Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Alessandro Di Mario won restarted MotoAmerica BellissiMoto Twins Cup Race One Saturday at Circuit of The Americas, in Austin, Texas. Riding his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 on Dunlop control tires, the 15-year-old dominated the race, winning the five-lap restart by nearly seven seconds.

Dominic Doyle was the runner-up on his Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha YZF-R7.

Di Mario’s teammate Gus Rodio placed third.

Newly crowned MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion Matthew Chapin rode his BARTCON Racing Suzuki GSX-8R to fourth in his Twins Cup debut.

Sean Ungvarsky rounded out the top five finishers on his Koch Racing Yamaha.

Rocco Landers, the Championship point leader coming into the race, crashed twice. Landers crashed his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R out of second place on lap two of the original start. He was able to remount and continue in spite of missing his right footpeg.

Then on lap three, Rossi Moor suffered an ugly crash on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R that resulted in Moor crawling off the track in need of medical assistance and the red flag coming out.

On the restart, Landers worked his way from 12th on the grid up to third on the first lap, but at the end of lap two, Landers highsided entering the final corner. He walked away from the violent crash and did not finish the race.

As a result of Di Mario’s victory and Landers’ DNF, Di Mario goes from trailing Landers by 19 points to leading the Championship by six points with only Sunday’s race remaining.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Rocco Landers won MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Race One Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide on spec Dunlop tires, Landers took the lead early on the first lap and held on to take his career-first win in the class.

Troy Herfoss pressured Landers to the end, but with the title on the line, Herfoss settled for a close second place on his S&S Indian FTR.

Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara came out on top of a three-way fight for third with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman and defending Champion Hayden Gillim.

Wyman finished fourth, which together with Herfoss’ second place reduced Wyman’s Championship point lead over Herfoss from 14 to seven.

Landers’ teammate Gillim crossed the finish line right behind O’Hara and Wyman in fifth.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Cameron Beaubier won MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Race One Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR on Dunlop Sportmax Slicks, the five-time Champion took the lead on lap 11 of 12 and won the race — his fifth of the season — by 1.830 seconds.

Josh Herrin led from the start on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, but late in the race he suffered a big front-end slide that caused him to adjust his pace and settle for second place. That adjustment, however, allowed him to come away with a larger 54-point lead in the Championship standings.

In spite of sitting out with injuries since the opening round of the 2024 season, not being able to train normally, and getting a bad start, Richie Escalante was able to come through the field and score third place on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.

Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz passed Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach late in the race to get fourth.

After getting a strong start, Beach crossed the finish line in fifth.

Bobby Fong also got a good start on his Wrench Motorcycles Yamaha and converted it into a sixth-place finish.

Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch came home seventh.

Ashton Yates took eighth overall — and the Superbike Cup victory — on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

Danilo Lewis took ninth on his Team Brazil BMW.

Benjamin Smith rounded out the top 10 finishers on his new FLO4LAW Racing Yamaha Superbike.

Cameron Petersen’s problems from Qualifying Two followed him into the race and led to him finishing 11th on his Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha.

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

Beaubier Wins, But Herrin Still Controls Championship Chase

Cameron Beaubier Wins At Circuit Of The Americas, Josh Herrin Leads Championship By 55 Points After Finishing Second

AUSTIN, TX (September 14, 2024) – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier kept his slender championship hopes alive with a win in the first of three Steel Commander Superbike races at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion catching and passing runaway championship leader Josh Herrin in the closing laps of the 12-lap race on a brutally hot Saturday in Austin.

The win was the fifth of the season for Beaubier and the 64th of his Superbike career, and it moved him into second in the 2024 Steel Commander Superbike Championship – 55 points behind Herrin with four races left in the series (two tomorrow at COTA and the final two in a few weeks at New Jersey Motorsports Park).

Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Herrin did most of the leading, putting his Fast By Ferracci liveried Panigale V4 R out front for 10 of the 12 laps, but it was Beaubier leading the two that counted most to take five points away from Herrin.

In the early going, it looked to be fairly smooth sailing for Herrin as he led EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly and Beaubier. It got a bit easier when Beaubier nearly ran into the back of Kelly.

