Stefan Bradl joins Alex Marquez in Brno while Marc Marquez recovers
After a heroic return just four days after surgery in Jerez, Marc Marquez will miss the Brno race with Stefan Bradl joining the Repsol Honda Team alongside Alex Marquez.
The Czech GP marks the fourth round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship and presents the first change of circuit for the season in the MotoGP class. 2019’s Czech GP is remembered for Marc Marquez’s incredible Qualifying lap, 2.5 seconds clear of second placed Jack Miller. Weather forecasts suggest a clear weekend in the high 20s – a change from the punishing heat of Jerez. The weekend also marks the start of MotoGP’s first triple-header of the revised 2020 season as two races at the Red Bull Ring succeed the weekend.
After undergoing a second operation on his injured right arm, Marc Marquez and HRC have decided that the World Champion will not ride in the Czech Republic in order for him to recover more. In his place, HRC test rider Stefan Bradl will mount the Honda RC213V. In 2019 the former Moto2 World Champion competed in four MotoGP races with a best finish of 10th at the German GP. Bradl has claimed three top ten finishes at Brno from his seven starts in the MotoGP class and only once missed out on points.
Winner of last year’s Moto2 race, Alex Marquez is eager to get to the Automotodrom Brno, a circuit he ranks as one of his favourites on the calendar with only one visit finishing outside the top five since he became a full-time Grand Prix rider in 2013. Having made constant progress, especially over race distance, the MotoGP rookie arrives with boosted confidence to try his Honda RC213V around the Czechia circuit with its flowing layout. The objective is again to reduce the distance to the front and fight for top rookie honours.
Alex Marquez
“This will be just the fifth circuit I have ridden a MotoGP bike at, but it is one I have always enjoyed riding and it has suited my style a lot in the past. We gathered a lot of good information from the two weekends in Jerez so now we can apply what we have learned to a new circuit. Every session I learn more about MotoGP and my bike, I am looking forward to riding in Brno and starting three races in three weekends, it will be intense but I am looking forward to it. I hope Marc can recover well and quickly!”
Stefan Bradl
“First of all I want to wish Marc a speedy recovery, what he did in Jerez was incredible and he showed that he has the true spirit of a champion. I am looking forward to riding the Honda RC213V again, due to the global pandemic we have not been able to test as we would normally so it will take some time to adjust to the bike and MotoGP again but I have ridden the superbike a few times so I know my fitness is good. It’s a challenge I’m looking forward to, competing with the Repsol Honda Team is always a great honour and I am pleased to help Honda. Let’s see how the weekend goes.”
MotoAmerica’s Event At The Ridge Will Go On Without Fans
No Fans at Washington Track Due to COVID-19 Restrictions
IRVINE, CA (August 4, 2020) – Due to restrictions set forth with the current COVID-19 pandemic, MotoAmerica and the Ridge Motorsports Park have announced that the Komatsu MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event, scheduled for August 28-30, in Shelton, Washington, will be held as a participant-only event with no spectators.
The MotoAmerica Series will hold its fifth round at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington state, August 28-30, but it will do so without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“This is disappointing news for everyone as we have seen the effort and tremendous positive energy surrounding this event by our racers, fans, local business, and the motorsports community as a whole,” said Ridge General Manager Tracie Schmitt. “We realize how much work and effort goes into each component of this event from fans juggling travel arrangements, racers mentally preparing for this inaugural event, and our local community ramping up to support the spike in tourism for the duration of this weekend. To not see the result of such commitment and excitement from everyone involved is definitely disappointing for our team and community.”
“It’s unfortunate that we can’t have fans at our first event in the Pacific Northwest,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “We have been looking forward to putting on a great show for our fans at the Ridge, but unfortunately we have to abide by the restrictions put on us. We really look forward to coming back next year. In the meantime, it will be business as usual for our teams and riders as they enjoy the newest racetrack on our schedule.”
The Ridge Motorsports Park will be offering 2020 ticket holders the option to either receive a full refund for the 2020 race or to carry over existing tickets to the 2021 event.
“We have created a program this year between MotoAmerica, the Ridge, and Department of Health to create the safest environment possible for participants in light of the current global pandemic,” Schmitt said. “The support we have received from this decision surrounding the 2020 event gives us hope that everyone involved will be that much more excited for our 2021 race.”
Fans who decide to carry over their tickets shall receive a Ridge lanyard and a 50 percent off voucher per every ticket purchased, valid for any item in the Ridge Café, Pro Shop, or go karting session at the Ridge Grand Prix. Fans who have purchased 2020 Premium RV packages shall be contacted individually to review their options and discuss eligibility for exclusive camping rights for the 2021 event.
The Komatsu MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event is round five of the 2020 MotoAmerica Series.
For more information, contact the Ridge ticketing team by emailing [email protected].
Marc Marquez underwent a second operation today, Monday August 3, after the titanium plate used to fix his right humerus was found to have suffered damage due to stress accumulation. Dr Xavier Mir and his team at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus successfully replaced the titanium plate and Marc Marquez will now stay in hospital for 48 hours before being discharged.
Dr. Xavier Mir
Hospital Universitari Dexeus
“Marc Marquez underwent surgery 13 days ago and today he returned to the operating room. The first operation was successful, what was not expected was that the plate was insufficient. An accumulation of stress in the operated area has caused the plate to suffer some damage, so today the titanium plate has been removed and replaced by a new fixation. The rider has not felt pain during this period. He has always followed the medical advice given and the feeling from his body. Unfortunately, an over stress has caused this issue. Now we have to wait 48 hours to understand the recovery time.”
AFT Returns to Legendary Indy Mile During Indianapolis 500 Weekend
Indy Mile doubleheader to run Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 3, 2020) – On the heels of its long-awaited season opener, American Flat Track makes the exciting announcement of its return to the legendary Indy Mile at The Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center for a doubleheader event on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 – the same weekend as one of the most anticipated events in all of motorsports: The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For the avid racing enthusiast, the opportunity to witness America’s Original Extreme Sport race back-to-back just before the legendary Indy 500 presents an unprecedented opportunity for fans to enjoy a supreme weekend of American motorsports.
AFT officials continue to collaborate with public health experts to develop this comprehensive plan in accordance with all federal, state and local requirements. All race-day procedures have been thoroughly reviewed and will continue to be examined and updated to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local authorities.
At all American Flat Track events new guidelines and protocols will include:
Reduction in ticket availability to conform with state and local guidelines for sporting events
Reserved seating areas to include buffer zones to provide ample space between fans
Everyone (including fans, competitors, staff, etc.) on-property will undergo a medical screening prior to admittance into the facility
Fans entering the venue will be required to wear facial coverings. Masks will be provided at no charge.
Enhanced sanitation and disinfection protocols with frequent cleaning throughout the facility
Enhancements to mobile ticketing and elimination of printed tickets
Regular medical screening of staff and competitors
As an additional precaution, there will be no public access to the paddock area and AFT officials have suspended Fan Walk, rider autograph sessions and paddock upgrades for the remainder of the season. Event-specific health & safety procedures will be updated to meet or exceed state and local requirements as they are updated over the coming months.
In most recent memory, Brad “The Bullet” Baker scored a commanding victory at this lauded venue aboard his Harley-Davidson XR750 in 2015. Plans to resurface the racetrack had seen this historic venue fall off of AFT’s schedule, but upon learning that the track’s original surface remains intact, AFT officials seized the opportunity to bring this fan and rider favorite back into the fold.
“We are very excited to be returning to race at the famous Indy Mile,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “AFT fans have a real soft spot for this historic venue that evokes fond memories of Kenny Roberts and the Yamaha TZ750 and many, many fast and fierce races since. To be able to race during the weekend of the Indy 500 represents a real bonus, as we will be able to showcase our sport to a whole new audience in addition to AFT’s loyal Midwest fanbase.”
A staple within the memories of flat track historians, the Indy Mile was a part of the inaugural Grand National Championship season in 1954 and has been won by many legends of the sport. Names like Chris Carr, Scott Parker, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Ricky Graham and Kenny Roberts are all etched into the list of victors at The Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The event also brings the return of Mile racing for the AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys class. Shayna Texter is the only active AFT Singles rider with a win at the facility. In the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines class, Bryan Smith and Sammy Halbert are the only two active riders with premier class wins at Indy while JD Beach and Jarod Vanderkooi each have wins to their credit in the AFT Singles class.
In the wake of the mandatory Lima Half-Mile cancellation and last-minute track reconfiguration of the Laconia Short Track, AFT is thrilled to be able to add the Indy Mile I and Indy Mile II to its schedule in its effort to provide its fans with a full season of American Flat Track racing.
The updated 2020 American Flat Track schedule follows:
1. July 17: Volusia Half-Mile I – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
2. July 18: Volusia Half-Mile II – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
3. August 21: Indy Mile I – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
4. August 22: Indy Mile II – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
5. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
6. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
7. September 11: Williams Grove Half-Mile I – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
8. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile II – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
9. September 25: Dallas Half-Mile I – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX
10. September 26: Dallas Half-Mile II – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX
11. October 2: Atlanta Short Track I – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
12. October 3: Atlanta Short Track II – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
13. October 9: Charlotte Half-Mile I – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
14. October 10: Charlotte Half-Mile II – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
15. October 15: AFT Season Finale I – TBA, Daytona Beach, FL
16. October 16: AFT Season Finale II – TBA, Daytona Beach, FL
Tickets for AFT’s return to the historic Indy Mile for its first doubleheader event on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 will be available for purchase in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to www.americanflattrack.com and AFT’s social media channels for ticketing news and the latest updates on AFT’s upcoming 2020 season.
Red Bull KTM Tech3 primed for Czech-Austrian triple header
Just a few nights after an exciting and dramatic first back-to-back round of 2020, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 pair of Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona is pumped to strike back this weekend at the Automotodrom Brno. However, the Grand Prix Ceske Republiky is the first of three races in a row ahead of a double-competition at the popular Red Bull Ring in Austria, kicking off the action at 9:55 local time on Friday as usual with Free Practice one.
While Oliveira delivered his best Qualifying performance with a top 5 during the second round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, the Portuguese star was starved of a chance to convert this fantastic original position into a race result. Simultaneously, MotoGP rookie Lecuona stepped up the game from the Spanish to the Andalusian GP with qualifying three positions further in front, but didn’t see the chequered flag. Both Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders are simmering the third race weekend now with excitement in order to retaliate.
Miguel Oliveira
“I’m obviously very excited to come back to racing in such a short time. After the result we got the second last weekend, I feel like it’s redemption time and I’m just very looking forward to ride in Brno, which is a track that I like. Last year, I had great feelings there, we scored points in the race. I feel like it’s a good track for us and it’s also great three rounds we’ll have back-to-back, that I think going to suit our bike. I’m just really keen to start with a good result in Brno and give the team, what we should got the Sunday before.”
Iker Lecuona
“I know that I need to focus a lot on myself for Brno in order to enjoy riding the bike even more and also the work within our team. First of all, of course I need to finish the race this time, which is super important, but at the same time, I also have to continue to work hard and to learn. During the two weeks in Jerez, I already improved a lot, so I hope I can build on my performance there and follow up on our good way to progress further.”
Hervé Poncharal
Team Manager
“After the disappointment of the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía, where we didn’t score any points with our two riders, it’s really good to know, we have three races coming very soon. Clearly, the setback in Spain was huge. The expectation after Miguel’s weekend and superb Qualifying performance was very high and to give up without fighting is a tough thing to swallow. The positive point is, we saw that the four KTM RC16 were very competitive, not only Miguel’s Qualifying was outstanding, but also the few laps Brad Binder did in the race showed the great level of our machine. We just hope we can duplicate the same performance in Czech Republic and Austria in order to confirm the potential of rider and machine. Last year, Brno was the last time we were riding the 2019 spec machine, we got the evolution one from the following round, so it’s difficult to have a real base to make any prognostics, but Miguel was quite fast and happy with the behavior of his bike at this track, so I believe we have a realistic possibility to be strong there. The atmosphere and the feeling inside the KTM MotoGP department is very positive. Anyway, we try to put Miguel’s and Iker’s Spanish DNF behind us and carry on scoring important points in the championship. Our two riders are in good shape, feel great and just can’t wait to be back on track. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team is definitely ready for the next three races and eager to start Friday’s FP1!”
History
The world’s most famous riders have taken part in GP events in Brno since 1930, where up until 1982 they would race through the villages and western parts of the city on a road track named after the first Czechoslovak President – T.G. Masaryk. A new circuit was built during the 1980s with the aim of attracting Formula 1 to Czechoslovakia, and in 1987 it played host to the FIM Czech Grand Prix. Popular with both fans and riders, the new circuit is built in a natural bowl which is banked in places to offer spectators an excellent view. Brno constantly changes in elevation as it sweeps across forested hillsides and its fast undulating corners test rider talent and engineering to the limit.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Has A Double-Podium Superbike Weekend At Road Atlanta
Braselton, GA – With three rounds completed in the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz has also been on the podium three times so far, including two rostrum visits this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Mathew equaled his third-place finish in Saturday’s race one with another third place in Sunday’s race two, and in each event, he completed an all-Yamaha podium sweep aboard his iconic gold-and-black #11 Westby Racing YZF-R1. Of the two podium results, he was a lot happier with the one he got on Sunday, and he explained why.
“I got a decent jump off the line,” Mathew said. “Jake (Gagne) passed me early on, and I started panicking slightly because I knew they would catch Toni (Elias) fairly quickly. So, I got past Toni around turn seven. Then I think a couple laps after that myself and Jake were going backwards and forwards maybe down to about one to two seconds. Then I think Jake upped his pace, and I had nothing for him. I was kind of sliding around a lot. Yesterday, I finished third, as well, and I wasn’t happy because we were so far back. Today, I finished third again, but I’m actually really happy with the result. We kind of closed the gap to these two guys (Beaubier and Gagne). Both of them are riding really well. Hopefully, at Pittsburgh, we can continue making progress and close the gap to them.”
Westby Racing’s Junior Cup rider Cody Wyman, who finished eighth in Saturday’s race one, was determined to improve on his results in race two on Sunday. His team made a couple of setup changes to his #34 Yamaha YZF-R3 to help improve the handling but, as has been the case in every race so far this year, Cody got caught up in a group of riders all racing together. He tried to time his draft-passes so that he would be at the front of the seven-rider pack when he took the checkers, but it didn’t quite pan out the way he had hoped. His 12th-place finish was less than a second-and-a-half behind the sixth-place finisher.
Cody commented, “I got a decent start and passed a couple bikes early on, and in the opening laps, I knew we were stuck in a big battle for sixth place. I think there were seven bikes all bunched together, and I cycled through all of them throughout the entire race. It was just a strategy game, and I felt like I was in a good spot to draft some riders on the final lap. Unfortunately, it was a gamble and I got unlucky on the run to the finish line. Everyone was shuffling around, and we ended up on the wrong end of it.
“On the bright side, we’re learning more every time we race, and we’re continuing to develop the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R3. I’m looking forward to getting back on track in just a week. PittRace has been tough on me in the past, but I can’t wait to get there and take up the challenge. Thanks to my team and sponsors for believing in me and this program.”
Next up for Westby Racing is round four of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place next weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PittRace) in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Good points for Kyle Wyman (P6) after a trying weekend in Georgia
Kyle Wyman (33) in action at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Mountain View, Calif. – Kyle Wyman (OneCure/KWR Ducati Team) salvaged 10 vital championship points in race two after a tough weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the third round of the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
In a weekend that saw heavy rains play havoc with the race program on Friday and a crash in Superpole on Saturday, Wyman’s race one didn’t get past lap four. In stifling humidity and while lying an impressive third behind the Yamaha duo of Jake Gagne and Cameron Beaubier, Wyman pulled into the pits with a mechanical issue on his OneCure/KWR Ducati Team Ducati Panigale V4 R, necessitating an overnight engine swap for Sunday’s race two as Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier took the race one win.
