Nicolo Bulega topped FIM Superbike World Championship qualifying Saturday at MotorLand Aragon, in Alcaniz, Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Pirelli control tires, the rookie sensation lapped the 3.15-mile track in 1:47.840. Not only did that top the field of 22 riders, it broke Jonathan Rea’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:47.973.
Andrea Iannone was the best of the rest with a 1:48.208 on his Team GoEleven Ducati.
Two-time and defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:48.258.
Danilo Petrucci qualified fourth with a time of 1:48.314 on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati.
Back from injury, World Championship point leader Toprak Razgatlioglu was fifth at 1:48.331 on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR.
Alex Lowes took the sixth grid spot with a 1:48.348 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
After being fastest on Friday, American Garrett Gerloff qualified 10th with a 1:48.655 on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship Tissot Sprint Race Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 13-lap race by 0.107 second.
Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini was the runner-up.
After crashing twice during qualifying Saturday morning, six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez bounced back to score third on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi was fourth.
Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli made it a top-five sweep for Ducati.
World Championship point leader Jorge Martin crashed, remounted, and finished 10th – outside of the points.
Bagnaia’s win combined with Martin’s crash allowed Bagnaia to cut his points deficit down from 24 to 12.
Bagnaia masters Mandalika as Martin’s mistake cuts title lead in half
Another huge twist in the Tissot Sprint sees Bagnaia, Bastianini AND Marquez close in after closest Saturday finish of the year
Francesco Bagnaia (1) held off teammate Enea Bastianini to win the MotoGP Sprint Race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) returned to glory in the Tissot Sprint at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, remaining unflappable in the 13-lap shootout as Championship Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had a shock crash out the lead to create yet another title fight twist. The 12 points for Bagnaia’s win cuts the gap between the top two in half ahead of a tantalising Grand Prix race.
On top of that drama, it was the closest Sprint finish of the season as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) put in a serious late charge, coming home a mere 0.107s off his teammate after attacking and passing Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who completed the podium. That makes it all three riders in those top echelons of the title fight making gains on Saturday as Martin looks to hit back on Sunday.
As the lights went out, Martin made a dream launch, charging to the front ahead of title rival Bagnaia, who braved the outside line on the run to Turn 1. The #89 pulled the pin on the opening lap, while Marc Marquez made ground at the start after qualifying from 12th on the grid – slicing up the inside with razorlike precision.
The drama hit early, however, with Martin suddenly crashing out of the lead at the tricky Turn 16 in a near carbon copy of Bastianini’s crash in qualifying. The Championship leader remounted, setting sights on recovering some points, but Bagnaia was left in the lead to make his play for that maximum score of 12.
The battle for the podium then began in earnest, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) getting the gloves off. The #93 soon made a move stick on Acosta on Lap 3, entering the top three as Acosta was next under threat from Bastianini. That made the rookie drop back to fifth.
There was then a huge heart in mouth moment for Bezzecchi as he chased down Bagnaia, with the #72 getting all crossed up and heading wide, avoiding contact with the reigning World Champion ahead by millimetres.
Meanwhile, Martin continued his recovering ride, launching into the top 15 and then the top 12, soon entering the top 10 after a move on Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). But after getting mired behind plenty of other riders looking to make progress, and getting some elbows form Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the points were out of reach.
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on with just enough breathing space as Bastianini started to home in on Marc Marquez in the closing laps. Setting his sights on a move with three laps remaining, ‘the Beast’ looked for an opportunity on Lap 12 and made the move stick at Turn 10, job done. The Italian was up into second, with Bagnaia a further eight-tenths up the road.
It seemed like that would be more than enough but it got close. On the final lap, Bagnaia kept his cool but Bastianini was on a roll, closing on his teammate to cross the line just a tenth further back. A Ducati Lenovo Team 1-2, a 12-point gain for Bagnaia as well as a boost with that winning feeling… and a warning shot from Bastianini for his rivals on Sunday. Marc Marquez completed the podium, not quite able to hang with the #23’s pace.
Behind the leading trio was Bezzecchi, who had good pace but was just unable to recover that ground lost after his mistake. The #72 had a comfortable advantage over Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), however, with the #21 able to leapfrog Acosta, who finished down in sixth. The rookie crossed the line with less than half a second advantage over Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), too.
Meanwhile, CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco secured a remarkable eighth place. It was a standout ride from the Frenchman, crossing the line in front of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who took the final point. Martin was unable to finish higher than 10th, walking away with no points and 9.104s away from victory.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, dropped from a second row start to outside the points after an elbows-out battle, but the Frenchman will be looking for more reward on Sunday for his solid pace.
Bagnaia back on top. Martin’s Championship advantage down to 12 points. Marquez in the mix… and Bastianini ready to unleash the Beast. You do not want to miss the Indonesian GP, so tune in on Sunday at 15:00 local time (UTC +8) to find out who will head into Japan on top!
Aron Canet was fastest during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. On board his Pirelli-fitted Fantic Racing Kalex, the Spaniard navigated the 2.67-mile course in 1:33.434 to top the field of 28 riders.
