World Supersport Race Lap Record: Michele Pirro, 1:45.180, 2010

World Supersport All-Time/Pole Lap Record: Federico Caricasulo, 1:44.220, 2019

FIM Supersport World Championship

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve

Portimao, Portugal

September 8, 2019

Superpole Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Federico Caricasulo, Italy (Yam YZF-R6), 13 laps, Total Race Time 23:37.682, Best Lap Time 1:45.923

2. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland (Yam YZF-R6), -0.333 second, 1:45.373

3. Lucas Mahias, France (Kaw ZX-6R), -0.645, 1:45.796

4. Jules Cluzel, France (Yam YZF-R6), -2.605 seconds, 1:45.807

5. Ayrton Badovini, Italy (Kaw ZX-6R), -3.125, 1:45.938

6. Corentin Perolari, France (Yam YZF-R6), -8.120, 1:46.144

7. Hikari Okubo, Japan (Kaw ZX-6R), -8.390, 1:46.237

8. Jules Danilo, France (Hon CBR600RR), -10.138, 1:46.390

9. Loris Cresson, Belgium (Yam YZF-R6), -10.338, 1:46.460

10. Miquel Pons, Spain (Yam YZF-R6), -10.538, 1:46.450

23. Maria Herrera, Spain (Yam YZF-R6), -7 laps, DNF, crash, 1:46.899

Championship Point Standings (after 9 of 12 races):

1. Krummenacher, 193 points

2. Carocasulo, 183

3. Cluzel, 145

4. Mahias, 98

5. Okubo, 82

6. Thomas Gradinger, 70

7. Raffaele De Rosa, 69

8. Perolari, 59

9. Vinales, 45

10. Peter Sebestyen, 43

World Superbike Race Lap Record: Jonathan Rea, 1:41.418, 2019

World Superbike All-Time/Pole Lap Record: Jonathan Rea, 1:40.372, 2019

Motul FIM Superbike World Championship

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve

Portimao, Portugal

September 8, 2019

Superpole Race Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 10 laps, Total Race Time 17:00.806, Best Lap Time 1:41.272 (New Race Lap Record)

2. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Duc Panigale V4 R), -2.103 seconds, 1:41.476

3. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -2.384, 1:41.444

4. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), -4.053, 1:41.784

5. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -4.318, 1:41.809

6. Michael Van Der Mark, Netherlands (Yam YZF-R1), -5.423, 1:42.158

7. Tom Sykes, UK (BMW S1000RR), -6.287, 1:41.708

8. Sandro Cortese, Germany (Yam YZF-R1), -7.340, 1:41.928

9. Loris Baz, France (Yam YZF-R1), -7.462, 1:42.028

10. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -8.507, 1:42.118

11. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -12.834, 1:42.712

12. Jordi Torres, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -13.077, 1:42.352

13. Marco Melandri, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -13.674, 1:42.270

14. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), -14.425, 1:42.769

15. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Duc Panigale V4 R), -16.591, 1:43.101

16. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Kaw ZX-10RR), -20.413, 1:43.073

17. Takumi Takahashi, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -27.226, 1:43.725

18. Sylvain Barrier, France (Duc Panigale V4 R), -29.744, 1:43.692

19. Alessandro Delbianco, Italy (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -30.032, 1:45.003

20. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -31.113, 1:44.158

Editorial Note: American Brandon Paasch, riding his FPW Racing KTM, finished second in Motostar (a.k.a. Moto3) Race One at Oulton Park. Paasch finished 8.767 seconds behind winner Dan Jones, who rode a City Lifting R5 Racing KTM. With his finish, Paasch pulled into a tie for the championship point lead with Asher Durham, who was third in Race One.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship

Oulton Park, England

September 7, 2019

Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Josh Brookes, Australia (Duc Panigale V4 R), 14 laps, Total Race Time 22:15.285, Best Lap Time 1:34.800

2. Bradley Ray, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -4.960 seconds, 1:34.819

3. Scott Redding, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -6.926, 1:35.164

4. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -8.838, 1:35.245

5. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -9.356, 1:35.271

6. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -15.306, 1:35.234

7. Glenn Irwin, UK (BMW S1000RR), -20.348, 1:35.870

8. Tarran Mackenzie, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -20.573, 1:35.883

9. Alex Olsen, UK (BMW S1000RR), -22.317, 1:36.414

10. Ryan Vickers, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -25.992, 1:36.205

11. Ben Currie, Australia (Kaw ZX-10RR), -28.585, 1:36.352

12. Luke Mossey, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -31.032, 1:36.321

13. James Ellison, UK (MV Agusta F4 1000), -31.131, 1:36.664

14. Luke Stapleford, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -34.376, 1:36.560

15. Joe Francis, UK (BMW S1000RR), -34.902, 1:36.922

16. Xavi Fores, Spain (Hon CBR1000RR), -39.467, 1:36.645

17. Claudio Corti, Italy (Kaw ZX-10RR), -39.710, 1:37.117

18. Josh Owens, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -1 lap, DNF, 1:37.904

19. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -8 laps, DNF, 1:34.941

20. Sam Coventry, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -9 laps, DNF, 1:38.363

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Racing Vision:

Brilliant Brookes wins dramatic Oulton Park opener as Buchan confirmed Showdown spot

Josh Brookes maintained his winning momentum at Oulton Park to claim his seventh Bennetts British Superbike Championship victory of the season, extending his podium points advantage to six in a dramatic opening race of the triple-header weekend that saw Danny Buchan confirmed in the Showdown.

There was drama for Honda Racing before the start of the race when Xavi Forés crashed out on the sighting lap to the grid; the Showdown hopeful returned to pitlane and the team turned him around in time to start from very back of the grid alongside teammate Andrew Irwin.

The race began with a sensational start from Bradley Ray who launched into the lead on the opening lap, but Brookes had moved ahead by the time the pack streamed down Lakeside for the first time.

However a crash on the third lap involving David Allingham, Shaun Winfield and Andrew Irwin ruled the Honda Racing rider out of the race and the chance to score any points towards his Showdown bid.

A lap later and Peter Hickman was another rider fighting for a Showdown place to crash out of the race; the Smiths Racing BMW rider limped back to pitlane and then Dan Linfoot also crashed out in a separate incident and the race was red flagged.

The Smiths Racing BMW team rushed to turn around the damaged machine but Hickman was not able to make the restart. However, his bid for a Showdown place is still very much alive with just a single point between him and Andrew Irwin ahead of tomorrow’s two final races of the main season before the three Showdown rounds get underway.

