Partnership Brings Exciting MotoAmerica Superbike Series Action To Millions
IRVINE, CA (September 17, 2020) – MotoAmerica and WAVE.tv, the sports media company for today’s fan, is pleased to announce a content distribution partnership that will bring motorcycle racing to WAVE.tv’s 200 million viewers.
The partnership provides WAVE.tv with access and rights to leverage MotoAmerica’s archived AMA Superbike Series and additional motorcycle road racing footage to develop content that will be shared across WAVE.tv’s portfolio of 18 media brands. The sports media publisher reaches 65 million followers and subscribers across its portfolio and boasts of 3.2 billion video views monthly.
“WAVE.tv offers a unique way to present sports to a new, younger generation of fans,” said MotoAmerica Partner Chuck Aksland. “MotoAmerica’s energy-charged racing action will fit perfectly into their wide-ranging mix of sports content.”
“We are incredibly excited to bring MotoAmerica’s exhilarating race content to the WAVE.tv portfolio,” said Daniel Maas, VP of Partnerships for WAVE.tv. “We want to celebrate the fandom of motorsports, and creating engaging programming in partnership with MotoAmerica will be a welcome addition to WAVE.tv that young sports fans will love.”
Landers Can Wrap It Up This Weekend At Barber Motorsports Park
The Liqui Moly Junior Cup Title On The Table For Rocco Landers
IRVINE, CA (September 17, 2020) – There’s a very good possibility that 15-year-old Rocco Landers will wrap up his second consecutive MotoAmerica Liqui Moly Junior Cup Series title this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, September 18-20, which would make him the first champion of the 2020 season.
With his nine victories in a row, Landers holds a commanding 90-point lead over Celtic HSBK Racing’s Samuel Lochoff and a 91-point lead over Bartcon Racing’s Dominic Doyle. With 100 points available in the final two rounds after Barber at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Landers would be crowned champion if his lead is 100 points or more. Two wins for Landers combined with two second-place finishes for either Lochoff or Doyle would give him a 100-point lead on Lochoff and a 101-point lead on Doyle. The most those two could hope for would be a tie, but the tiebreaker would go to Landers in any situation based on his amount of race wins.
Landers Racing’s Landers is coming off two dominant Liqui Moly Junior Cup wins in New Jersey last weekend, besting Lochoff by 11.5 seconds on Saturday before beating Joe LiMandri Jr. by 8.7 seconds on Sunday.
The Liqui Moly Junior Cup isn’t the only class in which Landers is leading. With four wins in a row and five wins total thus far in 2020, Landers is also now the championship leader in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship on his SportbikeTrackGear.com Roadracingworld.com Suzuki. Landers leads that title chase by 19 points over Kaleb De Keyrel with that battle likely going to the final round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
De Keyrel is coming off his worst weekend of the year at NJMP with sixth- and fourth-place finishes on his 1-833-CJKNOWS Accident & Injury Law-backed Yamaha. Third in the Twins Cup title chase heading to Barber this weekend is Hayden Schultz Racing’s Hayden Schultz with the Fayetteville, Arkansas, resident coming off two podium finishes at NJMP. Schultz, however, is 79 points behind Landers as this is most definitely a two-horse race.
The Supersport class is still the most riveting in the 2020 series with hotly contested battles between HONOS Kawasaki’s Richie Escalante, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Celtic HSBK Racing’s Brandon Paasch a given at each and every race. Their battle at NJMP last weekend was one for the ages with the three of them going back and forth every lap until Kelly emerged with the win over Paasch, who executed a last-lap pass on Escalante.
Escalante, though, is still the series points leader and that lead is 30 points over Kelly and 89 over Paasch. Kelly’s win at NJMP was his third of the series with Escalante recording nine wins thus far. It’s almost guaranteed that those three will go at it again at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend in another no-holds-barred battle.
There is also a tight battle for the Stock 1000 Championship on-going, though Altus Motorsports’ Cameron Petersen seems hellbent on that not being the case. With four wins in a row and five total, the South African is on a tear that has put him 17 points clear of Ride HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander with the New Yorker sitting on two wins on the year. Those two and the injured PJ Jacobsen are the only three riders to taste victory this season in the class.
Only three points separate Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert from Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman for third in the championship.
Barber Motorsports Park Notes…
Andrew Lee, who is making his 2020 debut in the Superbike class at Barber this weekend, won both Stock 1000 races last year at Barber Motorsports Park. Lee topped Michael Gilbert in both races last year with Stefano Mesa finishing third in both.
Last year’s Supersport races were drama filled with Bobby Fong winning both and taking the Superport title in the process with Barber being the series finale in 2019. Fong beat Bryce Prince and Richie Escalante in race one and Escalante and PJ Jacobsen in race two.
The lone Twins Cup race a year ago at Barber was won by Chris Parrish over Michael Barnes and Alex Dumas.
Rocco Landers won both of the Liqui Moly Junior Cup races last year, beating Dominic Doyle in both – by .277 of a second in race one and by 3.16 seconds in race two.
There’s a big turnout of rider entries for the Barber round with 123 entries spread over the five MotoAmerica classes. Superbike will feature 27 entries, with 20 entries for Supersport, 20 for Liqui Moly Junior Cup and 25 for Stock 1000. The biggest class for the Barber round will be Twins Cup with 31 entries.
More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:
KATO Fastening/KWR team heads to Barber after bounce-back weekend at New Jersey
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy KWR.
TUCSON, Ariz. (Sept. 17) — The KWR Ducati Team heads to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend after a bounce-back event in New Jersey where Kyle Wyman scored 4th and 6th place finished aboard his KATO Fastening/StoneCastle/KWR Ducati Panigale V4 R. The series heads straight to Alabama this weekend for the 7th round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Wyman moved up from 7th to 6th in series standings after the New Jersey event, off the heels of a zero-points scoring weekend in Washington at Round five. The Barber track has been a successful venue for the KWR team where Wyman finished in the top-5 in 2019, and hopes are high for a strong run for podium places.
“We started this season strong, and have had our challenges mid year, but I’m happy to have put a good weekend together in Jersey to get us back rolling again,” Wyman said. “Now we head straight down to Barber where we had our best finish of the 2019 season on the Panigale, and I think there is a great opportunity for us to score some points and start a strong run to end the 2020 season on a high note.”
The weather looks sunny and warm for the weekend and the KATO Fastening-sponsored team will have dry track to continue development of the Ducati platform. With focus on front-end feeling in the Friday sessions, Wyman and crew will be searching for comfort and confidence to bring the Panigale V4 R close to the front.
“I’ve had some great feelings with the bike this year compared to last, but we’ve taken some small steps backward at some rounds,” Wyman said. “There have been weekends where we are fast in race one, but cannot make improvements for Sunday. If we are going to continue working forward we need to keep progress all the way to the final lap of race two.”
How to keep up with the KATO Fastening/KWR Ducati Team: Friday practice starts at 11:20am CST, with LIVE coverage on MotoAmerica Live+ streaming. Both race one and race two on Saturday and Sunday will be LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) at 4:00pm EST on Saturday and Sunday.
Visit www.kylewyman.com for more news and updates.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Scholtz And Wyman Are Back In Action Again This Weekend, This Time At Barber Motorsports Park
Tulsa, OK – September 17, 2020 – Fresh off round six of the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship this past weekend in New Jersey, round seven starts tomorrow at Barber Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Birmingham, Alabama. Mathew Scholtz and Cody Wyman, along with the entire Westby Racing team, are excited to be racing on back-to-back weekends.
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Mathew notched two strong podium finishes last weekend in New Jersey, and he is very much looking forward to continuing his momentum aboard the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike this weekend. Barber’s 2.38-mile, 17-turn road course is one of Mathew’s favorite tracks, and he currently sits just six points behind Jake Gagne for second place in the 2020 Superbike Championship standings, so he knows that now is the time to strike.