Beaubier was right behind Kelly when the Floridian’s BMW gave up the ghost and the Californian was fortunate to not rear-end him. That gave Herrin a bit of a gap that Beaubier was able to whittle away at. He was helped by Herrin losing the front and almost crashing, a moment that caused Herrin to re-think things and ease up, if only by a little.

Beaubier crossed the line 1.8 seconds ahead of Herrin, who in turn was 4.3 seconds ahead of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante with the Mexican fighting back from a poor start. Escalante was in just his second race back from the serious injuries he suffered in the season opener at Road Atlanta.

Fourth place went to Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz, the Frenchman also recovering from a bad start. He was some 10 seconds behind Escalante and 1.3 seconds ahead of Beaubier’s teammate JD Beach, who rounded out the top five.

Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong was sixth, well clear of Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Brandon Paasch with Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, Team Brazil’s Danilo Lewis and FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith filling the top 10.

Notable non-finishers included Kelly (mechanical), and Xavi Forés, who crashed his Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing YZF-R1.

Superbike Race 1

1. Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
2. Josh Herrin (Ducati)
3. Richie Escalante (Suzuki)
4. Loris Baz (Ducati)
5. JD Beach (BMW)
6. Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
7. Brandon Paasch (Suzuki)
8. Ashton Yates (Honda)
9. Danilo Lewis (BMW)
10. Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)

Quotes

Richie Escalante – Third

“Yes, I’m really happy to finish on the podium. This year my goal is just back to finish the season, race Ohio, this weekend, and New Jersey, then thinking for next year. I feel really good here. For some reason, the Suzuki is working very well in this track. I like it. So today, I forgot to press the button to the launch control, so my start is very bad. I think in turn one maybe P9, P10. Then I just recovered positions. After that, I just maintained my pace. I’m really happy to finish in the podium, especially behind Cam Beaubier and Josh Herrin, super champs. Really, really happy.”

Josh Herrin – Second

After the front tuck, I just kind of reevaluated a little bit. Obviously, I still was trying to win the race. It’s not like I just gave up. I just was like, ‘all right, maybe I’m pushing a little too hard.’ So, I started kind of easing up a little bit on the brakes. Probably wasn’t the best idea. I probably was just off-line or had a little bit too much brake pressure or too much lean angle and just had a moment and let it kind of spook me for the rest of the race, which isn’t good. To come out here with a second place, I’m happy. It’s hard to be happy because I’ve had such a good run of race wins and fighting for the lead and stuff, that now you want to win. Once you get a taste of not just one but two or three, it starts to eat at you when you can’t win. It was a difficult race. It’s super-hot out there. When Cam (Beaubier) came by me, I saw him make a couple mistakes. It seemed like he was having the same issues I was, just lack of grip and it was hot, everything was greasy. I thought about it for a sec, trying to cut back under him. I think he ran wide off the back straight or somewhere. I just started thinking a little too much, but I think it was probably a good thing because we have a healthy lead, and I don’t want to be dumb out there. I looked bummed on the podium but was really happy. Just super-hot and wanted to get out of the sun and prepare for tomorrow. Thank you to my whole team. Excited to come back out tomorrow.”

Cameron Beaubier – Winner

“I was really close to SDK. I almost ran right into the back of him. Even before that, the first couple laps when I had first passed (Josh) Herrin, I was going before the long right-hander. I must have barely touched my shifter. It wasn’t a false neutral. I just clicked it into second on the side of the tire and just had nothing. Luckily, they didn’t run into me there. So, Josh and SDK got by me there. Then after that, I just tried to kind of settle in and build into the race and not go too crazy at the beginning. I think for all of us, it was pretty greasy out there. The track temperature… I don’t know exactly what it was, but it was super-hot, super greasy. Sliding around front, rear. I definitely felt better in practice yesterday and this morning, grip-wise. The race kind of came to me a little bit. Josh had a good pace going there in the middle after I almost ran into SDK. It was pretty tough to close in on him without doing anything too crazy. Then there at the end, I wanted to make a good pass on him and put my head down and see if I could pull something and we were able to do it today. But honestly, I think obviously he settled. It would have been maybe a different story if he kept his head down. But he’s got a lot to lose right now. He’s 55, 60 points out in the lead, points-wise. He’s had a great year. It’s good. Going to go back and see what we can improve tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be tough. It was hot and sticky today.” 