On the restart Brookes got off to a lightning start from the front row and was ahead of Tommy Bridewell, Ray and Christian Iddon, who is also on a quest to secure a Showdown place for the first time. Jason O’Halloran though was fighting hard on the leading McAMS Yamaha and he made a move ahead of Iddon on lap two.

Bridewell then moved into the lead of the race on the fourth lap, but there was heartbreak for Oxford Racing Ducati when two laps later he was forced to retire with a technical problem as he aimed for the team’s first race win.

That put Brookes back in command at the front of the pack with Ray in hot pursuit with Buchan, O’Halloran and Iddon in the chasing pack with Scott Redding holding sixth place ahead of Tarran Mackenzie. By lap eight, Redding had made a move on Iddon to move up the order as O’Halloran had dropped back behind the Tyco BMW.

Redding was hounding Buchan and on lap 12 a moment for the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider gave his Be Wiser Ducati rival the invitation he needed to make a pass and move into third place with two laps remaining of the 14-lap restart.

Brookes held the lead at the chequered flag to extend his advantage over a confident Redding ahead of tomorrow’s two races, but there were big celebrations for Buildbase Suzuki and Ray who claimed their first podium finish of 2019 in second place ahead of Redding.

Buchan’s fourth place secured both his and the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki team’s first Showdown fight, holding off Iddon and O’Halloran. The result for Iddon in race one, and the disaster for Andrew Irwin and Hickman, has now put him to within ten points of sixth place in the standings.

Tarran Mackenzie was eighth in the opening race and has 13 points advantage over Andrew Irwin ahead of tomorrow’s two races.

Alex Olsen had an impressive debut for Smiths Racing BMW in ninth ahead of Ryan Vickers in tenth.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 1 result:

Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati)

Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +4.960s

Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) +6.926s

Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +8.838s

Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +9.356s

Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +15.306s

Glenn Irwin (Tyco BMW) +20.348s

Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +20.573s

Alex Olsen (Smiths Racing BMW) +22.317s

Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki) +25.992s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Oulton Park Race 1:

Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 296

Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) 275

Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) 243

Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 204

Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 159

Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) 146

Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) 145

Xavi Forés (Honda Racing) 141

Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) 136

*Riders in bold – confirmed in the 2019 Showdown

For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Josh Brookes – Be Wiser Ducati

Race one winner

“Every race is important; we’re heading into the Showdown after this round so every point’s critical. It was a difficult race; obviously the stop-start added an element with the tyres, but it’s the same for everyone.

“I tried as hard as I could to make a break and control the race but Tom’s [Bridewell] pace was really strong. When he came past I thought ‘oh this is good, I’ll just see if I can follow him for a while’ and he was riding really, really well. Not only fast but it looked really in control, no dodginess or aggression, it was just controlled.

“I was like ‘well, this is going to be a race threat’ and then unfortunately I don’t know what happened but his bike stopped. I was actually in the slipstream at the time and it really gave me a shock, but fortunately no-one collected with him and then I had Brad right there for a number of laps. I was pushing really hard and I could feel the tyres starting to give trouble and I just kept seeing zero on the board so I knew Brad was right there.

“I just pushed on and finally I was able to see a little gap on the board starting to show and just happy to bring it home. Credit to him, he’s obviously riding really well again himself because we’ve seen before how strong he can be.”

Danny Buchan – FS-3 Racing Kawasaki

Confirmed in the Showdown

“I am so pleased; I am over the moon, to be in the Showdown. It did seem like today has been against me since waking up!

“I crashed on oil in Q1 and then didn’t get back out in qualifying, so we ended up being down on track time which wasn’t ideal. But then I got a great start in race one from all the way back on the grid.

To be honest I think races where you start towards the back and then have to work your way through are usually some of the best races of your career and that is what it was like today.

“Then after the red flag I started ninth for the restart and that was obviously better. The bike felt different today after some big set up changes which was a bit of a stab in the dark with the set-up.

“I had a small problem towards the end of the race which meant Scott Redding went past and I missed out on a podium, but then I had a little off on the in lap – you just couldn’t make this stuff up!

“We’ll make some changes tomorrow; me and my bike will have a few words tonight and rekindle our relationship! But big credit to FS-3 and the team for all their hard work, they deserved it today!”

More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:

First Blood To Brookes At Oulton Park

Be Wiser Ducati’s Josh Brookes got round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Josh BrookesOulton Park underway in fine style today when he followed up his double at the Cheshire track earlier in the season with his seventh win of the series to extend his championship lead.

And making it a good day for Paul Bird’s team, there was further joy for the Penrith-based squad at their local circuit with team-mate Scott Redding joining him on the podium in third.

Both riders had enjoyed productive practice sessions on the factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R with Australian Brookes quickest in both of the dry sessions, the second of which saw him lap comfortably inside the lap record, whilst Gloucestershire’s Redding wasn’t too far behind in fourth overall.

It meant both of them were in confident mood ahead of this lunchtime’s Datatag Extreme Qualifying session which would determine the grid for the opening race later in the afternoon. Both riders successfully made it through to the final Q3 section but it was a scintillating lap of 1m 33.939s from Brookes, which was half a second inside the lap record, that saw him claim his fourth pole position of the season, two places ahead of Redding who completed the front row.

Conditions were again good for the 18-lap race later in the day but the first attempt at running the race was stopped after four laps due to a number of incidents. Cut to 14 laps, the re-start saw the two riders suffer differing fortunes as Brookes grabbed the lead whilst Redding slipped back to seventh.

Two groups quickly emerged with Brookes battling with Tommy Bridewell and Bradley Ray and Redding dicing with Danny Buchan, Christian Iddon and Jason O’Halloran with both ultimately coming out on top of their respective battles.

Bridewell had taken the lead from Josh before hitting trouble on the sixth lap and, after then successfully seeing off the challenge of Ray, Brookes swept to his seventh win of the season by almost five seconds. Redding, meanwhile, soon got into his rhythm and picked the riders off in front of him one by one to take third place and the final position on the podium.

Josh Brookes: “My lap in qualifying was a personal best so I’m pleased that I’m still improving, and the bike was being kind, working like I want it to work. The stop-start race was difficult as it’s hard to manage the tyres in that situation whilst both Tommy and Brad were riding really well, and I had to push really hard. Unfortunately for Tommy, he went out, so I dug deep and managed to break Brad’s challenge and with every point being critical at this stage of the season it’s great to take another win.”

Scott Redding: “Being on the front row was a massive help today and it helped me feel more relaxed and Scott Reddingmore confident going into the race where I felt really good especially in the first start. The grip felt good and I thought I could go with the front guys but on the re-start, I had to roll off going into the first corner and lost ground. I was also struggling with the rear tyre and it was hard to know how hard to push but once I got into my rhythm and could run my own lines, I was able to move forward and it’s good to take my first podium at Oulton.”

Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s always challenging having a race on Saturday so soon after qualifying and it’s vital not to have any crashes so you can put yourself in the best possible position. From that point of view, it worked out well for us and the race ended up with another win for PBM Be Wiser Ducati and vital podium points for both riders which has allowed us to open up a bit of a gap over the other riders. Both riders are in a good position for tomorrow’s first race and we’ll be looking for similar results in the two races.”

Sunday’s two 18-lap races are scheduled to take place at 13.30 and 16.30 respectively.

World Superbike Race Lap Record: Jonathan Rea, 1:42.304, 2018

World Superbike All-Time/Pole Lap Record: Jonathan Rea, 1:40.372, 2019

Motul FIM Superbike World Championship

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve

Portimao, Portugal

September 7, 2019

Race One Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 20 laps, Total Race Time 34:19.341, Best Lap Time 1:41.418 (New Race Lap Record)

2. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -3.891 seconds, 1:42.215

3. Michael Van Der Mark, Netherlands (Yam YZF-R1), -6.168, 1:42.087

4. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Duc Panigale V4 R), -8.564, 1:42.463

5. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -8.877, 1:42.341

6. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), -10.404, 1:42.120

7. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -13.495, 1:42.191

8. Sandro Cortese, Germany (Yam YZF-R1), -21.345, 1:42.637

9. Marco Melandri, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -21.582, 1:43.190

10. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), -22.486, 1:43.201

11. Jordi Torres, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), -22.701, 1:43.187

12. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), -27.132, 1:43.284

13. Tom Sykes, UK (BMW S1000RR), -34.484, crash, 1:42.272

14. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Kaw ZX-10RR), -36.612, 1:43.475

15. Takumi Takahashi, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -46.877, 1:44.418

16. Loris Baz, France (Yam YZF-R1), -47.901, crash, 1:42.439

17. Sylvain Barrier, France (Duc Panigale V4 R), -60.704, 1:45.137

18. Alessandro Delbianco, Italy (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -60.767, 1:45.003

19. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), -69.039, 1:45.473

20. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Duc Panigale V4 R), -8 laps, DNF, retired, 1:43.497

More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:

More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:

Strong Superpole and bad luck in Saturday’s race for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team at Portimão.

Tom Sykes secures second place on the grid with the BMW S 1000 RR in Superpole.

P13 in the race for Sykes after a fall.

Top 10 result for Markus Reiterberger in Superpole and twelfth place in the race.

Portimão. Saturday at Portimão (POR) was a day of mixed feelings for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team. After a strong performance in Superpole with second place for Tom Sykes (GBR) and ninth for Markus Reiterberger (GER), the afternoon’s race did not go to plan. Reiterberger crossed the finish line in twelfth place, with Sykes just behind in 13th position. Portimão is hosting the tenth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship 2019 (WorldSBK).

Sykes was able to make good use of the faster qualifying tyres during the final minutes of Superpole, setting what was then the best time – with a new lap record of 01:40.483 minutes. It was only Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea (GBR) who managed to go one better and claim pole position. Sykes claimed the second spot on the front row. Reiterberger also reached the top ten in Superpole, finishing ninth.

Sykes initially dropped back after the start of the race but stayed in the leading group that was battling for podium positions, however the British rider fell on lap eight out of 20. He was able to remount and continued the race on his RR in 15th place. He proceeded to move up two places to 13th during the remaining laps. Reiterberger also lost a few places after the start. He then gave a solid race performance, crossing the line in twelfth position.

Quotes after race one at Portimão.

Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “Both riders did very well in Superpole. Tom obviously made a great lap with his qualifier and second position was fantastic. Markus held on to the third row of the grid in ninth which again was a solid performance from him. The race was difficult. Tom got away well, he was in a real strong group and he was faster on some parts of the circuit while he was slower in other parts. The places where he was struggling on speed was where the passing places were at the end of the start-finish straight. He suffered badly for that and he was overriding and because of that he lost the front. But he took the good decision to get back on the bike and finish the race to collect some data. He scored more points but most important we got good data for tomorrow. Markus’ start was not so bad but then he got sucked in and dropped two places into the first corner. From that position it was a lonely race for him and as the race tyre disintegrates as the laps go on he got slower and this unfortunately was the position he finished. But we will analyse today’s data, work hard, prepare for tomorrow and hopefully secure places in the two front rows in the Superpole Race.”

Markus Reiterberger: “Superpole was really great. With the SC-X tyres I managed to reach the top five for a time before ending up in seventh before everyone had put on their qualifying tyres. I was then able to record a fast second lap after the first one with the qualifying tyres. That was a perfect lap. I had expected to be on the second row but it was ninth place in the end. I was just two and a half tenths of a second off fourth place. The start went well enough but I hit the first two gears too early and that meant that the other riders were able to out-accelerate me. Then I rode my race and struggled a bit with the problems that are still holding us back somewhat. I finished twelfth, which was just shy of my aim of a top ten position, but we will see if we can find something to help me do a bit better tomorrow.”

Tom Sykes: “Overall, it’s a shame because we have found a good set-up for our BMW S 1000 RR and we’ve been really consistent throughout practice and also in Superpole. We had a very strong result and just missed pole position by only one tenth. So this was good but unfortunately during the race our set-up was really good to ride when I’m on my own but when I was with the other guys the style of riding had to change a bit. And while we have a good set-up we still miss a little bit of straight-line performance. On our own we are not too bad but unfortunately I got caught out riding with the guys and just this slight change in style caused me losing the front when I released the brake. I was a little bit disappointed but it was a big lesson learned. Now we will work on that and change the set-up for tomorrow to attack again.”

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Rea Takes Tenth Race Win Of The Season

Jonathan Rea restarted his 2019 WorldSBK campaign with a Race One win, shortly after securing pole position at record pace on his KRT Ninja ZX-10RR. Leon Haslam (KRT) was a battling fifth after starting the race from fourth on the grid.

With the KRT duo of Rea and Haslam on the front and second row respectively for the start of the first 20-lap WorldSBK race of the Portuguese WorldSBK weekend, expectations were high for each rider.

Rea has set a new Superpole qualifying record of 1’40.372 earlier in the day and used his sheer pace in the early laps to take a clear lead that was never challenged, especially after his championship rival Alvaro Bautista ran wide on the first lap and dropped to 16th place at the end of lap one.

For Haslam the Portimao race was not an easy one but he was rewarded with a top five finish and more important championship points. Unable to defend on the main straight as Bautista came past in the final two laps, he won his personal duel with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) to finish fifth, 8.887 seconds from the win.

