David Alonso (80) at the Sachsenring. Photo by Michael Gougis.
David Alonso won the Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Riding his Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO, the Colombian won the 20-lap race by just 0.121 second. It was Alonso’s seventh win of the season, extending his World Championship point lead.
Spaniard David Munoz was the runner-up on his BOE Motorsports KTM.
Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rider Daniel Holgado was a close third, just 0.126 second behind Alonso.
Angel Piqueras was fourth on his Leopard Racing Honda, and Collin Veijer rounded out the top five finishers on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
Just 0.303 second separated the top five riders at the finish.
Scattered but intense rain storms ripped through the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, forcing MotoAmerica officials to revise the schedule and duration of races on both Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday’s revised schedule includes eight races, featuring the second Steel Commander Superbike race, scheduled for 3:10 pm Eastern time.
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup:
Carpe takes Spielberg Rookies stunner
Non-stop action for the entire 16 laps of Spielberg ended with Alvaro Carpe wringing the perfect drive from his Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup KTM. Winning by just 0.024 seconds ahead of Marco Morelli.
Just as awesome was Màximo Quiles who recovered from a Long Lap Penalty where he rejoined in 10th place with just 4 laps to go, over 5 seconds behind leader Carpe. The 16-year-old Spaniard blasted his way back into contention and finished a very close 3rd.
Carpe’s second victory of the year gives the Spanish 17-year-old a 2-point advantage at the head of the Cup table as arch-rival Brian Uriarte, the 16-year-old Spaniard who led coming into the weekend, finished 6th.
Carpe is a Spielberg star
“An incredible race,” he enthused having matched his Race 1 victory in 2023. “Maximo did a fantastic job, he set a great pace riding alone. Also, mine when he did his Long Lap. I saw that on the TV and thought it was time to push because he would be in the back.”
“I think I did a good job, I was leading on the last lap but I also knew there was a good chance someone would try to pass me into the second to last corner. Marco did, but I also knew that in the exit of the last corner, I am very fast. I tried to pass him on the run down to the last corner but he was too late on the brakes and then I knew it was about getting the perfect exit and I did.”
Morelli on top form
“It was a very hard race, so much overtaking,” stated the 17-year-old Argentine who won the first race of the season in Jerez and the most recent race in Assen. “I made a good start and was running up front. I decided to relax a bit with about 8 laps to go. I saved the tyres a bit because I felt on the long lefts I was sliding a bit. In the last laps I pushed, I passed 3 or 4 and on the last lap Carpe, to lead.”
“At the last corner I defended on the brakes but I went a little too wide, I almost touched the green and Carpe took the win. I am happy though because at the beginning of the weekend, I didn’t think I could do this.”
Quiles almost won
“It was so crazy. After the Long Lap, I saw the group so far away but I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m not going to give up, I was quite a bit stronger than the others as I had done so much work on my own in FP 1 and 2 that I had a great rhythm I was focussing on not having problems in the corner and catching them.”
“In the last lap, they were still a second ahead and I did the first corner and the chicane the fastest I have ever done in my life. Corner by corner I overtook and in Turn 6 I think, Brian overtook me and this spoilt a bit my chance of taking the win. Because I think that in the last two corners, I was really strong and could overtake easily.”
“So I decided to go for the podium. At Turn 9 I saw three guys going so hard on the brakes I thought, let them go and I passed them as they went wide on the exit and took 3rd.”
Valentin Perrone a fine 4th
“An incredible race, such a big group, so many overtakes,” grinned the 16-year-old Argentine. “On the last lap, it was completely crazy, Marco, Carpe, Maximo. They were riding super crazy, also me, we all wanted to be on the podium. In the second to last corner I went to the inside but then a little bit wide on the way out, almost touching the green and Maximo overtook me. But I managed to overtake Rico before the line so it is not so bad for the championship. Tomorrow I will try again and try to be a little bit stronger overtaking the guys.”
Rico Salmela disappointed with 5th
“It was a very difficult race,” explained the 16-year-old Finn who had set off from pole. “I just tried to stay with the guys in front. The pace was really good, I was thinking at one moment that it was time to push but I started to lose a bit of engine power, the temperature was high and I just didn’t have the push to do it. I just tried my best to do as much as possible. In the end, it wasn’t what I wanted but tomorrow… just send it.”
Veda Pratama led but fell at the penultimate corner
“I felt in this race much better than before in Rookies Cup,” stated the 15-year-old Indonesian. “But I was not lucky today in the last lap, I tried to fight for the podium. But I crashed in the second to last corner. We were all pushing very hard, I got squeezed a bit but it was also my mistake because I slid too much in the rear. I tried to control the slide but it went too far and I crashed. Still, I feel very good and will do my best in Race 2.”
PJ Jacobsen ran away with a rain-delayed MotoAmerica Supersport Race One victory race at the end of a chaotic day at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. On a damp-but-drying track, Jacobsen won by 25.473 seconds over Championship rival Matthew Scholtz. Both riders had crashed on oil during the first attempt to race, then rain, a lengthy cleanup and another familiarization session pushed the shortened 12-lap race to a 6:25 pm start. Larry Pegram, in a wildcard appearance, finished third after gambling on rain tires in his first podium appearance in AMA/MotoAmerica competition since 2014.
Jacobsen, Scholtz And Pegram Tame The Conditions In Mid-Ohio Supersport
Day One In The Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Filled With Drama
PJ Jacobsen (15) made the right tire choice to win the first of two Supersport races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
LEXINGTON, OH (August 17, 2024) – It’s not often that the two riders in the championship fight get overlooked from their first-and-second place finishes, but that’s what happened in the Supersport race on Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Why? Two words: Larry Pegram.
Always a fan favorite at his local racetrack and a popular figure in the paddock, 51-year-old Pegram couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race at his home track 10 years after the series stopped coming to Mid-Ohio. But Pegram didn’t decide to drive the hour from his home in Hebron, Ohio, just for a trip down memory lane. He came to race.
And race he did. Pegram stormed off from the start and jumped into the lead with his full-rain tires in the iffy conditions. From there he held tough until PJ Jacobsen came past on his slick-shod Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2. And then came championship leader Mathew Scholtz on the Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. But that was it. No other racers came past and Pegram had a podium finish for the first time since 2014 when he earned a Superbike podium at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
In the first start of the Supersport race, both PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz crashed in oil, bringing out the red flag and a complete restart hours later. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
At the finish of a long day that featured mixed weather conditions and delays, Jacobsen had his sixth win of the season and his third in a row to claw back five valuable points on second-place finisher Scholtz.
Then came Pegram on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki GSX-R750, some eight seconds after Scholtz who in turn was 25.4 seconds behind Jacobsen.
Pegram’s teammate Maxi Gerardo was fourth with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs rounding out the top five.