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Petersen Rides to 11th in Superbike Race 1 at COTA

Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen finishes 11th in a challenging start to the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader in Texas

MARIETTA, Ga. –  September 14, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Cameron Petersen overcame adversity to score an 11th-place finish in the opening race of the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Filling in for Jake Gagne, Xavi Forés unfortunately crashed in the challenging conditions and withdrew from the race. 

Riders were met with high temperatures at the penultimate round of the championship, making for tricky conditions on the newly resurfaced 3.4-mile track. It was a challenging beginning to the weekend as Petersen unfortunately had a technical issue in the second qualifying session and was 11th in the combined times. The South African found himself 15th after the opening lap and was struggling with grip, but rode on to cross the line 11th. 

Making his Superbike debut with the team, Forés worked to find his comfort zone on the bike. Despite crashing and missing most of the second qualifying session, the Spaniard qualified sixth to start from the second row of the grid. From there he got a good start in fifth, but ultimately was shuffled to seventh on the second lap. Undeterred, he continued to push and advanced to sixth after the halfway mark, but the competition regained the position. Unfortunately Forés lost the front on the following lap going into Turn 1. He rejoined the race in 16th but ultimately withdrew with damage to the bike from the crash. 

The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team looks to come back swinging tomorrow for MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 and Race 3 of the tripleheader at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. 

Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager

“It was a tough start to the weekend. Xavi crashed, and Cam was struggling with grip. We will come back tomorrow and are confident that we can do better.”

Cameron Petersen – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #45

“It’s been a tough weekend so far, and unfortunately Race 1 wasn’t any better. I’m looking forward to bouncing back tomorrow.”

Xavi Forés – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #34

“It was a tough day. We improved quite a lot from yesterday with our feeling on the bike, but unfortunately I had a crash early in Q2. We had to repair the bike and head out on the Q tire, but I was able to improve my lap times and get on the second row, which I was happy with. I had a good start in the race but I started to not have a good feeling with the tire. I tried to manage it, but in the end, I crashed trying to get close to the top four. Unfortunately, the footpeg came off, and I couldn’t finish the race. Two more to go tomorrow. We are going to do some work overnight with the bike to improve a little bit. Let’s see if we can get closer to the front pack and get the most information possible for Jersey.”

About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.

YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].

Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Jake Lewis won MotoAmerica Supersport Race One Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his Altus Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R750 on Dunlop GSX-R750, Lewis took the lead on the opening lap and held on to win by 2.821 seconds. For Lewis, it was his career-first MotoAmerica Supersport race win.

Young gun Blake Davis came out on top of a multi-rider war for second place on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha YZF-R6.

Corey Alexander overcame issues with the quickshifter on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die + Forming Panigale V2 to score third place.

Tyler Scott finished a close fourth on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki.

Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL’s PJ Jacobsen survived a first-turn tangle with Championship leader Mathew Scholtz to finish fifth.

Immediately after coming together with Jacobsen at the apex of Turn One on the start, Scholtz came together with Martin Cardenas and both riders crashed. 

Scholtz was able to remount his Strack Racing Yamaha and salvage 16th place, but that resulted in him scoring zero points and his Championship lead over Jacobsen going from 25 to 14.

More, from a press release issued by MotoAmerica:

A Day Of Drama On Saturday At Circuit Of The Americas

The Championship Battles Get Closer After A Dramatic Day In Texas

AUSTIN, TX (September 14) – Roughly 30 minutes after taking his first-career Mission King Of The Baggers victory, it all went horribly wrong for Rocco Landers when he crashed out of the BellissiMoto Twins Cup race twice – one he could remount from, the other terminal. And, just like that, his 19-point lead had turned into a six-point deficit with only tomorrow’s final round at Circuit of The Americas left in the Twins Cup season.

