Independence Day AFT Singles Doubleheader for New York Short Track
AFT Singles will compete Friday evening in addition to Saturday’s full AFT race program
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – American Flat Track announced today an Independence Day weekend of epic proportions. Its 2020 New York Short Track event at Weedsport Speedway will include Friday night AFT Singles racing, camping, pre-party and Fourth of July fun for the entire family.
The weekend will kick off with a Friday night event to include the ever-exciting AFT Singles class as well as amateur races as part of the Flat Track Futures series. The Friday festivities will include a fan zone with activities for children and an open paddock hour where fans can meet their favorite athletes. Tickets to the Friday night event will be $15 and can be purchased at www.americanflattrack.com.
Saturday’s program will feature the AFT Singles once again, but joined by the AFT Production Twins and premier AFT SuperTwins classes for its third year of bar-to-bar high-speed New York Short Track action. This year’s event will include even more vendors, a revamped Kids Zone and live music to keep the Independence Day crowd entertained into the evening.
Camping will once again be available for fans looking to bring family and friends down for a real party weekend at the races.
A variety of ticketing options are now available for the 2020 New York Short Track weekend, including the lowest price for advanced Saturday General Admission ever: just $25. Saturday’s event will have Trackside Seating with all-day Paddock Access allowing the most-immersive fan experience. For the premium viewing option, fans are encouraged to check out the VIP Experience including food, beverage and access to an exclusive observation deck outside Turn 4 of the racetrack. Furthermore, all VIP passholders have all-day paddock access included with admission. Explore all the options and customize your Independence Day race weekend at www.americanflattrack.com.
American Flat Track will kick off its highly-anticipated 2020 season with the first-ever DAYTONA 200 and DAYTONA TT Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. It all kicks off at the peak of Daytona Bike Week on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Tickets start at just $35 online and are available for purchase now at www.americanflattrack.com.
For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com.
To get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise visit www.americanflattracker.com.
How to Watch:
NBCSN and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2020 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT remains in highly-coveted programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn/. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold – the most-robust motorsports offering in the digital marketplace – is a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event and maintaining an active archive of all AFT content.
About American Flat Track:
American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.
Pirelli is Chosen as Original Equipment for the Most Powerful New Naked Production Machines Alongside Key New Models Across All Segments of the 2020 Motorcycle Manufacturer Ranges
Seven Pirelli Tires Were Selected by the Most Prestigious Motorcycle Manufacturers as Original Equipment for their Most Exciting New Models that will be Available in Dealerships in the New Year
MILAN, Italy. (December 2019) – Pirelli is again confirmed as the first and natural choice of many motorcycle manufacturers, selecting tires from the Italian brand as original equipment for their upcoming new models of 2020.
The range of seven tires were chosen to equip 34 new models from nine different motorcycle manufacturers: Ducati, MV Agusta, Aprilia, Kawasaki, Triumph, Indian Motorcycle and the electric Energica Motor Company, Zero Motorcycles and Tacita.
The above-mentioned Pirelli tires fitted to the new motorcycle offers were also on display at the recent Milan expo (EICMA) dedicated to the world of two wheels. The selection includes: the supersport focused DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP and DIABLO ROSSO™ CORSA II, the sporty DIABLO ROSSO™ III, the timeless PHANTOM™ Sportscomp, and finally the SCORPION™ Trail II, MT 60™ RS and MT 60™ from the tire family for enduro street and enduro on/off-road use.
Pirelli tires equip all new 2020 models presented by Ducati:
Ducati Streetfighter V4 / V4 S with DIABLO ROSSO™ CORSA II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/60 ZR17 rear
Panigale V2 with DIABLO ROSSO™ CORSA II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/60 ZR17 rear
Panigale V4 / V4 S with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/60 ZR17 rear
Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour with SCORPION™ Trail II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Diavel 1260 “Dark Stealth” / Diavel 1260 S “Ducati Red” with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 240/45 ZR17 rear
Monster 1200 S “Black on Black” with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Scrambler® Icon Dark with MT 60™ RS, 110/80 R18 front and 180/55 R17 rear
MV Agusta also chose Pirelli tires for their new models:
RUSH 1000 with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/55 ZR17 rear
Brutale 1000 RR with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/55 ZR17 rear
Brutale 800 Rosso with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso with SCORPION™ TRAIL II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Superveloce 800 / Superveloce 800 serie oro with DIABLO ROSSO™ Corsa II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Many of the new models presented by Aprilia are equipped with Pirelli tires:
RS 660 with DIABLO ROSSO™ Corsa II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Tuono V4 1100, in the new colors Sachsenring red and Magny-Cours grey, with DIABLO™
ROSSO III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Tuono V4 1100 Factory with DIABLO™ Supercorsa, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
RSV4 RR / RSV4 RR Factory with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/55 ZR17 rear
The ties between Pirelli and Italian motorcycle manufacturers is historically very strong, but the tires of the Milanese brand are also highly appreciated and regularly requested by many other manufacturers such as Kawasaki, Triumph Motorcycles and Indian Motorcycle.
For Kawasaki, Pirelli is original equipment on the new Z H2 with DIABLO ROSSO™ III tires in the sizes 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear.
Also Triumph Motorcycles has announced several new models for 2020 choosing Pirelli tires as original equipment:
Street Triple RS with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Daytona Moto2™ 765 Limited Edition with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Bonneville Bud Ekins T120 and T100 Special Editions with PHANTOM™ Sportscomp, 100/90 – 18 front and 150/70 R17 rear
Another tire much appreciated is the MT 60™ RS, which, precisely for its design and performance, is the original equipment in the sizes 130/90 B16 front and 150/80 B16 rear of the Scout Bobber by Indian Motorcycle.
Pirelli is also the first tire choice of motorcycle manufacturers that exclusively produce electric vehicles, among them Energica Motor Company, Zero Motorcycles and Tacita®.
The Energica Motor Company 2020 motorcycle range has upgraded to a new power unit with a 21.5 kWh lithium polymer battery that improves performance and saves weight. The following models benefit from this improvement:
Ego+ with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Eva Ribelle with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Eva EsseEsse9+ with PHANTOM™ Sportscomp, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
As for the Californian company Zero Motorcycles the following selections were made:
SR/F with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
DSR Black Forest Edition with MT 60™, 110/90 19 front and 130/80 17 rear
Tacita®, another company that decided to focus on electric propulsion, chose Pirelli to equip its motorcycles. Both the T-Cruise Urban and the new T-Cruise Turismo are equipped with DIABLO ROSSO™ III tires in the 120/70 ZR17 front and 160/60 ZR17 rear sizes.
Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School is proud to announce our dates for 2020.
We thank our partners at NCBIKE and Summit Point Motorsports Park for providing us great venues for our friendly staff to teach our riders how to have fun on their motorcycles.
Our coaches teach and ride with you. When the racing bug bites, we offer an accredited Road Racing School to get your racing license.
We also thank Big Un Motorsports for the excellent Dunlop Tire Service, Long Exposures Photos at Summit Point Motorsports Park, Apex Pro Photos at NCBIKE, Absolute Signs of Manassas VA, Roadracing World magazine, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Motorcycle Times, MRP Motorsports suspension tuning, Del Martin Screen Printing and Embroidery, Jam-On Productions, Lizzy Leather Repair and AGV Sport custom leather suits.
It is so nice to know so many nice people!
Have FUN! Learn to ride smooth, safe and fast! Thank You for riding with Motorcycle Xcitement!
Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School 2020 Dates:
4/11 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
4/12 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
5/9 Summit Point Raceway (Main), Summit Point, WV
5/10 Summit Point Raceway (Main), Summit Point, WV
5/31 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Jefferson), Summit Point, WV
6/1 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
6/6 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
6/7 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
7/3 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
7/4 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Shenandoah), Summit Point, WV
7/12Summit Point Motorsports Park (Jefferson), Summit Point, WV
7/13 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
8/30 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Shenandoah), Summit Point, WV
8/31 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
9/26 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
9/27 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
10/11 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Shenandoah), Summit Point, WV
10/12 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
Team ERC Endurance (Ondrej Jezek/Randy De Puniet/Louis Rossi), Duc Panigale V4 R, SBK, 78 laps, -52.416 seconds, 2:24.227
More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events/FIM EWC:
YART YAMAHA CLAIM VICTORY AT 8 HOURS OF SEPANG MAIDEN EDITION
YART – Yamaha (7) leading a group of riders in the rain at Sepang. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.
YART Yamaha took the win ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in Malaysia at the very first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang, which proved to be a nerve-racking race due to very bad weather.
After a delayed start followed by track action being suspended due to heavy rain, the first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang made good on its promise of being an action-packed new FIM Endurance World Championship race. Duels at the front, lead swaps, drama and crashes kept the tension high all through the race on the Malaysian circuit.
YART Yamaha won the day despite an electronics scare in the early stages of the race by steering clear of trouble with Niccolò Canepa as the only Yamaha #7 rider in the saddle throughout the race. The strategy of having a sole fast rider with experience of tricky track conditions in the saddle bore fruit. Broc Parkes and Karel Hanika were however co-credited with the win. “We won it together,” said Niccolò Canepa at the post-race press conference.
YART Yamaha finished ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa, who ran a consistent race in the leading pack with Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi, Thai rider Somkiat Chantra and Indonesian Andi Farid Izdihar. The Japanese team’s cosmopolitan line-up had already done brilliantly in the Top 10 Trial, wresting 2nd place on the starting grid.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team claimed their second podium at the 8 Hours of Sepang with riders Ilya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger after their Bol d’Or podium finish. Kenny Foray sustained an injury in practice and was unable to compete in the race. The Belgian factory-backed team moves up to 2nd place in the FIM EWC provisional standings with a 15-point gap to Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, who maintain the lead obtained after their Bol d’Or win.
Superstock winner just short of the podium
Moto Ain steamed steadily ahead throughout the action-packed race to a fourth-place overall finish and another win in the Superstock class. The French Yamaha-mounted team consolidated their lead in the Endurance World Cup with riders Roberto Rolfo, Robin Mulhauser and Hugo Clère, finishing ahead of both Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Webike SRC Kawasaki France, who struggled in the challenging track conditions.
Moto Ain’s runner-up in the Superstock class was German team GERT56 by GS Yuasa (BMW). Lucy Glöckner, Stefan Kerschbaumer and Pepijn Bijsterbosch finished 14th overall after holding off Japanese team Tone RT Syncedge 4413 BMW until the end. After being delayed by a crash in the early stages, Tomoya Hoshino, Kokoro Atsumi and Takeshi Ishizuka climbed back up to finish their first race outside Japan on the third step of the podium.