The second race was a two-part affair after BMW’s Danilo Lewis crashed out early, causing a red flag while Wyman was lying fourth. A restart followed and Wyman, starting fifth, lost out early off the line to be sixth by turn one. After getting caught up in the melee with BMW’s Josh Herrin which allowed the top five to escape, Wyman had to settle for sixth place in race two, with Beaubier doubling up for another race win.
Although disappointed with race one’s result, Wyman was upbeat about his Sunday showing and feels round four of the series, to be held August 7-9 at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, will suit his Ducati Panigale V4 R.
MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – C. Beaubier (Yamaha) 125
P2 – J. Gagne (Yamaha) 106
P3 – B. Fong (Suzuki) 82
P4 – M. Scholtz (76)
P5 – K. Wyman (OneCure/KWR Ducati Team) 66
Kyle Wyman (OneCure/KWR Ducati Team – Ducati #33)
“It’s been a tough weekend, but we’re happy to get out of Atlanta with some good points in race two,” said Wyman. “I wasn’t happy about Saturday as we were in a good position (third) when I had to pull in. We unknowingly broke a radiator on Friday and ended up blowing a head gasket on that engine.
“Last night we put a spare motor in for race two. I did 1:25’s on it this morning in warm up, so I knew I could do the lap time. I got a good start and got in front of both Suzuki boys. I had good pace, then the red flag came out. The second time around, I got a bad start, and got hooked up with (Josh) Herrin, which slowed me up. By the time I shook him off, the top five were up the road. In all, we could have had two DNF’s, so I’m pretty happy.
“Pittsburgh will be good. It was the first track we tested at with the Marelli electronics last Spring and raced there in August, so this will be the most time we’ve had at any particular track that we’re about to race at. I’m looking forward to it.”
More, from a press release issued by Bradley Ward Racing:
Bradley Ward Achieves Career Best MotoAmerica SBK Finish At Road Atlanta
Bradley Ward (57) at speed at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Bradley Ward Racing.
Bradley Ward raced to a career best MotoAmerica Superbike race finish of eighth in Saturday’s opening race at Road Atlanta. His run of five consecutive points scoring finishes came to an end on Sunday following a retirement after the British rider ‘cooked’ his clutch.
The weekend itself was positive, Ward making it into Superpole for the first time, qualifying on the third row in eighths, as well as making great starts and running inside the top six on occasion. Race 1 especially showed that the #57 is a fighter and both he and the FLY Racing ADR Motorsports Kawasaki team are confident of two great races at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex this coming weekend.
Bradley Ward: “All in all not a bad weekend at all. I made Superpole for the first time and got to use the qualifying tyre for the first time. I made a good start and hung on to Dave (Anthony) and Cam (Petersen) for a few laps but the heat was brutal. It wasn’t easy so it was a case of survival mode. I had a good battle with Geoff May and finished eighth, which is the best result of my Superbike career. I’m realistic and whilst it’s a good result on paper I wasn’t really satisfied with my lap times. I used Race 1’s tyre for Warm-Up and put in a few decent laps and I was pretty confident for the second race. It was a little bit cooler on Sunday which helped as the temperature and humidity on Saturday was pretty bad. I got a really good jump and was running sixth or seventh before the red flag came out. With us not having a great deal of electronics and with me slipping the clutch a lot, especially at the starts, I burned the clutch out on the restart which meant a retirement from what would have been at least a top ten finish. I tried to nurse it home, but it was fried. Anyway, we have shown that we are making big steps and we only have to wait a few days to race again in Pittsburgh.”
For more information go to bradleywardracing.com
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.:
SEAN DYLAN KELLY EARNS FIRST AND SECOND AT ROAD ATLANTA
Brea, CA (August 3, 2020) – Once again, Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki reaffirmed their status as paddock powers up and down the class order as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing championship completed Round 3 of the 2020 season this weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Sean Dylan Kelly’s last lap, last corner pass for victory highlighted the event.Collectively, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki riders accounted for a victory, two runner-ups, a third, two fourths, two fifths, and two sixths across three classes on the sweltering weekend.
Sean Dylan Kelly won a thriller in Supersport Race One on his GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
Sean Dylan Kelly registered the highlight of the weekend, storming to victory in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Supersport contest with an astonishing final corner maneuver to steal away the checkered flag.
Kelly’s downhill pass showed both his skill and the never-give-up style that has earned him his status as one of the top young American racers.
‘SDK’ came back on Sunday and again exploited his superiority on the brakes to secure a runner-up finish to go along with his Saturday win. As a result, the 18-year-old phenom has now guided his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600 to five consecutive first- or second-place finishes.
“We definitely made a good step up this weekend,” Kelly said. “We’re going in the right direction overall, and we got our first win of the season this weekend. We still have things to work on, but we’ve just got to keep fighting like this. I need to give a huge thank you to the whole M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for all their hard work.”
Alex Dumas (16) secured his best results of the season in the Stock 1000 class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
The team’s other supremely talented 18-year-old, Alex Dumas, enjoyed a breakthrough weekend of his own. The 2018 Junior Cup and 2019 Twins Cup champion has instantly proven himself a legitimate contender on a big-bore racebike in 2020. The French Canadian’s continual improvement has seen him go from a seventh-place finish in his Stock 1000 debut, to a fourth in the follow-up, to a maiden podium finish with Saturday’s third, and finally a runner-up finish on Sunday in his latest and most convincing statement performance to date.
Dumas, who led the opening three laps on Sunday and finished just 1.166 seconds short of victory on Sunday, said, “I had a really good start. By the end I had a little bit of brake fade, and I know everybody suffers from it around here. It was playing with my mind a little bit, so I just focused on doing some good laps to finish strong.
“We had a really good weekend and keep getting closer to the win. I’m really looking forward to next weekend.”
Bobby Fong (50) finished just off the podium in Sunday’s Superbike race in Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike squad scooped a pair of top fives in both premier-class races at Road Atlanta, with Elias finishing fourth to Fong’s fifth on Saturday and the two trading positions a day later.
Fong arguably ‘enjoyed’ the more memorable weekend of the two. The reigning MotoAmerica Supersport champion came into the weekend riding high after claiming his maiden Superbike win in the previous round. However, his hopes of repeating that feat took a huge hit when he crashed at high speed in Saturday morning’s free practice.
Despite very much feeling the effects of that fall throughout the weekend, Fong gritted out fifth on Saturday and even challenged for the podium throughout Sunday’s rematch before accepting a hard-earned fourth.
Lucas Silva (23) notched a pair of sixth place finishes in Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
Finally, up-and-comer Lucas Silva continued his steady ways, upping his perfect season streak of Supersport top tens with two runs to sixth on the weekend.
The 2020 MotoAmerica will resume next weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex at Wampum, Pennsylvania, on August 7-9.
Ducati secure their first one-two finish in WorldSBK since 2012 as Scott Redding and Chaz Davies claim the top two positions
World Superbike Race Two winner Scott Redding (center), runner-up Chaz Davies (left), and third-place finisher Toprak Razgatlioglu (right) on the podium at Jerez. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action at the Pirelli Spanish Round featured thrilling action across the field as Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed his second WorldSBK victory and his sixth consecutive podium in his rookie season; beating teammate Chaz Davies as Ducati claimed their first 1-2 finish since 2012.
The opening laps featured battles across the top six, with Redding making an early move to pass polesitter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the second lap at the right-hander of Turn 1, while Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) fought his way up from 10th to run in the top five in the early stages of the race.
Redding checked out at the front of the field to extend his lead to two seconds to Rea before the Northern Irishman got passed by Redding’s Ducati teammate Davies. The Welshman and Razgatlioglu both were able to get by Rea temporarily before an ambitious move by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) meant Lowes outbraked himself at Turn 6; allowing Rea to move back into third place.
Razgatlioglu eventually got by Rea again and held on to third place while Davies was running in second place, behind teammate Redding with the pair able to hold on to take a Ducati one-two. Davies did start closing the gap as the race entered the second half but Redding responded to extend the gap back out to over two seconds, holding on to take his second WorldSBK victory.
Razgatlioglu held on to claim a podium at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, rebounding from a technical issue in the Tissot Superpole Race, for third place in Race 2; pulling away from Rea and Lowes as they fought with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN). Rinaldi passed Lowes at Turn 5 before setting his sights on five-time Champion Rea, making a move up the inside of the Turn 13 hairpin on Lap 13 on the brakes; moving into fourth place and securing his joint-best WorldSBK finish – which was claimed at Jerez in 2019.
Lowes and Rea came home in fifth and sixth place respectively ahead of Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) in seventh place, the Dutch rider just over a second behind the reigning World Champion. He had a gap of over four seconds to Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), the highest placed Honda rider on the grid in eighth place. Marco Melandri’s (Barni Racing Team) impressive race pace continued to show as he made up 10 places from 19th on the grid to finish ninth.
American rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) completed the top 10 with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) the highest placed BMW rider in 11th place, finishing two seconds behind Gerloff. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) finished in 12th, around 10 seconds off his Honda teammate.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place as he completed the 20-lap race just under a second behind Haslam, and also beating Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) by almost six seconds. Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) picked up the final point available for Race 2, almost pipping Cortese as the pair were separated by two tenths.
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had been running in the lead group during the early stages of the race, but he came off his bike at Turn 13 on Lap 6 to take himself out of contention; the Frenchman eventually being classified in 17th place behind Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team).
Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) was not classified following a crash while Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) suffered from a crash on Lap 6 at Turn 5. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) were both also not classified in Race 2.
Redding’s victory makes him the first British rookie in WorldSBK to achieve six consecutive podiums, while Ducati’s 1-2 was the first since Assen’s Race 1 of 2012, when Sylvain Guintoli took a career-first win, Davide Giugliano took a career-first podium and reigning Champion Carlos Checa was a mighty third. In contrast, Jonathan Rea’s sixth place is the lowest he’s finished a race since Laguna Seca’s Race 1 from 2014, when he was sixth on that day.
P1 Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati):
“That was good. I was a bit more experienced after the races in Phillip Island and Race 1 at Jerez. I’m still a fresh rider here so I need to understand the tyres and the riders. I felt very confident that I could manage the gap a little bit. I managed it pretty well. I saw Chaz coming a little bit when I tried to save the tyres, so I tried to maintain the gap. To be honest, it’s amazing to have two wins, pole position and a second position here. It’s the target of me and the team. Ducati have done a great job to give me a bike that’s able to win races and I hope we can continue those performances because we’re working very hard.”
P2 Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati):
“I’m super happy with second place. A lot of it was done at the start, having the fifth-place grid spot and also not fluffing the start made life a lot easier today. I got away quite well and clean and I was just in the hunt from the beginning. Scott set a really good pace early on, it was a little bit too much for everybody. Then it sort-of levelled out a little bit and I could see Scott running deep, as was I, and it was really hard to pull a tenth here and a tenth there. I think he’d get a bit in one part of the track and I’d get a little bit in another. Overall, I’m really happy. The objective was a couple of podiums this weekend. I only managed one but I’m still very happy with it. It’s good confidence for next week.”
P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team):
“Yes, we are happy because we tried a different set up but it was not good. But we are happy because again, we got a podium and good points. Thanks to my team because they did a very good job this weekend. We are happy and see you in Portimao.”
#ESPWorldSBK at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – Race 2
Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +3.082
Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +5.472
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +8.709
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +10.772
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.501
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Wins Spanish Superpole Race
Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored a win and a sixth place in today’s hot and demanding WorldSBK races at Jerez, with fellow KRT rider Alex Lowes finishing seventh and fifth. Rea’s victory came in the ten-lap Tissot-Superpole race.
In the ‘sprint’ race, held at 11.00hrs, Rea made a strong start and the five time champion pushed hard early on to take a victory from Scott Redding by 0.522 seconds. It was his second major success of the 2020 campaign, after taking the equivalent race in Australia in round one.
This Jerez win was a new landmark record of 90 WorldSBK victories for Rea, and his 75th since he joined Kawasaki in 2015.
The final race of the weekend, over 20-laps was led by Jonathan from the start but he was passed by eventual race winner and championship leader Redding on the second lap. Unable to get the drive grip he had hoped for Rea would eventually finish sixth.
Lowes made great strides forward to take seventh place in the Superpole race, battling hard to move through the field in a short and intense contest which he had started from 14th place on the grid.
In the second full distance race Lowes shadowed his team-mate Rea for some time but made his move forward on lap 17 to finish fifth and improve his results through each of the three Jerez points scoring races.
In the championship standings Redding leads with 98, Rea is now second with 74 and Lowes is a close third with 72.
The championship will now move on to Portugal next weekend, for the Portimao round, between 7 and 9 August.
Jonathan Rea (1) leading Alex Lowes (22) and Michael van der Mark (60) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “This morning was very good and I felt that it was my chance to go from the very beginning. I did a 1’40.6 from a standing start which was unbelievable. I had a really good rhythm so I was able to cruise the last few laps and really enjoy the race. In race two it was hard because as soon as I got the bike on its side in turn three and accelerated towards four, it was not pushing the tyre in and going forward. I was frustrated with that. We had the same set-up as we had in the Superpole race and the set-up change from yesterday was minimal, so we need to look at the data. This circuit is the one I feared the most, especially in the high temperatures, so it is not a bad outcome.”
Alex Lowes (22) leading teammate Jonathan Rea (1) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It has not been an easy weekend for me but in the end we took some points so it was not bad. This weekend was quite difficult because this is the first time for me to ride the Kawasaki in these extreme temperatures. But every race at Jerez I have improved and I am looking forward to Portimao already. In the Superpole race it was good because I started 14th, so to arrive in P7 I had quite a lot of confidence for the final race. I was stronger today but I was bit behind in terms of track time. We will try to improve for next week.”
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 12th and 13th in the Sunday races at his home circuit of Jerez, with Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) scoring two more 14th places today, for valuable points each time. New WorldSBK full time rider Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was 15th and then 18th today. In the points table Cortese is 14th, Fores 15th and Scheib 16th.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha on the WorldSBK Podium Twice in Sunday’s Jerez Races
The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, with Rizla, scored a pair of FIM Superbike World Championship podium finishes on Sunday in Jerez, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu bouncing back from retirement in the Tissot Superpole Race to finish an incredible third in Race 2, while Michael van der Mark had previously made it onto the rostrum in the 10-lap sprint.
Starting fifth for the Superpole Race, Razgatlıoğlu starred on the opening lap and slid his way through to second by Turn 2. As the race settled in, he came under pressure from Scott Redding, but displayed a masterclass in defensive riding, out-braking the Ducati rider on several occasions to maintain second place. However, his efforts were thwarted with just three laps to go following a sensor failure, which saw him retire from the race.
In Race 2, and starting from 10th on the grid due to the Superpole Race DNF, Razgatlıoğlu made another lightning start and sliced his way into the top four by the end of the first lap. The Pata Yamaha rider continued to put pressure on those ahead and battled with Jonathan Rea for the final spot on the podium. By the eighth lap, Razgatlıoğlu made his move inside the top three, which he held until the chequered flag for his fourth podium of the 2020 season.
Needing a strong haul of points following Saturday’s retirement, Van der Mark made a solid start in the Superpole Race to hold onto fourth place. The Dutchman remained within touching distance of the podium paces, benefiting from his teammate’s issue to take his first rostrum of the season. In Race 2, the rising track temperatures saw Van der Mark struggle with grip, eventually finishing just behind Rea in seventh, scoring more important points.
After a difficult return to racing on Saturday, the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team enjoyed their strongest WorldSBK showing yet, with American Garrett Gerloff riding a sublime Superpole Race, climbing from 15th on the grid to finish eighth in only his third championship start. The former MotoAmerica Superbike star impressed again in Race 2, battling some of the series’ most experienced riders to take the chequered flag in 10th.
Teammate Federico Caricasulo bounced back from yesterday’s Race 1 retirement to take a pair of 16th place finishes, with his lack of long run experience in the soaring track temperatures at Jerez meaning the Italian just missed out on points.