Brit Jake Dixon was the best of the rest with a 1:33.503 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Japan’s Ai Ogura earned the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:33.504 on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts will start from row three after posting an eighth-fastest 1:33.752 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Canet denies Dixon and Ogura as front row split by 0.070
Aron Canet (44). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) stormed to pole after a breathtaking lap in Indonesia, but the Spaniard has some serious competition right on his tail as Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was denied by just 0.060. Championship leader Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) ended Saturday just 0.001s in further arrears to complete a close front row.
– It would be a dramatic start to Q2 for Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Italian crashing in the opening five minutes and now needing to pass a medical review before the race to head back out on Sunday.
– Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) heads the second row of the grid ahead of Beta Tools SpeedUp’s Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez, who end Saturday just two-tenths away from Canet’s benchmark.
– Back on row three on Sunday will be Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), with the Italian setting sights on redemption after missing out on victory last time out. Arbolino will have Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia)
– MT Helmets – MSI’s Sergio Garcia starts as Moto2™ continues to look as unpredictable as ever.
Ivan Ortola topped Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his MT Helmets – MSI KTM on spec Pirelli tires, the Spaniard lapped the 2.67-mile track in 1:37.332. Not only did that earn Ortola pole position for the race on Sunday, it also eclipsed the All-Time Lap Record of 1:37.384 set by Luca Lunetta hours early during Saturday morning practice.
Dutchman Collin Vejier was second-best with a 1:37.589 on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
Taiyo Furusato claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:37.701 on his Team Asia Honda.
Martin reigns, Marquez crashes twice in dramatic qualifying at Mandalika
The Championship leader heads Bezzecchi and Acosta as qualifying in Lombok sets the stage for two stunning showdowns
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) starts from a stunning new lap record pole at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, with the Championship leader able to navigate a dramatic session to his advantage and end the session with more than half a second of it at the top. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) quite literally picked himself up from his own drama for a last-gasp second on the grid, with the front row completed by rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini were relegated to the second row in P4 and P5, the latter after a crash, but for Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) it’s an bigger comeback required if he’s to take some glory once the lights go out: two crashes in Q2 leave the eight-time World Champion with no time set and P12 on the grid…
Q1
There was plenty of drama in Q1 alone. A crash for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) early on interrupted his mission to move through, and then one for Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) late on saw him lose a chance to improve. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had an issue that saw him forced back into the box without time to head back out as well, and by the end of play it was Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) reigning the timesheets from Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) as both moved through.
Q2
The drama hit almost immediately for Marc Marquez, who was headed out on his first run behind Martin but didn’t finish the first lap. As they were pushing on, the #93 crashed out at Turn 15, rider ok but running back to the box to get on his second bike. Martin’s lap put him top, meanwhile, before he bettered it again to slam in that stunning lap record.
Then came more drama. Bastianini slid out, low speed and leg in the air trying to save it at Turn 16, although at least able to dive straight back into pitlane, no harm done. With six minutes to go as the second runs began in earnest, it left Martin leading Zarco and Bezzecchi at the top, with the Championship leader enjoying a gap of eight tenths and no lap set from many key rivals.
Then, more drama hit with a few minutes left on the clock, and again for Marc Marquez. This time, the #93 slid out from behind Bagnaia at Turn 10, rider ok once again but once again forced to abandon the bike there. That was it, with no lap set putting him P12 on the grid – and bringing the yellow flags out again.
Meanwhile, Acosta had slotted into second just ahead of Bagnaia and Bastianini, but the gap to Martin remained half a second. Then, Bezzecchi crashed right at the end of the lap, putting more yellow flags out. Still, he was able to get back on and that would prove crucial.
Martin rolled out of another lap, Bastianini too, and in the end it all went down to Bezzecchi’s final push to decide the front row. He wasn’t quite on to challenge for pole but with the gap between first and second a sizable target, there was plenty still on offer. He crossed the line to make good on that and take P2 on the grid, with Acosta demoted to third but nevertheless pipping both Bagnaia and Bastianini.
THE GRID
Behind Martin, Bezzecchi and Acosta, Bagnaia and Bastianini launch from P4 and P5, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) completing the front row as his mighty run of form continues.
Zarco’s performance is also mighty as he heads Row 3, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) alongside. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Prama Racing) had a tougher session at the office to qualify P9, despite topping FP2. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Raul Fernandez slot in next, with the #93 bringing up the Q2 runners in P12, where he’ll have to start on Saturday and Sunday.
After that dramatic qualifying, what lies in store once the lights go out? Indonesia served up an emotional rollercoaster in 2023, and the stage is set for another this season. We’ll have the first chapter revealed later today, with the Tissot Sprint underway at 15:00 local time!
Rocco Landers was fastest in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying One (Q1) Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Dunlop-shod RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Landers turned a 1:24.829 to take provisional pole position, and then minutes later he highsided coming out of the final corner and tumbled halfway down the front straightaway. Landers was able to walk away from the crash, but he looked to be in some pain.
Hayden Gillim, Landers’ teammate and the defending Champion, was second-best with a 1:25.252.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli was third thanks to his 1:25.324.
Championship contender Troy Herfoss was fourth-fastest with a 1:25.445 on his S&S Indian Challenger.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara rounded out the top five with a 1:25.667.
Kyle Wyman, Rispoli’s teammate and the current Championship point leader, was sixth at 1:26.537.
