MV AGUSTA’S SUPERVELOCE 800 CONCEPT TO GO INTO
PRODUCTION AS “SUPERVELOCE 800 SERIE ORO”

EICMA’S 2018 “Queen of the Show” first production
models will be rolling out of the hangars of the Schiranna factory in 2020, a
dream come true for many MV Agusta fans and collectors

Schiranna, Italy, May
29^th, 2019 – MV Agusta announces
it will soon start the production of the Superveloce 800 concept bike presented
last November at EICMA. Delivery of the first 300 units series of “Superveloce 800
Serie Oro” is expected in March 2020.

Deemed “the most
desirable and anticipated bike of 2020”, the Superveloce 800 Serie Oro will be
exactly the same as the concept presented at EICMA last November. A combination
of 1970’s flair and modern-day state-of-the-art technology, the Superveloce 800
literally stole the show and requests for a production version started raining
in at Schiranna.

Many iconic details of
the Superveloce 800 are reminiscent of MV Agusta’s glorious legacy, utilising a
steel trellis chassis, a 148 HP inline-3 cylinder 799 cc engine with a
counter-rotating crankshaft coupled to a 6-speed gearbox and an iconic
triple-exit exhaust system. The Superveloce 800 also includes a number of
advanced technologies, including a TFT dashboard as well as state of the art
engine and vehicle control electronics incorporating Ride-by-Wire, multi-maps
and traction control.

Timur Sardarov, CEO of
MV Agusta, commented: “This is one of the meanest and most stylish bikes we’ve
ever produced. It certainly lives up to MV Agusta’s heritage of craftsmanship,
design and technology. From the moment it went on display at EICMA last
November, we knew we had an instant classic.”

For the first time MV
Agusta is offering potential customers the possibility to pre-order their dream
bike online through a dedicated section of the official web site at www.mvagusta.com/superveloce-800-serie-oro

The launch of the Superveloce 800
Serie Oro will be accompanied by an exclusive merchandising line that will
include backpacks, jackets and helmets and many other quality items.

For further information and
orders, please contact your local dealer. If you do not have a dealer in your
area, contact MV Agusta directly at: [email protected]

MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP MAKE THEIR WAY TO MUGELLO

Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 29th May 2019

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team prepare to make their mark at the Autodromo del Mugello during this weekend‘s Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley.

The Gerno di Lesmo (Italy) based Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team is getting ready for the next challenge of the 2019 MotoGP championship – and it’s a special one! The entire crew, including Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales, can’t wait to start the team’s home GP at the Autodromo del Mugello.

The upcoming GP is very important for Rossi, who will put in 100% effort to please his dedicated fans with a strong result this weekend.

Over the years, he affirmed his local hero status with a great record at the Italian track, having scored seven back-to-back premier class victories at Mugello from 2002 to 2008. He also celebrated four MotoGP third places in 2009, 2014, 2015, and 2018, a 250cc win in 1999 following a second place in 1998, and a 125cc win in 1997.

The Doctor is currently fourth in the championship standings, with a 23-point gap to bridge to first place.

After an unfortunate NC score in France, Viñales is keen on making a strong comeback. There is no better place for him to return to the podium than Mugello, as he likes the track and also looks forward to the great atmosphere there that makes the Italian GP so special.

His enjoyment of the flowing hills of Tuscany is reflected in his previous results. In the lower classes he notched up a run of three-consecutive podiums in Mugello, taking a win in 2012 (Moto3) and two third places, in 2011 (125cc) and 2013 (Moto3). In the MotoGP class he stood on the rostrum after scoring a second place in 2017. This weekend he will challenge for a top spot again.

The Spaniard holds tenth position in the overall rankings, 65 points from the top.

Mugello is considered one of the most beautiful but also challenging tracks on the calendar, thanks to its mixture of uphill and downhill sections and a variety of fast and slow turns. The 5.2 km long Tuscan circuit hosted its first MotoGP event back in 1976 and became a permanent fixture in 1991.