“It’s been a pretty long day,” Jacobsen. “We’ve run into everyone’s dinnertime here, pretty much. It was a very long day, and it was unfortunate that me and (Mathew) Scholtz crashed in that corner, but I definitely think there was oil down or something that happened because it was very strange. I think we could have had a really good battle in the dry race. I think tomorrow, hopefully, if it’s like that we’ll have a great battle like that tomorrow. I think in the race today, I made a pretty smart move, just going back from BSB days and trying to have experience. It looked like it was just going to be for slicks for sure by the end of the race. Then when Larry (Pegram) got out front, I was kind of laughing for a second because I was like, ‘There goes Pegram. He’s out front, but I’m going to reel him back in.’ Ended up catching him. I had a pretty big gap I guess behind me. So, I just kept on getting in a rhythm and it was good. I felt pretty comfortable. Happy with my team and stuff, because they deserve it so much. Kayla (Yaakov), Cory (Alexander), and my side, they were all on my bike fixing t to make it work for this race. They really deserve it all.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Over Wyman
The Mission King Of The Baggers Championship is a uniquely American series that pits Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson – two storied and iconic U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturers – against each other. It is a fierce rivalry that is very real between both manufacturers, the teams, and the riders. S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman are cordial enough to each other, but when the faceshields go down and the lights go out on the starting grid, the two riders will fight with everything they have to beat each other.
Troy Herfoss (17) wheelies his way across the finish line after winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Saturday at Mid-Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
In Saturday’s King Of The Baggers race one at Mid-Ohio, Wyman and Herfoss battled it out in a nine-lap shootout that saw Herfoss take the checkered flag by just a little more than a second over Wyman after Wyman made a strong challenge for the lead, but Herfoss was able to overtake Wyman again and make it stick.
Finishing third and another second adrift of Wyman was RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers, who got the better of his teammate Hayden Gillim to round out the podium.
Herfoss’ win narrowed championship-leader Wyman’s advantage to just nine points with only five races left in the season.
“That was our best (race win) yet,” Herfoss said. “We’ve been second fiddle this weekend and the last few rounds to Kyle (Wyman). It felt real nice to be able to get out and lead the race at my own pace. He always has a go. So, he shot down underneath me, and I got back in front of him. Thank you to everyone that’s involved. S&S Cycle, Dunlop, Progressive Insurance. There’s so many great people helping us. Let’s give them another one tomorrow.”
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore No Less
Mikayla Moore wrapped up her second Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship with another runaway victory in the first of two races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The win was her fifth of the season and she earned the title a race early with what was her 12th career win in the class.
Mikayla Moore (1) won race one of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. class to earn her second straight championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Moore topped Kira Knebel, who raced to her second podium of the year, by 14.5 seconds with Holly Varey earning her first-career podium in the class. Varey was in a battle to the bitter end and was just a few tenths ahead of Aubrey Credaroli, who in turn was less than a second ahead of fifth-placed Miranda Cain.
“It feels wonderful because I knew coming to this race, looking at the lap times, I knew it was probably going to be a close battle,” Moore said. “Kira (Knebel) was pretty close to me and so were the other ladies. I knew I just had to put my head down and just start charging away from the beginning. So, to be able to do it and to show how fast this Royal Enfield could go all season means a lot to me. Huge thanks to the Royal Enfield team, Dunlop tires, Arai helmets, Bison. Just everyone that helps put this program together. I’m super happy to be crowned number two.”
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
PJ JACOBSEN WINS AT MOTOAMERICA SUPERSPORT’S RETURN TO MID-OHIO
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2024 | QUALIFYING 2 & RACE 1
Mixed conditions played with the schedule for Saturday’s race activity at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. With rain overnight, the track surface was fresh for the second qualifying session of the weekend. Despite Tyler Scott topping the charts in Q2, PJ Jacobsen’s time remained the fastest overall, and the track record, securing him the pole position. Kayla Yaakov secured a seventh-place starting spot, and Corey Alexander was able to clock a lap that placed him mid-pack to start 15th.
After rain delayed the initial start for the Supersport class, the conditions improved for a quick start in the late afternoon. However, on Lap 2, a competitor’s engine expired, leaking oil onto the track surface. Both Jacobsen and championship rival Mathew Scholtz slid in the residue, collecting both riders and bringing out a red flag. All three crews worked quickly to get Jacobsen’s XPEL Ducati back into running condition while the rain poured over the Lexington, Ohio track.
Unfortunately, Alexander, who’s Ducati experienced various mechanical issues throughout the weekend, encountered more troubles and ultimately decided to not restart the race.
It was over four hours after the initial race start time that Race 1 went green. Both Jacobsen and Yaakov opted to start on the slick tires, despite the track showing mixed conditions. For Jacobsen, the gamble paid off taking the victory 25.4 seconds ahead of second place Mathew Scholtz. Today’s win closes the gap to the championship, placing Jacobsen only 13 points behind Scholtz.
Tomorrow hosts another day of track activity at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Roller Die team will be working tirelessly overnight to get Alexander’s back up bike prepared for tomorrow’s warm up session and Yaakov seeks better weather conditions to progress in tomorrow’s Race 2.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 1st
FINISHED: 1st
CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (266 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today was really good. It was a very tiring day for the entire team, waiting around for the rain delays. I want to thank the whole RDM team, all three crews were fixing my bike after the crash with Scholtz. I think there was some oil on the track that caused the crash. Unfortunately, Corey’s bike wasn’t working, but he was still out there holding the umbrella in a total downpour while everyone was working. Incredible job by the whole team. We are a big family, and they did everything they could to help me in the battle for the championship today. I really can’t thank them enough.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 7th
FINISHED: 10th
CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (114 pts)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today wasn’t the best, to be honest. The Rahal Ducati Moto team has done a great job putting great bikes under us, but it felt like luck wasn’t on our side. The Qualifying 2 session this morning felt as though we had all the right things to put in a good lap, but we had some misfortune with other riders in the way. In Race 1, the conditions were horrible. The track went from fully wet, to fully dry, and everything in-between. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do well today in these conditions, but we finished the race and that’s what matters. Tomorrow I’m looking to get a better finishing position..”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 15th
FINISHED: DNS
CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th (111 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Another frustrating day unfortunately, not for lack of trying, but our bike is still having some issues. We weren’t able to safely finish the race today. Hopefully we can continue to diagnose whatever the issue is or switch to our back-up bike. One way or another, we’ll be back on the grid and hoping for a good result tomorrow.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a great day for the team. PJ got another win and closed the points down on Scholtz. It was a pretty stressful race because of the track being half wet and half dry. Kayla rode well for that being one of the first times being in those conditions. Unfortunately, we still had some issues with Corey’s bike, and he wasn’t able to race. We are going to continue to try and fix those problems and get him back out there to race tomorrow and gain some points.”
