroup and work toward putting our Yamaha R1s at the top of the podium.”
Jake Gagne – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“It was definitely a crazy day! Three restarts made for interesting racing, but finally, my third start was a bit better. The two riders up front got away quick, and it took me a bit to reel them in. In the end, I just wasn’t quite close enough to make a run on Bobby (Fong) for the win, but I’m happy with my race overall and excited for the doubleheader tomorrow!”
Cameron Beaubier – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“The guys worked really hard to put together a strong package for today, but I could never really find my groove. The race was chaotic, and just when I started to find my flow after the restarts I made a small mistake while leading on the exit onto the straight and put the bike down. I’d like to thank the team and I am confident we can come back tomorrow with a strong pace for the win.”
Petrucci paints a wet weather masterpiece at Le Mans
Ducati win at the venue for the first time, with Alex Marquez taking a maiden MotoGP™ podium – and Dovizioso the furthest title challenger forward by far in fourth
Sunday, 11 October 2020
Danilo Petrucci (9) taking the checkered flag at Le Mans. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) is a wet weather master, but until now the Italian was always the bridesmaid in the rain. But no longer, as the number 9 put in a stunner in the Shark Helmets Grand Prox de France to take his second premier class win and first in the wet. It’s Ducati’s first victory at the Sarthe circuit too, with Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) marking his own first in second place as the rookie took a stunning maiden premier class podium – from 18th on the grid. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing completed the rostrum in another impressive ride in the wet, pipping Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) as the Italian was forced to settle for fourth – but far outscored his key title rivals.
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) took the holeshot, the Australian characteristically quick off the line, with Crutchlow swooping through trying to take the long way round. Polesitter Quartararo lost out as he dropped behind Miller, Petrucci and Dovizioso, but he was quick to try and fend off an attack from Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). He did initially, but the drama early on Lap 1 turned more heads: Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) skittled out, sending two crucial title contenders wide and dropping them right down the field: Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).
Back at the front though, it was Petrucci who’d taken over in the lead, the Italian looking comfortable ahead of compatriot and teammate Dovizioso as they got through on early leader Miller. The three had a couple of seconds in hand ahead of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who had sliced his way through on Pol Espargaro to take over in the chase to catch the podium fight, but the Suzuki man was on a charge as Quartararo slipped backwards, Viñales continued his charge forwards and Mir remained relegated to outside the points as the latter two tried to recover from their early run off.
Pol Espargaro had Crutchlow for company, but soon there was another machine on the scene. Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda team) was showing incredible pace as the Spaniard caught and passed Crutchlow, and then he was homing in on Pol Espargaro – with fastest lap after fastest lap. And then all hell broke loose…
Rins, after catching the front group, had a nibble or two at Miller, before a few laps later the Suzuki man threw everything up the inside in a multi-buy for the lead – right after Dovizioso had taken over at the front. Dovi was shuffled back, contact ricocheted through the group and it was Petrucci who managed to emerge ahead, Rins second and Miller slotting back into third after running off and holding up his hand to give the advantage back.
And then there was more: a puff of smoke from the rear of Miller’s Ducati saw the Aussie forced to sit up and he was suddenly out with a mechanical – and then Rins suddenly slid out of contention. That shot of sudden drama left Petrucci with a couple of seconds in hand at the front, Dovizioso in second and Alex Marquez now up into third as the impressive rookie had sliced through on Pol Espargaro. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) was close behind too, with the podium far from decided.
The gap to Petrucci was coming down, butMarquez was also right on Dovi. And sure enough, the number 73 picked his moment to perfection and sliced through – then immediately starting to make a gap back and catch Petrucci. The laps were running out, but the rookie was on an almighty charge.