Favourites have nerve-racking race
Yamaha Sepang Racing, who dominated qualifying and the early stages of the race, and their chief rival F.C.C. TSR Honda France broke away from the other front-runners to embark on a duel for the lead. A collision involving Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) and Michael van der Mark (Yamaha Sepang Racing) knocked both machines to the ground. After a pit stop, Michael van der Mark returned to the track beyond 40th place. By dint of piling up fastest race laps (including a 2:17.817 by Franco Morbidelli), Yamaha Sepang Racing finished 7th ahead of BMW Sepang Racing, 3ART Moto Team 95 (Yamaha) and Team ERC Endurance, who got their Ducati Panigale into the Top 10.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France returned to the lead after the collision, but lost their chance of a win after Mike di Meglio crashed out with one hour left in the race.
Other teams also had a very tough time of it. Suzuki JEG Kagayama were well placed among the top three but lost a lot of ground due to a mechanical issue. A mechanical problem also led to the downfall of Tecmas BMW GMC, who had performed spectacularly in the early part of the race with rider Camille Hédelin clearly at ease on a wet track.
The Sepang International Circuit will host the FIA WTCR/Oscaro season finale races tomorrow (Sunday).
Next FIM EWC race: the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on 18 and 19 April 2020.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Canepa the Hero of the Hour as YART Yamaha Take Emphatic Win in Sepang
YART – Yamaha (7) in action at Sepang. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.
The YART Yamaha EWC Official Team reignited their championship challenge with an impressive victory in a rain disrupted 8 Hours of Sepang race, the second round of the 2019/2020 Endurance World Championship. The Yamaha Sepang Racing Team were leading the restarted race in the early stages, until Mike Di Meglio collided with the rear of Michael van der Mark’s Yamaha R1 in the final corner, causing both to crash. After losing almost 10 minutes in the pits for repairs, the team fought their way back impressively to eventually finish in the points in seventh position.
In scenes reminiscent of the opening round of the season at the Bol d’Or, the start of the inaugural 8 Hours of Sepang was delayed for more than two hours due to torrential rain and standing water around the Sepang International Circuit. When the race did finally get underway the riders started behind the safety car, where they remained for just nine laps before deteriorating weather conditions forced race officials to show the red flag and suspend the race.
The weather finally improved enough to get the race restarted with three hours remaining on the clock and it was van der Mark and Di Meglio who made the early running at the front, until a mistake by the Frenchman in the final corner saw him collide with the Yamaha rider, causing both to crash. While di Meglio was able to continue, van der Mark was thrown over the highside and was forced to return to the pit box for repairs, losing almost 10 minutes in the process.
In the meantime, Niccolò Canepa was busy fighting his way back through the field, after an electrical problem dropped the YART Yamaha rider back to 26th position on the opening lap. In difficult conditions, with grip still at a premium on the wet track and with no electronic rider aids for most of his first stint due to a technical issue, the Italian’s progress towards the front of the race was relentless.
Canepa took the race lead after the first round of pit stops, but was overhauled by di Meglio shortly afterwards, only for the Frenchman to crash for a second time, leaving the YART Yamaha rider clear at the front of the race, with a significant advantage over his pursuers.
At the second and final pit stop, with just 30 minutes of the foreshortened race remaining, the YART Yamaha team opted to leave Canepa on the bike for a third stint, rather than send out one of his teammates in what were rapidly changing conditions. It proved to be a wise decision, with Canepa witnessing a number of crashes in his final laps, as his fresher rivals were caught out by the unpredictable track surface.
After three hours of racing, in what were treacherous conditions, and without making a single mistake, Canepa crossed the line to secure his and YART Yamaha’s first win of the season. The victory places YART Yamaha fourth in the championship standings with 43 points, 36 points behind the series leaders.
The final third of the race also proved pivotal for Yamaha Sepang Racing. Having lost a lot of time as a result of the crash in the opening stages, van der Mark’s speed and consistency saw him recover a significant number of places during his two stints on the #21 Yamaha R1, which he handed over to Franco Morbidelli at the final pit stop. The MotoGP rider joined the race outside the top 15 but went on to thrill the crowd with a spectacular display of riding, as he scythed his way through the field to eventually claim an incredible seventh-place finish at the chequered flag.
The Moto Ain Yamaha World Cup Supported Team made it a double celebration for Yamaha in Malaysia, as Roby Rolfo, Robin Mulhauser and Hugo Clere maintained their 100 percent record in the 2019/2020 championship with another SST class win, to add to their previous victory at the Bol d’Or. They finished fourth overall in today’s 8 Hours of Sepang race, missing out on the final podium place by only the narrowest of margins.
Niccolò Canepa
YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I’m incredibly happy with win here in Sepang, as it started as a difficult week, especially with the injury to Marvin. Luckily Karel was able to step in as a replacement at the last minute. I was feeling good at the start of the race but, after only a couple of laps, the bike switched off and when it came back on it was with no traction control or any electronics. That made things very difficult, but I managed to come back from P20 to P1 at the end of my first stint, which I was supper happy about. When the safety car came out, I switched the bike off and on and everything started to work as it should once again. At both pit stops Mandy asked me if I wanted to continue and both times I said yes, although I did take a bit of persuading at the first stop. I pushed hard throughout the race and, at the end, we took the win. Yes, we were a bit fortunate with the crash, but that’s part of the game in endurance racing, as we’ve found out to our cost in other races. So, I’m super, super happy and I’d like to say a big thank you to my team and especially my teammates, as we race and win together. The win means we’re back in the championship and now we need to focus on repeating this success at the next race, the 24 hours of Le Mans.”
Mandy KainzTeam Manager, YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Obviously we are happy with our first win of the season, especially after what had initially been a difficult week for us here in Malaysia and one overshadowed by Marvin’s injury. The team and the riders didn’t let these difficulties defeat them, but instead worked hard to ensure we were well prepared for what turned out to be a very difficult race. It was shorter than expected because of the weather, but no less exhausting for that. We had a problem with the bike in the early stages of the race, but Niccolò did an incredible job to fight his way through to the front in difficult conditions and without any electronic rider aids. At the first pit stop it was tight at the front of the race, so we decided to keep Niccolò on the bike, rather than lose time while Karel got used to the conditions. We made the same decision at the final pit stop, opting to stick with Niccolò rather than putting Broc on the bike for the final 30 minutes on a damp but drying track. It was the correct decision and it paid dividends for us in the end. So, thanks to the team and the riders for a fantastic job; this win puts us back in the game as far as the championship is concerned. Finally, I wish Marvin a speedy recovery and I look forward to seeing him back on the bike, and hopefully on the podium, in Le Mans.”
Michael van der Mark
Yamaha Sepang Racing Team
“It was a weird 8 Hours of Sepang, but when we did finally get to race the conditions were good. I had a good feeling with the bike and a strong pace from the start, so when I got passed for the lead I decided to sit in behind and follow rather than take any risks. My plan was to retake the lead when we hit traffic. I’m not sure what Di Meglio’s plan was with the pass at the final corner, but it didn’t work, and it ended for me with a massive highside that let me badly winded. The team did an amazing job to get the bike back on track and I was quick to rediscover my rhythm so, apart from the position, I enjoyed the race. When Franco took over the bike for the last stint, we could see he had really good pace, but we were still surprised to finish as high as seventh. Massive thanks to the team, who worked so hard for us this weekend, and also to Franco and Hafizh, who I really enjoyed racing with.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
FIM EWC: BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team finishes on the podium in Sepang.
“Sepang 8 Hours” reduced to three hours due to heavy rain.
Ilya Mikhalchik and Markus Reiterberger finish in third place with the #37 BMW S 1000 RR.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in second place in World Championship after two races.
Ilya Mikhalchik (37) on the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team machine leading the Tecmas BMW GMC entry (9). Photo courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Sepang. Second race, second podium for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC): Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Markus Reiterberger (GER) secured third place at the “Sepang 8 Hours” (MAS) with the #37 BMW S 1000 RR. Heavy rain forced Saturday’s race at the “Sepang International Circuit” to be reduced from eight to three hours. The newly established BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is in second place in the overall standings of the World Championship after two races of the season.
Team manager Werner Daemen’s (BEL) team qualified in fifth for the second round of the 2019/20 season of the FIM EWC. Mikhalchik and Reiterberger took it in turns on the saddle of the #37 RR. Their team-mate Kenny Foray (FRA) injured himself when he fell during a practice session on Wednesday, and was unable to take part in the remainder of the race weekend.
The race in Sepang turned into a test of patience for everyone involved. The race was scheduled to start at 13:00 local time, but hours of heavy rain made it impossible to stick to the published schedule. The race started later than planned and behind the safety car, but was red-flagged after just a few laps. The conditions only improved at around 18:00 local time, enabling the race to be completed with a reduced duration of around three hours.
Mikhalchik and Reiterberger initially rode in fifth place, but a flawless performance saw them move up into third place during the course of the race. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team maintained this podium position down to the finish line.
Privateer team BMW Sepang Racing finished in eighth place. Azlan Shah Kamarazuman (MAS), Adam Norrodin (MAS) and Julien Da Costa (FRA) took it in turns on the saddle of the #48 BMW S 1000 RR. Two BMW teams secured spots on the podium in the Superstock class. Second place went to GERT56 by GS YUASA with Stefan Kerschbaumer (AUT), Lucy Glöckner (GER) and Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NED). The #56 RR finished in 14th place in the overall rankings. Hoshino Tomoya, Kokoro Atsumi and Takeshi Ishizuka (all JPN) finished third in the Superstock class on the #80 RR of TONE RT SYNCEDGE 4413 BMW (15th overall).
The third round of the FIM EWC 2019/20 is scheduled for 18th/19th April 2020: the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).
Quotes after the “Sepang 8 Hours”
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “The second podium in our second race in the FIM EWC – this is a fantastic result for our new BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. We couldn’t have necessarily expected this as newcomers in this highly competitive World Championship. The team and our riders Ilya and Markus weren’t distracted by the adverse conditions. They did yet another fantastic, flawless job on the track and in the pit. On this occasion, I also want to send a get well soon message to Kenny, who surely will be back with us soon. Of course, we would have liked to get more riding in to gain more experience in race conditions with our RR, but it wasn’t possible in this weather. Now we will keep focussing on preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Congratulations go to our BMW customer teams as well, who also got strong results with their RR.”
Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “I’m a very proud team manager today. It’s a shame that Kenny wasn’t able to take part, but Ilya and Markus did a really great job as a duo. The conditions on the wet track were very treacherous, and the day wasn’t easy overall. But the whole team did a really great job. And the pit stops were world class. Now we’re hoping for a similarly strong result in the next race in Le Mans.”
