The motorcycle road racing community has lost a cherished and valuable member.

After a long hospitalization, we are saddened to announce the passing of Bill Brown. Bill succumbed to complications of Type 2 diabetes from which he suffered, over many of his last years. Bill died peacefully surrounded by friends. 

Bill was a shining light and focal point of motorcycle road racing in the Southeast Region, across four decades. In the 1970’s Bill was the consummate amateur flat tracker – turned road racer. After an accomplished career of amateur & pro road racing, he stayed embedded in the sport as Director of Motorcycle Racing at Road Atlanta and Jennings GP. In his final years he formulated, promoted and ran his own race series, as President of the Historic MotoGP (HMGP). Bill’s HMGP Events, ran vintage and historic motorcycles at venues that included: Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park, Hutchinson Island, Emelia Island, COTA and Indianapolis.

He continued to his last days, to be a road racing ambassador and avid collector of rare Yamaha road racing bikes and kit parts. One of Bill’s famous sayings was, “Boy howdy, it’s been a wild ride!” Yes, it has friend! God Speed!

Services and a Celebration of Life are being planned and will be announced in the coming weeks.

Who Will Reign in Wiles’ Absence at the 73rd Peoria TT?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – American Flat Track continues its jam-packed August with a trip to Peoria, Ill., for the 73rd running of the Law Tigers Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon this Saturday, August 17.

Among the most storied and prestigious events on the tour, the Peoria TT is set in Peoria Race Park’s natural amphitheater, offering amazing sight lines and spectacular action. This year’s 5/8-mile course will feature a redesigned jump section, designed and constructed in collaboration with AFT partner Caterpillar and the Peoria Motorcycle Club.

Of all the races on the 2019 AFT schedule, none had a winner’s name already penciled in before the start of the season like the Peoria TT. “King Henry” Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/DPC Racing/Wilco Racing Indian FTR750) in large part built his legend with his annual masterclasses at this race, entering 2019 with an astonishing 14-race win streak in the premier class at the Peoria TT.

However, the battle for victory has been blown wide open as a result of a lower-leg injury suffered by Wiles at the Black Hills Half-Mile, which will keep him sidelined for this year’s edition.

Emerging as a TT titan in his own right, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) has won all but one TT in 2019. A bout of bad luck at the DAYTONA TT kept him from racing in the Main Event: after a wreck in the Semi, he was unable to use a provisional start in the Main once Jarod Vanderkooi had already claimed the 17th spot. Beach has since shown consistency and dominant speed at both the Arizona Super TT and Buffalo Chip TT, making him one of the most likely contenders this weekend at Peoria.

AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines title rivals Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) also sit likely to fill the void. Championship leader Bauman provided Wiles a stiff challenge in Peoria a year ago en route to a second-place finish, while Mees has finished as the race’s runner-up to Wiles on numerous occasions over the years.

Even though Wiles is out, his counterpart in the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys class will be looking to add to his own decorated Peoria TT history. Jesse Janisch (No. 132 Roof Systems Dallas TX/Öhlins Yamaha YZ450F) boasts three career Peoria TT wins (‘15, ‘17, and ‘18) of his own. Additionally, he’s been in tremendous TT form throughout the 2019 season, racking up three victories in the hybrid discipline (DAYTONA TT, Arizona Super TT, and Springfield TT) this year alone.

While Janisch will likely be viewed as the pre-race favorite, the three pilots ahead of him in the AFT Singles championship standings — Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450), Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), and Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) — all have the capability of gunning for victory on any given weekend, including at the TTs.

Another rider to keep close tabs on is all-around dirt ace Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Red Bull/Leatt/KTM 450 SX-F), who was victorious just over a week back at the Buffalo Chip TT.

Tickets for the 73rd Law Tigers Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon are on sale now here. Tickets are just $25 if purchased in advance and $30 if bought at the gate the day of the race. Kids 12 and under will be admitted for free. VIP access is available for $125.