Troy Herfoss scored his second King of the Baggers win of the day, taking the S&S/Indian to a clean win over Kyle Wyman in Race One at Mid-Ohio. As he did in the earlier Challenge sprint race, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Wyman finished second. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers finished third.
Troy Herfoss went to the front at the start of the three-lap Mission King of the Baggers Challenge race and barely held off Kyle Wyman to win by 0.035 seconds. It wasn’t much of a gap, but that was enough to earn Herfoss the $5,000 prize for the winner-take-all sprint. James Rispoli finished third.
Josh Herrin extended his MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship lead with a dominating win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Herrin won by 18.878 seconds over Cameron Beaubier, who inherited second when Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz crashed out of second on the penultimate lap. Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate JD Beach finished third.
Herrin Dominates Superbike Race One In Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin Leads From Start To Finish In Dominating Fashion At Mid-Ohio
Sean Dylan Kelly (40), Loris Baz (76), Josh Herrin (2), Cameron Beaubier (6), Jake Gagne (1) and the rest of the MotoAmerica Superbike field drop the hammer at the start of Saturday’s race one. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
LEXINGTON, OH (August 17, 2024) – It might have been a difficult day with ever-changing weather conditions wreaking havoc on the schedule in road racing’s return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but it was definitely a banner day for Josh Herrin.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Herrin took a commanding start-to-finish victory, his fourth of the season and second in a row, to stretch his lead in the Steel Commander Superbike Championship to 33 points on a challenging day at Mid-Ohio.
The victory came after a delay in the schedule as a rainstorm moved through the area, making conditions difficult at best. The track, however, dried and the Superbike grid took to the track for a familiarization session before everyone started the race on slicks.
Herrin dropped the hammer from the get-go and, along with his teammate Loris Baz, threw down some quick laps as the pair quickly opened a gap to the goings on behind them.
Herrin would gap Baz and those two were well clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach, who would end up coming under pressure from his slow-starting teammate Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier’s woes were immediate with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion unsettled off the start and completing the first lap in sixth before picking his way through to fourth prior to catching and passing Beach on the seventh lap.
By then Herrin and Baz were long gone and it appeared as though third was going to be as good as it would get for Beaubier. Not so as Baz gifted Beaubier second place when the Frenchman crashed his Ducati Panigale V4 R out of a comfortable second and a potential Ducati one-two.
Josh Herrin (2) and his teammate Loris Baz (76) ran one-two for a lot of the race until Baz crashed out of the spot. Herrin went on to record his fourth win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Herrin crossed the line 18.8 seconds ahead of second-placed Beaubier with Beach 3.5 seconds behind his teammate in third.
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim was a popular fourth on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP with EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly fifth.
Next came Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong with the Californian fighting his way through to get enough points to move within striking distance of second in the championship.
Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith, Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne and Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ezra Beaubier rounded out the top 10.
Gagne had suffered with an early off-track excursion that put him well back in the pack, but he scored enough points to stay in second place in the title chase.
Notable non-finishers were Baz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammates Brandon Paasch and Richie Escalante with all three crashing out of the race.
Herrin heads into tomorrow’s race two with a 30-point lead over Fong, 219-189. Gagne is third with 186 points with Beaubier moving to fourth with 168 points – one better than Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, who was forced to sit out the race after failing to pass his medical exam after his third crash of the weekend in morning warm-up.
Superbike Race One
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
JD Beach (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Honda)
Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (Honda)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Ezra Beaubier (BMW)
Quotes…
Josh Herrin – Winner
“If you look back at least the last seven years, whenever the conditions are like that, I think subconsciously I just, almost like when you see motocross guys or (Mathew) Scholtz yelling on the grid right before, something about the fear side of it just does something to me at the beginning that allows me to just do what happened today. I couldn’t even explain why. The one big advantage that I would say that I had was this morning I had a feeling that in case the track was like it was this morning and just slippery, when I came in and got my second tire, we didn’t do the Q. We did a race tire. Then I went out and did one lap, like one lap came, sat in the pits kind of like I would on the grid. Then put my head down like it was the start of the race to see what to expect from the tire, and it just helped a ton. I never thought about doing that before, but it just I think made a huge difference. I felt a lot more confident than I think I would have if I hadn’t. I knew I had to get in front of those guys at the beginning because with that knowledge of what the tire was going to be like, I wanted to just take advantage of it and try to go. I don’t know what my gap was at the beginning. I think third was right there, but I think further back we might have had a little bit bigger gap, so I was stoked that that worked out. The guys have been working super hard all weekend. We got lucky that we got that Thursday test because we didn’t come here and test like some of the other teams earlier in the year. But it was a weird win, because there’s been wins that meant more but for some reason it was more emotional than a lot of the wins. Just not having Griffin (his son) at the track. He’s starting to talk a lot more and understand things. Right before the race, Rachel sent me a video and he now recognizes (Cameron) Beaubier. She says, ‘Who is that?’ ‘He’s like, ‘Beaubier!’ Just the things he does, it’s like a whole new motivation like it was whenever he was first born. It’s just been an amazing year and I owe it all to my family and my team. It’s a shame that Loris (Baz) went down because it would have helped us in the points, and it also just would have been nice to see him get on the podium because he’s been working hard all year. Just thank you to everybody. Thank you to the huge turnout of fans in Mid-Ohio. This was always one of my favorite tracks to come to. It’s nice seeing stacked fans out there. So, huge shout out to them. Thank you to everybody. Hopefully we have another one tomorrow.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second Place
“What happened on the start… I had a little issue with my launch control. Honestly, after that happened, I kind of rolled and then kind of backed up. I was pressing my buttons, trying to figure out what was going on. Got shuffled back. Was struggling to get going there. It seems like (Josh) Herrin and (Loris) Baz, they were able to put their heads down right away and ride off into the sunset. I was struggling for the rear tire to come in. I could see other guys were too. Whatever they did today was working. Herrin rode awesome. He was three corners ahead of me or four corners ahead of me there at the end. Just hats off to the Tytlers guys. Obviously, I want to win. I want to close that championship gap up, but the best we could do today was second. It’s awesome having JD (Beach) up here on the podium, too. Go do our homework for tomorrow and come out swinging.”
JD Beach – Third Place
“Thursday at the end of the day we found something with the bike, and I was really starting to feel good on it again. Then, yesterday I was feeling good on the race tire, and then when we went to put the soft tire on, we had a bike malfunction. So, I didn’t get to put in a lap, but I had good pace. The race today, it might sound kind of weird, but this feels better than the last two weeks. I love dirt track, but road racing is where I want to be at right now. I’ve put the team through hell, pulled them back out a little bit, and then I put them right back in there. It’s been a struggle. But to get this third place feels amazing. It’s not going to be this easy every race, but we’ll keep working at it.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Gagne Finishes Ninth in Tough Opening Race at Mid-Ohio
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne overcame adversity to finish inside the top 10 as Superbikes returned to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
MARIETTA, Ga. – August 18, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne salvaged points with a ninth-place finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Unfortunately, his teammate Cameron Petersen was sidelined for the opening race of the seventh round of the championship with an ankle injury.