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team’s Loris Baz equalled his best result with Yamaha, finishing just off the podium in fourth during the Superpole Race. In the final race at Jerez, the French rider was running amongst the leading group in sixth place, before sliding off into the gravel at Turn 13, dropping him out of points contention.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: DNF, Race 2: P3
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“I had a small crash on the out-lap which was a little bit crazy… but then in the race we had a really good start to be right near the front. 10th to third is really positive and we are happy with the performance of the R1, which allowed me to take a solid amount of points even if we could not quite match the winning pace. I’m looking forward to racing at Portimao next weekend, I know we can go well there, I like the circuit and I believe the Yamaha will too, so hopefully we can have a strong result.”
Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Michael van der Mark – SPRC: P3, Race 2: P7
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“After missing out on the podium in Phillip Island and yesterday, it was good to be back inside the top three for the Superpole Race. I wasn’t really happy with the bike and we tried to sort it out for the second race of the day, but with the conditions being a lot warmer I struggled with the front end, which was not helped by being in a group and the tyre temperature going out of range. We scored some decent points, but now we need to focus on a better result at Portimao. It’s a track I enjoy and I think we’ll be able to challenge at the front.”
Garrett Gerloff (31) leading Tom Sykes (66) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff – SPRC: P8, Race 2: P10
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“I’m happy to be inside the top 10, but I know I have a little bit more in me. I made a few mistakes which cost me a couple of positions. The team and I made a lot of solid progress this weekend, despite not having as much track time as we had in testing. We made some good decisions on the set-up, I felt really confident in the Superpole Race and again in the second one. I’m happy we have Portugal next weekend, so we can carry this momentum and challenge for the top 10 again.”
Federico Caricasulo (64). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Federico Caricasulo – SPRC: P16, Race 2: P16
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“It was not an easy day for me, everything was quite strange. I was very fast on Friday and Saturday morning, but with the hot temperatures I had a big problem trying to stop and turn the bike. We have to try and work to understand what is happening. We made a good step with the lap times this weekend, so hopefully we can move forward in Portimao.”
Loris Baz (76). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Loris Baz – SPRC: P4, Race 2: P17
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team
“The Superpole Race was good, we were always close to the podium. Like yesterday, we were just missing a tenth or so per lap and I couldn’t quite get to the top three. Once I knew it was out of reach I just conserved my position for the second race. I had another good start but the conditions were really difficult. I was sliding a lot and then made a small mistake which took me out of the points. I’m disappointed for the team but we were right there again with the factory guys. We were always there throughout every session and we have to take the positives from the weekend. I’ve always enjoyed Portimao, so I’m looking forward to fighting for a podium again.”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Another comeback for Melandri in race 2. Good vibes with Barni Racing Team
Jerez de la Frontera (SPA), 2 August 2020. The weekend of Marco Melandri at the Jerez circuit – Angel Nieto ended with another positive performance and another great comeback. The Barni Racing Team rider recovered from 19th to 9th position in race 2 after suffering in the Superpole Race due to a sting of a wasp.
The team led by Marco Barnabò is now heading towards Portimao, Portugal – where in a week’s time round 3 of the WorldSBK is scheduled – with 15 points in the pocket and Melandri is twelfth in the Championship.
Under the scorching sun of Jerez Melandri was unable to climb up positions in the Superpole Race, having to fight even against an unexpected event: the sting of a wasp that slipped into his suit at mid-race. The rider from Ravenna finished the the 10-laps race in 18th position.
With this result, the start of race 2 saw him start again from the seventh row of the grid and, once again, Marco was able to overtake several times in the early stages. When he got behind Bautista and Haslam he had to pull up behind them and lost contact with the group ahead of him. The overtaking on the English Honda arrived on lap 10, when Melandri took ninth place, a position he held until the finish line.
Marco Melandri (33). Photo courtesy Barni Racing Team.
Marco Melandri
Superpole Race: P18 – Race 2: P9
“I’m very happy with the results of the two races. In the Superpole Race I thought I could finish better, starting in the top nine would have changed the afternoon race, but we must not forget that it was a test weekend for us. In Superpole Race we tried a solution that didn’t work and then – in the middle of the race – a wasp bit me on the chest, at that moment I lost concentration. The afternoon went well: I was fast at the start but there was a lot of filler on the outside of the first corner and I didn’t gain a lot of positions; I still have some difficulty in overtaking and in fast corners but I think we are starting to understand the way to adapt the bike. I’m happy and motivated because even though I struggled a lot I’m not so far from the front group. I did the whole race close to Bautista and Rea finished six seconds ahead of me in race 2, it’s not bad for me because only two weeks ago I was at home.”
Marco Barnabo, Team Principal
“I’m satisfied with the first weekend, we have done a good job apart from qualifying which has conditioned us a in the two races: starting nineteenth makes everything complicated because it is difficult to recover, everyone is going fast and the race pace is always high. In any case I want to congratulate Marco because as soon as he got on the bike he was already able to keep up with the pace of riders who have been preparing all winter. The fact that makes me even more confident is that we have clear ideas about what we need to improve in order to adapt the bike to his riding and his physique. I am very optimistic for the next race”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
I SUMA, AI SEM, WE GOT IT!
I suma, ai sem, ci siamo, we got it! Two dialects, Piedmontese and Romagna, one language, Italian. This combination has always been the soul of Go Eleven and today is born its most mature fruits. What a race, guys, what a race, a unique emotion to conclude the Andalusian weekend in Jerez!
In the warm up the team tried a different tyre solution than the FP 3 on Saturday morning, to evaluate the different performance with cooler temperatures. The data collected will be important in view of the next races, since both the Superpole Race and Race 2 will take place in a lot different conditions, with hot asphalt.
The Superpole Race starts with the ambition to improve the starting grid for Race 2. The start at the turning off of red lights is not perfect but Michael immediately tries to recover some position. Unfortunately with such a short race it is very difficult to recover and he did not have a great feeling with the Ducati Panigale V4-R, so much so that he could not force the braking. The time lost behind slower riders partially compromised the performance, finishing eleventh. Goal not found and departure from the twelfth place for Race 2.
Race 2 doesn’t need too many words to be described. Starting twelfth, in a few laps with great determination Michael is in eighth position overtaking Bautista and Haslam and the BMW duo. An exhausting chase with the same pace of Scott Redding, from mid-race onwards, led him to get closer and overcome Van Der Mark, Lowes and Johnny Rea. What a battle with the Cannibal; five turns in which the position was exchanged 3 times with braking and lines from heart in throat. Trust me, to watch your bike, to watch Michael battling with the greatest Superbike rider of all time, to pass him and to go away from him is a unique emotion! Fourth position, emblematic performance, first independent Team at the finish line and best overall performance for Go Eleven in the WorldSBK Championship. Is it enough? When you have the pace to stay ahead you can’t be satisfied…it’s a regret we didn’t manage to complete the Ducati hat-trick, we were so close! In Portimao, next weekend, we will try to do even better, to give to all over the world Ducatisti another day to remember!
Michael Rinaldi and Team Go Eleven. Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
Michael Rinaldi (Rider):
“What a race today! We went very fast on the race pace, I have to thank my team for this; we worked well all weekend! A bit of regret because when there are faster track conditions we cannot be so incisive and we had to start in the fourth row and in the Superpole Race we struggled a bit, too. Today’s race was spectacular, I went fast, I came up from behind and I did some good overtakings; I also fought with Rea, it never happened to me, and it’s a beautiful emotion! Let’s improve a little more in Portimao!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“I have to say thank you to the whole team, thanks to all the guys and above all super Michael who today made us live a wonderful and exciting race. Rinaldi was the fastest on the track, he recovered from twelfth to fourth place, without taking advantage of retirements or falls in front of him, and if only he had started some position further on the grid we could have seen three Ducati on the podium! We are also very satisfied and happy to have won the ranking of the independent teams, for us it is a very important result, I take the opportunity to thank all our partners, who work every day for this common goal, but we must work to improve our performance with soft tyres and with cooler asphalt temperatures, in such a tight championship it is essential to be ready for all situations and to be able to take advantage of qualifying; when you start back then it is difficult to remount and you stress the tyres more. Amazing ride today Michael, let’s enjoy this moment but from tomorrow we will return to focus on Portimao, where the most difficult part will await us: to confirm the good results of Jerez!”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
Day of mixed feelings for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at Jerez de la Frontera.
Round two of the 2020 FIM Superbike World Championship.
Superpole Race and race two: sixth and eleventh place for Tom Sykes, 13th and DNF for Eugene Laverty.
Third round of the season next weekend at Portimão.
Jerez de la Frontera. It was a day of mixed feelings for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at Jerez de la Frontera (ESP). The racetrack in the south of Spain hosted round two of the 2020 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK). Tom Sykes (GBR) finished sixth in Sunday morning’s Superpole Race. He then came home eleventh in race two in the afternoon. His team-mate Eugene Laverty (IRL) was 13th in the sprint race in the morning, but retired in race two.
Conditions were hot again at Jerez de la Frontera on Sunday, with ambient temperatures of around 37 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of up to 60 degrees. Sykes started the morning’s Superpole Race from third place on his BMW S 1000 RR. He dropped three positions at the start and fell back into sixth place, before going on to finish in that position after ten laps of racing. Laverty made a quick start, racing through from eleventh into seventh place. He was running eighth at the halfway point, before he lost out in a fiercely-competitive group of riders and eventually crossed the finish line in 13th place.
Sykes and Laverty then started race two from sixth and 13th places on Sunday afternoon. Sykes did not make a great start and conceded a few positions. Over the course of the race, he was unable to make any progress in a packed field and eventually finished eleventh. Laverty once again got off to a good start and climbed into the top-ten. Shortly after that, however, he hit a false neutral when changing gear and came off the track before rejoining the race at the back of the field. He ultimately had to retire in the second half of the race as he was also struggling with a painful blister on his foot.
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team now heads straight to Portimão (POR), where round three of the 2020 WorldSBK season takes place next weekend.
Quotes after race two at Jerez de la Frontera. Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “The day started pretty well. We were able to solve Saturday’s problems and finished the warm-up in decent positions. For the Superpole Race, we chose the harder SC0 tyre and that decision actually worked out quite well. We were very satisfied with Tom’s sixth place, which then was his start position for race two. Although we were able to make improvements with the bike, Eugene still did not get along with it as hoped, so he started race two from further down the grid. Sadly, we couldn’t shine in the second race. Tom was unfortunate in the first corners, which resulted in the loss of many positions that could not be made up during the race. Our pace was simply not good enough. Eugene hit a false neutral in turn thirteen when downshifting, was unable to stop and rode into the gravel. Unfortunately, the race was over for him from that point on. Now we have a week to work hard and analyse the problems and of course hope for significantly better results at Portimão.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It’s been a tough weekend. The Superpole Race for Tom wasn’t too bad to get P6. It was probably the best we could have afforded having opted for the SC0 instead of the SCX. For Eugene, on the other hand, the sprint race did not go to plan. In race two, Tom didn’t get a good start and got boxed in losing a lot of positions, which can happen. He was then in with a pack of riders where he just couldn’t make an impression on them due to major brake problems. The faster guys were five seconds up the road and you can run at their pace but when you’re stuck with riders with stronger motors than you, late on the brakes, it makes your race difficult. Eugene got a great start to his second race and gained around four positions into T1, but his race was short lived after hitting a false neutral and running into the gravel, ultimately ruining his race. He continued the race, however losing 30 seconds and riding with his blistered foot we made the decision to retire the bike. We will debrief with the riders tonight and have a detailed look at where we need to improve the bike for the next round in Portugal, hopefully coming back a lot stronger.”
Tom Sykes (66). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Tom Sykes: “I’m disappointed with today. We worked hard in the hot conditions but unfortunately not had the luck come our way. Yesterday we had some good pace in race one, but we had a technical issue which forced me to pit. Then today in the Superpole race, we opted for a tyre we knew was a harder compound and I think we had a decent race considering the difference in compounds. In race two we suffered more technical restrictions, but there are some positives to take away with us as we are constantly finding new areas to explore on the BMW S 1000 RR. Looking forward, I think we need some luck on our side so we can hopefully get the results that we deserve.”
Eugene Laverty (50). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Eugene Laverty: “Another tough race today with a really good start. I fought aggressively and made up some positions within the first corners. Unfortunately, by the end of the first lap I got in this false neutral, ran off the track and from that point onwards my race was more or less over. I tried to do some laps to regain positions, but since I was outside the top twenty, I got to quit. So now I am focusing on Portimão, which was always one of my favourite races of the season but this year it’s even more special because it’s my first real home race, as I live just 15 minutes away from the track now. I expect the conditions will be nice and sunny and I am hoping for some strong results as I have won on the Portimao track several times, so let’s see what we do next weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Triumph for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. Scott Redding (P1) and Chaz Davis (P2) on the top steps of the podium in Sunday’s Race 2 in Jerez de la Frontera.
Scott Redding and Chaz Davies celebrated in Parc Ferme after finishing first and second respectively in Race 2 at the Pirelli Spanish Round.
It was a sensational race for Scott Redding who started from second place – after his P2 in the Superpole Race – and attacked Rea immediately in the first lap creating a gap that allowed him to dominate the race up to the chequered flag.
Chaz Davies built his result thanks to a valuable second-row start, following his fifth place in the Superpole Race. The Welshman engaged in a duel with Razgatlioglu on lap three, taking third place and chasing Rea who overtook two laps later. Chaz’s pace was excellent and allowed him to take a wide margin to cross the finish line in P2 easily.
Scott Redding consolidates his leadership in the WorldSBK Championship standings with 98 points. Chaz Davies (57 points) gets closer to the fourth position.
WorldSBK Championship Standing – Top 5
P1 – S. Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 98
P2 – J. Rea (Kawasaki) 74
P3 – A. Lowes (Kawasaki) 72
P4 – T. Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) 66
P5 – C. Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 57
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy of Dorna.
P1 – Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“I’m very excited about this weekend. We had two wins, a pole position and a second place. It’s a great result, and for this, I want to thank the whole Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for putting me in a position to be competitive. The feeling with the bike was great, and I was able to take a good advantage in the first laps. I am very satisfied”.
Chaz Davies (7) leading Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) and a group of riders at Jerez. Photo courtesy Ducati.
P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)
“I’m very happy to be back on the podium. My goal was to fight for the top three positions in all the races, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it. I think the start was a key factor in getting this result. I want to thank my team for the great work they have done on the bike since Friday morning. Now we go to Portimao with great enthusiasm and conviction”.
Stefano Cecconi (Team Principal Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“It’s an extraordinary achievement that rewards our work, especially after such a difficult time for everyone. We are delighted with our riders: Scott has achieved great results in the three races, Chaz has always been very incisive and has finally returned on the podium. It’s been a long time since the last one-two, and this makes us proud. Both Ducati Panigale V4 R bikes went very well, demonstrating the goodness of the project. A big thank you to the whole team and all the guys who work at Borgo Panigale and who have allowed us to be so competitive. Now we have to stay focused and work race by race without overthinking about the final result”.
Cameron Beaubier (1) established an early lead in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
BRASELTON, GA (August 2, 2020) – Cameron Beaubier completed a perfect weekend for him and his Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha team at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the four-time defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion riding to his second victory in two days on another scorching hot day in Northern Georgia.
On Sunday, the HONOS Superbike podium was an exact replica of Saturday’s with Beaubier’s teammate Jake Gagne finishing second and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz third again. It was also the second straight podium sweep for the Yamaha YZF-R1.
For Beaubier it was his fifth win in six races and his seventh career AMA Superbike win at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Additionally, the win was Beaubier’s 43rd career victory in the premier class.
For those who have watched Beaubier since he first started riding a Superbike, it’s obvious that this is as comfortable as he’s ever looked on a motorcycle. And it’s a point he agrees with.