For fans watching remotely, FansChoice.tv will provide live coverage of the Peoria TT starting when the gates open at 9:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT. Opening Ceremonies are slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m PT, with the Main Event program scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT.

Catch the feature broadcast of the Peoria TT on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut on Saturday, August 31, at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT and will re-air on Wednesday, September 11, at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT.

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.

August 13th, 2019 – Quarterley Racing On Track Development welcomes Junior Cup competitor Damian Jigalov under contract services for the remaining rounds in MotoAmerica after receiving confirmation today:

From Bob Robbins:

With the development this past weekend of the team having a vacant spot left with plans already in place for five riders for the remaining rounds, we were approached by Adrian Jigalov, Damian’s father, about the possibility of finishing the season with us on a contract services basis. Having a race-ready bike built that was prepared for a rider that backed out of the purchase before the season began, and a rider leaving the team, we quickly agreed to it.

I want to be clear in stating that we did not solicit Damian to join the team from his current program but instead reacted to the request and circumstances of our team’s recent loss of Dallas Daniels, who chose to pursue Flat Track full-time, which led to a bike being available. Several inquiries came from riders interested in filling that seat.

Damian Jigalov’s personal sponsors include: Arch Motorcycles, Sportbiketrackgear.com, Dainese, AGV, PopShadow.

Shawnee, OK (August 12, 2019) – Celtic HSBK Racing had a successful weekend with Rider PJ Jacobsen at the MotoAmerica Cycle Gear Championship of Sonoma. Landing on the box twice and finishing the weekend on the top step the team walks away ready for their next round in Pittsburgh.

It was a two day event making for a fast and furious weekend. Saturday during practice 1, PJ ran the fastest times in the SuperSport class. Later that day during qualifying, PJ continued to improve his lap times. While on his last flying lap he encountered lap traffic and ultimately earned the fourth spot on the grid putting him on the second row. That afternoon in Race 1, there was a red flag early in the race and the race went from 19 to 12 laps. PJ ran a good clean race, but didn’t have the pace to keep up with the race leaders and finished in 3rd.

The team went into Sunday with changes to the bike setup and race strategy. During race 2, PJ worked his way to the front of the pack passing at the most difficult corner of the track repeatedly picking off opponents one by one. By the end of the race he had built over an 8 second lead on second place finisher Bobby Fong. The team was ecstatic to see the bike and rider run such an impressive race.

The team looks forward to the next supersport round at Pittsburgh International Race Complex later this month. It is a track PJ has tested at and will be able to show the full potential of rider and bike.

To see updates throughout the season and on race weekends, follow HSBKRacing on Facebook and Instagram

Special thank you to Bickle Tire Warmers, BrakeTech, Competition Werkes, Cox Racing, Drippinwet.com, Eazi-Grip, Evol Technology, Fast Frank Racing, Ferodo, Full Spectrum, GB Racing, HVAC Construction, Jap4performance, MotionPro, MWR Filters, Nitro Lubricants, RaceSeats, REV’IT, Samco Sport, Spiegler Performance Parts, STM Clutches, SunStar Chain & Sprockets, Yamaha USA, and Zero Gravity

More, from a press release issued by Aguilar Racing:

RiderzLaw/Aguilar Racing Has Solid Weekend at Sonoma Raceway

Jason Aguilar had 4 weeks to focus on recovery from injuries and illness in between MotoAmerica rounds at Laguna Seca and Sonoma Raceway. The time off allowed Jason to get better and put in a little training time with some mountain biking. However, the new 2-Day format at Sonoma was going to be difficult as Jason did not have any data for Sonoma with his new team. Without the additional day and less track time, it was going to be a challenge to get up to speed and get a good setup and qualifying result.

Jason finished the first practice session in 10th place, putting in 3 more laps on his Yamaha R6 than any other rider. The team used the data from that first session to make adjustments for the only qualifying session. In qualifying, Jason ended the session in 9th place securing a third row starting position. While not satisfied with his qualifying position, Jason was getting closer to the leader’s pace than he had been all season.