“Jersey was a very positive weekend for the team and me, so we are really looking forward to Barber. It’s always been one of the best tracks for me, maybe because it reminds me of the tracks back home in South Africa. The layout just really seems to suit me and how I ride the bike.
“Last weekend, we wanted to try to get to the next step—to catch up to Beaubier—but with the conditions, we weren’t able to. So, we’re going to be busy tomorrow trying a couple of things because, even though I think we did take a step forward at New Jersey, the boys have been working really hard, and I’m really proud of everyone and how we’ve come on this season.
“I’ve got a couple neighbors who will be coming to Barber to spend the whole weekend there, so it’s going to be really cool to have some close friends there. Last year was our first time riding on the new pavement, and the track conditions were a little bit weird. I wasn’t able to ride here at the preseason test because I had broken my collarbone two days prior to it. So, I know we’re going to be starting off a little on the back foot. But I’ve been to Barber a couple of times, and it’s one of the tracks where we always do a track day. So, I think I’ve done more laps there than a lot of the other riders, and I don’t think missing the preseason test is going to mean too much. I’m just going to feel out the track and take it from there.
“I’m really thinking, at these next couple of races, we can challenge Beaubier up front and try to get in front of Jake (Gagne) in the Championship.”
Superbike Superpole is on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. Central. Superbike race one starts on Saturday at 3 p.m. Central, and race two is on Sunday, also at 3 p.m. Central. Both races will be broadcast LIVE on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and Eurosport, as well as streamed on MotoAmerica Live+.
Cody Wyman (34). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Westby Racing’s MotoAmerica Junior Cup rider Cody had a solid weekend in New Jersey, but he is hungry for more seat time, and racing this weekend at Barber is just the thing that he needs to keep dialing in his #34 Yamaha YZF-R3 and get it closer to the front of the pack.
“Barber is a track that I think every rider and team looks forward to,” Cody said. “I struggled there last year, and I had a crash early in qualifying going into the museum corner, which really put us a step behind all weekend. I can’t wait to get down there and get to work. Barber usually has a solid turnout of entries and lots of cheering, passionate fans, so it’s great that we have an opportunity to put on a show for them. Thanks to my team for working hard on these back-to-back race weekends. It means a lot to have their support. We’ll try hard to put together a good setup for the two races at Barber, and hopefully, we’ll leave Alabama with some hardware!”
Junior Cup race one starts on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. Central, and race two is on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. Central. Both Junior Cup races will be streamed on MotoAmerica Live+, and they will also be broadcast via tape-delay on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) on September 22 starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Watch Great Racing While Maintaining Your Social Distance
MotoAmerica and Barber Motorsports Park will have safety measures in place this weekend to help protect you, the riders and teams, MotoAmerica staff, and track personnel. There is plenty of room for you, your family, and/or your entire crew to enjoy professional motorcycle road racing at one of the country’s best racetracks.
Pick Up FREE Westby Racing Posters And A T-Shirt
Westby Racing posters of Mathew and Cody, as well as T-shirts, will be available next to the team garage throughout the weekend, so swing by and pick some up while maintaining proper social distancing.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS, Superbike Unlimited, Suter, and Yoshimura will be the featured team sponsors on display at the Westby Racing garage, so be sure to stop by, say hello, and find out more about some of the companies that support the team.
“The Championship is crazy!”: another spectacular race weekend awaits
The Pre-Event Press Conference gets the grid in gear for the Gran Premio TISSOT dell’Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini
Thursday, 17 September 2020
Ahead of the Gran Premio TISSOT dell’Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini, Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was joined by fourth overall Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), winner last time out Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), fresh premier class podium finisher Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Aleix Espargaro to talk a little about last weekend and the Misano test, as well as look ahead to our second assault on Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Here are the key quotes from those present, with Dovizioso up first:
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “The Championship is crazy. A lot of up and down for everybody, which is why we are very close. I’m happy to be in this position at this moment of the Championship, but for sure we have to make a step to be able to fight. I’m really happy about Tuesday’s test, we had two targets and we achieved those two targets. I’m really happy about that, my speed was really good. A lot of riders did a really good pace. In the way I rode it was much better, we understood which corners I wasn’t good enough and I was able to be better, more relaxed. We changed the set-up to allow me to help me in a better way and we tried something on the bike, a new piece, and it was a bit better. Overall the feeling is better than Sunday for sure, but there are a lot of really fast riders, especially after Misano 1 – we will see.
“For me it’s always difficult to make a really good lap in qualifying and in MotoGP, it’s very important. But that’s not the biggest issue at the moment. Most of the race I wasn’t fast enough, it’s very important to be stronger now than what I did was. For example at the start of the race I was with Pecco, so I still had a chance to get a podium but I didn’t have the speed. I’m really happy with the way the test ended, so let’s see if everything we tried is true.”
As well as the weekend ahead, he was also asked about the recent announcement that many on the grid, Dovizioso included, will be testing at Portimao on street bikes to get to know the track.
“In this Championship, to be there and fight for the Championship, you have to do everything. To ride with a street bike is really different and you can’t understand the tricks of the track. But you can understand a bit and be able to start in a better way when we go with a MotoGP bike so we decided to organise that.”
JOAN MIR: “It is really difficult to find something to be faster, as we did a lot of laps on this track and it is not easy to find something to gain that tenth or two tenths to be more competitive but yeah I’m happy now I think we made a good step with my confidence on the bike. I’m able to ride a little bit better, maybe not faster, but better. It is a good improvement and I am happy with the test so let’s see if this can give us more in the early laps of the race and maybe the qualifying.
And what about a comment recently from a rival saying the Suzuki is the best bike?
“It is nice that somebody can say something about your bike without trying it. It is something funny. For me it is difficult to say what is the best bike in the championship because Fabio said this but the winner last week was a Yamaha so it was curious to hear this!
“I think that we have a great package which is important and on most tracks we are competitive. We have to improve in areas like everybody but the consistency is nice.”
VALENTINO ROSSI: “For us last Sunday it was an unforgettable day, especially for all the people who work for the academy project. We are very proud of our riders and very happy for my brother, Bez and especially for Pecco and Franco. Yes like you said if I could have arrived on the podium it would have been a historic moment, but unfortunately Mir overtook me on the last lap. For me anyway it was a good race. I was able to keep a good pace from the beginning but at the end I was a bit in trouble. I tried everything to remain on the podium, and I was able to stay in front of Rins but when Joan arrived he was too fast for me. It was a great shame because the podium is always special, Misano more, to share with Franco and Pecco could also be more special but it’s like this. It was a good day and good race, we have another chance this weekend, I think it will be difficult for everybody because I expect the other riders and bikes to be more competitive, and closer to us. So if we want to try and fight for the podium we have to try and improve Sunday and be stronger on Sunday.
“It was a good test on Tuesday, we worked very hard, I did a lot of laps and we had some stuff to try. Some things were better, some were worse. For tomorrow I don’t think we will change a lot the race bike to start with. After we’ll see during the weekend. Also, the forecast and track conditions will be very important.”
And did he expect to be fighting with riders from his own academy?
“Sincerely, no, sincerely no. First of all when we started, we didn’t know what would happen in the next years, it’s a very unique programme. At a certain point when Franco won the first Championship in 2017, I started to think in that moment I will have the strongest rivals in MotoGP from the Academy. But anyway it’s good, we are happy, I think that staying together we improve always our level and we always enjoy racing together.”
Next to speak was the winner next time out – who also then missed testing on Tuesday with an upset stomach. Will that hurt his second weekend at Misano?
FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “Sincerely I don’t think so because testing is in a little bit different conditions and many riders had the chance to test some items to improve, and improve the feeling with the bike, but they still have to confirm it in the race weekend.
“I don’t think skipping the test is going to affect me too much. Anyways I hope to make a good and nice weekend like I had last weekend. It will be important to reconfirm the level that we had in the last race and it will be important to step it up. If you want to remain in the same spot you need to step up your game a little bit.