The high drama started right away when championship points leader Landers crashed his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki on the second lap while giving chase to Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering’s Alessandro Di Mario. Fortunately, Landers was able to remount and knife his way through the pack to climb to 13th after three laps. Then came the ultimate reprieve as Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Rossi Moor crashed out in a vicious highside that brought out the red flag, thus gifting Landers another crack at it.

But it was more of the same in the five-lap restart as Di Mario took off out front, leading Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle and Landers in the five-lap restart. Then it all went wrong for Landers – again – as he crashed out of third with three laps to go.

The win was 15-year-old Di Mario’s second victory of the year, and his sixth consecutive podium finish… and he’s now in the catbird seat heading into tomorrow’s season-ender for the Twins class.

Di Mario’s teammate Gus Rodio finished fourth with BARTCON Racing’s Mathew Chapin rounding out the top five.

“First of all, I hope Rossi (Moor) is all right,” Di Mario said. “I saw the crash on TV, and it was bad. Rocco (Landers), too. That was a gnarly highside. i just hope they’re all right. I crashed at Barber, and I lost many points, and today was the day I made them up. So, I’m really happy. I just want to thank everybody, the whole team, Kevin, Freddy from home. I didn’t forget you. I love you. My parents. They’ve done everything for me. Thank you. Matt, Chad, Mike, and all my sponsors. HJC, Dainese, Moto Liberty, just everybody. Thank you so much.”

Supersport – More Drama

With everything on the line for Supersport Championship leader Mathew Scholtz and his closest challenger PJ Jacobsen, it was all change in the results of Saturday’s race one at Circuit of The Americas as neither of the two combatants finished on the podium.

The action was hot and heavy from the start as the field of 30 riders funneled into the tricky turn one hairpin. Jacobsen’s Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2 got a little too up-close and personal with Scholtz’s Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6, which resulted in Scholtz and EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Martin Cardenas coming together and causing both Scholtz and Cardenas to crash. Cardenas was unable to continue, but Scholtz remounted his bike in 30th place and spent the remainder of the 11-lap race trying to move into a points-paying position, which he just missed out on by one position at the checkers.

Meanwhile, at the front, Altus Motorsports Suzuki’s Jake Lewis took the lead and held it all the way to the finish line where he notched his first-ever MotoAmerica-era Supersport race win by nearly three seconds over N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha rider Blake Davis in second place. Third place went to Jacobsen’s Rahal Ducati Moto teammate Corey Alexander, who overcame a problem with his bike’s gearshift to complete the podium.

Speaking of Jacobsen, he finished fifth, which enabled him to reduce Scholtz’s Championship lead from 25 points to just 14 with three races left in the season.

“I feel like I could have run with Matthew (Scholtz) or PJ (Jacobsen),” Lewis said. “I don’t know if PJ went down or what. I had good pace in practice. I could do the lap time by myself. I was finally good enough on the brakes. We’ve made a lot of progress the past two weekends. I can really feel the front-end underneath of me. That’s the main thing for me is riding on that front tire. I had good pace and it kind of showed in that race. Once I got to the front, I just kind of put my head down but was riding kind of smart and just plugging laps away. Then, with four to go, I don’t know if they were showing me on the TV or not, but I had a huge moment in the stadium section. The rear just came around. I was modulating the throttle, and the rear snapped around and both feet came off. I scared myself a little bit, and then I kind of looked over to the side and realized I had a big gap. I hadn’t won a Supersport race in a long time, and this was huge for the Altus Motorsports team. So, I just kind of backed it off and hit my lines. Honestly, kind of cruised around the last four laps. This track, I have really good pace, and I didn’t want to do anything stupid. So, I’m just really happy with that ride and proved some people wrong.”

Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – West Gets Closer

Saddlemen/Harley-Davidson’s Cory West came out the best in the two-rider battle for the Mission Super Hooligan National Championship on Saturday at COTA, but he didn’t pull away from S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Tyler O’Hara as much as originally thought.