Superbikes made a long-awaited return to the 2.4-mile course in central Ohio, with Gagne qualifying fifth. After the race was delayed by rain, riders were met with tricky conditions. The reigning three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion had a solid start and made his way to fourth, but unfortunately went off track on the second lap and found himself 13th. Gagne did what he could to make his way through the field and would finish ninth to score valuable points on a tough day.
Petersen’s weekend got off to a rough start with a big crash that injured his ankle during Thursday’s official Dunlop pre-race test. The South African soldiered on and was eighth in the first qualifying session, where he would also finish in the combined times. Unfortunately, he had another crash in the second qualifying session and was sidelined after being declared unfit to race by the medical staff. He will be re-evaluated this morning for this afternoon’s Race 2.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team looks to come back swinging for MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Not a whole lot to say. It was a tough day. We’ll move on and try for better tomorrow.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It was a really tricky track as it was drying out, but I got off to a good start. Unfortunately, I ran off into the grass early and wasn’t able to make up a lot of positions. I’ve got to do a better job tomorrow.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
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YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Mikayla Moore took her sixth Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. victory of 2024, winning Race One at Mid-Ohio. Moore trimmed 1.7 seconds from her pole-winning qualifying time en route to a 14.568 second win over Kara Knebel, who had 12 seconds in hand over a fierce battle for third. Holly Varey took the final podium spot. With her win, Moore sealed the 2024 MotoAmerica Royal Enfield BTR Championship.
Matthew Chapin took pole position during MotoAmerica Junior Cup qualifying at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. Riding his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 on spec Dunlop tires, the current Championship point leader topped the field with a 1:36.652.
New York Safety Track’s Yandel Medina was the best of the rest at 1:37.351, and Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez did a 1:37.407 to claim the third and final spot on the front row.
Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship Tissot Sprint race Saturday at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Riding his Michelin-equipped Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici, the two-time and defending Champion won the 14-lap race by 4.673 seconds, propelling him into a tie atop the point standings.
Jorge Martin, the point leader coming into the race, was the runner-up on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Aleix Espargaro finished a lonely third on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP.
Game on: it’s equal points as Bagnaia wins, Martin recovers to second & Marquez slides out in Spielberg
Gloves off, a Long Lap and a slide out of contention: the Tissot Sprint in Austria puts us on equal points – with Bagnaia back on top as Championship leader
Francesco Bagnaia (1) leads the start of the MotoGP Sprint race Saturday at the Red Bull Ring. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 17 August 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a stunning victory in the Tissot Sprint at the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, going gloves off against Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the early stages before the #89 went wide through a shortcut, didn’t lose enough time, and then got handed a Long Lap penalty. The reigning Champion’s win makes it equal points at the top, and Bagnaia is the official Championship leader thanks to his higher number of Grand Prix wins so far in 2024. The stage is certainly set for a showdown on Sunday.
Behind, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) shadowed the duel in the early stages before losing a little ground, and he then crashed out from second as Martin served his Long Lap. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) avoided any of that drama, coming home third to complete the Sprint podium as Martin recovered to second place.
It was a sensational launch from Bagnaia in an intense start to the Tissot Sprint, with the reigning champion taking the holeshot and Martin then attacking for the lead on the entry to Turn 3 on the opening lap. The #1 soon tried to respond at the end of Lap 1, getting past at the penultimate corner before Martin sliced through to regain the lead at the final corner as the title rivals went elbow to elbow.
Bagnaia didn’t attack again at the first corner, but by Turn 2, Martin was in hot and headed wide into the runoff – taking the shortcut through the chicane. He rejoined behind Bagnaia, but didn’t lose enough time with the mistake. The #89 was investigated by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards for the incident, and a Long Lap handed down.
He didn’t take it straight away but didn’t wait too long, by which time he and Bagnaia had pulled out some gap on the chasing Marc Marquez. When Martin did head into the Long Lap loop, Bagnaia was left with a solid lead ahead of the #93 and Martin emerged just ahead of Aleix Espargaro.
Then on Lap 10, there was yet another twist. In some space and on for a solid second, Marc Marquez lost the front on the entry to Turn 3. The #93 dropped to 23rd, outside of the point-scoring positions, and would soon retire to the pitlane, bringing a disappointing end to his Saturday.
On the final lap, nobody could match Bagnaia’s pace, with the Italian able to hold a four-second margin to Martin in second – putting them exactly equal on points. Meanwhile, the final spot inside the top three went the way of Aleix Espargaro, who claimed a somewhat unexpected third after a drama-free Saturday.
Meanwhile, there was an intense fight for the final spot inside the top five, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) losing a spot late on to a classic charging Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli also battling behind.
Bastianini crossed the line in fourth, with Miller rounding out the top five after the Australian defended from Morbidelli to the line. Just 0.102s separated the duo after the 14-lap dash, with Binder lurking in seventh.
Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) moved up to P8, with wildcard Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) putting in a very solid day at the office to take the final Sprint point in P9 – just ahead of rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
That’s it from super Saturday, but it was an incredible teaser for what may lie ahead on Sunday in Spielberg. Come back for more MotoGP™ as the battles lines are drawn in Austria at 14:00 (UTC + 2)!
The Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Photo courtesy Michelin.
David Alonso (80) at the Sachsenring. Photo by Michael Gougis.
David Alonso won the Moto3 World Championship race Sunday at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Riding his Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO, the Colombian won the 20-lap race by just 0.121 second. It was Alonso’s seventh win of the season, extending his World Championship point lead.
Spaniard David Munoz was the runner-up on his BOE Motorsports KTM.
Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 rider Daniel Holgado was a close third, just 0.126 second behind Alonso.
Angel Piqueras was fourth on his Leopard Racing Honda, and Collin Veijer rounded out the top five finishers on his Liqui Moly Intact GP Husqvarna.
Just 0.303 second separated the top five riders at the finish.
Scattered but intense rain storms ripped through the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, forcing MotoAmerica officials to revise the schedule and duration of races on both Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday’s revised schedule includes eight races, featuring the second Steel Commander Superbike race, scheduled for 3:10 pm Eastern time.
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup:
Carpe takes Spielberg Rookies stunner
Non-stop action for the entire 16 laps of Spielberg ended with Alvaro Carpe wringing the perfect drive from his Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup KTM. Winning by just 0.024 seconds ahead of Marco Morelli.
