Mathew Scholtz seized pole position during MotoAmerica Supersport qualifying Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. After doing a 2:13.560 during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday, the Championship point leader did a 2:13.370 on his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 during Qualifying Two (Q2) Saturday morning and secured pole position for this weekend’s two races.
Tyler Scott lowered his lap time from 2:14.743 in Q1 to 2:13.498 in Q2, and that will allow him to start his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 from second on the grid.
Scholtz’s primary Championship challenger PJ Jacobsen will start his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 from the third and final spot on the front row thanks to the 2:13.522 he did in Q2.
Jake Lewis qualified fourth with a 2:13.536 on his Altus Motorsports Suzuki.
Corey Alexander was fifth at 2:14.456 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die + Forming.
Former Supersport World Championship rider Filippo Fuligni claimed the final spot on the second row and sixth overall with a time of 2:14.572 on his HONOS Ducati.
Row three qualifiers include Blake Davis (2:14.614) on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha, two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas (2:14.750) on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki, and Alfonso Linares (2:14.965) on his Zinc AL 32 Suzuki.
Alessandro Di Mario earned pole position during MotoAmerica BellissiMoto Twins Cup qualifying Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 on spec Dunlop tires, the 15-year-old rising star turned a 2:17.147 to top the 32-rider field.
Former class Champion Rocco Landers was second-best with a 2:17.959 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R.
Rossi Moor claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:19.973 on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R.
Di Mario’s teammate Gus Rodio qualified fourth at 2:20.827.
Dominic Doyle was fifth with a time of 2:21.008 on his Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha YZF-R7.
Newly crowned MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion Matthew Chapin took the final spot on the second row and sixth overall with a lap of 2:21.836 on his new BARTCON Racing Suzuki GSX-8R.
Tyler O’Hara earned pole position during MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan qualifying at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian FTR on Dunlop control tires, the defending Champion lapped the 3.4-mile, 20-turn road course in 2:15.895 during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday afternoon, and that time was good enough to top the 40-rider field.
O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss was second-best with a 2:16.522 that he also did during Q1.
Championship point leader Cory West, riding his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, led Qualifying Two (Q2) Saturday morning with a 2:16.651, and that earned him the third and final spot on the front row.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis qualified fourth with a 2:16.786.
Jeremy McWilliams, riding a third S&S Indian FTR, did a fifth-fastest 2:17.227.
Hayden Schultz secured the final spot on the second row and sixth overall with a 2:17.344 on his KWR Harley-Davidson Pan America.
Row three starters include Stefano Mesa (2:17.464) on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Energica Eva Ribelle RS, Dominic Doyle (2:17.616) on his Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha MT-09, and Cody Wyman (2:17.992) on his KWR Harley-Davidson.
Editorial Note: Jim Blasius is the father of former MotoAmerica racer Joseph Blasius.
We are thrilled to announce that Ducati Detroit has entered a new chapter with fresh ownership and management. The two of us are honored to represent Ducati in the vibrant Detroit market.
Under our leadership, you can expect a steadfast commitment to operating with honesty, transparency, and integrity—principles that will guide everything we do. Whether you’re a long-standing client or a future rider, we look forward to continuing Ducati’s legacy of excellence while delivering a customer experience that truly reflects these values.
We are fully operational, with new motorcycles arriving daily, and our Parts and Service departments are ready to serve you. Passion for motorcycles is what drives us to make your riding experience exceptional. We invite you to stop by, meet our new team, and experience the exciting changes firsthand.
Ride safe and see you on the road,
Jim Blasius & Kevin Callaway
Co-Owners Ducati Detroit
Ducati Detroit co-owners Jim Blasius (right) and Kevin Callaway (left). Photo courtesy Ducati Detroit.
Nesbitt stays on top as nothing separates Brookes and Jackson in second at Oulton Park
Charlie Nesbitt remained at the top of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship Free Practice times at Oulton Park this afternoon as the MasterMac Honda rider remained ahead of the opposition on the opening day of the Showdown.
Nesbitt had topped the opening Free Practice session and as the times continued to tumble in the afternoon, he remained on top to put him 0.182s ahead of Josh Brookes, who built on his top five finish in Free Practice one to climb to second in the final minutes of the second session for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team.
The double champion split the MasterMac Honda teammates on the timesheets with Lee Jackson setting the exact same time as his BMW rival, but Brookes’ second fastest lap time gave him the edge over Jackson.
Kyle Ryde led the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing charge in fourth place as he bids to close the 19-point deficit to Tommy Bridewell at the top of the times, whist his Honda Racing UK rival ended the day in 12th place and the final rider to progress into tomorrow’s Speedy Hire Q2 session.
Glenn Irwin completed the top five for Hager PBM Ducati, just 0.004s ahead of Christian Iddon on the rival Oxford Products Racing Ducati as the pair bid to close in on Bridewell and Ryde ahead of them in the standings this weekend.
Danny Kent kicked off the McAMS Round of the Championship in seventh place ahead of Ryan Vickers who had a technical problem with the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing R1, bringing out a red flag briefly in the final 15 minutes of the session and he took no further part in the afternoon.
Leon Haslam was ninth for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team ahead of Danny Buchan, Peter Hickman and championship leader Bridewell ahead of tomorrow’s opening race of the Showdown.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Free Practice combined times:
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 1m33.703s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.182s
Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) +0.182s
Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +0.183s
Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +0.413s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.417s
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +0.501s
Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +0.575s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.651s
Danny Buchan (DAO Racing Kawasaki) +0.729s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.751s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +0.815s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Charlie Nesbitt
MasterMac Honda
“Today’s been one of the better Fridays that we’ve had. Everything has just worked together. We’ve not tried to do anything radical and do everything all in one lap.
“We’ve built up quite nicely, got a nice rhythm and I think the race pace is good as well. I’m overall really happy with day one.
“I think tomorrow’s going to be difficult again because everyone’s going to step their game up, everyone’s done a day of riding and their settings are going to be changing.
“If we can do the same again and go a bit faster, I think we’ll be in a good position.
BMW best! EWC Bol d’Or pole hat-trick ends YART’s rapid run
Belgian outfit the team to beat in Circuit Paul Ricard qualifying to maintain title hopes
Second place for YART Yamaha extends points lead over rival outfit Yoshimura SERT Motul
Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team quickest in Dunlop-supplied Superstock category
For immediate release (13 September 2024): BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team has ended Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s consecutive run of pole positions in the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship to keep up the pressure in its bid to land the EWC title for the first time during this weekend’s Bol d’Or 24-hour race.
Having set the qualifying standard at Le Mans, Spa and Suzuka, YART placed second to BMW, which also banked the Bol d’Or pole position 12 months ago and in 2022.
By going fastest, Dunlop-equipped BMW scores five points for a new championship total of 77 with YART earning four points to move onto 120 points. Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul completed qualifying in third position for three points and a new total of 113. With a maximum haul of 65 points on offer, BMW remains firmly in the title fight.
The EWC qualifying order is based on the average time of the fastest two riders from each team across both sessions. But having made its mark during Thursday afternoon’s blustery First Qualifying courtesy of Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger, Friday’s second session, which also took place in windy conditions, was essentially a waiting game for the Belgium-based outfit and its new recruit Hannes Soomer, who has replaced Sylvain Guintoli for the Bol d’Or, plus reserve Jan-Ole Jähnig.