Jonathan’s 81st career race win saw him lift his leading advantage in the championship table to 93 points, with two more Portimao races on Sunday and then three more rounds before the end of the year. Leon is fifth in the championship points and made up some ground on the rider in fourth place overall today.

There will be a ten-lap Tissot Superpole race on Sunday morning at Portimao, and then a full distance Race Two, over the same 20-laps as Race One.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Thanks to my team because slowly and surely over the weekend we made the bike better and better especially in the hot conditions. I worked really hard in the beginning of the race to try and find a gap. When it got to five seconds I started getting very nervous so I started to ride to my pit-board and try not make any mistakes. Thanks to all the support out there, which means so much. I am looking forward to tomorrow because I think we can try to improve the bike set-up a little bit, especially for the end of the race – just to make things a little bit more comfortable. I certainly did not have anything left in my pocket in this race. It was target achieved today.”

Leon Haslam, stated: “I made a few mistakes which lost me the tow with Davies and Van der Mark. I felt I had the pace of those guys if not for too many little mistakes. I am struggling a little bit with corner entry; not something we have had in the past but something we have had an issue with all weekend. I just felt I was on the edge too much and it caught me out a few times. When I backed off from that the pace was quite comfortable. But to push on from the mistakes I made I needed to get a bit more of a better feel from the front.”

Razgatlioglu was unable to get back into contention with Haslam in the final lap, as Haslam was closing in on Bautista again, but Toprak finished 1.5 seconds down on the English rider. Razgatlioglu remains top independent rider overall after finishing as best independent rider in today’s race.

Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) qualified seventh in Superpole but had a difficult start and was 12th on lap one. He ended up 11th in the race, a track position he occupied from lap seven.

Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) placed 14th, improving two places on his Superpole performance.

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Pata Yamaha’s van der Mark Storms to the Podium in Portimão

Race

Michael van der Mark returned to the WorldSBK podium for the first time since his race win in Jerez back in June at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão today. The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider bounced back from a difficult qualifying session to impress with an incredible ride from tenth place on the grid to the third step of the podium in Race 1.

A lightning start from tenth place on the grid, followed by aggressive overtaking in the opening laps, saw van der Mark quickly close onto the back of Chaz Davies in second place, with the pair having already pulled out a significant gap on the pursuing pack. The Dutchman made an early move for second place with a brave pass around the outside of the Welshman in the final turn, but Davies was able to draft past on the straight to reclaim the position. Van der Mark maintained the gap for the remainder of the race but lacked the necessary extra pace to mount a further challenge and had to settle for third at the chequered flag. The result moves van der Mark back up to third in the championship standings, just two points ahead of his Pata Yamaha teammate, Alex Lowes.

After a difficult start and a hectic opening lap, Lowes also looked to have podium potential today, as he chased and caught the leading group in the opening stages of the race. Unfortunately, at half race distance, the Pata Yamaha rider started to struggle for rear grip and was unable to continue the battle for fourth place with Leon Haslam and Toprak Razgatlioglu. After losing a further place to Alvaro Bautista, who was fighting his way back after a first corner incident, Lowes eventually took seventh place and solid points at the line.

Sandro Cortese surprised even himself with a superb Superpole performance that saw the GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK rider starting Race 1 from third place, on the front row of the grid. The reigning Supersport World Champion’s goal today was to secure a top eight finish in the race and to rediscover the form he enjoyed prior to his qualifying crash at Donington Park. Cortese managed to maintain contact with the leading group initially but lost the tow after almost losing the front and then watching Tom Sykes and Loris Baz crash in front of him after ignoring similar warnings. Cortese eventually finished eighth to achieve his goal.

Marco Melandri followed his GRT Yamaha teammate home in ninth place and was disappointed not to finish higher up the order after qualifying eighth on the grid. The veteran Italian had a better feeling with the bike in Superpole this morning, but rising track temperatures this afternoon meant he faced the same grip issues in the race that have plagued him in recent rounds and he was unable to stay with the leading group after a busy opening lap.

The day started well for Loris Baz, with the Ten Kate Yamaha Supported WorldSBK rider finishing third in the final free practice session this morning but, unfortunately, it went downhill from there. A crash in Superpole during his first run on qualifying tyres meant the Frenchman started Race 1 today from the fifth row of the grid. Pushing hard from the start to make up places, Baz lost the front and crashed at turn eight just six laps in. The Ten Kate Yamaha rider managed to remount and rejoin the race, which he eventually finished just out of the points in 16th place.

Michael van der Mark

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK – P3

“It’s not been an easy weekend and I struggled to get a good feeling with the bike in free practice. I was a bit unlucky in Superpole, where I made a small mistake, with the result that I only qualified in tenth position – so I knew a good start in the race was vital today. In the end I just went for it and managed to make up quite a few places in the first few corners, after which I was able to push on and catch Chaz in second. I made an early move around the outside him of the last turn, but he was able to blast past me on the straight and I didn’t quite have the pace to go after him again at the end. But I’m happy to be back on the podium in the first race after the summer break and it’s a nice reward for all the hard work the team have put in to get us here.”

Alex Lowes

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK – P7

“I didn’t get the best start and the opening lap was quite hectic, but once it settled down a bit my pace was quite good, and I was able to stay in the group filling second to seventh places. I felt okay, but after around 11 laps I started to struggle quite badly for grip, making it difficult to get into and out of the corners because the bike was sliding so much. I went for a different tyre to most of the others, as I had a better feeling with it yesterday, but it backfired on us a little bit today. I couldn’t do much more at the end, other than to ride to the finish and pick up points for seventh. Not easy, but we’ve certainly got some ideas on how we can improve things for tomorrow.”

Sandro Cortese

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P8

“Nobody was expecting us to be starting here from the front row today, but I had a really good Superpole and managed to qualify in third place. The goal ahead of the weekend was to finish top ten and rebuild my confidence after two difficult races at Donington Park and Laguna. Although I started from the front row today, I went into the race knowing that a top eight finish would be a good result. Maybe others had higher expectations, but I knew it would be a very tough race. I tried to stay with the leading group for as long as possible, but I got a few warnings with the front closing and then Sykes overtook me and crashed, closely followed by Baz who did exactly the same. At that point I decided not to risk it all and to bring the bike home and bank the confidence that a race finish always brings. I’m satisfied with the result today and looking forward to the races tomorrow.”

Marco Melandri

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P9

“The feeling was better in qualifying this morning compared to yesterday but, if I’m honest, I expected a little bit more in the race. But, unfortunately, I was struggling for rear grip from the start and this brought back the problems we’ve been experiencing for some time now, in that it was difficult for me to get the bike stopped and to get it to turn. It was not easy; I just tried my best in the race, managed to finish top ten, and now we will try again to improve things for the two races tomorrow.”