Pol Espargaro struck to take third from Dovizioso soon after, before the Italian found himself in a battle with Miguel Oliveira as well. Onto the last lap just ahead though, it was 1.2 seconds from Petrucci back to Marquez, the rookie taking a good chunk of tenths off but the time ticking down. And the number 9 in the leading was holding firm, perfectly poised on the way to a second Grand Prix win…
Ultimately, the Italian wouldn’t be caught as he crossed the line for Ducati’s first win at Le Mans, his second premier class win and a huge boost of confidence after a difficult season. Alex Marquez kept it upright to get the incredible return for his stunning pace – having only ridden in the wet on Friday – with Pol Espargaro holding Dovizioso at bay.
Oliveira ended up with his hands full in the fight for fifth, and some late race pace from home hero Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) saw the Frenchman mug the Portuguese rider to end the race as top Independent Team rider in fifth. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) took seventh and was the second Honda home as Cal Crutchlow crashed out, with Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) in P8. And then came the three who begun the race on top in the title fight…
Fabio Quartararo won the tight, tight tussle for ninth as the Frenchman managed to fend off 2021 teammate Viñales late on, but it was a three-way scrap to the absolute last as Viñales then also managed to beat Mir to the line by almost nothing. The result? Quartararo extends his Championship lead to ten points ahead of Mir, and Dovizioso leapfrogs Viñales into third overall…
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the next man over the line in P12 after a tougher first race in the wet for the South African, with Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) taking P13. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was 14th, was Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) completing the points and those classified in France.
That’s it from a dramatic Le Mans, and now we head for the very different MotorLand Aragon. Back to home turf for many and with some chances lost in France, the title fight remains incredibly tight – so don’t miss another dose of MotoGP™ next weekend!
MotoGP™ podium
1 Danilo Petrucci – Ducati Team – Ducati 45:54.736
2 Alex Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – +1.273
3 Pol Espargaro – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – KTM – +1.711
Top Independent Team rider
5 Johann Zarco – Esponsorama Racing – Ducati +4.310
Danilo Petrucci: “It was I think one of the first times in my life I was disappointed to see rain on the grid because I expected to be fast in the dry and after this morning I felt really good on the bike and I thought we could fight for the podium, I didn’t know if for the win, but then I saw the rain and I switched from medium to soft on the rear at the last minute… but then I immediately wanted to stay in front, because I wanted to stay far from the problems, and then I saw at the beginning we were three Ducatis, and then Rins coming fast… fortunately we have fans here and screens so I could see it. Then Dovi tried to pass me, we were close to each other but I thought there were too many behind so I immediatley passed him again, but then I said come on risk a bit! I tried to push and made a gap but I had a big moment at turn 4, I stayed up but then I saw Alex coming very fast, and I said come on push you can’t lose this race! And I was able to win! It’s incredible to come back on the top step.”
Duel Britannia: Lowes takes stunning win at Le Mans, late heartbreak for Dixon
The number 22 takes a dominant win in the end after heartbreak for Dixon and a drama-filled comeback for Roberts
Sam Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took a stunning win in the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, the Brit crossing the line in a class of his own to launch himself well back into the title fight. Compatriot Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) suffered some late heartbreak after a crash out the lead, with Remy Gardner (ONXOX TKKR SAG Team) then taking second as he attacked Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) on the last lap. Drama hit for polesitter Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) before the race as he had a problem on the grid and was forced into pitlane to try and get the bike going, managing that and heading out late on the Warm Up lap… and not making it round quite in time before the lights went out…
Gardner took the holeshot from Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Australian streaking away in the lead initially and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) heading through into second. Lowes was then soon through into the top three too, and the Brit then hopped past the two men ahead to take over at the front early doors.
Dixon was on a charge, however. The 96 sliced through to second not long after, with Martin an early casualty as he then crashed out. Next was Vierge, the number 97 highsiding in front of Gardner and that seeing Bezzecchi home in on third.
A moment then hit for Gardner too and the Australian was swarmed by Bezzecchi, as similar hit at the front too for Lowes. Into Turn 9, the Brit had a huge moment and headed off onto the run off and Long Lap penalty area, saving it but then left with quite a deficit to Dixon, who’d taken over at the front…
The laps ticked on, Dixon marched on and Lowes was left with the task to reel him in as the fight for third between Bezzecchi and Gardner stayed incredibly tight. Roberts, meanwhile, was absolutely charging through from the back, and the American was already picking off riders in the top ten…
Then, suddenly, disaster struck for Dixon. With a comfortable lead still intact, the tricky conditions suddenly caught the number 96 out – and out he slid. Heartbroken in the gravel trap as he lost out on the chance of a first win, Lowes was back in front and Dixon unable to restart.