West led from the start and had O’Hara with him, but O’Hara didn’t waste any time in going to the lead. Then the race changed completely when O’Hara crashed in turn one. The crash altered the complexity of the race as West was wise enough to not put up too much of a fight with both O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss and his own teammate, Jake Lewis. Herfoss and Lewis, meanwhile, went at it at the front with O’Hara up and racing again and making big strides into the top 10.

At the finish it was Herfoss beating Lewis by just .434 of a second with West third, by 1.659 of a second. It was Herfoss second win of the season and the first since Daytona back in March.

Then came a pair of S&S/Indian Motorcycle FTR1200s ridden by Jeremy McWilliams and O’Hara, who had somehow fought his way up to fifth to score 11 points and keep his championship hopes alive.

With just tomorrow’s race remaining in the championship, West leads O’Hara by nine points.

“It was such a good race, and to hear that Tyler (O’Hara) somehow picked that bike up and finished fifth in a completely dry race, that’s scary for tomorrow,” Herfoss said. “I don’t want to be racing against him. Anyway, it’s still alive. When he went down, I thought it (the championship) was all over. Then I had to try and catch Cory (West) rather than letting that race happen. Cory was going so fast. I didn’t understand how to catch him. I had to use Jake (Lewis) to learn a bit about how and use that slipstream once we got there. Jake is such an old-school rider. He definitely understands that the fastest guy doesn’t always win. It’s about staying in front. There were some fun moves there. I hope he enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. I’ve been wanting to race him all year and he’s been too fast on me. I’m really happy to be here. Thanks to Indian Motorcycle. It’s my second win on the FTR1200 and we’re here. Mission Foods, Progressive, S&S Cycle. There’s so many great supporters of ours. I owe them a few more wins on this bike, so I’m happy to get one. I’m extra happy that Tyler is still in the championship fight.”

Mission King Of The Baggers – Landers Gets His First

RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers has showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season of Mission King Of The Baggers racing. On Saturday at COTA, Landers was able to coral that speed and talent and turn it into his first victory on the big V-twin.

Earlier in the year, Herfoss reaped praise on the 19-year-old, calling Landers “an ambitious young fellow.” Fittingly, it was Herfoss who lost out in a race-long battle with Landers.

Although Herfoss doesn’t enjoy losing, he did enjoy cutting Harley-Davidson Factory Racing rider Kyle Wyman’s championship points lead in half, from 14 points to just seven. Herfoss goes into tomorrow’s race two trailing Wyman, 295-288.

Third place went to Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara who rode hard to help his fellow S&S/Indian Motorcycle squad mate by keeping Wyman and RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Hayden Gillim, who rounded out the top five finishers. 

More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:

CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS RACE 1

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 | QUALIFYING 2 & RACE 1

The Rahal Ducati Moto team started off the day by putting together faster lap times in Qualifying 2, resulting in Kayla Yaakov and Corey Alexander advancing their starting positions, and PJ Jacobsen remaining on the front row for the start of Race 1.

The first lap of the race saw championship leader Mathew Scholtz and Martin Cardenas make contact and hit the pavement. With the field able to avoid a red flag, this gave Jacobsen, who currently sits second in the championship, the ability to collect maximum points and close the gap heading into the final three races of the season. Despite suffering issues with his tire, Jacobsen battled with Blake Davis and Tyler Scott for most of the race before ultimately finishing fifth.

Corey Alexander collected another podium after mechanical issues forced the No. 23 Roller Die + Forming Ducati to retire early at the most recent rounds of Supersport competion at Mid-Ohio. The rebound helped push Alexander up two positions in the championship and records his third podium finish of the year.

After starting from the fourth row, Yaakov was caught behind the collision between Scholtz and Cardenas, which set her into the pack of riders who didn’t have as much pace as the No. 19 XPEL Ducati, but were harder to pass. Kayla settled for an 11th-place finishing position, one spot ahead of where she started.

Another eventful day at Circuit of The Americas will begin tomorrow with a morning warm-up session followed by Race 2 at 3:10 pm EST, as Jacobsen continues to battle for the championship.