“It will be important to heal a little bit more and I hope that for the weekend I will be better!”
Bagnaia was next up, and first explained how it was a bit different racing Rossi at first…
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “Its normal that everybody thinks about Vale, riders like us coming from Moto3 and Moto2 arriving to MotoGP. When you see Vale on track it’s always something different because when you’ve grown up with an idol and you race against him it’s always special, and strange. Last year I was, not in trouble, but thought more in this moment because I always thought more when I was behind Vale. I don’t know why but it was more like this and maybe because I’m more comfortable with the bike, this year I race against him like we are at the Ranch! You are thinking less. It’s strange but it’s like it’s Dovi or other riders in that moment.
And what about the test?
“We just had one thing to try and I think it has good potential for the future. At the moment we are concentrated on the standard setting and I let Ducati work more on that. Tuesday’s test was difficult to understand things, the grip was right and the conditions were incredible. Every rider was so fast, in the test it’s difficult to understand what something will be like in the race. We stopped before to rest the leg, I think that I arrive to this weekend more prepared with the leg because I know we can do the race, it’s not a problem. Starting working on Friday is for sure better.”
ALEIX ESPARGARO: “Obviously you can’t be happy with 13th place, but if you analyse the race we were more than 20 seconds quicker than 2018 and 2019 and we were battling the same group of factory KTMs that finished on the podium in the last three races.
“And, also very close to the leader of the championship, Andrea; who won here in 2018, so I mean the performance and level of the bike is growing. I’m happy if we compare with last season but the level of the MotoGP category is very high so unfortunately we still have to show that our bike is better by finishing in a better position but we are taking a step forwards.”
Finally, how was the test day for the Noale factory on Tuesday?
“The plan was not easy to organise because I had many small things to work on to improve my level for the next GP. But it is on Aprilia’s mind to improve the bike and understand the direction for the 2021 bike as we are the only manufacturer who can change or improve the bike for next season. So, it was a compromise, I spent a lot of laps trying different configurations to understand the new bike, trying new items, so no big news or changes for my bike for this weekend but we understand a few things for the future.”
That’s all folks, from Thursday at the Emilia Romagna GP at least! Tune in for FP1 at 9:55 (GMT +2) on Friday before the race starts on Sunday at 14:00, with fans in the stands once again and another spectacle just around the corner.
Newly-announced venue set to host two-day test for manufacturer test teams and some MotoGP™ class riders
Thursday, 17 September 2020
Following the announcement that the 2020 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship season finale will take place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, a two-day test at the venue can now be confirmed. This will take place on Wednesday the 7th and Thursday the 8th of October, just before the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France.
The test is primarily for MotoGP™ manufacturer test teams and will provide valuable data to premier class teams, as well as technical suppliers, ahead of Portimão’s debut on the calendar.
Test riders present will include Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), Michele Pirro (Ducati), Dani Pedrosa (KTM) and Stefan Bradl (Honda).
Some MotoGP™ class riders will also be present on Wednesday the 7th of October. They will be strictly limited to riding street machinery in order to familiarise themselves with the track.
The provisional entry list of MotoGP™ class riders is as follows:
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team)
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing)
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu)
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3)
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing)
Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing)
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini)
Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)
Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3)
Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini)
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol)
The final entry list of MotoGP™ class riders will published once confirmed.
Valentin Debise will make his World Superbike debut this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, in Spain, when he rides for OUTDO TPR Kawasaki in place of injured Sandro Cortese.
Cortese crashed on the final lap of World Superbike Race One at Portimao and suffered a broken back, fractured ribs, and other injuries. He was airlifted from the track and underwent surgery to stabilize his broken vertebrae. He is expected to recover fully, but the German rider will not return to racing in 2020, according to a report on the official website of the FIM Superbike World Championship.
Valentin Debise (53), as seen at the 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport season finale at Barber Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Debise, age 28, has experience in the French Supersport and Superbike Championships, the FIM 250/Moto2 World Championship, the FIM Supersport World Championship, and the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, where he finished third in the Championship standings each year from 2016 to 2018. Debise is also a tire tester for Michelin.
Kyle Wyman Racing (KWR) has launched a new behind-the-scenes web series that will cover rider/team owner Kyle Wyman and his team’s adventures during the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike championship. The series is produced by GP Industries and will have a total of 13 episodes throughout the year.
Episode Nine covers Wyman’s exploits during the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike event September 11-13 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP REVISIT THE MISANO TRACK FOR THE EMILIA ROMAGNA GP
Misano Adriatico (Italy)
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team gets back into gear for the Gran Premio dell‘Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini, held this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Following yesterday‘s productive Official Misano MotoGP Test, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi are impatient to start round 7 of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, again held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Last weekend, Viñales was one of the main protagonists throughout most of the San Marino GP, but a lack of rear grip impeded his performance in the race. The ever hard-working Spaniard jumped into action during the Official Misano MotoGP Test, trying to improve the graining problems he had with the soft and medium rears, and make them more tempting options for this weekend‘s race.
Topping yesterday‘s test, Top Gun is even more adamant to visit the Misano track‘s rostrum at the Emilia Romagna GP and move up from fifth place in the championship standings. So far, he has scored a second place in San Marino in the Moto3 class in 2013 and a third place in the MotoGP class last year.
Rossi had the fans cheering for him last weekend, when it looked like he was going to secure a place on the San Marino podium. Unfortunately, he came just short, but he has another chance this Sunday. He is eager to seize the opportunity, especially since he is currently tied in points with his team-mate, holding sixth place in the overall rankings, 18 points from first.
Living just 10 kilometers from the Misano track, the local hero knows the circuit like no other, and it shows in his impressive record. He stood on the San Marino MotoGP podium six times, scoring three victories, in 2008, 2009 and 2014, two second places, in 2012 and 2016, and a third place in 2010.
The Misano circuit, constructed in 1972, was a regular venue for Italian Grands Prix throughout the 80s and early 90s. The 4.2km track is ridden clockwise, since a radical renovation was done to meet MotoGP’s safety regulations in 2007 that put the circuit back on the MotoGP calendar. The upgrade also included a new chicane, resulting in the current lay-out of six left and ten right corners and giving the track increased racing excitement.
To celebrate the launch of the new Abarth 595 Monster Energy Yamaha, both Viñales’ and Rossi’s M1s will proudly display Official Sponsor Abarth’s logo during the Emilia Romagna GP on the front cowl.
For more information on the Abarth 595 Monster Energy Yamaha see:
http://www.abarth.com/595-monster-energy-yamaha
Moreover, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team continue to support the fifth edition of the KiSS Misano (KiSS stands for Keep it Shiny & Sustainable) programme. With only a small number of fans allowed to visit the grandstand areas of the track this year, the 2020 KiSS Misano action plan has been revised and downsized compared to previous editions. This year’s initiatives include waste management at the track (including PPI products used as Covid-19 prevention measures), as well as a communication plan to raise awareness on sustainability and Covid-19 prevention best practices in motorsports through the KiSS Misano social media channels.
For more information see:
Website: http://www.kissmisano.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kissmisano/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kissmisano
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kissmisano/
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
After a positive testing day, we are ready to start racing again. Having the test day between these two races is convenient for us, because it provides extra time to work on some of the concerns we had last Sunday. During yesterday‘s session, Maverick solved the graining issue he had when riding with the medium tyre. This could be critical for Sunday‘s race. As for Valentino, he came so close to a podium last weekend. To miss out at your home race on the last lap is really painful, so for sure we are trying everything we can to get him up the rostrum this race. He found some improvements for his bike during the Misano test, so we are excited to see if he can once again fight for top positions this weekend.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
The feeling I had during the test was really positive. I was fast on both the medium and the soft rear tyre, so for sure we will try these tyre options again over the upcoming weekend. We tried some new items for the bike yesterday, and I felt really comfortable. I was setting good lap times without having to push all the way to the limit, so this is positive. However, we haven’t been able to test these new features under the exact same circumstances we have in the race, when we ride with a lot of Moto2 rubber on the track, so we’ll have to wait and see. In any case, I will be pushing 100% again, so I can start from the front to make sure we are in with the best chance possible to ride a good race.