“I definitely feel really good on this thing,” Beaubier said. “It’s confidence-inspiring the way Richard (Stanboli) has the electronics set up and just the way the bike works with me. I’m just really enjoying riding right now. I’m just having fun. I saw Toni (Elias)… he got the holeshot. For a second I thought it was Jake (Gagne). I was like, ‘oh, man. I’ve got to try to get in front of him as quick as I can.’ But it ended up being Toni. I just pinned it up into the second corner and made sure I was leading into the chicane. I knew how fast Jake went this morning. He’s progressed throughout the whole weekend and he’s gotten faster and faster. I knew I just had to put my head down. I know Toni’s pretty hard to pass. I knew he was in second and I just gave everything I had for the first half of the race and then put it in management mode. It was really good. We didn’t change too much on the bike this weekend, but a couple of the small changes just made it more comfortable to ride. As a rider, I’m sure these guys all say the same thing. This track is pretty physical. You could be a foot off going into the chicane or coming down hard on the brakes into the last section and screw up the next three corners. I think that’s just a testament to how comfortable Richard has us on these things. Like Jake said, it’s just good to have three Yamahas up on the podium each day. Looking forward to going to the next one.”
The race was red-flagged early when Danilo Lewis crashed in turn seven. It was restarted shortly thereafter and with similar results. Although he didn’t get the holeshot, Beaubier was at the head of the field when they hit the esses for the first time and he instantly gapped the field with Gagne getting baulked slightly by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Toni Elias. Soon Gagne was past the Spaniard after passing him around the outside, but he didn’t have the pace of his teammate. Ditto for Scholtz, who also made his way around Elias before trying unsuccessfully to catch Gagne. Both riders, however, ended up closer to the race winner at the conclusion of the race, though Beaubier obviously slowed his pace toward the end.
Gagne cautioned that although he was closer to Beaubier at the finish today, there were reasons why.
“It was a little bit of a shortened race,” Gagne said. “Cam (Beaubier) got off to that lead early. He definitely kind of settled into a nice, comfortable pace. I knew he wasn’t going to be making any mistakes up there. He’s been riding really, really good. I knew Mat (Scholtz) was going to be faster today than he was yesterday. We could see that, like he said, in warmup. He had some more pace, so I knew he was going to be there. I think we all know, at a track like this the start was everything, if we could get up to that top chicane. I was bummed with that restart because me and Cam were running one and two before that restart. At least I could see Cam. He was right there in front of me. Kind of got off to a better jump. Then after that restart I knew we had to get another start. My starts have been good this weekend. One of my best-ever starts. We figured a couple things out. Cam led into the chicane with Toni (Elias) in-between us, so I was like, ‘I know Cam’s just going to take off. He’s going to set sail.’ Luckily, I got by Toni down into turn six on that first lap, but even by then Cam was already setting sail. When I went by Toni around that outside, I was pushing that front all the way in there. I thought he was going to come back underneath me in seven, but luckily I held it. The beginning of the first couple laps were tough after that restart. We kind of didn’t have the brand-new tire bite like we had originally. I was kind of making a couple mistakes. I saw on my pit board, I think it was Mat probably closing the gap a little bit. Like he said, we were going a little bit back and forth, back and forth. Then I kind of tried to smooth myself out and put my points together a little bit towards the end. Hats off to Cam. Hats off to the Yamaha Monster Energy Attack. It’s good to get a Yamaha sweep on the Superbike podium this weekend. And hats off to Mat. He didn’t let it come easy to me. I saw that pit board the whole time and I knew he was right there. Luckily, we got a couple days and we’ll be in Pittsburgh.”
At the finish, Beaubier was 2.5 seconds ahead of Gagne and 6.1 seconds clear of Scholtz, who was pleased with the progress he made from Saturday’s race.
“I got a decent jump off of the line from the second row,” Scholtz said. “Jake (Gagne) passed me early on and I started panicking slightly because I knew they would catch Toni (Elias) fairly quickly. So, I got past Toni around corner seven. Then I think a couple laps after that myself and Jake were going backwards and forwards maybe down to about one to two seconds. Then I think Jake upped his pace and I had nothing for him there. I was kind of sliding around lots. Yesterday I finished third and I wasn’t happy because we were so far back. Today I finished third but I’m actually really happy. We kind of closed the gap up to the two of these guys. Both of them are riding really well. Hopefully at Pittsburgh we can just carry on working hard and just carry on closing the gap to them.”
Fourth place went to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong, the winner of race two at Road America 2 hounding Scholtz for most of the race. He ended up less than a second behind the South African at the finish and 2.4 seconds ahead of his teammate Elias.
OneCure/KWR Ducati’s Kyle Wyman finished sixth, the Ducati Panigale V4 R rider making up for yesterday’s disappointing non-finish after a mechanical issue took him out of the race early. Wyman battled early with Scheibe Racing BMW’s Josh Herrin before pulling away to a comfortable margin of some six seconds.
FLY Racing ADR Motorsports’ David Anthony finished eighth with Altus Motorsports’ Cameron Petersen ninth and Ride HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander rounding out the top 10.
After three rounds and six races, Beaubier leads Gagne by 19 points, 125-106. Scholtz moves past Fong and into third with 76 points – three more than Fong.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Beaubier, Gagne Bring the Heat with Another 1-2 Finish at Road Atlanta
Cameron Beaubier put on another masterclass performance aboard his Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing R1 in Sunday’s race two, sweeping the MotoAmerica Superbike weekend at Road Atlanta. Jake Gagne scored another runner-up finish to cap off a stellar outing for the team at Round 3 of the championship in Braselton, Georgia.
Beaubier got off to a great start from pole position with his teammate right behind him. The pair started to build a gap on the competition until the red flag came out right before the start of the third lap. On the restart, the defending champ missed the holeshot but was able to make the move inside of his rival into Turn 2. From there on, Beaubier set a blistering pace and went unchallenged for the remainder of the shortened 14-lap race to earn his seventh win at Road Atlanta. The victory helped expand his lead in the championship to 19-points over his teammate.
After the red flag, Gagne didn’t get a repeat of his start either and was back in third. He made the pass for second on the first lap in Turn 6, but unfortunately, his teammate had already checked out in the lead. Undeterred, Gagne put his head down in the hot, demanding conditions and was able to close the gap to 2.5 seconds at the checkered flag and bring home another 1-2 finish for the team.
The Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team is back in action next weekend, August 7-9, for Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Richard Stanboli – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“It was another great day for the team and the Yamaha R1 at Road Atlanta. We made some small improvements and both Cameron and Jake rode consistently to secure yet another 1-2 finish. Also, congratulations to Matt (Scholtz) and the Westby team for making it another Yamaha R1 sweep. We are looking forward to more of the same at Pittsburgh.”
Cameron Beaubier – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“The weekend couldn’t have gone better with the double along with a Yamaha sweep on both days! The guys had my bike working great all weekend and I was impressed with the times that we could do on race tires. I’m looking forward to lining up next weekend!”
Jake Gagne – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“We got off to a great start behind Cam, but unfortunately got caught with a red flag on lap two. On the restart I didn’t get quite the jump and Cam set sail in the lead right from Turn 2. I had to make a close pass on Toni (Elias) on that first lap, but Cam was already really rolling right away. My first few laps weren’t that good but I smoothed it out and got into a pretty nice rhythm. I’m happy to bring home another second at Road Atlanta. We’ve made a lot of progress this weekend so I’m really pumped to get to Pittsburgh next week and continue the fight!”
Escalante Bounces Back, Alexander And Landers Double Up
Action Heats Up At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (August 2, 2020) – HONOS Kawasaki’s Richie Escalante suffered his first loss of the 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Series on Saturday at the hands of Sean Dylan Kelly. On Sunday, Escalante wanted no part of Kelly and it showed. He battled early, but once he got into the lead he put the hammer down and disappeared into the distance.
For Escalante it was his fifth win in six races. With Kelly winning on Saturday, Escalante’s points lead was cut from 40 to 35 points. On Sunday, he got that margin back to 40 points as the series heads to Pittsburgh International Race Complex this coming weekend.
Both Corey Alexander and Rocco Landers were able to race to perfect weekends, the New Englander and the Oregonian matching their Saturday wins with wins on Sunday in the Stock 1000 and Liqui Moly Junior Cup classes, respectively. Supersport: Escalante Bounces Back
Richie Escalante (54) leading Sean Dylan Kelly (40) during Supersport Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
The three main protagonists from Saturday’s Supersport race one had an encore performance in Sunday’s race two, but this time, the winner was HONOS Kawasaki’s Richie Escalante, who has won five of the six races thus far in the season. Saturday’s winner Sean Dylan Kelly crossed the finish line second on Sunday aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, and Celtic HSBK Racing Yamaha’s Brandon Paasch was again third.
Also similar to yesterday, the race was a battle in the early laps, with Escalante, Kelly, and Paasch tightly bunched together and going two- and sometimes three-wide into the corners. Each one of the trio led the race at various points, but as the laps wound down, Escalante solidly asserted himself at the front and took the checkers with a gap of more than six seconds. Kelly also stretched his advantage over third-placed Paasch and had a gap of more than seven seconds at the finish line.
“Today, my start was a little bit better but still finished in the first corner in third,” said Escalante. “I’m surprised we ran in the first laps really fast. I take a little bit gap so I said, ‘maybe I go.’ I tried to do my best, then Sean (Kelly) passed me on the brakes. He’s very, very hard right now in the braking. Then I concentrate. I need to pass very quickly when the tires are new. I tried to pass and then had very consistent rhythm. I’m a little bit surprised with my rhythm today. But I’m really happy for my team. HONOS Graves Kawasaki were working yesterday to give me a very good bike today. I’m really happy and ready for Pittsburgh in four days.” Stock 1000: Alexander Likes This Winning Thing
Corey Alexander (23) leads Alex Dumas (16) and Geoff May (54) during Stock 1000 Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
After winning his first-ever MotoAmerica race in Saturday’s Stock 1000 event, Ride HVMC Racing Kawasaki’s Corey Alexander kept his winning ways going and won again on Sunday. The New Yorker finished a little over a second ahead of rapidly rising youngster Alex Dumas, who finished second aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki. Third place went to local Georgia rider and former factory Superbike and World Superbike competitor Geoff May.
The beginning of the race looked like it would be dominated by Altus Motorsports Tucker Hagerty rider Cameron Petersen, but as was the case in Saturday’s race one, a technical issue took Petersen out of first place and eventually out of the race altogether, even though he did rejoin to ultimately finish 18th and two laps down.
“Obviously, every weekend you come into you want to win,” Alexander said. “That’s why we do this. If we didn’t think we could win, we wouldn’t be here. I didn’t expect to have it go this well, though. We made a lot of changes between Road America and this round to just make the bike work a little bit better for me. I have to give a special shout out to Evol Technologies. They sent me a set of rearsets because we were struggling with some shifting issues and ultimately that made a big difference for us. So, thanks to Steve from Evol for sending those to us. Honestly, that was probably the biggest thing. You can imagine how difficult it is when you’re coming off of a 170-mile an hour straightaway and not really sure if you’re in the right gear. So having that out of my mind kind of just let me focus on chassis stuff and making the bike better. Going into today’s race, I was talking to our riding coach Jason Pridmore about just kind of the pressure I was putting on myself because I really wanted to go out and do it again. I felt like yesterday was good, but I know Cam (Petersen) had that brake issue. I just wanted to beat him straight up. I’m not sure what happened to him. It’s a bummer for sure. I thought we were going to have a tough race today with him. Hats off to Alex (Dumas). It’s really cool. We’ve been riding together since he was really young, so to see him up here with me is a little surreal. It makes me feel old. Kind of probably like Geoff (May). It’s funny how it works. Hats off to these guys, especially Geoff, as well. It’s crazy in this heat and to be able to maintain this level for so long over such a long career. Hopefully we’ll see him in some more races. Otherwise, I want to say hello to my Uncle Richie (Alexander). Wish he could be here. Thanks to all of our team, Graves Motorsports, Iconic Motorbike Auctions, Maxima Racing Oils, Arai Helmets, Tucker, Alpinestars, everybody. I do everything myself. Just like Jeff said, I work. I don’t do mortgages, but I do bike loans all week. Finance. So, we’re selling a lot of Kawasaki’s back home, and it’s great for our industry and for the dealership back home, Hudson Valley Motorcycles. Overall, just got to be happy. Thanks everybody. Thanks to MotoAmerica. Thanks to all the fans for watching and coming out and having a good weekend. I hope everyone is staying safe.” Liqui Moly Junior Cup: Landers Doubles Up
Rocco Landers (1) leads early in Junior Cup Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
In Sunday’s Liqui Moly Junior Cup race, Saturday’s race winner Rocco Landers did the double and took the checkers again, the Norton Motorsports/Ninja400R/Dr. Farr/Wonder CBD Kawasaki rider crossing the finish line with a just under a five-second advantage over second-place finisher Dominic Doyle aboard his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki. Third place went to Celtic HSBK Racing Kawasaki rider Sam Lochoff.
Landers got the holeshot in Sunday’s race and made a statement from the get-go. The defending class champion was never headed. Doyle and Lochoff, both from South Africa, traded spots a couple of times during the 11-lap contest, but the finishing order settled out as the laps wound down.
When asked about leading from start to finish, Landers said: “I was going to try to put my head down and try to get a good gap. When I looked back on the second lap, I had a little gap over Sam, but I saw Dom was right behind him. I was like, ‘Okay. He’s there. I’m going to have to try to get my head down.’ Then a couple laps later he was back again, and I saw that Dom was actually right in front of Sam and they were closing on me. At that point I was trying to settle some mid-41 lap times just to not run too many risks but actually still doing fast lap times. Then I saw that Sam passed Dom. Then I was like, they’re battling. I might be able to consistently run this pace and stay in front. Then I saw that Dominic got back past him, and he was closing back on me. So, I tried to put my head down and put in some consistent low 41s, high 40s. Tried to stretch out the lead, and it worked out pretty good. Really, I couldn’t ask for a better weekend with how I’ve been feeling. I’m pretty stoked on this weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Jason Aguilar Racing:
Jason Aguilar in the mix again at Road Atlanta, Leaves 4th Overall in points
Jason Aguilar (96). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Jason Aguilar Racing.
Jason Aguilar added twenty-four points to his MotoAmerica Supersport Championship tally following two hard fought races at Road Atlanta this weekend.
Once again qualifying on the second row, Aguilar was left frustrated by his race one result – he finished fifth and was determined to make amends in Sunday’s second encounter. A great start saw Jason match the leading riders for pace early on before he dropped back to finish a comfortable fourth at the flag.
The results cement the RiderzLaw Yamaha rider in fourth overall in the points standing after the first six races.
The next round takes place this coming weekend at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Jason Aguilar: “I was so disappointed after Race 1 if I’m honest. I got a good start before the red flag, but in the restart, I got caught behind a couple of guys and ended up battling for fourth. The gap to the front guys was already too big by the time I had worked my way through. It was so hot, and I was struggling. I tried to keep Olmedo (Kevin) behind me but I screwed the last corner up and he got me on the line. So far, the worst result of the season and not what I wanted so I was determined to make something happen on Sunday. Race 2 was much better, and I am way happier with how it went. We made a small change and I was a lot more comfortable on the bike. I felt physically better and wasn’t as tired and it showed in our pace. I got a good start, ran down the top three but after half distance the grip from the rear started to drop so I wasn’t able to stay in the fight for the podium. I was trying to keep the pace, but we ended fourth. Compared to how yesterday went I am actually really happy. We scored solid championship points and we go to Pittsburgh next week healthy. Thanks to all my supporters and to the fans at the track – you guys are great!”
Stefan Bradl (6), as seen at the Red Bull Ring in 2019. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Stefan Bradl joins Alex Marquez in Brno while Marc Marquez recovers
After a heroic return just four days after surgery in Jerez, Marc Marquez will miss the Brno race with Stefan Bradl joining the Repsol Honda Team alongside Alex Marquez.
The Czech GP marks the fourth round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship and presents the first change of circuit for the season in the MotoGP class. 2019’s Czech GP is remembered for Marc Marquez’s incredible Qualifying lap, 2.5 seconds clear of second placed Jack Miller. Weather forecasts suggest a clear weekend in the high 20s – a change from the punishing heat of Jerez. The weekend also marks the start of MotoGP’s first triple-header of the revised 2020 season as two races at the Red Bull Ring succeed the weekend.