For those who want to get to know the circuit better, check out Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP‘s official Factory MotoGP eSport Rider Lorenzo Daretti‘s eLap around Mugello. The Italian is also a fan of the track not just because of its lay-out, but also because of the fun memory of winning the MotoGP eSport challenge there last year.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“We now come to Mugello, which is very important to the team, because it‘s our home GP. It‘s a very special event, because the atmosphere is really unique. The crowds here are fantastic. ‘Al Mugello non si dorme’! This also adds some pressure, because we want to do them proud. Though Mugello is usually an OK track for us, we expect another hard-fought GP weekend, because the level is so close. But we know both our riders really like this track and are very fast here. Valentino is always highly motivated, but this weekend perhaps even more so, if that‘s possible, because he is on home soil and he was close to a podium at the last GP. Maverick will certainly also be pushing 100% after his Le Mans race ended so unfortunately, which wasn‘t his fault. We know what we have to do, so we have to put our minds to it and use every session to the max to make sure we are there at the front for Sunday‘s race.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“I’m glad it’s time for Mugello, it‘s a special weekend and a special race for all the Italian riders. It has a fantastic atmosphere, but it’s also a bit tricky to manage with all the fans, but it‘s really great. This is one of the most beautiful race tracks of the year. It‘s a track I really like, but it will be hard because everybody is very fast. Mugello does have less acceleration from a low speed, so I think we could be faster than in Le Mans, but it is also true that there is a very long straight. Surely this will be our weak point, but if we work well, we can defend ourselves. We need to try our best to be competitive and give the maximum.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“After the crash at Le Mans, I left the circuit with a bad taste in my mouth, I was very disappointed. We worked very well all weekend, but the problem was that I started too far from the first row of the grid. We‘ve learned from this, we have to work hard on Saturdays. I’m really looking forward to being back on my bike this weekend. During the last Grand Prix I had a good feeling on the M1, it was almost perfect and I was able to go very fast. We are solving all the problems step by step. I‘m sure that we are heading in the right direction. So, if we‘ll continue working hard, good results will arrive soon. Mugello is a track that I like and where I’ve always had a lot of fun, and it’s perfect for my riding style, so let‘s see what happens.”

PHOENIX (May 29, 2019) – Estenson Racing is pleased to announce that Roger Hayden will fill in for JD Beach this Saturday, June 1, at the Red Mile, in Lexington, Kentucky, the first Mile race of the 2019 American Flat Track Championship.

The youngest brother of the well-known Hayden family, Roger has been involved in racing his whole life. Growing up in Owensboro, Kentucky, the 35-year-old has strong dirt track roots. Like his brothers, Hayden eventually went on to road racing and established a successful professional career. He competed both here in the U.S. and abroad, taking 21 wins in the U.S. National road racing championship (now MotoAmerica), and winning the AMA Supersport title in 2007.

Hayden retired from Superbike racing at the end of last season. After some time off, he looks forward to returning to racing and back to his dirt track roots in his home state of Kentucky with his parents as the Grand Marshals of the event.

“I’m really excited because it’s going to be a special weekend for the family,” Hayden said. “My parents are Grand Marshals, and to have Tommy [Hayden] as my team manager is definitely really cool. I was going to be home this weekend, anyway, so I was going to go watch. I feel like it’s going to be a great weekend for the family with us back dirt track racing and a dollar from each ticket sale going to Nicky’s Memorial Foundation. More importantly I’m excited to get out and try to learn as fast as possible and get back to doing a little bit of racing. I’m also looking forward to getting there and racing in front of people in Kentucky, too. I’ve never raced a national in Kentucky, so it would be awesome to see all the Kentucky fans there. They’ll have a Kentucky boy to root for.”

“I’m so excited to have a rider of Roger Hayden’s caliber race for us this weekend,” Team Owner, Tim Estenson said. “I got to know Roger and the rest of the Hayden family in Austin during the MotoGP weekend when they retired Nicky’s number, and they are great people. I look forward to seeing him make his return to dirt track racing aboard our MT-07 DT in his home state of Kentucky.”