VALENTINO ROSSI
I am happy that we have another race here in Misano. Last week I was close to the podium, the race was just one lap too long. We did many laps yesterday during the test, and we found something positive that can maybe help us this weekend to be stronger. I want to fight for the podium again, but the level is very high, and the championship is very close. We will do our best.
2020 Round 8, Emilia Romagna, Misano, 18-20 September
A look back to the last race – San Marino Grand Prix
• San Marino was the second race of the season where a clean sweep of records were broken using Triumph 765cc triple power – a new top speed was set, a new race lap record, and a new outright circuit record
• With his victory, Luca Marini now has four wins in the Triumph era, putting him third overall for total number of wins behind Alex Marquez and Brad Binder (5 each, and both now in MotoGP)
• Sam Lowes set a new outright circuit record in qualifying to record what would have been his first pole position since 2016, but because of a penalty from the last race he wasn’t awarded pole position and instead had to start from the pitlane. Remy Gardner inherited pole position, but a crash in Warm Up left him with fractures to his left foot and hand
A look to this coming race – Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini
• In the last back-to-back pair of races (Austria), the best lap in the second race was nearly
0.5seconds faster than in the first race, due in part to the benefit of familiarity. Could this
weekend get even faster in Misano?
• Only once since the start of the Moto2 series (2010) has a rider won back-to-back races at Misano (Marc Marquez in 2011,2012). With two races in the same season, and having looked very comfortable in his win last weekend, can Marini repeat this feat on Sunday?
• Jorge Martin and Gardner both look like they’ll miss this race – Martin due to a Covid-19
positive result and Gardner after his crash in Warm Up last weekend
Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredbyTriumph
• Marco Bezzecchi (now 3rd in the World Championship) further extended his lead – he’s set the fastest top speed (often joint) at every race apart from Qatar at the start of the season
• At five of the seven races this year, more than one rider has set exactly the same top speed, demonstrating the performance parity of the Triumph 765cc triple engines
About the Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredbyTriumph
• The Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredbyTriumph runs alongside the Moto2 World
Championship in 2020, recognising that there are more stories of success from a GP than
simply the race win, and will award one rider with a Street Triple RS at the end of the season
• Points will be awarded to the one rider at the top of each of these categories (or multiple riders in the case of a tie): fastest top speed of the weekend, pole position, and fastest race lap
• Fastest top speed: 7 points for the fastest rider / riders in case of a tie
• Pole position: 6 points for the rider on pole
• Fastest race lap: 5 points for the fastest rider / riders in case of a tie
The Triumph Moto2™ 765cc race engine is a development of the class-leading Street Triple RS 765cc road motorcycle and produces more than 140PS and the same visceral soundtrack
MRA upgrades inflatable soft barriers inventory & donates $500 to Roadracing World Action Fund
Denver, CO – This past Saturday, September 12th, a group of dedicated MRA volunteers got together at High Plains Raceway to inventory, inspect, and repair the club’s collection of inflatable soft barriers. The MRA relies on these invaluable safety barriers at many events to give the racers that extra level of safety that only the soft barriers can provide.
The MRA is in possession of 11 sections of soft barriers from a number of sources. Some are on loan from the Roadracing World Action Fund, some are owned by the MRA through the Eugene Bazyl Memorial Fund, and still more comes from Northern Colorado Powersports via a donation. Earlier this year, Race Director Rick Grosse & the MRA Board of Directors decided that the entire inventory needed attention so they came up with a three step plan.
First, Melissa Johnston and Isabelle Caputo initiated, advertised, coordinated, and executed a silent auction with the explicit purpose of raising the funds needed for barrier improvements. Using contacts managed by MRA Public Relations Rider Rep Cindy Wulf, the organizations and individuals listed below donated products and services to ultimately raise $2,730 for the effort.
Second, the MRA contacted Eric Kelcher and Andy Curro, who work closely with the Roadracing World Action Fund, to understand the details of soft barrier repair. As it turns out, shipping inflatable soft barriers is breathtakingly expensive, so the MRA’s Marshal Poet volunteered to become the local expert on all things related to soft barriers by flying out to Curro’s house in Pennsylvania for training. Showing the true comradery that road racing has, Curro invited Poet to stay at his house, provided transportation, and even provided meals all of which saved greatly on Poet’s travel expenses. Poet was trained on barrier repair then tagged along with Kelcher to the CCS races at New Jersey Motorsport Park to learn how they do deployment during a race weekend. We’re really grateful to Eric Kelcher & Andy Curro for their unbelievably valuable training and hospitality.
The third part of the plan came when Poet brought his new knowledge to a group of MRA member volunteers at High Plains Raceway. Last Saturday, the team unpacked, inflated, inspected, and began repairs on as many sections as they could. Poet was invaluable in educating and coaching everyone on the extensive details it takes to manage these safety barriers correctly.
The end result is that the MRA has 3 sections at 100% functionality, 6 more as repairable, and 2 sections candidates for retirement. Poet & the MRA now have a clear picture of what is available for the several MRA tracks and what needs to be done to bring the highest level of safety to the club’s racers.
Since the silent auction fund raiser was such a success and substantial savings were realized on Poet’s travel expenses, the MRA Board decided to donate $500 to the Roadracing World Action Fund in appreciation of the focus RWAF has on road racing safety.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information go to http://www.mra-racing.org/.
MRA Silent Auction Contributors
* 64 Degree Racing
* Woodcraft
* Nytro Automotive
* Pirelli/Motostation
* High Plains Raceway
* Motorcycle Roadracing Association
* Nite Owl Sports Bar And Grill
* Jen & Berries
* Brandon Wren Photography
* Vickery Motorsports
* Ninjatech Motorsports/Danny Anderson
* American Supercamp/Danny Walker
* 64 Degree Racing
* Throttle For Your Bottle
* Pitbull/Jim Brewer
* racers360.com
Soft Barrier Repair & Deployment Training
* Marshal Poet (MRA)
* Eric Kelcher (RWAF & CCS)
* Andy Curro (RWAF)
MRA soft barrier improvement volunteers
* Marshal Poet
* Jim Wilson
* Phil Pleiss
* Rick Grosse
* Tiffany Maestas
* Nyles Gourlie
* Jim Brewer
* Shannon Moham
* Jason Martinez
* Melissa Johnston
* Dakota Bell
* Terri Thompson
* Matt Monks
* Tim David
* Cameron Lee
* Gin Burns
* Shyanne Burns
* Also thank Glenn Conser and Mike Applehans at HPR for letting us use the space at the facility
Cameron Beaubier (1) passed Bobby Fong (50) for the lead early in MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike Race Two at Road America in 2020. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Partnership Brings Exciting MotoAmerica Superbike Series Action To Millions
IRVINE, CA (September 17, 2020) – MotoAmerica and WAVE.tv, the sports media company for today’s fan, is pleased to announce a content distribution partnership that will bring motorcycle racing to WAVE.tv’s 200 million viewers.
The partnership provides WAVE.tv with access and rights to leverage MotoAmerica’s archived AMA Superbike Series and additional motorcycle road racing footage to develop content that will be shared across WAVE.tv’s portfolio of 18 media brands. The sports media publisher reaches 65 million followers and subscribers across its portfolio and boasts of 3.2 billion video views monthly.
“WAVE.tv offers a unique way to present sports to a new, younger generation of fans,” said MotoAmerica Partner Chuck Aksland. “MotoAmerica’s energy-charged racing action will fit perfectly into their wide-ranging mix of sports content.”