PJ JACOBSEN

No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 3rd

FINISHED: 5th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (290 pts)

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a very difficult race. I’m pretty disappointed as I had practically no grip for the entire race, so I struggled. The incident that happened in Turn 1 put me on the back foot. It was hard to make that time up, and to get fifth isn’t ideal. We got some points in the championship hunt, but honestly it was our shot to grab the most points possible and we didn’t succeed in that. We need to go back to the drawing board tonight and figure out how to win tomorrow.”

COREY ALEXANDER

No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 5th

FINISHED: 3rd

CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th (120 pts)

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a really good race for us, and we’re excited to be back on the podium with a running bike. I have to thank the team for getting the Roller Die + Forming bike back in racing condition between rounds. We had a great start and felt great during the race. We made good changes between Q2 and Race 1, which was a good decision. Ultimately, we had a small issue with the shifter that caused me to run wide, so we had to fight our way back through the pack to get the podium. We had the pace to win that one had that not happened. We’ll go in tomorrow knowing our issue with the shifter and going for another step or two on the podium.”

KAYLA YAAKOV

No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2

STARTED: 12th

FINISHED: 11th

CHAMPIONSHIP: 8th (116 pts)

WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “We made a big step in Q2 today, which was really positive. I’m glad that the team is working in the right direction. Going into the race I was confident but didn’t get the start I wanted. We ran out of luck on that first lap and had a couple riders crash in front of me on their bikes, so I had no where to go. I lost a lot of positions, which put me around riders who were at a slower pace and harder to pass. I tried my best – it’s not the position I want to finish in, but we have something tomorrow with the setup and within me. Hopefully we can battle for a top five tomorrow. ”

BEN SPIES

TEAM PRINCIPAL

WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a pretty good Saturday for us. I would’ve liked to capitalize a little more, points-wise, with Scholtz not having a good race. PJ rode as hard as he could, though he had a little bit of an issue with rear tire grip in that race. Corey rode really well too. He fought through a small electronic gremlin with the bike and was able to still finish third. Kayla had a very strong race. All in all, it was a good Saturday for us, but we will try to bounce back for Race 2 tomorrow.” 

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Troy Herfoss won MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan Race One Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian FTR on Dunlop control tires, the Australian won the six-lap race by 0.434 second.

Jake Lewis, riding his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, battled Herfoss to the very end but came up just short in second place.

Lewis’ teammate Cory West, the Championship point leader, held the lead early in the race but rode conservatively to finish third.

Tyler O’Hara, West’s primary title rival, crashed on lap two, remounted his S&S Indian FTR, and was able to salvage a fifth-place finish.

After Race One, West’s lead in the Championship was nine points over O’Hara.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Troy Herfoss won the MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Challenge dash for cash Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian Challenger on Dunlop tires, the Australian won the two-lap sprint by 1.162 seconds, earning the $5,000 grand prize.

Defending Champion Hayden Gillim was the runner-up on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide.

Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara was a close third.

Precision Track Days brings you the results of this weekend’s events.

Revving Up the Track Day Experience with Precision Track Day!

We’re redefining your motorcycle track day experience! By showing an understanding that every rider has unique needs and deserves a meticulously crafted track day atmosphere. Join us at our next event, where every twist and turn is a chance to outdo yourself, supported by a team fiercely committed to your growth, safety, and passion for riding. Because track days should be more than just riding – they should be a holistic experience that fuels your love for the sport!

Troy Herfoss earned pole position during MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers qualifying Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian Challenger on Dunlop control tires, the reigning Australian Superbike Champion lapped the 3.4-mile, 20-turn track in 2:13.709. Not only did that beat the rest of the field, it also beat Rocco Landers’ one-day-old All-Time Lap Record of 2:14.779.

Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara was second-best with a 2:14.738.

Landers was unable to improve on the time he did on his RevZilla/Motul/Harley-Davidson Road Glide on Friday, but that 2:14.779 was good enough to get him the third and final spot on the front row of the grid.

Landers’ teammate Hayden Gillim, the defending Champion, was fourth with a 2:14.858.

Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman, the current Championship point leader, qualified fifth with a 2:14.913.

Wyman’s teammate James Rispoli did a sixth-fastest 2:15.164.