After undergoing a second operation on his injured right arm, Marc Marquez and HRC have decided that the World Champion will not ride in the Czech Republic in order for him to recover more. In his place, HRC test rider Stefan Bradl will mount the Honda RC213V. In 2019 the former Moto2 World Champion competed in four MotoGP races with a best finish of 10th at the German GP. Bradl has claimed three top ten finishes at Brno from his seven starts in the MotoGP class and only once missed out on points.
Winner of last year’s Moto2 race, Alex Marquez is eager to get to the Automotodrom Brno, a circuit he ranks as one of his favourites on the calendar with only one visit finishing outside the top five since he became a full-time Grand Prix rider in 2013. Having made constant progress, especially over race distance, the MotoGP rookie arrives with boosted confidence to try his Honda RC213V around the Czechia circuit with its flowing layout. The objective is again to reduce the distance to the front and fight for top rookie honours.
Alex Marquez
“This will be just the fifth circuit I have ridden a MotoGP bike at, but it is one I have always enjoyed riding and it has suited my style a lot in the past. We gathered a lot of good information from the two weekends in Jerez so now we can apply what we have learned to a new circuit. Every session I learn more about MotoGP and my bike, I am looking forward to riding in Brno and starting three races in three weekends, it will be intense but I am looking forward to it. I hope Marc can recover well and quickly!”
Stefan Bradl
“First of all I want to wish Marc a speedy recovery, what he did in Jerez was incredible and he showed that he has the true spirit of a champion. I am looking forward to riding the Honda RC213V again, due to the global pandemic we have not been able to test as we would normally so it will take some time to adjust to the bike and MotoGP again but I have ridden the superbike a few times so I know my fitness is good. It’s a challenge I’m looking forward to, competing with the Repsol Honda Team is always a great honour and I am pleased to help Honda. Let’s see how the weekend goes.”
Ridge Motorsports Park, in Shelton, Washington. Photo courtesy of TrackTime.
MotoAmerica’s Event At The Ridge Will Go On Without Fans
No Fans at Washington Track Due to COVID-19 Restrictions
IRVINE, CA (August 4, 2020) – Due to restrictions set forth with the current COVID-19 pandemic, MotoAmerica and the Ridge Motorsports Park have announced that the Komatsu MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event, scheduled for August 28-30, in Shelton, Washington, will be held as a participant-only event with no spectators.
The MotoAmerica Series will hold its fifth round at the Ridge Motorsports Park in Washington state, August 28-30, but it will do so without fans due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“This is disappointing news for everyone as we have seen the effort and tremendous positive energy surrounding this event by our racers, fans, local business, and the motorsports community as a whole,” said Ridge General Manager Tracie Schmitt. “We realize how much work and effort goes into each component of this event from fans juggling travel arrangements, racers mentally preparing for this inaugural event, and our local community ramping up to support the spike in tourism for the duration of this weekend. To not see the result of such commitment and excitement from everyone involved is definitely disappointing for our team and community.”
“It’s unfortunate that we can’t have fans at our first event in the Pacific Northwest,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “We have been looking forward to putting on a great show for our fans at the Ridge, but unfortunately we have to abide by the restrictions put on us. We really look forward to coming back next year. In the meantime, it will be business as usual for our teams and riders as they enjoy the newest racetrack on our schedule.”
The Ridge Motorsports Park will be offering 2020 ticket holders the option to either receive a full refund for the 2020 race or to carry over existing tickets to the 2021 event.
“We have created a program this year between MotoAmerica, the Ridge, and Department of Health to create the safest environment possible for participants in light of the current global pandemic,” Schmitt said. “The support we have received from this decision surrounding the 2020 event gives us hope that everyone involved will be that much more excited for our 2021 race.”
Fans who decide to carry over their tickets shall receive a Ridge lanyard and a 50 percent off voucher per every ticket purchased, valid for any item in the Ridge Café, Pro Shop, or go karting session at the Ridge Grand Prix. Fans who have purchased 2020 Premium RV packages shall be contacted individually to review their options and discuss eligibility for exclusive camping rights for the 2021 event.
The Komatsu MotoAmerica Superbikes At The Ridge event is round five of the 2020 MotoAmerica Series.
For more information, contact the Ridge ticketing team by emailing [email protected].
Marc Marquez at Jerez, after having the first of three surgeries on his broken right arm. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Marc Marquez undergoes second surgery
Marc Marquez underwent a second operation today, Monday August 3, after the titanium plate used to fix his right humerus was found to have suffered damage due to stress accumulation. Dr Xavier Mir and his team at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus successfully replaced the titanium plate and Marc Marquez will now stay in hospital for 48 hours before being discharged.
Dr. Xavier Mir
Hospital Universitari Dexeus
“Marc Marquez underwent surgery 13 days ago and today he returned to the operating room. The first operation was successful, what was not expected was that the plate was insufficient. An accumulation of stress in the operated area has caused the plate to suffer some damage, so today the titanium plate has been removed and replaced by a new fixation. The rider has not felt pain during this period. He has always followed the medical advice given and the feeling from his body. Unfortunately, an over stress has caused this issue. Now we have to wait 48 hours to understand the recovery time.”
American Flat Track will race at the Indy Mile the same weekend, August 21-22, as the Indy 500. Photo courtesy AFT.
AFT Returns to Legendary Indy Mile During Indianapolis 500 Weekend
Indy Mile doubleheader to run Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 3, 2020) – On the heels of its long-awaited season opener, American Flat Track makes the exciting announcement of its return to the legendary Indy Mile at The Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center for a doubleheader event on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 – the same weekend as one of the most anticipated events in all of motorsports: The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For the avid racing enthusiast, the opportunity to witness America’s Original Extreme Sport race back-to-back just before the legendary Indy 500 presents an unprecedented opportunity for fans to enjoy a supreme weekend of American motorsports.
AFT officials continue to collaborate with public health experts to develop this comprehensive plan in accordance with all federal, state and local requirements. All race-day procedures have been thoroughly reviewed and will continue to be examined and updated to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local authorities.
At all American Flat Track events new guidelines and protocols will include:
Reduction in ticket availability to conform with state and local guidelines for sporting events
Reserved seating areas to include buffer zones to provide ample space between fans
Everyone (including fans, competitors, staff, etc.) on-property will undergo a medical screening prior to admittance into the facility
Fans entering the venue will be required to wear facial coverings. Masks will be provided at no charge.
Enhanced sanitation and disinfection protocols with frequent cleaning throughout the facility
Enhancements to mobile ticketing and elimination of printed tickets
Regular medical screening of staff and competitors
As an additional precaution, there will be no public access to the paddock area and AFT officials have suspended Fan Walk, rider autograph sessions and paddock upgrades for the remainder of the season. Event-specific health & safety procedures will be updated to meet or exceed state and local requirements as they are updated over the coming months.
In most recent memory, Brad “The Bullet” Baker scored a commanding victory at this lauded venue aboard his Harley-Davidson XR750 in 2015. Plans to resurface the racetrack had seen this historic venue fall off of AFT’s schedule, but upon learning that the track’s original surface remains intact, AFT officials seized the opportunity to bring this fan and rider favorite back into the fold.
“We are very excited to be returning to race at the famous Indy Mile,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “AFT fans have a real soft spot for this historic venue that evokes fond memories of Kenny Roberts and the Yamaha TZ750 and many, many fast and fierce races since. To be able to race during the weekend of the Indy 500 represents a real bonus, as we will be able to showcase our sport to a whole new audience in addition to AFT’s loyal Midwest fanbase.”
A staple within the memories of flat track historians, the Indy Mile was a part of the inaugural Grand National Championship season in 1954 and has been won by many legends of the sport. Names like Chris Carr, Scott Parker, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Ricky Graham and Kenny Roberts are all etched into the list of victors at The Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The event also brings the return of Mile racing for the AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys class. Shayna Texter is the only active AFT Singles rider with a win at the facility. In the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines class, Bryan Smith and Sammy Halbert are the only two active riders with premier class wins at Indy while JD Beach and Jarod Vanderkooi each have wins to their credit in the AFT Singles class.
In the wake of the mandatory Lima Half-Mile cancellation and last-minute track reconfiguration of the Laconia Short Track, AFT is thrilled to be able to add the Indy Mile I and Indy Mile II to its schedule in its effort to provide its fans with a full season of American Flat Track racing.
The updated 2020 American Flat Track schedule follows:
1. July 17: Volusia Half-Mile I – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
2. July 18: Volusia Half-Mile II – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
3. August 21: Indy Mile I – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
4. August 22: Indy Mile II – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
5. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
6. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
7. September 11: Williams Grove Half-Mile I – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
8. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile II – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
9. September 25: Dallas Half-Mile I – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX
10. September 26: Dallas Half-Mile II – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX
11. October 2: Atlanta Short Track I – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
12. October 3: Atlanta Short Track II – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
13. October 9: Charlotte Half-Mile I – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
14. October 10: Charlotte Half-Mile II – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
15. October 15: AFT Season Finale I – TBA, Daytona Beach, FL
16. October 16: AFT Season Finale II – TBA, Daytona Beach, FL
Tickets for AFT’s return to the historic Indy Mile for its first doubleheader event on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 will be available for purchase in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to www.americanflattrack.com and AFT’s social media channels for ticketing news and the latest updates on AFT’s upcoming 2020 season.
Miguel Oliveira (88). Photo courtesy Red Bull KTM Tech3.
Red Bull KTM Tech3 primed for Czech-Austrian triple header
Just a few nights after an exciting and dramatic first back-to-back round of 2020, the Red Bull KTM Tech3 pair of Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona is pumped to strike back this weekend at the Automotodrom Brno. However, the Grand Prix Ceske Republiky is the first of three races in a row ahead of a double-competition at the popular Red Bull Ring in Austria, kicking off the action at 9:55 local time on Friday as usual with Free Practice one.
While Oliveira delivered his best Qualifying performance with a top 5 during the second round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, the Portuguese star was starved of a chance to convert this fantastic original position into a race result. Simultaneously, MotoGP rookie Lecuona stepped up the game from the Spanish to the Andalusian GP with qualifying three positions further in front, but didn’t see the chequered flag. Both Red Bull KTM Tech3 riders are simmering the third race weekend now with excitement in order to retaliate.
Miguel Oliveira
“I’m obviously very excited to come back to racing in such a short time. After the result we got the second last weekend, I feel like it’s redemption time and I’m just very looking forward to ride in Brno, which is a track that I like. Last year, I had great feelings there, we scored points in the race. I feel like it’s a good track for us and it’s also great three rounds we’ll have back-to-back, that I think going to suit our bike. I’m just really keen to start with a good result in Brno and give the team, what we should got the Sunday before.”
Iker Lecuona
“I know that I need to focus a lot on myself for Brno in order to enjoy riding the bike even more and also the work within our team. First of all, of course I need to finish the race this time, which is super important, but at the same time, I also have to continue to work hard and to learn. During the two weeks in Jerez, I already improved a lot, so I hope I can build on my performance there and follow up on our good way to progress further.”
Hervé Poncharal
Team Manager
“After the disappointment of the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucía, where we didn’t score any points with our two riders, it’s really good to know, we have three races coming very soon. Clearly, the setback in Spain was huge. The expectation after Miguel’s weekend and superb Qualifying performance was very high and to give up without fighting is a tough thing to swallow. The positive point is, we saw that the four KTM RC16 were very competitive, not only Miguel’s Qualifying was outstanding, but also the few laps Brad Binder did in the race showed the great level of our machine. We just hope we can duplicate the same performance in Czech Republic and Austria in order to confirm the potential of rider and machine. Last year, Brno was the last time we were riding the 2019 spec machine, we got the evolution one from the following round, so it’s difficult to have a real base to make any prognostics, but Miguel was quite fast and happy with the behavior of his bike at this track, so I believe we have a realistic possibility to be strong there. The atmosphere and the feeling inside the KTM MotoGP department is very positive. Anyway, we try to put Miguel’s and Iker’s Spanish DNF behind us and carry on scoring important points in the championship. Our two riders are in good shape, feel great and just can’t wait to be back on track. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team is definitely ready for the next three races and eager to start Friday’s FP1!”
History
The world’s most famous riders have taken part in GP events in Brno since 1930, where up until 1982 they would race through the villages and western parts of the city on a road track named after the first Czechoslovak President – T.G. Masaryk. A new circuit was built during the 1980s with the aim of attracting Formula 1 to Czechoslovakia, and in 1987 it played host to the FIM Czech Grand Prix. Popular with both fans and riders, the new circuit is built in a natural bowl which is banked in places to offer spectators an excellent view. Brno constantly changes in elevation as it sweeps across forested hillsides and its fast undulating corners test rider talent and engineering to the limit.
Mathew Scholtz (11), Bobby Fong (50), and Toni Elias (24) during MotoAmerica Superbike Race Two at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz Has A Double-Podium Superbike Weekend At Road Atlanta
Braselton, GA – With three rounds completed in the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship, Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz has also been on the podium three times so far, including two rostrum visits this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Mathew equaled his third-place finish in Saturday’s race one with another third place in Sunday’s race two, and in each event, he completed an all-Yamaha podium sweep aboard his iconic gold-and-black #11 Westby Racing YZF-R1. Of the two podium results, he was a lot happier with the one he got on Sunday, and he explained why.
“I got a decent jump off the line,” Mathew said. “Jake (Gagne) passed me early on, and I started panicking slightly because I knew they would catch Toni (Elias) fairly quickly. So, I got past Toni around turn seven. Then I think a couple laps after that myself and Jake were going backwards and forwards maybe down to about one to two seconds. Then I think Jake upped his pace, and I had nothing for him. I was kind of sliding around a lot. Yesterday, I finished third, as well, and I wasn’t happy because we were so far back. Today, I finished third again, but I’m actually really happy with the result. We kind of closed the gap to these two guys (Beaubier and Gagne). Both of them are riding really well. Hopefully, at Pittsburgh, we can continue making progress and close the gap to them.”
Westby Racing’s Junior Cup rider Cody Wyman, who finished eighth in Saturday’s race one, was determined to improve on his results in race two on Sunday. His team made a couple of setup changes to his #34 Yamaha YZF-R3 to help improve the handling but, as has been the case in every race so far this year, Cody got caught up in a group of riders all racing together. He tried to time his draft-passes so that he would be at the front of the seven-rider pack when he took the checkers, but it didn’t quite pan out the way he had hoped. His 12th-place finish was less than a second-and-a-half behind the sixth-place finisher.
Cody commented, “I got a decent start and passed a couple bikes early on, and in the opening laps, I knew we were stuck in a big battle for sixth place. I think there were seven bikes all bunched together, and I cycled through all of them throughout the entire race. It was just a strategy game, and I felt like I was in a good spot to draft some riders on the final lap. Unfortunately, it was a gamble and I got unlucky on the run to the finish line. Everyone was shuffling around, and we ended up on the wrong end of it.
“On the bright side, we’re learning more every time we race, and we’re continuing to develop the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R3. I’m looking forward to getting back on track in just a week. PittRace has been tough on me in the past, but I can’t wait to get there and take up the challenge. Thanks to my team and sponsors for believing in me and this program.”
Next up for Westby Racing is round four of the MotoAmerica Championship, which will take place next weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (PittRace) in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Also, follow “Westby Racing” on your favorite social media sites.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Good points for Kyle Wyman (P6) after a trying weekend in Georgia
Kyle Wyman (33) in action at Road Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Ducati North America.
Mountain View, Calif. – Kyle Wyman (OneCure/KWR Ducati Team) salvaged 10 vital championship points in race two after a tough weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the third round of the 2020 MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
In a weekend that saw heavy rains play havoc with the race program on Friday and a crash in Superpole on Saturday, Wyman’s race one didn’t get past lap four. In stifling humidity and while lying an impressive third behind the Yamaha duo of Jake Gagne and Cameron Beaubier, Wyman pulled into the pits with a mechanical issue on his OneCure/KWR Ducati Team Ducati Panigale V4 R, necessitating an overnight engine swap for Sunday’s race two as Yamaha’s Cameron Beaubier took the race one win.