“I want to say a big thanks to the team, they gave a very good package for the bike,” Ukraine rider Mykhalchyk said. “We were very strong in previous years here and this year our target was to claim as much points as possible from the qualification and we did it. The bike performed really well in the strong wind. It gave good confidence to not have a disturbed feeling from the conditions and I could focus on my way. I did a pretty good lap and today our focus was on the race settings with the used tyres, and I also did well. This has made good feelings for the race; we are ready, and we are looking for a good one.”
Of BMW’s title chances, Mykhalchyk added: “Last year I had the fastest lap time in the race but for sure the target is to be fastest in every stint and it doesn’t matter what the weather conditions are like. It looks like we are ready, and my team-mates are also ready. The target is to do good laps, good stints and if we fit all our package together, I think we will end really good.”
For Austria-based YART, second place represented an improvement of two positions from the fourth place it secured in qualifying at Circuit Paul Ricard in 2023 with riders Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika. Canepa, who will retire from racing following the Bol d’Or, said: “BMW and the riders are exceptional at this track, and we knew to fight for the pole would be very complicated. But I am very happy because last year we were in fourth place and this is a track where we struggle quite a lot usually, especially in qualifying. So, to have the second fastest time is really great and we’re really happy.”
With its 24 Heures Motos-winning line-up of Gregg Black, Dan Linfoot and Étienne Masson restored, Yoshimura SERT Motul secured third place ahead of Honda Viltaïs Racing, F.C.C. TSR Honda France, Tati Team Beringer Racing, KM99, Kawasaki Webike Trickstar and Team Bolliger Switzerland.
Linfoot, who is chasing four consecutive podiums in 2024, said: “We lose one more point to Yamaha and we can’t be happy about that. The wind is causing issues for everybody and hopefully it will be better for the race so we can have a better feeling. But anything can happen in a 24-hour race, and we’ve got to feel positive about starting in this way.”
Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team claimed pole position in the Dunlop-supplied FIM Endurance World Cup after it pulled off a tactical masterstroke with riders Loïc Arbel, Jan Bühn and Kenny Foray. Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle, which is making its EWC debut this weekend, placed second followed by Team Étoile in a BMW 1-2-3.
Arnaud Sassone, the Tecmas team manager, explained: “Pole position is a good satisfaction because it’s been an up-and-down season and being back on the top of the category shows the skills of the team and the riders. We took a look to the weather forecast yesterday and decided the conditions meant we wouldn’t be as fast as we want. It was a gamble [to wait for] this morning and it’s paid off. For the race I am quite confident but for sure there is pressure on the result because of the season we’ve had.”
Behind Team Étoile, Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda, TRT27 AZ Moto and Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore completed the Superstock took six. National Motos Honda, which is bidding to win the Superstock-based title, was seventh fastest with two other title contenders, 3ART Best of Bike and Team Aviobike by M2 Revo, 13th and ninth respectively.
HOW SECOND QUALIFYING UNFOLDED
Taking part in his final EWC qualifying session before his retirement, it was fitting that Niccolò Canepa topped the Blue Rider order for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team. The two-time EWC champion recorded a best time of 1m52.654s to edge out BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s Thursday pacesetter Illya Mykhalchyk by 0.250s.
Corentin Perolari was third fastestest for Tati Team Beringer Racing with 2022 Bol d’Or winner Florian Alt fourth for Honda Viltais Racing. Florian Marino was fifth fastest for KM99, despite falling at T7, with Josh Hook sixth quickest for F.C.C. TSR Honda France.
Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black was seventh on his return from injury, one place ahead of Kawasaki Webike Trickstar’s Christian Gamarino. Kenny Foray was ninth quickest and the fastest Dunlop-equipped Superstock contender for Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team as category rival Bálint Kovács rounded out the top 10 for new EWC squad Honda Endurance Racing Team. Chris Leesch, whose Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda squad is an outside contender for the FIM Endurance World Cup, was another rider to fall during the 20-minute session.
BMW’s Markus Reiterberger left it until the final lap of the Yellow Rider group to clock the fastest time of the session, a 1m52.328s, which beat Marvin Fritz’s long-standing benchmark by 0.402s. Étienne Masson (Yoshimura SERT Motul) was third quickest with KM99’s Randy de Puniet fourth. Steven Odendaal was fifth for Honda Viltaïs Racing followed by F.C.C. TSR Honda Racing rider Mike Di Meglio. Hugo Clère was seventh fastest for Tati Team Beringer Racing as Kawsaki Webike Trickstar’s Román Ramos placed eighth and Kamil Krzemień went ninth quickest for Wójcik Racing Team. BMW-powered Yudai Kamei (Team Étoile) rounded out the top 10 and posted the fastest time among the Dunlop-equipped Superstock contenders. Class rivals Guillaume Antiga (Team 33 Louit April Moto) and Tom Oliver (TRT27 AZ Moto) were next up.
Honda Viltaïs Racing’s Leandro Mercado emerged from the Red Rider group on top after he posted a 1m52.688s best, bettering Dan Linfoot (Yoshimura SERT Motul)’s effort by 0.134s. Karel Hanika was third for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team with F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s Alan Techer next up.
Hannes Soomer, on his debut for BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, was fifth quickest followed by Randy Krummenacher (Tati Team Beringer Racing) and Alex Toledo (Team Bolliger Switzerland).
Loïc Arbel set the pace in the Dunlop-supplied Superstock division in eighth overall for Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team with Hungarian Endurance Racing Team’s Soma Gőrbe ninth and Martin Renaudin in 10th for Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda. Vincent Fere and Doriano Vietti-Ramos fellow for Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki and 3ART Best of Bike respectively.
Robin Mulhauser was the fastest Green Rider followed by F.C.C. TSR Honda France newcomer Kevin Manfredi, Honda Viltaïs Racing’s James Westmoreland and Yoshimura SERT Motul rider Cocoro Atsumi. Mathieu Gines was the fastest Superstock contender in fifth overall for Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore.
FIRST QUALIFYING REPORT: MYKHALCHYK FASTEST AS BMW PROVES RAPID IN EWC
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team became the FIM Endurance World Championship squad to beat following First Qualifying for the title-deciding Bol d’Or. Riders Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger combined to set the unofficial best average time of 1m52.049s to beat Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team with Yoshimura SERT Motul third. Tati Team Beringer Racing and Kawasaki Webike Trickstar were fourth and fifth fastest respectively based on the provisional order. BMW-powered Team Étoile set the pace in the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category, which counts for the FIM Endurance World Cup, followed by TRT27 AZ Moto and EWC newcomer Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle. CLICK FOR FULL STORY.