For the number 22, that was all she wrote. Lowes kept it tidy over the last handful of laps to cross the line with an impressive near four-second gap, back on the top step for the first time in a few seasons – and putting himself right back in the title fight. Meanwhile, it all went down to a dramatic final lap for Gardner and Bezzecchi, the Italian defending throughout the final lap until an absolute last minute final corner lunge saw Gardner beat him to the line. For Bezzechhi though, the points are a valuable haul as the Italian moves up to within five points of Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) in second.
Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took fourth after a solid ride, the last man in touch with the podium fight, with veteran Tom Lüthi (Liqui Moly Intact GP) taking a solid fifth place. And then came Roberts…
Despite the drama at the start and beginning the race even further back than the back of the grid, the American’s stunning charge saw him take home an awesome sixth place. A win it wasn’t and he’ll rue his luck, but it was a true stunner.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Termozeta Speed Up) put in an impressive performance riding a little sore following his crash earlier in the weekend as he took P7, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Flexbox HP 40) and Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) next up as they took solid results in difficult conditions to score some big points hauls. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top ten despite a tougher weekend for the German.
So where were the top two in the title? Bastianini took P11 in the end, a handful of points not seeing him gain big ground but he was ahead of Championship leader Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46), who failed to score. After a big highside on Friday left him bruised, the Italian impressed to finish but just missed out on points in P17.
Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40), Marcos Ramirez (Tennor American Racing), Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Hafizh Syahrin (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) completed the points.
That’s it from Le Mans. No it’s on to Aragon and a whole new challenge, with Lowes in P4 now only an apt 22 points off… can Marini bounce back at MotorLand? Find out next weekend!
Moto2™ podium
1 Sam Lowes – EG 0,0 Marc VDS – Kalex 41:27.648
2 Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex +3.822
3 Marco Bezzecchi- Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex +4.184
Sam Lowes: “You know I felt sorry for Jake and I want to say well done to him because he’s been doing well in the last few races and he was riding good then. It was easy to crash in those conditions but I felt really good, apart from locking the front into Turn 9, I just got it a little wrong a little bit on the damp patch. You could see it coming up and I just caught the edge of it and yeah, I was lucky to stay on, so then after I just took it easy. Jake had good pace and I didn’t want to get too close to him because when I’m behind I have a tendency to rush in a little bit, so I wanted to look after the front. So I tried to keep about a second and a half and then push towards the end but he was real strong but unfortunately he went down and yeah, I felt good, I felt good all weekend and that’s three podiums in a row and I’m really happy to get this win because it has been a long time since I won a race and we’re going into Aragon next week which is where my last win was so it was nice to get it before going back there. It’s really nice for me at the SHARK Helmets French Grand Prix, obviously being a long time SHARK rider, thanks to everyone for their support but yeah, it has been a very good day!”
Vietti victorious in France as the title fight takes another twist
The Italian wins and moves up to third overall, with Arenas back in the points lead as Ogura struggles and McPhee crashes out
Celestino Vietti (13) and Albert Arenas (75) at the finish of the Moto3 race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) took what could turn out to be a vital victory in the Moto3™ race at the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France, the Italian striking when it counted to overhaul Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) by a tenth and take home a valuable 25 points. Behind Arbolino, Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) completed the podium and with that, took back the Championship lead as Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) ended up outside the front group and John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) failed to finish in France.
Arenas took the holeshot, streaking away into Turn 1 in clear air, but it didn’t take long for Arbolino to home in, with Jaume Masia (Leopard Raacing) slotting into third as he made up some ground after getting bogged down off the line from pole. McPhee lost out in a big way as the Brit went from front row to tenth, with Gabriel Rodrigo (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) two to move up.