Loris Baz

Ten Kate Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P16

“The day started well, with me finishing the final free practice session in third place, and I was feeling confident. In Superpole I had a good lap time with the race tyre, but then I crashed when we switched to a qualifier, mainly as a result of our lack of experience with the qualifying tyres because I still don’t really know where the limit is with the front. It was a big shame, as it meant I started the race from 15th on the grid, which meant I had no option but to attack to come back into a good position. I’d worked my way up to eighth place after a few laps and I was closing on the group battle for fifth when I crashed on the front again. I managed to rejoin and my pace was good; without the crash I think seventh place would have been possible. Now we need to try again tomorrow, firstly in the Superpole race to improve my grid position and then again in tomorrow afternoon’s Race 2, where the target is to fight for a top five finish.”

More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:

World Superbike in Portugal: Chaz Davies gets onto the podium again with a great run to second place in Race 1, Álvaro Bautista makes an exceptional recovery to finish just off the podium in fourth

The first race in this weekend’s 400th round in the history of the World Superbike Championship saw positive performances by both riders of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.

Starting from a row-4, P12 grid slot, Chaz Davies ran a very aggressive race to step onto the podium once again after his win in the last round at Laguna Seca, this time in second place behind winner Rea (Kawasaki). In the tussle for supremacy in the first turn following the start, Álvaro Bautista almost made contact with his team-mate, unfortunately losing a lot of positions that put him down in sixteenth place at the end of the opening lap. The Spanish rider then made an incredible recovery to finish just a few seconds away from the podium in fourth place.

Tomorrow the ten-lap Superpole Race will be held at 11.00 CET, with Race 2 starting at 14.00.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 2nd

“I’m really happy with second place in today’s race, especially after my poor Superpole qualifying performance and twelfth place on the grid. Portimão is a strange track, different from Laguna Seca, and it’s very tricky to pass around here, so for this reason I’m happy to have got onto the podium again. I made a really good first lap, made the passes stick and went forward from there. The start wasn’t that good but I did go very deep into turn 1 and I think I caused Alvaro to stand the bike up a bit so I apologize for that. It wasn’t my intention to cause him any problems but it just happened, I saw the gap and was committed in the turn.”

Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) – 4th

“I’m really happy with the performance we showed today, even though unfortunately we missed out on a chance to fight for the victory in the first corner due to what happened at the first turn with my team-mate and I was lucky not to touch Lowes and crash. I lost a lot of positions so I tried to recover and do my best. It was difficult to overtake other riders because I didn’t have much traction and I couldn’t make my lines so I needed more time to overtake. When I was alone our pace was even faster than the winner, so I’m happy with the performance but not the result. At least we have two races tomorrow to try and get better results than today.”

More, form a press release issued by Moriwaki Althea Honda Team:

Takumi Takahashi in the points zone in his debut race of the season at Portimao.

Takumi Takahashi crossed the line in fifteenth place in today’s first Superbike race at the challenging Algarve International Circuit Portimao. It initially took the Japanese a little time to get into his rhythm but after a few laps, he began to steadily improve his pace before setting his personal fastest time on lap 11 and finishing inside the points zone in his first WSBK championship race of the season.

Struggling with a lack of grip, Ryuichi Kiyonari had a tougher race day and was forced to settle for nineteenth position at the end of the 20-lap competition.

Tomorrow’s Superpole race will start at 11:00 local time followed by Race 2 at 14:00 that rounds out the Portuguese race weekend.

Takumi Takahashi

15TH

“Today was quite challenging but it also had some positives and, above all, was a good experience. The first laps of the race were already tough enough, as I fought with some other riders and it took me some time to get past them and find my pace. But step by step my confidence improved and so did my rhythm. From mid-race on, I was able to maintain a consistent rhythm right until the end”.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

19TH

“I’m not happy with today’s performance. In qualifying I did not improve my position but at least the feeling with the bike was not bad, apart from the lack of rear grip. In order to try and improve in terms of that issue, we tried a set-up change, but it did not work as we were hoping for. I was struggling even more in the race and I could not ride fast enough. We must think ahead to tomorrow and work to try and do better”.

Williams Grove Half-Mile Pres By Appalachian Harley-Davidson/American Flat Track

Williams Grove Speedway
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
September 7, 2019
Provisional AFT Twins Free Practice One Results (all on Dunlop tires):
1. Jared Mees (Ind), 25.349 seconds
2. Briar Bauman (Ind), 25.580
3. Robert Pearson (Ind), 25.585
4. Sammy Halbert (Har), 25.707
5. Bronson Bauman (Ind), 25.826
6. Davis Fisher (Ind), 25.894
7. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 26.018
8. Bryan Smith (Kaw), 26.067
9. Jarod Vanderkooi (Har), 26.114
10. James Monaco (Ind), 26.169
11. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind), 26.172
12. Jake Johnson (Yam), 26.182
13. Henry Wiles (Ind), 26.228
14. Larry Pegram (Ind), 26.236
15. Brandon Price (Ind), 26.249
16. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), 26.569
17. Jay Maloney (Ind), 26.654
18. Nick Armstrong (Yam), 26.691
19. Jake Shoemaker (Tri), 27.026
20. Jeremiah Alexander (Kaw), 27.080

Provisional AFT Production Twins Free Practice One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Ryan Varnes (Kaw), 25.863 seconds
2. Cory Texter (Yam), 26.029
3. Dalton Gauthier (Har), 26.189
4. Kevin Stollings (Kaw), 26.353
5. Kolby Carlile (Yam), 26.572
6. J.R. Addison (Kaw), 26.579
7. James Rispoli (Har), 26.686
8. Ben Lowe (Kaw), 26.704
9. Andrew Luker (Kaw), 26.707
10. Cody Johncox (Yam), 26.749
11. Donald Mullen II (Kaw), 26.785
12. Nick Weimer (Kaw), 27.070
13. Shawn Baer (BMW), 27.257
14. Jordan Harris (Kaw), no time recorded