BEST LAPS
First Qualifying Blue Rider: Illya Mykhalchyk, 1m51.810s / Kazuki Watanabe, 1m54.429s
First Qualifying Yellow Rider: Markus Reiterberger, 1m52.288s / Máté Számadó, 1m55.155s
First Qualifying Red Rider: Karel Hanika, 1m54.321s / Martin Renaudin, 1m54.850s
First Qualifying Green Rider: Robin Mulhauser, 1m54.890s / Péter Sebestyen. 1m56.622s
Second Qualifying Blue Rider: Niccolò Canepa, 1m52.654s / Kenny Foray, 1m54.189s
Second Qualifying Yellow Rider: Markus Reiterberger, 1m52.328s / Yudai Kamei, 1m55.263s
Second Qualifying Red Rider: Leandro Mercado, 1m52.628s / Loïc Arbel, 1m55.005s
Second Qualifying Green Rider: Robin Mulhauser, 1m53,365s / Mathieu Gines, 1m55.633s
WHAT’S NEXT?
The EWC season-deciding Bol d’Or is due to get under way at 15h00 CET on Sunday 14 September.
Rocco Landers topped MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Riding his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide on spec Dunlop tires, the class rookie lapped the repaved 3.4-mile track in 2:14.779. Not only was that faster than anyone else in the class, it also broke Kyle Wyman’s All-Time Lap Record of 2:14.890.
Hayden Gillim, Landers’ teammate and the defending Champion, was also under the old record with a 2:14.858, but that was only good enough for second in the session.
Title contender Troy Herfoss turned a 2:15.277 early in Q1, but when he returned to the pits his team couldn’t get his S&S Indian Challenger restarted, ending his session prematurely. Herfoss’ time ended up being the third-best.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara was fourth with a 2:15.296.
Championship point leader Kyle Wyman rounded out the top five with a 2:15.501 on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
Josh Herrin will race his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R in a very special livery this weekend at the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). During the three races, Herrin’s Ducati will wear bodywork made to resemble the Fast By Ferracci Ducati 888 that Troy Corser used to win the 1994 AMA Pro Superbike Championship 30 years ago.
“It’s the 30th anniversary of [Eraldo] Ferracci winning the AMA Superbike Championship and we wanted to celebrate him,” said Warhorse HSBK Racing Ductai Team Principal Bobby Shek. “We love the guy. He’s our mascot. So, we built the bike just like the last one he won on, and Josh [Herrin] is wearing the same [style of] leathers that Troy Corser was wearing.
“We’ve been talking about doing it for a long time. For almost a year we’ve been talking about doing a Ferracci-edition bike. The time felt right, and this is a nice track. We have a little bit of the Championship thing going on. It was just the right time.”
Eraldo Ferracci (left) and Josh Herrin (right), who will also wear Alpinestars leathers made to resemble the leathers worn by Troy Corser in 1994. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Herrin currently leads the MotoAmerica Championship point standings with five races remaining, and he can clinch the 2024 title this weekend at COTA.
Mathew Scholtz was fastest during MotoAmerica Supersport Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. The Championship point leader used his Dunlop-shod Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 to turn a 2:13.560 around the recently repaved 3.4-mile road course and lead the field of 36 riders.
PJ Jacobsen, Scholtz’s main title rival, was second-best with a 2:14.120 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2.
Blake Davis was third in the session with a 2:14.614 on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha.
Former Supersport World Championship competitor Filippo Fuligni did a fourth-fastest 2:14.694 on his HONOS-sponsored Ducati.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fifth in the session with a 2:14.743 on his GSX-R750.
Two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas was 11th with a 2:16.329 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki.
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2024 | PRACTICE & QUALIFYING 1
AUSTIN, TX (9.13.2024) – On-track activity has concluded with the trio of Rahal Ducati Moto riders completing both Practice and Qualifying 1 sessions under the blazing Texas sun. Jacobsen climbed the charts throughout the first qualifying session, missing pole position by less than a second.
The 23 Roller Die + Forming Ducati of Corey Alexander was back on track for both sessions today, a relief after the mechanical issues the crew experienced in both rounds at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He ended his first qualifying session in eighth.
Kayla Yaakov looks forward to tomorrow morning’s qualifying session after major improvements in setup and overall comfortability on her bike. As of now, Yaakov will start on the fifth row for her first race since her Supersport debut at Circuit of The Americas in 2023.
The 20-turn course will see Qualifying 2 tomorrow morning at 10:40 a.m. ET, with the green flag waving for Race 1 at 3:10 p.m. ET.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P3 (2:14.934)
QUALIFYING 1: P2 (2:14:120)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today went pretty well. I ended up getting P2 for the first qualifying, so we’ll work on something tonight and come up with a better qualifying for tomorrow. [Mathew] Scholtz, who we are battling with for the championship, is on provisional pole right now, so hopefully we can make some changes, figure out how to make up some time, and try to get on pole position.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P4 (2:15.053)
QUALIFYING 1: P8 (2:15:493)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today was a positive start to the weekend and I’m super happy to have had no bike issues! The bike felt really good off the bat but we couldn’t put together a lap in qualifying between traffic and what seemed to be a lack of grip on our second run. Temperatures will be good for Q2 and we will redeem ourselves.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P16 (2:18.746)
QUALIFYING 1: P14 (2:16:651)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “First day here at COTA. This morning was a little bit of a struggle for us. We tried to eliminate some variables for the weekend and we were able to accomplish that, so that was a job well done for our team. It did put us on the back-foot going into Qualifying 1, but we made a huge step to get closer to the front, which is exactly what we want. The bike is feeling great. We made a huge improvement both in settings and the feeling I have on the bike. We knew going into this weekend that this track style would be one I struggle with quite a bit, but we’ve been getting better each session. I’m excited to see how much we have in the tank for tomorrow.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a decent Friday for the Rahal Ducati Moto team overall. We want to find a bit more speed, with PJ qualifying second and Corey and Kayla both riding good as well. We want to get them to where they’re the most comfortable on the bikes in the morning qualifying session so we can move up a few positions and have a good race.”
Cameron Beaubier was quickest during MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR on Dunlop Sportmax Slick control tires, the five-time Champion lapped the newly repaved, 3.4-mile, 20-turn road course in 2:07.703, which eclipsed Jake Gagne’s All-Time Lap Record of 2:08.169.
Josh Herrin, the current Championship point leader, was second-best with a 2:08.244 on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R. Herrin currently leads the Championship by 52 points, and if he can hold that lead through the end of the tripleheader in Texas he will clinch the 2024 Championship.
Superbike rookie sensation Sean Dylan Kelly claimed the final spot on the provisional front row with a 2:08.359 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was fourth with a 2:08.418.
After spending most of the 2024 season on the sidelines recovering from injuries sustained at the opening round, Richie Escalante posted a fifth-fastest 2:09.196 on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Riding in place of Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s injured defending Champion Jake Gagne, Spaniard Xavi Fores posted the sixth-quickest lap time, a 2:09.694.
Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch bounced back from a crash during practice Friday morning and did a 2:09.835, which ranked him eighth.
Fores’ teammate Cameron Petersen was hindered by technical issues during Q1 and ended up ninth with a 2:10.400.
Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 with a 2:10.639 on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
Beaubier Is Best On Day One At Circuit Of The Americas
Cameron Beaubier Smashes The Lap Record To Earn Provisional Pole In Texas
AUSTIN, TX (September 13, 2024) – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin played catch with the fastest Steel Commander Superbike time in Q1 on Friday afternoon, but near the end of the session EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro’s Sean Dylan Kelly joined the game and went to the front with some eight minutes to go in the session.
But not long after Kelly did his best, Beaubier struck back in a big way, posting a lap-record-setting 2:07.703 to score provisional pole.