Arenas wasn’t allowed to escape. Masia striking quickly to take over in the lead on Lap 2, and so began the classic freight train fun. Masia led Arbolino and Rodrigo, with Vietti also leapfrogging the number 75 over the line next time around. The front quintet had made a small break, but Catalan GP winner Darryn Binder (CIP – Green Power) was on the chase and the South African soon caught them and got busy, the front group back to 16 riders line astern.
Some drama then hit though, as Alonso Lopez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) collected teammate Romano Fenati and both Husqvarnas slid out, before Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) took a tumble not long after. That left a lead group of 13, and Masia remained at the head of the field – with Arenas for close company.
As organised chaos reigned at the front, Arenas sliced his way through to first and it was going well for the number 75, with McPhee down in tenth and points leader heading into the race, Ai Ogura, struggling to stay in the top twenty and outside the front freight train. That group was getting whittled down lap by lap too, with Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) losing touch to make it 12 riders in the battle for P1.
With seven to go, that became 11 as Darryn Binder suddenly sat up, a mechanical problem forcing the South African out of the race and the front group scattering to move round the stricken KTM. That they did, and the fight raged on before Kaito Toba (Red Bull KTM Ajo) dropped off the back too with a crash. And there were more as, suddenly, the Championship took another huge twist: a crash for Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) took the Spaniard out of the group, and the man right behind him was unable to avoid the incident, getting collected: Championship challenger McPhee.
But the top eight marched on, Arenas among them, and Ogura had made his way to tenth by then – adding a valuable haul of points as he steadily made his progress from the P24 he’d dropped down to initially. Onto the penultimate lap it was Masia who remained in the hotseat at the front, but a sudden bobble for the number 5 suddenly saw him leapfrogged as Vietti was able to take charge, the Italian sweeping through from third to lead – and lead he did over the line for the final lap.
Would anyone be able to catch the Italian? They would not. Keeping it pinned to perfection, the number 13 didn’t give anyone a chance to attack – and managed to cross the line a tenth and a half clear to make a huge gain in the standings to boot, now third. Arbolino took second and is another who gains on the top overall after another impressive ride to the podium, with Arenas taking a rostrum finish in third – and back on top as the Championship leader.
Masia was forced to settle for fourth despite his exemplary race, that late wobble costing the Spaniard, with the top five completed by an impressive charge from Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46). And in sixth, finally there was an end in sight for Ayumu Sasaki’s (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) run of bad luck. After what seemed like an eternal reel of getting collected in other riders’ incidents, the Japanese rider had a drama free Le Mans to convert eighth on the grid to sixth in the race.
Fernandez takes seventh after losing a little ground late on, with Rodrigo completing the front group in P8. There was then a gap back to the next battle on track, but it was a familiar name who fought his way to the head of it: Ogura. The number 79 did the most damage limitation possible to move up from 17th on the grid and P24 early in the race, getting the better of Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) as the Spaniard completed the top ten.
Garcia, Filip Salac (Rivacold Snipers Team), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Riccardo Rossi (BOE Skull Rider Facile Energy) and Stefano Nepa (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) completed the points in France.
Arenas has taken back the reins as we now head for his home turf, on 135 at the top as Ogura slips down to 129. It’s now Vietti in third, the Italian on 119 and gaining some serious ground, with Arbolino close behind and McPhee shuffled down to fifth. What will the shuffle look like in Aragon? Find out in only a week as we go again at MotorLand!
Moto3™ podium
1 Celestino Vietti – Sky Racing Team VR46 – KTM 37:37.384
2 Tony Arbolino – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda +0.142
3 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM +0.198
Celestino Vietti: “A strange race, I didn’t expect this result, we are fast but I didn’t expect it a lot like today. I think we chose the correct tyre, and in the last part I think we had a bit of speed more than the other riders, a little bit. And in the last three laps I tried to go in front but all the riders – like Tony and Albert, Masia – braked very hard and for me it was very difficult to overtake them. But I’m very happy because we managed the race in a good way, and I’m happy for the team because we struggled a bit with three crashes this weekend, I’m happy, this is for them and we’ll try to continue in this way.”