About Estenson Racing

Estenson Racing was born out of Team Owner Tim Estenson’s passion for motorcycles and flat track racing. In just their first full year of racing, Estenson Racing quickly established themselves as one of the top non-factory teams in American Flat Track. They reaped success early with an AFT Singles Championship and an X Games Gold Medal and followed that up in 2018 with their first win in the Twins class and multiple wins on the Mile in AFT Singles. This year the team has more than doubled in size with JD Beach, Jake Johnson and Kolby Carlile in AFT Twins, and Ryan Wells and Dallas Daniels in AFT Singles. For more information about Estenson Racing, www.estensonracing.com

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

Roger Lee Hayden Returns to Race American Flat Track

Hayden to Race the No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha at Saturday’s Red Mile

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 29, 2019) – Just days before the running of American Flat Track’s first Mile race of 2019, a new entry to the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines class is making waves in the professional flat track community. Roger Lee Hayden – former MotoAmerica professional road racer and brother to fellow pros Nicky and Tommy Hayden – will race the No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT as a substitute for JD Beach during Saturday’s Indian Motorcycle of Lexington Red Mile in Lexington, Ky.

Beach, who is missing this round to race the fourth event of the MotoAmerica series at Road America, will return to AFT for the Lima Half-Mile on June 29. For Red Mile, Hayden, a fellow Kentucky native and longtime friend of Beach, has opted to come out of retirement, and return to his flat track roots, to compete in this hometown round of AFT.

With more than 20 years of professional racing experience to his credit, Hayden announced his retirement from racing in early 2018 while competing in the MotoAmerica series aboard the No. 95 Yoshimura Suzuki. Although entered under the No. 195, AFT officials have permitted the No. 95 number plates to remain on the motorcycle as a symbol of solidarity between the machine’s two respective pilots.

“I’m really excited because it’s going to be a special weekend for the family,” said Hayden. “My parents are Grand Marshals, and to have Tommy [Hayden] as my team manager is definitely really cool. I feel like it’s going to be a great weekend for the family, getting back to dirt track racing and having a dollar from each ticket sale going to Nicky’s Memorial Foundation. I’ve never raced a national in Kentucky, so it will be awesome to see all the Kentucky fans there – they’ll have a Kentucky boy to root for.”

“AFT is delighted to welcome Roger to compete, particularly on such an auspicious weekend,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “The Red Mile is hosting our first Mile of the season and this announcement ratchets up the anticipation to the next level.”

Fans can look forward to seeing nearly the entire Hayden family present at Saturday’s Indian Motorcycle of Lexington Red Mile event, as Roger Lee’s parents Earl and Rose Hayden will serve as the event’s Grand Marshals.

American Flat Track’s Indian Motorcycle of Lexington Red Mile is one of the most anticipated races on the circuit, and it all takes place at the famous Red Mile on Saturday, June 1, 2019. Tickets start at just $30 online and kids 12 and under are FREE. VIP and reserved seating are selling fast, so get your tickets now at www.americanflattrack.com.

For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com.

To get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise visit www.americanflattracker.com.

How to Watch:

NBCSN and 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.

American Flat Track To Unleash Its Horsepower On The Red Mile

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 28, 2019) – American Flat Track will at last set the field loose on the first of 2019’s magnificent Miles with this weekend’s Indian Motorcycle of Lexington Red Mile on Saturday, June 1, in Lexington, Ky.

The spectacular Red Mile has existed primarily as a horse racing facility for its near century-and-a-half existence, but it’s adapted well to the hundred-fold increase in horsepower it has been subjected to since AFT first visited in 2017.

AFT Twins Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) is the only AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines rider to have won a Main Event at the Red Mile. In fact, the first running of the Red Mile in 2017 coincides with Mees’s emergence as one of the strongest Mile competitors in the sport. Prior to the 2017 stop in Lexington, Mees had a grand total of three Mile victories to his name. He’s won seven of eleven since that first Red Mile triumph, an impressive run that’s launched him inside the top ten in career AFT Mile wins.

Mees still has a long way to go to catch Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley Brands/Howerton Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 650); Smith’s 25 Mile victories have him tied for third all-time with the legendary Bubba Shobert. Smith sat out the So-Cal Half-Mile in order to get his bike fully dialed-in ahead of this year’s Miles, and he and his crew have only had more time to prepare following the weather-related postponements of both the Sacramento Mile and Springfield Mile I.