Ilya Mikhalchik: “First of all I want to say get well soon to our third rider Kenny, who unfortunately got injured in practice, and I hope that we will be back together soon, because it’s a team sport and it’s important to have the entire team together. Overall I’m, of course, really happy with the race. We have been strong in all conditions. At the beginning of the race, there was a lot of water on the track and I think that everyone was a bit scared of that. But everyone adapted and, while it was difficult in the early stages, it became better with every lap. Also the grip was there then. We did not quite have the pace of the winners, but we were very constant on every lap and this was important. I could have pushed more, but it was risky and it was our strategy to ride more consistently. This paid off, this was our target and we did our job. We are very happy to be on the podium and thanks a lot to my team. We did this together.”
Markus Reiterberger: “I am really happy to be back in endurance racing. It was a pity that Kenny was injured and I wish him a speedy recovery. We had to do today’s race with two riders. In the end it was only three hours. We decided that Ilya would ride at the start and he did a really good job. I’m really happy with how qualifying and the race went. I still had to adapt to the Dunlop tyres that were new for me, but the team did a really good job and I felt very comfortable on the bike. My race pace was not quite as fast as I had hoped for, but in the end it was more important not to crash and to bring home the result. Ilya did a great last stint, we secured third place and I think this is a really good team achievement.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
SUZUKI INCREASES EWC SERIES LEAD AT SEPANG 8 HOURS
SERT: GSX-R1000 – 5th – 1st in Championship.
Gregg Black at speed on the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team GSX-R1000. Photo by David Reygondeau/Good-Shoot.com, courtesy of Team Suzuki Press Office.
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team increased its lead in the 2019-2020 EWC Championship at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia despite treacherous weather conditions that forced the inaugural ‘8 Hours of Sepang’ to be delayed and suspended on safety grounds.
SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Etienne Masson and Gregg Black, however, fought back throughout a shortened race aboard the GSX-R1000 to finish fifth overall and increase their series lead from 12 to 15 points after this second race of the series.
The 50 qualified teams eventually went back on track at 18:00 local time following the safety car for a number of laps for the three remaining hours of the race, but the conditions were still extremely tricky and many teams had issues and crashes during the shortened race.
Black started the race cautiously on a soaking-wet track, but during SERT’s two first stints, the weather improved, allowing Black to find an excellent pace. When Masson took over from Black, the #2 Suzuki had already climbed from 11th to fifth position. The track remained difficult until the end of the race, but the 15-time Endurance World Champions and its technical team did not make any mistakes.
SERT completed a total of 79 laps and took three pit-stops during the event and lead into the next round, the Le Mans 24-Hour, the team’s home race in France on April 18th.
The Sepang race was also a special moment for SERT, which is now managed by Damien Saulnier, as their longest-serving rider Vincent Philippe retired from the team after helping secure 10 of SERT’s world titles.
Damien Saulnier-Team Manager:
“When you are not on the top step of the podium you always wish you had a better place, but for this race with tricky conditions, our goal was a Top-5 and the job has been done. I am satisfied with the work we’ve done during the week while being aware that there is still some more work to do. The team keeps on growing up and everyone works hard. We are also very pleased with Yoshimura’s engineers support.
“I would also like to thank the organiser for this amazing event. Bringing 38 European teams to Malaysia was not an easy task! And last but not least, I would like to say a word for Vincent Philippe, who didn’t race today because of the circumstances. He is a very professional man and I had great confidence in him. I am filled with emotion, but also proud to have been able to work with this remarkable rider.”
myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich voted best of 2019
The Red Bull Ring welcomed nearly 200,000 people through the gates to enjoy a stunning weekend of racing
When Austria returned to the MotoGP™ calendar in 2016, the event was named Best Grand Prix – and three years later the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich reclaims the honour as the Red Bull Ring event has once again been voted best of the season by IRTA, ratified by the Grand Prix Commission.
Nearly 200,000 people flocked to the picturesque Spielberg circuit in 2019 and they were treated to one of the most spectacular races of recent years: a duel between reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and key rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) that went down to the final corner, with Dovizioso pulling off the perfect lunge to defeat the number 93 and claim his second win at the venue since MotoGP™ returned to the Red Bull Ring in 2016.
Dietrich Mateschitz, CEO of Red Bull: “When we last won the award we might have had the bonus of being the rookie on the calendar. Since then we have become a fixed stop in the MotoGP season. Therefore, we are incredibly pleased and honored that the insiders, the teams, the riders and the mechanics voted for us to be the best Grand Prix of the year again. Styrian hospitality, the enthusiasm of the Austrian MotoGP fans and our love for motorsport obviously complement each other very well.”
Herve Poncharal, President of IRTA: “The Best Grand Prix of the Year is something that’s very important for Dorna and IRTA. As President of IRTA it means I represent all of the teams, and this is really a reflection of the whole paddock – from the mechanics and managers to the riders, in the case of IRTA – and it was almost a unanimous decision to vote Spielberg as the best GP of the year once again. What everyone said is that there’s everything we need and want, and if everywhere was like Spielberg it would be a dream!
“The scenery is beautiful, the circuit is exciting and creates great racing, the facilities are great and the people show incredible goodwill. There is a big crowd that gets into and out of the circuit smoothly, the Media Centre is great. We’re very happy and like I said there was almost no resistance to the choice. Unfortunatley we can’t nominate Austria every year but I hope other venues will come and see it and use the experience to improve. Everything is very well organised – it’s like a well-oiled machine. I’m very proud and happy to give this trophy to the Red Bull Ring.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “I am delighted to see Austria once again voted the Best Grand Prix. The Red Bull Ring is a stunning facility in a fantastic location, with world class facilities and staff who always go the extra mile to ensure the event runs perfectly. Spielberg is a favourite for everyone who visits the track every season and they truly deserve to be recognised with this award.
“It makes me proud that MotoGP has returned to the Red Bull Ring and created some of the most spectacular races of the past few years at the venue, most definitely including this season’s incredible show. I think we are all already looking forward to returning again next year.”
Suzuki Announces Team Hammer as Premier Race Team for 2020
Team Hammer Suzuki will compete in Superbike, Supersport, Stock 1000, and Twins Cup classes in 2020 MotoAmerica Series
Brea, CA (December 13, 2019) – Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. announces it has reached an agreement with Team Hammer to become its official team for the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series. In addition to their continued participation in Supersport and Twins Cup, Team Hammer will now field Suzuki’s premier Superbikes and add the Stock 1000 class to its list. The team enters the series as Team Hammer Suzuki. Riders for each class will be announced later.
Suzuki and Team Hammer have a long history together. With more than 30 years of valued partnership, Suzuki and Team Hammer have clinched numerous victories, proving Suzuki sportbikes are among the best in the world with power-driven performance and a championship-winning reputation.
Most recently, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong became the 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion aboard a GSX-R600 while Roadracing World Young Gun Alex Dumas took the Twins Cup title on an SV650 this past season. Team Hammer Suzuki is looking to build off that momentum and add more victories to the list as the team is set to field Suzuki’s premier Superbike team.
In 2020, Team Hammer will celebrate its 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. In addition to a decorated list of accomplishments in various national and international championships, Team Hammer’s success at the AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National level is exceptional. To date, riders on bikes prepared and fielded by the team have earned an accumulated seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National titles while racking up 83 race victories and 234 podium finishes in MotoAmerica Superbike, MotoAmerica Supersport, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, AMA Formula Xtreme, AMA 750cc Supersport, and AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike.
Along with a record of preparing, developing, and fielding championship-caliber equipment, Team Hammer is known for its ability to identify and foster talent, whether it be up-and-coming riders, overlooked international riders, or established veterans looking to reignite their careers.
Superstars Kevin Schwantz, Ben Spies, Scott Russell, Josh Hayes, Jamie James, John Hopkins, and Thomas Stevens are among many who have ridden Team Hammer-tuned Suzuki race bikes at the start of their professional careers.
After over 40 years together, Yoshimura R&D will no longer field Suzuki superbikes. Yoshimura will remain an important partner for marketing and R&D efforts for Suzuki but with a different focus, and will continue to build upon their strong business relationship moving forward.
Don Sakakura, President of Yoshimura R&D commented on the unparalleled relationship between Suzuki and Yoshimura that spanned some four decades: “Yoshimura’s partnership with Suzuki has been instrumental to our core business the past 41 years,” said Sakakura. “As a team, we accomplished tremendous racing milestones, leaving behind many special celebrations, as well as setbacks. Personally, it has been a true privilege to have worked closely with management and staff at Suzuki. The friendships I’ve developed will carry over my lifetime. Notably, the engineering team at Suzuki’s Japan headquarters has been extremely significant in our successes over the years.”
Suzuki echoed Sakakura’s comments and thanked Yoshimura for its contribution to 212 race wins and 14 Championships in the AMA Superbike class, the most of any manufacturer.
Kerry Graeber, Suzuki’s vice president of sales and marketing stated that the Suzuki Yoshimura relationship remains strong. “Though Yoshimura won’t be operating our road racing team moving forward, we look forward to continuing together in many other aspects of our business.” Graeber noted that Yoshimura remains integral with JGR/Suzuki, the company’s supercross/motocross race team, as well as several sales and marketing programs. Graeber sees that not only continuing, but also possibly expanding.
Team Hammer Suzuki will make its debut on March 10-11, 2020 at the 2020 MotoAmerica Preseason Test at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:
Team Hammer is thrilled to announce it has signed an agreement with Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. to become the manufacturer’s premier race team starting with the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season.
The newly enhanced status comes as Team Hammer is set to celebrate its 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Over that span, the team has repeatedly proven its ability to continually adapt to ever-evolving regulations and economic landscapes and produce at an extremely high level.
In addition to a decorated list of accomplishments in various outside national and international championships, Team Hammer’s success at the AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National level speaks for itself; to date, it has accumulated seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National titles while racking up 83 victories and 234 podiums.
That triumphant history serves as a fine demonstration of the team’s versatility and adaptability; the aforementioned seven titles have come in five different classes (MotoAmerica Supersport, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, AMA Formula Xtreme, AMA 750cc Supersport, and AMA Pro Daytona SportBike) on four different models of production-based Suzuki racebikes (GSX-R600, SV650, GSX-R1000, and GSX-R750).
Along with a track record of preparing, developing, and fielding championship-caliber equipment, Team Hammer has long been renowned for its ability to identify and foster talent, whether it be up-and-coming young guns, overlooked international riders, or established racers hoping to revitalize stalled careers.
Superstars Kevin Schwantz, Ben Spies, Scott Russell, Josh Hayes, Jamie James, John Hopkins, and Thomas Stevens are just a small sampling of the many riders who first started their professional careers in association with Team Hammer.
Team Hammer has long been closely linked with A Suzuki. 1986 marked the first year of support from Suzuki and Team Hammer has exclusively fielded Suzuki motorcycles for the vast majority of its existence.
Riders will be confirmed at a later date.
About Team Hammer
The 2020 season will mark Team Hammer’s 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 83 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 234 times and have won seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
American Motorcyclist Association offers condolences to family, friends
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to the family and friends of former AMA board member and current American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation board member Jim Viverito following his death on Dec. 7, 2019.