“We are incredibly excited to bring MotoAmerica’s exhilarating race content to the WAVE.tv portfolio,” said Daniel Maas, VP of Partnerships for WAVE.tv. “We want to celebrate the fandom of motorsports, and creating engaging programming in partnership with MotoAmerica will be a welcome addition to WAVE.tv that young sports fans will love.”
Landers Can Wrap It Up This Weekend At Barber Motorsports Park
The Liqui Moly Junior Cup Title On The Table For Rocco Landers
IRVINE, CA (September 17, 2020) – There’s a very good possibility that 15-year-old Rocco Landers will wrap up his second consecutive MotoAmerica Liqui Moly Junior Cup Series title this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, September 18-20, which would make him the first champion of the 2020 season.
With his nine victories in a row, Landers holds a commanding 90-point lead over Celtic HSBK Racing’s Samuel Lochoff and a 91-point lead over Bartcon Racing’s Dominic Doyle. With 100 points available in the final two rounds after Barber at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Landers would be crowned champion if his lead is 100 points or more. Two wins for Landers combined with two second-place finishes for either Lochoff or Doyle would give him a 100-point lead on Lochoff and a 101-point lead on Doyle. The most those two could hope for would be a tie, but the tiebreaker would go to Landers in any situation based on his amount of race wins.
Landers Racing’s Landers is coming off two dominant Liqui Moly Junior Cup wins in New Jersey last weekend, besting Lochoff by 11.5 seconds on Saturday before beating Joe LiMandri Jr. by 8.7 seconds on Sunday.
The Liqui Moly Junior Cup isn’t the only class in which Landers is leading. With four wins in a row and five wins total thus far in 2020, Landers is also now the championship leader in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship on his SportbikeTrackGear.com Roadracingworld.com Suzuki. Landers leads that title chase by 19 points over Kaleb De Keyrel with that battle likely going to the final round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
De Keyrel is coming off his worst weekend of the year at NJMP with sixth- and fourth-place finishes on his 1-833-CJKNOWS Accident & Injury Law-backed Yamaha. Third in the Twins Cup title chase heading to Barber this weekend is Hayden Schultz Racing’s Hayden Schultz with the Fayetteville, Arkansas, resident coming off two podium finishes at NJMP. Schultz, however, is 79 points behind Landers as this is most definitely a two-horse race.
The Supersport class is still the most riveting in the 2020 series with hotly contested battles between HONOS Kawasaki’s Richie Escalante, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Celtic HSBK Racing’s Brandon Paasch a given at each and every race. Their battle at NJMP last weekend was one for the ages with the three of them going back and forth every lap until Kelly emerged with the win over Paasch, who executed a last-lap pass on Escalante.
Escalante, though, is still the series points leader and that lead is 30 points over Kelly and 89 over Paasch. Kelly’s win at NJMP was his third of the series with Escalante recording nine wins thus far. It’s almost guaranteed that those three will go at it again at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend in another no-holds-barred battle.
There is also a tight battle for the Stock 1000 Championship on-going, though Altus Motorsports’ Cameron Petersen seems hellbent on that not being the case. With four wins in a row and five total, the South African is on a tear that has put him 17 points clear of Ride HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander with the New Yorker sitting on two wins on the year. Those two and the injured PJ Jacobsen are the only three riders to taste victory this season in the class.
Only three points separate Michael Gilbert Racing’s Michael Gilbert from Travis Wyman Racing’s Travis Wyman for third in the championship.
Barber Motorsports Park Notes…
Andrew Lee, who is making his 2020 debut in the Superbike class at Barber this weekend, won both Stock 1000 races last year at Barber Motorsports Park. Lee topped Michael Gilbert in both races last year with Stefano Mesa finishing third in both.
Last year’s Supersport races were drama filled with Bobby Fong winning both and taking the Superport title in the process with Barber being the series finale in 2019. Fong beat Bryce Prince and Richie Escalante in race one and Escalante and PJ Jacobsen in race two.
The lone Twins Cup race a year ago at Barber was won by Chris Parrish over Michael Barnes and Alex Dumas.
Rocco Landers won both of the Liqui Moly Junior Cup races last year, beating Dominic Doyle in both – by .277 of a second in race one and by 3.16 seconds in race two.
There’s a big turnout of rider entries for the Barber round with 123 entries spread over the five MotoAmerica classes. Superbike will feature 27 entries, with 20 entries for Supersport, 20 for Liqui Moly Junior Cup and 25 for Stock 1000. The biggest class for the Barber round will be Twins Cup with 31 entries.
More, from a press release issued by Kyle Wyman Racing:
KATO Fastening/KWR team heads to Barber after bounce-back weekend at New Jersey
Kyle Wyman (33). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy KWR.
TUCSON, Ariz. (Sept. 17) — The KWR Ducati Team heads to Barber Motorsports Park this weekend after a bounce-back event in New Jersey where Kyle Wyman scored 4th and 6th place finished aboard his KATO Fastening/StoneCastle/KWR Ducati Panigale V4 R. The series heads straight to Alabama this weekend for the 7th round of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Wyman moved up from 7th to 6th in series standings after the New Jersey event, off the heels of a zero-points scoring weekend in Washington at Round five. The Barber track has been a successful venue for the KWR team where Wyman finished in the top-5 in 2019, and hopes are high for a strong run for podium places.
“We started this season strong, and have had our challenges mid year, but I’m happy to have put a good weekend together in Jersey to get us back rolling again,” Wyman said. “Now we head straight down to Barber where we had our best finish of the 2019 season on the Panigale, and I think there is a great opportunity for us to score some points and start a strong run to end the 2020 season on a high note.”
The weather looks sunny and warm for the weekend and the KATO Fastening-sponsored team will have dry track to continue development of the Ducati platform. With focus on front-end feeling in the Friday sessions, Wyman and crew will be searching for comfort and confidence to bring the Panigale V4 R close to the front.
“I’ve had some great feelings with the bike this year compared to last, but we’ve taken some small steps backward at some rounds,” Wyman said. “There have been weekends where we are fast in race one, but cannot make improvements for Sunday. If we are going to continue working forward we need to keep progress all the way to the final lap of race two.”
How to keep up with the KATO Fastening/KWR Ducati Team: Friday practice starts at 11:20am CST, with LIVE coverage on MotoAmerica Live+ streaming. Both race one and race two on Saturday and Sunday will be LIVE on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) at 4:00pm EST on Saturday and Sunday.
Visit www.kylewyman.com for more news and updates.
More, from a press release issued by Westby Racing:
Westby Racing’s Scholtz And Wyman Are Back In Action Again This Weekend, This Time At Barber Motorsports Park
Tulsa, OK – September 17, 2020 – Fresh off round six of the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Championship this past weekend in New Jersey, round seven starts tomorrow at Barber Motorsports Park (NJMP) in Birmingham, Alabama. Mathew Scholtz and Cody Wyman, along with the entire Westby Racing team, are excited to be racing on back-to-back weekends.
Mathew Scholtz (11). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Mathew notched two strong podium finishes last weekend in New Jersey, and he is very much looking forward to continuing his momentum aboard the #11 Westby Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike this weekend. Barber’s 2.38-mile, 17-turn road course is one of Mathew’s favorite tracks, and he currently sits just six points behind Jake Gagne for second place in the 2020 Superbike Championship standings, so he knows that now is the time to strike.
“Jersey was a very positive weekend for the team and me, so we are really looking forward to Barber. It’s always been one of the best tracks for me, maybe because it reminds me of the tracks back home in South Africa. The layout just really seems to suit me and how I ride the bike.
“Last weekend, we wanted to try to get to the next step—to catch up to Beaubier—but with the conditions, we weren’t able to. So, we’re going to be busy tomorrow trying a couple of things because, even though I think we did take a step forward at New Jersey, the boys have been working really hard, and I’m really proud of everyone and how we’ve come on this season.