Cameron Beaubier (6) led the way on opening day at Circuit of The Americas on Friday with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion breaking the Superbike lap record and earning provisional pole position. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Herrin ended up climbing back to second, posting a 2:08.244 – .541 of a second slower than Beaubier’s best.
Rocco Landers (97) broke the Mission King Of The Baggers lap record at COTA on Friday en route to earning provisional pole position. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Kelly and his 2:08.259 completed the provisional front row, just .059 of a second faster than Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante rounded out the top five.
“I’ve been enjoying this place on the BMW,” Beaubier said. “It’s been five years since I rode a Superbike here. You can go for a ride on the front and backstraight, that’s for sure. It’s so different than a Moto2 bike, but I’m enjoying myself.”
Supersport – Scholtz Fires First
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz fired the first shot by earning provisional pole position for the two Supersport races at COTA, the South African besting his championship rival PJ Jacobsen by .560 of a second. The two are in a battle for the Supersport Championship with Scholtz leading Jacobsen by 25 points with four races left in the season.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis ended the session third fastest, a tick over a second slower than Scholtz and .080 of a second faster than MotoAmerica first-timer Filippo Fuligini. Italian Fuligini is racing as a wildcard entry Ducati Panigale V2 for Team HONOS.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott rounded out the top five on opening day at COTA.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Landers!
The battle for the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship was all the talk coming into the penultimate round at COTA. The chatter obviously centered around Kyle Wyman vs. Troy Herfoss, but RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Rocco Landers and Hayden Gillim with those two taking the top two spots while both circulating under the lap record.
Landers’ lap record was a 2:14.779 and it came on his very last lap, bettering Gillim’s best of 2:14.858.
The best of the two championship contenders was S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss, the Australian ending up third despite spending the final minutes of the session in the pits with a mechanical.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara ended the afternoon fourth with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman fifth, the championship points leader heading into the weekend’s two races.
BellissiMoto Twins Cup – Di Mario On Top
For a while on Friday afternoon, it didn’t look like BellissiMoto Twins Cup Championship points leader Rocco Landers was going to get even a single lap in Q1 as the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki had a mechanical problem that kept him in the pits more than on the track.
That left the others to make hay while the sun shined and Landers’ championship rival Alesandro Di Mario took full advantage to dominate the session and put his Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 some two seconds faster than the nearest competition, which in this case was Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Rossi Moor. Di Mario lapped at a best of 2:17.742 with Rossi second quickest on 2:20.022.
Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle rounded out the provisional front row, .9 of a second behind Rossi and .181 of a second ahead of newly crowned Junior Cup Champion Matthew Chapin, who rounded out the top five on his BARTCON Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
Landers, meanwhile, got in two laps and it was enough to put him seventh at the end of the session.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Here We Go
Saddlemen Harley-Davidson’s Cory West might have felt a bit ganged up on in Q1 on Friday at COTA with a horde of fast S&S/Indian Motorcycle-backed riders out to help Tyler O’Hara successfully defend his Mission Super Hooligan National Championship. But West, the championship leader by just four points over O’Hara, emerged from the fray in fourth and just a tick over a second off O’Hara’s provisional pole position time.
O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss was second fastest, .62 of a second off O’Hara’s best with West’s teammate Jake Lewis third and the first of the Harley-Davidson Pan Americas in the field with West fourth and Jeremy McWilliams, in a one-off return ride for Indian, ending up fifth fastest.
For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click HERE
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Josh Herrin and Loris Baz are in the top four at COTA
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sunnyvale, Calif., September 13, 2024 — In what could be a historic weekend for Ducati in North America, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Team started off on the right foot by having both Josh Herrin and Loris Baz inside the top five at the end of day one at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas for the penultimate round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Herrin is within striking distance of securing his second AMA/MotoAmerica Superbike Championship title and the first for Ducati Motor Holdings since Troy Corser triumphed for Ducati in 1994.
Herrin started the day with a nod to the Australian, unveiling a replica paint and leathers scheme for the three scheduled races on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R with Eraldo Ferracci, an integral part of the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati and the man who guided Corser to that title win.
Herrin ended the day second fastest behind Cameron Beaubier, the Georgian covering 22 laps across the two completed sessions of the massive 3.426-mile complex.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz knocked out 20 laps of Circuit of The Americas, improving his position from fifth in Free Practice 1 to fourth by the end of the first qualifying session.
All eyes now turn to tomorrow morning’s important second qualifying session, which will decide the grid for the three scheduled races across the weekend.
2024 Circuit of The Americas Superbike Qualifying 1 Results – Top 5
P1 – Cameron Beaubier 2:07.703
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 2:08.244
P3 – Sean Dylan Kelly 2:08.359
P4 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 2:08.418
P5 – Richie Escalante 2:09.196
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I’ve been a little conservative today,” Herrin said. “I’m looking at the gap and I want to get closer so there’s less pressure on me but to put more pressure on Cam (Beaubier) because I don’t want him to have this half-second advantage.
“Technically, if I get on the podium here and in New Jersey, I’ll be ok (in the title fight), but it’s easy to relax and lose a bunch of points, so I’m just going to race like I have been all season and if it’s there, go for it, if not, I must play it smart. Overall, I feel good. We’re P2, so we can’t be too upset about that. We’ll be ready for race one.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It’s so great to be back here. I love this track,” Baz said. “It’s the kind of track where you really must flow with your bike to go fast. That wasn’t the case for me this morning, but we improved a lot this afternoon. We have a few things to figure out tonight with the guys on the team to close the gap, but really, I’m happy. It’ll be my first time racing here since 2017, so I’m ready to go.”
On track action for day two of the eighth round of MotoAmerica 2024 will commence at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Saturday, September 14. Herrin and Baz will take to the track at 10:20 a.m. CDT for Qualifying 2.
Race one will start at 3:10 p.m. CDT that same day. Race two is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. CDT on Sunday, September 15, with race three starting at 3:10 p.m. that same afternoon.
Mathew Scholtz seized pole position during MotoAmerica Supersport qualifying Saturday morning at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. After doing a 2:13.560 during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday, the Championship point leader did a 2:13.370 on his Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 during Qualifying Two (Q2) Saturday morning and secured pole position for this weekend’s two races.
Tyler Scott lowered his lap time from 2:14.743 in Q1 to 2:13.498 in Q2, and that will allow him to start his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R750 from second on the grid.
Scholtz’s primary Championship challenger PJ Jacobsen will start his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2 from the third and final spot on the front row thanks to the 2:13.522 he did in Q2.
Jake Lewis qualified fourth with a 2:13.536 on his Altus Motorsports Suzuki.
Corey Alexander was fifth at 2:14.456 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/Roller Die + Forming.
Former Supersport World Championship rider Filippo Fuligni claimed the final spot on the second row and sixth overall with a time of 2:14.572 on his HONOS Ducati.
Row three qualifiers include Blake Davis (2:14.614) on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha, two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas (2:14.750) on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki, and Alfonso Linares (2:14.965) on his Zinc AL 32 Suzuki.
Alessandro Di Mario earned pole position during MotoAmerica BellissiMoto Twins Cup qualifying Saturday at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his Rodio Racing – Powered by Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 on spec Dunlop tires, the 15-year-old rising star turned a 2:17.147 to top the 32-rider field.