Eli Block was fastest in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Qualifying One (Q1) Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 on Dunlop control tires, Block lapped the recently repaved 2.2-mile road course in 1:32.611 to lead the field of 27 riders.
2023 Junior Cup Champion Avery Dreher was the best of the rest with a 1:33.227 on his Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki.
Mckeller Racing’s Jaden Mckeller was third with a lap time of 1:33.392 on his Ninja 400.
Ella Dreher, Avery Dreher’s 14-year-old sister, did a fourth-fastest 1:33.436.
Logan Cunnison rounded out the top five with a time of 1:33.792 on his Speed Demon Racing Kawasaki.
Loris Baz topped MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks, the Frenchman lapped the drying 2.2-mile course in 1:22.737.
Baz’s late fast lap bumped five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier to second with the 1:23.150 he did on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Brandon Paasch had his career-best Superbike qualifying performance with a third-quickest 1:23.769 on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Josh Herrin, Baz’s teammate and the Championship point leader, was fourth with a 1:23.931. Herrin can clinch the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship by finishing 11th or better in Race One on Saturday.
Cameron Petersen was fifth thanks to the 1:24.057 he did on his Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
Spaniard Xavi Fores, who is riding in place of Petersen’s injured teammate Jake Gagne, did a sixth-quickest 1:24.280.
Superbike rookie Sean Dylan Kelly was seventh with a 1:24.618 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW.
Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha rider Bobby Fong did an eighth-fastest 1:24.770.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach was ninth at 1:25.985.
Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10 with a 1:26.108 on his FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha.
Baz Is Best On Friday At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Frenchman Loris Baz And His Ducati Panigale V4 R Lead The Way In Iffy Conditions On Opening Day At NJMP
Loris Baz (76) was the fastest of the Steel Commander Superbike men in Friday’s Qualifying 1 session at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 27, 2024) – By the time the Steel Commander Superbike class took to New Jersey Motorsports Park for Q1, the racetrack was mostly dry which translated to everyone doing their quick laps on slicks. The quickest of those ended up being Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz with the Frenchman posting a 1:22.737 on his 23rd and final lap of the 40-minute session.
Baz was the only rider to crack into the 1:22s with his 1:22.737 leading Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier by .413 of a second. Beaubier didn’t do as many laps as Baz and his best came on his 13th and final go-around, a 1:23.150.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch was a career-best third in Q1 with a 1:23.769.
Fourth fastest on Friday was Superbike Champion-elect Josh Herrin with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider the last one in the 1:23s with his 1:23.931, fractions quicker than Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen with the South African ending up fifth.
Petersen’s fill-in teammate Xavi Forés ended the day sixth fastest, some .4 of a second ahead of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, who was still riding the high of his first Superbike win two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas.
Wrench Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong, Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate JD Beach, and FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10 heading into tomorrow morning’s Q2 session.
The Supersport class was led by PJ Jacobsen (15) with his 1:34.649 lap on Friday at NJMP. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport – Jacobsen On Top
Tricky conditions in the first Supersport qualifying session meant there were crashes and two red flags. When it was all said and done it was PJ Jacobsen right where he needs to be – at the front.
Light rain fell for most of the session and Rahal Ducati Moto’s Jacobsen saved his best for the end as he does all he can to get closer to Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, who leads the Supersport title chase by 39 points with this weekend’s two races left in the championship. Scholtz, meanwhile, wasn’t taking any chances, ending the session in sixth and some two seconds off Jacobsen’s pace.
Jacobsen’s best was a 1:34.649 and that kicked his teammate Corey Alexander back to second with the taller of the two leading most of the session before ending up second – .203 of a second from the top.
Third fastest on the day was EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa rounding out the top five.
Stock 1000 – Slick Hayden
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim saved his best for last in Stock 1000 Q1 with the defending series champion fitting slicks to his Honda CBR1000RR-R SP to earn provisional pole on his final lap of the session.
Gillim timed it perfectly in recognizing there was a dry enough line to give it a go on slicks and the result was a 1:31.243 – 1.5 seconds faster than Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis.
Edge Racing’s Jason Waters was third fastest, a few tenths quicker than Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, and fifth-placed Richard Kerr on the AMD Motorsports RK Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe, who is just seven points behind Gillim in the chase for the 2024 Stock 1000 Championship, ended the session in seventh.
Junior Cup – It’s A Block Party
BARTCON Racing’s Eli Block is in his comfort zone at NJMP. Throw in some iffy weather and he gets even cozier. On Friday, Block was unstoppable in earning provisional pole for the two Junior Cup races this weekend.
Block was the only rider to break into the 1:32s with his 1:32.611 besting Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher by .616 of a second.
Mckellar Racing’s Jaden Mckellar was enjoying his first-ever MotoAmerica Junior Cup race and his weekend started well with the third fastest time in Q1.
Bad Boys Racing’s Ella Dreher was fourth fastest with Speed Demon Racing’s Logan Cunnison rounding out the top five.
Rocco Landers (97) suffered a crash on Friday in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1, but not before he posted the fastest time to earn provisional pole position. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mission King Of The Baggers – ROCCO!