Mr. Viverito, 67, served on the AMA Board of Directors from February 2010 to July 2016. His service on the AMHF Board, which is tasked with raising money to fund the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, began July 2014.
“Jim Viverito was the consummate AMA volunteer, donating his time, energy and expertise wherever he was needed,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Jim proudly served on the AMA Board of Directors, helping set strategic policy at the highest levels, but a visitor to the AMA offices might also find Jim in the mailroom, helping stuff new member kits in envelopes or loading motorcycles to display at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. To his core, Jim was passionate about motorcycling, from street to dirt, but his love of racing and history, particularly Grand National Championship flat-track competition, was extraordinary.
“Jim was a rare combination of generosity, humility, knowledge and kindness,” Dingman said. “Jim was a close friend to many AMA members, and he will be greatly missed.”
Mr. Viverito, a resident of Chicago, is survived by his wife Marilyn, of 47 years.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/mobile-join
American Motorcyclist Association extends condolences to family, friends of motorcycle rights advocate
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association extends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and lifelong off-road riding advocate Ed Waldheim, who passed away on Monday, Dec. 9.
Mr. Waldheim was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007 for his ongoing dedication to the riding community and his tireless efforts to secure, maintain and expand off-road riding opportunities in his home state of California.
“Ed Waldheim was an extremely passionate advocate for the rights of off-highway vehicle enthusiasts,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “He was a dedicated volunteer and relentless defender of off-highway vehicle use of our public lands.”
Mr. Waldheim began his involvement in motorcycling as an off-road racer. He later moved into helping organize races and ultimately into off-highway vehicle advocacy. Waldheim was president of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association and was appointed to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission by two governors and served multiple terms.
He won numerous awards for his advocacy on behalf of all off-road enthusiasts, including the prestigious AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, the Golden Helmet Award from the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the Off-Roader of the Year from the California Off-Road Vehicle Association. The main building at the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area is named in his honor.
Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management awarded him its Volunteer of the Year award.
Under Mr. Waldheim’s leadership, CORVA membership tripled and the association has maintained a leading position in advocacy and education of off-roading.
The Waldheim family is planning a celebration of his life for mid-January.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
It has been an incredible rookie year for PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. In a superlative season, Fabio Quartararo took six podium finishes and seven pole positions en route to securing Rookie of the Year and Top Independent Rider, whilst strong results from Franco Morbidelli further helped the squad to finish fourth in the overall teams’ standings as well as secure the Independent Team title. Alongside that, the 2019 Moto3 season was also successful, with John McPhee taking the team’s debut Grand Prix victory and finishing the year fifth in the championship race.
Looking back on the amazing year, even as preparation gets underway for the team’s sophomore MotoGP season in 2020, we sat down with Team Principal Razlan Razali and Team Director Johan Stigefelt to get their thoughts on the epic 2019 season.
If someone told you in Valencia last year that the team would achieve the great results it did in 2019, what would you say to them? How satisfied are you with this season?
Razlan: “I’d never have believed them if someone had told me the great results we’d achieve in our first year. We didn’t expect it, and we went into the season relying on Franco to deliver for us based on the target that we set for him at the beginning of the year. The aim for him was to be top six in the championship, and for Fabio it was to be Rookie of the Year. We didn’t expect at all to do what we did as a team and to have the riders perform so well, especially Fabio. We’re extremely satisfied with the year, because it’s been a wonderful fairytale season.”
After one year with all three categories working together, how do you rate the 2019 season and what was your highlight?
Johan: “The highlight of the season for me was to roll out the three teams together in Qatar after a hard season in 2018 to establish the team. Working so hard to get everything ready meant it was a proud moment in Losail at the first race; one of the milestones for the whole project. Of course, the season itself was amazing in MotoGP, achieving way beyond our wildest expectations. In a way, the entire year was one big highlight for us thanks to what we achieved.”
Why do you think the team has been able to surprise the MotoGP paddock and the wider motorsport community?
Razlan: “We made such a strong entry into the paddock with the MotoGP team, not only with the performance of our riders. We came into the first race in Europe with our trackside presence making a big impact and with people immediately commenting on how friendly the team were, and how welcoming. We presented ourselves very well in 2019, not only in MotoGP but in Moto2 and Moto3 as well. We don’t look like a first-year rookie – it looked like we’ve been there for a long time. Of course, we have with Moto3, but MotoGP is a very different ballgame and we were able to bring a breath of fresh air to the paddock.”
What’s the key to having all three teams together and as a single group?
Johan: “The thing for me, working as Team Director across all three categories, was how important it was to keep everyone together as one team. Listening and talking to everyone in the team is key, and I try to be a friend as well as a boss to everyone and to listen to them. At the end of the day, it’s a hard job with a lot of time spent away from our families, and we have to ensure that we have a nice environment out of the garage and that everyone is well looked after.”
What are your favourite moments of 2019?
Razlan: “There are two moments that I’ve reflected on a lot. Number one was John’s win at the French Grand Prix, with the team able to get our first taste of victory. After that, it was the first podium of Fabio in Catalunya, which was also an amazing moment. Of course, we had seven pole positions all season, but to get on the podium for the first time in our rookie season was just fantastic.”
Johan: “I have two favourite moments of the year, starting with John’s first win for the team. It was a big relief for us because we’ve worked for five years in Moto3 and I pushed this year to have a top rider in the class. Signing John, I knew that he would be a good rider, and it only took five races to have pole position and a win. The second big moment was Fabio’s pole and Franco’s second place on the grid in Jerez. We went there with a brand-new hospitality, new trailers and a whole new set-up in Europe. We made a big impact before we even went out on track, and the pole was quite surreal.”
It’s the first year working with Yamaha in MotoGP. How is the relationship with them?
Razlan: “It was a steep learning curve, but we have had a tremendous amount of support from Yamaha both commercially and technically. Yamaha are very happy with what we’ve done and we’re very happy with the support they’ve given us. It feels like we’re not just a client but also a partner, and we’re contributing together and developing the bikes for 2020.”
After one year working with the three categories, how different or similar is working with each team?
Johan: “The basics of running a team are the same in all categories, but in MotoGP there is more pressure from the media, sponsors and fans. I was a little surprised and shocked to see how much attention there was on us, but that’s a consequence of the success we enjoyed and having a huge name like PETRONAS partnered with us. Everyone in motorsport know who they are and I’m so proud to carry their name.”
How important has this season been for the Malaysian Grand Prix and Malaysian motorsport and what’s the next step?
Razlan: “For the Malaysian Grand Prix, having the team was fantastic. The crowd came in droves to support not only the event but our team, and working together with PETRONAS has been very effective both for us and for Malaysia. Getting over 100,000 people on Sunday was amazing, and to see so many of them wearing team merchandise makes me very proud. Although the results weren’t what we were hoping for, to start from pole and finish inside the top five was great. Maybe we can do better next year in the race, but in general we’ve given the young kids in Malaysia something to aspire to. They can now see that the dream of being a MotoGP rider can be reality if you work hard.”
Next season the team will keep four of the current riders and welcome two new riders in Moto2. The team will also have two A-spec bikes from Yamaha in MotoGP. What can we expect to see in 2020?
Johan: “Starting 2019 like we did, the pressure will be on now for 2020. This season was the honeymoon, but now we need to live up to our results and our image. We need to keep the team happy and smiling as we do it as well. There will be a bigger challenge, but we’re ready to meet it. We’ve set the bar high, but the target will be to raise it even higher. Everyone in the team is competitive and wants to do better – no one is happy until we’re performing at our expectations. 2019 was a tough year in Moto2 and it’s nice to have an experienced rider like Xavi Vierge and someone who is fresh and hungry in Jake Dixon. Jake can surprise and Xavi just needs fine-tuned to be at the top. In Moto3, we’ve set the bar high with John and we know what we need to work on to be at the front every weekend. With Pawi coming back to Moto3, it will also be a challenge – but he know the class and the bike and he had success there in the past. I am looking forward to seeing him and John working together throughout the year.”
Hayley Bell named American Motorcyclist Association 2019 Motorcyclist of the Year
U.K. rider founded Women Riders World Relay, helped unite motorcyclists worldwide
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — For calling attention to the needs of women riders and for creating a worldwide connection among them, Hayley Bell of the United Kingdom has been named the American Motorcyclist Association 2019 Motorcyclist of the Year.
Bell is the founder and president of global business development for the Women Riders World Relay, a movement joined by thousands of motorcyclists from 84 countries to create a “global sisterhood of inspirational women” and to demonstrate to motorcycle manufacturers and makers of riding gear that female riders are a formidable and growing market that deserves their attention.
The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year designation, awarded annually by the AMA Board of Directors, recognizes the individual or group that had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling in the previous 12 months.
“For her efforts to promote the motorcycle lifestyle around the world and bring together riders from all nations and backgrounds, conveying the positive aspects of motorcycling and drawing attention to the market potential of female riders, Hayley Bell is the 2019 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year,” said Maggie McNally-Bradshaw, chair of the AMA Board of Directors. “Women riders are an important segment of the motorcycling community and they are a critical building block for the future. Hayley’s efforts not only reaffirm that sentiment, but they help carry it forward at a time when motorcycling needs new riders in the fold.”
Women Riders World Relay participants carried the relay baton for a leg of the journey through their countries, then passed it along to the next group of riders. The relay brought together women from diverse cultures and bridged political differences, even across national borders.
Bell was determined that the Women Riders World Relay demonstrate that female riders “are exactly equal to other riders.” Along the way, the relay drew support and participation from male riders, as well.
The full story about Bell and her accomplishments can be found in the January issue of American Motorcyclist magazine.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/mobile-join
AFT Singles racers in action. Photo by Scott Hunter, courtesy of AFT.
Independence Day AFT Singles Doubleheader for New York Short Track
AFT Singles will compete Friday evening in addition to Saturday’s full AFT race program
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – American Flat Track announced today an Independence Day weekend of epic proportions. Its 2020 New York Short Track event at Weedsport Speedway will include Friday night AFT Singles racing, camping, pre-party and Fourth of July fun for the entire family.
The weekend will kick off with a Friday night event to include the ever-exciting AFT Singles class as well as amateur races as part of the Flat Track Futures series. The Friday festivities will include a fan zone with activities for children and an open paddock hour where fans can meet their favorite athletes. Tickets to the Friday night event will be $15 and can be purchased at www.americanflattrack.com.
Saturday’s program will feature the AFT Singles once again, but joined by the AFT Production Twins and premier AFT SuperTwins classes for its third year of bar-to-bar high-speed New York Short Track action. This year’s event will include even more vendors, a revamped Kids Zone and live music to keep the Independence Day crowd entertained into the evening.