Former class Champion Rocco Landers was second-best with a 2:17.959 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki GSX-8R.
Rossi Moor claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 2:19.973 on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-8R.
Di Mario’s teammate Gus Rodio qualified fourth at 2:20.827.
Dominic Doyle was fifth with a time of 2:21.008 on his Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha YZF-R7.
Newly crowned MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion Matthew Chapin took the final spot on the second row and sixth overall with a lap of 2:21.836 on his new BARTCON Racing Suzuki GSX-8R.
Tyler O’Hara earned pole position during MotoAmerica RSD Mission Super Hooligan qualifying at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his S&S Indian FTR on Dunlop control tires, the defending Champion lapped the 3.4-mile, 20-turn road course in 2:15.895 during Qualifying One (Q1) on Friday afternoon, and that time was good enough to top the 40-rider field.
O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss was second-best with a 2:16.522 that he also did during Q1.
Championship point leader Cory West, riding his Team Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250, led Qualifying Two (Q2) Saturday morning with a 2:16.651, and that earned him the third and final spot on the front row.
West’s teammate Jake Lewis qualified fourth with a 2:16.786.
Jeremy McWilliams, riding a third S&S Indian FTR, did a fifth-fastest 2:17.227.
Hayden Schultz secured the final spot on the second row and sixth overall with a 2:17.344 on his KWR Harley-Davidson Pan America.
Row three starters include Stefano Mesa (2:17.464) on his Tytlers Cycle Racing Energica Eva Ribelle RS, Dominic Doyle (2:17.616) on his Giaccmoto Racing Yamaha MT-09, and Cody Wyman (2:17.992) on his KWR Harley-Davidson.
Editorial Note: Jim Blasius is the father of former MotoAmerica racer Joseph Blasius.
We are thrilled to announce that Ducati Detroit has entered a new chapter with fresh ownership and management. The two of us are honored to represent Ducati in the vibrant Detroit market.
Under our leadership, you can expect a steadfast commitment to operating with honesty, transparency, and integrity—principles that will guide everything we do. Whether you’re a long-standing client or a future rider, we look forward to continuing Ducati’s legacy of excellence while delivering a customer experience that truly reflects these values.
We are fully operational, with new motorcycles arriving daily, and our Parts and Service departments are ready to serve you. Passion for motorcycles is what drives us to make your riding experience exceptional. We invite you to stop by, meet our new team, and experience the exciting changes firsthand.
Ride safe and see you on the road,
Jim Blasius & Kevin Callaway
Co-Owners Ducati Detroit
Ducati Detroit co-owners Jim Blasius (right) and Kevin Callaway (left). Photo courtesy Ducati Detroit.
Nesbitt stays on top as nothing separates Brookes and Jackson in second at Oulton Park
Charlie Nesbitt remained at the top of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship Free Practice times at Oulton Park this afternoon as the MasterMac Honda rider remained ahead of the opposition on the opening day of the Showdown.
Nesbitt had topped the opening Free Practice session and as the times continued to tumble in the afternoon, he remained on top to put him 0.182s ahead of Josh Brookes, who built on his top five finish in Free Practice one to climb to second in the final minutes of the second session for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team.
The double champion split the MasterMac Honda teammates on the timesheets with Lee Jackson setting the exact same time as his BMW rival, but Brookes’ second fastest lap time gave him the edge over Jackson.
Kyle Ryde led the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing charge in fourth place as he bids to close the 19-point deficit to Tommy Bridewell at the top of the times, whist his Honda Racing UK rival ended the day in 12th place and the final rider to progress into tomorrow’s Speedy Hire Q2 session.
Glenn Irwin completed the top five for Hager PBM Ducati, just 0.004s ahead of Christian Iddon on the rival Oxford Products Racing Ducati as the pair bid to close in on Bridewell and Ryde ahead of them in the standings this weekend.
Danny Kent kicked off the McAMS Round of the Championship in seventh place ahead of Ryan Vickers who had a technical problem with the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing R1, bringing out a red flag briefly in the final 15 minutes of the session and he took no further part in the afternoon.
Leon Haslam was ninth for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team ahead of Danny Buchan, Peter Hickman and championship leader Bridewell ahead of tomorrow’s opening race of the Showdown.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Free Practice combined times:
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) 1m33.703s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.182s
Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) +0.182s
Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +0.183s
Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) +0.413s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.417s
Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +0.501s
Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +0.575s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.651s
Danny Buchan (DAO Racing Kawasaki) +0.729s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +0.751s
Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +0.815s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Charlie Nesbitt
MasterMac Honda
“Today’s been one of the better Fridays that we’ve had. Everything has just worked together. We’ve not tried to do anything radical and do everything all in one lap.
“We’ve built up quite nicely, got a nice rhythm and I think the race pace is good as well. I’m overall really happy with day one.
“I think tomorrow’s going to be difficult again because everyone’s going to step their game up, everyone’s done a day of riding and their settings are going to be changing.
“If we can do the same again and go a bit faster, I think we’ll be in a good position.
BMW best! EWC Bol d’Or pole hat-trick ends YART’s rapid run
Belgian outfit the team to beat in Circuit Paul Ricard qualifying to maintain title hopes
Second place for YART Yamaha extends points lead over rival outfit Yoshimura SERT Motul
Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team quickest in Dunlop-supplied Superstock category
For immediate release (13 September 2024): BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team has ended Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team’s consecutive run of pole positions in the 2024 FIM Endurance World Championship to keep up the pressure in its bid to land the EWC title for the first time during this weekend’s Bol d’Or 24-hour race.
Having set the qualifying standard at Le Mans, Spa and Suzuka, YART placed second to BMW, which also banked the Bol d’Or pole position 12 months ago and in 2022.
By going fastest, Dunlop-equipped BMW scores five points for a new championship total of 77 with YART earning four points to move onto 120 points. Suzuki-powered Yoshimura SERT Motul completed qualifying in third position for three points and a new total of 113. With a maximum haul of 65 points on offer, BMW remains firmly in the title fight.
The EWC qualifying order is based on the average time of the fastest two riders from each team across both sessions. But having made its mark during Thursday afternoon’s blustery First Qualifying courtesy of Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger, Friday’s second session, which also took place in windy conditions, was essentially a waiting game for the Belgium-based outfit and its new recruit Hannes Soomer, who has replaced Sylvain Guintoli for the Bol d’Or, plus reserve Jan-Ole Jähnig.
“I want to say a big thanks to the team, they gave a very good package for the bike,” Ukraine rider Mykhalchyk said. “We were very strong in previous years here and this year our target was to claim as much points as possible from the qualification and we did it. The bike performed really well in the strong wind. It gave good confidence to not have a disturbed feeling from the conditions and I could focus on my way. I did a pretty good lap and today our focus was on the race settings with the used tyres, and I also did well. This has made good feelings for the race; we are ready, and we are looking for a good one.”
Of BMW’s title chances, Mykhalchyk added: “Last year I had the fastest lap time in the race but for sure the target is to be fastest in every stint and it doesn’t matter what the weather conditions are like. It looks like we are ready, and my team-mates are also ready. The target is to do good laps, good stints and if we fit all our package together, I think we will end really good.”