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers was lucky to get up after a scary crash coming out of the final corner in the closing moments of the Q1 for the Mission King Of The Baggers. Landers was a bit banged up, but smiling nonetheless after earning provisional pole position just a lap before the crash.
Landers ripped off a 1:24.829 on his 11th lap of the 30-minute session for his second provisional pole in a row. His quick lap put him .423 of a second ahead of his teammate Hayden Gillim, who in turn was barely faster than Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli.
The two protagonists in the battle for the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship were fourth and fifth with S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss .2 of a second faster than championship points leader Kyle Wyman. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Wyman leads Herfoss by just two points heading into the weekend’s two races.
Hayden Gillim was fastest during MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. With a dry line forming on the damp 2.2-mile course, Gillim opted to mount some Dunlop slicks to his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and that allowed the defending Champion to rip off a 1:31.243 and claim provisional pole position.
Gillim currently holds a seven-point lead over Jayson Uribe in the Championship standings heading into this weekend’s doubleheader finale.
Danilo Lewis was the best of the rest with a 1:32.760 on his Team Brazil BMW M 1000 RR.
Jason Waters did a third-quickest 1:33.821 on his Edge Racing BMW.
Ashton Yates was fourth with a 1:33.991 on his Jones Honda.
Englishman Richard Kerr rounded out the top five with a 1:34.065 on his AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda.
PJ Jacobsen topped MotoAmerica Supersport Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at rainy New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 on spec Dunlop rain tires, Jacobsen navigated the wet 2.2-mile course in 1:34.649 to lead the field of 33 riders and claim provisional pole position.
Jacobsen’s teammate Corey Alexander was second-best with a 1:34.852 on his Roller Die + Forming-sponsored machine.
Maxi Gerardo was third with a 1:35.328 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott did a fourth-fastest 1:36.149.
Stefano Mesa rounded out the top five with a 1:36.628 on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 | PRACTICE & QUALIFYING 1
MILLVILLE, NJ (9.27.2024) – Spirits are high in the paddock after all three Rahal Ducati Moto riders earned top 10 positions during a rainy Qualifying 1.
Corey Alexander had a very successful day, staying on the top of the charts for the majority of the first qualifying session until teammate PJ Jacobsen completed a lap .2 seconds faster. Jacobsen currently sits on provisional pole.
Kayla Yaakov made great strides on her XPEL Ducati, ending the day at her home track in eighth. She is confident in her ability to improve her lap times in the second qualifying session tomorrow.
New Jersey Motorsports Park will see Qualifying 2 tomorrow morning at 9:40 a.m. ET, with the green flag waving for Race 1 at 2:10 p.m. ET.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P1 (1:23:732)
QUALIFYING 1: P1 (1:34:649)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “First practice went really well here in the dry. I feel pretty confident here because it’s my home track. First qualifying went well also, even though it was half-wet, half-dry towards the end. I beat Corey by just two-tenths there at the end to get provisional pole. Getting the best lap times in today was our goal. I’m looking forward to Qualifying 2 tomorrow. We’ll see what the weather ends up doing this weekend. Hopefully I can get the job done this weekend and put my XPEL Ducati up on the podium.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P10 (1:25:277)
QUALIFYING 1: P2 (1:34:852)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “I had a good day here in Jersey. PJ and I ended up first and second in Qualifying. I felt really good off the bat this morning as well. We had a setup issue going on that we were trying to work through, but then the rain started an we didn’t get too many laps in. I felt really good in the laps we did get in though. The rain that came down this afternoon felt really good. PJ and I did really well in the rain last year, so I wouldn’t mind if it continued all weekend. It’s good to start the weekend off with a 1-2 finish, and we’ll be up there helping PJ out with his battle for the championship tomorrow.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P13 (1:25:414)
QUALIFYING 1: P8 (1:36:869)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today we finished our first qualifying session here at New Jersey Motorsports park. Q1 went pretty well, as we were only about .2 away from fourth, not a huge gap. The gap to the front is a little bit bigger, but we struggled a bit with rear grip, so hopefully we can figure that out overnight and be on that front row. It would be exciting to get an all-Rahal lockout on the podium. It’s a lot to ask for, but we are going to have a lot of fun tomorrow and hopefully get a top 5 finish .”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “We had a good Friday. We saw some mixed conditions here, which created a bit of a headache. The team performed well. We have another shot at qualifying to try and get some better lap times. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow and do what we can this weekend. PJ is still trying to fight for the championship. It’s a little bit of a long-shot, but it’s racing, so anything can happen. We’re going to do our best and see how we come out tomorrow.”
Nicolo Bulega topped FIM Superbike World Championship qualifying Saturday at MotorLand Aragon, in Alcaniz, Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Pirelli control tires, the rookie sensation lapped the 3.15-mile track in 1:47.840. Not only did that top the field of 22 riders, it broke Jonathan Rea’s All-Time Lap Record of 1:47.973.
Andrea Iannone was the best of the rest with a 1:48.208 on his Team GoEleven Ducati.
Two-time and defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:48.258.
Danilo Petrucci qualified fourth with a time of 1:48.314 on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati.
Back from injury, World Championship point leader Toprak Razgatlioglu was fifth at 1:48.331 on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR.