Just as awesome was Màximo Quiles who recovered from a Long Lap Penalty where he rejoined in 10th place with just 4 laps to go, over 5 seconds behind leader Carpe. The 16-year-old Spaniard blasted his way back into contention and finished a very close 3rd.
Carpe’s second victory of the year gives the Spanish 17-year-old a 2-point advantage at the head of the Cup table as arch-rival Brian Uriarte, the 16-year-old Spaniard who led coming into the weekend, finished 6th.
Carpe is a Spielberg star
“An incredible race,” he enthused having matched his Race 1 victory in 2023. “Maximo did a fantastic job, he set a great pace riding alone. Also, mine when he did his Long Lap. I saw that on the TV and thought it was time to push because he would be in the back.”
“I think I did a good job, I was leading on the last lap but I also knew there was a good chance someone would try to pass me into the second to last corner. Marco did, but I also knew that in the exit of the last corner, I am very fast. I tried to pass him on the run down to the last corner but he was too late on the brakes and then I knew it was about getting the perfect exit and I did.”
Morelli on top form
“It was a very hard race, so much overtaking,” stated the 17-year-old Argentine who won the first race of the season in Jerez and the most recent race in Assen. “I made a good start and was running up front. I decided to relax a bit with about 8 laps to go. I saved the tyres a bit because I felt on the long lefts I was sliding a bit. In the last laps I pushed, I passed 3 or 4 and on the last lap Carpe, to lead.”
“At the last corner I defended on the brakes but I went a little too wide, I almost touched the green and Carpe took the win. I am happy though because at the beginning of the weekend, I didn’t think I could do this.”
Quiles almost won
“It was so crazy. After the Long Lap, I saw the group so far away but I said to myself, ‘OK, I’m not going to give up, I was quite a bit stronger than the others as I had done so much work on my own in FP 1 and 2 that I had a great rhythm I was focussing on not having problems in the corner and catching them.”
“In the last lap, they were still a second ahead and I did the first corner and the chicane the fastest I have ever done in my life. Corner by corner I overtook and in Turn 6 I think, Brian overtook me and this spoilt a bit my chance of taking the win. Because I think that in the last two corners, I was really strong and could overtake easily.”
“So I decided to go for the podium. At Turn 9 I saw three guys going so hard on the brakes I thought, let them go and I passed them as they went wide on the exit and took 3rd.”
Valentin Perrone a fine 4th
“An incredible race, such a big group, so many overtakes,” grinned the 16-year-old Argentine. “On the last lap, it was completely crazy, Marco, Carpe, Maximo. They were riding super crazy, also me, we all wanted to be on the podium. In the second to last corner I went to the inside but then a little bit wide on the way out, almost touching the green and Maximo overtook me. But I managed to overtake Rico before the line so it is not so bad for the championship. Tomorrow I will try again and try to be a little bit stronger overtaking the guys.”
Rico Salmela disappointed with 5th
“It was a very difficult race,” explained the 16-year-old Finn who had set off from pole. “I just tried to stay with the guys in front. The pace was really good, I was thinking at one moment that it was time to push but I started to lose a bit of engine power, the temperature was high and I just didn’t have the push to do it. I just tried my best to do as much as possible. In the end, it wasn’t what I wanted but tomorrow… just send it.”
Veda Pratama led but fell at the penultimate corner
“I felt in this race much better than before in Rookies Cup,” stated the 15-year-old Indonesian. “But I was not lucky today in the last lap, I tried to fight for the podium. But I crashed in the second to last corner. We were all pushing very hard, I got squeezed a bit but it was also my mistake because I slid too much in the rear. I tried to control the slide but it went too far and I crashed. Still, I feel very good and will do my best in Race 2.”
PJ Jacobsen ran away with a rain-delayed MotoAmerica Supersport Race One victory race at the end of a chaotic day at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. On a damp-but-drying track, Jacobsen won by 25.473 seconds over Championship rival Matthew Scholtz. Both riders had crashed on oil during the first attempt to race, then rain, a lengthy cleanup and another familiarization session pushed the shortened 12-lap race to a 6:25 pm start. Larry Pegram, in a wildcard appearance, finished third after gambling on rain tires in his first podium appearance in AMA/MotoAmerica competition since 2014.
Jacobsen, Scholtz And Pegram Tame The Conditions In Mid-Ohio Supersport
Day One In The Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Filled With Drama
PJ Jacobsen (15) made the right tire choice to win the first of two Supersport races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
LEXINGTON, OH (August 17, 2024) – It’s not often that the two riders in the championship fight get overlooked from their first-and-second place finishes, but that’s what happened in the Supersport race on Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Why? Two words: Larry Pegram.
Always a fan favorite at his local racetrack and a popular figure in the paddock, 51-year-old Pegram couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race at his home track 10 years after the series stopped coming to Mid-Ohio. But Pegram didn’t decide to drive the hour from his home in Hebron, Ohio, just for a trip down memory lane. He came to race.
And race he did. Pegram stormed off from the start and jumped into the lead with his full-rain tires in the iffy conditions. From there he held tough until PJ Jacobsen came past on his slick-shod Rahal Ducati Moto Panigale V2. And then came championship leader Mathew Scholtz on the Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. But that was it. No other racers came past and Pegram had a podium finish for the first time since 2014 when he earned a Superbike podium at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
In the first start of the Supersport race, both PJ Jacobsen and Mathew Scholtz crashed in oil, bringing out the red flag and a complete restart hours later. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
At the finish of a long day that featured mixed weather conditions and delays, Jacobsen had his sixth win of the season and his third in a row to claw back five valuable points on second-place finisher Scholtz.
Then came Pegram on his EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing Suzuki GSX-R750, some eight seconds after Scholtz who in turn was 25.4 seconds behind Jacobsen.
Pegram’s teammate Maxi Gerardo was fourth with Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Teagg Hobbs rounding out the top five.
“It’s been a pretty long day,” Jacobsen. “We’ve run into everyone’s dinnertime here, pretty much. It was a very long day, and it was unfortunate that me and (Mathew) Scholtz crashed in that corner, but I definitely think there was oil down or something that happened because it was very strange. I think we could have had a really good battle in the dry race. I think tomorrow, hopefully, if it’s like that we’ll have a great battle like that tomorrow. I think in the race today, I made a pretty smart move, just going back from BSB days and trying to have experience. It looked like it was just going to be for slicks for sure by the end of the race. Then when Larry (Pegram) got out front, I was kind of laughing for a second because I was like, ‘There goes Pegram. He’s out front, but I’m going to reel him back in.’ Ended up catching him. I had a pretty big gap I guess behind me. So, I just kept on getting in a rhythm and it was good. I felt pretty comfortable. Happy with my team and stuff, because they deserve it so much. Kayla (Yaakov), Cory (Alexander), and my side, they were all on my bike fixing t to make it work for this race. They really deserve it all.”