For Austria-based YART, second place represented an improvement of two positions from the fourth place it secured in qualifying at Circuit Paul Ricard in 2023 with riders Niccolò Canepa, Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika. Canepa, who will retire from racing following the Bol d’Or, said: “BMW and the riders are exceptional at this track, and we knew to fight for the pole would be very complicated. But I am very happy because last year we were in fourth place and this is a track where we struggle quite a lot usually, especially in qualifying. So, to have the second fastest time is really great and we’re really happy.”
With its 24 Heures Motos-winning line-up of Gregg Black, Dan Linfoot and Étienne Masson restored, Yoshimura SERT Motul secured third place ahead of Honda Viltaïs Racing, F.C.C. TSR Honda France, Tati Team Beringer Racing, KM99, Kawasaki Webike Trickstar and Team Bolliger Switzerland.
Linfoot, who is chasing four consecutive podiums in 2024, said: “We lose one more point to Yamaha and we can’t be happy about that. The wind is causing issues for everybody and hopefully it will be better for the race so we can have a better feeling. But anything can happen in a 24-hour race, and we’ve got to feel positive about starting in this way.”
Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team claimed pole position in the Dunlop-supplied FIM Endurance World Cup after it pulled off a tactical masterstroke with riders Loïc Arbel, Jan Bühn and Kenny Foray. Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle, which is making its EWC debut this weekend, placed second followed by Team Étoile in a BMW 1-2-3.
Arnaud Sassone, the Tecmas team manager, explained: “Pole position is a good satisfaction because it’s been an up-and-down season and being back on the top of the category shows the skills of the team and the riders. We took a look to the weather forecast yesterday and decided the conditions meant we wouldn’t be as fast as we want. It was a gamble [to wait for] this morning and it’s paid off. For the race I am quite confident but for sure there is pressure on the result because of the season we’ve had.”
Behind Team Étoile, Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda, TRT27 AZ Moto and Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore completed the Superstock took six. National Motos Honda, which is bidding to win the Superstock-based title, was seventh fastest with two other title contenders, 3ART Best of Bike and Team Aviobike by M2 Revo, 13th and ninth respectively.
HOW SECOND QUALIFYING UNFOLDED
Taking part in his final EWC qualifying session before his retirement, it was fitting that Niccolò Canepa topped the Blue Rider order for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team. The two-time EWC champion recorded a best time of 1m52.654s to edge out BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team’s Thursday pacesetter Illya Mykhalchyk by 0.250s.
Corentin Perolari was third fastestest for Tati Team Beringer Racing with 2022 Bol d’Or winner Florian Alt fourth for Honda Viltais Racing. Florian Marino was fifth fastest for KM99, despite falling at T7, with Josh Hook sixth quickest for F.C.C. TSR Honda France.
Yoshimura SERT Motul’s Gregg Black was seventh on his return from injury, one place ahead of Kawasaki Webike Trickstar’s Christian Gamarino. Kenny Foray was ninth quickest and the fastest Dunlop-equipped Superstock contender for Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team as category rival Bálint Kovács rounded out the top 10 for new EWC squad Honda Endurance Racing Team. Chris Leesch, whose Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda squad is an outside contender for the FIM Endurance World Cup, was another rider to fall during the 20-minute session.
BMW’s Markus Reiterberger left it until the final lap of the Yellow Rider group to clock the fastest time of the session, a 1m52.328s, which beat Marvin Fritz’s long-standing benchmark by 0.402s. Étienne Masson (Yoshimura SERT Motul) was third quickest with KM99’s Randy de Puniet fourth. Steven Odendaal was fifth for Honda Viltaïs Racing followed by F.C.C. TSR Honda Racing rider Mike Di Meglio. Hugo Clère was seventh fastest for Tati Team Beringer Racing as Kawsaki Webike Trickstar’s Román Ramos placed eighth and Kamil Krzemień went ninth quickest for Wójcik Racing Team. BMW-powered Yudai Kamei (Team Étoile) rounded out the top 10 and posted the fastest time among the Dunlop-equipped Superstock contenders. Class rivals Guillaume Antiga (Team 33 Louit April Moto) and Tom Oliver (TRT27 AZ Moto) were next up.
Honda Viltaïs Racing’s Leandro Mercado emerged from the Red Rider group on top after he posted a 1m52.688s best, bettering Dan Linfoot (Yoshimura SERT Motul)’s effort by 0.134s. Karel Hanika was third for Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team with F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s Alan Techer next up.
Hannes Soomer, on his debut for BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, was fifth quickest followed by Randy Krummenacher (Tati Team Beringer Racing) and Alex Toledo (Team Bolliger Switzerland).
Loïc Arbel set the pace in the Dunlop-supplied Superstock division in eighth overall for Tecmas MRP BMW Racing Team with Hungarian Endurance Racing Team’s Soma Gőrbe ninth and Martin Renaudin in 10th for Chromeburner-RAC 41-Honda. Vincent Fere and Doriano Vietti-Ramos fellow for Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki and 3ART Best of Bike respectively.
Robin Mulhauser was the fastest Green Rider followed by F.C.C. TSR Honda France newcomer Kevin Manfredi, Honda Viltaïs Racing’s James Westmoreland and Yoshimura SERT Motul rider Cocoro Atsumi. Mathieu Gines was the fastest Superstock contender in fifth overall for Team 18 Sapeurs Pompiers CMS Motostore.
FIRST QUALIFYING REPORT: MYKHALCHYK FASTEST AS BMW PROVES RAPID IN EWC
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team became the FIM Endurance World Championship squad to beat following First Qualifying for the title-deciding Bol d’Or. Riders Illya Mykhalchyk and Markus Reiterberger combined to set the unofficial best average time of 1m52.049s to beat Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team with Yoshimura SERT Motul third. Tati Team Beringer Racing and Kawasaki Webike Trickstar were fourth and fifth fastest respectively based on the provisional order. BMW-powered Team Étoile set the pace in the Dunlop-equipped Superstock category, which counts for the FIM Endurance World Cup, followed by TRT27 AZ Moto and EWC newcomer Hungarian Endurance Racing Team by Moto-Jungle. CLICK FOR FULL STORY.
BEST LAPS
First Qualifying Blue Rider: Illya Mykhalchyk, 1m51.810s / Kazuki Watanabe, 1m54.429s
First Qualifying Yellow Rider: Markus Reiterberger, 1m52.288s / Máté Számadó, 1m55.155s
First Qualifying Red Rider: Karel Hanika, 1m54.321s / Martin Renaudin, 1m54.850s
First Qualifying Green Rider: Robin Mulhauser, 1m54.890s / Péter Sebestyen. 1m56.622s
Second Qualifying Blue Rider: Niccolò Canepa, 1m52.654s / Kenny Foray, 1m54.189s
Second Qualifying Yellow Rider: Markus Reiterberger, 1m52.328s / Yudai Kamei, 1m55.263s
Second Qualifying Red Rider: Leandro Mercado, 1m52.628s / Loïc Arbel, 1m55.005s
Second Qualifying Green Rider: Robin Mulhauser, 1m53,365s / Mathieu Gines, 1m55.633s
WHAT’S NEXT?