Alex Lowes took the sixth grid spot with a 1:48.348 on his factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.
After being fastest on Friday, American Garrett Gerloff qualified 10th with a 1:48.655 on his Bonovo Action BMW.
Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Lombok, Indonesia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship Tissot Sprint Race Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP24, the two-time and defending World Champion won the 13-lap race by 0.107 second.
Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini was the runner-up.
After crashing twice during qualifying Saturday morning, six-time MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez bounced back to score third on his Gresini Racing Ducati.
Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi was fourth.
Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli made it a top-five sweep for Ducati.
World Championship point leader Jorge Martin crashed, remounted, and finished 10th – outside of the points.
Bagnaia’s win combined with Martin’s crash allowed Bagnaia to cut his points deficit down from 24 to 12.
Bagnaia masters Mandalika as Martin’s mistake cuts title lead in half
Another huge twist in the Tissot Sprint sees Bagnaia, Bastianini AND Marquez close in after closest Saturday finish of the year
Francesco Bagnaia (1) held off teammate Enea Bastianini to win the MotoGP Sprint Race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) returned to glory in the Tissot Sprint at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, remaining unflappable in the 13-lap shootout as Championship Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) had a shock crash out the lead to create yet another title fight twist. The 12 points for Bagnaia’s win cuts the gap between the top two in half ahead of a tantalising Grand Prix race.
On top of that drama, it was the closest Sprint finish of the season as Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) put in a serious late charge, coming home a mere 0.107s off his teammate after attacking and passing Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), who completed the podium. That makes it all three riders in those top echelons of the title fight making gains on Saturday as Martin looks to hit back on Sunday.
As the lights went out, Martin made a dream launch, charging to the front ahead of title rival Bagnaia, who braved the outside line on the run to Turn 1. The #89 pulled the pin on the opening lap, while Marc Marquez made ground at the start after qualifying from 12th on the grid – slicing up the inside with razorlike precision.
The drama hit early, however, with Martin suddenly crashing out of the lead at the tricky Turn 16 in a near carbon copy of Bastianini’s crash in qualifying. The Championship leader remounted, setting sights on recovering some points, but Bagnaia was left in the lead to make his play for that maximum score of 12.
The battle for the podium then began in earnest, with Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) getting the gloves off. The #93 soon made a move stick on Acosta on Lap 3, entering the top three as Acosta was next under threat from Bastianini. That made the rookie drop back to fifth.
There was then a huge heart in mouth moment for Bezzecchi as he chased down Bagnaia, with the #72 getting all crossed up and heading wide, avoiding contact with the reigning World Champion ahead by millimetres.
Meanwhile, Martin continued his recovering ride, launching into the top 15 and then the top 12, soon entering the top 10 after a move on Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). But after getting mired behind plenty of other riders looking to make progress, and getting some elbows form Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the points were out of reach.
At the front, Bagnaia pounded on with just enough breathing space as Bastianini started to home in on Marc Marquez in the closing laps. Setting his sights on a move with three laps remaining, ‘the Beast’ looked for an opportunity on Lap 12 and made the move stick at Turn 10, job done. The Italian was up into second, with Bagnaia a further eight-tenths up the road.
It seemed like that would be more than enough but it got close. On the final lap, Bagnaia kept his cool but Bastianini was on a roll, closing on his teammate to cross the line just a tenth further back. A Ducati Lenovo Team 1-2, a 12-point gain for Bagnaia as well as a boost with that winning feeling… and a warning shot from Bastianini for his rivals on Sunday. Marc Marquez completed the podium, not quite able to hang with the #23’s pace.
Behind the leading trio was Bezzecchi, who had good pace but was just unable to recover that ground lost after his mistake. The #72 had a comfortable advantage over Franco Morbidelli (Prima Pramac Racing), however, with the #21 able to leapfrog Acosta, who finished down in sixth. The rookie crossed the line with less than half a second advantage over Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), too.
Meanwhile, CASTROL Honda LCR’s Johann Zarco secured a remarkable eighth place. It was a standout ride from the Frenchman, crossing the line in front of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), who took the final point. Martin was unable to finish higher than 10th, walking away with no points and 9.104s away from victory.
Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™), meanwhile, dropped from a second row start to outside the points after an elbows-out battle, but the Frenchman will be looking for more reward on Sunday for his solid pace.
Bagnaia back on top. Martin’s Championship advantage down to 12 points. Marquez in the mix… and Bastianini ready to unleash the Beast. You do not want to miss the Indonesian GP, so tune in on Sunday at 15:00 local time (UTC +8) to find out who will head into Japan on top!
Aron Canet (44), as seen earlier this season. Photo courtesy Fantic Racing.
Aron Canet was fastest during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. On board his Pirelli-fitted Fantic Racing Kalex, the Spaniard navigated the 2.67-mile course in 1:33.434 to top the field of 28 riders.
Brit Jake Dixon was the best of the rest with a 1:33.503 on his CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team Kalex.
Japan’s Ai Ogura earned the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:33.504 on his MT Helmets – MSI Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts will start from row three after posting an eighth-fastest 1:33.752 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.