AFT Twins title leader Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and the resurgent Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R Rev X) are just two of a deep pack of potential contenders with both the pace and motivation to prevent this weekend’s Main Event from becoming another in a long list of Mees-Smith Mile showdowns that have featured so prominently in American Flat Track’s modern history.

Meanwhile, Jesse Janisch (No. 132 Roof Systems Dallas TX/Öhlins Yamaha YZ450F) storms into the Red Mile leading the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys championship fight based largely on the strength of his three early-season TT wins. Despite his undeniable TT success, it would be incorrect to write Janisch off as just a one-trick pony. He scored a pair of top-five finishes on Miles in 2018, including a fourth-place run at the Red Mile.

There’s also little denying that Shayna Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing SX-F 450) stands as a strong favorite entering this weekend. The tactical Texter is at her best when the speed increases to the maximum and the distance separating riders decreases to the minimum, as evidenced by her seven career Mile wins.

Also on the undercard, Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Holeshot Powersports Yamaha MT-07) will put his perfect 2019 AFT Production Twins record on the line as the class resumes for the third of its eleven rounds.

You won’t have to wait until race day to get into the mood. Event title sponsor Indian Motorcycle of Lexington will host a pre-party on Friday, May 31, from 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m PT until 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m PT featuring live music, a hog roast, and a meet and greet with the AFT stars.

There will be plenty of fun to be had off-track on race day as well. MOJOTHUNDER will perform its unique blend of swaggering rock and roll and American roots music live at the Red Mile, while the Fan Zone will include dedicated motorcycle parking, numerous vendors, and plenty of food options.

Earl and Rose Hayden — parents of the late, great Nicky Hayden — will serve as the race’s Grand Marshals. Additionally, AFT Events will donate $1 from every ticket sold for the Red Mile to benefit the Nicky Hayden Memorial Fund to help further the efforts of Nicky’s family in this community.

Tickets for the Red Mile are on sale now at www.americanflattrack.com. Advance tickets start at $30 ($20 for military/first responders with an approved GOV-X code), while kids 12 and under are free.

For fans watching remotely, FansChoice.tv will provide live coverage of the Red Mile starting when the gates open at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Opening Ceremonies are slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET/3:00 p.m PT. The AFT Production Twins Main Event is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT, followed by the rider autograph session at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m PT. The remainder of the Main Event program will follow at 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT.

Be sure to catch the feature broadcast of the Indian Motorcycle of Lexington Red Mile on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of the Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut on Saturday, June 8, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT and will re-air on Tuesday, June 18, at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.

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.

Get ready for the Tuscan Tempest – Rookies Cup Race 3 in Italy

Last year’s Mugello round of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup was a stunner. Aren’t they all? – You say. Well yes but what a stage, what a race, what a finish! It was Yuki Kunii who took victory by 0.031 seconds from eventual Cup Champion Can Öncü and less than a full second covered the top eleven across the line.

This time the Japanese 16-year-old wheels his KTM RC 250 R out onto the hallowed tarmac as joint Cup leader with Carlos Tatay. The Spaniard has turned 16 since the pair shared the podiums with a win and a second place each in Jerez. In Mugello there is only a single race as the post MotoGP track invasion by the fans denies the possibility of a Rookies race on Sunday.

One shot

So it will all come down to 15 laps on Saturday afternoon to decide how the glory is distributed after the usual two free practice sessions and a single qualifying session on Friday.

As always with Rookies Cup when we are setting up for a Tatay/Kunii contest something completely different will happen. Of course Belgian 15-year-old Barry Baltus already took the battle to those two in Jerez, chasing them across the line in Race 1 and determined to do more in Race 2 until an unlucky collision saw him fall.

A fusillade

With Mugello being such a slipstreaming circuit it is very likely that the pack that chased in Jerez will make it a ten or more rider battle for the lead in Italy. So add in a couple of 15-year-old first year Rookies, Spaniard David Salvador and Matteo Bertelle who took 3rd in Race 2 in Jerez and will have the local fans waving their tricolore in support.