Camping will once again be available for fans looking to bring family and friends down for a real party weekend at the races.
A variety of ticketing options are now available for the 2020 New York Short Track weekend, including the lowest price for advanced Saturday General Admission ever: just $25. Saturday’s event will have Trackside Seating with all-day Paddock Access allowing the most-immersive fan experience. For the premium viewing option, fans are encouraged to check out the VIP Experience including food, beverage and access to an exclusive observation deck outside Turn 4 of the racetrack. Furthermore, all VIP passholders have all-day paddock access included with admission. Explore all the options and customize your Independence Day race weekend at www.americanflattrack.com.
American Flat Track will kick off its highly-anticipated 2020 season with the first-ever DAYTONA 200 and DAYTONA TT Doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway. It all kicks off at the peak of Daytona Bike Week on Saturday, March 14, 2020. Tickets start at just $35 online and are available for purchase now at www.americanflattrack.com.
For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com.
To get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise visit www.americanflattracker.com.
How to Watch:
NBCSN and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2020 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT remains in highly-coveted programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn/. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold – the most-robust motorsports offering in the digital marketplace – is a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event and maintaining an active archive of all AFT content.
About American Flat Track:
American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.
A 2020 Ducati Panigale V2 and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II tires. Photo courtesy of Pirelli.
Pirelli is Chosen as Original Equipment for the Most Powerful New Naked Production Machines Alongside Key New Models Across All Segments of the 2020 Motorcycle Manufacturer Ranges
Seven Pirelli Tires Were Selected by the Most Prestigious Motorcycle Manufacturers as Original Equipment for their Most Exciting New Models that will be Available in Dealerships in the New Year
MILAN, Italy. (December 2019) – Pirelli is again confirmed as the first and natural choice of many motorcycle manufacturers, selecting tires from the Italian brand as original equipment for their upcoming new models of 2020.
The range of seven tires were chosen to equip 34 new models from nine different motorcycle manufacturers: Ducati, MV Agusta, Aprilia, Kawasaki, Triumph, Indian Motorcycle and the electric Energica Motor Company, Zero Motorcycles and Tacita.
The above-mentioned Pirelli tires fitted to the new motorcycle offers were also on display at the recent Milan expo (EICMA) dedicated to the world of two wheels. The selection includes: the supersport focused DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP and DIABLO ROSSO™ CORSA II, the sporty DIABLO ROSSO™ III, the timeless PHANTOM™ Sportscomp, and finally the SCORPION™ Trail II, MT 60™ RS and MT 60™ from the tire family for enduro street and enduro on/off-road use.
Pirelli tires equip all new 2020 models presented by Ducati:
Ducati Streetfighter V4 / V4 S with DIABLO ROSSO™ CORSA II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/60 ZR17 rear
Panigale V2 with DIABLO ROSSO™ CORSA II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/60 ZR17 rear
Panigale V4 / V4 S with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/60 ZR17 rear
Multistrada 1260 S Grand Tour with SCORPION™ Trail II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Diavel 1260 “Dark Stealth” / Diavel 1260 S “Ducati Red” with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 240/45 ZR17 rear
Monster 1200 S “Black on Black” with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Scrambler® Icon Dark with MT 60™ RS, 110/80 R18 front and 180/55 R17 rear
MV Agusta also chose Pirelli tires for their new models:
RUSH 1000 with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/55 ZR17 rear
Brutale 1000 RR with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/55 ZR17 rear
Brutale 800 Rosso with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Turismo Veloce 800 Rosso with SCORPION™ TRAIL II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Superveloce 800 / Superveloce 800 serie oro with DIABLO ROSSO™ Corsa II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Many of the new models presented by Aprilia are equipped with Pirelli tires:
RS 660 with DIABLO ROSSO™ Corsa II, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Tuono V4 1100, in the new colors Sachsenring red and Magny-Cours grey, with DIABLO™
ROSSO III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
Tuono V4 1100 Factory with DIABLO™ Supercorsa, 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear
RSV4 RR / RSV4 RR Factory with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 200/55 ZR17 rear
The ties between Pirelli and Italian motorcycle manufacturers is historically very strong, but the tires of the Milanese brand are also highly appreciated and regularly requested by many other manufacturers such as Kawasaki, Triumph Motorcycles and Indian Motorcycle.
For Kawasaki, Pirelli is original equipment on the new Z H2 with DIABLO ROSSO™ III tires in the sizes 120/70 ZR17 front and 190/55 ZR17 rear.
Also Triumph Motorcycles has announced several new models for 2020 choosing Pirelli tires as original equipment:
Street Triple RS with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Daytona Moto2™ 765 Limited Edition with DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Bonneville Bud Ekins T120 and T100 Special Editions with PHANTOM™ Sportscomp, 100/90 – 18 front and 150/70 R17 rear
Another tire much appreciated is the MT 60™ RS, which, precisely for its design and performance, is the original equipment in the sizes 130/90 B16 front and 150/80 B16 rear of the Scout Bobber by Indian Motorcycle.
Pirelli is also the first tire choice of motorcycle manufacturers that exclusively produce electric vehicles, among them Energica Motor Company, Zero Motorcycles and Tacita®.
The Energica Motor Company 2020 motorcycle range has upgraded to a new power unit with a 21.5 kWh lithium polymer battery that improves performance and saves weight. The following models benefit from this improvement:
Ego+ with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Eva Ribelle with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
Eva EsseEsse9+ with PHANTOM™ Sportscomp, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
As for the Californian company Zero Motorcycles the following selections were made:
SR/F with DIABLO ROSSO™ III, 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear
DSR Black Forest Edition with MT 60™, 110/90 19 front and 130/80 17 rear
Tacita®, another company that decided to focus on electric propulsion, chose Pirelli to equip its motorcycles. Both the T-Cruise Urban and the new T-Cruise Turismo are equipped with DIABLO ROSSO™ III tires in the 120/70 ZR17 front and 160/60 ZR17 rear sizes.
Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School is proud to announce our dates for 2020.
We thank our partners at NCBIKE and Summit Point Motorsports Park for providing us great venues for our friendly staff to teach our riders how to have fun on their motorcycles.
Our coaches teach and ride with you. When the racing bug bites, we offer an accredited Road Racing School to get your racing license.
We also thank Big Un Motorsports for the excellent Dunlop Tire Service, Long Exposures Photos at Summit Point Motorsports Park, Apex Pro Photos at NCBIKE, Absolute Signs of Manassas VA, Roadracing World magazine, Chicken Hawk Racing Tire Warmers, Motorcycle Times, MRP Motorsports suspension tuning, Del Martin Screen Printing and Embroidery, Jam-On Productions, Lizzy Leather Repair and AGV Sport custom leather suits.
It is so nice to know so many nice people!
Have FUN! Learn to ride smooth, safe and fast! Thank You for riding with Motorcycle Xcitement!
Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Xcitement Track Days and Road Racing School 2020 Dates:
4/11 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
4/12 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
5/9 Summit Point Raceway (Main), Summit Point, WV
5/10 Summit Point Raceway (Main), Summit Point, WV
5/31 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Jefferson), Summit Point, WV
6/1 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
6/6 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
6/7 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
7/3 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
7/4 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Shenandoah), Summit Point, WV
7/12Summit Point Motorsports Park (Jefferson), Summit Point, WV
7/13 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
8/30 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Shenandoah), Summit Point, WV
8/31 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
9/26 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
9/27 NCBIKE, Garysburg, NC
10/11 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Shenandoah), Summit Point, WV
10/12 Summit Point Motorsports Park (Main), Summit Point, WV
Team ERC Endurance (Ondrej Jezek/Randy De Puniet/Louis Rossi), Duc Panigale V4 R, SBK, 78 laps, -52.416 seconds, 2:24.227
More, from a press release issued by Eurosport Events/FIM EWC:
YART YAMAHA CLAIM VICTORY AT 8 HOURS OF SEPANG MAIDEN EDITION
YART – Yamaha (7) leading a group of riders in the rain at Sepang. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.
YART Yamaha took the win ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa and BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in Malaysia at the very first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang, which proved to be a nerve-racking race due to very bad weather.
After a delayed start followed by track action being suspended due to heavy rain, the first edition of the 8 Hours of Sepang made good on its promise of being an action-packed new FIM Endurance World Championship race. Duels at the front, lead swaps, drama and crashes kept the tension high all through the race on the Malaysian circuit.
YART Yamaha won the day despite an electronics scare in the early stages of the race by steering clear of trouble with Niccolò Canepa as the only Yamaha #7 rider in the saddle throughout the race. The strategy of having a sole fast rider with experience of tricky track conditions in the saddle bore fruit. Broc Parkes and Karel Hanika were however co-credited with the win. “We won it together,” said Niccolò Canepa at the post-race press conference.
YART Yamaha finished ahead of Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa, who ran a consistent race in the leading pack with Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi, Thai rider Somkiat Chantra and Indonesian Andi Farid Izdihar. The Japanese team’s cosmopolitan line-up had already done brilliantly in the Top 10 Trial, wresting 2nd place on the starting grid.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team claimed their second podium at the 8 Hours of Sepang with riders Ilya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger after their Bol d’Or podium finish. Kenny Foray sustained an injury in practice and was unable to compete in the race. The Belgian factory-backed team moves up to 2nd place in the FIM EWC provisional standings with a 15-point gap to Suzuki Endurance Racing Team, who maintain the lead obtained after their Bol d’Or win.
Superstock winner just short of the podium
Moto Ain steamed steadily ahead throughout the action-packed race to a fourth-place overall finish and another win in the Superstock class. The French Yamaha-mounted team consolidated their lead in the Endurance World Cup with riders Roberto Rolfo, Robin Mulhauser and Hugo Clère, finishing ahead of both Suzuki Endurance Racing Team and Webike SRC Kawasaki France, who struggled in the challenging track conditions.
Moto Ain’s runner-up in the Superstock class was German team GERT56 by GS Yuasa (BMW). Lucy Glöckner, Stefan Kerschbaumer and Pepijn Bijsterbosch finished 14th overall after holding off Japanese team Tone RT Syncedge 4413 BMW until the end. After being delayed by a crash in the early stages, Tomoya Hoshino, Kokoro Atsumi and Takeshi Ishizuka climbed back up to finish their first race outside Japan on the third step of the podium.
Favourites have nerve-racking race
Yamaha Sepang Racing, who dominated qualifying and the early stages of the race, and their chief rival F.C.C. TSR Honda France broke away from the other front-runners to embark on a duel for the lead. A collision involving Mike di Meglio (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) and Michael van der Mark (Yamaha Sepang Racing) knocked both machines to the ground. After a pit stop, Michael van der Mark returned to the track beyond 40th place. By dint of piling up fastest race laps (including a 2:17.817 by Franco Morbidelli), Yamaha Sepang Racing finished 7th ahead of BMW Sepang Racing, 3ART Moto Team 95 (Yamaha) and Team ERC Endurance, who got their Ducati Panigale into the Top 10.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France returned to the lead after the collision, but lost their chance of a win after Mike di Meglio crashed out with one hour left in the race.