The EWC season-deciding Bol d’Or is due to get under way at 15h00 CET on Sunday 14 September.
Rocco Landers topped MotoAmerica Mission King Of The Baggers Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Riding his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide on spec Dunlop tires, the class rookie lapped the repaved 3.4-mile track in 2:14.779. Not only was that faster than anyone else in the class, it also broke Kyle Wyman’s All-Time Lap Record of 2:14.890.
Hayden Gillim, Landers’ teammate and the defending Champion, was also under the old record with a 2:14.858, but that was only good enough for second in the session.
Title contender Troy Herfoss turned a 2:15.277 early in Q1, but when he returned to the pits his team couldn’t get his S&S Indian Challenger restarted, ending his session prematurely. Herfoss’ time ended up being the third-best.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara was fourth with a 2:15.296.
Championship point leader Kyle Wyman rounded out the top five with a 2:15.501 on his Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Road Glide.
Josh Herrin's Fast By Ferracci-themed Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Josh Herrin will race his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R in a very special livery this weekend at the MotoAmerica Superbike tripleheader at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). During the three races, Herrin’s Ducati will wear bodywork made to resemble the Fast By Ferracci Ducati 888 that Troy Corser used to win the 1994 AMA Pro Superbike Championship 30 years ago.
“It’s the 30th anniversary of [Eraldo] Ferracci winning the AMA Superbike Championship and we wanted to celebrate him,” said Warhorse HSBK Racing Ductai Team Principal Bobby Shek. “We love the guy. He’s our mascot. So, we built the bike just like the last one he won on, and Josh [Herrin] is wearing the same [style of] leathers that Troy Corser was wearing.
“We’ve been talking about doing it for a long time. For almost a year we’ve been talking about doing a Ferracci-edition bike. The time felt right, and this is a nice track. We have a little bit of the Championship thing going on. It was just the right time.”
Eraldo Ferracci (left) and Josh Herrin (right), who will also wear Alpinestars leathers made to resemble the leathers worn by Troy Corser in 1994. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Herrin currently leads the MotoAmerica Championship point standings with five races remaining, and he can clinch the 2024 title this weekend at COTA.
Mathew Scholtz was fastest during MotoAmerica Supersport Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. The Championship point leader used his Dunlop-shod Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 to turn a 2:13.560 around the recently repaved 3.4-mile road course and lead the field of 36 riders.
PJ Jacobsen, Scholtz’s main title rival, was second-best with a 2:14.120 on his Rahal Ducati Moto w/XPEL Panigale V2.
Blake Davis was third in the session with a 2:14.614 on his N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto Yamaha.
Former Supersport World Championship competitor Filippo Fuligni did a fourth-fastest 2:14.694 on his HONOS-sponsored Ducati.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott was fifth in the session with a 2:14.743 on his GSX-R750.
Two-time AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Champion Martin Cardenas was 11th with a 2:16.329 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki.
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2024 | PRACTICE & QUALIFYING 1
AUSTIN, TX (9.13.2024) – On-track activity has concluded with the trio of Rahal Ducati Moto riders completing both Practice and Qualifying 1 sessions under the blazing Texas sun. Jacobsen climbed the charts throughout the first qualifying session, missing pole position by less than a second.
The 23 Roller Die + Forming Ducati of Corey Alexander was back on track for both sessions today, a relief after the mechanical issues the crew experienced in both rounds at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He ended his first qualifying session in eighth.
Kayla Yaakov looks forward to tomorrow morning’s qualifying session after major improvements in setup and overall comfortability on her bike. As of now, Yaakov will start on the fifth row for her first race since her Supersport debut at Circuit of The Americas in 2023.
The 20-turn course will see Qualifying 2 tomorrow morning at 10:40 a.m. ET, with the green flag waving for Race 1 at 3:10 p.m. ET.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P3 (2:14.934)
QUALIFYING 1: P2 (2:14:120)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today went pretty well. I ended up getting P2 for the first qualifying, so we’ll work on something tonight and come up with a better qualifying for tomorrow. [Mathew] Scholtz, who we are battling with for the championship, is on provisional pole right now, so hopefully we can make some changes, figure out how to make up some time, and try to get on pole position.”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 CODE 3 ASSOCIATES PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P4 (2:15.053)
QUALIFYING 1: P8 (2:15:493)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today was a positive start to the weekend and I’m super happy to have had no bike issues! The bike felt really good off the bat but we couldn’t put together a lap in qualifying between traffic and what seemed to be a lack of grip on our second run. Temperatures will be good for Q2 and we will redeem ourselves.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
PRACTICE: P16 (2:18.746)
QUALIFYING 1: P14 (2:16:651)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “First day here at COTA. This morning was a little bit of a struggle for us. We tried to eliminate some variables for the weekend and we were able to accomplish that, so that was a job well done for our team. It did put us on the back-foot going into Qualifying 1, but we made a huge step to get closer to the front, which is exactly what we want. The bike is feeling great. We made a huge improvement both in settings and the feeling I have on the bike. We knew going into this weekend that this track style would be one I struggle with quite a bit, but we’ve been getting better each session. I’m excited to see how much we have in the tank for tomorrow.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a decent Friday for the Rahal Ducati Moto team overall. We want to find a bit more speed, with PJ qualifying second and Corey and Kayla both riding good as well. We want to get them to where they’re the most comfortable on the bikes in the morning qualifying session so we can move up a few positions and have a good race.”
Cameron Beaubier was quickest during MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Qualifying One (Q1) Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW M 1000 RR on Dunlop Sportmax Slick control tires, the five-time Champion lapped the newly repaved, 3.4-mile, 20-turn road course in 2:07.703, which eclipsed Jake Gagne’s All-Time Lap Record of 2:08.169.
Josh Herrin, the current Championship point leader, was second-best with a 2:08.244 on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R. Herrin currently leads the Championship by 52 points, and if he can hold that lead through the end of the tripleheader in Texas he will clinch the 2024 Championship.
Superbike rookie sensation Sean Dylan Kelly claimed the final spot on the provisional front row with a 2:08.359 on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing BMW.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz was fourth with a 2:08.418.
After spending most of the 2024 season on the sidelines recovering from injuries sustained at the opening round, Richie Escalante posted a fifth-fastest 2:09.196 on his Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Riding in place of Attack Performance/Progressive Yamaha’s injured defending Champion Jake Gagne, Spaniard Xavi Fores posted the sixth-quickest lap time, a 2:09.694.
Escalante’s teammate Brandon Paasch bounced back from a crash during practice Friday morning and did a 2:09.835, which ranked him eighth.
Fores’ teammate Cameron Petersen was hindered by technical issues during Q1 and ended up ninth with a 2:10.400.
Ashton Yates rounded out the top 10 with a 2:10.639 on his Jones Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.
Beaubier Is Best On Day One At Circuit Of The Americas
Cameron Beaubier Smashes The Lap Record To Earn Provisional Pole In Texas
AUSTIN, TX (September 13, 2024) – Tytlers Cycle Racing’s Cameron Beaubier and Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin played catch with the fastest Steel Commander Superbike time in Q1 on Friday afternoon, but near the end of the session EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro’s Sean Dylan Kelly joined the game and went to the front with some eight minutes to go in the session.