Mission King Of The Baggers – Herfoss Over Wyman
The Mission King Of The Baggers Championship is a uniquely American series that pits Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson – two storied and iconic U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturers – against each other. It is a fierce rivalry that is very real between both manufacturers, the teams, and the riders. S&S/Indian Motorcycle’s Troy Herfoss and Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Kyle Wyman are cordial enough to each other, but when the faceshields go down and the lights go out on the starting grid, the two riders will fight with everything they have to beat each other.
Troy Herfoss (17) wheelies his way across the finish line after winning the Mission King Of The Baggers race on Saturday at Mid-Ohio. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
In Saturday’s King Of The Baggers race one at Mid-Ohio, Wyman and Herfoss battled it out in a nine-lap shootout that saw Herfoss take the checkered flag by just a little more than a second over Wyman after Wyman made a strong challenge for the lead, but Herfoss was able to overtake Wyman again and make it stick.
Finishing third and another second adrift of Wyman was RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers, who got the better of his teammate Hayden Gillim to round out the podium.
Herfoss’ win narrowed championship-leader Wyman’s advantage to just nine points with only five races left in the season.
“That was our best (race win) yet,” Herfoss said. “We’ve been second fiddle this weekend and the last few rounds to Kyle (Wyman). It felt real nice to be able to get out and lead the race at my own pace. He always has a go. So, he shot down underneath me, and I got back in front of him. Thank you to everyone that’s involved. S&S Cycle, Dunlop, Progressive Insurance. There’s so many great people helping us. Let’s give them another one tomorrow.”
Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. – Moore No Less
Mikayla Moore wrapped up her second Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship with another runaway victory in the first of two races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The win was her fifth of the season and she earned the title a race early with what was her 12th career win in the class.
Mikayla Moore (1) won race one of the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. class to earn her second straight championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Moore topped Kira Knebel, who raced to her second podium of the year, by 14.5 seconds with Holly Varey earning her first-career podium in the class. Varey was in a battle to the bitter end and was just a few tenths ahead of Aubrey Credaroli, who in turn was less than a second ahead of fifth-placed Miranda Cain.
“It feels wonderful because I knew coming to this race, looking at the lap times, I knew it was probably going to be a close battle,” Moore said. “Kira (Knebel) was pretty close to me and so were the other ladies. I knew I just had to put my head down and just start charging away from the beginning. So, to be able to do it and to show how fast this Royal Enfield could go all season means a lot to me. Huge thanks to the Royal Enfield team, Dunlop tires, Arai helmets, Bison. Just everyone that helps put this program together. I’m super happy to be crowned number two.”
More, from a press release issued by Rahal Ducati Moto:
PJ JACOBSEN WINS AT MOTOAMERICA SUPERSPORT’S RETURN TO MID-OHIO
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2024 | QUALIFYING 2 & RACE 1
Mixed conditions played with the schedule for Saturday’s race activity at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. With rain overnight, the track surface was fresh for the second qualifying session of the weekend. Despite Tyler Scott topping the charts in Q2, PJ Jacobsen’s time remained the fastest overall, and the track record, securing him the pole position. Kayla Yaakov secured a seventh-place starting spot, and Corey Alexander was able to clock a lap that placed him mid-pack to start 15th.
After rain delayed the initial start for the Supersport class, the conditions improved for a quick start in the late afternoon. However, on Lap 2, a competitor’s engine expired, leaking oil onto the track surface. Both Jacobsen and championship rival Mathew Scholtz slid in the residue, collecting both riders and bringing out a red flag. All three crews worked quickly to get Jacobsen’s XPEL Ducati back into running condition while the rain poured over the Lexington, Ohio track.
Unfortunately, Alexander, who’s Ducati experienced various mechanical issues throughout the weekend, encountered more troubles and ultimately decided to not restart the race.
It was over four hours after the initial race start time that Race 1 went green. Both Jacobsen and Yaakov opted to start on the slick tires, despite the track showing mixed conditions. For Jacobsen, the gamble paid off taking the victory 25.4 seconds ahead of second place Mathew Scholtz. Today’s win closes the gap to the championship, placing Jacobsen only 13 points behind Scholtz.
Tomorrow hosts another day of track activity at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Roller Die team will be working tirelessly overnight to get Alexander’s back up bike prepared for tomorrow’s warm up session and Yaakov seeks better weather conditions to progress in tomorrow’s Race 2.
PJ JACOBSEN
No. 15 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 1st
FINISHED: 1st
CHAMPIONSHIP: 2nd (266 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Today was really good. It was a very tiring day for the entire team, waiting around for the rain delays. I want to thank the whole RDM team, all three crews were fixing my bike after the crash with Scholtz. I think there was some oil on the track that caused the crash. Unfortunately, Corey’s bike wasn’t working, but he was still out there holding the umbrella in a total downpour while everyone was working. Incredible job by the whole team. We are a big family, and they did everything they could to help me in the battle for the championship today. I really can’t thank them enough.”
KAYLA YAAKOV
No. 19 XPEL DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 7th
FINISHED: 10th
CHAMPIONSHIP: 6th (114 pts)
WHAT SHE’S SAYING: “Today wasn’t the best, to be honest. The Rahal Ducati Moto team has done a great job putting great bikes under us, but it felt like luck wasn’t on our side. The Qualifying 2 session this morning felt as though we had all the right things to put in a good lap, but we had some misfortune with other riders in the way. In Race 1, the conditions were horrible. The track went from fully wet, to fully dry, and everything in-between. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do well today in these conditions, but we finished the race and that’s what matters. Tomorrow I’m looking to get a better finishing position..”
COREY ALEXANDER
No. 23 ROLLER DIE + FORMING DUCATI PANIGALE V2
STARTED: 15th
FINISHED: DNS
CHAMPIONSHIP: 7th (111 pts)
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “Another frustrating day unfortunately, not for lack of trying, but our bike is still having some issues. We weren’t able to safely finish the race today. Hopefully we can continue to diagnose whatever the issue is or switch to our back-up bike. One way or another, we’ll be back on the grid and hoping for a good result tomorrow.”
BEN SPIES
TEAM PRINCIPAL
WHAT HE’S SAYING: “It was a great day for the team. PJ got another win and closed the points down on Scholtz. It was a pretty stressful race because of the track being half wet and half dry. Kayla rode well for that being one of the first times being in those conditions. Unfortunately, we still had some issues with Corey’s bike, and he wasn’t able to race. We are going to continue to try and fix those problems and get him back out there to race tomorrow and gain some points.”
Troy Herfoss scored his second King of the Baggers win of the day, taking the S&S/Indian to a clean win over Kyle Wyman in Race One at Mid-Ohio. As he did in the earlier Challenge sprint race, Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s Wyman finished second. RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson’s Rocco Landers finished third.