Provisional AFT Singles Free Practice One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Kevin Stollings (Hon), 25.874 seconds
2. Dalton Gauthier (Hus), 26.039
3. Dan Bromley (KTM), 26.079
4. Mikey Rush (Hon), 26.097
5. Oliver Brindley (Yam), 26.121
6. Morgen Mischler (KTM), 26.189
7. Shayna Texter (KTM), 26.194
8. Jesse Janisch (Yam), 26.273
9. Dallas Daniels (Yam), 26.277
10. Cole Zabala (Hon), 26.351
11. Max Whale (Kaw), 26.438
12. Chad Cose (Suz), 26.442
13. Ryan Wells (Yam), 26.490
14. Brandon Kitchen (KTM), 26.625
15. Trent Lowe (Yam), 26.669
16. Brandon Newman (KTM), 26.810
17. Andrew Luker (Yam), 26.842
18. Cameron Smith (Hon), 26.912
19. Jeremy Orr (KTM), 27.083
20. William Kent (KTM), 27.113
21. Brian McRoberts (Hon), 27.197
22. Michael Mckee (KTM), 27.213
23. Kevin Walter (Hon), 27.307
24. Garret Wilson (Yam), 27.342
25. Tyler Mullen (Hon), 27.343
26. Scott Barrett (Hon), 27.799
27. Clayton Isherwood (Hon), 27.834

Provisional AFT Twins Free Practice Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 25.725 seconds
2. Jared Mees (Ind), 25.754
3. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind), 25.813
4. Robert Pearson (Ind), 25.896
5. Davis Fisher (Ind), 25.948
6. Brandon Price (Ind), 25.976
7. Bronson Bauman (Ind), 25.994
8. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 26.071
9. Henry Wiles (Ind), 26.095
10. Jake Johnson (Yam), 26.150
11. Jarod Vanderkooi (Har), 26.151
12. Bryan Smith (Kaw), 26.218
13. Sammy Halbert (Har), 26.280
14. James Monaco (Ind), 26.358
15. Jay Maloney (Ind), 26.418
16. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), 26.555
17. Larry Pegram (Ind), 26.603
18. Nick Armstrong (Yam), 26.709
19. Jeremiah Alexander (Kaw), 26.839
20. Jake Shoemaker (Tri), 27.306

Provisional AFT Production Twins Qualifying One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Ryan Varnes (Kaw), 25.945 seconds
2. Cory Texter (Yam), 26.060
3. Dalton Gauthier (Har), 26.070
4. Kolby Carlile (Yam), 26.223
5. James Rispoli (Har), 26.497
6. J.R. Addison (Kaw), 26.622
7. Ben Lowe (Kaw), 26.647
8. Andrew Luker (Kaw), 26.686
9. Kevin Stollings (Kaw), 26.710
10. Donald Mullen II (Kaw), 26.741
11. Nick Weimer (Kaw), 26.759
12. Cody Johncox (Yam), 26.826
13. Shawn Baer (BMW), 26.890
14. Jordan Harris (Kaw), 27.609

Provisional AFT Singles Qualifying One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dalton Gauthier (Hus), 26.097
2. Dan Bromley (KTM), 26.153
3. Kevin Stollings (Hon), 26.198
4. Mikey Rush (Hon), 26.297
5. Dallas Daniels (Yam), 26.328
6. Morgen Mischler (KTM), 26.339
7. Chad Cose (Suz), 26.363
8. Max Whale (Kaw), 26.395
9. Oliver Brindley (Yam), 26.434
10. Ryan Wells (Yam), 26.439
11. Shayna Texter (KTM), 26.481
12. Cole Zabala (Hon), 26.547
13. Jesse Janisch (Yam), 26.554
14. Trent Lowe (Yam), 26.590
15. Brandon Kitchen (KTM), 26.737
16. Brandon Newman (KTM), 26.746
17. Andrew Luker (Yam), 26.812
18. Michael Mckee (KTM), 26.944
19. Jeremy Orr (KTM), 26.961
20. Kevin Walter (Hon), 27.055
21. Cameron Smith (Hon), 27.113
22. William Kent (KTM), 27.253
23. Tyler Mullen (Hon), 27.288
24. Garret Wilson (Yam), 27.333
25. Brian McRoberts (Hon), 27.451
26. Clayton Isherwood (Hon), 27.601
27. Scott Barrett (Hon), 27.759

Provisional AFT Twins Qualifying One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 25.632 seconds
2. Jared Mees (Ind), 25.786
3. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind), 25.851
4. Bronson Bauman (Ind), 25.905
5. Davis Fisher (Ind), 25.957
6. Brandon Price (Ind), 25.992
7. Robert Pearson (Ind), 26.021
8. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 26.135
9. Jarod Vanderkooi (Har), 26.155
10. Larry Pegram (Ind), 26.231
11. Sammy Halbert (Har), 26.316
12. James Monaco (Ind), 26.325
13. Henry Wiles (Ind), 26.430
14. Jay Maloney (Ind), 26.587
15. Bryan Smith (Kaw), 26.592
16. Jake Johnson (Yam), 26.651
17. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), 26.855
18. Nick Armstrong (Yam), 26.935
19. Jake Shoemaker (Tri), 27.268
20. Jeremiah Alexander (Kaw), no time recorded

Provisional AFT Production Twins Qualifying Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Cory Texter (Yam), 26.196 seconds
2. Ryan Varnes (Kaw), 26.371
3. Andrew Luker (Kaw), 26.455
4. Dalton Gauthier (Har), 26.564
5. Kolby Carlile (Yam), 26.601
6. J.R. Addison (Kaw), 26.710
7. Cody Johncox (Yam), 26.736
8. James Rispoli (Har), 26.812
9. Ben Lowe (Kaw), 26.826
10. Donald Mullen II (Kaw), 26.848
11. Kevin Stollings (Kaw), 26.858
12. Nick Weimer (Kaw), 27.140
13. Shawn Baer (BMW), 27.222
14. Jordan Harris (Kaw), 27.755

Provisional AFT Singles Qualifying Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dan Bromley (KTM), 26.199 seconds
2. Mikey Rush (Hon), 26.217
3. Oliver Brindley (Yam), 26.223
4. Dalton Gauthier (Hus), 26.224
5. Morgen Mischler (KTM), 26.344
6. Chad Cose (Suz), 26.347
7. Ryan Wells (Yam), 26.372
8. Max Whale (Kaw), 26.390
9. Cole Zabala (Hon), 26.462
10. Shayna Texter (KTM), 26.474
11. Dallas Daniels (Yam), 26.502
12. Andrew Luker (Yam), 26.520
13. Brandon Kitchen (KTM), 26.583
14. Kevin Stollings (Hon), 26.622
15. Jesse Janisch (Yam), 26.635
16. Trent Lowe (Yam), 26.770
17. Brandon Newman (KTM), 26.819
18. Michael Mckee (KTM), 26.844
19. Cameron Smith (Hon), 26.863
20. Jeremy Orr (KTM), 27.003
21. Kevin Walter (Hon), 27.092
22. Tyler Mullen (Hon), 27.206
23. Brian McRoberts (Hon), 27.215
24. William Kent (KTM), 27.267
25. Garret Wilson (Yam), 27.369
26. Clayton Isherwood (Hon), 27.560
27. Scott Barrett (Hon), 27.788