Jason got a good start in Saturday’s race, but it was nullified by another rider’s crash causing a restart after they tended to the downed rider. The red flag incident caused the race to be shortened from 19 laps to 12. On the restart, Jason did not get a good start and dropped back to 10th place. Jason methodically utilized the chicane to pass riders and worked his way up to 6th place where he finished the shortened race. It was RiderzLaw/Aguilar Racing’s best finish since Virginia.

With MotoAmerica’s 2-Day format, rider’s grid positions for Race 2 are determined by their best lap time in Race 1. This allowed Jason to improve his grid position from 9th to 6th, moving him up to the second row for Sunday’s race. Race 2 saw Jason get pushed out wide in turn one at the start, causing him to drop back to 8th place. Jason lost contact with the lead group, but he pushed hard to catch up and finally joined the lead group by midrace. The eight-rider group was battling each other for the win. Jason advanced to 7th place with a nice pass in the chicane, but had to do it all over again when a missed shift on the front straightaway caused him to lose the position. He made the same pass two laps later and then advanced to 6th when one of the leaders crashed. Jason was closing in on 5th place, and looked like he was going to battle for the position. The riders came upon a 4-rider group of slower riders and Jason got held up in the esses causing him to lose a full second to the rider that he worked so hard to catch. Then, at the start of the next lap, Jason missed a shift in turn one allowing another rider to pass him and drop him back to his final finishing position of 7th place.

Jason Aguilar: “It was frustrating to have a couple of mistakes and a little bad luck cost me a shot at 5th place in Race 2, but I was finally able to get back to the lead group and battle with the leaders. That felt really good. The team gave me a great bike, and we are getting closer to fighting for a podium finish. I am looking forward to our next race at Pittsburg International Raceway.”

Big Thanks to All of our Sponsors: RiderzLaw, Lexin, Honos, Torco, CL Auto Group, Moto Station, Graves Motorsports, Metric Method, TaylorMade Racing, Dunlop Tires, Yamaha Motor USA, FTECU, Superlite Sprockets, Motion Pro, Arai Helmets, Mithos USA, Alien Motion Batteries, SBS Brakes, EF Signs, SBK Paint, RFA Designs.

More, from a press release issued by AP MotoArts:

Draik Beauchamp Takes Over Twins Cup Championship Lead At Sonoma

AP Moto Arts MotoAmerica Twins Cup rider, Draik Beauchamp, left round six of the championship with a 2nd place race result and a one-point overall lead in the standings. After struggling with set up issues early in the weekend, Draik was able to put in a qualifying lap good enough for a 9th place grid position. On race day, Draik really put his head down, got an excellent start, and made his way up to 5th place by just the second corner. During the middle part of the race, Draik just bided his time until the final laps. It was at this point that Draik methodically made his way forward and crossed the line in 2nd place.

Draik Beauchamp – AP Moto Arts #77

“After riding the struggle bus for a little bit, and qualifying in 9th, I turned the launch key on my AP MotoArts missile and boy did she fly… from 9th to 5th by turn 2! After securing a runner-up result, I’m holding on to the championship lead by a single point! Now, only 3 points separate the top three riders. If you go to MotoAmerica Live+, you can catch up on all of the action! See you all at Pitt Race!”

Draik would like to thank AP Moto Arts, ARacer USA, Red Fox Racing, Orient Express, SBS Brakes, 129photos.com, NJK Leathers, Jenspeed LLC, Pit Pass Radio, GB Racing Premier Motorcycle Protection, LS2 Helmets, K-Tech Suspension USA, Sportbike Track Time, Robem Engineering, and Billy Mallory/Brick Gentry Law.

Draik’s team mate, Cooper McDonald, continued his steep learning curve of adapting to new circuits as this was his first outing at Sonoma. Using his early laps to learn Sonoma’s configuration, Cooper and crew then went to work dialing in his AP Moto Arts Yamaha FZ-07. Consistently gaining speed and confidence throughout practice and qualifying, Cooper would start from 10th on the grid. During the race, Cooper got a solid start and held station during the early laps. Running as high as 7th place, Cooper crossed the line with an 8th place finish.