The second race was a two-part affair after BMW’s Danilo Lewis crashed out early, causing a red flag while Wyman was lying fourth. A restart followed and Wyman, starting fifth, lost out early off the line to be sixth by turn one. After getting caught up in the melee with BMW’s Josh Herrin which allowed the top five to escape, Wyman had to settle for sixth place in race two, with Beaubier doubling up for another race win.
Although disappointed with race one’s result, Wyman was upbeat about his Sunday showing and feels round four of the series, to be held August 7-9 at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex, will suit his Ducati Panigale V4 R.
MotoAmerica Superbike Standing – Top 5
P1 – C. Beaubier (Yamaha) 125
P2 – J. Gagne (Yamaha) 106
P3 – B. Fong (Suzuki) 82
P4 – M. Scholtz (76)
P5 – K. Wyman (OneCure/KWR Ducati Team) 66
Kyle Wyman (OneCure/KWR Ducati Team – Ducati #33)
“It’s been a tough weekend, but we’re happy to get out of Atlanta with some good points in race two,” said Wyman. “I wasn’t happy about Saturday as we were in a good position (third) when I had to pull in. We unknowingly broke a radiator on Friday and ended up blowing a head gasket on that engine.
“Last night we put a spare motor in for race two. I did 1:25’s on it this morning in warm up, so I knew I could do the lap time. I got a good start and got in front of both Suzuki boys. I had good pace, then the red flag came out. The second time around, I got a bad start, and got hooked up with (Josh) Herrin, which slowed me up. By the time I shook him off, the top five were up the road. In all, we could have had two DNF’s, so I’m pretty happy.
“Pittsburgh will be good. It was the first track we tested at with the Marelli electronics last Spring and raced there in August, so this will be the most time we’ve had at any particular track that we’re about to race at. I’m looking forward to it.”
More, from a press release issued by Bradley Ward Racing:
Bradley Ward Achieves Career Best MotoAmerica SBK Finish At Road Atlanta
Bradley Ward (57) at speed at Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy Bradley Ward Racing.
Bradley Ward raced to a career best MotoAmerica Superbike race finish of eighth in Saturday’s opening race at Road Atlanta. His run of five consecutive points scoring finishes came to an end on Sunday following a retirement after the British rider ‘cooked’ his clutch.
The weekend itself was positive, Ward making it into Superpole for the first time, qualifying on the third row in eighths, as well as making great starts and running inside the top six on occasion. Race 1 especially showed that the #57 is a fighter and both he and the FLY Racing ADR Motorsports Kawasaki team are confident of two great races at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex this coming weekend.
Bradley Ward: “All in all not a bad weekend at all. I made Superpole for the first time and got to use the qualifying tyre for the first time. I made a good start and hung on to Dave (Anthony) and Cam (Petersen) for a few laps but the heat was brutal. It wasn’t easy so it was a case of survival mode. I had a good battle with Geoff May and finished eighth, which is the best result of my Superbike career. I’m realistic and whilst it’s a good result on paper I wasn’t really satisfied with my lap times. I used Race 1’s tyre for Warm-Up and put in a few decent laps and I was pretty confident for the second race. It was a little bit cooler on Sunday which helped as the temperature and humidity on Saturday was pretty bad. I got a really good jump and was running sixth or seventh before the red flag came out. With us not having a great deal of electronics and with me slipping the clutch a lot, especially at the starts, I burned the clutch out on the restart which meant a retirement from what would have been at least a top ten finish. I tried to nurse it home, but it was fried. Anyway, we have shown that we are making big steps and we only have to wait a few days to race again in Pittsburgh.”
For more information go to bradleywardracing.com
More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.:
SEAN DYLAN KELLY EARNS FIRST AND SECOND AT ROAD ATLANTA
Brea, CA (August 3, 2020) – Once again, Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki reaffirmed their status as paddock powers up and down the class order as the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing championship completed Round 3 of the 2020 season this weekend at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Sean Dylan Kelly’s last lap, last corner pass for victory highlighted the event.Collectively, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki riders accounted for a victory, two runner-ups, a third, two fourths, two fifths, and two sixths across three classes on the sweltering weekend.
Sean Dylan Kelly won a thriller in Supersport Race One on his GSX-R600. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
Sean Dylan Kelly registered the highlight of the weekend, storming to victory in Saturday’s MotoAmerica Supersport contest with an astonishing final corner maneuver to steal away the checkered flag.
Kelly’s downhill pass showed both his skill and the never-give-up style that has earned him his status as one of the top young American racers.
‘SDK’ came back on Sunday and again exploited his superiority on the brakes to secure a runner-up finish to go along with his Saturday win. As a result, the 18-year-old phenom has now guided his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R600 to five consecutive first- or second-place finishes.
“We definitely made a good step up this weekend,” Kelly said. “We’re going in the right direction overall, and we got our first win of the season this weekend. We still have things to work on, but we’ve just got to keep fighting like this. I need to give a huge thank you to the whole M4 ECSTAR Suzuki team for all their hard work.”
Alex Dumas (16) secured his best results of the season in the Stock 1000 class. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
The team’s other supremely talented 18-year-old, Alex Dumas, enjoyed a breakthrough weekend of his own. The 2018 Junior Cup and 2019 Twins Cup champion has instantly proven himself a legitimate contender on a big-bore racebike in 2020. The French Canadian’s continual improvement has seen him go from a seventh-place finish in his Stock 1000 debut, to a fourth in the follow-up, to a maiden podium finish with Saturday’s third, and finally a runner-up finish on Sunday in his latest and most convincing statement performance to date.
Dumas, who led the opening three laps on Sunday and finished just 1.166 seconds short of victory on Sunday, said, “I had a really good start. By the end I had a little bit of brake fade, and I know everybody suffers from it around here. It was playing with my mind a little bit, so I just focused on doing some good laps to finish strong.
“We had a really good weekend and keep getting closer to the win. I’m really looking forward to next weekend.”
Bobby Fong (50) finished just off the podium in Sunday’s Superbike race in Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Superbike squad scooped a pair of top fives in both premier-class races at Road Atlanta, with Elias finishing fourth to Fong’s fifth on Saturday and the two trading positions a day later.
Fong arguably ‘enjoyed’ the more memorable weekend of the two. The reigning MotoAmerica Supersport champion came into the weekend riding high after claiming his maiden Superbike win in the previous round. However, his hopes of repeating that feat took a huge hit when he crashed at high speed in Saturday morning’s free practice.
Despite very much feeling the effects of that fall throughout the weekend, Fong gritted out fifth on Saturday and even challenged for the podium throughout Sunday’s rematch before accepting a hard-earned fourth.
Lucas Silva (23) notched a pair of sixth place finishes in Atlanta. Photo by Brian J. Nelson courtesy Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
Finally, up-and-comer Lucas Silva continued his steady ways, upping his perfect season streak of Supersport top tens with two runs to sixth on the weekend.
The 2020 MotoAmerica will resume next weekend at Pittsburgh International Race Complex at Wampum, Pennsylvania, on August 7-9.
Jonathan Rea (1) leads a World Superbike race Sunday at Jerez. Photo courtesy Dorna. WorldSBK Press Office.
#ESPWorldSBK – Day 3
Redding powers to second victory; Rea only sixth
Ducati secure their first one-two finish in WorldSBK since 2012 as Scott Redding and Chaz Davies claim the top two positions
World Superbike Race Two winner Scott Redding (center), runner-up Chaz Davies (left), and third-place finisher Toprak Razgatlioglu (right) on the podium at Jerez. Photo courtesy Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action at the Pirelli Spanish Round featured thrilling action across the field as Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) claimed his second WorldSBK victory and his sixth consecutive podium in his rookie season; beating teammate Chaz Davies as Ducati claimed their first 1-2 finish since 2012.
The opening laps featured battles across the top six, with Redding making an early move to pass polesitter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the second lap at the right-hander of Turn 1, while Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) fought his way up from 10th to run in the top five in the early stages of the race.
Redding checked out at the front of the field to extend his lead to two seconds to Rea before the Northern Irishman got passed by Redding’s Ducati teammate Davies. The Welshman and Razgatlioglu both were able to get by Rea temporarily before an ambitious move by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) meant Lowes outbraked himself at Turn 6; allowing Rea to move back into third place.
Razgatlioglu eventually got by Rea again and held on to third place while Davies was running in second place, behind teammate Redding with the pair able to hold on to take a Ducati one-two. Davies did start closing the gap as the race entered the second half but Redding responded to extend the gap back out to over two seconds, holding on to take his second WorldSBK victory.
Razgatlioglu held on to claim a podium at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, rebounding from a technical issue in the Tissot Superpole Race, for third place in Race 2; pulling away from Rea and Lowes as they fought with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN). Rinaldi passed Lowes at Turn 5 before setting his sights on five-time Champion Rea, making a move up the inside of the Turn 13 hairpin on Lap 13 on the brakes; moving into fourth place and securing his joint-best WorldSBK finish – which was claimed at Jerez in 2019.
Lowes and Rea came home in fifth and sixth place respectively ahead of Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) in seventh place, the Dutch rider just over a second behind the reigning World Champion. He had a gap of over four seconds to Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), the highest placed Honda rider on the grid in eighth place. Marco Melandri’s (Barni Racing Team) impressive race pace continued to show as he made up 10 places from 19th on the grid to finish ninth.
American rider Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) completed the top 10 with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) the highest placed BMW rider in 11th place, finishing two seconds behind Gerloff. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) finished in 12th, around 10 seconds off his Honda teammate.
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place as he completed the 20-lap race just under a second behind Haslam, and also beating Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) by almost six seconds. Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) picked up the final point available for Race 2, almost pipping Cortese as the pair were separated by two tenths.
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had been running in the lead group during the early stages of the race, but he came off his bike at Turn 13 on Lap 6 to take himself out of contention; the Frenchman eventually being classified in 17th place behind Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team).
Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) was not classified following a crash while Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) suffered from a crash on Lap 6 at Turn 5. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) were both also not classified in Race 2.
Redding’s victory makes him the first British rookie in WorldSBK to achieve six consecutive podiums, while Ducati’s 1-2 was the first since Assen’s Race 1 of 2012, when Sylvain Guintoli took a career-first win, Davide Giugliano took a career-first podium and reigning Champion Carlos Checa was a mighty third. In contrast, Jonathan Rea’s sixth place is the lowest he’s finished a race since Laguna Seca’s Race 1 from 2014, when he was sixth on that day.
P1 Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati):
“That was good. I was a bit more experienced after the races in Phillip Island and Race 1 at Jerez. I’m still a fresh rider here so I need to understand the tyres and the riders. I felt very confident that I could manage the gap a little bit. I managed it pretty well. I saw Chaz coming a little bit when I tried to save the tyres, so I tried to maintain the gap. To be honest, it’s amazing to have two wins, pole position and a second position here. It’s the target of me and the team. Ducati have done a great job to give me a bike that’s able to win races and I hope we can continue those performances because we’re working very hard.”
P2 Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati):
“I’m super happy with second place. A lot of it was done at the start, having the fifth-place grid spot and also not fluffing the start made life a lot easier today. I got away quite well and clean and I was just in the hunt from the beginning. Scott set a really good pace early on, it was a little bit too much for everybody. Then it sort-of levelled out a little bit and I could see Scott running deep, as was I, and it was really hard to pull a tenth here and a tenth there. I think he’d get a bit in one part of the track and I’d get a little bit in another. Overall, I’m really happy. The objective was a couple of podiums this weekend. I only managed one but I’m still very happy with it. It’s good confidence for next week.”
P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team):
“Yes, we are happy because we tried a different set up but it was not good. But we are happy because again, we got a podium and good points. Thanks to my team because they did a very good job this weekend. We are happy and see you in Portimao.”
#ESPWorldSBK at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – Race 2
Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +3.082
Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) +5.472
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) +8.709
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +10.772
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.501
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Wins Spanish Superpole Race
Jonathan Rea (KRT) scored a win and a sixth place in today’s hot and demanding WorldSBK races at Jerez, with fellow KRT rider Alex Lowes finishing seventh and fifth. Rea’s victory came in the ten-lap Tissot-Superpole race.
In the ‘sprint’ race, held at 11.00hrs, Rea made a strong start and the five time champion pushed hard early on to take a victory from Scott Redding by 0.522 seconds. It was his second major success of the 2020 campaign, after taking the equivalent race in Australia in round one.
This Jerez win was a new landmark record of 90 WorldSBK victories for Rea, and his 75th since he joined Kawasaki in 2015.
The final race of the weekend, over 20-laps was led by Jonathan from the start but he was passed by eventual race winner and championship leader Redding on the second lap. Unable to get the drive grip he had hoped for Rea would eventually finish sixth.
Lowes made great strides forward to take seventh place in the Superpole race, battling hard to move through the field in a short and intense contest which he had started from 14th place on the grid.
In the second full distance race Lowes shadowed his team-mate Rea for some time but made his move forward on lap 17 to finish fifth and improve his results through each of the three Jerez points scoring races.
In the championship standings Redding leads with 98, Rea is now second with 74 and Lowes is a close third with 72.
The championship will now move on to Portugal next weekend, for the Portimao round, between 7 and 9 August.
Jonathan Rea (1) leading Alex Lowes (22) and Michael van der Mark (60) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “This morning was very good and I felt that it was my chance to go from the very beginning. I did a 1’40.6 from a standing start which was unbelievable. I had a really good rhythm so I was able to cruise the last few laps and really enjoy the race. In race two it was hard because as soon as I got the bike on its side in turn three and accelerated towards four, it was not pushing the tyre in and going forward. I was frustrated with that. We had the same set-up as we had in the Superpole race and the set-up change from yesterday was minimal, so we need to look at the data. This circuit is the one I feared the most, especially in the high temperatures, so it is not a bad outcome.”
Alex Lowes (22) leading teammate Jonathan Rea (1) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “It has not been an easy weekend for me but in the end we took some points so it was not bad. This weekend was quite difficult because this is the first time for me to ride the Kawasaki in these extreme temperatures. But every race at Jerez I have improved and I am looking forward to Portimao already. In the Superpole race it was good because I started 14th, so to arrive in P7 I had quite a lot of confidence for the final race. I was stronger today but I was bit behind in terms of track time. We will try to improve for next week.”
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 12th and 13th in the Sunday races at his home circuit of Jerez, with Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) scoring two more 14th places today, for valuable points each time. New WorldSBK full time rider Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was 15th and then 18th today. In the points table Cortese is 14th, Fores 15th and Scheib 16th.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha on the WorldSBK Podium Twice in Sunday’s Jerez Races
The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, with Rizla, scored a pair of FIM Superbike World Championship podium finishes on Sunday in Jerez, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu bouncing back from retirement in the Tissot Superpole Race to finish an incredible third in Race 2, while Michael van der Mark had previously made it onto the rostrum in the 10-lap sprint.
Starting fifth for the Superpole Race, Razgatlıoğlu starred on the opening lap and slid his way through to second by Turn 2. As the race settled in, he came under pressure from Scott Redding, but displayed a masterclass in defensive riding, out-braking the Ducati rider on several occasions to maintain second place. However, his efforts were thwarted with just three laps to go following a sensor failure, which saw him retire from the race.
In Race 2, and starting from 10th on the grid due to the Superpole Race DNF, Razgatlıoğlu made another lightning start and sliced his way into the top four by the end of the first lap. The Pata Yamaha rider continued to put pressure on those ahead and battled with Jonathan Rea for the final spot on the podium. By the eighth lap, Razgatlıoğlu made his move inside the top three, which he held until the chequered flag for his fourth podium of the 2020 season.
Needing a strong haul of points following Saturday’s retirement, Van der Mark made a solid start in the Superpole Race to hold onto fourth place. The Dutchman remained within touching distance of the podium paces, benefiting from his teammate’s issue to take his first rostrum of the season. In Race 2, the rising track temperatures saw Van der Mark struggle with grip, eventually finishing just behind Rea in seventh, scoring more important points.
After a difficult return to racing on Saturday, the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team enjoyed their strongest WorldSBK showing yet, with American Garrett Gerloff riding a sublime Superpole Race, climbing from 15th on the grid to finish eighth in only his third championship start. The former MotoAmerica Superbike star impressed again in Race 2, battling some of the series’ most experienced riders to take the chequered flag in 10th.