Canet denies Dixon and Ogura as front row split by 0.070
Aron Canet (44). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) stormed to pole after a breathtaking lap in Indonesia, but the Spaniard has some serious competition right on his tail as Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) was denied by just 0.060. Championship leader Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) ended Saturday just 0.001s in further arrears to complete a close front row.
– It would be a dramatic start to Q2 for Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo), with the Italian crashing in the opening five minutes and now needing to pass a medical review before the race to head back out on Sunday.
– Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) heads the second row of the grid ahead of Beta Tools SpeedUp’s Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez, who end Saturday just two-tenths away from Canet’s benchmark.
– Back on row three on Sunday will be Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), with the Italian setting sights on redemption after missing out on victory last time out. Arbolino will have Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) and Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia)
– MT Helmets – MSI’s Sergio Garcia starts as Moto2™ continues to look as unpredictable as ever.
Ivan Ortola (48). Photo courtesy MT Helmets - MSI.
Ivan Ortola topped Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Mandalika International Street Circuit, in Indonesia. Riding his MT Helmets – MSI KTM on spec Pirelli tires, the Spaniard lapped the 2.67-mile track in 1:37.332. Not only did that earn Ortola pole position for the race on Sunday, it also eclipsed the All-Time Lap Record of 1:37.384 set by Luca Lunetta hours early during Saturday morning practice.
Dutchman Collin Vejier was second-best with a 1:37.589 on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
Taiyo Furusato claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:37.701 on his Team Asia Honda.
Martin reigns, Marquez crashes twice in dramatic qualifying at Mandalika
The Championship leader heads Bezzecchi and Acosta as qualifying in Lombok sets the stage for two stunning showdowns
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) starts from a stunning new lap record pole at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, with the Championship leader able to navigate a dramatic session to his advantage and end the session with more than half a second of it at the top. Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) quite literally picked himself up from his own drama for a last-gasp second on the grid, with the front row completed by rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini were relegated to the second row in P4 and P5, the latter after a crash, but for Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) it’s an bigger comeback required if he’s to take some glory once the lights go out: two crashes in Q2 leave the eight-time World Champion with no time set and P12 on the grid…
Q1
There was plenty of drama in Q1 alone. A crash for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) early on interrupted his mission to move through, and then one for Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) late on saw him lose a chance to improve. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had an issue that saw him forced back into the box without time to head back out as well, and by the end of play it was Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) reigning the timesheets from Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Racing) as both moved through.
Q2
The drama hit almost immediately for Marc Marquez, who was headed out on his first run behind Martin but didn’t finish the first lap. As they were pushing on, the #93 crashed out at Turn 15, rider ok but running back to the box to get on his second bike. Martin’s lap put him top, meanwhile, before he bettered it again to slam in that stunning lap record.
Then came more drama. Bastianini slid out, low speed and leg in the air trying to save it at Turn 16, although at least able to dive straight back into pitlane, no harm done. With six minutes to go as the second runs began in earnest, it left Martin leading Zarco and Bezzecchi at the top, with the Championship leader enjoying a gap of eight tenths and no lap set from many key rivals.
Then, more drama hit with a few minutes left on the clock, and again for Marc Marquez. This time, the #93 slid out from behind Bagnaia at Turn 10, rider ok once again but once again forced to abandon the bike there. That was it, with no lap set putting him P12 on the grid – and bringing the yellow flags out again.
Meanwhile, Acosta had slotted into second just ahead of Bagnaia and Bastianini, but the gap to Martin remained half a second. Then, Bezzecchi crashed right at the end of the lap, putting more yellow flags out. Still, he was able to get back on and that would prove crucial.
Martin rolled out of another lap, Bastianini too, and in the end it all went down to Bezzecchi’s final push to decide the front row. He wasn’t quite on to challenge for pole but with the gap between first and second a sizable target, there was plenty still on offer. He crossed the line to make good on that and take P2 on the grid, with Acosta demoted to third but nevertheless pipping both Bagnaia and Bastianini.
THE GRID
Behind Martin, Bezzecchi and Acosta, Bagnaia and Bastianini launch from P4 and P5, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) completing the front row as his mighty run of form continues.
Zarco’s performance is also mighty as he heads Row 3, with Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) alongside. Franco Morbidelli (Prima Prama Racing) had a tougher session at the office to qualify P9, despite topping FP2. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Raul Fernandez slot in next, with the #93 bringing up the Q2 runners in P12, where he’ll have to start on Saturday and Sunday.
After that dramatic qualifying, what lies in store once the lights go out? Indonesia served up an emotional rollercoaster in 2023, and the stage is set for another this season. We’ll have the first chapter revealed later today, with the Tissot Sprint underway at 15:00 local time!
Rocco Landers was fastest in MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying One (Q1) Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Dunlop-shod RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Landers turned a 1:24.829 to take provisional pole position, and then minutes later he highsided coming out of the final corner and tumbled halfway down the front straightaway. Landers was able to walk away from the crash, but he looked to be in some pain.
Hayden Gillim, Landers’ teammate and the defending Champion, was second-best with a 1:25.252.
Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli was third thanks to his 1:25.324.
Championship contender Troy Herfoss was fourth-fastest with a 1:25.445 on his S&S Indian Challenger.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara rounded out the top five with a 1:25.667.