Cooper McDonald – AP Moto Arts #120

“Well, we are very happy with a strong 8th place finish. Not quite where we were at Utah and Laguna, but still finished strong. We have data to make the bike stronger, and we will come back stronger. Thanks so much to the team and to my dad for making this amazing experience possible! Also, huge thanks for the ‘The Official Cooper McDonald Fan and Watch Party’ back at home. I’m sorry I couldn’t get it on the box, but hopefully we can come back strong! I’d also like to give a huge congrats to my teammate, Draik Beauchamp, for getting one of the AP Moto Arts bikes on the box!”

Cooper would like to thank Andy Palmer and the AP Moto Arts crew, LS2 Helmets, Specialized Racing Gear, K&N Air Filters, and MotoAmerica.

Wildcarding for the AP Moto Arts team at the Sonoma round was Fresno, California’s Matthew Riedlinger aboard his Yamaha FZ-07. Matthew had a challenging weekend as he and his crew spent most of the weekend chasing a set up that would suit the challenging and bumpy Sonoma circuit. Matthew would go on to qualify 19th on the grid, but his race ended early due to a crash with just a handful of laps remaining.

Matthew Riedlinger – Y’all Mad Racing/ AP Moto Arts #504

“We came into Sonoma to just have fun, and that’s what we did. We couldn’t get the bike dialed in and it wasn’t for lack of effort! In the words of Alex Honnold; ” I wrote in my journal ‘sad face, do better’” and that’s what we will do! I’ll see everyone at Barber. I’d like to thank Andy Palmer, Paul and Jen Jensen, and John Ryti for the phenomenal help in getting me out there, and my wife, Robin, for always supporting me and pushing me!”

The AP Moto Arts team is looking forward to seeing everyone at the next round, August 23rd-25th, for the MotoAmerica Championship of Pittsburgh.

The long-awaited return of Endurance racing hits Utah Motorsport Campus on September 14, 2019. The Utah Sport Bike Association (UtahSBA) will be hosting a two-class, four-hour endurance race at UMC on the 3.0 Mile Outer Loop configuration. The racing will start around 4:00 pm, immediately following the UtahSBA Round Five, regularly scheduled racing. True Endurance; one motorcycle with up to four riders,
and Relay Endurance; up to four separate motorcycles sharing one transponder,
will be running simultaneously. All the event details, including rules and
registration information, can be found at https://www.utahsba.com/endurance/.

The UtahSBA is still in search of a title sponsor for this event. Please contact
our sponsorship manager, David Meyer at [email protected] for additional information on sponsoring this event.

For those traveling from outside the State of Utah to compete in either the
Endurance Race or UtahSBA Round Five, you may be eligible for a $50 cash
incentive. The UtahSBA in partnership with the Tooele County Tourism Tax
Advisory Board is offering $50 cash to the first 40 out-of-state racers who are
willing to fill out a short tourism survey. This incentive will be available on
a first-come, first-serve basis, so get registered and show up early for
check-in.

Registration is now open for the Endurance Race. Round Five registration will open August
26, 2019. Visit www.motorsportsreg.com to register for these events.

The UtahSBA is a Utah Non-Profit dedicated to promoting education, safe riding, and
competition in the Intermountain West. You can find more information about
the UtahSBA, upcoming events, and schools atwww.utahsba.com
or find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/utahsba/.

CMRA At MotorSport Ranch This Weekend

This coming weekend, August 16-18th, the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) hosts its sixth round of the 2019 season at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. The track is located just 30 minutes south of Fort Worth on Highway 377.

Registration and Tech open for all activities at 6:30 a.m. Friday. The full weekend’s event schedule can be found here: http://www.cmraracing.com/2019-schedule/

Friday is a full day of CMRA Racer Practice, CMRA New Racer School, and Track Experience for the track day riders that want to experience the same track the racers are racing. Bring a friend along to ride Track Experience and help you pit! Track Experience is $150 and offers an optional mock race at the end of the day!