Another three striped flag, the French, will be supporting 14-year-old Lorenzo Fellon, a Rookie newbie who lost his place on the Race 2 Jerez podium thanks to exceeding track limits. A hard warning to him and the other 24 Rookies chasing success in the Tuscan hills.

The next barrage

The application process for the 2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup has been open since Jerez and already we have chosen a very select few to be given an early invitation to the Selection Event and these riders are featured at the bottom of the page. The application process continues and can be found online: https://rookiescup.redbull.com/join-us

“We’ve heard you.”

That’s the message Dan Nelson, President and COO of Cycle
Gear, wants to convey to his customers across the country as Cycle Gear
recently began rolling out a new ‘Reserve Online, Buy In Store’ feature on its
website, CycleGear.com.

The new feature, already available in most stores and
growing, is a major step forward for the motorcycle apparel and accessories
retailer. Customers can now see if products are available at their local store
and reserve them online before heading to the store itself.

“This is something that has been a big focus for us. Store
availability has been something that our customers have long asked for. We wanted
to meet that need and go further. Reserve your item so you can come try it on.
Talk with one of our expert staff members about it. Feel reassured through the
full Cycle Gear experience before you make your purchase. That’s what we were
after.”

Cycle Gear, an official sponsor of both the MotoAmerica and
American Flat Track series, operates with over 145 stores in 36 states as of
June. Dan reiterated they continue to look for ways to enhance that experience
across both its physical stores and CycleGear.com. “From our store events like
our Bike Nights, the rapport with our store staff, and our site, CycleGear.com,
we’re always looking for the next thing that will keep our customers happy and
focused on the ride.” 

CYCLE-JAM AT ROAD ATLANTA AND WEA WEST PRESENTED BY LUCAS OIL AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY!

The weekend of May 31 to June 2 will see Cycle Jam at Road Atlanta in Braselton, GA with a practice day on Friday, Sportsman Racing on Saturday featuring the CCF Office Solutions Senior Superbike Classes and the Pit Bull C Superstock Expert and Novice Classes Racing will begin at noon on Saturday. History has the competition fierce at this event and the day promises to have awesome racing for everyone.

Sunday the riders of the WERA/Pirelli National Challenge take to the track. Sunday will feature the Michelin/WERA Superbike Class as well as the HMGP Vintage Show. Racing starts at noon on Sunday.

June 2nd will have the WERA West Sportsman Series presented by Lucas Oil take the track at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Saturday will have Fastrack Riders with a racer school and practice. Racing is scheduled to start at 11:30 on Sunday. If you have not tried Lucas Oil Products in your vehicles you should – they are the best! Competition is always exciting on the high banks of Auto Club Speedway!

Credentials will be available at both gates and camping is allowed at both venues.

WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle Roadracing. The legacy of Pro riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series with the WERA National Challenge Series, WERA Motorcycle Roadracing also offer Vintage Racing and limited Endurance Racing with Track Day Partners N2 and Sportbike Track Time. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the Year.

For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com

ASRA National Road Racing – Sprint Races

Jones, Mesa and Cece Top Classes, Thomes Strikes a New Note

Summit Point, WV – Incredible weather this Memorial Day weekend and no exception on Monday with brilliant, high cumulus clouds, blue sky and 78 degrees for the post-luncheon ASRA action. The four ASRA 7-lap sprints got off to an exciting start with the Sportbike class.

Stefano Mesa and Ryan Jones got a good start, with Greg Melka and Justin Jones in the fight down to turn one. Melka grabbed the lead very briefly, but as the leaders came back to the front straight the order was Ryan Jones, from Mesa, Melka and Justin Jones. By lap two, Mesa had retired, Ryan Jones was out front from Justin Jones and Melka, and all three were nose-to-tail. The trio circulated six more laps with Ryan Jones making a 600cc motorcycle about as wide as full dress Harley. Both Melka and Justin Jones said they tried every corner on the track, and it didn’t matter how late they braked, Ryan Jones matched them. An excellent piece of riding for an impressive win. The fast lap of the race came on lap two for Ryan Jones with a 1:14.443.