Troy Herfoss went to the front at the start of the three-lap Mission King of the Baggers Challenge race and barely held off Kyle Wyman to win by 0.035 seconds. It wasn’t much of a gap, but that was enough to earn Herfoss the $5,000 prize for the winner-take-all sprint. James Rispoli finished third.
Josh Herrin extended his MotoAmerica Steel Commander Superbike Championship lead with a dominating win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Herrin won by 18.878 seconds over Cameron Beaubier, who inherited second when Herrin’s teammate Loris Baz crashed out of second on the penultimate lap. Beaubier’s Tytlers Cycle Racing teammate JD Beach finished third.
Herrin Dominates Superbike Race One In Return To Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin Leads From Start To Finish In Dominating Fashion At Mid-Ohio
Sean Dylan Kelly (40), Loris Baz (76), Josh Herrin (2), Cameron Beaubier (6), Jake Gagne (1) and the rest of the MotoAmerica Superbike field drop the hammer at the start of Saturday’s race one. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
LEXINGTON, OH (August 17, 2024) – It might have been a difficult day with ever-changing weather conditions wreaking havoc on the schedule in road racing’s return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, but it was definitely a banner day for Josh Herrin.
Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Herrin took a commanding start-to-finish victory, his fourth of the season and second in a row, to stretch his lead in the Steel Commander Superbike Championship to 33 points on a challenging day at Mid-Ohio.
The victory came after a delay in the schedule as a rainstorm moved through the area, making conditions difficult at best. The track, however, dried and the Superbike grid took to the track for a familiarization session before everyone started the race on slicks.
Herrin dropped the hammer from the get-go and, along with his teammate Loris Baz, threw down some quick laps as the pair quickly opened a gap to the goings on behind them.
Herrin would gap Baz and those two were well clear of Tytlers Cycle Racing’s JD Beach, who would end up coming under pressure from his slow-starting teammate Cameron Beaubier. Beaubier’s woes were immediate with the five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion unsettled off the start and completing the first lap in sixth before picking his way through to fourth prior to catching and passing Beach on the seventh lap.
By then Herrin and Baz were long gone and it appeared as though third was going to be as good as it would get for Beaubier. Not so as Baz gifted Beaubier second place when the Frenchman crashed his Ducati Panigale V4 R out of a comfortable second and a potential Ducati one-two.
Josh Herrin (2) and his teammate Loris Baz (76) ran one-two for a lot of the race until Baz crashed out of the spot. Herrin went on to record his fourth win of the season. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Herrin crossed the line 18.8 seconds ahead of second-placed Beaubier with Beach 3.5 seconds behind his teammate in third.
Real Steel Motorsports’ Hayden Gillim was a popular fourth on his Stock 1000-spec Honda CBR1000RR-R SP with EasyHealthPlans.com/TopPro Racing’s Sean Dylan Kelly fifth.
Next came Wrench Motorcycles’ Bobby Fong with the Californian fighting his way through to get enough points to move within striking distance of second in the championship.
Jones Honda’s Ashton Yates, FLO4LAW Racing’s Benjamin Smith, Attack Performance/Progressive/Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne and Aftercare Scheibe Racing’s Ezra Beaubier rounded out the top 10.
Gagne had suffered with an early off-track excursion that put him well back in the pack, but he scored enough points to stay in second place in the title chase.
Notable non-finishers were Baz and Vision Wheel M4 ECSTAR Suzuki teammates Brandon Paasch and Richie Escalante with all three crashing out of the race.
Herrin heads into tomorrow’s race two with a 30-point lead over Fong, 219-189. Gagne is third with 186 points with Beaubier moving to fourth with 168 points – one better than Gagne’s teammate Cameron Petersen, who was forced to sit out the race after failing to pass his medical exam after his third crash of the weekend in morning warm-up.
Superbike Race One
Josh Herrin (Ducati)
Cameron Beaubier (BMW)
JD Beach (BMW)
Hayden Gillim (Honda)
Sean Dylan Kelly (BMW)
Bobby Fong (Yamaha)
Ashton Yates (Honda)
Benjamin Smith (Yamaha)
Jake Gagne (Yamaha)
Ezra Beaubier (BMW)
Quotes…
Josh Herrin – Winner
“If you look back at least the last seven years, whenever the conditions are like that, I think subconsciously I just, almost like when you see motocross guys or (Mathew) Scholtz yelling on the grid right before, something about the fear side of it just does something to me at the beginning that allows me to just do what happened today. I couldn’t even explain why. The one big advantage that I would say that I had was this morning I had a feeling that in case the track was like it was this morning and just slippery, when I came in and got my second tire, we didn’t do the Q. We did a race tire. Then I went out and did one lap, like one lap came, sat in the pits kind of like I would on the grid. Then put my head down like it was the start of the race to see what to expect from the tire, and it just helped a ton. I never thought about doing that before, but it just I think made a huge difference. I felt a lot more confident than I think I would have if I hadn’t. I knew I had to get in front of those guys at the beginning because with that knowledge of what the tire was going to be like, I wanted to just take advantage of it and try to go. I don’t know what my gap was at the beginning. I think third was right there, but I think further back we might have had a little bit bigger gap, so I was stoked that that worked out. The guys have been working super hard all weekend. We got lucky that we got that Thursday test because we didn’t come here and test like some of the other teams earlier in the year. But it was a weird win, because there’s been wins that meant more but for some reason it was more emotional than a lot of the wins. Just not having Griffin (his son) at the track. He’s starting to talk a lot more and understand things. Right before the race, Rachel sent me a video and he now recognizes (Cameron) Beaubier. She says, ‘Who is that?’ ‘He’s like, ‘Beaubier!’ Just the things he does, it’s like a whole new motivation like it was whenever he was first born. It’s just been an amazing year and I owe it all to my family and my team. It’s a shame that Loris (Baz) went down because it would have helped us in the points, and it also just would have been nice to see him get on the podium because he’s been working hard all year. Just thank you to everybody. Thank you to the huge turnout of fans in Mid-Ohio. This was always one of my favorite tracks to come to. It’s nice seeing stacked fans out there. So, huge shout out to them. Thank you to everybody. Hopefully we have another one tomorrow.”
Cameron Beaubier – Second Place
“What happened on the start… I had a little issue with my launch control. Honestly, after that happened, I kind of rolled and then kind of backed up. I was pressing my buttons, trying to figure out what was going on. Got shuffled back. Was struggling to get going there. It seems like (Josh) Herrin and (Loris) Baz, they were able to put their heads down right away and ride off into the sunset. I was struggling for the rear tire to come in. I could see other guys were too. Whatever they did today was working. Herrin rode awesome. He was three corners ahead of me or four corners ahead of me there at the end. Just hats off to the Tytlers guys. Obviously, I want to win. I want to close that championship gap up, but the best we could do today was second. It’s awesome having JD (Beach) up here on the podium, too. Go do our homework for tomorrow and come out swinging.”