Provisional AFT Twins Qualifying Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 25.887 seconds
2. Jared Mees (Ind), 25.897
3. Robert Pearson (Ind), 26.139
4. Brandon Price (Ind), 26.155
5. Larry Pegram (Ind), 26.214
6. Jarod Vanderkooi (Har), 26.359
7. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind), 26.366
8. Bronson Bauman (Ind), 26.402
9. James Monaco (Ind), 26.411
10. Davis Fisher (Ind), 26.420
11. Brandon Robinson (Ind), 26.463
12. Sammy Halbert (Har), 26.656
13. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), 26.716
14. Bryan Smith (Kaw), 26.727
15. Jake Johnson (Yam), 26.764
16. Henry Wiles (Ind), 26.838
17. Jay Maloney (Ind), 26.862
18. Nick Armstrong (Yam), 27.158
19. Jake Shoemaker (Tri), no time recorded
20. Jeremiah Alexander (Kaw), no time recorded

Provisional AFT Singles Heat One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dalton Gauthier (Hus), 5 laps
2. Morgen Mischler (KTM), -0.772 second
3. Mikey Rush (Hon), -0.973
4. Max Whale (Kaw), -1.968 seconds
5. Andrew Luker (Yam), -2.089
6. Trent Lowe (Yam), -2.599
7. Cameron Smith (Hon), -3.542
8. Garret Wilson (Yam), -5.519
9. Tyler Mullen (Hon), -5 laps

Provisional AFT Singles Heat Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dan Bromley (KTM), 5 laps
2. Chad Cose (Suz), -0.186 second
3. Cole Zabala (Hon), -0.998
4. Oliver Brindley (Yam), -1.035 seconds
5. Jesse Janisch (Yam), -1.484
6. Jeremy Orr (KTM), -3.823
7. Brandon Newman (KTM), -4.155
8. Brian McRoberts (Hon), -4.662
9. Clayton Isherwood (Hon), -6.277

Provisional AFT Singles Heat Three Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Shayna Texter (KTM), 5 laps
2. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -1.005 seconds
3. Ryan Wells (Yam), -1.258
4. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -1.428
5. Michael Mckee (KTM), -2.787
6. Brandon Kitchen (KTM), -2.836
7. William Kent (KTM), -4.539
8. Kevin Walter (Hon), -4.719
9. Scott Barrett (Hon), -8.847

Provisional AFT Production Twins Semi One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dalton Gauthier (Har), 10 laps
2. Ryan Varnes (Kaw), -0.404 second
3. Kevin Stollings (Kaw), – 3.933 seconds
4. J.R. Addison (Kaw), -7.199
5. Donald Mullen II (Kaw), -8.047
6. Andrew Luker (Kaw), -1 lap
7. Shawn Baer (BMW), -2 laps

Provisional AFT Production Twins Semi Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Kolby Carlile (Yam), 10 laps
2. Cory Texter (Yam), -0.002 second
3. James Rispoli (Har), -1.220 seconds
4. Ben Lowe (Kaw), -4.787
5. Cody Johncox (Yam), -6.052
6. Jordan Harris (Kaw), -8.845
7. Nick Weimer (Kaw), -9.372

Provisional AFT Singles Semi One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dalton Gauthier (Hus), 8 laps
2. Dan Bromley (KTM), -2.967 seconds
3. Mikey Rush (Hon), -3.324
4. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -3.426
5. Cole Zabala (Hon), -4.341
6. Cameron Smith (Hon), -4.613
7. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -5.091
8. Jesse Janisch (Yam), -5.696
9. Andrew Luker (Yam), -6.327
10. Brandon Kitchen (KTM), -6.624
11. Brandon Newman (KTM), -7.782
12. Kevin Walter (Hon), -8.452
13. Clayton Isherwood (Hon), -13.563
14. Tyler Mullen (Hon), -8 laps

Provisional AFT Singles Semi Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Shayna Texter (KTM), 8 laps
2. Oliver Brindley (Yam), -0.588 second
3. Ryan Wells (Yam), -1.296 seconds
4. Morgen Mischler (KTM), -1.411
5. Max Whale (Kaw), -1.719
6. Trent Lowe (Yam), -3.031
7. Michael Mckee (KTM), -4.383
8. Chad Cose (Suz), -4.525
9. William Kent (KTM), -4.727
10. Jeremy Orr (KTM), -5.751
11. Brian McRoberts (Hon), -6.089
12. Garret Wilson (Yam), -6.698
13. Scott Barrett (Hon), -8.459

Provisional AFT Twins Semi One Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 10 laps
2. Robert Pearson (Ind), -0.436 second
3. Davis Fisher (Ind), -2.332 seconds
4. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind), -2.722
5. Sammy Halbert (Har), -3.486
6. Henry Wiles (Ind), -5.388
7. Jarod Vanderkooi (Har), -6.000
8. Bryan Smith (Kaw), -8.359
9. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), -9.022
10. Jake Shoemaker (Tri), -10 laps

Provisional AFT Twins Semi Two Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Larry Pegram (Ind), 10 laps
2. Jared Mees (Ind), -0.481 second
3. Brandon Price (Ind), -1.246 seconds
4. Bronson Bauman (Ind), -5.015
5. James Monaco (Ind), -5.159
6. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -5.455
7. Jay Maloney (Ind), -5.674
8. Jake Johnson (Yam), -6.971
9. Nick Armstrong (Yam), -8.161
10. Jeremiah Alexander (Kaw), -15.754

Provisional AFT Production Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Ryan Varnes (Kaw), 15 laps
2. Dalton Gauthier (Har), -0.843 second
3. Cory Texter (Yam), -1.255 seconds
4. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -6.322
5. James Rispoli (Har), -6.655
6. Kevin Stollings (Kaw), -6.786
7. Cody Johncox (Yam), -10.046
8. Ben Lowe (Kaw), -11.462
9. Andrew Luker (Kaw), -12.663
10. J.R. Addison (Kaw), -14.147
11. Jordan Harris (Kaw), -17.346
12. Nick Weimer (Kaw), -1 lap
13. Donald Mullen II (Kaw), -15 laps
14. Shawn Baer (BMW), -15 laps