Teammate Federico Caricasulo bounced back from yesterday’s Race 1 retirement to take a pair of 16th place finishes, with his lack of long run experience in the soaring track temperatures at Jerez meaning the Italian just missed out on points.
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team’s Loris Baz equalled his best result with Yamaha, finishing just off the podium in fourth during the Superpole Race. In the final race at Jerez, the French rider was running amongst the leading group in sixth place, before sliding off into the gravel at Turn 13, dropping him out of points contention.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: DNF, Race 2: P3
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“I had a small crash on the out-lap which was a little bit crazy… but then in the race we had a really good start to be right near the front. 10th to third is really positive and we are happy with the performance of the R1, which allowed me to take a solid amount of points even if we could not quite match the winning pace. I’m looking forward to racing at Portimao next weekend, I know we can go well there, I like the circuit and I believe the Yamaha will too, so hopefully we can have a strong result.”
Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Michael van der Mark – SPRC: P3, Race 2: P7
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“After missing out on the podium in Phillip Island and yesterday, it was good to be back inside the top three for the Superpole Race. I wasn’t really happy with the bike and we tried to sort it out for the second race of the day, but with the conditions being a lot warmer I struggled with the front end, which was not helped by being in a group and the tyre temperature going out of range. We scored some decent points, but now we need to focus on a better result at Portimao. It’s a track I enjoy and I think we’ll be able to challenge at the front.”
Garrett Gerloff (31) leading Tom Sykes (66) at Jerez. Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Garrett Gerloff – SPRC: P8, Race 2: P10
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“I’m happy to be inside the top 10, but I know I have a little bit more in me. I made a few mistakes which cost me a couple of positions. The team and I made a lot of solid progress this weekend, despite not having as much track time as we had in testing. We made some good decisions on the set-up, I felt really confident in the Superpole Race and again in the second one. I’m happy we have Portugal next weekend, so we can carry this momentum and challenge for the top 10 again.”
Federico Caricasulo (64). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Federico Caricasulo – SPRC: P16, Race 2: P16
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“It was not an easy day for me, everything was quite strange. I was very fast on Friday and Saturday morning, but with the hot temperatures I had a big problem trying to stop and turn the bike. We have to try and work to understand what is happening. We made a good step with the lap times this weekend, so hopefully we can move forward in Portimao.”
Loris Baz (76). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Loris Baz – SPRC: P4, Race 2: P17
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team
“The Superpole Race was good, we were always close to the podium. Like yesterday, we were just missing a tenth or so per lap and I couldn’t quite get to the top three. Once I knew it was out of reach I just conserved my position for the second race. I had another good start but the conditions were really difficult. I was sliding a lot and then made a small mistake which took me out of the points. I’m disappointed for the team but we were right there again with the factory guys. We were always there throughout every session and we have to take the positives from the weekend. I’ve always enjoyed Portimao, so I’m looking forward to fighting for a podium again.”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Another comeback for Melandri in race 2. Good vibes with Barni Racing Team
Jerez de la Frontera (SPA), 2 August 2020. The weekend of Marco Melandri at the Jerez circuit – Angel Nieto ended with another positive performance and another great comeback. The Barni Racing Team rider recovered from 19th to 9th position in race 2 after suffering in the Superpole Race due to a sting of a wasp.
The team led by Marco Barnabò is now heading towards Portimao, Portugal – where in a week’s time round 3 of the WorldSBK is scheduled – with 15 points in the pocket and Melandri is twelfth in the Championship.
Under the scorching sun of Jerez Melandri was unable to climb up positions in the Superpole Race, having to fight even against an unexpected event: the sting of a wasp that slipped into his suit at mid-race. The rider from Ravenna finished the the 10-laps race in 18th position.
With this result, the start of race 2 saw him start again from the seventh row of the grid and, once again, Marco was able to overtake several times in the early stages. When he got behind Bautista and Haslam he had to pull up behind them and lost contact with the group ahead of him. The overtaking on the English Honda arrived on lap 10, when Melandri took ninth place, a position he held until the finish line.
Marco Melandri (33). Photo courtesy Barni Racing Team.
Marco Melandri
Superpole Race: P18 – Race 2: P9
“I’m very happy with the results of the two races. In the Superpole Race I thought I could finish better, starting in the top nine would have changed the afternoon race, but we must not forget that it was a test weekend for us. In Superpole Race we tried a solution that didn’t work and then – in the middle of the race – a wasp bit me on the chest, at that moment I lost concentration. The afternoon went well: I was fast at the start but there was a lot of filler on the outside of the first corner and I didn’t gain a lot of positions; I still have some difficulty in overtaking and in fast corners but I think we are starting to understand the way to adapt the bike. I’m happy and motivated because even though I struggled a lot I’m not so far from the front group. I did the whole race close to Bautista and Rea finished six seconds ahead of me in race 2, it’s not bad for me because only two weeks ago I was at home.”
Marco Barnabo, Team Principal
“I’m satisfied with the first weekend, we have done a good job apart from qualifying which has conditioned us a in the two races: starting nineteenth makes everything complicated because it is difficult to recover, everyone is going fast and the race pace is always high. In any case I want to congratulate Marco because as soon as he got on the bike he was already able to keep up with the pace of riders who have been preparing all winter. The fact that makes me even more confident is that we have clear ideas about what we need to improve in order to adapt the bike to his riding and his physique. I am very optimistic for the next race”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
I SUMA, AI SEM, WE GOT IT!
I suma, ai sem, ci siamo, we got it! Two dialects, Piedmontese and Romagna, one language, Italian. This combination has always been the soul of Go Eleven and today is born its most mature fruits. What a race, guys, what a race, a unique emotion to conclude the Andalusian weekend in Jerez!
In the warm up the team tried a different tyre solution than the FP 3 on Saturday morning, to evaluate the different performance with cooler temperatures. The data collected will be important in view of the next races, since both the Superpole Race and Race 2 will take place in a lot different conditions, with hot asphalt.
The Superpole Race starts with the ambition to improve the starting grid for Race 2. The start at the turning off of red lights is not perfect but Michael immediately tries to recover some position. Unfortunately with such a short race it is very difficult to recover and he did not have a great feeling with the Ducati Panigale V4-R, so much so that he could not force the braking. The time lost behind slower riders partially compromised the performance, finishing eleventh. Goal not found and departure from the twelfth place for Race 2.
Race 2 doesn’t need too many words to be described. Starting twelfth, in a few laps with great determination Michael is in eighth position overtaking Bautista and Haslam and the BMW duo. An exhausting chase with the same pace of Scott Redding, from mid-race onwards, led him to get closer and overcome Van Der Mark, Lowes and Johnny Rea. What a battle with the Cannibal; five turns in which the position was exchanged 3 times with braking and lines from heart in throat. Trust me, to watch your bike, to watch Michael battling with the greatest Superbike rider of all time, to pass him and to go away from him is a unique emotion! Fourth position, emblematic performance, first independent Team at the finish line and best overall performance for Go Eleven in the WorldSBK Championship. Is it enough? When you have the pace to stay ahead you can’t be satisfied…it’s a regret we didn’t manage to complete the Ducati hat-trick, we were so close! In Portimao, next weekend, we will try to do even better, to give to all over the world Ducatisti another day to remember!
Michael Rinaldi and Team Go Eleven. Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
Michael Rinaldi (Rider):
“What a race today! We went very fast on the race pace, I have to thank my team for this; we worked well all weekend! A bit of regret because when there are faster track conditions we cannot be so incisive and we had to start in the fourth row and in the Superpole Race we struggled a bit, too. Today’s race was spectacular, I went fast, I came up from behind and I did some good overtakings; I also fought with Rea, it never happened to me, and it’s a beautiful emotion! Let’s improve a little more in Portimao!”
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“I have to say thank you to the whole team, thanks to all the guys and above all super Michael who today made us live a wonderful and exciting race. Rinaldi was the fastest on the track, he recovered from twelfth to fourth place, without taking advantage of retirements or falls in front of him, and if only he had started some position further on the grid we could have seen three Ducati on the podium! We are also very satisfied and happy to have won the ranking of the independent teams, for us it is a very important result, I take the opportunity to thank all our partners, who work every day for this common goal, but we must work to improve our performance with soft tyres and with cooler asphalt temperatures, in such a tight championship it is essential to be ready for all situations and to be able to take advantage of qualifying; when you start back then it is difficult to remount and you stress the tyres more. Amazing ride today Michael, let’s enjoy this moment but from tomorrow we will return to focus on Portimao, where the most difficult part will await us: to confirm the good results of Jerez!”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
Day of mixed feelings for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at Jerez de la Frontera.
Round two of the 2020 FIM Superbike World Championship.
Superpole Race and race two: sixth and eleventh place for Tom Sykes, 13th and DNF for Eugene Laverty.
Third round of the season next weekend at Portimão.
Jerez de la Frontera. It was a day of mixed feelings for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team at Jerez de la Frontera (ESP). The racetrack in the south of Spain hosted round two of the 2020 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK). Tom Sykes (GBR) finished sixth in Sunday morning’s Superpole Race. He then came home eleventh in race two in the afternoon. His team-mate Eugene Laverty (IRL) was 13th in the sprint race in the morning, but retired in race two.
Conditions were hot again at Jerez de la Frontera on Sunday, with ambient temperatures of around 37 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of up to 60 degrees. Sykes started the morning’s Superpole Race from third place on his BMW S 1000 RR. He dropped three positions at the start and fell back into sixth place, before going on to finish in that position after ten laps of racing. Laverty made a quick start, racing through from eleventh into seventh place. He was running eighth at the halfway point, before he lost out in a fiercely-competitive group of riders and eventually crossed the finish line in 13th place.
Sykes and Laverty then started race two from sixth and 13th places on Sunday afternoon. Sykes did not make a great start and conceded a few positions. Over the course of the race, he was unable to make any progress in a packed field and eventually finished eleventh. Laverty once again got off to a good start and climbed into the top-ten. Shortly after that, however, he hit a false neutral when changing gear and came off the track before rejoining the race at the back of the field. He ultimately had to retire in the second half of the race as he was also struggling with a painful blister on his foot.
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team now heads straight to Portimão (POR), where round three of the 2020 WorldSBK season takes place next weekend.
Quotes after race two at Jerez de la Frontera. Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “The day started pretty well. We were able to solve Saturday’s problems and finished the warm-up in decent positions. For the Superpole Race, we chose the harder SC0 tyre and that decision actually worked out quite well. We were very satisfied with Tom’s sixth place, which then was his start position for race two. Although we were able to make improvements with the bike, Eugene still did not get along with it as hoped, so he started race two from further down the grid. Sadly, we couldn’t shine in the second race. Tom was unfortunate in the first corners, which resulted in the loss of many positions that could not be made up during the race. Our pace was simply not good enough. Eugene hit a false neutral in turn thirteen when downshifting, was unable to stop and rode into the gravel. Unfortunately, the race was over for him from that point on. Now we have a week to work hard and analyse the problems and of course hope for significantly better results at Portimão.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It’s been a tough weekend. The Superpole Race for Tom wasn’t too bad to get P6. It was probably the best we could have afforded having opted for the SC0 instead of the SCX. For Eugene, on the other hand, the sprint race did not go to plan. In race two, Tom didn’t get a good start and got boxed in losing a lot of positions, which can happen. He was then in with a pack of riders where he just couldn’t make an impression on them due to major brake problems. The faster guys were five seconds up the road and you can run at their pace but when you’re stuck with riders with stronger motors than you, late on the brakes, it makes your race difficult. Eugene got a great start to his second race and gained around four positions into T1, but his race was short lived after hitting a false neutral and running into the gravel, ultimately ruining his race. He continued the race, however losing 30 seconds and riding with his blistered foot we made the decision to retire the bike. We will debrief with the riders tonight and have a detailed look at where we need to improve the bike for the next round in Portugal, hopefully coming back a lot stronger.”
Tom Sykes (66). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Tom Sykes: “I’m disappointed with today. We worked hard in the hot conditions but unfortunately not had the luck come our way. Yesterday we had some good pace in race one, but we had a technical issue which forced me to pit. Then today in the Superpole race, we opted for a tyre we knew was a harder compound and I think we had a decent race considering the difference in compounds. In race two we suffered more technical restrictions, but there are some positives to take away with us as we are constantly finding new areas to explore on the BMW S 1000 RR. Looking forward, I think we need some luck on our side so we can hopefully get the results that we deserve.”
Eugene Laverty (50). Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Eugene Laverty: “Another tough race today with a really good start. I fought aggressively and made up some positions within the first corners. Unfortunately, by the end of the first lap I got in this false neutral, ran off the track and from that point onwards my race was more or less over. I tried to do some laps to regain positions, but since I was outside the top twenty, I got to quit. So now I am focusing on Portimão, which was always one of my favourite races of the season but this year it’s even more special because it’s my first real home race, as I live just 15 minutes away from the track now. I expect the conditions will be nice and sunny and I am hoping for some strong results as I have won on the Portimao track several times, so let’s see what we do next weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Triumph for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. Scott Redding (P1) and Chaz Davis (P2) on the top steps of the podium in Sunday’s Race 2 in Jerez de la Frontera.
Scott Redding and Chaz Davies celebrated in Parc Ferme after finishing first and second respectively in Race 2 at the Pirelli Spanish Round.
It was a sensational race for Scott Redding who started from second place – after his P2 in the Superpole Race – and attacked Rea immediately in the first lap creating a gap that allowed him to dominate the race up to the chequered flag.
Chaz Davies built his result thanks to a valuable second-row start, following his fifth place in the Superpole Race. The Welshman engaged in a duel with Razgatlioglu on lap three, taking third place and chasing Rea who overtook two laps later. Chaz’s pace was excellent and allowed him to take a wide margin to cross the finish line in P2 easily.
Scott Redding consolidates his leadership in the WorldSBK Championship standings with 98 points. Chaz Davies (57 points) gets closer to the fourth position.
WorldSBK Championship Standing – Top 5
P1 – S. Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 98
P2 – J. Rea (Kawasaki) 74
P3 – A. Lowes (Kawasaki) 72
P4 – T. Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) 66
P5 – C. Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 57
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy of Dorna.
P1 – Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45)
“I’m very excited about this weekend. We had two wins, a pole position and a second place. It’s a great result, and for this, I want to thank the whole Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for putting me in a position to be competitive. The feeling with the bike was great, and I was able to take a good advantage in the first laps. I am very satisfied”.
Chaz Davies (7) leading Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) and a group of riders at Jerez. Photo courtesy Ducati.
P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)
“I’m very happy to be back on the podium. My goal was to fight for the top three positions in all the races, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it. I think the start was a key factor in getting this result. I want to thank my team for the great work they have done on the bike since Friday morning. Now we go to Portimao with great enthusiasm and conviction”.
Stefano Cecconi (Team Principal Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“It’s an extraordinary achievement that rewards our work, especially after such a difficult time for everyone. We are delighted with our riders: Scott has achieved great results in the three races, Chaz has always been very incisive and has finally returned on the podium. It’s been a long time since the last one-two, and this makes us proud. Both Ducati Panigale V4 R bikes went very well, demonstrating the goodness of the project. A big thank you to the whole team and all the guys who work at Borgo Panigale and who have allowed us to be so competitive. Now we have to stay focused and work race by race without overthinking about the final result”.
Cameron Beaubier (1) established an early lead in Superbike Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
BRASELTON, GA (August 2, 2020) – Cameron Beaubier completed a perfect weekend for him and his Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha team at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the four-time defending MotoAmerica Superbike Champion riding to his second victory in two days on another scorching hot day in Northern Georgia.
On Sunday, the HONOS Superbike podium was an exact replica of Saturday’s with Beaubier’s teammate Jake Gagne finishing second and Westby Racing’s Mathew Scholtz third again. It was also the second straight podium sweep for the Yamaha YZF-R1.
For Beaubier it was his fifth win in six races and his seventh career AMA Superbike win at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Additionally, the win was Beaubier’s 43rd career victory in the premier class.
For those who have watched Beaubier since he first started riding a Superbike, it’s obvious that this is as comfortable as he’s ever looked on a motorcycle. And it’s a point he agrees with.