JD Beach – Third Place
“Thursday at the end of the day we found something with the bike, and I was really starting to feel good on it again. Then, yesterday I was feeling good on the race tire, and then when we went to put the soft tire on, we had a bike malfunction. So, I didn’t get to put in a lap, but I had good pace. The race today, it might sound kind of weird, but this feels better than the last two weeks. I love dirt track, but road racing is where I want to be at right now. I’ve put the team through hell, pulled them back out a little bit, and then I put them right back in there. It’s been a struggle. But to get this third place feels amazing. It’s not going to be this easy every race, but we’ll keep working at it.”
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Gagne Finishes Ninth in Tough Opening Race at Mid-Ohio
Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne overcame adversity to finish inside the top 10 as Superbikes returned to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
MARIETTA, Ga. – August 18, 2024 – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing’s Jake Gagne salvaged points with a ninth-place finish in MotoAmerica Superbike Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Unfortunately, his teammate Cameron Petersen was sidelined for the opening race of the seventh round of the championship with an ankle injury.
Superbikes made a long-awaited return to the 2.4-mile course in central Ohio, with Gagne qualifying fifth. After the race was delayed by rain, riders were met with tricky conditions. The reigning three-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion had a solid start and made his way to fourth, but unfortunately went off track on the second lap and found himself 13th. Gagne did what he could to make his way through the field and would finish ninth to score valuable points on a tough day.
Petersen’s weekend got off to a rough start with a big crash that injured his ankle during Thursday’s official Dunlop pre-race test. The South African soldiered on and was eighth in the first qualifying session, where he would also finish in the combined times. Unfortunately, he had another crash in the second qualifying session and was sidelined after being declared unfit to race by the medical staff. He will be re-evaluated this morning for this afternoon’s Race 2.
The Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing team looks to come back swinging for MotoAmerica Superbike Race 2 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“Not a whole lot to say. It was a tough day. We’ll move on and try for better tomorrow.”
Jake Gagne – Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing #1
“It was a really tricky track as it was drying out, but I got off to a good start. Unfortunately, I ran off into the grass early and wasn’t able to make up a lot of positions. I’ve got to do a better job tomorrow.”
About Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Mikayla Moore took her sixth Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. victory of 2024, winning Race One at Mid-Ohio. Moore trimmed 1.7 seconds from her pole-winning qualifying time en route to a 14.568 second win over Kara Knebel, who had 12 seconds in hand over a fierce battle for third. Holly Varey took the final podium spot. With her win, Moore sealed the 2024 MotoAmerica Royal Enfield BTR Championship.
Matthew Chapin took pole position during MotoAmerica Junior Cup qualifying at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. Riding his BARTCON Racing Kawasaki Ninja 400 on spec Dunlop tires, the current Championship point leader topped the field with a 1:36.652.
New York Safety Track’s Yandel Medina was the best of the rest at 1:37.351, and Fernandez Racing’s Jayden Fernandez did a 1:37.407 to claim the third and final spot on the front row.
The Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Photo courtesy Michelin.
Francesco Bagnaia won the MotoGP World Championship Tissot Sprint race Saturday at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria. Riding his Michelin-equipped Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici, the two-time and defending Champion won the 14-lap race by 4.673 seconds, propelling him into a tie atop the point standings.
Jorge Martin, the point leader coming into the race, was the runner-up on his Prima Pramac Racing Ducati.
Aleix Espargaro finished a lonely third on his Aprilia Racing RS-GP.
Game on: it’s equal points as Bagnaia wins, Martin recovers to second & Marquez slides out in Spielberg
Gloves off, a Long Lap and a slide out of contention: the Tissot Sprint in Austria puts us on equal points – with Bagnaia back on top as Championship leader
Francesco Bagnaia (1) leads the start of the MotoGP Sprint race Saturday at the Red Bull Ring. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Saturday, 17 August 2024
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a stunning victory in the Tissot Sprint at the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, going gloves off against Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in the early stages before the #89 went wide through a shortcut, didn’t lose enough time, and then got handed a Long Lap penalty. The reigning Champion’s win makes it equal points at the top, and Bagnaia is the official Championship leader thanks to his higher number of Grand Prix wins so far in 2024. The stage is certainly set for a showdown on Sunday.
Behind, Marc Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) shadowed the duel in the early stages before losing a little ground, and he then crashed out from second as Martin served his Long Lap. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) avoided any of that drama, coming home third to complete the Sprint podium as Martin recovered to second place.
It was a sensational launch from Bagnaia in an intense start to the Tissot Sprint, with the reigning champion taking the holeshot and Martin then attacking for the lead on the entry to Turn 3 on the opening lap. The #1 soon tried to respond at the end of Lap 1, getting past at the penultimate corner before Martin sliced through to regain the lead at the final corner as the title rivals went elbow to elbow.
Bagnaia didn’t attack again at the first corner, but by Turn 2, Martin was in hot and headed wide into the runoff – taking the shortcut through the chicane. He rejoined behind Bagnaia, but didn’t lose enough time with the mistake. The #89 was investigated by the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards for the incident, and a Long Lap handed down.
He didn’t take it straight away but didn’t wait too long, by which time he and Bagnaia had pulled out some gap on the chasing Marc Marquez. When Martin did head into the Long Lap loop, Bagnaia was left with a solid lead ahead of the #93 and Martin emerged just ahead of Aleix Espargaro.
Then on Lap 10, there was yet another twist. In some space and on for a solid second, Marc Marquez lost the front on the entry to Turn 3. The #93 dropped to 23rd, outside of the point-scoring positions, and would soon retire to the pitlane, bringing a disappointing end to his Saturday.
On the final lap, nobody could match Bagnaia’s pace, with the Italian able to hold a four-second margin to Martin in second – putting them exactly equal on points. Meanwhile, the final spot inside the top three went the way of Aleix Espargaro, who claimed a somewhat unexpected third after a drama-free Saturday.
Meanwhile, there was an intense fight for the final spot inside the top five, with Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) losing a spot late on to a classic charging Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Prima Pramac Racing’s Franco Morbidelli also battling behind.
Bastianini crossed the line in fourth, with Miller rounding out the top five after the Australian defended from Morbidelli to the line. Just 0.102s separated the duo after the 14-lap dash, with Binder lurking in seventh.
Marco Bezzecchi (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) moved up to P8, with wildcard Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) putting in a very solid day at the office to take the final Sprint point in P9 – just ahead of rookie Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
That’s it from super Saturday, but it was an incredible teaser for what may lie ahead on Sunday in Spielberg. Come back for more MotoGP™ as the battles lines are drawn in Austria at 14:00 (UTC + 2)!
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