“I’ve got a couple neighbors who will be coming to Barber to spend the whole weekend there, so it’s going to be really cool to have some close friends there. Last year was our first time riding on the new pavement, and the track conditions were a little bit weird. I wasn’t able to ride here at the preseason test because I had broken my collarbone two days prior to it. So, I know we’re going to be starting off a little on the back foot. But I’ve been to Barber a couple of times, and it’s one of the tracks where we always do a track day. So, I think I’ve done more laps there than a lot of the other riders, and I don’t think missing the preseason test is going to mean too much. I’m just going to feel out the track and take it from there.
“I’m really thinking, at these next couple of races, we can challenge Beaubier up front and try to get in front of Jake (Gagne) in the Championship.”
Superbike Superpole is on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. Central. Superbike race one starts on Saturday at 3 p.m. Central, and race two is on Sunday, also at 3 p.m. Central. Both races will be broadcast LIVE on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and Eurosport, as well as streamed on MotoAmerica Live+.
Cody Wyman (34). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Westby Racing.
Westby Racing’s MotoAmerica Junior Cup rider Cody had a solid weekend in New Jersey, but he is hungry for more seat time, and racing this weekend at Barber is just the thing that he needs to keep dialing in his #34 Yamaha YZF-R3 and get it closer to the front of the pack.
“Barber is a track that I think every rider and team looks forward to,” Cody said. “I struggled there last year, and I had a crash early in qualifying going into the museum corner, which really put us a step behind all weekend. I can’t wait to get down there and get to work. Barber usually has a solid turnout of entries and lots of cheering, passionate fans, so it’s great that we have an opportunity to put on a show for them. Thanks to my team for working hard on these back-to-back race weekends. It means a lot to have their support. We’ll try hard to put together a good setup for the two races at Barber, and hopefully, we’ll leave Alabama with some hardware!”
Junior Cup race one starts on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. Central, and race two is on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. Central. Both Junior Cup races will be streamed on MotoAmerica Live+, and they will also be broadcast via tape-delay on FOX Sports 2 (FS2) on September 22 starting at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Watch Great Racing While Maintaining Your Social Distance
MotoAmerica and Barber Motorsports Park will have safety measures in place this weekend to help protect you, the riders and teams, MotoAmerica staff, and track personnel. There is plenty of room for you, your family, and/or your entire crew to enjoy professional motorcycle road racing at one of the country’s best racetracks.
Pick Up FREE Westby Racing Posters And A T-Shirt
Westby Racing posters of Mathew and Cody, as well as T-shirts, will be available next to the team garage throughout the weekend, so swing by and pick some up while maintaining proper social distancing.
Check Out The Westby Racing Sponsor Showcase
SBS, Superbike Unlimited, Suter, and Yoshimura will be the featured team sponsors on display at the Westby Racing garage, so be sure to stop by, say hello, and find out more about some of the companies that support the team.
MotoGP riders (from left) Joan Mir, Aleix Espargaro, Andrea Dovizioso, Franco Morbidelli, Valentino Rossi, and Francesco Bagnaia at the pre-event press conference at Misano II. Photo courtesy Dorna.
“The Championship is crazy!”: another spectacular race weekend awaits
The Pre-Event Press Conference gets the grid in gear for the Gran Premio TISSOT dell’Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini
Thursday, 17 September 2020
Ahead of the Gran Premio TISSOT dell’Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini, Championship leader Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) was joined by fourth overall Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), winner last time out Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), fresh premier class podium finisher Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini rider Aleix Espargaro to talk a little about last weekend and the Misano test, as well as look ahead to our second assault on Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Here are the key quotes from those present, with Dovizioso up first:
ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “The Championship is crazy. A lot of up and down for everybody, which is why we are very close. I’m happy to be in this position at this moment of the Championship, but for sure we have to make a step to be able to fight. I’m really happy about Tuesday’s test, we had two targets and we achieved those two targets. I’m really happy about that, my speed was really good. A lot of riders did a really good pace. In the way I rode it was much better, we understood which corners I wasn’t good enough and I was able to be better, more relaxed. We changed the set-up to allow me to help me in a better way and we tried something on the bike, a new piece, and it was a bit better. Overall the feeling is better than Sunday for sure, but there are a lot of really fast riders, especially after Misano 1 – we will see.
“For me it’s always difficult to make a really good lap in qualifying and in MotoGP, it’s very important. But that’s not the biggest issue at the moment. Most of the race I wasn’t fast enough, it’s very important to be stronger now than what I did was. For example at the start of the race I was with Pecco, so I still had a chance to get a podium but I didn’t have the speed. I’m really happy with the way the test ended, so let’s see if everything we tried is true.”
As well as the weekend ahead, he was also asked about the recent announcement that many on the grid, Dovizioso included, will be testing at Portimao on street bikes to get to know the track.
“In this Championship, to be there and fight for the Championship, you have to do everything. To ride with a street bike is really different and you can’t understand the tricks of the track. But you can understand a bit and be able to start in a better way when we go with a MotoGP bike so we decided to organise that.”
JOAN MIR: “It is really difficult to find something to be faster, as we did a lot of laps on this track and it is not easy to find something to gain that tenth or two tenths to be more competitive but yeah I’m happy now I think we made a good step with my confidence on the bike. I’m able to ride a little bit better, maybe not faster, but better. It is a good improvement and I am happy with the test so let’s see if this can give us more in the early laps of the race and maybe the qualifying.
And what about a comment recently from a rival saying the Suzuki is the best bike?
“It is nice that somebody can say something about your bike without trying it. It is something funny. For me it is difficult to say what is the best bike in the championship because Fabio said this but the winner last week was a Yamaha so it was curious to hear this!
“I think that we have a great package which is important and on most tracks we are competitive. We have to improve in areas like everybody but the consistency is nice.”
VALENTINO ROSSI: “For us last Sunday it was an unforgettable day, especially for all the people who work for the academy project. We are very proud of our riders and very happy for my brother, Bez and especially for Pecco and Franco. Yes like you said if I could have arrived on the podium it would have been a historic moment, but unfortunately Mir overtook me on the last lap. For me anyway it was a good race. I was able to keep a good pace from the beginning but at the end I was a bit in trouble. I tried everything to remain on the podium, and I was able to stay in front of Rins but when Joan arrived he was too fast for me. It was a great shame because the podium is always special, Misano more, to share with Franco and Pecco could also be more special but it’s like this. It was a good day and good race, we have another chance this weekend, I think it will be difficult for everybody because I expect the other riders and bikes to be more competitive, and closer to us. So if we want to try and fight for the podium we have to try and improve Sunday and be stronger on Sunday.
“It was a good test on Tuesday, we worked very hard, I did a lot of laps and we had some stuff to try. Some things were better, some were worse. For tomorrow I don’t think we will change a lot the race bike to start with. After we’ll see during the weekend. Also, the forecast and track conditions will be very important.”
And did he expect to be fighting with riders from his own academy?
“Sincerely, no, sincerely no. First of all when we started, we didn’t know what would happen in the next years, it’s a very unique programme. At a certain point when Franco won the first Championship in 2017, I started to think in that moment I will have the strongest rivals in MotoGP from the Academy. But anyway it’s good, we are happy, I think that staying together we improve always our level and we always enjoy racing together.”
Next to speak was the winner next time out – who also then missed testing on Tuesday with an upset stomach. Will that hurt his second weekend at Misano?
FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “Sincerely I don’t think so because testing is in a little bit different conditions and many riders had the chance to test some items to improve, and improve the feeling with the bike, but they still have to confirm it in the race weekend.
“I don’t think skipping the test is going to affect me too much. Anyways I hope to make a good and nice weekend like I had last weekend. It will be important to reconfirm the level that we had in the last race and it will be important to step it up. If you want to remain in the same spot you need to step up your game a little bit.
“It will be important to heal a little bit more and I hope that for the weekend I will be better!”