Provisional AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Dalton Gauthier (Hus), 15 laps
2. Morgen Mischler (KTM), -0.611 second
3. Oliver Brindley (Yam), -3.257
4. Dan Bromley (KTM), -3.492
5. Mikey Rush (Hon), -3.765
6. Max Whale (Kaw), -4.560
7. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -4.839
8. Cole Zabala (Hon), -5.873
9. Shayna Texter (KTM), -6.321
10. Chad Cose (Suz), -6.542
11. Kevin Stollings (Hon), -6.687
12. Cameron Smith (Hon), -9.434
13. Trent Lowe (Yam), -9.853
14. William Kent (KTM), -14.438
15. Michael Mckee (KTM), -15.485
16. Jesse Janisch (Yam), -1 lap
17. Ryan Wells (Yam), -15 laps

Provisional AFT Twins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Briar Bauman (Ind), 25 laps
2. Brandon Price (Ind), -0.879 second
3. Davis Fisher (Ind), -4.525 seconds
4. Jared Mees (Ind), -4.894
5. Robert Pearson (Ind), -6.271
6. Jarod Vanderkooi (Har), -9.693
7. Sammy Halbert (Har), -9.948
8. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Ind), -10.633
9. Larry Pegram (Ind), -11.641
10. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -11.841
11. Henry Wiles (Ind), -14.653
12. James Monaco (Ind), -16.285
13. Bronson Bauman (Ind), -16.916
14. Jay Maloney (Ind), -17.022
15. Jake Johnson (Yam), -19.239
16. Brock Schwarzenbacher (Kaw), -1 lap
17. Bryan Smith (Kaw), -5 laps, DNF

More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:

Bauman Closes on AFT Twins Title with Williams Grove Win

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (September 7, 2019) – Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) seized back the momentum with a timely victory in Saturday night’s Williams Grove Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Bauman’s fifth win of the 2019 American Flat Track season earned him a bit of breathing space in the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship hunt as time is running out for multi-time defending champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in his bid to make it three straight.

Bauman and Mees clashed in an early-lap dogfight that teased a race-long showdown between the two title contenders. However, Bauman was simply too strong for Mees on this night, powering away from his rival just six laps into the 25-lap Main.

Bauman couldn’t exhale quite that early, however. Rookie revelation Brandon Price (No. 192 Roof Systems of Dallas TX/DPC Racing Indian FTR750) rolled by the champ and set his sights on Bauman for the lead on lap 7.

Price pushed Bauman to the checkered flag, collecting his maiden premier-class podium finish just 0.878 seconds off the win.

Mees was knocked off the podium entirely when Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere Beaverton Motorcycles/Dick Wall 60 Indian FTR750) made his way into third. Mees attempted a last-corner maneuver to steal back the position — and some critical points in the process — but came up just short.

As a result, Bauman extended his title advantage to 35 points (305-270) and is well poised to clinch his first AFT Twins championship a round early at the Indian Motorcycle Minnesota Mile presented by Law Tigers on September 21.

“The success tonight comes from the team,” Bauman said. “They’ve done everything for me, and the bike has been so good. I was nervous in the pits earlier, and they got my spirits up. Bronson has been struggling, but he came up to me and said, ‘dude, you’re the baddest guy here — just go out and get it.’

“I have such a good support group. My family has been at all the rounds and all the fans and my friends… I come to the racetrack to see my family and I race while I’m here. I can’t thank everyone enough for being here.”

Robert Pearson (No. 27 R/J Performance/Hite Trucking Indian FTR750) rounded out the top five.

Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys

Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450) registered a second-consecutive Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys victory to expand his championship advantage in title fight crunch time.

Gauthier and reigning champion Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) went back and forth over the race’s opening half, throwing big moves as they tussled for the lead. Gauthier ultimately outlasted the spirited effort of Bromley to shake free on lap 7 and never looked back.

Bromley had other worries beyond Gauthier’s class-leading fourth victory. He was first dropped to third by a confident Morgen Mischler (No. 69 Waters Autobody Racing/D&D Powersports KTM 450 SX-F) and then lost out in a last-lap battle with charging Englishman Oliver Brindley (No. 24 Roof Systems of Dallas/FX Solutions Yamaha YZ450F) for the final spot on the podium.

As a result, Gauthier now leads Bromley by 15 points (266-251) with two races left to decide this year’s champion. Third-ranked Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) kept his title hopes alive (230 points) with another top-five result in fifth.

After the race, home-state hero Gauthier said, “Dan was running it on the inside of me pretty much every turn in those first couple of laps, and I’d dive right back inside on him and make it happen. I kind of outsmarted him, I think. He’s making it tough to win this championship, but I think we’ve got the upper hand right now. My riding has been awesome lately. I’ve just been having fun, and that’s the main thing for me to be fast and smooth.”

AFT Production Twins

Rock-steady Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Varnes Racing/RoyBuilt Kawasaki Ninja 650) registered a virtual wire-to-wire victory in the 15-lap AFT Production Twins Main event to make his once quiet championship bid a whole lot louder.

Varnes sprinted away to the holeshot with polesitter Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 Black Hills Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X) in tight formation. Gauthier dove up the inside of Varnes entering Turn 3 on lap 2. Varnes immediately countered, squaring Gauthier back up and retaking the lead a short straight later.

Varnes continually solidified his advantage from there; he never offered the talented Gauthier a second opportunity for a strike and managed to break his challenge over the race’s final five laps.

Title leader Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Holeshot Powersports Yamaha MT-07) closed down on Gauthier late, but simply ran out of laps. He finished 0.412 back of Gauthier in third to complete an all-Pennsylvania podium.

Varnes’ second win of the season catapults him into second in the championship standings and pulls him to within 16 points of Texter (165-149) with two rounds remaining.

After the race, Varnes said, “In the semi, I couldn’t really hold the corners and we made a last-minute change before the Main Event hoping that it would help, and it definitely did.

“I’m just stoked to do it in Williams Grove and PA. It was only like an hour-and-a-half to get here today and I was able to sleep in my own bed last night, so that was pretty cool. It’s great to see all my family and friends out here too and do this in front of them. It’s awesome.”

Kolby Carlile (No. 136 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) is now ranked third at 140 points after slashing past both James Rispoli (No. 71 Black Hills Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X) and Kevin Stollings (No. 999 Roof Systems/Motion Pro Kawasaki Ninja 650) in the waning laps to finish fourth in Williams Grove.

Catch the feature broadcast of the Williams Grove Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of the Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut on Saturday, September 21, at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT and will re-air on Tuesday, September 24, at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.

Next Up:

American Flat Track will next travel to Minneapolis, Minn., for the penultimate round of the 2019 season, the Indian Motorcycle Minnesota Mile presented by Law Tigers, at Canterbury Park on September 21. FansChoice.tv will live stream the entire day’s activities once practice starts at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT. Tickets are on sale now at tickets.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 FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2019 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT moves to highly-coveted, weekend afternoon 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/. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event on AFT’s live page while previous events and exclusive features are available on AFT’s VOD page.

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 at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.