Saturday’s schedule includes Mini, Ultra-Lightweight, and Championship Sprint races, Superteams, and Team 60 races.

Sunday’s schedule has a full slate of exciting racing featuring The Legends Race – Formula 40 HW Expert Round 2 by The Realtime Group/Shakespeare. This race has a cash purse of $300 – 1st, $200 – 2nd, $150 – 3rd, $125 – 4th, and $100 – 5th will run in the afternoon, along with the TX Toy Sales – C Superbike Expert in the morning paying out $75 – 1st, $50 – 2nd, $25 – 3rd.

The Jennifer Millsap Foundation “Fight Like A Girl” award is also on this weekend, with $250 going to the expert or novice racer with the most accumulated points in the overall championship classes.

Progressive Powersports of Granbury will be hosting a hospitality booth with refreshments, give-a-ways, some small parts and accessories for sale, and a drawing to win a suitcase generator on Sunday at lunchtime. They will also have a LapKing demo special running throughout the weekend. LapKing is a new lap timing device that shows your lap times and also where you rank against your friends’ lap times. They will run a LapKing contest for everyone who completes 3 laps with a LapKing demo will be entered for a drawing for a $50.00 Progressive Powersports gift card + a 1 year free LapKing membership. For more information, be sure to stop by the hospitality booth located across from registration.

Gates open each day at 6:00 a.m. and we race rain or shine! Weekend entry into the event is only $20 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and just $15 on Sunday. There is a $5 wristband refund for participants leaving Saturday night – turn in your wristband at the gate as you leave. Tickets are good for the entire weekend. Ride your street bike to the event and you’ll pay just $5 for entry on both Saturday and Sunday! Kids 12 and under are free. A spectator lap of the track will be conducted during the lunch break on Sunday, schedule and weather permitting.

Please note that NO PETS are allowed at any of the CMRA race events.

On behalf of our racers, the CMRA would like to thank our 2019 Class Sponsors including: 3:16 Track Days, Bell Helmets, JBM Enterprises, Jennifer Millsap Foundation, Metric Garage, MotorSport Ranch, RES, Road & Track Suspension, SportRiderCoaching, The Realtime Group/Shakespeare, TX Toy Sales, and Von Hertell Racing Services. Please remember to support the products and services of the companies who support you!

For more information about this event and a detailed event schedule, please visit our website at www.cmraracing.com or call the CMRA office at 817-570-9779.

Khairul Idham Pawi undergoes successful surgery in Barcelona

PETRONAS Sprinta Racing rider has undergone a second operation to stabilise the damage to his hand

13 August 2019

PETRONAS Sprinta Racing’s Khairul Idham Pawi has undergone a successful operation to his right hand injury today at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona to help stabilise the injuries he sustained at the Spanish Grand Prix in May. The operation is the second that the Malaysian rider has required as part of his extensive rehabilitation programme.

Today’s surgery, performed by Dr Xavier Mir and his team from the ICATME Department of Traumatology, inserted a screw into the reconstructed bone of KIP’s little finger. Speaking after the two-hour operation, Dr Mir said: “KIP had a partial amputation to his little finger three months ago, and so far his rehabilitation has gone well in the sense that the finger’s vascular structure has healed well. Now, the second surgery will help the bone’s reconstruction by fixing the phalange in place.”

KIP will now return to Malaysia to begin his recuperation and rehabilitation, with a planned return to the 2019 Moto2 championship as soon as he is fully fit.

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“I want to thank Dr. Mir and his team again for this second surgery. I can’t be more grateful for all the efforts they are spending on me to get me back to fitness. Now it’s time to go home to Malaysia, spend some days with my family and then start training hard again to come back strongly to Moto2 as soon as possible. I also want to say thank you also for all the support and messages from the team, colleagues and fans. I’m really looking forward to riding my PETRONAS Sprinta Racing bike again!”