Bagnaia was next up, and first explained how it was a bit different racing Rossi at first…
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA: “Its normal that everybody thinks about Vale, riders like us coming from Moto3 and Moto2 arriving to MotoGP. When you see Vale on track it’s always something different because when you’ve grown up with an idol and you race against him it’s always special, and strange. Last year I was, not in trouble, but thought more in this moment because I always thought more when I was behind Vale. I don’t know why but it was more like this and maybe because I’m more comfortable with the bike, this year I race against him like we are at the Ranch! You are thinking less. It’s strange but it’s like it’s Dovi or other riders in that moment.
And what about the test?
“We just had one thing to try and I think it has good potential for the future. At the moment we are concentrated on the standard setting and I let Ducati work more on that. Tuesday’s test was difficult to understand things, the grip was right and the conditions were incredible. Every rider was so fast, in the test it’s difficult to understand what something will be like in the race. We stopped before to rest the leg, I think that I arrive to this weekend more prepared with the leg because I know we can do the race, it’s not a problem. Starting working on Friday is for sure better.”
ALEIX ESPARGARO: “Obviously you can’t be happy with 13th place, but if you analyse the race we were more than 20 seconds quicker than 2018 and 2019 and we were battling the same group of factory KTMs that finished on the podium in the last three races.
“And, also very close to the leader of the championship, Andrea; who won here in 2018, so I mean the performance and level of the bike is growing. I’m happy if we compare with last season but the level of the MotoGP category is very high so unfortunately we still have to show that our bike is better by finishing in a better position but we are taking a step forwards.”
Finally, how was the test day for the Noale factory on Tuesday?
“The plan was not easy to organise because I had many small things to work on to improve my level for the next GP. But it is on Aprilia’s mind to improve the bike and understand the direction for the 2021 bike as we are the only manufacturer who can change or improve the bike for next season. So, it was a compromise, I spent a lot of laps trying different configurations to understand the new bike, trying new items, so no big news or changes for my bike for this weekend but we understand a few things for the future.”
That’s all folks, from Thursday at the Emilia Romagna GP at least! Tune in for FP1 at 9:55 (GMT +2) on Friday before the race starts on Sunday at 14:00, with fans in the stands once again and another spectacle just around the corner.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (a.k.a. Algarve International Circuit) in Portimão, Portugal. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Portimão test to take place in October
Newly-announced venue set to host two-day test for manufacturer test teams and some MotoGP™ class riders
Thursday, 17 September 2020
Following the announcement that the 2020 FIM MotoGP™ World Championship season finale will take place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, a two-day test at the venue can now be confirmed. This will take place on Wednesday the 7th and Thursday the 8th of October, just before the Shark Helmets Grand Prix de France.
The test is primarily for MotoGP™ manufacturer test teams and will provide valuable data to premier class teams, as well as technical suppliers, ahead of Portimão’s debut on the calendar.
Test riders present will include Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), Michele Pirro (Ducati), Dani Pedrosa (KTM) and Stefan Bradl (Honda).
Some MotoGP™ class riders will also be present on Wednesday the 7th of October. They will be strictly limited to riding street machinery in order to familiarise themselves with the track.
The provisional entry list of MotoGP™ class riders is as follows:
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team)
Jack Miller (Pramac Racing)
Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP)
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu)
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3)
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing)
Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing)
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini)
Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)
Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech 3)
Bradley Smith (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini)
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol)
The final entry list of MotoGP™ class riders will published once confirmed.
Valentin Debise (153) leads Jonas Folger (4) and Mathieu Gines (behind Folger) during a French Superbike Championship race at Magny-Cours. Photo courtesy Valentin Debise.
Valentin Debise will make his World Superbike debut this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya, in Spain, when he rides for OUTDO TPR Kawasaki in place of injured Sandro Cortese.
Cortese crashed on the final lap of World Superbike Race One at Portimao and suffered a broken back, fractured ribs, and other injuries. He was airlifted from the track and underwent surgery to stabilize his broken vertebrae. He is expected to recover fully, but the German rider will not return to racing in 2020, according to a report on the official website of the FIM Superbike World Championship.
Valentin Debise (53), as seen at the 2018 MotoAmerica Supersport season finale at Barber Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Debise, age 28, has experience in the French Supersport and Superbike Championships, the FIM 250/Moto2 World Championship, the FIM Supersport World Championship, and the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship, where he finished third in the Championship standings each year from 2016 to 2018. Debise is also a tire tester for Michelin.
Kyle Wyman (33) in action at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Kyle Wyman Racing (KWR) has launched a new behind-the-scenes web series that will cover rider/team owner Kyle Wyman and his team’s adventures during the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike championship. The series is produced by GP Industries and will have a total of 13 episodes throughout the year.
Episode Nine covers Wyman’s exploits during the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike event September 11-13 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey.
Valentino Rossi (46). Photo courtesy Monster Energy Yamaha.
MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP REVISIT THE MISANO TRACK FOR THE EMILIA ROMAGNA GP
Misano Adriatico (Italy)
The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team gets back into gear for the Gran Premio dell‘Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini, held this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Following yesterday‘s productive Official Misano MotoGP Test, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi are impatient to start round 7 of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, again held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Last weekend, Viñales was one of the main protagonists throughout most of the San Marino GP, but a lack of rear grip impeded his performance in the race. The ever hard-working Spaniard jumped into action during the Official Misano MotoGP Test, trying to improve the graining problems he had with the soft and medium rears, and make them more tempting options for this weekend‘s race.
Topping yesterday‘s test, Top Gun is even more adamant to visit the Misano track‘s rostrum at the Emilia Romagna GP and move up from fifth place in the championship standings. So far, he has scored a second place in San Marino in the Moto3 class in 2013 and a third place in the MotoGP class last year.
Rossi had the fans cheering for him last weekend, when it looked like he was going to secure a place on the San Marino podium. Unfortunately, he came just short, but he has another chance this Sunday. He is eager to seize the opportunity, especially since he is currently tied in points with his team-mate, holding sixth place in the overall rankings, 18 points from first.
Living just 10 kilometers from the Misano track, the local hero knows the circuit like no other, and it shows in his impressive record. He stood on the San Marino MotoGP podium six times, scoring three victories, in 2008, 2009 and 2014, two second places, in 2012 and 2016, and a third place in 2010.
The Misano circuit, constructed in 1972, was a regular venue for Italian Grands Prix throughout the 80s and early 90s. The 4.2km track is ridden clockwise, since a radical renovation was done to meet MotoGP’s safety regulations in 2007 that put the circuit back on the MotoGP calendar. The upgrade also included a new chicane, resulting in the current lay-out of six left and ten right corners and giving the track increased racing excitement.
To celebrate the launch of the new Abarth 595 Monster Energy Yamaha, both Viñales’ and Rossi’s M1s will proudly display Official Sponsor Abarth’s logo during the Emilia Romagna GP on the front cowl.
For more information on the Abarth 595 Monster Energy Yamaha see:
http://www.abarth.com/595-monster-energy-yamaha
Moreover, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team continue to support the fifth edition of the KiSS Misano (KiSS stands for Keep it Shiny & Sustainable) programme. With only a small number of fans allowed to visit the grandstand areas of the track this year, the 2020 KiSS Misano action plan has been revised and downsized compared to previous editions. This year’s initiatives include waste management at the track (including PPI products used as Covid-19 prevention measures), as well as a communication plan to raise awareness on sustainability and Covid-19 prevention best practices in motorsports through the KiSS Misano social media channels.