Ryan Jones then took his Thunderbike and proceeded to the grid for Race 2. From the start Jones crept away from the field for his second ASRA win of the afternoon. Only Brian McGlade bested Jones’ lap times as he tried to close the gap mid-race. But coming off turn ten onto the front straight on lap five, McGlade slid to the outside of the track and the bike danced end-over-end spitting McGlade into the gravel trap and bringing an end to his charge towards the leader. McGlade walked away from the crash.

Stefano Mesa turned a disappointing Sportbike retirement into ASRA Superstock lemonade, dominating the field and putting on a bit of a speed show as he demonstrated complete control of the race while turning a best lap of 1:11.370. That hot lap was good enough for an ASRA, Summit Point, race lap record for Superstock Expert. Great job, Stefano!

Perhaps one of the more interesting stories of the weekend surrounds a new rider named Shane Thomes. Thomes is a 25-year-old from Red Lion, PA who brought a Yamaha R1 to the track for his first weekend of racing. A lot of folks start on a 600cc machine. Not the young Mr. Thomes. He did explain that he has been on two wheels since childhood, but on Saturday for his first-ever ASRA Superstock qualifying session, Thomes turned a 1:15.658, breaking Carsten Wagner’s 2018 ASRA Superstock Amateur qualifying record of 1:15.929 by 0.271 seconds. Nice work on your first qualifier.

Interestingly, Wagner also set the race lap record on that same weekend back in 2018 with a time of 1:15.729. Today, astonishingly, Shane Thomes dropped more than 1.5 seconds from his qualifying time and turned a new ASRA Superstock Amateur lap record of 1:14.191, breaking the old record by a whopping 1.538 seconds. A little math tells us that time is 2.8 seconds off the well-seasoned Stefano Mesa’s Superstock Expert record, also set today. If Thomes decides that he likes racing his Yamaha (The expression on his face said, “Yes!”), watch out for Shane Thomes in 2019 and 2020.

ASRA Moto 3 buzzed the action to a titillating conclusion. While Trevor Cece took a decisive win by a nearly 5-second margin, two fellows named Mark Dickerson and Luigi Mora tangled, and a race broke out. For seven laps the two were within a tenth or two of one another, until the lap that counted, when Mora slipped past Dickerson for the second step on the podium. Good show!

ASRA and CCS motorcycle road racing are sanctioned and operated by the American Sportbike Racing Association of Fort Worth, Texas. For more information about riding with the series’ that train more riders for professional road racing careers, go to our websites at ccsracing.us and asraracing.com.

More, from a press release issued by Rodio Racing:

14 Year-Old Gus Rodio Doubles Aboard the Rodio Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 at Summit Point

(Above) Gus Rodio (196). Photo by David Vape Vang/Noiseless Productions, courtesy of Rodio Racing.

Gus Rodio, in his first Expert season racing CCS, finished first in both GT500 and Superbike 500. Setting a personal best lap of 1:23.1, Rodio finished Superbike 500 a full 22 seconds ahead of the pack in just 6 laps.

Following up on that performance, and looking to chase faster riders, Rodio also pulled a 3rd place in Supersport Lightweight again setting a personal best time of 1:22.9 against the usual gaggle of SV650’s, KTM790’s and similar machines.

“The bike was on rails the entire weekend”, Rodio said. “We thought we were shredding tires, but realized no matter the compound or pressure, they were all wearing the same.” Rodio uses his MotoAmerica spec Dunlop tires for all his races to develop a consistent feel for them.

“This was a good confidence booster going into the next MotoAmerica round” Rodio added. Having secured his first top 10 finish at VIR last time out, the Rodio Racing team heads to Road America this weekend to build on that confidence.

Rodio Racing is sponsored by: N2 Racing, EvolveGT Track Days, Bell Powersports, K-Tech Suspension, Innovative Motorcycle Research, NJMiniGP, Vortex Racing, Motool, Spellcaster Productions, Kathedral Event Center, Category 5 Racing and Jonco Collision.