Other teams also had a very tough time of it. Suzuki JEG Kagayama were well placed among the top three but lost a lot of ground due to a mechanical issue. A mechanical problem also led to the downfall of Tecmas BMW GMC, who had performed spectacularly in the early part of the race with rider Camille Hédelin clearly at ease on a wet track.
The Sepang International Circuit will host the FIA WTCR/Oscaro season finale races tomorrow (Sunday).
Next FIM EWC race: the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans on 18 and 19 April 2020.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Canepa the Hero of the Hour as YART Yamaha Take Emphatic Win in Sepang
YART – Yamaha (7) in action at Sepang. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.
The YART Yamaha EWC Official Team reignited their championship challenge with an impressive victory in a rain disrupted 8 Hours of Sepang race, the second round of the 2019/2020 Endurance World Championship. The Yamaha Sepang Racing Team were leading the restarted race in the early stages, until Mike Di Meglio collided with the rear of Michael van der Mark’s Yamaha R1 in the final corner, causing both to crash. After losing almost 10 minutes in the pits for repairs, the team fought their way back impressively to eventually finish in the points in seventh position.
In scenes reminiscent of the opening round of the season at the Bol d’Or, the start of the inaugural 8 Hours of Sepang was delayed for more than two hours due to torrential rain and standing water around the Sepang International Circuit. When the race did finally get underway the riders started behind the safety car, where they remained for just nine laps before deteriorating weather conditions forced race officials to show the red flag and suspend the race.
The weather finally improved enough to get the race restarted with three hours remaining on the clock and it was van der Mark and Di Meglio who made the early running at the front, until a mistake by the Frenchman in the final corner saw him collide with the Yamaha rider, causing both to crash. While di Meglio was able to continue, van der Mark was thrown over the highside and was forced to return to the pit box for repairs, losing almost 10 minutes in the process.
In the meantime, Niccolò Canepa was busy fighting his way back through the field, after an electrical problem dropped the YART Yamaha rider back to 26th position on the opening lap. In difficult conditions, with grip still at a premium on the wet track and with no electronic rider aids for most of his first stint due to a technical issue, the Italian’s progress towards the front of the race was relentless.
Canepa took the race lead after the first round of pit stops, but was overhauled by di Meglio shortly afterwards, only for the Frenchman to crash for a second time, leaving the YART Yamaha rider clear at the front of the race, with a significant advantage over his pursuers.
At the second and final pit stop, with just 30 minutes of the foreshortened race remaining, the YART Yamaha team opted to leave Canepa on the bike for a third stint, rather than send out one of his teammates in what were rapidly changing conditions. It proved to be a wise decision, with Canepa witnessing a number of crashes in his final laps, as his fresher rivals were caught out by the unpredictable track surface.
After three hours of racing, in what were treacherous conditions, and without making a single mistake, Canepa crossed the line to secure his and YART Yamaha’s first win of the season. The victory places YART Yamaha fourth in the championship standings with 43 points, 36 points behind the series leaders.
The final third of the race also proved pivotal for Yamaha Sepang Racing. Having lost a lot of time as a result of the crash in the opening stages, van der Mark’s speed and consistency saw him recover a significant number of places during his two stints on the #21 Yamaha R1, which he handed over to Franco Morbidelli at the final pit stop. The MotoGP rider joined the race outside the top 15 but went on to thrill the crowd with a spectacular display of riding, as he scythed his way through the field to eventually claim an incredible seventh-place finish at the chequered flag.
The Moto Ain Yamaha World Cup Supported Team made it a double celebration for Yamaha in Malaysia, as Roby Rolfo, Robin Mulhauser and Hugo Clere maintained their 100 percent record in the 2019/2020 championship with another SST class win, to add to their previous victory at the Bol d’Or. They finished fourth overall in today’s 8 Hours of Sepang race, missing out on the final podium place by only the narrowest of margins.
Niccolò Canepa
YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I’m incredibly happy with win here in Sepang, as it started as a difficult week, especially with the injury to Marvin. Luckily Karel was able to step in as a replacement at the last minute. I was feeling good at the start of the race but, after only a couple of laps, the bike switched off and when it came back on it was with no traction control or any electronics. That made things very difficult, but I managed to come back from P20 to P1 at the end of my first stint, which I was supper happy about. When the safety car came out, I switched the bike off and on and everything started to work as it should once again. At both pit stops Mandy asked me if I wanted to continue and both times I said yes, although I did take a bit of persuading at the first stop. I pushed hard throughout the race and, at the end, we took the win. Yes, we were a bit fortunate with the crash, but that’s part of the game in endurance racing, as we’ve found out to our cost in other races. So, I’m super, super happy and I’d like to say a big thank you to my team and especially my teammates, as we race and win together. The win means we’re back in the championship and now we need to focus on repeating this success at the next race, the 24 hours of Le Mans.”
Mandy KainzTeam Manager, YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“Obviously we are happy with our first win of the season, especially after what had initially been a difficult week for us here in Malaysia and one overshadowed by Marvin’s injury. The team and the riders didn’t let these difficulties defeat them, but instead worked hard to ensure we were well prepared for what turned out to be a very difficult race. It was shorter than expected because of the weather, but no less exhausting for that. We had a problem with the bike in the early stages of the race, but Niccolò did an incredible job to fight his way through to the front in difficult conditions and without any electronic rider aids. At the first pit stop it was tight at the front of the race, so we decided to keep Niccolò on the bike, rather than lose time while Karel got used to the conditions. We made the same decision at the final pit stop, opting to stick with Niccolò rather than putting Broc on the bike for the final 30 minutes on a damp but drying track. It was the correct decision and it paid dividends for us in the end. So, thanks to the team and the riders for a fantastic job; this win puts us back in the game as far as the championship is concerned. Finally, I wish Marvin a speedy recovery and I look forward to seeing him back on the bike, and hopefully on the podium, in Le Mans.”
Michael van der Mark
Yamaha Sepang Racing Team
“It was a weird 8 Hours of Sepang, but when we did finally get to race the conditions were good. I had a good feeling with the bike and a strong pace from the start, so when I got passed for the lead I decided to sit in behind and follow rather than take any risks. My plan was to retake the lead when we hit traffic. I’m not sure what Di Meglio’s plan was with the pass at the final corner, but it didn’t work, and it ended for me with a massive highside that let me badly winded. The team did an amazing job to get the bike back on track and I was quick to rediscover my rhythm so, apart from the position, I enjoyed the race. When Franco took over the bike for the last stint, we could see he had really good pace, but we were still surprised to finish as high as seventh. Massive thanks to the team, who worked so hard for us this weekend, and also to Franco and Hafizh, who I really enjoyed racing with.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
FIM EWC: BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team finishes on the podium in Sepang.
“Sepang 8 Hours” reduced to three hours due to heavy rain.
Ilya Mikhalchik and Markus Reiterberger finish in third place with the #37 BMW S 1000 RR.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in second place in World Championship after two races.
Ilya Mikhalchik (37) on the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team machine leading the Tecmas BMW GMC entry (9). Photo courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
Sepang. Second race, second podium for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team in the FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC): Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Markus Reiterberger (GER) secured third place at the “Sepang 8 Hours” (MAS) with the #37 BMW S 1000 RR. Heavy rain forced Saturday’s race at the “Sepang International Circuit” to be reduced from eight to three hours. The newly established BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is in second place in the overall standings of the World Championship after two races of the season.
Team manager Werner Daemen’s (BEL) team qualified in fifth for the second round of the 2019/20 season of the FIM EWC. Mikhalchik and Reiterberger took it in turns on the saddle of the #37 RR. Their team-mate Kenny Foray (FRA) injured himself when he fell during a practice session on Wednesday, and was unable to take part in the remainder of the race weekend.
The race in Sepang turned into a test of patience for everyone involved. The race was scheduled to start at 13:00 local time, but hours of heavy rain made it impossible to stick to the published schedule. The race started later than planned and behind the safety car, but was red-flagged after just a few laps. The conditions only improved at around 18:00 local time, enabling the race to be completed with a reduced duration of around three hours.
Mikhalchik and Reiterberger initially rode in fifth place, but a flawless performance saw them move up into third place during the course of the race. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team maintained this podium position down to the finish line.
Privateer team BMW Sepang Racing finished in eighth place. Azlan Shah Kamarazuman (MAS), Adam Norrodin (MAS) and Julien Da Costa (FRA) took it in turns on the saddle of the #48 BMW S 1000 RR. Two BMW teams secured spots on the podium in the Superstock class. Second place went to GERT56 by GS YUASA with Stefan Kerschbaumer (AUT), Lucy Glöckner (GER) and Pepijn Bijsterbosch (NED). The #56 RR finished in 14th place in the overall rankings. Hoshino Tomoya, Kokoro Atsumi and Takeshi Ishizuka (all JPN) finished third in the Superstock class on the #80 RR of TONE RT SYNCEDGE 4413 BMW (15th overall).
The third round of the FIM EWC 2019/20 is scheduled for 18th/19th April 2020: the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA).
Quotes after the “Sepang 8 Hours”
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “The second podium in our second race in the FIM EWC – this is a fantastic result for our new BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. We couldn’t have necessarily expected this as newcomers in this highly competitive World Championship. The team and our riders Ilya and Markus weren’t distracted by the adverse conditions. They did yet another fantastic, flawless job on the track and in the pit. On this occasion, I also want to send a get well soon message to Kenny, who surely will be back with us soon. Of course, we would have liked to get more riding in to gain more experience in race conditions with our RR, but it wasn’t possible in this weather. Now we will keep focussing on preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Congratulations go to our BMW customer teams as well, who also got strong results with their RR.”
Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “I’m a very proud team manager today. It’s a shame that Kenny wasn’t able to take part, but Ilya and Markus did a really great job as a duo. The conditions on the wet track were very treacherous, and the day wasn’t easy overall. But the whole team did a really great job. And the pit stops were world class. Now we’re hoping for a similarly strong result in the next race in Le Mans.”
Ilya Mikhalchik: “First of all I want to say get well soon to our third rider Kenny, who unfortunately got injured in practice, and I hope that we will be back together soon, because it’s a team sport and it’s important to have the entire team together. Overall I’m, of course, really happy with the race. We have been strong in all conditions. At the beginning of the race, there was a lot of water on the track and I think that everyone was a bit scared of that. But everyone adapted and, while it was difficult in the early stages, it became better with every lap. Also the grip was there then. We did not quite have the pace of the winners, but we were very constant on every lap and this was important. I could have pushed more, but it was risky and it was our strategy to ride more consistently. This paid off, this was our target and we did our job. We are very happy to be on the podium and thanks a lot to my team. We did this together.”