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Editorial Note: According to a social media post by his mother Colleen, Mathew Scholtz is due to have surgery Sunday on his broken right ankle and will miss the remainder of this weekend’s races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Westby Racing’s Scholtz Injured In Superbike Race One Crash At Indy; Wyman Is Fifth In Junior Cup
Indianapolis, IN – After a very solid Friday of practice and qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz was injured in a crash during Saturday’s Superbike race one, while Mathew’s teammate Cody Wyman nearly had a podium finish in Junior Cup race one to conclude what was a tumultuous day for the team.
Mathew was in the lead group when the frontrunners went into an area on the track where another rider towards the back of the field had crashed during the previous lap. Some of the lead riders got through the turn with their bikes only sliding slightly, but Mathew wasn’t so lucky. The back end of his #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 suddenly snapped around–obviously due to fluid spilled on the track by the previously crashed motorcycle–and he and the machine went sliding off the track. Almost simultaneously, Cameron Beaubier also crashed because of the fluid, and his bike unfortunately slid into Mathew and made hard contact with Mathew’s right leg.
The race was red-flagged and, after a short period of time, Mathew got to his feet, was transported to the track’s medical facility, and then his fiancée Kiara drove him to the hospital to be evaluated and treated for a fractured right ankle and a deep laceration to his right thigh.
Mathew’s prognosis for returning to racing is still to be determined, and an update on his condition will be provided in the coming days. For now, he has been ruled out of Sunday’s two Superbike races, and the entire team sends their best wishes to their rider.
In Saturday’s Junior Cup race and aboard the only Yamaha YZF-R3 in the field, Cody started on the third row in seventh position, and he knew he was in for a fierce battle to reach the podium, as has been the case all season long. He used the knowledge he gained from his previous visits to Indy as a driving instructor, as well as some inspired late-breaking maneuvers, to get himself into position for a coveted spot on the podium, which he had going onto Indy’s long front straightaway on the final lap. At the checkers, third place was a photo finish between Cody and two other riders, and Cody was gutted by the fact that he missed out on third place by just .151 of a second, ultimately finishing fifth, which is still a very good result, but not quite what he wanted.
“On Friday, we were really struggling, and in the first qualifying session, I ended up way down in 14th place. I didn’t have a lot of front-end feel because we decided to use old tires so we could save the new tires for this morning’s final qualifying. During Q2, I felt great, and an overnight change in the bike’s gearing helped me qualify seventh. The afternoon race was red-flagged, and on the restart, I was ninth on the first lap, but I eventually fought my way up to third. I’ve been so close to getting on the podium, and I thought I was in a good spot on the final lap, but I got drafted to the finish line, and I ended up in fifth. I can’t wait to get out there tomorrow and make the bike better for race two.”
Sunday’s Junior Cup race two is at 2:10 p.m. Eastern, and it will be streamed on MotoAmerica Live+. FOX Sports 2 (FS2) will broadcast both of Indy’s Junior Cup races via tape-delay on Tuesday, October 13th starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
For more updates about Westby Racing, including news, photos, and videos, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites. Also, visit https://www.WestbyRacing.com
The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Photo courtesy AFT.
CONCORD, N.C. (October 10, 2020) – Due to prolonged periods of precipitation, the remaining sessions of the 2020 Progressive Charlotte Half-Mile II have been cancelled.
As with previous events, fans who have purchased tickets may receive a 120% credit valid for any AFT Events race within the next 18 calendar months, or a refund. To submit a request for a credit or refund, please contact AFT Events at [email protected].
The Progressive Charlotte Half-Mile I will air on NBCSN on Friday, October 23, starting at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track wraps up its season with the Progressive AFT Finale at DAYTONA doubleheader Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Tickets for Progressive AFT’s return to Daytona International Speedway on the Short Track at DAYTONA are available now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3134. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for less than $1 per event via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
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