Kyle Wyman, Rispoli’s teammate and the current Championship point leader, was sixth at 1:26.537.
Eli Block was fastest in MotoAmerica Junior Cup Qualifying One (Q1) Friday at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 on Dunlop control tires, Block lapped the recently repaved 2.2-mile road course in 1:32.611 to lead the field of 27 riders.
2023 Junior Cup Champion Avery Dreher was the best of the rest with a 1:33.227 on his Bad Boys Racing Kawasaki.
Mckeller Racing’s Jaden Mckeller was third with a lap time of 1:33.392 on his Ninja 400.
Ella Dreher, Avery Dreher’s 14-year-old sister, did a fourth-fastest 1:33.436.
Logan Cunnison rounded out the top five with a time of 1:33.792 on his Speed Demon Racing Kawasaki.
Loris Baz topped MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks, the Frenchman lapped the drying 2.2-mile course in 1:22.737.
Baz’s late fast lap bumped five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier to second with the 1:23.150 he did on his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR.
Brandon Paasch had his career-best Superbike qualifying performance with a third-quickest 1:23.769 on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Josh Herrin, Baz’s teammate and the Championship point leader, was fourth with a 1:23.931. Herrin can clinch the 2024 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship by finishing 11th or better in Race One on Saturday.
Cameron Petersen was fifth thanks to the 1:24.057 he did on his Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha YZF-R1.
Spaniard Xavi Fores, who is riding in place of Petersen’s injured teammate Jake Gagne, did a sixth-quickest 1:24.280.
Superbike rookie Sean Dylan Kelly was seventh with a 1:24.618 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW.
Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha rider Bobby Fong did an eighth-fastest 1:24.770.
Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach was ninth at 1:25.985.
Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10 with a 1:26.108 on his FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha.
Baz Is Best On Friday At New Jersey Motorsports Park
Frenchman Loris Baz And His Ducati Panigale V4 R Lead The Way In Iffy Conditions On Opening Day At NJMP
Loris Baz (76) was the fastest of the Steel Commander Superbike men in Friday’s Qualifying 1 session at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
MILLVILLE, NJ (September 27, 2024) – By the time the Steel Commander Superbike class took to New Jersey Motorsports Park for Q1, the racetrack was mostly dry which translated to everyone doing their quick laps on slicks. The quickest of those ended up being Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Loris Baz with the Frenchman posting a 1:22.737 on his 23rd and final lap of the 40-minute session.
Baz was the only rider to crack into the 1:22s with his 1:22.737 leading Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier by .413 of a second. Beaubier didn’t do as many laps as Baz and his best came on his 13th and final go-around, a 1:23.150.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch was a career-best third in Q1 with a 1:23.769.
Fourth fastest on Friday was Superbike Champion-elect Josh Herrin with the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati rider the last one in the 1:23s with his 1:23.931, fractions quicker than Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen with the South African ending up fifth.
Petersen’s fill-in teammate Xavi Forés ended the day sixth fastest, some .4 of a second ahead of EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly, who was still riding the high of his first Superbike win two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas.
Wrench Motorcycle’s Bobby Fong, Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate JD Beach, and FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10 heading into tomorrow morning’s Q2 session.
The Supersport class was led by PJ Jacobsen (15) with his 1:34.649 lap on Friday at NJMP. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Supersport – Jacobsen On Top
Tricky conditions in the first Supersport qualifying session meant there were crashes and two red flags. When it was all said and done it was PJ Jacobsen right where he needs to be – at the front.
Light rain fell for most of the session and Rahal Ducati Moto’s Jacobsen saved his best for the end as he does all he can to get closer to Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz, who leads the Supersport title chase by 39 points with this weekend’s two races left in the championship. Scholtz, meanwhile, wasn’t taking any chances, ending the session in sixth and some two seconds off Jacobsen’s pace.
Jacobsen’s best was a 1:34.649 and that kicked his teammate Corey Alexander back to second with the taller of the two leading most of the session before ending up second – .203 of a second from the top.
Third fastest on the day was EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Maxi Gerardo with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott and Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Stefano Mesa rounding out the top five.
Stock 1000 – Slick Hayden
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim saved his best for last in Stock 1000 Q1 with the defending series champion fitting slicks to his Honda CBR1000RR-R SP to earn provisional pole on his final lap of the session.
Gillim timed it perfectly in recognizing there was a dry enough line to give it a go on slicks and the result was a 1:31.243 – 1.5 seconds faster than Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis.
Edge Racing’s Jason Waters was third fastest, a few tenths quicker than Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, and fifth-placed Richard Kerr on the AMD Motorsports RK Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
OrangeCat Racing’s Jayson Uribe, who is just seven points behind Gillim in the chase for the 2024 Stock 1000 Championship, ended the session in seventh.
Junior Cup – It’s A Block Party
BARTCON Racing’s Eli Block is in his comfort zone at NJMP. Throw in some iffy weather and he gets even cozier. On Friday, Block was unstoppable in earning provisional pole for the two Junior Cup races this weekend.
Block was the only rider to break into the 1:32s with his 1:32.611 besting Bad Boys Racing’s Avery Dreher by .616 of a second.