Markus Reiterberger: “I am really happy to be back in endurance racing. It was a pity that Kenny was injured and I wish him a speedy recovery. We had to do today’s race with two riders. In the end it was only three hours. We decided that Ilya would ride at the start and he did a really good job. I’m really happy with how qualifying and the race went. I still had to adapt to the Dunlop tyres that were new for me, but the team did a really good job and I felt very comfortable on the bike. My race pace was not quite as fast as I had hoped for, but in the end it was more important not to crash and to bring home the result. Ilya did a great last stint, we secured third place and I think this is a really good team achievement.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
SUZUKI INCREASES EWC SERIES LEAD AT SEPANG 8 HOURS
SERT: GSX-R1000 – 5th – 1st in Championship.
Gregg Black at speed on the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team GSX-R1000. Photo by David Reygondeau/Good-Shoot.com, courtesy of Team Suzuki Press Office.
Suzuki Endurance Racing Team increased its lead in the 2019-2020 EWC Championship at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia despite treacherous weather conditions that forced the inaugural ‘8 Hours of Sepang’ to be delayed and suspended on safety grounds.
SERT riders Vincent Philippe, Etienne Masson and Gregg Black, however, fought back throughout a shortened race aboard the GSX-R1000 to finish fifth overall and increase their series lead from 12 to 15 points after this second race of the series.
The 50 qualified teams eventually went back on track at 18:00 local time following the safety car for a number of laps for the three remaining hours of the race, but the conditions were still extremely tricky and many teams had issues and crashes during the shortened race.
Black started the race cautiously on a soaking-wet track, but during SERT’s two first stints, the weather improved, allowing Black to find an excellent pace. When Masson took over from Black, the #2 Suzuki had already climbed from 11th to fifth position. The track remained difficult until the end of the race, but the 15-time Endurance World Champions and its technical team did not make any mistakes.
SERT completed a total of 79 laps and took three pit-stops during the event and lead into the next round, the Le Mans 24-Hour, the team’s home race in France on April 18th.
The Sepang race was also a special moment for SERT, which is now managed by Damien Saulnier, as their longest-serving rider Vincent Philippe retired from the team after helping secure 10 of SERT’s world titles.
Damien Saulnier-Team Manager:
“When you are not on the top step of the podium you always wish you had a better place, but for this race with tricky conditions, our goal was a Top-5 and the job has been done. I am satisfied with the work we’ve done during the week while being aware that there is still some more work to do. The team keeps on growing up and everyone works hard. We are also very pleased with Yoshimura’s engineers support.
“I would also like to thank the organiser for this amazing event. Bringing 38 European teams to Malaysia was not an easy task! And last but not least, I would like to say a word for Vincent Philippe, who didn’t race today because of the circumstances. He is a very professional man and I had great confidence in him. I am filled with emotion, but also proud to have been able to work with this remarkable rider.”
Marc Marquez (93) and Andrea Dovizioso (04) battled to the finish of the 2019 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Photo courtesy of Dorna/www.motogp.
myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich voted best of 2019
The Red Bull Ring welcomed nearly 200,000 people through the gates to enjoy a stunning weekend of racing
When Austria returned to the MotoGP™ calendar in 2016, the event was named Best Grand Prix – and three years later the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich reclaims the honour as the Red Bull Ring event has once again been voted best of the season by IRTA, ratified by the Grand Prix Commission.
Nearly 200,000 people flocked to the picturesque Spielberg circuit in 2019 and they were treated to one of the most spectacular races of recent years: a duel between reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and key rival Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) that went down to the final corner, with Dovizioso pulling off the perfect lunge to defeat the number 93 and claim his second win at the venue since MotoGP™ returned to the Red Bull Ring in 2016.
Dietrich Mateschitz, CEO of Red Bull: “When we last won the award we might have had the bonus of being the rookie on the calendar. Since then we have become a fixed stop in the MotoGP season. Therefore, we are incredibly pleased and honored that the insiders, the teams, the riders and the mechanics voted for us to be the best Grand Prix of the year again. Styrian hospitality, the enthusiasm of the Austrian MotoGP fans and our love for motorsport obviously complement each other very well.”
Herve Poncharal, President of IRTA: “The Best Grand Prix of the Year is something that’s very important for Dorna and IRTA. As President of IRTA it means I represent all of the teams, and this is really a reflection of the whole paddock – from the mechanics and managers to the riders, in the case of IRTA – and it was almost a unanimous decision to vote Spielberg as the best GP of the year once again. What everyone said is that there’s everything we need and want, and if everywhere was like Spielberg it would be a dream!
“The scenery is beautiful, the circuit is exciting and creates great racing, the facilities are great and the people show incredible goodwill. There is a big crowd that gets into and out of the circuit smoothly, the Media Centre is great. We’re very happy and like I said there was almost no resistance to the choice. Unfortunatley we can’t nominate Austria every year but I hope other venues will come and see it and use the experience to improve. Everything is very well organised – it’s like a well-oiled machine. I’m very proud and happy to give this trophy to the Red Bull Ring.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “I am delighted to see Austria once again voted the Best Grand Prix. The Red Bull Ring is a stunning facility in a fantastic location, with world class facilities and staff who always go the extra mile to ensure the event runs perfectly. Spielberg is a favourite for everyone who visits the track every season and they truly deserve to be recognised with this award.
“It makes me proud that MotoGP has returned to the Red Bull Ring and created some of the most spectacular races of the past few years at the venue, most definitely including this season’s incredible show. I think we are all already looking forward to returning again next year.”
Team Hammer celebrates Bobby Fong winning the 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship at Barber Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Suzuki Announces Team Hammer as Premier Race Team for 2020
Team Hammer Suzuki will compete in Superbike, Supersport, Stock 1000, and Twins Cup classes in 2020 MotoAmerica Series
Brea, CA (December 13, 2019) – Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. announces it has reached an agreement with Team Hammer to become its official team for the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing Series. In addition to their continued participation in Supersport and Twins Cup, Team Hammer will now field Suzuki’s premier Superbikes and add the Stock 1000 class to its list. The team enters the series as Team Hammer Suzuki. Riders for each class will be announced later.
Suzuki and Team Hammer have a long history together. With more than 30 years of valued partnership, Suzuki and Team Hammer have clinched numerous victories, proving Suzuki sportbikes are among the best in the world with power-driven performance and a championship-winning reputation.
Most recently, M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Bobby Fong became the 2019 MotoAmerica Supersport Champion aboard a GSX-R600 while Roadracing World Young Gun Alex Dumas took the Twins Cup title on an SV650 this past season. Team Hammer Suzuki is looking to build off that momentum and add more victories to the list as the team is set to field Suzuki’s premier Superbike team.
In 2020, Team Hammer will celebrate its 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. In addition to a decorated list of accomplishments in various national and international championships, Team Hammer’s success at the AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National level is exceptional. To date, riders on bikes prepared and fielded by the team have earned an accumulated seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National titles while racking up 83 race victories and 234 podium finishes in MotoAmerica Superbike, MotoAmerica Supersport, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, AMA Formula Xtreme, AMA 750cc Supersport, and AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike.
Along with a record of preparing, developing, and fielding championship-caliber equipment, Team Hammer is known for its ability to identify and foster talent, whether it be up-and-coming riders, overlooked international riders, or established veterans looking to reignite their careers.
Superstars Kevin Schwantz, Ben Spies, Scott Russell, Josh Hayes, Jamie James, John Hopkins, and Thomas Stevens are among many who have ridden Team Hammer-tuned Suzuki race bikes at the start of their professional careers.
After over 40 years together, Yoshimura R&D will no longer field Suzuki superbikes. Yoshimura will remain an important partner for marketing and R&D efforts for Suzuki but with a different focus, and will continue to build upon their strong business relationship moving forward.
Don Sakakura, President of Yoshimura R&D commented on the unparalleled relationship between Suzuki and Yoshimura that spanned some four decades: “Yoshimura’s partnership with Suzuki has been instrumental to our core business the past 41 years,” said Sakakura. “As a team, we accomplished tremendous racing milestones, leaving behind many special celebrations, as well as setbacks. Personally, it has been a true privilege to have worked closely with management and staff at Suzuki. The friendships I’ve developed will carry over my lifetime. Notably, the engineering team at Suzuki’s Japan headquarters has been extremely significant in our successes over the years.”
Suzuki echoed Sakakura’s comments and thanked Yoshimura for its contribution to 212 race wins and 14 Championships in the AMA Superbike class, the most of any manufacturer.
Kerry Graeber, Suzuki’s vice president of sales and marketing stated that the Suzuki Yoshimura relationship remains strong. “Though Yoshimura won’t be operating our road racing team moving forward, we look forward to continuing together in many other aspects of our business.” Graeber noted that Yoshimura remains integral with JGR/Suzuki, the company’s supercross/motocross race team, as well as several sales and marketing programs. Graeber sees that not only continuing, but also possibly expanding.
Team Hammer Suzuki will make its debut on March 10-11, 2020 at the 2020 MotoAmerica Preseason Test at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
More, from a press release issued by Team Hammer:
Team Hammer is thrilled to announce it has signed an agreement with Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. to become the manufacturer’s premier race team starting with the 2020 MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing season.
The newly enhanced status comes as Team Hammer is set to celebrate its 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Over that span, the team has repeatedly proven its ability to continually adapt to ever-evolving regulations and economic landscapes and produce at an extremely high level.
In addition to a decorated list of accomplishments in various outside national and international championships, Team Hammer’s success at the AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National level speaks for itself; to date, it has accumulated seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National titles while racking up 83 victories and 234 podiums.
That triumphant history serves as a fine demonstration of the team’s versatility and adaptability; the aforementioned seven titles have come in five different classes (MotoAmerica Supersport, MotoAmerica Twins Cup, AMA Formula Xtreme, AMA 750cc Supersport, and AMA Pro Daytona SportBike) on four different models of production-based Suzuki racebikes (GSX-R600, SV650, GSX-R1000, and GSX-R750).
Along with a track record of preparing, developing, and fielding championship-caliber equipment, Team Hammer has long been renowned for its ability to identify and foster talent, whether it be up-and-coming young guns, overlooked international riders, or established racers hoping to revitalize stalled careers.
Superstars Kevin Schwantz, Ben Spies, Scott Russell, Josh Hayes, Jamie James, John Hopkins, and Thomas Stevens are just a small sampling of the many riders who first started their professional careers in association with Team Hammer.
Team Hammer has long been closely linked with A Suzuki. 1986 marked the first year of support from Suzuki and Team Hammer has exclusively fielded Suzuki motorcycles for the vast majority of its existence.
Riders will be confirmed at a later date.