But not long after Kelly did his best, Beaubier struck back in a big way, posting a lap-record-setting 2:07.703 to score provisional pole.
Cameron Beaubier (6) led the way on opening day at Circuit of The Americas on Friday with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion breaking the Superbike lap record and earning provisional pole position. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Herrin ended up climbing back to second, posting a 2:08.244 – .541 of a second slower than Beaubier’s best.
Rocco Landers (97) broke the Mission King Of The Baggers lap record at COTA on Friday en route to earning provisional pole position. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy MotoAmerica.
Kelly and his 2:08.259 completed the provisional front row, just .059 of a second faster than Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz. Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Richie Escalante rounded out the top five.
“I’ve been enjoying this place on the BMW,” Beaubier said. “It’s been five years since I rode a Superbike here. You can go for a ride on the front and backstraight, that’s for sure. It’s so different than a Moto2 bike, but I’m enjoying myself.”
Supersport – Scholtz Fires First
Strack Racing’s Mathew Scholtz fired the first shot by earning provisional pole position for the two Supersport races at COTA, the South African besting his championship rival PJ Jacobsen by .560 of a second. The two are in a battle for the Supersport Championship with Scholtz leading Jacobsen by 25 points with four races left in the season.
N2 Racing/BobbleHeadMoto’s Blake Davis ended the session third fastest, a tick over a second slower than Scholtz and .080 of a second faster than MotoAmerica first-timer Filippo Fuligini. Italian Fuligini is racing as a wildcard entry Ducati Panigale V2 for Team HONOS.
Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Tyler Scott rounded out the top five on opening day at COTA.
Mission King Of The Baggers – Landers!
The battle for the 2024 Mission King Of The Baggers Championship was all the talk coming into the penultimate round at COTA. The chatter obviously centered around Kyle Wyman vs. Troy Herfoss, but RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammates Rocco Landers and Hayden Gillim with those two taking the top two spots while both circulating under the lap record.
Landers’ lap record was a 2:14.779 and it came on his very last lap, bettering Gillim’s best of 2:14.858.
The best of the two championship contenders was S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss, the Australian ending up third despite spending the final minutes of the session in the pits with a mechanical.
Herfoss’ teammate Tyler O’Hara ended the afternoon fourth with Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman fifth, the championship points leader heading into the weekend’s two races.
BellissiMoto Twins Cup – Di Mario On Top
For a while on Friday afternoon, it didn’t look like BellissiMoto Twins Cup Championship points leader Rocco Landers was going to get even a single lap in Q1 as the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki had a mechanical problem that kept him in the pits more than on the track.
That left the others to make hay while the sun shined and Landers’ championship rival Alesandro Di Mario took full advantage to dominate the session and put his Rodio Racing – Powered By Robem Engineering Aprilia RS 660 some two seconds faster than the nearest competition, which in this case was Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Rossi Moor. Di Mario lapped at a best of 2:17.742 with Rossi second quickest on 2:20.022.
Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing’s Dominic Doyle rounded out the provisional front row, .9 of a second behind Rossi and .181 of a second ahead of newly crowned Junior Cup Champion Matthew Chapin, who rounded out the top five on his BARTCON Racing Suzuki GSX-R750.
Landers, meanwhile, got in two laps and it was enough to put him seventh at the end of the session.
Mission Super Hooligan National Championship – Here We Go
Saddlemen Harley-Davidson’s Cory West might have felt a bit ganged up on in Q1 on Friday at COTA with a horde of fast S&S/Indian Motorcycle-backed riders out to help Tyler O’Hara successfully defend his Mission Super Hooligan National Championship. But West, the championship leader by just four points over O’Hara, emerged from the fray in fourth and just a tick over a second off O’Hara’s provisional pole position time.
O’Hara’s teammate Troy Herfoss was second fastest, .62 of a second off O’Hara’s best with West’s teammate Jake Lewis third and the first of the Harley-Davidson Pan Americas in the field with West fourth and Jeremy McWilliams, in a one-off return ride for Indian, ending up fifth fastest.
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About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is North America’s premier motorcycle road racing series. Established in 2014, MotoAmerica is home to the AMA Superbike Championship as well as additional classes including Supersport, Stock 1000, Twins Cup, Junior Cup, and King Of The Baggers. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership including three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey; ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland; motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges; and businessman Richard Varner. For more information, please visit www.MotoAmerica.com and follow MotoAmerica on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube. To watch all things MotoAmerica, subscribe to MotoAmerica’s live streaming and video on demand service, MotoAmerica Live+
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Josh Herrin and Loris Baz are in the top four at COTA
Josh Herrin (2). Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Sunnyvale, Calif., September 13, 2024 — In what could be a historic weekend for Ducati in North America, the Warhorse HSBK Racing Team started off on the right foot by having both Josh Herrin and Loris Baz inside the top five at the end of day one at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas for the penultimate round of the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Herrin is within striking distance of securing his second AMA/MotoAmerica Superbike Championship title and the first for Ducati Motor Holdings since Troy Corser triumphed for Ducati in 1994.
Herrin started the day with a nod to the Australian, unveiling a replica paint and leathers scheme for the three scheduled races on his Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R with Eraldo Ferracci, an integral part of the Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati and the man who guided Corser to that title win.
Herrin ended the day second fastest behind Cameron Beaubier, the Georgian covering 22 laps across the two completed sessions of the massive 3.426-mile complex.
Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz knocked out 20 laps of Circuit of The Americas, improving his position from fifth in Free Practice 1 to fourth by the end of the first qualifying session.
All eyes now turn to tomorrow morning’s important second qualifying session, which will decide the grid for the three scheduled races across the weekend.
2024 Circuit of The Americas Superbike Qualifying 1 Results – Top 5
P1 – Cameron Beaubier 2:07.703
P2 – Josh Herrin (Ducati) 2:08.244
P3 – Sean Dylan Kelly 2:08.359
P4 – Loris Baz (Ducati) 2:08.418
P5 – Richie Escalante 2:09.196
Josh Herrin (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#2)
“I’ve been a little conservative today,” Herrin said. “I’m looking at the gap and I want to get closer so there’s less pressure on me but to put more pressure on Cam (Beaubier) because I don’t want him to have this half-second advantage.
“Technically, if I get on the podium here and in New Jersey, I’ll be ok (in the title fight), but it’s easy to relax and lose a bunch of points, so I’m just going to race like I have been all season and if it’s there, go for it, if not, I must play it smart. Overall, I feel good. We’re P2, so we can’t be too upset about that. We’ll be ready for race one.”
Loris Baz (Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati–#76)
“It’s so great to be back here. I love this track,” Baz said. “It’s the kind of track where you really must flow with your bike to go fast. That wasn’t the case for me this morning, but we improved a lot this afternoon. We have a few things to figure out tonight with the guys on the team to close the gap, but really, I’m happy. It’ll be my first time racing here since 2017, so I’m ready to go.”
On track action for day two of the eighth round of MotoAmerica 2024 will commence at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Saturday, September 14. Herrin and Baz will take to the track at 10:20 a.m. CDT for Qualifying 2.
Race one will start at 3:10 p.m. CDT that same day. Race two is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. CDT on Sunday, September 15, with race three starting at 3:10 p.m. that same afternoon.
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