“I definitely feel really good on this thing,” Beaubier said. “It’s confidence-inspiring the way Richard (Stanboli) has the electronics set up and just the way the bike works with me. I’m just really enjoying riding right now. I’m just having fun. I saw Toni (Elias)… he got the holeshot. For a second I thought it was Jake (Gagne). I was like, ‘oh, man. I’ve got to try to get in front of him as quick as I can.’ But it ended up being Toni. I just pinned it up into the second corner and made sure I was leading into the chicane. I knew how fast Jake went this morning. He’s progressed throughout the whole weekend and he’s gotten faster and faster. I knew I just had to put my head down. I know Toni’s pretty hard to pass. I knew he was in second and I just gave everything I had for the first half of the race and then put it in management mode. It was really good. We didn’t change too much on the bike this weekend, but a couple of the small changes just made it more comfortable to ride. As a rider, I’m sure these guys all say the same thing. This track is pretty physical. You could be a foot off going into the chicane or coming down hard on the brakes into the last section and screw up the next three corners. I think that’s just a testament to how comfortable Richard has us on these things. Like Jake said, it’s just good to have three Yamahas up on the podium each day. Looking forward to going to the next one.”
The race was red-flagged early when Danilo Lewis crashed in turn seven. It was restarted shortly thereafter and with similar results. Although he didn’t get the holeshot, Beaubier was at the head of the field when they hit the esses for the first time and he instantly gapped the field with Gagne getting baulked slightly by M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Toni Elias. Soon Gagne was past the Spaniard after passing him around the outside, but he didn’t have the pace of his teammate. Ditto for Scholtz, who also made his way around Elias before trying unsuccessfully to catch Gagne. Both riders, however, ended up closer to the race winner at the conclusion of the race, though Beaubier obviously slowed his pace toward the end.
Gagne cautioned that although he was closer to Beaubier at the finish today, there were reasons why.
“It was a little bit of a shortened race,” Gagne said. “Cam (Beaubier) got off to that lead early. He definitely kind of settled into a nice, comfortable pace. I knew he wasn’t going to be making any mistakes up there. He’s been riding really, really good. I knew Mat (Scholtz) was going to be faster today than he was yesterday. We could see that, like he said, in warmup. He had some more pace, so I knew he was going to be there. I think we all know, at a track like this the start was everything, if we could get up to that top chicane. I was bummed with that restart because me and Cam were running one and two before that restart. At least I could see Cam. He was right there in front of me. Kind of got off to a better jump. Then after that restart I knew we had to get another start. My starts have been good this weekend. One of my best-ever starts. We figured a couple things out. Cam led into the chicane with Toni (Elias) in-between us, so I was like, ‘I know Cam’s just going to take off. He’s going to set sail.’ Luckily, I got by Toni down into turn six on that first lap, but even by then Cam was already setting sail. When I went by Toni around that outside, I was pushing that front all the way in there. I thought he was going to come back underneath me in seven, but luckily I held it. The beginning of the first couple laps were tough after that restart. We kind of didn’t have the brand-new tire bite like we had originally. I was kind of making a couple mistakes. I saw on my pit board, I think it was Mat probably closing the gap a little bit. Like he said, we were going a little bit back and forth, back and forth. Then I kind of tried to smooth myself out and put my points together a little bit towards the end. Hats off to Cam. Hats off to the Yamaha Monster Energy Attack. It’s good to get a Yamaha sweep on the Superbike podium this weekend. And hats off to Mat. He didn’t let it come easy to me. I saw that pit board the whole time and I knew he was right there. Luckily, we got a couple days and we’ll be in Pittsburgh.”
At the finish, Beaubier was 2.5 seconds ahead of Gagne and 6.1 seconds clear of Scholtz, who was pleased with the progress he made from Saturday’s race.
“I got a decent jump off of the line from the second row,” Scholtz said. “Jake (Gagne) passed me early on and I started panicking slightly because I knew they would catch Toni (Elias) fairly quickly. So, I got past Toni around corner seven. Then I think a couple laps after that myself and Jake were going backwards and forwards maybe down to about one to two seconds. Then I think Jake upped his pace and I had nothing for him there. I was kind of sliding around lots. Yesterday I finished third and I wasn’t happy because we were so far back. Today I finished third but I’m actually really happy. We kind of closed the gap up to the two of these guys. Both of them are riding really well. Hopefully at Pittsburgh we can just carry on working hard and just carry on closing the gap to them.”
Fourth place went to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong, the winner of race two at Road America 2 hounding Scholtz for most of the race. He ended up less than a second behind the South African at the finish and 2.4 seconds ahead of his teammate Elias.
OneCure/KWR Ducati’s Kyle Wyman finished sixth, the Ducati Panigale V4 R rider making up for yesterday’s disappointing non-finish after a mechanical issue took him out of the race early. Wyman battled early with Scheibe Racing BMW’s Josh Herrin before pulling away to a comfortable margin of some six seconds.
FLY Racing ADR Motorsports’ David Anthony finished eighth with Altus Motorsports’ Cameron Petersen ninth and Ride HVMC Racing’s Corey Alexander rounding out the top 10.
After three rounds and six races, Beaubier leads Gagne by 19 points, 125-106. Scholtz moves past Fong and into third with 76 points – three more than Fong.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Beaubier, Gagne Bring the Heat with Another 1-2 Finish at Road Atlanta
Cameron Beaubier put on another masterclass performance aboard his Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing R1 in Sunday’s race two, sweeping the MotoAmerica Superbike weekend at Road Atlanta. Jake Gagne scored another runner-up finish to cap off a stellar outing for the team at Round 3 of the championship in Braselton, Georgia.
Beaubier got off to a great start from pole position with his teammate right behind him. The pair started to build a gap on the competition until the red flag came out right before the start of the third lap. On the restart, the defending champ missed the holeshot but was able to make the move inside of his rival into Turn 2. From there on, Beaubier set a blistering pace and went unchallenged for the remainder of the shortened 14-lap race to earn his seventh win at Road Atlanta. The victory helped expand his lead in the championship to 19-points over his teammate.
After the red flag, Gagne didn’t get a repeat of his start either and was back in third. He made the pass for second on the first lap in Turn 6, but unfortunately, his teammate had already checked out in the lead. Undeterred, Gagne put his head down in the hot, demanding conditions and was able to close the gap to 2.5 seconds at the checkered flag and bring home another 1-2 finish for the team.
The Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing team is back in action next weekend, August 7-9, for Round 4 of the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Richard Stanboli – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“It was another great day for the team and the Yamaha R1 at Road Atlanta. We made some small improvements and both Cameron and Jake rode consistently to secure yet another 1-2 finish. Also, congratulations to Matt (Scholtz) and the Westby team for making it another Yamaha R1 sweep. We are looking forward to more of the same at Pittsburgh.”
Cameron Beaubier – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“The weekend couldn’t have gone better with the double along with a Yamaha sweep on both days! The guys had my bike working great all weekend and I was impressed with the times that we could do on race tires. I’m looking forward to lining up next weekend!”
Jake Gagne – Monster Energy Attack Performance Yamaha Racing
“We got off to a great start behind Cam, but unfortunately got caught with a red flag on lap two. On the restart I didn’t get quite the jump and Cam set sail in the lead right from Turn 2. I had to make a close pass on Toni (Elias) on that first lap, but Cam was already really rolling right away. My first few laps weren’t that good but I smoothed it out and got into a pretty nice rhythm. I’m happy to bring home another second at Road Atlanta. We’ve made a lot of progress this weekend so I’m really pumped to get to Pittsburgh next week and continue the fight!”
Escalante Bounces Back, Alexander And Landers Double Up
Action Heats Up At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, GA (August 2, 2020) – HONOS Kawasaki’s Richie Escalante suffered his first loss of the 2020 MotoAmerica Supersport Series on Saturday at the hands of Sean Dylan Kelly. On Sunday, Escalante wanted no part of Kelly and it showed. He battled early, but once he got into the lead he put the hammer down and disappeared into the distance.
For Escalante it was his fifth win in six races. With Kelly winning on Saturday, Escalante’s points lead was cut from 40 to 35 points. On Sunday, he got that margin back to 40 points as the series heads to Pittsburgh International Race Complex this coming weekend.
Both Corey Alexander and Rocco Landers were able to race to perfect weekends, the New Englander and the Oregonian matching their Saturday wins with wins on Sunday in the Stock 1000 and Liqui Moly Junior Cup classes, respectively. Supersport: Escalante Bounces Back
Richie Escalante (54) leading Sean Dylan Kelly (40) during Supersport Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
The three main protagonists from Saturday’s Supersport race one had an encore performance in Sunday’s race two, but this time, the winner was HONOS Kawasaki’s Richie Escalante, who has won five of the six races thus far in the season. Saturday’s winner Sean Dylan Kelly crossed the finish line second on Sunday aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki, and Celtic HSBK Racing Yamaha’s Brandon Paasch was again third.
Also similar to yesterday, the race was a battle in the early laps, with Escalante, Kelly, and Paasch tightly bunched together and going two- and sometimes three-wide into the corners. Each one of the trio led the race at various points, but as the laps wound down, Escalante solidly asserted himself at the front and took the checkers with a gap of more than six seconds. Kelly also stretched his advantage over third-placed Paasch and had a gap of more than seven seconds at the finish line.
“Today, my start was a little bit better but still finished in the first corner in third,” said Escalante. “I’m surprised we ran in the first laps really fast. I take a little bit gap so I said, ‘maybe I go.’ I tried to do my best, then Sean (Kelly) passed me on the brakes. He’s very, very hard right now in the braking. Then I concentrate. I need to pass very quickly when the tires are new. I tried to pass and then had very consistent rhythm. I’m a little bit surprised with my rhythm today. But I’m really happy for my team. HONOS Graves Kawasaki were working yesterday to give me a very good bike today. I’m really happy and ready for Pittsburgh in four days.” Stock 1000: Alexander Likes This Winning Thing
Corey Alexander (23) leads Alex Dumas (16) and Geoff May (54) during Stock 1000 Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
After winning his first-ever MotoAmerica race in Saturday’s Stock 1000 event, Ride HVMC Racing Kawasaki’s Corey Alexander kept his winning ways going and won again on Sunday. The New Yorker finished a little over a second ahead of rapidly rising youngster Alex Dumas, who finished second aboard his M4 ECSTAR Suzuki. Third place went to local Georgia rider and former factory Superbike and World Superbike competitor Geoff May.
The beginning of the race looked like it would be dominated by Altus Motorsports Tucker Hagerty rider Cameron Petersen, but as was the case in Saturday’s race one, a technical issue took Petersen out of first place and eventually out of the race altogether, even though he did rejoin to ultimately finish 18th and two laps down.
“Obviously, every weekend you come into you want to win,” Alexander said. “That’s why we do this. If we didn’t think we could win, we wouldn’t be here. I didn’t expect to have it go this well, though. We made a lot of changes between Road America and this round to just make the bike work a little bit better for me. I have to give a special shout out to Evol Technologies. They sent me a set of rearsets because we were struggling with some shifting issues and ultimately that made a big difference for us. So, thanks to Steve from Evol for sending those to us. Honestly, that was probably the biggest thing. You can imagine how difficult it is when you’re coming off of a 170-mile an hour straightaway and not really sure if you’re in the right gear. So having that out of my mind kind of just let me focus on chassis stuff and making the bike better. Going into today’s race, I was talking to our riding coach Jason Pridmore about just kind of the pressure I was putting on myself because I really wanted to go out and do it again. I felt like yesterday was good, but I know Cam (Petersen) had that brake issue. I just wanted to beat him straight up. I’m not sure what happened to him. It’s a bummer for sure. I thought we were going to have a tough race today with him. Hats off to Alex (Dumas). It’s really cool. We’ve been riding together since he was really young, so to see him up here with me is a little surreal. It makes me feel old. Kind of probably like Geoff (May). It’s funny how it works. Hats off to these guys, especially Geoff, as well. It’s crazy in this heat and to be able to maintain this level for so long over such a long career. Hopefully we’ll see him in some more races. Otherwise, I want to say hello to my Uncle Richie (Alexander). Wish he could be here. Thanks to all of our team, Graves Motorsports, Iconic Motorbike Auctions, Maxima Racing Oils, Arai Helmets, Tucker, Alpinestars, everybody. I do everything myself. Just like Jeff said, I work. I don’t do mortgages, but I do bike loans all week. Finance. So, we’re selling a lot of Kawasaki’s back home, and it’s great for our industry and for the dealership back home, Hudson Valley Motorcycles. Overall, just got to be happy. Thanks everybody. Thanks to MotoAmerica. Thanks to all the fans for watching and coming out and having a good weekend. I hope everyone is staying safe.” Liqui Moly Junior Cup: Landers Doubles Up
Rocco Landers (1) leads early in Junior Cup Race Two. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
In Sunday’s Liqui Moly Junior Cup race, Saturday’s race winner Rocco Landers did the double and took the checkers again, the Norton Motorsports/Ninja400R/Dr. Farr/Wonder CBD Kawasaki rider crossing the finish line with a just under a five-second advantage over second-place finisher Dominic Doyle aboard his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki. Third place went to Celtic HSBK Racing Kawasaki rider Sam Lochoff.
Landers got the holeshot in Sunday’s race and made a statement from the get-go. The defending class champion was never headed. Doyle and Lochoff, both from South Africa, traded spots a couple of times during the 11-lap contest, but the finishing order settled out as the laps wound down.
When asked about leading from start to finish, Landers said: “I was going to try to put my head down and try to get a good gap. When I looked back on the second lap, I had a little gap over Sam, but I saw Dom was right behind him. I was like, ‘Okay. He’s there. I’m going to have to try to get my head down.’ Then a couple laps later he was back again, and I saw that Dom was actually right in front of Sam and they were closing on me. At that point I was trying to settle some mid-41 lap times just to not run too many risks but actually still doing fast lap times. Then I saw that Sam passed Dom. Then I was like, they’re battling. I might be able to consistently run this pace and stay in front. Then I saw that Dominic got back past him, and he was closing back on me. So, I tried to put my head down and put in some consistent low 41s, high 40s. Tried to stretch out the lead, and it worked out pretty good. Really, I couldn’t ask for a better weekend with how I’ve been feeling. I’m pretty stoked on this weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Jason Aguilar Racing:
Jason Aguilar in the mix again at Road Atlanta, Leaves 4th Overall in points
Jason Aguilar (96). Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Jason Aguilar Racing.
Jason Aguilar added twenty-four points to his MotoAmerica Supersport Championship tally following two hard fought races at Road Atlanta this weekend.
Once again qualifying on the second row, Aguilar was left frustrated by his race one result – he finished fifth and was determined to make amends in Sunday’s second encounter. A great start saw Jason match the leading riders for pace early on before he dropped back to finish a comfortable fourth at the flag.
The results cement the RiderzLaw Yamaha rider in fourth overall in the points standing after the first six races.
The next round takes place this coming weekend at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex.
Jason Aguilar: “I was so disappointed after Race 1 if I’m honest. I got a good start before the red flag, but in the restart, I got caught behind a couple of guys and ended up battling for fourth. The gap to the front guys was already too big by the time I had worked my way through. It was so hot, and I was struggling. I tried to keep Olmedo (Kevin) behind me but I screwed the last corner up and he got me on the line. So far, the worst result of the season and not what I wanted so I was determined to make something happen on Sunday. Race 2 was much better, and I am way happier with how it went. We made a small change and I was a lot more comfortable on the bike. I felt physically better and wasn’t as tired and it showed in our pace. I got a good start, ran down the top three but after half distance the grip from the rear started to drop so I wasn’t able to stay in the fight for the podium. I was trying to keep the pace, but we ended fourth. Compared to how yesterday went I am actually really happy. We scored solid championship points and we go to Pittsburgh next week healthy. Thanks to all my supporters and to the fans at the track – you guys are great!”
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Accessibility
Accessibility modes
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Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 12, 2026
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This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
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Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
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alongside console screenshots of code examples:
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Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
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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