Mckellar Racing’s Jaden Mckellar was enjoying his first-ever MotoAmerica Junior Cup race and his weekend started well with the third fastest time in Q1.
Bad Boys Racing’s Ella Dreher was fourth fastest with Speed Demon Racing’s Logan Cunnison rounding out the top five.
Rocco Landers (97) suffered a crash on Friday in Mission King Of The Baggers Q1, but not before he posted the fastest time to earn provisional pole position. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Mission King Of The Baggers – ROCCO!
RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers was lucky to get up after a scary crash coming out of the final corner in the closing moments of the Q1 for the Mission King Of The Baggers. Landers was a bit banged up, but smiling nonetheless after earning provisional pole position just a lap before the crash.
Landers ripped off a 1:24.829 on his 11th lap of the 30-minute session for his second provisional pole in a row. His quick lap put him .423 of a second ahead of his teammate Hayden Gillim, who in turn was barely faster than Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s James Rispoli.
The two protagonists in the battle for the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship were fourth and fifth with S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss .2 of a second faster than championship points leader Kyle Wyman. Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Wyman leads Herfoss by just two points heading into the weekend’s two races.
Hayden Gillim was fastest during MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. With a dry line forming on the damp 2.2-mile course, Gillim opted to mount some Dunlop slicks to his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP and that allowed the defending Champion to rip off a 1:31.243 and claim provisional pole position.
Gillim currently holds a seven-point lead over Jayson Uribe in the Championship standings heading into this weekend’s doubleheader finale.
Danilo Lewis was the best of the rest with a 1:32.760 on his Team Brazil BMW M 1000 RR.
Jason Waters did a third-quickest 1:33.821 on his Edge Racing BMW.
Ashton Yates was fourth with a 1:33.991 on his Jones Honda.
Englishman Richard Kerr rounded out the top five with a 1:34.065 on his AMD Motorsport/RK Racing Honda.
PJ Jacobsen topped MotoAmerica Supersport Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at rainy New Jersey Motorsports Park, in Millville, New Jersey. Riding his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 on spec Dunlop rain tires, Jacobsen navigated the wet 2.2-mile course in 1:34.649 to lead the field of 33 riders and claim provisional pole position.
Jacobsen’s teammate Corey Alexander was second-best with a 1:34.852 on his Roller Die + Forming-sponsored machine.
Maxi Gerardo was third with a 1:35.328 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki rider Tyler Scott did a fourth-fastest 1:36.149.
Stefano Mesa rounded out the top five with a 1:36.628 on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 | PRACTICE & QUALIFYING 1
MILLVILLE, NJ (9.27.2024) – Spirits are high in the paddock after all three Rahal Ducati Moto riders earned top 10 positions during a rainy Qualifying 1.
Corey Alexander had a very successful day, staying on the top of the charts for the majority of the first qualifying session until teammate PJ Jacobsen completed a lap .2 seconds faster. Jacobsen currently sits on provisional pole.
Kayla Yaakov made great strides on her XPEL Ducati, ending the day at her home track in eighth. She is confident in her ability to improve her lap times in the second qualifying session tomorrow.
New Jersey Motorsports Park will see Qualifying 2 tomorrow morning at 9:40 a.m. ET, with the green flag waving for Race 1 at 2:10 p.m. ET.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P1 (1:23:732)
QUALIFYING 1: P1 (1:34:649)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “First practice went really well here in the dry. I feel pretty confident here because it’s my home track. First qualifying went well also, even though it was half-wet, half-dry towards the end. I beat Corey by just two-tenths there at the end to get provisional pole. Getting the best lap times in today was our goal. I’m looking forward to Qualifying 2 tomorrow. We’ll see what the weather ends up doing this weekend. Hopefully I can get the job done this weekend and put my XPEL Ducati up on the podium.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P10 (1:25:277)
QUALIFYING 1: P2 (1:34:852)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “I had a good day here in Jersey. PJ and I ended up first and second in Qualifying. I felt really good off the bat this morning as well. We had a setup issue going on that we were trying to work through, but then the rain started an we didn’t get too many laps in. I felt really good in the laps we did get in though. The rain that came down this afternoon felt really good. PJ and I did really well in the rain last year, so I wouldn’t mind if it continued all weekend. It’s good to start the weekend off with a 1-2 finish, and we’ll be up there helping PJ out with his battle for the championship tomorrow.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P13 (1:25:414)
QUALIFYING 1: P8 (1:36:869)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today we finished our first qualifying session here at New Jersey Motorsports park. Q1 went pretty well, as we were only about .2 away from fourth, not a huge gap. The gap to the front is a little bit bigger, but we struggled a bit with rear grip, so hopefully we can figure that out overnight and be on that front row. It would be exciting to get an all-Rahal lockout on the podium. It’s a lot to ask for, but we are going to have a lot of fun tomorrow and hopefully get a top 5 finish .”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “We had a good Friday. We saw some mixed conditions here, which created a bit of a headache. The team performed well. We have another shot at qualifying to try and get some better lap times. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow and do what we can this weekend. PJ is still trying to fight for the championship. It’s a little bit of a long-shot, but it’s racing, so anything can happen. We’re going to do our best and see how we come out tomorrow.”
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Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