About Team Hammer
The 2020 season will mark Team Hammer’s 40th consecutive year of operating as a professional road racing team. Racebikes built and fielded by Team Hammer have won 83 AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National races, have finished on AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National podiums 234 times and have won seven AMA Pro and MotoAmerica National Championships, as well as two FIM South American Championships. The team has also won 137 endurance races overall (including seven 24-hour races) and 13 Overall WERA National Endurance Championships with Suzuki motorcycles, and holds the U.S. record for mileage covered in a 24-hour race. The team also competed in the televised 1990s Formula USA National Championship, famously running “Methanol Monster” GSX-R1100 Superbikes fueled by methanol, and won four F-USA Championships.
American Motorcyclist Association offers condolences to family, friends
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association offers its condolences to the family and friends of former AMA board member and current American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation board member Jim Viverito following his death on Dec. 7, 2019.
Mr. Viverito, 67, served on the AMA Board of Directors from February 2010 to July 2016. His service on the AMHF Board, which is tasked with raising money to fund the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, began July 2014.
“Jim Viverito was the consummate AMA volunteer, donating his time, energy and expertise wherever he was needed,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Jim proudly served on the AMA Board of Directors, helping set strategic policy at the highest levels, but a visitor to the AMA offices might also find Jim in the mailroom, helping stuff new member kits in envelopes or loading motorcycles to display at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. To his core, Jim was passionate about motorcycling, from street to dirt, but his love of racing and history, particularly Grand National Championship flat-track competition, was extraordinary.
“Jim was a rare combination of generosity, humility, knowledge and kindness,” Dingman said. “Jim was a close friend to many AMA members, and he will be greatly missed.”
Mr. Viverito, a resident of Chicago, is survived by his wife Marilyn, of 47 years.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/mobile-join
American Motorcyclist Association extends condolences to family, friends of motorcycle rights advocate
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association extends heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and lifelong off-road riding advocate Ed Waldheim, who passed away on Monday, Dec. 9.
Mr. Waldheim was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007 for his ongoing dedication to the riding community and his tireless efforts to secure, maintain and expand off-road riding opportunities in his home state of California.
“Ed Waldheim was an extremely passionate advocate for the rights of off-highway vehicle enthusiasts,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “He was a dedicated volunteer and relentless defender of off-highway vehicle use of our public lands.”
Mr. Waldheim began his involvement in motorcycling as an off-road racer. He later moved into helping organize races and ultimately into off-highway vehicle advocacy. Waldheim was president of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association and was appointed to the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission by two governors and served multiple terms.
He won numerous awards for his advocacy on behalf of all off-road enthusiasts, including the prestigious AMA Motorcycling Advocate Award, the Golden Helmet Award from the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Division of California’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the Off-Roader of the Year from the California Off-Road Vehicle Association. The main building at the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area is named in his honor.
Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management awarded him its Volunteer of the Year award.
Under Mr. Waldheim’s leadership, CORVA membership tripled and the association has maintained a leading position in advocacy and education of off-roading.
The Waldheim family is planning a celebration of his life for mid-January.
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Principal Razlan Razali (left) and Team Director Johan Stigefelt (right). Photo courtesy of PETRONAS Yamaha SRT.
It has been an incredible rookie year for PETRONAS Sepang Racing Team in the 2019 MotoGP World Championship. In a superlative season, Fabio Quartararo took six podium finishes and seven pole positions en route to securing Rookie of the Year and Top Independent Rider, whilst strong results from Franco Morbidelli further helped the squad to finish fourth in the overall teams’ standings as well as secure the Independent Team title. Alongside that, the 2019 Moto3 season was also successful, with John McPhee taking the team’s debut Grand Prix victory and finishing the year fifth in the championship race.
Looking back on the amazing year, even as preparation gets underway for the team’s sophomore MotoGP season in 2020, we sat down with Team Principal Razlan Razali and Team Director Johan Stigefelt to get their thoughts on the epic 2019 season.
If someone told you in Valencia last year that the team would achieve the great results it did in 2019, what would you say to them? How satisfied are you with this season?
Razlan: “I’d never have believed them if someone had told me the great results we’d achieve in our first year. We didn’t expect it, and we went into the season relying on Franco to deliver for us based on the target that we set for him at the beginning of the year. The aim for him was to be top six in the championship, and for Fabio it was to be Rookie of the Year. We didn’t expect at all to do what we did as a team and to have the riders perform so well, especially Fabio. We’re extremely satisfied with the year, because it’s been a wonderful fairytale season.”
After one year with all three categories working together, how do you rate the 2019 season and what was your highlight?
Johan: “The highlight of the season for me was to roll out the three teams together in Qatar after a hard season in 2018 to establish the team. Working so hard to get everything ready meant it was a proud moment in Losail at the first race; one of the milestones for the whole project. Of course, the season itself was amazing in MotoGP, achieving way beyond our wildest expectations. In a way, the entire year was one big highlight for us thanks to what we achieved.”
Why do you think the team has been able to surprise the MotoGP paddock and the wider motorsport community?
Razlan: “We made such a strong entry into the paddock with the MotoGP team, not only with the performance of our riders. We came into the first race in Europe with our trackside presence making a big impact and with people immediately commenting on how friendly the team were, and how welcoming. We presented ourselves very well in 2019, not only in MotoGP but in Moto2 and Moto3 as well. We don’t look like a first-year rookie – it looked like we’ve been there for a long time. Of course, we have with Moto3, but MotoGP is a very different ballgame and we were able to bring a breath of fresh air to the paddock.”
What’s the key to having all three teams together and as a single group?
Johan: “The thing for me, working as Team Director across all three categories, was how important it was to keep everyone together as one team. Listening and talking to everyone in the team is key, and I try to be a friend as well as a boss to everyone and to listen to them. At the end of the day, it’s a hard job with a lot of time spent away from our families, and we have to ensure that we have a nice environment out of the garage and that everyone is well looked after.”
What are your favourite moments of 2019?
Razlan: “There are two moments that I’ve reflected on a lot. Number one was John’s win at the French Grand Prix, with the team able to get our first taste of victory. After that, it was the first podium of Fabio in Catalunya, which was also an amazing moment. Of course, we had seven pole positions all season, but to get on the podium for the first time in our rookie season was just fantastic.”
Johan: “I have two favourite moments of the year, starting with John’s first win for the team. It was a big relief for us because we’ve worked for five years in Moto3 and I pushed this year to have a top rider in the class. Signing John, I knew that he would be a good rider, and it only took five races to have pole position and a win. The second big moment was Fabio’s pole and Franco’s second place on the grid in Jerez. We went there with a brand-new hospitality, new trailers and a whole new set-up in Europe. We made a big impact before we even went out on track, and the pole was quite surreal.”
It’s the first year working with Yamaha in MotoGP. How is the relationship with them?
Razlan: “It was a steep learning curve, but we have had a tremendous amount of support from Yamaha both commercially and technically. Yamaha are very happy with what we’ve done and we’re very happy with the support they’ve given us. It feels like we’re not just a client but also a partner, and we’re contributing together and developing the bikes for 2020.”
After one year working with the three categories, how different or similar is working with each team?
Johan: “The basics of running a team are the same in all categories, but in MotoGP there is more pressure from the media, sponsors and fans. I was a little surprised and shocked to see how much attention there was on us, but that’s a consequence of the success we enjoyed and having a huge name like PETRONAS partnered with us. Everyone in motorsport know who they are and I’m so proud to carry their name.”
How important has this season been for the Malaysian Grand Prix and Malaysian motorsport and what’s the next step?
Razlan: “For the Malaysian Grand Prix, having the team was fantastic. The crowd came in droves to support not only the event but our team, and working together with PETRONAS has been very effective both for us and for Malaysia. Getting over 100,000 people on Sunday was amazing, and to see so many of them wearing team merchandise makes me very proud. Although the results weren’t what we were hoping for, to start from pole and finish inside the top five was great. Maybe we can do better next year in the race, but in general we’ve given the young kids in Malaysia something to aspire to. They can now see that the dream of being a MotoGP rider can be reality if you work hard.”
Next season the team will keep four of the current riders and welcome two new riders in Moto2. The team will also have two A-spec bikes from Yamaha in MotoGP. What can we expect to see in 2020?
Johan: “Starting 2019 like we did, the pressure will be on now for 2020. This season was the honeymoon, but now we need to live up to our results and our image. We need to keep the team happy and smiling as we do it as well. There will be a bigger challenge, but we’re ready to meet it. We’ve set the bar high, but the target will be to raise it even higher. Everyone in the team is competitive and wants to do better – no one is happy until we’re performing at our expectations. 2019 was a tough year in Moto2 and it’s nice to have an experienced rider like Xavi Vierge and someone who is fresh and hungry in Jake Dixon. Jake can surprise and Xavi just needs fine-tuned to be at the top. In Moto3, we’ve set the bar high with John and we know what we need to work on to be at the front every weekend. With Pawi coming back to Moto3, it will also be a challenge – but he know the class and the bike and he had success there in the past. I am looking forward to seeing him and John working together throughout the year.”
Hayley Bell, 2019 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year. Photo by David Silis, courtesy of AMA.
Hayley Bell named American Motorcyclist Association 2019 Motorcyclist of the Year
U.K. rider founded Women Riders World Relay, helped unite motorcyclists worldwide
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — For calling attention to the needs of women riders and for creating a worldwide connection among them, Hayley Bell of the United Kingdom has been named the American Motorcyclist Association 2019 Motorcyclist of the Year.
Bell is the founder and president of global business development for the Women Riders World Relay, a movement joined by thousands of motorcyclists from 84 countries to create a “global sisterhood of inspirational women” and to demonstrate to motorcycle manufacturers and makers of riding gear that female riders are a formidable and growing market that deserves their attention.
The AMA Motorcyclist of the Year designation, awarded annually by the AMA Board of Directors, recognizes the individual or group that had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling in the previous 12 months.
“For her efforts to promote the motorcycle lifestyle around the world and bring together riders from all nations and backgrounds, conveying the positive aspects of motorcycling and drawing attention to the market potential of female riders, Hayley Bell is the 2019 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year,” said Maggie McNally-Bradshaw, chair of the AMA Board of Directors. “Women riders are an important segment of the motorcycling community and they are a critical building block for the future. Hayley’s efforts not only reaffirm that sentiment, but they help carry it forward at a time when motorcycling needs new riders in the fold.”
Women Riders World Relay participants carried the relay baton for a leg of the journey through their countries, then passed it along to the next group of riders. The relay brought together women from diverse cultures and bridged political differences, even across national borders.
Bell was determined that the Women Riders World Relay demonstrate that female riders “are exactly equal to other riders.” Along the way, the relay drew support and participation from male riders, as well.
The full story about Bell and her accomplishments can be found in the January issue of American Motorcyclist magazine.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.
Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/mobile-join
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