For more information see:
Website: http://www.kissmisano.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kissmisano/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kissmisano
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kissmisano/
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
After a positive testing day, we are ready to start racing again. Having the test day between these two races is convenient for us, because it provides extra time to work on some of the concerns we had last Sunday. During yesterday‘s session, Maverick solved the graining issue he had when riding with the medium tyre. This could be critical for Sunday‘s race. As for Valentino, he came so close to a podium last weekend. To miss out at your home race on the last lap is really painful, so for sure we are trying everything we can to get him up the rostrum this race. He found some improvements for his bike during the Misano test, so we are excited to see if he can once again fight for top positions this weekend.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
The feeling I had during the test was really positive. I was fast on both the medium and the soft rear tyre, so for sure we will try these tyre options again over the upcoming weekend. We tried some new items for the bike yesterday, and I felt really comfortable. I was setting good lap times without having to push all the way to the limit, so this is positive. However, we haven’t been able to test these new features under the exact same circumstances we have in the race, when we ride with a lot of Moto2 rubber on the track, so we’ll have to wait and see. In any case, I will be pushing 100% again, so I can start from the front to make sure we are in with the best chance possible to ride a good race.
VALENTINO ROSSI
I am happy that we have another race here in Misano. Last week I was close to the podium, the race was just one lap too long. We did many laps yesterday during the test, and we found something positive that can maybe help us this weekend to be stronger. I want to fight for the podium again, but the level is very high, and the championship is very close. We will do our best.
Luca Marini won the Moto2 race at Misano I. Photo courtesy Triumph.
Moto2 Pre-race Briefing
2020 Round 8, Emilia Romagna, Misano, 18-20 September
A look back to the last race – San Marino Grand Prix
• San Marino was the second race of the season where a clean sweep of records were broken using Triumph 765cc triple power – a new top speed was set, a new race lap record, and a new outright circuit record
• With his victory, Luca Marini now has four wins in the Triumph era, putting him third overall for total number of wins behind Alex Marquez and Brad Binder (5 each, and both now in MotoGP)
• Sam Lowes set a new outright circuit record in qualifying to record what would have been his first pole position since 2016, but because of a penalty from the last race he wasn’t awarded pole position and instead had to start from the pitlane. Remy Gardner inherited pole position, but a crash in Warm Up left him with fractures to his left foot and hand
A look to this coming race – Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini
• In the last back-to-back pair of races (Austria), the best lap in the second race was nearly
0.5seconds faster than in the first race, due in part to the benefit of familiarity. Could this
weekend get even faster in Misano?
• Only once since the start of the Moto2 series (2010) has a rider won back-to-back races at Misano (Marc Marquez in 2011,2012). With two races in the same season, and having looked very comfortable in his win last weekend, can Marini repeat this feat on Sunday?
• Jorge Martin and Gardner both look like they’ll miss this race – Martin due to a Covid-19
positive result and Gardner after his crash in Warm Up last weekend
Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredbyTriumph
• Marco Bezzecchi (now 3rd in the World Championship) further extended his lead – he’s set the fastest top speed (often joint) at every race apart from Qatar at the start of the season
• At five of the seven races this year, more than one rider has set exactly the same top speed, demonstrating the performance parity of the Triumph 765cc triple engines
About the Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredbyTriumph
• The Triumph Triple Trophy #PoweredbyTriumph runs alongside the Moto2 World
Championship in 2020, recognising that there are more stories of success from a GP than
simply the race win, and will award one rider with a Street Triple RS at the end of the season
• Points will be awarded to the one rider at the top of each of these categories (or multiple riders in the case of a tie): fastest top speed of the weekend, pole position, and fastest race lap
• Fastest top speed: 7 points for the fastest rider / riders in case of a tie
• Pole position: 6 points for the rider on pole
• Fastest race lap: 5 points for the fastest rider / riders in case of a tie
The Triumph Moto2™ 765cc race engine is a development of the class-leading Street Triple RS 765cc road motorcycle and produces more than 140PS and the same visceral soundtrack
MRA's soft barrier crew (from left): Rick Grosse, Marshal Poet, Tim David, Tiffany Maestas, Phil Pleiss, Jim Wilson, and Cameron Lee. Photo by Phil Pleiss, courtesy MRA.
MRA upgrades inflatable soft barriers inventory & donates $500 to Roadracing World Action Fund
Denver, CO – This past Saturday, September 12th, a group of dedicated MRA volunteers got together at High Plains Raceway to inventory, inspect, and repair the club’s collection of inflatable soft barriers. The MRA relies on these invaluable safety barriers at many events to give the racers that extra level of safety that only the soft barriers can provide.
The MRA is in possession of 11 sections of soft barriers from a number of sources. Some are on loan from the Roadracing World Action Fund, some are owned by the MRA through the Eugene Bazyl Memorial Fund, and still more comes from Northern Colorado Powersports via a donation. Earlier this year, Race Director Rick Grosse & the MRA Board of Directors decided that the entire inventory needed attention so they came up with a three step plan.
First, Melissa Johnston and Isabelle Caputo initiated, advertised, coordinated, and executed a silent auction with the explicit purpose of raising the funds needed for barrier improvements. Using contacts managed by MRA Public Relations Rider Rep Cindy Wulf, the organizations and individuals listed below donated products and services to ultimately raise $2,730 for the effort.
Second, the MRA contacted Eric Kelcher and Andy Curro, who work closely with the Roadracing World Action Fund, to understand the details of soft barrier repair. As it turns out, shipping inflatable soft barriers is breathtakingly expensive, so the MRA’s Marshal Poet volunteered to become the local expert on all things related to soft barriers by flying out to Curro’s house in Pennsylvania for training. Showing the true comradery that road racing has, Curro invited Poet to stay at his house, provided transportation, and even provided meals all of which saved greatly on Poet’s travel expenses. Poet was trained on barrier repair then tagged along with Kelcher to the CCS races at New Jersey Motorsport Park to learn how they do deployment during a race weekend. We’re really grateful to Eric Kelcher & Andy Curro for their unbelievably valuable training and hospitality.
The third part of the plan came when Poet brought his new knowledge to a group of MRA member volunteers at High Plains Raceway. Last Saturday, the team unpacked, inflated, inspected, and began repairs on as many sections as they could. Poet was invaluable in educating and coaching everyone on the extensive details it takes to manage these safety barriers correctly.
The end result is that the MRA has 3 sections at 100% functionality, 6 more as repairable, and 2 sections candidates for retirement. Poet & the MRA now have a clear picture of what is available for the several MRA tracks and what needs to be done to bring the highest level of safety to the club’s racers.
Since the silent auction fund raiser was such a success and substantial savings were realized on Poet’s travel expenses, the MRA Board decided to donate $500 to the Roadracing World Action Fund in appreciation of the focus RWAF has on road racing safety.
The Motorcycle Roadracing Association is dedicated to promoting safe and competitive motorcycle road racing events for enthusiasts in Colorado and the surrounding area. For more information go to http://www.mra-racing.org/.
MRA Silent Auction Contributors
* 64 Degree Racing
* Woodcraft
* Nytro Automotive
* Pirelli/Motostation
* High Plains Raceway
* Motorcycle Roadracing Association
* Nite Owl Sports Bar And Grill
* Jen & Berries
* Brandon Wren Photography
* Vickery Motorsports
* Ninjatech Motorsports/Danny Anderson
* American Supercamp/Danny Walker
* 64 Degree Racing
* Throttle For Your Bottle
* Pitbull/Jim Brewer
* racers360.com
Soft Barrier Repair & Deployment Training
* Marshal Poet (MRA)
* Eric Kelcher (RWAF & CCS)
* Andy Curro (RWAF)
MRA soft barrier improvement volunteers
* Marshal Poet
* Jim Wilson
* Phil Pleiss
* Rick Grosse
* Tiffany Maestas
* Nyles Gourlie
* Jim Brewer
* Shannon Moham
* Jason Martinez
* Melissa Johnston
* Dakota Bell
* Terri Thompson
* Matt Monks
* Tim David
* Cameron Lee
* Gin Burns
* Shyanne Burns
* Also thank Glenn Conser and Mike Applehans at HPR for letting us use the space at the facility
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